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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan

Book Description

Paris, 1940

German tanks rumble through the streets of Paris, forcing frightened citizens to flee. But not everyone has the luxury to leave. Camille Lacroix, a chambermaid at the world-famous Hôtel Ritz, must stay to support her family back home in Brittany. Desperate to earn money, Camille also acts as a lady’s maid for longtime guest Vivian Miller, a glamorous American widow—and a Nazi sympathizer.

Despite her distrust of the woman, Camille turns to Vivian when her friend and fellow hotel maid Rachel Berman needs help getting out of Paris. It’s then that Camille discovers that Vivian is not what she seems… The American has been using her wealth and connections to secretly obtain travel papers for Jewish refugees.

While they’re hiding Rachel in an underground bunker under a Nazi’s nose, a daring escape plan is hatched. But as the net grows tighter, and the Germans more ruthless, Camille’s courage will be tested to the extreme…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan is very relevant today. After the October 7th Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians that included the raping of women and children, burning babies alive, and brutal torture, readers will understand why people have dubbed this the Holocaust of the 21st Century. Ms. Ryan has a knack for getting into the minds and hearts of her readers.

In this story there are three main characters who become connected through the world-famous Hotel Ritz after the Nazis occupied Paris in 1940. It is a multi-narrative story where readers can see events from several different views. Three women from different socio-economic backgrounds are thrust together. Vivian Miller, a glamorous American socialite widow is chosen by the SS officer Gunther Von Bauer to be his mistress. Both she and he are residing at the Ritz. She appears to be a Nazi sympathizer but is working behind the scenes to help French Jews escape. Camille Lacroix, a chambermaid at the Ritz, becomes his household maid to support her family back home in Brittany, especially her sister Jacqueline who has emotional issues. Rachel Berman is Camille’s Jewish co-worker and needs her help to survive. Knowing that Vivian can help, Camille turns to her to help save Rachel and her mother.

The plot is very powerful and moving. There is suspense and tension as readers take the journeys with the characters. Some of them are brave, resilient, courageous, while others are self-absorbed and cruel. The twists and turns enhance this very captivating read.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Just as with the characters in this book many people, after October 7th, feel helpless, scared, and angry. They can find solace in some of the characters’ quotes. The first quote by the Jewish character, Rachel, “This enemy, these new Germans are hardened, angrier, and more ruthless. Hate lives in their heart. Hate for people like us.” Her father says, “We are French citizens.” Rachel responds “No papa. We are Jews.”

Renee Ryan: For me, that quote summed up the Holocaust with the evil of how people looked the other way and rationalized and pretended that nothing was happening. I thought when I wrote that quote about the 1940s, ‘what is wrong with these people. How are you missing this.’ Even though I am not Jewish I wondered why did so many just look away. Today it is happening all over again, where people just turn and look the other way. History is repeating itself. People are saying it is a two-sided conversation and this is so untrue. It is a one-sided conversation. Everyone should be supporting our Jewish allies and our Jewish people in this country. We should not allow genocide to happen again. We should not be looking away. It is about people who are our friends, colleagues, and I wonder why we are not standing next to them shoulder to shoulder.

EC: Can you explain the other quote, people are “clinging to a lie and calling it hope.”?

RR: I wanted to show in the book how people thought it will not happen to me. It will only happen to those who are not French born, or it will only happen to the poor, not the wealthy, or it will only happen to people without connections, not us. The goalpost kept moving. Laws in France kept changing during the occupation. It was not the Germans, but the French that were doing the roundups of the Jews and passed the harsh laws towards them.

EC: Do you also agree that these quotes are very relevant today?

RR: Yes. I wrote this book a year ago. I thought I was writing these quotes about what happened fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty years ago during the Nazi reign. I cannot comprehend that these quotes can be applied to October 7th. It is so heartbreaking. Have we not learned anything. It is very similar to what happened. It is the same rhetoric, the exact same things said in the 1930s, 1940s. It led to all the antisemitism and for people to look away. People do not want to educate themselves. They only listen to the propaganda about the Jews. I have a quote in the book, “Good people should stop looking the other way and stand up to evil.” People should stand up with Israel. Nothing can be justified.

EC: Where did you get the idea for this story?

RR: There was a news article about Irene Gut. She had a tragic life. She became a housekeeper for a Nazi official in Poland. She hid nine Jews in his basement, and they all survived two years of hiding. This was the jumping off point. What would it be like for someone working in a home and hiding Jews right under the nose of someone trying to wipe them out.

EC: How would you describe Camille?

RR: Trustworthy, loyal, decent, guilty, and courageous. She was relieved to be in Paris away from the stress of her family. She felt guilty of being relieved that she was not guilty. She struggled with it. She was conflicted and eventually decided to take a stand.

EC: What was the role of Jacqueline, Camille’s sister?

RR: She represented the mentally ill. There is a scene in the book where Camille discovers the German euthanasia program with the mentally ill. It was refined and then applied to the Jews. The sister represented that part of the German history.

EC: How would you describe the Jewish character, Rachel?

