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Lost Stories of the Great War
ROSALIE
LAUERMAN
LOST
STORIES OF THE GREAT WAR
Tell readers a little about yourself where
you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to
know the personal you.
I was born and raised on a farm in southern Illinois
and I was the first person in my family to earn a four-year college degree. I
graduated from Southern Illinois University where I studied math, economics, and
journalism. You may be surprised that I didn’t study history, but frankly, I
thought it was just a matter of memorizing names and dates.
My husband Dave and I married and moved to New Jersey
for his job. We lived near Morristown, New Jersey, where we found ourselves
immersed in colonial history. Our home was just a few miles from Jockey Hollow,
a unit of Morristown National Historical Park. Jockey Hollow was the campsite
for Washington’s Continental Army from 1779 through 1782. It was where the men
struggled to survive the worst blizzard of the century and the coldest winter
on record. Today visitors can walk in their footsteps and check out their huts.
The park became our favorite place and the first place we took visiting friends
and relatives, who routinely said they know about Valley Forge winter camp but they’d
never heard of Jockey Hollow.
Well, Jockey Hollow brought history to life and
changed my mind. History is filled with captivating stories and heroic deeds of
ordinary people—we simply need to know about them. And that’s the story of when,
where, and how I began writing. Jockey Hollow is one of those under-told
stories and was the subject of my first book “Jockey Hollow.” My curiosity
about history led me to look for similar stories during the Great War, also
known as the First World War. There were many, resulting in my second book,
“Lost Stories of the Great War.”
While we lived in New Jersey, I worked at Bell Labs on
the Mercury and Apollo space missions. When our two sons were young, I worked
part time for local government. I began writing in 2009. I self-published my
first book, “Jockey Hollow,” in 2015 and my second book, “Lost Stories of the
Great War,” in 2018.
What inspired you to author your book?
The under-told stories and the people themselves
inspired “Lost Stories.” The more I read about the courage, patriotism, and
sheer grit of the American men and women who stepped up to do their part to save democracy, the
more compelled I felt to write their stories for the next generation.”
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Where did you get the inspiration for your
book’s cover?
The cover image for “Lost Stories” was inspired by a YWCA
(Young Women’s Christian Association) war poster designed to support the young
American women who volunteered to help the war effort in France. The poster
shows a young woman, a Hello Girl, working a telephone switchboard while soldiers
can be seen marching past the window. The switchboard connected calls between
headquarters and the troops on the battlefield. The Great War was the first
time telephones were used in this way.
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Who has been the most significant
influence on you personally and as a writer?
Personally, I was fortunate to have two aunts who,
during 1940 to 1960, demonstrated how women can have a career in business. One aunt
worked at the nearby Scott Air Force Base and moved up to be the base commander’s
secretary. The other aunt worked as the bookkeeper
for the local dress factory.
As a writer, I am impressed and challenged by the brilliant
and comprehensive books of historians David McCullough, Ron Chernow, Erik
Larson, and others.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to
overcome to get this book written?
Unfortunately, health issues popped up, but I’m fine
now.
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Tell your readers about your book.
“Lost Stories of the Great War” highlights
little-known but remarkable true stories that reveal the grit, courage, and
sense of duty that swept the nation when America joined the European war. The
book features creative Native American code talkers, bold African-American
shock troops, US combat artists, women pilots, persistent telephone linemen,
the plucky Hello Girls, and a small carrier pigeon named Cher Ami with the bravery
and heart of a German Shepard. Stories are
enhanced with on-the-scene one-hundred-year-old photographs, vintage war
posters, maps, and quotes from those who were there.
Who is your target audience, and why?
I enjoy writing for middle graders. I especially look
for stories of women doing remarkable things because they are often overlooked.
My website promises “writing for readers from 9 to 99.” “Lost Stories” has been
enjoyed by children and adults. One of my favorite readers’ quotes is: “Read it
with your children; you’ll enjoy it too.”
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If you were going to give one reason for
anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
Bring history home! In addition to numerous under-told
stories, “Lost Stories” includes many recommendations for acquiring additional
information about the subject from sites to visit in person and online,
additional reading, learning resources, and attributions for images and quotes.
In addition, my books include sidebars that spotlight interesting topics
related to each chapter. For example, the story of “Rags,” a homeless pup who
became the First Division’s mascot, is a popular sidebar with young readers.
Also, I need to say that I thoroughly research every
story, require at least two creditable references before going ahead with a
story, and take pride in the accuracy of my books.
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What do you consider your greatest success in life?
Dave and I are enormously proud of raising two kind,
clever, and successful sons, and especially proud of surviving both their youth
hockey careers.
In my writing, I’m honored and delighted that both my
books, “Lost Stories of the Great War” and “Jockey Hollow,” earned Bronze IPPY
medals from the Independent Publishers group.
What one unique thing sets you apart from
other writers in your genre?
I think that the carefully selected backmatter that
I’ve included in my books is unique. My books include illustrated timelines,
contact addresses for related museums, parks, monuments, and websites,
suggested additional reading, teaching resources, attribution of all images and
quotes, and a complete bibliography. Also, my books are nonfiction and scrutinized
for accuracy.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I’m not sure writer’s block applies to nonfiction; the
plot is known. But I understand how it can be a big problem for fiction
writers.
What one piece of advice do you have for
new authors.
Believe in yourself and believe in the value of your readers.
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