M.A. Lossl's Blog

In loving memory of my Grandmother, Amalia Lössl. 100 years ago, 23 May 1920, Amalia died from Spanish flu.
This centenary of Amalia’s death is most poignant. Today in 2020 we struggle with the worldwide effect of COVID-19.
Amalia was 30 when she died in the German Hospital in London, her father, George Demmel at her side.
1920, she escaped the mayhem of Munich Germany with her husband and children. At last, Amalia was back home in London and reunited with her family. Her death seems a cruel blow, after enduring the many traumas war.
Amalia Lössl (nee Demmel) 1890 – 1920, rest in peace, we remember you with love.
If you would like to know more about Amalia’s courageous life, there is an Amazon (.com) discount on the books that tell Amalia’s story.
From Wednesday 06/03/20, the books will cost 99c (usually $3.50).

Mizpah Cousins: Love, Life and Perilous Predicaments During the Great War Era, tells of Amalia and her family’s life from the early 1900s to the end of WW1. Click to find out more my link text

Betweenwhiles: A family Between Two Wars – A True Story of Rebellion Against Nazism, continues their story. To find out more click my link text

I hope you take up this special offer. I know Amalia and her family’s tale of courage and family love will inspire and comfort you. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Many thanks and keep safe.
Margaret Ann Lossl

PS The discount is for I week.

Sometimes, when things get on top of you, it seems easier just to, give up.
Recently, faced with complete inertia and a mountain of research to review, I have found it impossible to write.
As an author, this feels like not being able to breathe: a shadow over my soul.
Then, yesterday, on a building site near my home, I saw this graffiti. Not for the first time, I might add, but yesterday it spoke to my heart.
I am blessed with a wonderful family and a very happy home life, and this message urged me to push on through, for them. I am starting my push, with this blog, a commitment to carry on writing.
So, dear reader, I want you to know, that if this message, Never Give Up, speaks to you, I am with you in spirit. Shoulder to shoulder, we can stand firm. No matter how big or small our obstacles, no matter how long it takes, let us Never Give Up.

Dear Readers
This memorial weekend, commemorates the centenary, of the ceasing of hostilities of WW1.

My book, Mizpah Cousins: Life, love and perilous predicaments during the Great War era (which tells my family's Great War story), is FREE to download, from Amazon worldwide, up to and including, 11 November.

Click for Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Mizpah-Cousins...

Click for Amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mizpah-Cousi...
Or Amazon worldwide.

RIP my Grandfather, Emil Heitmann, who died of his injuries, in France, October 1915.

RIP my cousin, Otto Henselück, who served as a British merchant seaman. His ship, the SS Gretaston, was sunk by a German U-Boat April 1917. He served under the name, Robert Smith.

Read their true stories in Mizpah Cousins: life, love and perilous predicaments during the Great War era

Dear Readers
I'm delighted that my book, Mizpah Cousins, has received reviews from around the world. I'm very proud to have received this, from the amazing, best selling, American author, Dawn Lee McKenna.

....Mizpah Cousins does a wonderful job of bringing to life people who lived in a very exciting, but very volatile period. The author also does a great job of reminding us that there was a time when close family relationships, a willingness to work hard and a simple but strong faith in possibilities were much more commonplace.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to read more about this family ...

See Dawn Lee McKennaDawn McKenna review here, https://www.amazon.com/…/R22FXBIHA…/r...…

See Dawn Lee McKennaDawn McKenna books here, https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Coas...…

To commemorate the WW1 centenary, Mizpah Cousins: Life, love and perilous predicaments during the Great War era will be Free to download, this weekend, 10 - 11 November 2018. Please share with your friends. Many thanks, Margaret x

I received this in a letter, from a Welsh reader, Alice Kirby.

*************************
Your book - Betweenwhiles - what an achievement. You've created another gripping tale with the history of your fascinating family. Such attention to detail & brilliant research combined with the enchanting photos makes for a rare piece of work. So dramatic and moving - your family stands out with courage and resilience.
*****************

Thank you, Alice. Your appreciation of my work is motivational.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...

