Ah, the first week of April! A fresh rain. Blooming flowers. The head-jerking reaction you'll have when a bee flies too close to your face. No? Huh. Guess that's just me then! I've never cared for bees, if I'm being honest. The memory of stepping on one barefoot when I was little is forever imprinted in my brain, and I've been careful to never get stung by one again. That, and the husband's allergic. 

Anyway, on to more important details. It's the first Wednesday of the month, so let's Ask An Author! Coming from @LittleCherryBlossom26, we have Live, Love, Lose. 

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Live, Love, Lose
LittleCherryBlossom26

58 Chapters / 137,372 Words / Rating: Mature / Status: Complete

April 1940, Denmark.

Karl Nielsen is a 17-year-old boy who has been helping his parents at the familial farm from an early age on a small island on the west coast of Denmark. However, his life shatters the day when Germans invade Denmark and arrive where they live. His father still manages to send him on a boat for England before the Nazis can take him away.

In a country he has never been to before, he will have to survive on his own right in the middle of the madness of the war.

Will he manage to make it through despite all the hardships he will have to face?

Well, read to find out.

What inspired you to write about WWII and Karl's experience in a foreign country?

Well, as far as I can remember, I’ve always had a keen interest in history (that was my favourite subject in highschool!) and world wars, especially world war II, are such an important part of our human history, so I thought to myself before starting to write: if I have to write about anything first, it should be historical fiction. All of us have at least or several relatives who took part in these world wars, relatives who were ready to risk what they had to fight for their beliefs and ideals. When I was younger, my grandmother used to tell me and my brother about her childhood during World War II (she was only eight when it started), so this alone contributed a lot to making me write about this period in history. Yet, I’ve chosen to write about a seventeen-year-old Danish boy who found shelter in England, and not about a fictional character living in Occupied France as I could have, or maybe should. Why then? Well, I think this is a facet that had never really been explored before; citizens living in annexed countries like Denmark, their daily life; hence the difficulty to make research about this aspect in particular. So of course, this could only pique my interest (there is also the fact that since highschool I’ve had an earnest interest in Nordic countries as well, though I don’t really know where it comes from; it’s like a magnet pulling me towards their culture and civilisation.) I’ve found this really interesting to explore exile in such a way, finding yourself penniless in a foreign country where you know no one or the language spoken there. How you have to realise you must grow up since you are not safe anymore in your familial environment and have no choice but fend for yourself on your own if you want to survive. Then how family doesn’t necessarily mean you must be tied by blood to consider people as your family. 

Most war stories I know (when I say this I’m thinking especially about movies) are about war itself, the fighting and its terrible consequences, so I think this is important to be immersed in the civilians’ life who, of course, didn’t meet the same difficulties, hence the second part being more about the fighting to then show the discrepancy between two different visions of war. 

Was it difficult emotionally [to write this story]?

Yes, of course, it was! Terribly difficult! It was a roller coaster of ups and downs and a real challenge given this was my first story and not the easiest subject to write about! I kept repeating to myself I should have chosen something much lighter to write about, but then in the end I don’t regret writing this story at all. I mean I can be proud that this is my first story ever because despite the many difficulties, it was really worth it!!! 

Since this is your first novel, are you planning to revise it, or leave it as a benchmark to show where you started as a writer?

Well…This is a very good question! I’ve been hesitating about these two choices for so long now! I mean, as this is my first story ever, this would be interesting to leave it as it is with the minimum editing needed as a benchmark to then show how my writing progresses with the years. Yet a part of me just wants it to be perfect since this is my first story! How contradictory, I know! So I guess I will just need some more time to think about it. Perhaps once I have finished the whole series I might be finally able to decide which is best!  

Overall, how do you feel about the success of your first story? 

If there is one answer I should provide for this one; I think I simply still can’t really realise it was read and appreciated by lots of people! This just sounds so incredible to me!  

By the way, never had I thought I would be featured in this blog! So a big thanks to the reader who asked me these questions! I really enjoyed answering them

Besides, I really want to thank all of my readers once again for all the support and constructive comments. You guys rock!  

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How exciting! A historical fiction, and it's the author's first story? Awesome job, @LittleCherryBlossom26! This is one genre I don't believe I could write for. While history was one of my preferred subjects in school, I didn't retain enough information to create a plot confidently. Much respect to the historical authors on GA!

If you enjoyed this edition of Ask An Author 3.0, then listen closely, folks. This was the last submission in the piggy-bank. I'm going to need a few more soon, or the first Wednesday of the month will be dryer than a fart. 

Take a quick second to think about your favorite story on Gay Authors. Now, take another couple to think about three questions you'd love to ask the author. Then send me a PM with the story title, the author's name, and the three questions. 

Until next month, have a good'n!