Retired Assistant Vice Chancellor Writes, Publishes Book
Retired Assistant Vice Chancellor of Information Technology Bettina Spicer Owens has
published her first novel, Achim’s Story.
Achim’s Story is a historical fiction novel that draws heavily from her stepfather’s life.
Joachim Wedekind zur Horst was a merchant seaman and one of the few survivors of the sinking of the Steuben in 1945.
The project originally began as a labor of love with her stepfather, who kept dated journals and logs throughout his life and had asked for her help to write his memoir. Sadly, he passed away before they finished the project.
“His logs and the work we had already done gave me a fantastic blueprint to work from, it made it doable for me. Being in computer science, it was like having an algorithm to start with,” she said.
Still, she struggled to finish the book, saying there were times she thought she would never finish it. Her stepfather would have turned 100 years old in 2022, so she promised herself she would finish it by then.
The book, while fiction, is historically accurate. Owens researched and verified many of the details in the novel.
Owens self-published Achim’s Story on Amazon. She said she has not advertised the book, but has been pleasantly surprised by the reception the book has received.
“I always knew I wanted to write, but until I retired, I did not have time,” she said.
The novel is described as “gripping historical fiction … not just a recollection of wartime events; it’s a poignant exploration of human resilience and the enduring impact of choices” in newspapers throughout the United States which recently reported on the book’s publication.
Copies of her book can be purchased here.