H.B. Moore's Blog, page 3

Bob Inama: Our First Meeting

 Today I met Bob Inama. Our first conversation was March 19, 2020 over a Skype video call. After a few technical difficulties, we were able to finally speak in a meeting with Bob, his wife Diane, and Shadow Mountain director, Chris Schoebinger. In this first initial meeting, Bob told us about his experiences working undercover for the US Army in the early 1960s in Soviet-occupied East Germany. He was eventually betrayed by an East German and arrested. The story that unfolded is not what you might expect. Yes, he was imprisoned. Yes, he was beaten daily. Yes, he was traumatized. But Bob's light never dimmed. He left behind his shackles and the depths of a tiny cell and built a life of hope, love, and family. Over the past several months, Covid-19 kept any chance at meeting slim since we live in different states. Since March 19, up until this past week, I've been working on Bob's story so that more people can read and be inspired by a life well lived. If all goes well with my publisher and the production, the book will be available Fall 2021. But right now, my heart is full for having met this man in person. At last. 

Praiseworthy Award Honorable Mention

 I'm excited to announce that Deborah Prophetess of God was given the Praiseworthy Award Honorable Mention by the LDSPMA. I love that the award recognizes everyone involved in the production of the book! 

Tien Fu Wu: A Dedicated Life

 

In 2019, I visited the Cameron House in San Francisco for the first time. Founded in 1874, originally established as the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, the Cameron House has a long history of bringing aid and relief to the community of Chinatown, (CameronHouse.org). My purpose in visiting was to learn more about the remarkable women who worked as volunteers in the early years, including former mission home director Donaldina Cameron, in preparation for writing the historical novel, The Paper Daughters of Chinatown (September 2020, Shadow Mountain). But one visit to the Cameron House, and I was deeply touched by the life and service of Tien Fu Wu.

“Auntie Wu” or “Tien” as the residents of the mission home called her, was brought to Chinatown as a paper daughter in the late 1800s. A loophole in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 created a dubious opportunity for slave owners or members of the criminal tong to bring Chinese women into the country under false identities supported by forged paperwork. In this forged paperwork system, the young Chinese woman would memorize her new family’s heritage and claim to be married or otherwise related to a Chinese man already living and working in California, and the paper daughter was allowed into the country. “Upon arrival in San Francisco many such Chinese women, usually between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, were taken to a barracoon, where they were either turned over to their owners or stripped for inspection and sold to the highest bidder” (see Unbound Feet by Judy Young, 27).

Such was Tien’s experience. In the records from the Cameron House, we learn that Tien was called Teen Fook or Tai Choi before her rescue. In an entry dated January 17, 1894, her rescue is detailed: “Tai Choie alias Teen Fook was rescued by Miss Houseworth, Miss Florence Worley and some police officers from her inhuman mistress who lived on Jackson St. near Stockton St. The child had been very cruelly treated—her flesh pinched and twisted till her face was scarred. Another method of torture was to dip lighted candlewicking in oil and burn her arms with it. Teen Fook is a pretty child of about ten years old, rosy cheeked and fair complexion” (see Chinatown’s Angry Angelby Mildred Martin, 46).

Adjustment to new life and expectations in the mission home wasn’t a simple road for any of the girls and young women, especially for Tien. She harbored deep resentments for anyone who was in a position of power over her, but through the months and years of love and consistency, Tien flourished and became an integral part of the mission’s work. She served as a translator for the mission home director, Donaldina Cameron, when they went on rescue work. Tien wanted to continue contributing, to give back, and to serve those in need. She was determined to get a college education so that she could open more doors and serve in greater capacities in the mission home and throughout the community.

The mission home found a sponsor for Tien’s education, and she spent four years in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and two years in Bible Training School in Toronto, Canada (Martin, 153). Before leaving San Francisco, she promised Donaldina Cameron that she would return to the mission home and continue to work for the cause. True to her word, Tien returned to San Francisco and spent the remainder of her career as a champion for the women and girls of the Chinatown community. She truly lived a dedicated life in service, faith, and love as she persevered through extreme challenges, while lifting others with her along the way.

