Review of my book in Outlook by the Bay magazine
Hello, friends! I am very anxious and excited to share a review of my memoir that was written by Vicki Duncan of Outlook by the Bay magazine. Please, read on: Local author Charles Ota Heller begins his compelling memoir with scenes of his early childhood in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Throughout years of persecution and hiding, with…
Read MoreOn Being a Memoirist
Courtesy of Anne Arundel Community College I envy my novelist friends. Throughout my writing career, I have had to stick with the facts. This began in high school, where I was a sports editor writing about games I and others played. It continued in college, where I was a reporter, and later editor, for an…
Read MoreOur Perfect Storm
While gathering information for my second memoir, tentatively titled Cowboy from Prague, I came across a photo of me at the helm of a sailboat. I have a smile on my face, the sky is blue, and the Atlantic Ocean in the background is smooth. But, oh, what memories of terror this photo brought! Our…
Read MoreFrom Holocaust survivor to American hero – an incredible story
My friend Les Grinspoon sent me a link to an incredible story of a concentration camp survivor who became an American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient. I have a new hero — Tibor Rubin. Please view this clip: http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Tibor-Rubin
Read MoreMemory of a Tragic Event: Lidice
A few months after the end of the Second World War, I sat proudly next to my war-hero father as Czechoslovakia’s President Eduard Beneš dedicated a memorial to the victims of Lidice. It was a simple cross with a circle of barbed wire, yet its symbolism was overpowering. Three years earlier, Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazis’…
Read MoreMy Best Friend, My Great-Grandfather
Many people never meet their great-grandparents. Others come face-to-face with their great-grands, but the age spread is such that a close relationship does not develop. I was lucky. I not only knew my great-grandfather, but he was my best friend. Gustav Neumann was a Czech entrepreneur who built a tiny general store in a small…
Read MoreWriting my long journey home
At book signings and in various social settings, I am invariably asked: “What made you decide to write your book?” It’s a simple question without a simple answer. I began to give it passing thoughts in the early 1990s when I began an emotional journey of reconnecting with my native country of Czechoslovakia. My father…
Read MoreA beautiful World War II story – told in three minutes
My friend Ted Armour sent me this moving film clip, titled Porcelain Unicorn, by American director, Keegan Wilcox. It was the winner — out of 600 entries — of a global film-making contest, “Tell It Your Way.” Incredible story — told in a mere three minutes. Click here and have a tissue ready.
Read MoreInvitation to February 15 reading/signing at Maryland Hall
If you live in the vicinity, I would like to invite you to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts on Wednesday, February 15. I will be telling the story of my book, Prague: My Long Journey Home, followed by a reading and signing. The session is sponsored by the Annapolis chapter of the Maryland Writers’ Association…
Read MorePRAGUE: MY LONG JOURNEY HOME honored
Writer’s Digest has announced that Prague: My Long Journey Home was chosen to receive the magazine’s Mark of Quality. Its announcement stated: “We felt your book captured all the elements we were looking for when evaluating all Abbott Press titles. You are in fact the first winner of this difficult-to-achieve award and your book will feature…
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