A Brief Excerpt and a Brittany recipe, Outcast Artist in Bretagne, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

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August risks both their reputations by taking Norah to draw a castle, then lunch at an outdoor café. Their relationship exposed for all to see. A forbidden love that could end in heartbreak.

The waiter served steaming bowls of Cotriade, the local fish stew, made with bass, eel, mackerel, other fish, potatoes and onions. A rich smell with a hint of fishiness.

Norah dipped in her spoon and tasted. “Delicious. So much bounty. And the perfect spices.”

They each spoke of their childhoods and later years, trying to find common ground. He left out the growing chaos in Germany, the march toward totalitarian authority that corroded his youth. He almost told her of the day he was shot and nearly died, but didn’t want to ruin the pleasurable interlude.

“I’m surprised the Germans haven’t taken over this city with the expansive harbor.” She glanced down across the coastline. There were a few sentries.

“I couldn’t say if we have.” Many bunkers were being built here. He poured them another glass of wine. The wine relaxed him, and he wished they didn’t have to leave. He had the urge to trace his finger along her collarbone and lower.

She looked at him with a wry smile. “We each have secrets, though you know most of mine now.”

“That might be so. I still need to find out who murdered my landser.” August said it casually, certain she wouldn’t admit if she knew. He finished his stew. “I’m sorry, the commandant returns in me.”

“Are you trying to scare me off?” She ate more stew, her tongue licking juice from her lips, eyes sparkling. “I haven’t heard anything; that’s the truth.”

He laid his hand over hers. “I believe you. And again, forgive me for asking.” He curled his fingers around hers. “This is a perfect day with an exceptional woman.”

Norah drank her wine. “Please continue. I’m listening in earnest to your flagrant flattery.”

Recipe for Cotriade:

 Heat 3 oz butter in a large saucepan

Add one chopped onion and stir for two minutes

Add one chopped leek and two chopped garlic cloves, stir for another two minutes

Add three sprigs of thyme 

Add six medium potatoes, peeled and quartered.

Cover with one litre of cold water, season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes

Add three pounds of whole fish (monkfish, flathead, john dory, whiting), cleaned and cut into one inch pieces

Add the fish pieces and shake the pot. Simmer for five minutes

Add twelve mussels, cover with a lid, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mussels have opened up.

Serve the stew in large bowls and sprinkle with half a cup of parsley

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

A best selling author loves Outcast Artist in Bretagne, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase the novel, click HERE

USA Today Best selling author, Maggi Andersen, wrote this review:

"Passion and danger in war-torn Brittany! A riveting read!

A different take on a popular genre. A French village in war time. A young Englishwoman finds herself in occupied Brittany and in love with a German officer. He has his own plans which makes for a thrilling read. Very emotive and well written. The Brittany villagers are great characters too. I wasn't sure how it would end until the last page."

Blurb:

Unwed and pregnant, Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany before Germany’s 1940 invasion. After her baby is stillborn, she's trapped under the Occupation. Norah consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught near the coast, she comes under scrutiny of the German commandant, Major August von Gottlieb.

August loathes what Hitler is doing to his country and France but is duty-bound to control the people in his jurisdiction. The young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth.

Soon, their relationship evolves into a passion neither can deny. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Will their love ruin her and end in heartbreak?

Or will they overcome the odds and survive the surging threats.



Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

An Intense Excerpt, the Major faces his past, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase Outcast Artist in Bretagne, click HERE

Can a damaged Englishwoman find love with her worst enemy, or will the brutal war rip them apart?

Read an excerpt, the reason for August's nightmares, the disaster of Germany under Hitler. August tries to save innocent people and nearly loses his life.

Will he tell Norah, the woman he's starting to love? How can the two of them help the resistance and undermine the Reich?

https://bwlauthors.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-major-faces-his-nightmares-in-my.html

A Wonderful Review of Outcast Artist, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase the book, click HERE 

Anita Davison (the Bookstore Mysteries) reviewed Outcast Artist in Bretagne:

With war on the horizon, Norah Cooper fled to France to escape personal tragedy and make a fresh start in the home of her cousin Loeiza, her husband Yann and their children in the picturesque coastal village of Saint Guénolé where she spends her time wandering the cliffs and drawing sea birds.

Within months of her arrival, German troops occupy the village and Norah finds herself trapped; unable to return to England and living under the suspicion of both the locals and German soldiers. Conscious she is putting her cousin and her family in danger, she is always on the verge of being arrested and sent to an internment camp or the wrath of suspicious villagers; Norah treads a dangerous path, when all she wants is to heal her damaged emotions and draw.

Norah juggles village life with hostile soldiers until she meets the Commandant, Major August von Gottlieb, a widower with three adult children. August has his own demons in that his lacklustre devotion to the Fuhrer has resulted in his being sent to a lesser command of Saint Guénolé instead a more prestigious command in Paris.

His first meeting with Norah is unremarkable, but as their paths cross, they both find themselves unable to ignore the spark between them until admiration becomes passion. As their illicit relationship develops, August starts to make allowances for Norah’s nationality and protecting her, which does not go unnoticed by his more fervent junior officers.

August is also under scrutiny by his Wehrmacht superiors to treat the locals harshly for small crimes. A compassionate man, August finds this increasingly untenable, but he must maintain a semblance of uncompromising power or risk being replaced by a more dedicated officer willing to wreak cruel vengeance on the villagers.

