We’re thrilled to have here today Louisa Unger from Jennifer Ott’s historical fiction, Time of Useful Consciousness. She is coming to us all the way Stuttgart, Germany. It is a pleasure to have her with us today at The Literary Nook!
Thank you so for this interview,
Louisa. Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly
portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?
Louisa:
I would have never thought my story would be told, or if anyone would want to
hear it. I was just a poor German girl living in allied occupied Stuttgart. My
story is something even I have a hard time believing and it happened to me. I
believe I was portrayed fairly, maybe a little too favorably at times. My
actions were at times questionable as well as my love.
What do you believe is your
strongest trait?
Louisa: I believe my two strongest traits are endurance and
love. I endured Nazi Germany, the air raids and even endured losing those I
loved the most, but ironically it was my love that kept me going. I never gave
up on myself and the people in my life.
Worst trait?
Louisa: Gullible. Yes, gullible. I
put blinders on and didn’t see the dangers. I didn’t want to see it.
Do you have a love interest in the
book?
Louisa: Yes. His name is Kris and
he is handsome former reconnaissance pilot. He taught me to soar in many ways I
never dreamed possible.
At what point of the book did you
start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?
Louisa: When we flew on mission to Amsterdam.
Kris started acting nervous believing we were being followed and my brother
Freddy was as uncontrollable as ever. I felt at that point something bad was
going to happen.
If you could trade places with one
of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want
to be and why?
Louisa: I wouldn’t want to be my
mother. For years I criticized her for believing she was uncaring and
distant…and all her affairs. I didn’t realize until later how hard it was to be
a single mother raising two children during a war. I didn’t realize how much
she loved our father, and how much of herself she sacrificed for our
protection.
How do you feel about the ending of
the book without giving too much away?
Louisa: Love will always set you
free.
What words of wisdom would you give
your author if she decided to write another book with you in it?
Louisa: She could chill on the
family drama. I’ve had enough.
Thank you for this interview.
Will we be seeing more of you in the future?
Louisa: Thank you. Maybe, maybe not. ; )
About the Author
Jennifer
Ott is a prolific author who published numerous titles in various genres from
literary fiction, women’s fiction, satire, dystopian fantasy, romance, crime
drama and two satirical nonfiction titles. She will soon release her women’s
fiction/historical fiction novel, "Time of Useful Consciousness."
Under the
pen name Mahima Martel, her romance novel, “Saying Goodbye,”
received honorable mention at last year’s Best Beach Book Contest and her
literary fiction novella, “Edge of Civilization” has been highly
recommended by the Vietnam Veterans Association of America.
She has
been named head online course writer for the “The Friendly
Universe.” Her radio show, The SuperJenius Show on the Artist First Radio
Network can be heard first Thursday of every month at 11:00PM EST.
For
More Information
- Visit Jennifer Ott’s website.
- Visit her show at Artist First Network.
- Connect with Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Jennifer at Goodreads.
- Contact Jennifer.
About the Book:
Louisa
Unger, a young German woman in Post-War World II Germany kills a man in cold
blood. In her mind, freedom and preservation cause her to pull the trigger.
Arrested
by the American Allied forces and confined to a military prison, she greets the
man investigating her crime, Colonel Taylor with biting sarcasm and scorn.
Despite her offense, her fate is up to her - give up her countrymen for her
freedom. She decides to play the loyalty card and remain in prison.
Among
her conversations with Colonel Taylor, Louisa weaves her tale of the events by
evading any real information. While imprisoned, she relives her experience of
reuniting with her estranged brother Freddy, falling in love with Kris, a
former reconnaissance pilot and learning to fly to a plane. She recounts in
fairy tale fashion of monsters cloaked in shadows and lessons learned by
incorrigible children, which does nothing but frustrate Colonel Taylor, who has
no clue as to why she would protect evil men.
Seduced
into the bliss of romance and flying, Louisa fails to recognize any threat. She
grows immersed in the life of a smuggler, a pilot and a lover, something she
would have never anticipated while hiding during air raids. It is hard to come
back down to earth, when soaring so high.
After
Louisa recounts the whole story to Colonel Taylor, there are still puzzle
pieces missing. Still she relays no names and gives up no one. While Colonel
Taylor sifts through all the information, one piece of evidence bears light,
and it is something he never expects. Louisa holds onto heartache. Once Colonel
Taylor reunites her with her lost love, is he able to get her to divulge
secrets...most of them.
For More Information
- Time of Useful Consciousness is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
- Watch the trailer at YouTube.
Rage erupted through her entire body, yet she was stoically calm. She had held it in so long believing someday they
would be free again—free from
the chaos and the violence, the global scrutiny and the burden handed to them
from their parents. She wanted it all to end
and deep inside, she knew the only way to make it to end would take just one
more act of violence; one shot and it would be over. Taking a life would be so
liberating no matter how long she would be hunted or incarcerated.
He laughed and asked in his usual pompousness, “See können nicht es tun. Sie ist Ihre Familie, aber verschieden
schwach. Sie haben Verstand, ist nicht dieses Recht, Louisa?”
The Luger weighed heavily in her
hand and her arm began to shake. Her face wrinkled and she choked on a few
tears. “Ich bin klug.” She pulled the
trigger and shot.
A small wisp of smoke plumed from the barrel and the bullet ripped
through empty space as if in slow motion, yet he didn’t have time to react. His
eyes widened and his mouth gaped. What he thought was impossible, happened. He
was on the brink of being killed as he had done to so many innocents. The
bullet pierced his pressed white shirt and red oozed spreading into a bloody
stain.
The impact didn’t knock him over at first…maybe it was his disbelief
that someone—especially a young woman—would get the best of him, or maybe he
believed he was too powerful to die. Soon life escaped him, and he slumped
quietly to the floor.
She lowered the gun and breathed in deeply, releasing a satisfying sigh. It was over—the ordeal she had
never anticipated—yet after flying so high and fast, what could she expect? She
was bound to come down sooner or later and like the rest of her family, she
came crashing down hard.
Slouching to the floor, she set the gun beside her and traced her finger
along the hardwood floor. She took a moment to smell the room’s organic, musty
scent. A silent breeze from the pine outside the window lofted over her bringing calmness with it. The thumping of
helicopter propellers outside proved her ordeal was not yet over.
She barely felt strong hands ring around her upper arms and pull her
upright. “Are you okay, miss?” he asked in a Southern American drawl.
She hated that particular American accent, but the worst was the North
Eastern accents of New York and Boston. She became quite an expert on American accents during the occupation.
Many times she wished they were occupied by the British; at least they would be
dominated by polite, proper voices.
The American soldier shook her gently. “Are you alright?” he asked
again.
She nodded, shrugging away from his grasp. She was ready for her
punishment, whatever it would be.
The soldier escorted her across the hilltop, which overlooked a clear
lake and meadow of white edelweiss. Such
beautiful scenery for such evil men. Why were the evildoers blessed with such
beauty and the good masses succumbed to the gray darkness of the city? she thought as the soldier pushed her into the backseat of a helicopter.
As the helicopter lifted, she watched the mirrored reflection on the
lake. So much power everyone thought they had—the Germans, the Americans—yet
nobody knew anything. Everyone was ignorant. Flying over this land as she has
done for the past year it became obvious how easy it was to lose awareness. It
was so easy to get lost when she had been escaping reality daily.
Surrounded by American soldiers, she settled into her seat not knowing
where they were taking her. It didn’t matter. Her life had ended several years
ago and she remembered exactly the first day of the end.
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