An Unfinished Symphony

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Anne Rouen

“Irène read and wrote constantly. Every day, after breakfast, she would go out, sometimes walking for ten kilometres before finding a spot she liked. Then she would start work.” preface, Suite Française. Image: ‘Forest and Light’ by dan, courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

At the moment, I am researching WWII in France for Bk IV of my Master of Illusion series. Normally, I use non-fiction, personal or first hand experience and video/television documentary for this. Once I am able to feel myself in the era, smell the earth, the trees, the flowers, then I can go on with my story.

In my search, have come across the most remarkable book, Suite Française, by Irène Némirovsky, a beautiful, intelligent writer who, in real life, just happened to move in the same privileged circles as my characters.

It is a work of fiction, yet I would rather call it creative non-fiction, because here is a record of what it is like to live in occupied France during WWII, a precious record from a consummate writer who was subjected to the worst horror that anyone can experience: the loss of human dignity and ultimately, her life.

Her talented pen evokes all the reader’s senses. She has you smelling the woods, wincing as a cat’s claws enter the heart of a tiny bird, cowering at the sound of an air raid, then becoming fatalistic, defiantly exposing yourself to the bombs: ‘Here I am – just get it over with.’

She describes, in vivid detail, a kaleidoscope of emotions and character traits, ranging from hatred to love, treachery to honour, modesty to arrogance, sometimes all in the one person!

Interestingly, she saw the occupying German soldiers mainly as wholesome young farm boys doing their duty, just wanting to go home; by and large with an integrity exceeding that of the French, whose characters she depicted as anything from the vilest, self-interested collaborator to the most insanely noble and courageous patriot. All the small day to day struggles, defeats and triumphs that make up the full picture.

And all of this from only 2 parts of a 5 part novel, comprising only the first draft. To find a first draft so compelling, so depictive, with such clever and poetic turn of phrase, is amazing in itself. What would it have been like had she been given time to finish and polish it?

I took a long time to read this novel, suspended by tears often. To read her precious words, knowing the tragedy behind them, was an emotionally draining experience. But I regard it as a labour of love, because I have to know what my characters faced when, in the midst of carrying out their daily lives, they were plunged into the worst darkness the world has ever known.

Irène Némirovsky was a great writer and best-selling author. She was also of Jewish descent, in a time when the most shameful and horrific treatment of Jews was already a fact; and her notes show that she had a premonition that she did not have long to live.

Sadly, she never got to write the last three movements of this wartime symphony and the world lost a consummate author. In July 1942 she was taken to Auschwitz and died in dreadful conditions at Bikenau.

Her husband, with the kind of love that defies all boundaries, not knowing she was already dead, lobbied the Vichy government to free her and let him take her place. Callously, they sent him to Auschwitz and straight to the gas chamber. To add to its depravity, the Vichy government then spent time trying to hunt down their small daughters to send with them.

Having been acquainted with the bravery of Marshal Pétain during the carnage that was WWI, it twists a particular knife in my heart that he presided over a craven government that would stoop to such brutal depths of inhumanity as to persecute and murder innocent civilians and their children.

I will always cry for you, Irène Némirovsky. But I salute you, too: a shining spirit holding up the truth. I feel so honoured that your hand reached out through time to show me what my characters have to face as they enter the 1940s.

Your words, so beautifully crafted, your courage, your love and the love of your husband, Michel Epstein, will live forever.

Suite Française, a remarkable, heart-rending snapshot in time. Unforgettable.

Celebrate “Read an Ebook Week” with Anne Rouen and Smashwords

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Anne Rouen Admin

Celebrate Read an Ebook Week with Anne Rouen on Smashwords

Our lovely friends at Smashwords are putting on a big celebration in honour of “Read an Ebook Week”.

To join in the fun, I have decided to put both my novels in the Historical Fiction Romance Series Master of Illusion up for sale in their HUGE discount catalogue.

So, from March 2 – 8, 2014, you can buy Master of Illusion — Book One and Master of Illusion — Book Two from Smashwords with a 50% OFF discount coupon.

All you have to do is click on the title of each novel above. This will take you to the Smashwords site. When you go to the checkout, enter the discount code REW50 to obtain your savings! This brings each book down to $2.02 US for one week only.

If you have never tried Smashwords, don’t be shy. It’s very easy to use for purchasing ebooks. It allows you to purchase via PayPal, so that may alleviate any fears with regards to online purchases and security. It also offers the ability to download ebooks in any format you like. So you can read on your Kindle, iPad, IPhone, Tablet, Computer and so on!

Hurry to claim your 50% discount before March 8, 2014!

Nothing Like a New Release – Update on Self-Publishing

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Anne Rouen

Master of Illusion Book II. New release from the Historical Fiction Series by Anne Rouen

It has been a lot of work: editing, checking facts, little rewrites here and there, attending to all the publishing details like ISBN and CiP, agonising over a choice of cover from the number of really beautiful designs presented to me. But the excitement of the launch beats everything!