My journey, to find the perfect cover for my latest memoir, Betweenwhiles

The challenge

Amazon Kindle has a brilliant wizard for uploading new kindle books on Amazon KDP. But, I could not find an appropriate book cover in their design feature. So I have been using a temporary cover, while I set about to find the right theme.

Finding Rachel

Then one day in December, I chatted to the landlord of our local pub. I commented on the brilliant artwork on his beer- pump, handles.

Chris explained his wife Rachel, is a graphic designer. She had created them for him. Casually, I asked if Rachel designed book covers. Chris said he would inquire.

Bearing in mind that Rachel, was due her first child, imagine my delight, when she accepted the commision.

Our design journey

Staring out

I was away, traveling, so our working relationship was long distance.

Rachel asked me for some ideas. And I gave a few. The book is set in the Art Deco Era, so themes and colours from there were my choices.

Next step

Rachel soon came back with two amazing designs. One was geometric, like the one pictured. The other included a Swastikas emblem. This emphasized the book's theme, rebellion against Nazism.

I put the draft pictures on Facebook.com, to see what my readers thought of the designs.

An interesting dilemma
A wonderful friend and beta reader of my work, from Germany, pointed out an issue. Swastikas are banned there.

To read the full story and see a picture, click:
http://margaretlossl.com/2018/05/13/d...

My journey, to find the perfect cover for my latest memoir, Betweenwhiles

The challenge

Amazon Kindle has a brilliant wizard for uploading new kindle books on Amazon KDP. But, I could not find an appropriate book cover in their design feature. So I have been using a temporary cover, while I set about to find the right theme.

Finding Rachel

Then one day in December, I chatted to the landlord of our local pub. I commented on the brilliant artwork on his beer- pump, handles.

Chris explained his wife Rachel, is a graphic designer. She had created them for him. Casually, I asked if Rachel designed book covers. Chris said he would inquire.

Bearing in mind that Rachel, was due her first child, imagine my delight, when she accepted the commision.

Our design journey

Staring out

I was away, traveling, so our working relationship was long distance.

Rachel asked me for some ideas. And I gave a few. The book is set in the Art Deco Era, so themes and colours from there were my choices.

Next step

Rachel soon came back with two amazing designs. One was geometric, like the one pictured. The other included a Swastikas emblem. This emphasized the book's theme, rebellion against Nazism.

I put the draft pictures on Facebook.com, to see what my readers thought of the designs.

An interesting dilemma
A wonderful friend and beta reader of my work, from Germany, pointed out an issue. Swastikas are banned there.

To read the full story and see a picture, click:
http://margaretlossl.com/2018/05/13/d...

The challenge

My latest book, Betweenwhiles is out on Kindle. The last 3 weeks, I have been working on an illustrated version. This, I am planning to publish as a paperback. With excitement mounting, the task was nearly complete.

The low

Then last week, I opened the manuscript, to find the format had corrupted. Shockingly, I had forgotten to create a backup, so I had lost all my work.

Through tears of frustration, I have been girding my loins, to redo the template. My work, repairing and enhancing the old family photos, was backed up. And the manuscript for the book is safe. But I must repeat, pasting the story into the Createspace template. The photos are aligning into the script as I go. Painstaking work, but I will make sure I do a backup at each stage, this time.

The high

Through my tribulation, Betweenwhiles has received another five-star review. I am thrilled to share this with you. It has encouraged me to work, again, on the paperback.
Betweenwhiles: A family between two wars – a true story of rebellion against Nazism
5.0 out of 5 stars A family split between London and Germany in the 1930s

29 April 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

A fascinating account of a family living between the wars, some in the cockney east end of London, some in an increasingly Nazi Germany. Following WWI life is not easy for working people in either country, but especially in the political chaos of Munich and Hamburg. The rise of Hitler is charted in the background of ordinary family lives, the impending doom all too obvious to the reader. The journal of a young engineer, incarcerated by the Gestapo for anti-Nazi activity, is a real insight into the difficulties of living in a world where your values can suddenly become dangerous. The passport difficulties experienced by those trying to join cousins and siblings in London are a real example of how history may inform our future in this pre-Brexit Europe! But above all this is a story of a real family with their tragedies, their passions, and also their more light hearted anecdotes all brought to life in an accessible and entertaining read.
----------------------------------------------------------------

My lesson in life?
Never forget to backup your work.
Feedback from readers, spurs me, on when the going gets tough.

