Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?

Author: As a Christian I read with interest the comments of Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament. Paul writes in Ephesians 6 that there are spiritual forces of evil at work in this world. In John 14 Jesus speaks about the devil as the prince of this world.

My characters are Christians. They share this worldview. My main character, Albert Freitag, must struggle with the reality of demonic forces and their power as he confronts a priestess of the Nordic religion and a devotee of the goddess Freya. What excites me is this opportunity to demonstrate that Nazism was more than a political movement filled with evil men. Behind it were evil, demonic and unseen forces. My characters come to realize that the real battle is spiritual and the battlefield is the human heart.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did the book take you from start to finish? Was it longer or shorter than you expected.

Author: From concept to final manuscript it took me about 18 months. Based on my earlier experience I felt I might have gone faster. However, I found it necessary to do some research for this book in areas I knew little about. I also had some struggles with the plot that slowed me down. A couple times I had to back up and go in a different direction.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?

Author: Albert is confronted by Hulda Schwarz, the seductive priestess, on two levels. She tries to tempt him to have a sexual affair with her. Secondly, she also does her best to convince him to abandon his Christian faith in favor of the Nordic religion. My challenge was to make both temptations real. I did not want to become so specific about the sexual temptations that it feels like I am pornographic. Nevertheless I needed to help my readers see that Albert has some very real inner drives and needs. In the same way, I needed to provide the kind of information about the Nordic religion that makes it seem so attractive that my readers are almost drawn to it. I needed Albert to experience real doubts about his faith as he sees very real powers at work through the priestess. And finally I needed to demonstrate how Albert is able to resist and  overcome his temptations.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about the book writing process?

Author: In all of my work I am surprised at what develops as the book unfolds. Since I never quite know in detail where the story is going, my writing is for me like watching a good drama. As it unfolds I begin to see plot lines and developments I did not fully anticipate. That is not only surprising to me, it is also very exciting.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?

Author: The fun part was imagining the ritual at the lake as the priestess uses runes, pentegrams, animal blood and magic circles to contact the gods. I had to study what those who believe in these things are willing to share and use what I could to create a midnight scene that is both scary and interesting.

The other fun part was writing about the two guides who lead Albert, Hulda and the others to the place where they discoved the runestone. They are like an old married  couple that is constantly bickering and yet deeply committed to one another.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?

Author: This question relates to what I said about why I chose this topic. I want my readers to look beyond politics, the wielding of power and the evil of the human heart. I want them to realize that besides all this there are some very real, powerful, but unseen forces at work. These forces are behind the politics, the philosophies and the false religions of this world. I’d like readers to realize that these forces must be confronted particularly with spiritual weapons, the weapons outlined by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 —truth, a righteous life, God’s Word, faith, etc.

Of course, my novel is not a sermon or a book of inspiration. Nor do I intend it to be. It is a story, set in a real place and during a real time in history. I want readers to experience the inner struggles and victories of my characters. I want them to learn about Nazism, the Nordic religion and what it was like to live in those years. I want them to see the power of the Christian faith and why Albert and Tille are able to resist the temptations and the temptress who confronts them.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you seek the support of a writer’s group or class?

Author: I’m quite dependent upon my writers’ group. We submit 30 or so pages for critique by email before we get together. Then we come together at a particular time and take the chosen member’s work apart. Why did you write this way? Have you considered taking the story in this direction? What did your character mean when she said this? Etc., etc.

It’s sometimes hard to accept the critique, but it is always enriching. I find myself wondering why I never thought about the issues raised. Then, as the conversation moves back and forth, we all discover new things. I cannot imagine attempting to write without the support of such a group.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?

Author: I did much research. First I had to review the events that led up to World War II. I had to get clearly in mind why President Roosevelt had such a difficult time getting the U.S. to commit itself to another war. I had to learn how the Nazis moved into power. In many cases I knew little more than some sketchy outlines.

I knew practically nothing about the Nordic religion and the theories behind Nazi claims to be the prime representatives of the Aryan race. That led me to read a number of novels and and non-fiction works as well as a large amount of research on the internet.

When writing about my characters and their interactions I did indeed draw upon personal experience, as a man, a husband, a father and grandfather, as well as what I’ve learned about humans during four decades as a Christian pastor and counselor.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you come up with your title? What about the graphic illustration for the book cover?

Author: In many ways I did not come up with my title. The title found me. After all the book is about the Nordic Völva Hulda Schwarz believing that the goddess Freya wants to make the Freitag baby girl her avatar. What followed then was the title Freya’s Child.

What was more difficult was the development of the book cover. Here I needed and welcomed the thinking of graphic artists. I submitted some pages of the book, as well as a summary, to a graphic artist friend. He came up with a couple suggestions. I dialogued with a couple artists and we finally agreed upon a child’s rattle with the globe on one end and the Nazi swastika on the other, held by a blonde baby girl. The whole process was very interesting.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What projects are you currently working on? What can we look forward to in your next book?

Author: The Völva, the priestess, almost escapes with the child. At the end she is thwarted, but escapes with the promise she will return. Obviously she will—in the sequel. In fact, I believe she will flee with the child. The question is whether she will be successful this time? And will she still try to return to Nazi Germany?

Prior to and during WW II the FBI and the President were quite concerned about German Americans who might be pro-Nazi and be plotting against America. There were, in fact, a number of concentration camps and jails that housed these suspects. This fact has been kept quiet and is little known. I’m currently doing research about this and related topics. I have a beginning for the next novel and plan to start work on it as soon as my research is a bit more advanced.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?

Author: My publisher is Wheatmark, Inc. After researching and conversing with several publishers I chose them because of their package, their support and the encouragement they give to marketing. If I sell 2,000 books they will put an amount equal to my original contract into assisting me with further marketing. I feel like we’re working together. To date I’m very impressed with their work and their approach.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?

Author: Over the years I have been able to set aside enough money so that I do not have to depend upon my writing for my primary income. I remain active as a clergyman. I am the editor of a monthly ezine, Reclaiming Our Heritage and a daily blog by the same name. Although I am not the pastor of a congregation, I still actively fill pulpits and present study papers for conferences.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview!

To learn more about the book and Author, please visit – http://www.freyaschild.com/