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A Time Travel and a Spy Story, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Can a sassy San Francisco gal from the 21st century survive when she's hurtled two hundred years into the past in a neglected cemetery? And what about the handsome farmer who may be a grain smuggler? After Tamara's nasty divorce, can she trust again? Caught up in England's turmoil during the French Revolution, can she ever go home?

To purchase BEYOND THE FALL, click HERE

"Colum and Tamara have become my favorite characters of all time! I absolutely will recommend this book to all avid romance readers who love fast, and intriguing plot!" ~ Mariola S. Librarian via Netgalley

Countess Trehearne returns to England in the midst of the French Revolution. She's determined to avenge the death of her companion in Paris. Her probing embroils her with a deadly spy and her childhood love, Robert. Will their passion heat up before she becomes the spy's next victim? Robert works for the new Secret Services. He discovers they stalk the same villain. Can he protect his old love before it's too late?

Tamara from Beyond the Fall makes an appearance in this novel.

To purchase, TO ENTICE A SPY, click HERE

"Ms. Lewis does an excellent job of keeping you invested in Eseld and Robert. A historical romance that is thoughtfully researched, features a couple that is older (late 30s), and a plot that is interesting and fascinating. So do yourself a favor and pick this little gem up. You'll thank me later." *Harlies Books*

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

A Male Reviewer says my Hero is too Virtuous? by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Can a German officer throw off the vileness of the Nazi Regime? That very vileness is why he strives to make changes in his life. But first August must destroy a killing-machine.

Meeting the exiled Englishwoman, the artist Norah, encourages him to act. He aches for the passion he's never experienced. Will they find their happy ending in the chaos of WWII?

To purchase, click HERE

Read the review (he doesn't mention this virtuousness in it, though)

All Is Fair In Love And War

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023 FIVE STARS

"This is the rare book by a modern author in that it transports the reader to France of 1940, and it never feels false or contrived; you really feel like you're there because of Ms. Scott-Lewis's detailed descriptions and knowledge of and obvious intense research into the period and place. And you feel the anguish from the two main characters as they fall in love against the backdrop of the war and the fact that they're on opposite sides. That anguish turns to friendship, to lust, and finally to love as they carefully navigate the increasingly dangerous terrains of love and war. Historical romance is not my usual genre of choice, but I was riveted by the story which draws on other wartime romance novels and movies (Casablanca anyone/), yet tells the story in a new and refreshing way. I heartily recommend this great novel!" Brettw

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

Norah tells us why she found a connection to Major von Gottlieb, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase Outcast click HERE

Interviewer. "I'm sitting here with Miss Norah Cooper in the small village of Saint Guenole in Brittany. Miss Cooper, you were trapped in France after the Germans invaded, visiting your cousin for personal reasons, and now you just want to go home to England. You're an artist and decided to draw the Major, the man in charge of the occupation. Why was that?"

"He offered me a great amount of money, and I needed to pay my way." Norah brushes a hand through her strawberry-blonde hair. "My cousin's husband threatened to demand I leave. I had no place to go."

"You didn't find this idea with the Major repulsive?"

"Yes, at first. But the Major surprised me." Norah smiles, looking a little embarrassed. "He was very kind, and then I learned a secret about him that really changed my mind."

"And what was that?"

"He hated Hitler's policies. Plus he brought more food to the village after I asked him to." Norah sighs. "He wanted the war to end and live a peaceful life."

"Then an attraction grew between you two?"

"Slowly." Norah gazes around. "When we got to know each other better."

"Weren't you afraid of being ostracized?"

"I am ostracized. The villagers, my cousins. It is very difficult. The Major, August, he told me a terrible weapon was on its way. And he planned to disable it so it wouldn't be used against my country."

"I see. Did you fall in love with him?"

Norah smiles again, though it's a little sad. "We fell in love. As crazy as that sounds. I discovered the man he really is, inside. We have a passionate relationship. But I knew it would be perilous."

"Do you have plans for a future?"

"He has to complete his sabotage. I got involved with forging documents. We kept secrets. But our love is strong." Norah presses her fingers to her cheeks. "We speak of escaping to Switzerland. But there are so many obstacles. Threats of arrest. I still hope we can have our happy ending. Or maybe I'm being naïve."