RR: Innocent, helpless, sweet, not a complainer, has a sense of powerlessness because she is scared and bitter. She also feels humiliated, angry, and is being persecuted. Her anger is her saving grace because without it she would not have survived. The anger is what drove her. While she was fearful and felt helpless, she was also very angry that had her trying to figure out how to escape.

EC: Was Vivian a complex character?

RR: She is responsible, direct, lonely, and at an earlier age suffered mental and physical abuse. She was also confident and passionate yet could be very selfish and self-centered. In some ways she was the villain yet at the same time she was an anti-hero. I would not call her a hero. She represents those people today who say if I do a little bit then I am still good. She justifies rotten behavior by a few good acts. She wanted to believe ‘if I do a few good things that erases all the bad.’ Although deep down she knows that is not true. She also makes a really bad decision.

EC: How would describe Nazi SS officer Von Bauer?

RR: He is controlling, an opportunist, ambitious, driven, and possessive. Regarding Vivian he is obsessed with her, likes to steal her dignity, cruel, and demanding. He represents the abusers of woman. He was to Vivian the ‘devil you know.’ At times she saw in him comfort and familiarity. He was bad because he was a Nazi.

EC: Why did Vivian get the nickname The Snow Queen versus Von Bauer’s the Raven?

RR: It comes from the Nordic folklore fairy tale. They were always in battle. I think it was a perfect metaphor for their relationship. They were going to battle until one survived. Both characters in the fairy tale are evil. Their relationship was based on a tug of war, like a weird chess game.

EC: Did the American government really freeze accounts of Americans overseas?

RR: Yes. Laura Mae Corrigan was a real person they did it to. It was very much justified. She was very much a Vivian type character, an ex-Patriot living in the Ritz. She left the Ritz because they took her money. But Vivian stayed at the Ritz because she had a plan. The Ritz was not shut down because they remained neutral.

EC: Was there an interconnection between the relationship of Vivian, Rachel, and Camille?

RR: The Ritz brought them together as three people trying to survive the war. They are not really friends. Rachel and Camille are more friendly. They need each other. Camille and Rachel see their families as number one, while Vivian has no family. Vivian is number one to herself. They help each other but always will consider their family first.

EC: Next book?

RR: It is titled The Last Fashion House in Paris and will be out this time next year. The setting is occupied Paris. The character from my first book, The Widows of Champagne, Paulette, has her story on what happened to her during the banishment to Paris, the final two years of WWII. She must redeem herself.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee

Book Description

A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.

Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away–in jail–Lillian is startled to find that the man has left a business and all of his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.

When she goes to take possession of her father’s house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye–and has put a target on her back.

To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she’s always dreamed of, she’ll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers–especially Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephenia McGee is a compelling mystery mixed within a historical novel. Both the male hero and female heroine are put in dangerous situations with a villain that is multifaceted.

Set in 1912 Georgia, the main character Lillian Doyle always believed that her father was dead and her mother his widow. That is until she receives notice that her father has just recently died and left her as the sole heir to his home and half his business. Deciding to travel to a small town in Georgia to settle her father’s estate and accept the inheritance she gets more than she bargained for including a family she has never met and an inheritance that brings dangerous problems. The longer Lillian stays in her father’s small town, the more intrigue, and mysterious events she encounters.

After arriving in the small city of Dawsonville. Georgia, she finds a family already in possession of her father’s house, and some shady aspects about her father’s business including the business partner who wants not only the whole business for himself, but also the house. Having to navigate who is good and who is bad she discovers charming, loving people, and a cousin and an aunt she never knew. After meeting the current occupants of the house who suggest she becomes a business partner with them she contemplates about achieving her dream of independence. Realizing a decision needs to be made she makes the choice of becoming business partners with the family that includes Jonah, his mom Melanie, and his sisters. While trying to find the truth behind her father’s business dealings she also must deal with her superficial mother who tried to manipulate Lillian to get control over the inheritance.

Readers will be on the edge of their seats because of the cache of family secrets. The story also includes a sweet romance, historical details, mystery, and adventure.

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Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Stephenia McGee: I had gone to a Colorado museum where there was a whole section with bottles from the prohibition era. I thought this is neat and found out how things were hidden in the walls. The story idea sparked from hidden items.

EC: How would you describe Lillian?

SM: She is quietly feisty but is usually stoic and reserved. She is outwardly tough, inwardly soft, vulnerable, thoughtful, and determined.

EC: How would you describe Jonah?

SM: Hard-working, determined, very responsible, and has the weight on his shoulders because he does not want to let those who depend on him down. He is also protective and loyal.

EC: What about the relationship between Jonah and Lillian?

SM: It starts off where they do not care for each other. In the beginning it is a battle of their wits. Eventually, they develop a mutual respect where they balance each other out. He causes some cracks in her armor and she lets him see that not everything is as he thinks it is supposed to be.

EC: What was the role of each of their mothers?