After the great reception and the wonderful reviews Master of Illusion Book I received, I just couldn’t wait to do it again. And my latest review from a judge of the Writers’ Digest Awards has re-fired all my enthusiasm.

Your first book is like your baby. You cannot bear to part with a word of it. Only the strongest representation will induce a rewrite. This is more due to the belief that this story has been given to you; come from outside yourself; rather than overweening conceit about your own abilities as a writer.

I found I wasn’t so precious about Book II, cutting out chunks on the editor’s advice without turning a hair. I think that with Book III, I will be positively blasé! But I have to say I love it when my editor suggests a little rewrite – one more chance to revisit the magical world of opera/ballet, opulence and charm of nineteenth century Paris.

Life on the land is extremely heartbreaking at the moment, as all my farming friends will agree. But after I have fed my few old sheep, checked the horses, the water and put out the drought blocks for the cattle, I can step through the vine-covered door of my little stone hut and become Anne Rouen, resident author of StoneHut Publishing.

Here, immersed in the lives of my characters, the problems of the present world pale into insignificance beside the vibrance – the dazzling brilliance – of la Belle Époque.

Would I do it all again? Absolutely! The whole experience has been so uplifting that I will most definitely do it again.

Here’s a little secret: Book III is finished, ready for polishing – months of hard work by me and my editor – to make it ready for its new release and start the excitement all over again! I’m hooked!

Master of Illusion Book II continues the story of the Master of Illusion and begins where Book I ends: the after party following the Grand Opening of their new opera house. I take this opportunity to assure my fans waiting on the book that, not only will it answer all your questions, but some you never thought to ask.

Master of Illusion Book II is currently available as an ebook on Amazon and Smashwords. And coming soon to the other platforms. Enjoy!

Benefits for Manilla – Fact or Fiction?

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Anne Rouen

The Namoi River Community Group Inc. have grave concerns over the history of the Strathfield developers. Photo courtesy Flopp (Matthew) Fletcher.

The Namoi River Community Group Inc. have grave concerns over the future of this beautiful river, given the history of the Strathfield developers. Photo courtesy Flopp (Matthew) Fletcher.

A historical fiction writer must study historical facts; and research is a big part of my life. Many months, even years, are spent delving into the period setting of a book, including the news of the day; what people wore, ate, talked about, believed; how they lived, spoke, dressed, went about in society and conducted their business.

HF authors are, by necessity, investigative: you can find out a lot about people by the way they behave in their dealings with others.

It is easy to see clearly, in hindsight, the mistakes of the past; to pinpoint the exact set of circumstances that caused something to go wrong. So much ends in tragedy that could, so easily, have been avoided.

As a member of the Namoi River Community Group Inc. and faced with the ‘pros and cons’ dilemma of the huge proposed development on Strathfield, I decided to research it as I would a novel. But plotting the future is much more difficult than the past.

In trying to sift the facts from the miasma of rumour, contradictory statements, misinformation and apparent games of ‘smoke and mirrors’, my research has thrown up some disquieting questions. The group has already compiled a disturbing list of facts about the track record of the developers. You will find it here.

Believe me, I don’t want to have to write an unhappy ending!

So, if you think it may be worth sacrificing the health, safety and comfort of all the citizens of Manilla for perceived benefits to the business end of town, I would beg you to think again:

About questions such as the viability of having to wait a full 180 days for payments for goods and services (having outlayed in advance for them); and the wisdom of signing contracts that bind one party hand and foot, but allow the other to escape on a legal technicality. (Including ones you’d never dream of!)

Then there’s the question of employment: a succulent carrot for any small town. “600 jobs,” proclaimed our mayor.

Great for Tamworth! But what about Manilla, Mr Mayor?

Before you make up your mind about the truth of this statement, take a look at this and ask yourself: Who will get the jobs?

Do the words of Deputy Mayor Webb add credence to the, as yet, unconfirmed reports of Tamworth houses fitted out with bunk-style accommodation for imported workers?

And, while I’m about it: Here’s a question I would like to ask our mayor on behalf of all the citizens of my town:

Councillor Murray, would you approve a development of this type and magnitude in a sensitive catchment area above the Tamworth water supply?

The people of Manilla await your answer.

A Warning From History

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Anne Rouen

Migrating Geese. Wild birds must be kept away from chicken farms. Strathfield is a haven for wild birds. Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com

In plants, it is called monoculture; in animals: intensive production. In humans it has many names including overpopulation, overcrowding, high density and/or tenement living.

History has proven that where there is a large population of genetically similar individuals, the potential for destruction of that population by pathogens is a terrifying reality. A time bomb, ticking away.

Many times through history, food crops have been wiped out by disease. In 1845-6, a fungal blight destroyed the entire potato crop in Ireland, resulting in starvation of the population. Many died, others were forced into mass migration to survive.

In the overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions of 14^th Century Europe, the Black Death cut a swathe through the population greater than any other known epidemic or disaster. The depraved murderer was a germ Pasteurella pestis spread by the fleas on rats.

