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Monday 16 September 2024

A Spotlight Guest: Aurélie Thiele's The Paris Understudy


BOOK SPOTLIGHT

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find a few good books
to enjoy along the way!


About the Book

This powerful debut novel brings to life the hard choices Parisians made—or failed to make—under Nazi occupation, in the tradition of Pam Jenoff and Fiona Davis.

1938. Paris Opera legend Madeleine Moreau must keep newcomer Yvonne Chevallier, whose talent she fears, off the stage. As the long-standing star of the opera, she is nowhere near ready to give up her spotlight. The perfect solution: enlist Yvonne as her understudy so she can never be upstaged. When Madeleine is invited to headline at Germany’s pre-eminent opera festival, she is sure this will cement her legacy. But war is looming, and when she learns that Adolf Hitler himself will be in attendance, she knows she’s made a grave error. As Madeleine makes a hurried escape back to France, Yvonne finds herself unexpectedly thrown into the limelight on the German stage.

When a newspaper photograph shows Hitler seemingly enraptured by Yvonne, Yvonne’s life is upended. While she is trying frantically to repair her reputation at home, Yvonne’s son is captured and held as a prisoner of war. Desperate to free her son, she makes an impossible choice: turn to the enemy.

As the Nazis invade Paris, both women must decide what they are willing to do in pursuit of their art. They form an unlikely alliance, using their fame to protect themselves and the people they love from the maelstrom of history.

Painting an enrapturing portrait of resilient wartime women, The Paris Understudy is a love letter to the arts and a stark depiction of the choices we make to survive, for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristen Harmel.-eight years, behind the bleak shadow of the Iron Curtain’s most iconic symbol.

BUYING LINKS 
Amazon 




ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aurélie Thiele is French American and lives in Dallas, TX. She has studied writing at the UCLA Extension School and Bennington Writing Seminars. The Paris Understudy is her debut novel.

Twitter/X @aurelie_thiele


(note: Helen has not yet read the book herself)



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Follow Helen On:

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Bluesky: @HelenHollick - http://helenhollick.bsky.social/

(and I'm on Twitter @HelenHollick but for marketing only)


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You might also like 
books written by Helen Hollick 


*
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
set in the 1970s

*
The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy


*
THE SAXON SERIES

The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' tales
*
The Forever Queen (US edition)
a USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A Hollow Crown (UK edition)

*
KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

 The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend... 

THE PENDRAGON's BANNER TRILOGY 

US editions

*
Historical Stories of Exile by 13 popular authors 
Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, 
J.G. Harlond, Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney 
Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, 
Marian L Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.
With an introduction by Deborah Swift

*
Amazon: FREE ebook!

*


*

NON-FICTION


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SUBSCRIBE to Helen's
Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse newsletter
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Saturday 14 September 2024

MY GUEST: AMY MARONEY and the PIRATE'S PHYSICIAN

(Graphic designed by the Coffee Pot Book Club)


A GOOD READ SPOTLIGHT

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find a few good books
to enjoy along the way!


About the Book

Book Title: The Pirate’s Physician
Series: A Thrilling Companion novella to the Sea and Stone Chronicles
Author: Amy Maroney
Publication Date: September 5, 2024
Publisher: Artelan Press
Pages: 204
Genre: Historical romance

When her world shatters, she dares to trust a pirate. Will she survive what comes next?

The Pirate's Physician is the story of Giuliana Rinaldi, a student at Salerno's famed medieval medical school, whose lifelong dream of becoming a physician crumbles when her uncle and mentor dies suddenly. 

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a ruthless merchant, Giuliana enlists the help of a Basque pirate and flees home for the dangers of the open sea. 

Will she make it to Genoa, where her only remaining relative awaits? Or will this impulsive decision seal her own doom?

A delightful seafaring adventure packed with romance and intrigue, The Pirate's Physician is a companion novella to the award-winning Sea and Stone Chronicles series of historical novels by Amy Maroney: Island of Gold, Sea of Shadows, and The Queen's Scribe.

(Graphic designed by the Coffee Pot Book Club)

Buy Links:



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction.  Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean. To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com

Author Links

Website: 
Twitter: 
Facebook: 
Instagram: 
Pinterest: 
Book Bub:  
Amazon Author Page: 
Goodreads: 

My thanks to Cathie Dunn of the Coffee Pot Book Club 
for the use of promo graphics

My Thoughts 
In a nutshell ... I loved it! 

Because of my visual impairment, reading is no longer easy for me (thank goodness for a large font on Kindle) and, I admit, if a story doesn't grab me by a few chapters in, I often give up because I can't struggle with wonky sight and wonky writing. Nothing wonky about The Pirate's Physician though!

I enjoy Amy Maroney's novels anyway, but this one beats the lot. It's beautifully written, well-thought absorbing plot, just the right balance of adventure, intrigue and romance; superb characters, excellently researched history - and a wonderful cover.

