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?

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"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.

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"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?

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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

 

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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.

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

 

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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.