Interviewer. "I hope you can find a happy ending in the midst of war. Thank you for speaking to me."

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.

Excerpt from Hostage to the Revolution, sequel to Escape the Revolution, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Continuing Bettina's misadventures from Escape the Revolution, will she find her lover or be kidnapped by the revengeful revolutionaries?
An excerpt.

The woman lowered her Carnival mask to reveal the perfect, glacial features of Lucrece Bardou, Geralde’s former fiancée.

Lucrece raised her elegant brows. “Very well, we’ll talk here. Are you seeing my Geralde? You have been noticed with him these past months.” She swatted her fan. “And you were dancing with him out front, like two peasants.”

Bettina half-expected this and stifled a laugh. The wine seeped into her muscles, calming her. “We have spent time together, yes. Why is it your business? I heard you were involved with someone else.”

Lucrece tipped up her perfect chin. “That didn’t work out. Geralde and I were practically married. I plan to convince him to change his profession and settle down, with me.” She poked her fan into Bettina’s face. “Without you underfoot.”

Bettina swiped the fan aside. “If he wants to court me, that is our affair.” She grew irritated, yet the idea of his courting her again sent excited quivers along her body. But what about Everett? Could she banish the idea of cheating on a man declared dead? Would the deep hollow in her heart finally heal? “I have nothing more to say to you, Madame.”

“You stay away from him, I’m warning you.” Lucrece turned. A masked man bowed in her path. She jabbed her fan into his chest. “You had better not be a Negro, sir. The law forbids you to mask.” She tossed her curls in superiority and flounced off.

Bettina laughed at the woman’s haughtiness and walked in the other direction from the shrew. She looked around for Geralde, unsure if she should warn him about Lucrece. He may not even want to court Bettina again, and she couldn’t blame him. She’d find him and ask him to dance with the others, under the gigantic crystal chandelier that shimmered and reflected candlelight in sprinkles across the ceiling and walls.

Someone tugged on her sleeve. Bettina glanced down to a Negro child dressed in white cap and apron. “Yes, dear?”

“Pardon, Madame. A man wishes to speak to you.” The girl stared up with large black eyes. “He is on the side gallery.”

Was it Geralde, hiding from Lucrece? “Show me where. Is he a handsome man in buckskins?” She followed the child down a short hallway to a set of long windows. Then she hesitated, uneasy in the shadows. “Can you ask him to come inside?”

“He says he has news about your children.” The girl opened the windows.

Could Fred be here? Were the children ill? Bettina winced and poked her head out to scan the dark porch. “Who is here?” Now she wished she’d brought someone with her.

A man stepped forward, and waved the girl off. The long windows clicked shut. “I have news from your nephew. You must return to the cottage.”

“What has happened? Are my children all right?” She hurried out, thoughts confused.

He clasped her arm. “Come with me, Madame, and I will explain.”

“Tell me who you are first.” She resisted his tug on her arm, her skin prickling.

His grip tightened and he shuffled her toward the steps. “Do not fight me, I have a gun.”

“Mais non. How dare you. Let me go!” Bettina gasped and struggled. A pistol barrel stabbed into her side.

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

A time-travel excerpt, Beyond the Fall, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Tired of the gloomy winter? Enjoy a trip to the past as soon to be divorced, San Franciscan Tamara falls back

200 years to a gritty England caught up in grain riots.

Purchase HERE

Excerpt: Cornwall 1789

Tamara ran down the porch steps and across the yard to better see. Colum marched near the rear of the mob as if he were a herding collie. In a rumble of fury and feet, men were chanting, fists raised. Birds flew from the trees and scattered into the sky like confetti.

She hiked up her skirt and hurried to the end of their lane. A group of women swept up behind her. “Come along, an’ fight for our rights to have our bread.” One woman grabbed her arm and dragged Tamara with them. “An’ for our men to earn good wages.”

“I’m all for your rights.” Tamara skidded beside the scruffy woman who smelled of beer and bad breath, her teeth yellow, two missing. She tried to tug herself loose, then decided she needed to follow Colum and see what hazard he might encounter, or cause.