No spoilers but the strong and courageous heroine, Giuliana, who wants nothing more than to qualify as a female physician, finds herself unexpectedly bereaved and in financial - and emotional - trouble. She turns to a pirate for help. But is this a good idea...?

Behind the story, the historical detail is authentic for the medical research, the 15th century and the seafaring aspect. I did query one thing, the use of the word 'gunwale' (a reinforcement onboard a ship to carry the weight of heavy guns) because I wondered if the date was too early for this kind of ship-board weaponry - and that's why well-written, well-researched historical fiction can be such a delight, because MS Maroney had already checked, and yes, using that word is absolutely fine. (I must add, I queried this because pirates are my 'thing' - but in the 17oos not the 1400s!)

Basically if Ms Maroney has something in one of her novels, from women's medical issues for patient and practitioner, to description of locations, way of life, dress, food ... you can guarantee it's genuine and authentic. 

Many really good historical novels can be the only method of time travel that we have. Fasten your seat belt in the book equivalent of the Tardis and prepare to travel back in time...

***** 5 STARS
(Thank you to Amy for an Arc edition)

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Follow Helen On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick

Bluesky: @HelenHollick - http://helenhollick.bsky.social/

(and I'm on Twitter @HelenHollick but for marketing only)

*
You might also like 
books written by Helen Hollick 


*
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
set in the 1970s

*
The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy


*
THE SAXON SERIES

The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' tales
*
The Forever Queen (US edition)
a USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A Hollow Crown (UK edition)

*
KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

 The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend... 

THE PENDRAGON's BANNER TRILOGY 

US editions

*
Historical Stories of Exile by 13 popular authors 
Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, 
J.G. Harlond, Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney 
Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, 
Marian L Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.
With an introduction by Deborah Swift

*
Amazon: FREE ebook!

*


*

NON-FICTION


*
SUBSCRIBE to Helen's
Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse newsletter
to receive an email reminder of each new post
(1st of every month)
subscribe@helenhollick.co.uk

*


Friday 13 September 2024

Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour: Cut Short by B.D. Spargo


Rachel's Random Resources
Book Tours
Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find good books
to enjoy along the way!


About the Book
Cut Short
Detectives can’t bury their mistakes, murderers can.
DCI Liam Doyle is haunted by the demons from his past and the challenges of the present: a broken marriage, a tarnished reputation, and a troubled young son who needs him. He’s newly moved out of south London – and out of his comfort zone.

When a murdered woman is found at a Lancashire beauty spot in his new patch. Doyle is tasked with finding her killer, along with his new detective sergeant, Anna Morgan.

As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. A clever killer has created a complex web of deceit and is always one step ahead of Doyle … and the bodies are mounting up. Is the past the key to unlocking the present? When the stakes get higher, Doyle’s need to find the killer becomes personal and the detective is plunged into a desperate race against time. Will Doyle succeed before he has another dead body on his conscience?

Played out across the rugged Lancashire landscape, Cut Short is a gripping crime thriller layered with plot twists and sprinkled with humour. This fast-paced novel, the first in a series featuring DCI Liam Doyle, will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Purchase Link - 


Author Bio – 
Fast approaching fifty; without enough money for a sports car, BD Spargo decided to express his mid-life crises by turning to crime …

Thankfully for pretty much everyone this meant writing crime fiction rather than anything more nefarious. Originally from London, he spent his early career working in television and theatre including on the Ruth Rendall Mysteries broadcast on ITV.

A life changing accident necessitated retraining and a change of direction going on to work in mental health services. This culminated in ten years managing a groundbreaking forensic psychiatric service. He now lives in Lancashire with his family and is getting acclimatised to the rain.

Social Media Links – 


https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/
@rararesources
#RachelsRandomResources

(note: Helen has not yet read the book herself)



scroll down to bottom of page

to leave a comment

*

Follow Helen On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick

Bluesky: @HelenHollick - http://helenhollick.bsky.social/

(and I'm on Twitter @HelenHollick but for marketing only)


*

You might also like 
books written by Helen Hollick 


*
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
set in the 1970s

*
The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy


*
THE SAXON SERIES

The story of the events that led to
The Battle of Hastings in 1066

Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US edition)
1066 Turned Upside Down
an anthology of 'What If'' tales
*
The Forever Queen (US edition)
a USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A Hollow Crown (UK edition)

*
KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy

 The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend... 

THE PENDRAGON's BANNER TRILOGY 

US editions

*
Historical Stories of Exile by 13 popular authors 
Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, 
J.G. Harlond, Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney 
Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, 
Marian L Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.
With an introduction by Deborah Swift

*
Amazon: FREE ebook!

*


*

NON-FICTION


*
SUBSCRIBE to Helen's
Thoughts from a Devonshire Farmhouse newsletter
to receive an email reminder of each new post
(1st of every month)
subscribe@helenhollick.co.uk

*