Meet author Aubrey Taylor

As a child, Aubrey spent hours creating characters and writing stories. In 2021, God led her back to her love for writing, coupled with her fascination for history. Since then, she has published four books and a novelette. Aubrey lives in New York with her husband and three children. She enjoys singing with friends and dancing with a Bavarian folk dancing group. She is a lover of Jesus Christ, the Holy Bible, tea, and cats!

Tell us about your newest book.

After publishing four books, I decided it was time to have something that didn’t feel like as much of a commitment as a full-length novel. I wanted readers to be able to dip their toes into my story world, one that is historical and yet different from what they are used to.

What inspired you to write Hans Waldemar Remembers Normandy?

Having grown so close to some of the oldest members of our German-American community, and having read stacks of memoirs written by former German soldiers, I thought it was time to share some of the things I’ve been thinking about as they apply to the world today. The American celebration of the 80^th anniversary of D-Day was a perfect time to do this. I also saw it as an opportunity to share my work with a broader audience. A lot of people who enjoy WWII fiction don’t take time to read things written from “the other side.” Hans Waldemar is a more contemporary work. Though it is still related to the Second World War, it takes place in 2024 and has some of the pop culture references and banter of a modern story.

How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?

Eighty years after the war’s end, Hans is asked to break his silence about the past. If his loved ones learn the truth, will it be an opportunity for healing?

What genre do you focus on?

Sometimes, Amazon categorizes my work as Historical German Fiction. I like that, because the fact that I write from the German perspective sets my work apart from most of the Interwar and World War II fiction out there. I have a passion to give a more complete picture of what was going on in Germany at the time, and not just focus on the tropes we normally find in this genre.

Why do you write?

I long to research, write, and create deep, meaningful stories with characters that feel so real, you begin to think you might meet them on the street. I feel compelled to paint a more balanced picture of the German story. For me, it has never been about whether I will become successful or make money writing. It’s all about passion and, I believe, a definite conviction of my calling.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

In Hans Waldemar Remembers Normandy, Hans is a 97-year-old veteran who served Germany as a teenager during the Second World War. Hans is simply the name that came to me for this particular story. However, with lengthier works, if I pick a name at random, I often discover later on that the name truly suits the character I’ve given it to. For example, in the book I’m working on now, the male main character is named Lothar. Lothario is a name we might give to someone who is a ladies’ man, and that is certainly what he turned out to be! Initially, though, it was entirely unintentional.

What’s the best part of your author’s life?

After writing my first book, Sani: The German Medic, I decided to investigate what kind of German-American groups there might be in my area. It turns out that there is a small but very active community here, and I became involved with a number of clubs, including a German choir and a Bavarian dance group. It turns out that I am not simply writing historical fiction from the German perspective. I am truly discovering my heritage and “my people.”

What’s one unusual fact about you?

I know how to yodel. Many Germans point out that what Americans think of as German culture is from a specific region in Germany and Austria, and does not represent Germany as a whole. It is a valid point: imagine stereotyping all Americans as Texans. However, that is a piece of the culture that has taken hold here in America. When people go to a German festival, they expect to hear at least a little bit of yodeling!

What is your favorite pastime?

Writing, of course! I am an independent writer and I am not trying to make a living. In fact, I am at peace with “breaking even,” or even investing a little in my writing, seeing the money spent as sowing into the Kingdom of God. Therefore, while I do try to approach it with diligence, I can still enjoy it. There is no pressure. It is cathartic, and an opportunity to spend time with my beloved characters.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

I do! My Interwar/WWII historical series, Gott Mit Uns, invites you to experience the German perspective through the lives of the Schmidt men and their closest companions. The stories are edgy and push the reader to consider things that aren’t generally addressed in Christian fiction, but they are also filled with the love and mercy of God. People say these books are addicting, and that they don’t just read about the characters’ lives—they live the stories right along with them!

What are you working on now?

My current WIP is similar to the Gott Mit Uns (GMU) series, though it is not a part of it. The story centers on one of GMU’s supporting characters, Lothar Feinberg, and his first love, Brygida Neumann-O’Hare. Their choices tear them apart—hence the working title of the book, Separate Ways. The story then follows their individual paths: his journey as a soldier in the SS, and her journey from cobbler’s granddaughter to mistress of a high-ranking Nazi. Like I said above, my writing is edgy. I like to challenge the reader to consider God’s grace in unconventional ways. Naturally, it is a closed-door romantic story, but you will see both Lothar and Brygida struggle with things that, by the grace of God, many of us haven’t.

Thank you again for this opportunity to share my work with you.

Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com

Link to book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/d2lvbsx9ka

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