Submitted! The Sermon on the Mount--Insights for Women

 

TODAY my co-author Angela Eschler and I submitted our non-fiction manuscript to our publisher. A few years ago, our book Christ's Gifts to Women, was released, and since then we've wanted to do another project. In 2018, we brainstormed ideas, then pitched the idea of learning about the Beatitudes from the eyes of the women found in scriptures. Little did we know that life would get in the way many, many times, but we continued to persevere and this spring we set our do-or-die goal. 

Here is our submission letter. If all goes well, we'll see a release in time for Mother's Day 2021:

Dear [editor], 

Angela Eschler and I are thrilled to submit our non-fiction book, with the working title of: The Sermon on the Mount – Insights for Women. In a similar vein to our previous book, Christ’s Gifts to Women, we are envisioning an illustrated gift book with an introduction, and eight sections, each covering a beatitude.  

Summary:  

Authors Angela Eschler and Heather B. Moore offer insights and inspirations of how the beatitudes taught by the Savior during the Sermon on the Mount lay the groundwork of finding happiness and peace in our lives, despite monumental challenges and trials that come our way. Each beatitude blessing begins with the phrase “blessed are . . .” But what if we focused on the translated version instead: “happy are . . .”  

Happy are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Happy are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Happy are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

With this singular translation adjustment, the blessings take on a deeper meaning. What if we could truly find joy when the skies in our lives are murky and sometimes dark? What if instead of feeling despair, we could feel hope? What if we knew, without a doubt, that we are beloved daughters of our Heavenly Father? In a world of ever-changing opinions, deep suffering, and increasing challenges, returning to the plain and simple truths can act as a balm to our troubled souls. By studying the meaning and significance of the beatitudes, as well as how we can bring these blessings into our hearts, new hope arises. And with new hope, comes love and peace, and finally joy. 

We look forward to hearing from you, 

Heather & Angela

Book Club Kit for The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

 Are you in a book club? Or do you share books with a friend or neighbor? My publisher put together this lovely Book Club Kit with discussion questions and other insights into The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. You can download the PDF directly from my website here. 

Submitted: Cold War book

 This book is yet untitled, but today I submitted a historical novel based on an army vet's experience in the early 1960s East Germany as he worked undercover for the US government. I began working on this book in March, and after total immersion for about four months, it's finally ready for submission. I've also established a Pinterest board for the book here. 

Here is part of my introduction:

When I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, it seemed that the animosity between the United States and the USSR had always been part of the news, and the many spy movies produced during those eras were keen to create scenarios that would grip the audiences’ imagination. But Bob Inama’s story is not an ordinary spy story. It is one of a remarkable man, a humble man, who served his country, looked beyond himself, and changed lives around him. Even when he was nothing more than a prisoner of war in a 10x12 foot cell for six months.

Covid-19 was a growing force in the US when my first meeting loomed on the horizon with Bob and his wife Diane. So, over Skype, I met this extraordinary couple. Through the video call, I listened as this eighty-five-year old man told me of his experiences, from first being drafted into the army in 1959, which waylaid all of his plans to attend law school at George Washington University, until the day he received an assignment to go undercover in East Berlin and send nuclear target information back to the United States army.

When I asked questions from my pre-written list, Bob stopped me at one point and said, “There are just some things I had to forget.” As such, I have taken a respectful approach to Bob’s story and experiences. He endured a lot through his many trials, and he became an inspiration in my personal life as the world around me was ravaged with a devastating pandemic that forever changed everyone’s lives. Throughout Bob’s life, no matter what he endured, no matter the pain, the fear, or the unknown, he faced it with hope in his heart. He treated everyone around him as if they were a family member. From his army platoon, to the German people, to the East German guards, and the Soviet soldiers and officers who reviled and abused him.

Bob walked a straight line through his life according to his beliefs in a higher power. His humbleness and gratitude for his blessings, even on the darkest of days, echoes one of his favorite talks given by Joseph B. Wirthlin in 2008: “Come What May, and Love It.” This phrase truly embodies the way that Bob chose to live his life. Whether it was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, or at the army post in Hanau, Germany, Bob was generous and loyal, despite the fact that he was serving in the epicenter of the Cold War, where one wrong move from either side of the West/East German inner-border could result in the next devastating world war.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown: Book Club Kit

Sign up here for the Book Club Kit, and I'll email it to you on release week (September 1, 2020).

