by: MIKE STEEDEN
Mike Steeden’s adult historical romance embraces an idea of civilized existence via art, passion, love and peace. Set primarily in post WWII Montmartre, France, the story stakes a solid background in the horror of World War II’s Pacific War, and post WWII England.
Resa – In your books, and in prose on your blog, you often write of war, in particular WWII. I appreciate this, as I feel many have become indifferent to Nazis and white supremacy. Of course there was also the Pacific War aspect to WWII. To what do you owe this interest?
Mike Steeden – When it comes to WWII in my books, it’s all about my dad, a person who lives in my heart for no other reason than being my father. Jim, a tall good-looking man with wavy hair, who at 18 years was likely to become the centre forward for Brentford Football Club. Then ‘bang’, England was at war with the Huns.
Resa – Ahh, I had no idea. Please continue!
Mike – At just nineteen years, dad was captured by the Germans just outside Dunkirk whilst trying to retreat back to the beaches and possible sanctuary. The truck he was driving ran out of fuel just a few miles short of the beachhead. He and his mates were armed, amazingly, with only useless wooden rifles.
(that’s been validated, by the way…as there were not enough real ones to go round, and the Army wanted to make it look like all conscripts were armed.)
In the event, he and his comrades were herded up with the other POWs and, over several months, were marched across Europe to a camp right next door to the Krakow Concentration Camp in Poland, which would be his home for the next five years. His camp was named Stalag V1118 for what that may be worth.
Resa –A fascinating story, and we’ll end the post wth the rest of it.
Back to the book – Mike takes the protagonist, Green Eyes, famed French artist Zerach and the post war horror from England to France. It’s a mess in both countries, but France has Paris; specifically Montmartre. Once in Montmartre, Green Eyes, becomes an artists’ model.
Resa – Another topic you like to write about is Montmartre, the art scene and lifestyle therein. Tell me about this?
Mike – Whereas most modern nations are those thought of as ‘science led,’ in France it is ‘art’. It is for that reason I love Paris, the home of creative activity of all artistic kinds. To me, art is everything.
For the sake of it, think of June 1924 in the magical period of the ‘Années folles’. I often dream that I am in ‘The City of Love’, Paris by any other name.
"Overnight, spring has turned to summer, and it is as if the tantalizing romantic May dance of titillation has been fully consumed beneath the clear blue skies of the summer equinox.
There are no shadows under the high sun of noon this day as Shirley, my wife, and I walk the Luxembourg Gardens.
Ever the actress she has adopted for this trip her very best mid-Atlantic accent in order that she will fit in when we meet up with the ‘others’, mostly arty-farty American writers of the ‘Lost Generation’ on the ‘left bank’ a little later on.
For now though, we just take our time, hand in hand, thinking of last night’s wanton frolics." © Mike Steeden
Mike – That, you see, is Paris.
Resa – So, Montmartre is part of Paris?
Mike – The region of Montmartre is the home of this planet’s art of all kind. It is there we find Ezra Pound, T S Elliot, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, all chatting about Gertrude Stein’s party in Montmartre last evening.
Resa – Why Montmartre? Did you live there at one time?
Mike – Well, it is impressive with wonderful views overlooking Paris itself. Moreover, the town square is busy with a mass of wild street artists and cafés galore where one can grab a cup, take a seat, and linger like a local. Then there is the beauty of the buildings, old but magical. Give us another life and we’ll live there for ever.
When Green Eyes new friend, Charlotte, showed up at her Montmartre home wearing a lilac lace opera coat, I was fascinated by the coat. Green Eyes had to have it. I had to draw it.
Resa – Is this a coat you saw somewhere or did you make it up?
Mike – An odd one is this. I went over the top picturing Charlotte, as I desperately wanted the poor girl to be dressed in style even though that was all she was wearing. Why, I don’t really know; it was just a feeling for humble gratitude, albeit that she’d soon be happily naked thereafter.
‘Panash’ I call it, yet to give such a classic coat (I’m not very clever when thinking these things. I simply see them in my mind!) with captivating sequins, to Green Eyes who she hardly knew at the time, ensured a brand-new friendship, hence the story went on its romantic way.
Charlotte also shows up in an Avant-Garde kimono. As there is no further description, I came up with this, and shot in the morning light’s shadows.
Fascinated by the saga of Mike’s father? Here is the rest, as told by Mike.
Mike – As a prisoner he was, as I understand it, used effectively as slave labour down the coal mines of Silesia. The prisoners were regularly manacled…also validated…and that awful fact came back to haunt him in the nightmares of the dementia of his dotage, the poor sod. Nevertheless, post war and safely home, Jim, a six footer plus and the youngest of ten made it back to England five stone lighter than when he left these shores weighing in at a mere eight stone, yet picked up where he left off and eventually, after his apprenticeship, became an accomplished bricklayer. Sadly with frosted feet due to having no shoes during the war his dream to play for Brentford Football Club never happened.
Another thing, when back in England, Jim discovered his family had spent every last penny of his away…not a kind thing for a young man to take in and not go mad.
There you have, Miss Resa, a true tale that is glued to my heart and books. He wasn’t a bad old boy. He made me a fast bowler at cricket as well as teaching me how to throw darts pretty well. But basically, it was him and him alone who filled my brain with his WW2 torture…hence my stories.”
Meet Mike Steeden
Check out Mike’s About Page &/or Visit Mike on his blog!
Mike is a prolific writer. Click on the book cover below to go to his Amazon page!
“To me, art is everything.”
– Mike Steeden
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