ByJohn Rumm on 12 March 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
M A Lossl’s second instalment carries on where Mizpah Cousins leaves off, continuing the story of the many family branches through the aftermath of the great war, up through the gathering storm of the ‘30s and right up until the start of WW II. It paints a picture of life in a time both more human, but also less forgiving than now. The joys, heartache, and tragedies shared in an extended family – lending support to each other during hard times, and without the safety net of a modern welfare state as a backdrop.
Constrained by the reality of a sizeable cast of players, M A Lossl manages to pull together a compelling and coherent tale, told with an eye for the detail, using the minutia of daily life to add warmth and depth to the characters. A touch of humour helps lift the mood, which at times is perilous – especially when viewed with the historical knowledge of what happens next!
Once started, I was unable to put the book down. Emotional, and thought provoking, highly recommended!

To view review click https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...

Click the link to view picture:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgEjIfJjh...

An issue
Currently, I'm staying on Hilton Head, South Carolina USA. This lovely shoe-shaped island has been my muse while I completed my recent novel.
After all the intense work, it has been hard to wind down.
The fix?
My husband suggested a bike ride. Perfect thinks I. Now, I'm the sort of person, who likes to know where they are going. I requested the route on the map. But my husband, who is a go with the flow fellow, said, 'Let’s cycle up the beach then head inland.'
Executing the plan
We have fixed gear bikes, perfect for cycling on the beach. We pushed our bikes along the boardwalk, then over the soft sand. The wet sand near the receding sea line was easier to peddle on.
The issue
After a mile or so, we met with an estuary, where an inland lake drains into the sea. Not that wide and the tide was going out. We had crossed it before, walking ankle deep. But the tide must have been higher, this day. Removing our footwear, Graham went first, being tall. He picked up his bike and endeavoured to paddle the stream crossing the beach. He was soon up to his knees.
Overcoming
On returning to me, Graham suggests we wait a while for the tide to recede.
Self-discovery
My reaction bemused me. I began to feel anxious and suggested we return to the road. The wind had got up and was blowing fine sand across the still-moist shoreline. But Graham was happy to wait. 'We are in no rush and there is plenty of time to enjoy the view,' he commented, pointing to the many wading birds on the shore, feeding.
Llessons in the dune
Locking the bikes we each chose our waiting position. I decided to retreat to the dunes to get out of the sandblasting wind. Graham stood stoically on the shore in meditation. The dune proved warm, sheltered from the wind. Using my backpack as a pillow I laid down on the sand. I examined my feeling of stress and tried to relax. The wind toyed with the dune grass, causing it to stir and rustle. I could see the bent over grass blades, draw patterns in the sand. New grass shoots were peeking through the shifting sand. Life – even in this hostile environment. The sand sparkled as if strew with tiny diamonds. Cosseted by the sun’s warmth, I began to relax. Handfuls of sand slipping through my fingers, reminded me of how brief and precious, life is. The wind, filled with fine sand, whistling over the top of the dune, reminded me, life can be harsh at times. But, look and you will find shelter. Most of all, I felt the importance of savouring the journey.
My task (publishing my book) is completed. Now, I have time to focus on other things and enjoy my surroundings. Graham returned with shells he had found, a lover’s gift, for he sensed my stress. Suddenly sirens blare and alarm rises as we saw the coast guard arrive. We followed the line of view of their binoculars. Some kayakers were unable to return to land. The off-shore wind was too strong to paddle against. We watched their rescue with relief.
Elation
Finally, we could attempt to cross the stream. A father and son having crossed show us the way. I paused to watch the many birds. Long-beaked Ibis, sifted the wash sands; little Plovers ran between the waves; Terns circled on the wing, cranking their necks to spot food in the shallows; Pelicans flew in formation, all a magical sight. We continued on the other side of the stream. As we've rounded a headland the wind was less boisterous. The ride continued with wonder: the sparkle of the sea, the many birds, shells and natural patterns on the beach. We left the beach through dappled woodland. Our pine-scented return home was via the local brew house for a well-earned pint to wash the sand out of mouths.