In addition, Helena has published eighteen historical novels and won numerous literary awards. Her novel on the Battle of Britain, “Where Eagles Never Flew,” won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction and a Maincrest Media Award for Historical Fiction. RAF Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Bob Doe called it “the best book” he had ever seen about the battle. “Traitors for the Sake of Humanity” is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES awards. “Grounded Eagles” and “Moral Fibre” have both garnered excellent reviews from acclaimed review sites such as Kirkus, Blue Ink, Foreword Clarion, Feathered Quill, and Chantileer Books.
Her latest book is the historical/military fiction, Moral Fibre: A Bomber Pilot’s Story.
Visit her website at http://helenapschrader.com or connect with her on Facebook. You can also visit her blogs:
Thanks for stopping by! What attracted you to the Historical Fiction genre?
I’m fascinated by human nature and a study of history expands the canvas on which human behavior can be observed, analyzed and depicted. Put another way, writing about the present can be a bit depressing and distressing. By expanding my horizons to the past, I
can not only get lost in a different era, I can focus on eras and events where a positive outcome guaranteed. My key motivation for writing historical fiction is captured by my motto: Understanding ourselves by understanding the past. History is full of fascinating examples of human behavior that shaped the course of human history. Almost any era contains relevant lessons for today, and as a writer I like to make those connections between the past and present clear.
Do you write in any other genres?
Yes. I have published three non-fiction history books, one on women pilots in WWII, one on the Berlin Airlift, and most recently on the crusader states in the Levant (1100 – 1291). In addition, I’ve published a full-length biography of Friedrich Olbricht, a leading figure in the German Resistance to Hitler.
What inspired you to write Moral Fibre?
I had just completed two novellas set in WWII that I planned to release together under the umbrella title “Grounded Eagles.” Suddenly, I knew that I needed a third story — one about a young man suffering from PTSD, or — as it was called in the RAF in WWII — for “Lacking Moral Fibre” (LMF). Although I’d heard of “LMF,” I knew almost nothing about how the RAF applied the concept. Nor did I know very much about RAF Bomber Command, so I had to do a great deal of research. Throughout my research and writing, I was highly motived because I felt absolutely compelled to write this story. I have very rarely been so driven or so inspired. I am both honored and grateful that I was given the opportunity to write this young man’s story.
Can you give us your book blurb so others can find out what your book is about?
Riding the icy, moonlit sky—
They took the war to Hitler.
Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent.
Their average age was 21.
This is the story of just one Lancaster skipper, his crew,
and the woman he loved.
It is intended as a tribute to them all.
Flying Officer Kit Moran has earned his pilot’s wings, but the greatest challenges still lie ahead: crewing up and returning to operations. Things aren’t made easier by the fact that while still a flight engineer, he was posted LMF (Lacking in Moral Fibre) for refusing to fly after a raid on Berlin that killed his best friend and skipper. Nor does it help that he is in love with his dead friend’s fiancé, who is not yet ready to become romantically involved again.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
You can visit me at: http://helenapschrader.com or visit the publisher website: http://crossseaspress.com.
Where can readers buy your book?
You can buy Moral Fibre on amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Moral-Fibre-Bomber-Pilots-Story/dp/1735313920/ and on Barnes and Noble at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moral-fibre-dr-helena-schrader-phd/1141389873?ean=9781735313924
Alternatively, you can buy directly from the distributor Itasca at: https://itascabooks.com/products/moral-fibre-a-bomber-pilots-story?_pos=1&_psq=Moral+F&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
My pleasure! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to connect with readers!
What’s next for you?
I am working on the first of three novels set in the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949). In June 1948, the Russians had, from one day to the next, cut off all supplies of food, electricity, medicine and everything else needed for daily life to the 2 million people living in the Western Sectors of Berlin. Like a medieval army, the Russians had literally established a siege of Western Sectors of Berlin. The Western Allies responded by supplying the city entirely by air —including flying in everything from milk and eggs to the heavy construction equipment needed to build a new airport. When the airlift started, not even the Allied air forces, believed it would be possible to keep 2 million people supplied with food and fuel etc, but in the end the success was complete. The Russians were forced to back down entirely. It is a very dramatic and ultimately positive story that has received too little attention in literature. That’s what appeals to me — and several characters from Moral Fibre will reappear in these books as well.
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