Research and themes

Freda's post gave me cause to review what my own themes will be as I leave my World War 2 saga, EAST END ANGEL, in the hands of Simon&Schuster, to be published later this year. Over the next few weeks I shall complete the revisions and "nip and tuck". When everyone is satisfied with the finished article, EAST END ANGEL will take on a publishing life of its own. Meanwhile, I'll be researching a new idea and two nights ago I had a dream of a group of 1920's women. They made such an impression that I've begun to formulate an idea. I know the characters will have been touched by that dreadful conflict of World War 1. My hero and heroine will certainly know the meaning of grief and deprivation. The island's small community was devastated by the loss of so many young men. But at the core of the story there will be a powerful love theme. Love is binding, war is separating and so many personal testimonies I've read ask a fundamental question. "Why do we keep having wars?" In no way does a writer set out to deliver his own truth. Instead he poses many questions through his or her characters. My grandfather was a casualty of war. Shell shock was common to the disabled veterans. I dealt with this in my first book LIZZIE OF LANGLEY STREET. Post traumatic stress, as we know it now, was the stage on which Lizzie's family's future played out. I have a feeling that with this new book I will be revisiting similar issues that still shadow the world in our contemporary and future conflicts.