I'm delighted to welcome Helena P. Schrader to the blog today as part of the blog tour for MORAL FIBRE: A BOMBER PILOT'S STORY, the exciting new historical fiction.
In addition, Helena has published eighteen historical novels and won numerous literary awards. Her novel on the Battle of Britain, “Where Eagles Never Flew,” won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction and a Maincrest Media Award for Historical Fiction. RAF Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Bob Doe called it “the best book” he had ever seen about the battle. “Traitors for the Sake of Humanity” is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES awards. “Grounded Eagles” and “Moral Fibre” have both garnered excellent reviews from acclaimed review sites such as Kirkus, Blue Ink, Foreword Clarion, Feathered Quill, and Chantileer Books.
Her latest book is the historical/military fiction, Moral Fibre: A Bomber Pilot’s Story.
Visit her website at http://helenapschrader.com or connect with her on Facebook. You can also visit her blogs:
https://schradershistoricalfiction.blogspot.com
https://europeanaviationhistory.blogspot.com
10 Things You Might Not Know About Moral Fibre: A Bomber Pilot's Story
- Moral Fibre continues the story of Pilot Officer Kit Moran, the hero of Helena P. Schrader’s novella Lack of Moral Fibre (LMF).
- LMF focused on the events which led up to and caused fight engineer Moran to refuse to fly an operational sortie against Berlin in late November 1943.
- All aircrew in the RAF in WWII were volunteers, so the refusal to fly did not trigger court martial proceedings for disobedience.
- Instead, aircrew who failed to fly without a medical reason or otherwise “lost the confidence of their superior officer” were designated “LMF” for “Lacking in Moral Fibre.”
- Personnel found “LMF” were subject to various forms of disciplinary action — but only after a psychiatric examination and diagnosis.
- After multiple interviews, the psychiatrist handling Kit’s case concludes he is neither mentally unstable nor a coward, so he offers Kit a chance to redeem his standing by returning to operations following flying training.
- Kit jumps at the chance — but learning to fly does not cure him of “survivor’s guilt,” which was triggered by the death of his best friend and pilot on the fateful operational flight prior to his refusal to fly.
- Kit returns from flying training in South Africa convinced that his chances of survival are slight — and that this is how it should be because he is not as good a pilot — or man — as his dead friend.
- But Kit’s fatalism is soon challenged by two factors: 1) falling in love with his dead friend’s fiancé, and 2) becoming responsible for the lives of six other men, his crew.
- Moral Fibre explores the many faces of courage, both in the air and on the “home front” and seeks to challenge all of us to reconsider our reasons for living.
Riding the icy, moonlit sky—
They took the war to Hitler.
Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent.
Their average age was 21.
This is the story of just one Lancaster skipper, his crew,
and the woman he loved.
It is intended as a tribute to them all.
Flying Officer Kit Moran has earned his pilot’s wings, but the greatest challenges still lie ahead: crewing up and returning to operations. Things aren’t made easier by the fact that while still a flight engineer, he was posted LMF (Lacking in Moral Fibre) for refusing to fly after a raid on Berlin that killed his best friend and skipper. Nor does it help that he is in love with his dead friend’s fiancé, who is not yet ready to become romantically involved again.
“[The hero’s] struggles, his life, and the romance he is continuously hoping and striving to have with the woman he loves hits you directly in the soul, but the addition of adventure and excitement makes you want to read cover-to-cover without ever having to put the book down…. The intriguing dialogue, the settings, the clear descriptions of such harsh situations – this author has hit on all cylinders once again, and even provides the most exhilarating history lesson I, personally, have ever had the pleasure of reading. “5-Stars!” Feathered Quill
“[Moral Fibre] takes the reader into the English psyche of [WWII], tapping the depths of human emotions, holding them up to the light, and revealing their concomitant beauty and ugliness in times of fear and crises. … Meticulously researched and skillfully written, Schrader’s Moral Fibre steps off the pages and comes to life. Her nuanced characters and authentic dialogue also provide a glimpse of Britain’s stratified class-conscious culture during the WWII era.
…. A riveting read and highly recommended!” – Chanticleer Reviews 5-Stars
“Helena P. Schrader … is a true master at delving into complex psychological dilemmas and emerging with a tantalizing, completely comprehensible tale of human frailty and strengths that blend into a unique experience for her readers. Moral Fibre is brilliantly crafted in its delicate treatment of an evolving relationship … and the clashes with staid tradition and prejudices. How they each evolve is the meat of Schrader’s magic. The relationship and romance scenarios are poignant and human, contrasted with the battle scenes and flying sequences which are accurate and detailed.” – Tom Gauthier for Readers Favorites
Book Information
Release Date: May 16, 2022
Publisher: Cross Seas Press
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1735313924; 436 pages; $19.95; E-Book, $9.49
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zAlbkL
Distributor: https://itascabooks.com/products/moral-fibre-a-bomber-pilots-story?_pos=1&_psq=Moral+Fibre&_ss=e&_v=1.0
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