by April White
Hitler’s Werwolves did exist, though they weren’t formed until later in 1944 when it became clear that Germany would lose the war. Himmler recruited young men from the Hitler Youth program to become domestic terrorists with the goal of disrupting whatever occupying force moved into Germany. As I was researching them, I discovered that they had trained at Schloss Hulcrath, a castle in the region where my mother grew up.
Despite the fact that the Werwolves collapsed and disbanded due to mismanagement and lack of funds, there were rumors that they were to be financed by “Hitler’s gold,” a stash of gold, art, and other treasure that he had stolen throughout Europe. Adolph Hitler, an unsuccessful artist who had been denied admission to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, had a deep fascination with great works of art. When he ruled Germany, he empowered Josef Goebbels to systematically loot the great art collections of Europe with the intention of establishing a European Art Museum in Linz. I originally thought to incorporate some of Goebbels’ actual art thefts into the plot of Waging War, but ultimately, Nancy Wake and her French Maquis proved more interesting, so the fictitious plan to steal the Elgin Marbles was born.
The British Museum did, in fact, store the Elgin Marbles on the unused track of the Aldwych line during the Blitz, and it is also factual that in 1937-38, Lord Duveen financed the cleaning of them as well as the construction of a new wing in the museum to house them. Acting under the misconception that the marble had been originally white, Lord Duveen directed masons to use scrapers and a chisel to remove the ‘discoloration’ of the naturally honey-colored marble, resulting in permanent scrape marks and considerable loss of detail. The controversy about the ownership of the marbles began when Lord Elgin first brought them to England at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and the debate over whether they should be returned to the people of Greece continues to this day.
There are more than forty ghost stations in and around London, and many of those deep level stations were used as bomb shelters during the Blitz. Aldwych station remains intact and has been featured in several movies and TV shows including Sherlock, which is one of my very favorites (an astute observer may sense my appreciation for Benedict Cumberbatch’s work). The description of the British Museum ghost station and much of the route to get there is from an obscure blog by an urban guerilla explorer who actually did complete the very dangerous, don’t-try-this-at-home journey between the ghost stations of Aldwych and the British Museum.
And finally, the Philippine eagle is the largest species of eagle on the planet. This fact was provided by my youngest son, who may or may not resemble the fictional Logan.
Thank You
I have stumbled into a remarkable community of authors and readers, and their friendship and support is a rare and fantastic gift. I first discovered Penny Reid and Elizabeth Hunter when I read their wonderful books, and through fortuitous circumstances, I now count them among my dearest friends. Their support, encouragement, and message chats are a treasured part of every day I spend on this writing journey. Penny Reid also designed the new covers for the whole series, and it’s a really good thing we don’t keep score, and that I don’t have plans for more children, because I’m pretty sure I would owe her my next-born.
Also, special thanks to Laini Taylor, an author of spectacular worldbuilding and lyrical storytelling in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, for the use of her quote about monsters and war.
Alexandra Fasouliotis, Heather Kinne, and Dan Grover are the first draft beta readers every author covets – they don’t pull punches and their insights are pure gold. Jennifer Beach and Fiona Fisher are graphic artists with unique vision who created the gorgeous cover reveal and book release graphics. And the success of these books is made possible by the generosity of bloggers like the amazing ones from Back off my Books, Have You Heard Book Blog, Readereater, Whatever You Can Still Betray, Nocturnal Book Reviews, The Lit Bitch, Urban Fantasy Investigations, and Bookwyrming Thoughts, just to name a few. I am deeply grateful to the many readers who have shared the Immortal Descendants books with their friends on social media and in person, and are the reason new people discover Saira, Archer, and Ringo every day.
My editor, Angela Houle, is shockingly brilliant and endlessly patient. My German translator, Anneke Vogt has eagle eyes and a stunning brain. My mother-in-law, Valerie, is one of the most generous and loving people I know. And my mother, Helga, is my hero. She showed me how to be a strong, independent, educated woman who values and fosters a community of friends, and her unconditional love and support have given me the best possible foundation to be that kind of mother to my own children.
And finally, the people to whom I owe the greatest thanks of all, each and every day, for loving me: Ed, Connor, and Logan. You three are my heart, my soul, and my reason to breathe. Thank you for being my people.
This is the last thing, I promise…
Thank you so much for reading Waging War. If you enjoyed this book, your review anywhere (at an online seller, in a book club, taped to the water cooler) would be very appreciated. You can find more information about me, my newsletter, my books, and whatever I happen to be blogging about on my website: http://aprilwhitebooks.blogspot.com/.
I sincerely appreciate hearing from readers, and thank you, again, for joining Saira, Archer, and Ringo on their adventures in time.
~April White
The Immortal Descendants Series
Marking Time
Tempting Fate
Changing Nature
Waging War
Cheating Death
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Waging War. Copyright 2016 by April White
All rights reserved. Published by Corazon Entertainment
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Edited by Angela Houle
Cover design by Penny Reid
Cover images by Shutterstock
Quote from Daughter of Smoke and Bone used with permission from Laini Taylor
ISBN 978-0-9885368-8-3
First American edition, January, 2016