She finally pulled free of her escort and wended forward through the people, her long skirt slapping against her legs.

The marchers trudged on, up the main road that headed north, shouting, “Cheaper bread, fair wages!”

Dust clotted in Tamara’s nose as she squeezed through the crowd. She was used to long walks but not in awkward clothing. She tripped and rushed on, trying to catch up with Colum who had melted into the horde of men.

More people joined them. The mob closed in around her, poking and prodding, stinking of sweat. They followed the rocky coast gouged with inlets along Falmouth Bay. The salty breeze blew over her, teasing at tendrils of her hair.

She took an elbow to the ribs, a shoulder to her chin, but kept pushing through. Now she was glad for her sturdy hiking boots.

Her knees and ankles began to ache, a blister forming on one foot, as more time passed. She swiped perspiration from her face.

Louder shouts and curses erupted as they approached the outskirts of the larger town of Falmouth four miles to the north. In the distance, houses clustered on an incline, and a castle squatted on a peninsula that jutted out into the Carrick Roads she recalled from her map.

Elegant buildings sat among smaller cottages with thatched roofs. How beautiful it all looked, unmarred by modern intrusions. Yet here she was in the middle of an agitated throng. Her breath heaved. Where was Colum?

Gunshots pierced the air. The soldiers bore down on them. Terror coursed through her. She could be killed, forever stranded in the past.


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

Her Vanquished Land, a sexy Welshman and a torn loyalist during the American Revolution, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Purchase HERE

Read an excerpt:

Philadelphia, PA 1780

Darkness increased as the sun lowered when Rowena and Sam approached the tavern. The close-in buildings further shaded Fourth Street and Chestnut Street, the corner on which the Indian Queen stood. Each nook and cranny, every shadow, had her flitting her gaze about, hand on her muff pistol in the frock coat’s pocket.

She checked behind her again, to see if anyone followed. They’d snuck out the rear door, through her aunt’s garden, praying no guard would catch them.

“My aunt said many rebel delegates lodged at this tavern when they discussed their plans to form their own government,” she whispered. “And cut their allegiance to Great Britain.”

Expansive and three stories high, the Indian Queen boasted an almost Dutch-shaped roof. An alley ran beside it, black as pitch. Raucous laughter drifted from the building.

“I’ll go in and check for Mr. Atherton, say I has a verbal message,” Sam said. “To be safe.”

“I could do that. Don’t I look manly enough?” She tried to tease, but disliked being marked as the weaker of the team.

“Aye. Good enough, but I’ll pass easier.” He grinned. “Then we’ll know the layout of the place. Your aunt warned that a porter greets everyone who enters.”

“I’ll wait at the alley entrance, but don’t tarry long. Bring him out to me, that’s what I need.” She slipped into the cooler shadows. Was James spying for the loyalists, or colluding with the rebels? If he was with the revolutionaries, she must stop him—in some way. What was the atmosphere in this, as her aunt informed them, largest tavern in Philadelphia? She risked much just being here.

Rowena tugged her hat low and pressed her back against the brick wall near a shuttered window. A cat ran past her. Rats scratched in debris. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of urine. More noise and moving about came from the building. Music also sounded: a lively fiddle. A drunk sang off-key.

Heavier noises from behind her. Footfalls? Nape prickled, she snatched out her muff pistol and whipped around about to release the trigger.

The scent of pine rose up; a harsh breath, almost a wolf-like snarl. Her fingers clenched around the small stock, Rowena pointed her weapon at the murky presence looming over her.

“Have a care, bachgen.” The Welsh accent pierced through Rowena. The dark stranger! He bent closer in the Indian Queen’s alley. “Ye might be the same boy as before. ’Tis dim, and I’d like for once to see ye in the light. Now, I warn ye, put down that gun.”

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

An Excerpt from my new release, Napoleon's Elysium, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Purchase HERE

Amelie is caught singing in her garden at St. Helena, a ruse to attract Napoleon's interest. She's shocked when it works. Her father drags her into the house to confront the emperor.

Light-headed, Amélie sucked in her breath and managed a smile. “How do you do, Your Majesty.”

She realized too late the emperor was supposed to speak first. Aware she should curtsy, her mind went blank, leaving her at a loss as to which foot went where. She dipped her head.

