by Linda Bennett Pennell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: historical fiction with romantic
elements
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BLURB:
Sarah Barrett, U.S. Army
R.N., is finished with wartime romance. Determined to protect her recently
broken heart, she throws all of her time and energy into caring for her
patients, but when she is given a coded message by a mysterious dying civilian,
she is sucked into a vortex of danger and intrigue that threatens her very
survival. The one person who can help Sarah is Kurt Heinz, a man with too many
secrets to be trusted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Review:
This historical novel set during World War II is really fascinating, full of tension and complete: there is a beautiful love story, a wonderful setting, charming characters, lots of action, plot twists, espionage, and a dangerous intrigue to solve before it's too late.
Sarah has had a big disappointment in love and devoted all her time and her attention to treat her patients. She doesn't want to open again her heart, even the beautiful blue eyes of Captain Kurt Heinz. Kurt is on a mission, a delicate and dangerous mission that can decide the fate of the war. He knows Sarah while he tries to spy on a suspect. He has no time for love and just can not afford distractions. But when she becomes the guardian of an important message, her life is in danger and can not help but to protect her.
This is a great, lovable, fast-paced book. It's well written, the author does a great job in vividly describing, she makes you feel like you are actually there. The plot is well developed and intriguing, full of tension and dangers and so addictive that keeps you attached to the pages until the end. And there's a sweet but troubled love story.
I highly recommend this book!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Kurt watched in dismay as the man in gray picked up his
fedora and rose from the table next to the one recently vacated by the two
women. This had to be his contact. The man had watched Kurt on the sly since he
arrived at the restaurant. Moreover, the guy matched the description right down
to the red pocket square in his suit breast pocket and the thin, pale scar
running along his left jawline. Making a quick decision, Kurt pushed his chair
back and tossed some cash on the table.
"It's been interesting guys, but I'm calling it a
night. Use this to cover my tab."
"What's the rush, Heinz? We haven't even ordered
dinner."
"I guess my sins are catching up with me. It's return
to quarters and bed for me."
"You headed back with us on the return flight
tomorrow?"
"Nope, I'm here with the Old Man for the duration. You
boys have a good trip."
The street was nearly deserted when Kurt stepped out onto
its glistening concrete surface. Misty rain created halos around the sparse
street lamps and obscured most objects more than a few feet distant. Only the
two women, Sarah and Agnes, stood under an umbrella waiting for a taxi. Kurt
watched them from the restaurant's portico. Focused on their conversation, they
seemed oblivious to anyone behind them.
Glancing to his right, Kurt saw his man in gray scurrying
toward the cross street. He stepped onto the sidewalk and crept along a good
twenty paces behind. When his quarry slowed at the corner and looked back over
his shoulder, Kurt stepped into the shadow of a doorway behind the taxi stand
and waited. If this guy didn't want to make contact, he wouldn't appreciate
being followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I have been in
love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history,
whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose
it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several
generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter
evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both
entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those
stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom
have found their way into my work.
As for my venture
in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted
creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into
neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps
you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage
you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder
in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us
never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself,
"Let's pretend."
I reside in the Houston
"History is
filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes
coming up." Voltaire
Books:
Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel
Confederado do
Norte from Soul Mate Publishing
When War Came
Home from real Cypress Press
Website: http://www.lindapennell.com/
Twitter: @LindaPennell
Buy link for Al
Capone at the Blanche
Hotel
Buy link for
Confederado do Norte:
http://amzn.com/B00LMN5OMI
Buy ink for When
War Came Home: http://amzn.com/B010RXNZRO
Buy link for Casablanca
A little interview
Where are you from?
I spent my
first 16 years in Cordele, Georgia, a very small town on Interstate 75 half way
between Atlanta and my second hometown, Lake City, Florida. College, marriage,
and a move halfway across the country landed me in Houston, Texas. My husband
and I have both lived here longer than any other place, so Houston is now home.
Our children were born here and our lives are firmly planted here.
Who are your favorite authors?
Being a true
G.R.I.T.S. (Girl Raised in the South), Harper Lee and Kathryn Stockett are my
two of my favs. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help were stories that needed
telling. Others include Daphne du Maurier, the Bronteës, Jane Austin, Victoria
Holt, Ellis Peters, P.D. James, Anne Perry – basically, give me a good mystery
in a historical setting and throw in a touch of romance.
What gave you the inspiration to
write this book?
I have always been
interested in World War II. When I originally started work on what is now
Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn, it was entitled Wings and was set in Hialeah,
Florida. It was to feature a ninety-day-wonder, as WWII pilots in training were
known, and an army nurse. It just wasn’t working for me. While in communication
with a former WWII pilot, he mentioned a friend who had been stationed in
Casablanca. That sparked my interest. A bit of research into the First Allied
Conference, which took place in Casablanca at the Anfa Hotel, and my pilot
evolved into an OSS officer from Texas who speaks perfectly unaccented German
and looks like a poster boy for Himmler’s SS. The Army nurse remains but she has
transferred from Florida to Morocco.
The details of the
Casablanca Conference are particularly interesting. It was at this meeting that
Roosevelt prevailed upon Churchill, Charles de Gualle, and Henri Giraud to
formulate the policy of unconditional surrender by the Axis powers. Many in the
German military and High Command hoped for very different terms of surrender if
the unthinkable happened and Germany lost the war. Spying and communications
interception being what they were at the time, Hitler knew the conference was
to take place and its approximate date. What he did not know was the correct
location. The translator of the intercepted Allied communication made a
significant error. He translated Casablanca correctly as white house, but
assumed incorrectly that the conference was to take place at the White House in
Washington, D.C., not the city in Morocco. The error was eventually discovered,
but not in time for the Germans to take action. Imagine how things might have
turned out if the Nazis had figured out where the conference was taking place
in time to attempt to disrupt it! That’s what I did while writing Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn.
Where's your favorite place to
write?
It is a
testament to my particular form of ADD that I can and do write whenever and
wherever the notion strikes. I don’t have a favorite place really. I do a lot
of my writing in my Lazy Boy in the family room. Remember what I said about
ADD? When I’m in full on writing mode, you could probably fire off a pistol
next to my chair and I would not notice. It’s great for focusing on projects,
but can be hard on relationships.
What are you working on next?
My
work-in-progress is set in Miami and Havana. It features Professor Liz Reams
from my first release, Al Capone at the
Blanche Hotel. This time she is chasing theretofore unknown information
about Meyer Lansky, the “Mob’s Accountant” and a founding member of Murder
Incorporated.
Describe your book in 5 words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Linda will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you for hosting
RispondiEliminaDo you write every day? Do you have a word goal for each day you write?
RispondiEliminaThanks for sharing the excerpt and your honest review. I'm looking forward to reading this one, it sounds like a book I will really enjoy!
RispondiEliminaThe book sounds interesting, thanks.
RispondiEliminaThis book sounds intriguing, and I liked your review. Thank you for the giveaway.
RispondiEliminaI enjoyed the interview. Thank you!
RispondiElimina