WHY I HATE FOREWORDS: FOREWORD by Jay Agnello

To make things clear as a bell, I am not a fan of the “Foreword” in a story. Mostly due to my lack of patience and greed with time, I suppose, but something about a foreword always comes off patronizing, condescending, inappropriate, and just narcissistic. You know what I mean? Like, “Hey author, I bought your book! Let me read the damn thing before you go throwing your self-inflated disposition about the story in my face. You can pat yourself on the back when I’m finished!” This being the case, and similar to all obnoxious rules and parameters, here is an exception to my own. Six-months ago, this piece of fiction never existed from this side of the Galaxy to the other. It manifested its way into the finite through the exposure of a creative ambition I shared with my dear friend and co-author, Tod Sandberg. We originally set out to produce a teen-drama, a young-adult fiction work, World War II. Early on, I was less than inspired to produce a war novel, as my previous hyper-creative works often took on a more cult fiction, alternative and stony appeal. It was also beyond my world of experience to co-write a story. These two challenges, as expected, were full of tough moments, but more surprisingly became a fuel for the series that evolved. It is tough to meld, channel, sculpt and push a great plot forward with another writer or composer. That is, unless you happen to be capable of sacrificing your greatest visions and ideas. For some people out there, being dynamic enough to accomplish this goes from difficult, to impossible. The secret that makes co-writing a successful and enjoyable experience in my opinion is solid friendship; a friendship that cannot be hindered or reconciled. Our twenty-five-years of friendship paid off on this project, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Now, what is this short story about? Well, it is an extraction of the bird chapters that are woven throughout “Not So Nazis” the series, and felt like its own world to us. The human characters; Hans, Diesel, Gunter, and Joe, embark on a courageous desertion from the Reich, and it is only possible for them to muster this courage through the hope that Romeo, their trusted carrier pigeon that they luckily intercepted from the French Resistance, can get a message to two young mystery recipients; teens Zoe and Chantal. At first, the bird story seemed less relevant to the plot, but more and more, the birds began to take on a lot of human-like traits, and soon we had three stories braiding together to create one of the most intense and suspenseful conclusions I have ever written, or maybe even read! I was very impressed with the way the birds brought a natural and spiritual perspective to the story, and their own encounters took on a separate gripping plot. I hope you enjoy this work and if so, I encourage you to dig into the series. It is full of great humor and adventure, and it was a blast to write! Proceeds from Part I and II of “Not So Nazis” go to the “Holocaust Educational Trust”. Let me know if you like this story by going to www.jayagnello.blogspot.com and leaving a review. If it is good, I will pat myself on the back! ~Jay Agnello