“Mademoiselle, the little gardener. Is that you I heard singing so spiritedly out in the courtyard?”

“You did listen? Oh, I’m sorry if I disturbed you, Your Majesty.” She grinned wider and didn’t glance at her father who stood rigid near the door.

“No, no, you misunderstand. You haven’t disturbed me.” Napoleon laughed softly. “I find your voice very interesting. Have you had formal training?”

A rush of awe heated her from the inside out at this praise from the one man their entire world revolved around. Her knees trembled. “Very informal training, Sire, and self-study recently...from the books I borrowed from...I—”

“You learned to sing like that from books?” His sweet smile and flashing blue-gray eyes illuminated his pallid features.

“No I...but I do love to read. You learn so many different things. It opens up the world...” She broke off, ashamed of her babbling, twisting the ribbon under her chin with nervous fingers.

“Quite right, Mademoiselle. Would you mind singing that song again for me, now?”

She blinked at him. “Of course...I wouldn’t mind, Sire.” The idea of singing directly in front of the emperor with her limited knowledge of music made her toes curl in her muddy shoes. A voice in the wind might not sound so melodious in the confines of a house.

“Tres bien. Come into the reception hall. It has the most space.” Napoleon strode from the room.

Passing her father, she barely looked at him as she followed the emperor through the house to the front. The green reception salon was Longwood’s largest chamber. A mahogany billiard table the British had brought up in the first months of their residence took up a fifth of the space. An old piano stood in the far corner. Two lumpy sofas and several chairs slumped against the walls. Two globes, one of the Heavens, one of Earth, flanked the door from the drawing room.

Amélie stood in the realm she’d been eager to explore. The wind rattled the window panes as she felt her nerves rattling beneath her skin.

She hid her dirty hands behind her back and waited for some signal to begin. Napoleon sat and nodded his head.

Amélie anxiously cleared her throat and started to sing. Tentative at first, her voice sputtered and crackled as she grappled for control. Now gathering momentum, she hoped her singing exuded a rich tone. She closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breath, hitting the high drawn-out notes and concentrating on doing her utmost—fearful of making a mistake.

When done, her body quivered at the exertion. She took another slow inhale before meeting the emperor’s gaze.

Diane lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.

A new release, "Napoleon's Elysium, Desire and Betrayal on St. Helena", by Diane Scott Lewis

 

Buy LINK

I worked over ten years on this novel, in between writing another novel, and starting a third. I kept revising, honing it down to an acceptable word count. I had to take out actual historical personages I wanted to keep, and some of the fictional, which was no great loss. I published it in 2011 under the title Elysium, but this is a totally revamped version thanks to the editorial help of Joanne Renaud, who also painted the beautiful front cover. The cover design is by Karen Ronan.

I hope you enjoy this restructured work.

In 1815, after the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to Saint Helena. On this remote, volcanic island, Amélie Perrault, the daughter of Napoleon’s head chef, is fascinated with the fallen French Emperor. She’s secretly writing an erotic romance novel, gleaning the finer details from books.
When her beautiful singing voice catches Napoleon’s attention, she is drawn into his clash with their British jailers, court intrigues, and a burgeoning sexual attraction. She’s eager to experience the erotica she writes about.
Napoleon is soured on love, yet this young woman’s devotion tugs at his heart. After political maneuvers fail to release him, he desires freedom no matter the risk—but he regrets deserting the only woman who loves him for himself.
Amélie suspects someone in their entourage is poisoning the emperor. Will she uncover the culprit in time and join in Napoleon’s last great battle plan, a dangerous escape?

Check out a new site for readers, by Diane Scott Lewis

  Her Vanquished Land

Long and Short Reviews:
A well-written story, produced by an author who knows the era. Details of espionage and intrigue keep those pages turning. This is an exciting historical novel well worth the read.

I've recently joined a new site in its infancy, where authors recommend books under a certain heading, along with one of their books. Mine is Courageous Women in Authentic Historical Settings.

