Rebel. Smuggler. Spy: Madame Rebelle a World War II Novel by Amber Leigh Williams book tour with guest post & giveaway
MADAME REBELLE
Amber Leigh Williams
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
Rebel. Smuggler. Spy.
Champagne, France 1943
Meet Madame Rebelle. Edmee Guillon is a smuggler. She hides people from the German troops surrounding her ancestral home. When a dying man in a German uniform seeks refuge at Maison Boutet, Edmee struggles to believe his claims that he is French. Her life, the maison and the people she loves are already at stake. Can she take the chance that this mysterious spy is who he says he is? And which side of this war is he really on?
Christian Vovk has been betrayed by someone inside his resistance organization. He knows asking the striking young war widow to hide him will put her in certain danger. However, Christian can help Edmee save as many refugees as she can. Falling in love with her will hinder his duty to the operation that brought him to her doorstep in the first place. When love and duty become inevitably tangled, will Christian sacrifice one for the other?
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EXCERPT
“You'll need to look as normal as possible.”
“What do I know of normal?” Edmée asked. “I’m tall. I have bright red hair. And I have this.” She waved at the mark on her chin.
The birthmark was unfortunate. Not because it was unpleasant to look at. It made an already interesting face fascinating to look at. It was unfortunate because it would be easy to remember. She was memorable. Christian wondered how long after they parted in Franche-Comté he would think about Edmée Guillon. “Do you think this is something you can do?” he asked.
She crossed to the table. Linking her hands on its surface, she gathered herself. “The hardest part will be convincing my uncle to let me go.”
“Use the same story we practiced,” he advised. “Practice it again. Your first pass at it can be with your uncle as your audience. You’ll gain confidence if he buys it.”
Her eyes circled his features. “You’ve trained other people to do this before.”
She was skilled at reading people. Reading him. He wasn’t an open book. But she saw him. He tried not to think about the growing admiration behind his regard for her. Leaning toward her in the halo of light from the lantern between them, he said, “You’re going to do fine, Edmée.”
“I hope so.”
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Topic: Discuss the world you’ve created for the book.
The world of Madame Rebelle is founded in truth. 1943 Champagne, France was a real place with real people. So why was this ready-made setting so challenging to build around fictional characters? I knew if I got it wrong, Madame Rebelle would fall apart at the seams. No pressure, right? To prevent that from happening, I immersed myself in the time period. I dove into books like Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War & Hard Times by Don and Petrie Kladstrup. I practically disappeared inside Matthew Cobb's The Resistance: The French Fight Against the Nazis. Even books like Fashion Under the Occupation by Dominique Veillon were instrumental in understanding the people and challenges of World War II France. I dug up long-buried notes from my three semesters of high school French. (Who knew those would eventually come in handy?) Firsthand accounts from women in wartime were essential to crafting the main character, Edmee. I treasure my copy of Agnes Humbert's journal entries from the time, published in 1946 and later translated into English. Code Name Pauline by Pearl Witherington Cornioley is another primary source that took me behind enemy lines as a resister, partisan fighter, and spy. Even now, after my work on Madame Rebelle is completed, the world we find Edmee in from the beginning of the book is still with me. I can smell the grapes ripening on the vines in her family's ancestral vineyard. I can smell the acrid tinge of smoke and destruction on the air as the Germans advance. I can hear the ticking clock of danger counting down to my characters' capture or demise and my heart still pounds in anticipation and anxiety. Sometimes at night, I still hear the voices of my characters wondering if what they do to survive is right. I hope you find the world of Madame Rebelle every bit as real as I do. Santé!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Amber Leigh Williams writes pulse-pounding romantic suspense, historical fiction, and contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her family and dogs. She is fluent in sarcasm and is known to hoard books like the book dragon she is. An advocate for literacy, she is an ardent supporter of libraries and the constitutional right to read.
Website: https://amberleighwilliams.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amberleighwilliams
Facebook: https://facebook.com/amberleighwilliamsbooks
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0030VZW2C?ccs_id=972a6661-be68-4275-b311-8f8e0b259f83
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2713894.Amber_Leigh_Williams
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-leigh-williams
Madame Rebelle - Purchase Links
Amazon Ebook: https://a.co/d/b7e849S
Amazon Paperback: https://a.co/d/cIS1iOp
Amber’s Website: https://amberleighwilliams.com/madame-rebelle
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GIVEAWAY
Amber Leigh Williams will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you so much for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThis look like its going to be an intense read!
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