August and Norah’s relationship progresses and rumours abound, and Norah, in her attempt to prove she is not a collaborator to the village that she has grown to love, agrees to help the local resistance group.

Can Norah keep all her secrets and forge a future with the man she loves in occupied France? Or will their positions on opposite sides not only keep them apart, but destroy them both?

Ms Scott Lewis’ novel is extensively researched on the location and period during the early years of WWII. An emotional tale of forbidden love with the couple determined to conquer every obstacle. August is a worthy hero, walking a fine line between protecting the woman he loves and his loyalty to his country without compromising his morals. I can see why Norah could not resist him, despite living under harsh invaders, I found myself rooting for these two, hoping they could overcome what stood between them. An excellent story to read on a sun lounger with a drink beside you.

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

New Release, Outcast Artist in Bretagne WWII heartbreak and forbidden love, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Just released, paperback and Kindle: click HERE

“Diane Scott Lewis has written a beautifully evoked, thought-provoking, war romance filled with suspense. It kept me hooked to the last page.” Maggi Andersen, USA Today Bestselling Author.

Read an excerpt:
Norah faces August after the execution of a resistance fighter.

Norah balled her hands, tears welling in her eyes. “I see the reasoning, the rules of war. But I have all this anger and sorrow I don’t know what to do with.”

August clasped her upper arms as if to keep her from running off. “I understand your misery. However, it was my responsibility.”

“Why did it have to happen?” She pressed a fist against his chest. “I know, that’s rhetorical. But I’m—”

“I wish it hadn’t. I really do, though the outcome was inevitable given the sentry’s death. And if Kerguelen hadn’t bragged about the shooting.” August kissed her forehead. “Meine Liebe, please understand.”

“I can’t forgive what this war has done to us all.” She pushed at him with the heel of her hand, but not overly hard.

“This war has torn apart the world. We are in a storm, trying to be normal.” He traced a finger under her chin. “I missed you.”

“I…missed you.” She thumped her knuckles on his collarbone. “Dammit. My instincts are a mess. And I’m caught between two worlds.”

“You’re in an untenable position. Don’t let this tragedy change what we have.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek and opened the summerhouse’s back door. “Let’s go inside.”

“Everyone… The villagers, my cousins. I’m condemned, marked as your woman.”

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

Available for pre-order, Outcast Artist in Bretagne - WWII heartbreak and forbidden love, by Diane Scott Lewis

 E-book, ready for pre-order: click HERE

Can a damaged Englishwoman find love with her worst enemy, or will the brutality of war rip them apart? Is she a spy? Will he retaliate against Hitler? A dangerous love affair.

Read an excerpt:

August confronts Norah in the summerhouse.

But he still yearned to know; it had been so long since someone cared—if she cared. “Tell me what is in your heart.”

She turned and met his gaze. “I’m not one to mince words. I’m rather blunt, as you’ve pointed out.”

“Then let’s be honest, please.” His throat felt raw. He should let it go, allow her to dismiss him.

She sighed and blinked quickly. “I have feelings I shouldn’t have.”

“Ja. As do I.” Two lonely people, or something more? Silence followed, punctuated by rain and the whistle of wind around the building. Her eyes looked huge, and startled, even in the shadows. A woodland creature; but was he a savior or a predator?

Finally, he said, desperate to say something, “May I see what you’ve done so far on the portrait?”

She smiled, looking relieved by the change in subject. “No, not yet. I want it to be completed first.”

He moved toward her, playfully. “Just a peek won’t hurt.”

She spread her arms as if protecting her masterpiece. “Mais non. I’ll tell you when.”

August took a long step toward her. Fräulein Cooper came forward at the same time. They bumped into one another, her breasts right below his chest. He clasped her upper arms. She stared up at him, lips parted, inviting, yet wary. Past helping himself, he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. A tightening started low in his body.

She quivered beneath his hands, but didn’t move away, her breath warm on him.

Thunder boomed and rattled the windows. The rain pounded like drumbeats on the roof. The gunshot sounds from his nightmares faded.

“This is wrong, especially for you,” he whispered into her mouth.

“I know. Terribly improper. We shouldn’t.” She remained in place, her form delicate under his fingers, and kissed him back with a tiny moan.

“Norah.” Her name felt right, sounded poetic. He pulled her snug into his arms, their kiss deepening. She tasted sweet and verboten at the same time. The heat of desire radiated through him.

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund. 

An Excerpt from my upcoming release! Outcast Artist in Bretagne, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Blurb:

Unwed and pregnant, Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany just before Germany’s 1940 invasion of France. After her baby is stillborn, she's trapped under the Occupation as war expands across Europe. Norah grieves and consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught too near the coast, she comes under scrutiny of the German commandant, Major August von Gottlieb.

August loathes what Hitler is doing to his country and France but is duty-bound to control the people in his jurisdiction. The lively young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He questions her and asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth.

Soon, their relationship evolves into a passion neither of them can deny. She endures taunts from the villagers. His superiors warn him of not being harsh enough—he could be transferred or worse. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Both acts are fraught with danger while kept secret from one another. Will their love ruin her and end in heartbreak? Or will they overcome the odds and survive the surging threats on all sides?

Read an excerpt: Norah confronts the Commandant for the first time.

https://bwlauthors.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-frightening-encounter-from-my.html