Bird Flu is probably the greatest threat to our chickens farmed in Australia. It has a number of strains, some of which are capable of passing from birds to humans. Fortunately, the latest outbreak was not one of them. The closer the bird populations are to each other, and to wild bird populations, the more the risk of infection.

This calls to mind the proposal of putting a huge, intensive chicken operation (70 sheds, almost 3 million birds) on Strathfield, one of Manilla’s most iconic and productive irrigation properties. Being on the river, it is a haven for bird life.

There is an old saying about the foolishness of putting all your eggs in one basket; and another about your chickens coming home to roost. Sadly, in this case, I fear the consequences will be felt by many more than the proponents of this lunacy.

When the developers find that our beautiful Strathfield is unsuitable for their proposed intensive development(as we have been trying to tell them), they could do no better than to learn from these historic examples and seek advice from the intensive farming families of our district.

I commend these families for their excellence and best practice in their attention to:

– animal welfare

– biosecurity

– environmental responsibility

– and consideration for their community.

One family has gone to the expense of building their own road so as not to inconvenience the townspeople. This speaks for itself: Compare it to the disregard shown to our community by the ‘big business’ proponents of this hideous Strathfield development. These families are an asset to our district and valued members of our community. They should not be made to suffer for the wrong judgements of others, when they themselves are more than doing the right thing.

History has shown the unwisdom of having large populations in one location. Would it not be smarter to spread the farms around the district (on the abattoir side of town; and NOT in a sensitive catchment area): perhaps in the care of separate farming families who have a vested interest in the safety of our community; and thus minimise the health risks to the populations involved, both bird and human? It might have an added benefit of security of income for those on smaller properties in these difficult times.

My plea to the would-be Strathfield developers is this:

Heed this warning from history and don’t put all your chickens in one area. Because they won’t just come home to roost on your doorstep: It will be on mine and that of every other citizen in our community! And yours, too, Councillor Murray.

The Dreyfus Affair

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Anne Rouen

Captain Alfred Dreyfus – an innocent man subjected to shocking injustice.

At its simplest, the Dreyfus Affair was the heart-wrenching story of an innocent man, framed by the real culprit, for selling secrets to an enemy; and an illegal cover-up by the military to hide its mistakes.

On a deeper level, it became the issue of the right to freedom of the individual being subordinated by the state, with Dreyfus as its symbol. Its incredible and far-reaching consequences tore apart the fabric of French life, including dramatic changes to the French constitution, the separation of state and clergy, and deep divisions between right and left that still reverberate today.

Depending on your point of view it was either the most shocking miscarriage of justice, or the acceptable sacrifice of an individual for the security of a nation. For many in a country that, one hundred years before, had fought a hard and bloody battle for freedom and fair treatment, this was not to be borne. Feelings ran so strongly that the whole country was polarised. The conflict, reflecting issues of anti-semitism, anti-clericism and anti-republicanism, was often violent.

Everyone living in France between the years 1894 and 1906, was forced to choose a side. There were two camps: Dreyfusards and Anti-Dreyfusards.

My characters, Angel and Elise, with their shared passion for justice, were, naturally, Dreyfusards and worked tirelessly behind the scenes with Dreyfus’ wife Lucie and family to free him.

Dreyfusards (pressing for the exoneration of Dreyfus) were mostly anti-clericals, Jews, left-wing intellectuals and radicals, their cause represented by Georges Clemenceau’s newspaper l’Aurore.

Anti-Dreyfusards( prepared to sacrifice Dreyfus for national security), mainly anti-semites, nationalists and conservatives opposed to republicanism, found a mouthpiece in the newspaper La Libre Parole, owned by Edouard Drumont, an anti-semite.

There is as much drama in this story as any fiction writer could desire; and movie makers were quick to take it up. A short summary of events include:

1894 – Captain Alfred Dreyfus convicted of treason for selling military secrets to the Germans and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island.

1896 – Increasing evidence that another officer, Ferdinand-Walsin Esterhazy was the culprit.

1898 – January – Esterhazy tried and acquitted of treason. In response Émile Zola wrote his famous letter J’accuse, published in l’Aurore, for which he was found guilty of libel.

1898 – August – A sensation caused by the confession of Major Hubert Henry that he fabricated important evidence against Dreyfus. Esterhazy immediately fled to England. Henry committed suicide.

1899 – September – Dreyfus retried and found guilty of treason in an infamous court-martial at Rennes. The President, Émile Loubet, pardoned him to resolve an inflammatory situation.

1906 – Dreyfus finally exonerated by a civilian court of appeal. He was given the Legion d’Honneur and a rise in rank to major. He had lost twelve years of his life, his career and his reputation. How could it be given back?

I find it touching that one innocent citizen’s ill-treatment by a corrupt military galvanised a country into action. Fair-minded people, revolted by injustice and racial/religious prejudice, took up the cudgels in defence of a principle: the right to freedom of the individual.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: I love it. Vive la France!