e-scribe.com recently reviewed Rose of Anzio Book 3. I am thrilled that they liked it. Here is an excerpt: “Kang depicts both the horrors and fears of war alongside the softness and subtleties of romance as if they were born to marry—despite the obviously immense challenges of polarising imagery. We see the many facets of war, not just the battles but also the personal struggles and decisions faced by troops and commanders, and those they encounter along the way. Kang has the unusual skill to place the reader inside the characters’ minds as if we are reading their thoughts and seeing through their eyes. Thus, it becomes, soon, not a tale, but our reality. Kang is unafraid, too, of weighty narrative; she does not shy from the depth required in order to depict the severity of the situation, nor does she once falter in recounting fine details. There is no hiding behind superficial froth; this is as incisive in its historical accuracy as it is heart-rending in its romantic themes.” To read the full review, visit: http://www.e-scribes.com/rose-of-anzio-desire
Bombing on the 33rd Field Hospital
If you have been reading Rose of Anzio, you know that Tessa Graham, the heroine of the story, served as an army nurse for the U.S. 33rd Field Hospital during this fictional account of the Battle of Anzio. One of the true historical event which I had incorporated into the story was the February 10th bombing of the 33rd. The second piece of artwork that graphic artist Jeff Brown did for Book 3-Desire was an allegorical depiction of this bombing event. In the illustration, Tessa and Jesse Garland were
Rose of Anzio: A Graphic Novel?
Last year, I had the pleasure of working with the Altabe Studio on an anime and illustration project. When I began releasing the Rose of Anzio, I asked Altabe’s lead designer, Christine Chong, if she might like to create a graphic novel depiction of a scene from Moonlight. She asked me to provide her a script of the scene. At first, I had wanted to choose a romance scene between Anthony and Tessa. However, one of the early readers of Rose of Anzio suggested that the scene of Tessa and her parents would be interesting. The more I thought more about it, the more I liked the idea. The result is this wonderful two-page illustrated version of the scene of Tessa’s departure from England in Chapter 7 of Moonlight. I was absolutely thrilled to see the result. In creating this scene, Christine and I looked through many old photos of early 1940s fashion, as well as search for a real Bulova watch that was manufactured in that era. Afterwards, I shared this with the subscribers to this site. One of the subscribers, Nuria Marquez, the artist who did the lovely pencil sketched fan art of Tessa and Anthony, colored it. What she did was lovely! I’m delighted to be able to share these with you. Hope you enjoy it. You can follow the Altabe Studio on their Facebook page.
Anzio Beach 1944
When writing Rose of Anzio, I had read many first-hand accounts of the experience of American nurses and soldiers who were part of Operation Shingle during WWII. Their descriptions of what had happened on Anzio Beach were so vivid, I wished we can visualize what they had witnessed. I suggested the idea to graphic artist Jeff Brown. He eagerly took up the challenge and created this
Rose of Anzio FanArts – Artists’ views of Anthony and Tessa
It’s been so long since I updated this blog. My long hiatus was partly because I’ve been very busy working on Rose of Anzio Book 2, then Book 3 for release. Another reason was I kept trying to find time to write Part 3 of the Interventionists vs. Isolationists Blog series. I still haven’t had time to write Part 3 because I needed time to pull all my research information together, and it’s stopping me from sharing more blog posts. So today, I decided to not let Part 3 be my barrier anymore. I’ll get to it when I get to it. Meanwhile, I want to share with you some wonderful fan arts created by several very talented artists who are reading Rose of Anzio. I am so fortunate that these artists love the characters and were inspired to create illustrations of them. I am touched by what they have done. It is also very interesting for me to see what Anthony and Tessa look like in their imaginations. This first picture was made by manga artist Loreley. Loreley has an amazing eye for colors and I absolutely love the colors she used to create this picture. Here, we have a very cute Tessa as she appeared in Moonlight at age 15, in her favorite red dress. You can see more of Loreley’s artwork here: http://loreley25.deviantart.com/gallery/ The second illustration was made by Nuria Marquez. This Anthony is so handsome, I can’t stop looking at him. Tessa’s eyes are full of her lively spirits. I love it. Nuria’s artwork is displayed here: http://nmarquez72.deviantart.com/ Last but not least, the third picture is by artist Elsa Papirous. Here, we have Tessa in her favorite red dress and the red polka-dot hair ribbon that Jack gave her. Elsa’s drawings have a beautiful, somewhat abstract style that is all her own. I love being able to see Tessa through her eyes. Elsa’s artwork is shown here: http://papirous.deviantart.com/ I hope you enjoy these. And if you have a moment, I am very curious to know what Anthony and Tessa look like to you. So please feel free to email me and let me know (alexa@alexakang.com), or drop me a note on my Facebook page.
1940 USA Isolationists vs. Interventionists Part 2 – America First
Leon pulled a pamphlet from his briefcase by the side of his seat and put it on the table in front of Anthony. “Defend America First!” was printed in bold letters across the top. At the bottom in smaller print, the phrase “America First Committee.” — Moonlight, Chapter 8 As written in Moonlight, the America First Committee (AFC) was in fact founded by R. Douglas Junior, heir to Chicago’s Quaker Oats fortune, at the Yale Law School on September 4,1940. Prior to Pearl Harbor, the American public generally supported non-intervention in the war in Europe. At its
1940 USA Isolationists vs. Interventionists: Part 1 – Chicago
“You know this isn’t simply a matter of your friends being taken out of school to join the Army.” Leon leaned forward in his chair. “You know what this war’s really about? Profiteering. And I’ll be the first to tell anyone all about the importance of profits. But this isn’t worth it. It’s not worth our boys dying so the East Coast bankers and industrialists can profit off their blood. We need to protect your friends from the profiteers. “ – Moonlight, Chapter 6 Before Pearl Harbor, support for American isolationism dominated the American political landscape. The United States had a strong tradition against involvement in European war conflicts since the days of its founding. In 1940, America was still recovering from the Great Depression. With the focus on
Buicks! 1940s style…
“A light blue Buick convertible pulled up to the entrance of the driveway leading to a limestone mansion. The mansion itself was barely visible from the street, but from there, the passersby could catch glimpses of the magnificent rose garden in front of the house.” – Moonlight, Chapter One I don’t like gender stereotypes, but the fact is, I don’t know much about cars. So I had to research what kind of car Brandon was driving when he drove Anthony home when their school term was over. The car would have to be American, of course. The European countries were embroiled in war by 1940 and