There are a plethora of interesting books on this site. Please pop in and check them out. And give Shepherd.com a boost. They are working hard to promote authors. 

https://shepherd.com/best-books/courageous-women-in-authentic-historical-settings

Excellent Review by Terry Newman VINE VOICE, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase, click HERE

Prepare to fall in love with To Entice a Spy

Intrigue. Espionage. Romance.
If you love these elements in an historical novel, then you’ll fall in love with to Entice a Spy by Diane Scott Lewis. Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne has returned to England following an extended stay in France during the tumultuous French Revolution. She’s determined to avenge the death of her female companion.
Eseld finds herself deep in the world of espionage when she agrees to root out a French rebel spy. A woman with a mind of her own, she doesn’t heed the pleading of her childhood love, and now widower, Baron Robert Penhale, to leave the spying to the men. Eseld doesn’t realize that he’s working in an official capacity to protect England from French terrorists.
Her actions not only put her own life at risk, but also that of her 14-year-old daughter.
Within all this, a romance between her and Robert blossoms.

Lewis deftly transports the reader to another era, highlighting both its pageantry and perils filled with well-developed characters who come to life on the page. You’ll especially love Eseld’s precocious daughter, Clorenda, who’s kindness to and love of animals deserves a special place in your hearts.
A remarkable story with twists and turns, To Entice a Spy will keep you turning the page. Five Stars

by Terry Newman, Vince Voice

Enter into the past with two mystery novels, time travel and spies, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

In a neglected cemetery, Tamara falls two hundred years into the past. Will she find her way home, or stay with the rebel farmer who is capturing her heart?

"A fabulous and compelling time-travel romance that 

readers will revel in. Full of twists and turns... The character development is skillful and impressive.

An original work of fiction written with a unique and 

extraordinary voice."

~ Reviews, ChickLit Cafe

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Countess Eseld returns to England in the midst of the French Revolution, determined to catch a spy. But will her old love Robert, now working with the Secret Services, complicate her mission? Or could their passion revive?

"The author's research into the period shines through in every paragraph of this tale. I was never pulled out of the story by a tidbit that didn't ring true. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and To Entice a Spy ranks among the best." *Gina Rae Mitchell*

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Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons all over the world, including Puerto Rico and Guam. A member of the Historical Novel Society, she wrote book reviews for the Historical Novels Review. Diane worked from 2007 to 2010 as an on-line historical editor. She has had several historical and historical-romance novels published between 2010 and 2021.

Her first Time-travel, Beyond the Fall, was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2018. To Entice a Spy was published in 2021.

Diane lives with her husband in western Pennsylvania.

Review TO ENTICE A SPY-Diane Scott Lewis, by guest Holly Schwartz

 

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A Riveting Page Turner

Set in the time of the French Revolution, To Entice a Spy is cleverly written from the English point of view. The tightly written plot follows the exploits of the headstrong, resourceful English widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne and her childhood love Baron Robert Penhale as they both work separately and unbeknownst to one another to root out a French spy disguised as an English aristocrat intent on financially supporting the revolution in France by using ill begotten British funds. Experienced historical fiction author Diane Scott Lewis did her homework and it shows. She embeds readers in the story from the first page on with her remarkably in-depth descriptions of the times. Readers are swept into the story and become a part of it by experiencing the architecture, fashions, foods, drinks, smells, sights, social mores, and sounds of England in the 1790s. Lewis has penned a deftly plotted tale that weaves ribbons of mystery and romance into a historical event and makes it come alive. The tautly written story is driven by love, loss, trust, betrayal, family ties, and the inner strength one must summon to face adversity created by both human fallibility and fate. The story moves at a comfortable pace with flawed, but believable characters who drive the plot. Readers find themselves rooting for the protagonists from the beginning to the end of the tale. The characters evoke strong emotions in readers right from page one. This reader found herself wanting to hug Eseld and Robert on one page and throttle them on the next. Lewis creates a huge conflict with a backstory to keep readers turning the pages to see how it all turns out. Part romance, part mystery, part thriller, and a part second chance at love; To Entice a Spy will capture the imagination of readers who enjoy a passionate love story fueled by human frailty, intrigue, and suspense. This terrific book has more than earned the five-star rating this reader has given it. ~Susie Black~

Fifty percent off sale, historical novels by Diane Scott Lewis

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