Pine Valley series all on Audible!

Yes, that's right! All 8 of the Pine Valley novels are now available on Audible! Book 1-4 are narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, and books 5-8 are narrated by Xe Sands. Check out the series page here.

Cover Reveal: The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

The Paper Daughters of ChinatownBy Heather B. MooreComing September 1, 2020 from Shadow Mountain
Author Reflections:
When Heidi Taylor and Lisa Mangum sent me this story idea in fall of 2018, I had no idea the breathtaking journey I’d undertake through researching the life of Donaldina Cameron. I’d never heard specifically about Miss Cameron or her work, in conjunction with diligent staff members of the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, of thwarting the slave trade of Chinatown. Yet each day, in fact, every hour, I was drawn deeper into the remarkable life of a woman who personified a life of sacrifice and bringing hope to the downtrodden women and girls of San Francisco.
With several non-fiction, and even a couple of historical novels, published on Donaldina’s life, I debated what I could add, if anything, to a woman who truly deserves a multi-volume treatment. I finally settled on an approximate thirteen year period, starting with the day she arrived at the Mission Home. With the encouragement of my publisher, Shadow Mountain, and my agent Ann Leslie Tuttle, I cracked open the reference books, spending weeks reading and taking notes. The notes section grew to over eighty pages, and I knew I could spend months, even years, reading everything recorded on Donaldina.
But I had a deadline, and I needed to focus on my goal of bringing a part of Miss Cameron’s life to the forefront so that readers could find inspiration and hope in her story, just as I had. Writing historical fiction has been a joy of mine for many years, but writing The Paper Daughters of Chinatown took me into the dregs of the underworld of the dark beast of human trafficking. A twisted and corrupt practice that is hard to comprehend, yet women like Donaldina Cameron, did not close their eyes or turn their backs. They put their trust in the Lord, walked right into the fray, literally risking their lives time and time again, and changed lives forever.
It did not matter how much I read, or how much I uncovered, my heart was broken over and over at the stories and experiences. But time and time again, Miss Cameron triumphed when her rescued girls triumphed, building a new life and shedding the old. By the time Donaldina Cameron retired, it was estimated she’d aided in rescuing over 3,000 girls and women from human trafficking.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Savior delivers the Sermon on the Mount. He outlines the beatitudes, or attributes, that are principles on the path to exaltation. As I read through them around the same time I was researching Donaldina’s life, I realized she had achieved each and every single one. She was poor in spirit, she mourned, she was meek, she did hunger and thirst after righteousness, she was merciful, she was pure in heart, she was a peacemaker, she was persecuted for righteousness’ sake, she was reviled against, and all manner of evil was spoken against her. She became a light unto the world, and her good works glorified the Father.
It is my humble wish, that my dear readers will come to know the remarkable woman who Donaldina Cameron became, as well as bring new understanding to the plights that women such as Tien Fuh Wu underwent in order to bring freedom from oppression and slavery to those caught in the web of human trafficking.
The Occidental Mission Home for Girls is still in operation today, renamed the Cameron House, in honor of Donaldina Cameron. The Cameron House serves as a community center and provides various community programs and services. “As part of Donaldina’s heritage, we are proud to offer services like: counseling; domestic violence intervention; food distribution; adult ESL and computer classes; support groups; youth afterschool and summer programs; sports, arts, and camping experiences; leadership development; and volunteer opportunities.  Today we serve over 1,000 low-income immigrant children and families.” https://cameronhouse.org/
Visit my Pinterest Board for photos from my visit to the Cameron House in San Francisco: https://www.pinterest.com/heatherbmoore3/the-paper-daughters-of-chinatown/

Swoony Sports Romances: Hockey!

I'm in the thick of my #NorthbrookHockeyElite series that I co-created with Rebecca Connolly and Sophia Summers (also writes under Jen Geigle Johnson).

I've developed a new appreciation for hockey. My kids have played almost every sport except hockey, but I'm learning the game, and loving it.


Check out the series on Amazon and let me know what you think!
Also, join the Swoony Sports Romance page on Facebook for updates and interactions with the authors!