INTRODUCING SEA TO SEA STORIES

Historical Fiction from around the world

MENORCA, SPAIN| May 2017

BERLIN BUTTERFLY BULLETIN:

In Book 2 “Deception” the story opens up with a radio announcement of 2 children shot at the wall. 10-year-old JÖRG HARTMANN and 13-year-old LOTHAR SCHLEUSENER were indeed killed by border guards stationed at the observation tower at Grenznick on the night of March 14, 1966. The specific details of the event are unclear. It wasn’t until 1997, that one of the former border agents involved in the shooting was found guilty of manslaughter (the other agent involved had previously died) and some of the information came to light. The living agent admitted to seeing a shadow moving in the anti-vehicle trench from his station in the tower and though he could not make out the form, he fired a total of 40 bullets in the direction of the movement. It wasn’t until he came down from the tower to inspect his work that he realized they were children. Both were transported to the People’s Police hospital, but JÖRG had already perished from his wounds. Though Lothar was injured, he was still interrogated and shortly died of his injuries. Nowhere in the official report does it ever identify the “border violators” as children. A second devastating blow to the victim’s families came when the guilty border guard was only sentenced to 20 months probation.

-berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette

CHARLOCK’S SECRET CORNER:

Charlock’s Secret was written as a stand-alone novel, but when the manuscript went out to my amazing critique team, several comments that returned were filled with angst that the story had ended. After careful contemplation, I decided Kat and Trenton’s journey really couldn’t end there and decided another twist was in order. If you have read the updated version of Charlock you would’ve seen the prologue for “Return to Charlock” where Margaret (our favorite 19th-century mean-spirited villainess) falls down the cellar steps when forced to attend Merritt and Johnna’s wedding at Charlock. And yes, you have guessed the path of the next book, but what you may not know is that Margaret ends up in the future with Kat. This novel is sure to be quite the turbulent ride in the 21st century and is destined to be released in the Spring of 2021 and you, my friends, will be the first to hear of it!