Today, I’m bringing my readers another brilliant guest post. This time, I have author of the Gott Mit Uns series, Aubrey Taylor, discussing books, writing, and advice to aspiring authors.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Sometimes I joke that taking up writing is my midlife crisis. I wrote prolifically when I was 10 but gave that up as school, friends, music, and work began to take up more time. I also spent years struggling with depression, feeling like I couldn’t do anything more than what I was already doing. I think they call it “survival mode.” It has been a long process but I am finally coming out of that cycle and discovering a lot of wonderful things I never believed I could be involved in. I alluded to the fact that I am a musician, and outside of writing, my hobbies lay mostly in that area. I also perform with a group of Bavarian folk dancers.
How did you get into writing?
I fall into the category of people who went through a major life change during COVID. I was homeschooling my kids at the time, and we were studying the world wars when the idea for Sani: The German Medic literally just dawned on me. It’s not a children’s book and the series isn’t intended to be YA fiction, but it really was the start of something. The more I researched and wrote, I realized that nothing else I had ever done gave me so much joy and fulfillment.
What era do you write about and what drew you to that time period(s)?
I write 20th Century history, primarily during the Second World War but more broadly the years between 1915 and 1945. I have been fascinated by this time period since I was seven years old.
From the beginning, I found myself compelled to write from the German perspective. What draws me to it is knowing that I am part German, and having a sensitivity to what they went through during that time. Of course, my ancestors came to America generations ago, but I think there is still quite a bit about that time period that we don’t understand, and it still very much affects the world we live in today. It is wrong to assume that all the tropes we see in Hollywood and read in fiction are all there is to know about the subject.
Can you tell us a little bit about your most recent book?
On November 4th, I published my fourth book, The Rubicon. It is Book 3 of my Gott Mit Uns series which, as I described above, is a German-perspective family saga set primarily in Weimar and Nazi Germany. The main characters are Jakob, a young SS man, and Emma, his estranged wife. In Jake’s absence, Emma befriends Jakob’s former best friend Christian, who is a homosexual and makes a living as an escort. Christian is not only determined to overcome his personal demons, he is also determined to reunite Jake and Emmy.
It’s not strictly a romance, though. There is a lot of history written into the story and it also deals with Jakob’s involvement in war crimes and descent into heavy alcohol abuse. The title signifies that both Jake and Christian will face pivotal, point-of-no-return decisions.
Where can people order your book(s)?
It is available in both print and eBook formats on Amazon, and is available in KU: Amazon
Are you working on something at the moment? If so, can you spill the beans a little?
I am working on a book that may become a new series. It is set in East Prussia and includes one of my favorite supporting characters from The Rubicon.
It is worth noting that my personal style has changed since my first book, and so has my audience. While I started out writing Christian fiction, my latest two releases are gritty and address topics that do not necessarily appeal to many Christian readers. It has been tricky to navigate, but I stand behind my work and I really feel I have found my niche.
How do you go about your research?
I read a lot of memoirs written by German soldiers. I cannot believe how many are available out there, and I’m thankful that these men have been bold enough to write their stories. I have a few friends who are old enough to have been in their teens during the war, and they often tell me about their experiences. Further, I find a lot of information online, from scholarly journals to a plethora of old photographs and documents. There also forums in which hardcore history buffs interact over these topics, answer questions, and recommend valuable historical resources.
Do you have a favourite historical source?
The memoirs as well as my personal contacts have been invaluable to me.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?
Something I heard from another author: “Plots are a dime a dozen, characters matter more.”
Can you tell us your favourite fiction and favourite non-fiction book?
For fiction, there is no contest: All Quiet on the Western Front. I enjoyed Remarque’s books The Road Back and A Time to Love and A Time to Die as well.
For non-fiction, in spite of my shift away from writing for the Christian market, I still read the Bible every day.
If you’ve enjoyed reading about Aubrey, you can find out more on the following links:
What an absolute pleasure to have Aubrey on my blog.
I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much I have and thank you once again to Aubrey and my readers.
You may have also spotted an image further up to The Christmas we both Needed. As it’s almost Christmas I thought it was the perfect time to include it. If you’ve read any of the Gott Mit Uns series then you may enjoy this as it’s linked!
Amy McElroy 