SM: Each had strong personalities. His mom, Melanie, wants the best for everybody, and wants everyone to accomplish their dream, having the best at heart. She guides Lillian to make her dreams come true. Lillian’s mother wants the best for herself, all about status, what society thinks of her, and wants to build a life of comfort. Basically, she is a snob, uncaring, and selfish.

EC: Can you explain the book quote, “Life is full of unknowns?”

SM: The theme of the book is what should people do when life does not turn out at all what they expect. For Lillian, nothing is as is seems. The idea is that life throws curve balls, and how do people navigate those obstacles with hope and a sense of self.

EC: Why a bakery and the bookstore?

SM: For Melanie the bakery was her stress reliever. It is something she always wanted to do. Lillian, when she sees Melanie determined to have her own business, also wants to create her favorite place for others, the bookstore. It was quiet, cozy, and allowed her to get lost in the stories. She wanted to provide that same sort of place for others. Both Melanie and Lillian realized that they could work together. The project also brought Jonah’s sister Rose out of her melancholy ways. She was able to accomplish her hobby of sewing cushions.

EC: What about the Watson family?

SM: Whether Jonah’s family or Lillian’s father extended family, they had a huge impact on Lillian’s character growth. Lillian sees what is like to have a warm and caring family. Since it was only her and her uncaring mom, she learned to love and be supported through the other families.

EC: Next books?

SM: I am working on a new series about Mississippi romances. Book 1 is called The River Queen about a 1923 showboat. This one has river pirates, gangsters, more hidden secrets, and a deep mystery. It comes out in October. I will more than likely write a book for Revell the following October. I am thinking that once a year I will self-publish, and the next year will be a Revell book.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Book Description

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research–her life’s dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement’s legendary Havmand–the merman–and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin shows why her name has become synonymous with captivating and historically accurate World War II books. This novel has ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances using their courage, faith, fortitude, and a bit of hope.

The story shows how the Nazi occupation was different with Denmark. After the Germans occupy Denmark during WWII, they treat the country as a “model protectorate”. They didn’t enforce the same antisemitic laws as they did throughout Europe, allowing the Danes to self-govern and keeping the power of King Christian intact. For a while, things remained very much the same.

But when the plot fast forwards to 1943 everything changes. Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. He had three personas. Havman is the name chosen for helping the Danish Resistance. The “Merman” is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story The Little Mermaid. As a former Olympic rower, he volunteers to row vital intel across the Sound to the allies in Sweden. There is also Hemining chosen by Henrik to be the opposite of the Baron, portraying an illiterate silent ship worker.

As Hemining, he meets Dr. Else Jenkins, an American Physicist who decides to stay in Denmark even after the Nazi occupation. But she is also working for the resistance, helping to publish a resistance newspaper for her friend Dr. Laila Berend, a mathematician. Neither Else and Laila know Hemining’s identity and resistance activities, and he does not know of their resistance activities. This changes in 1943 after the Nazis decide to round up the Danish Jewish community. Together along with most of Denmark, they hide and then transport most of the Jews to safety in Sweden. They face the constant danger of getting arrested, tortured, and executed.

The themes of the book are bravery, forgiveness, heartbreak, and horror along with the resilience of the Danes. Sundin has a way of bringing to life the true history in a fictional story.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Sarah Sundin: It came from historical research. Since this is my fifteenth WWII novel, I find new stories that piqued my interest through my research. I came across the amazing things Denmark did during the World War, especially how they rescued the Danish Jews.

EC: The Nazis were uncharacteristic the way they treated the Danes?

SS: My last book was set in France, previous ones set in Germany. Yet, how the Nazis treated the Danes goes against everything learned about the Nazis. When the Germans occupied Denmark, they made the country a “model protectorate.” They allowed the king and the government to remain in place, and they gave the Danes, as “fellow Aryans,” freedoms unheard of in the rest of Europe. For that reason, resistance was slow to develop in Denmark, but it did develop. In late 1943, the German crackdown on the Danish Jews dramatically fueled the resistance, and the various groups united to form the Freedom Council to coordinate their efforts, not only with each other but with the Allies.

EC: How would you describe Else?

SS: She is a nuclear physicist. She is very sweet natured and hates to confront people. She learns how to speak up for herself, developing a backbone.

EC: What role did Professor Mortensen play?

SS: He is a chauvinist pig, condescending and rude to her, treating her as more of a secretary than a scientist. He basically humiliated Else. He is arrogant and dismissive. He forces her to speak up to save her career, which means everything to her. She needs to learn the difference between being nice and kind. Niceness is giving in on everything whereas kindness is respecting someone and being considerate.

EC: The other physicist Bohr was a contrast to Mortensen?

SS: He is a real person, while Mortensen is fictional. I was so impressed with Bohr. He truly cared for those he worked with, nurturing them, and bringing out their brilliance. He used his brilliance to help others. Mortensen never cared about others. I chose to make Else a physicist after hearing about Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr’s institute in Copenhagen and the role Bohr played during the war.

EC: How would you describe Henrik?

SS: A nobleman who led the playboy life until the Nazi occupation. He was an Olympic rower and used those skills for the resistance, rowing to Sweden to give messages. Henrik’s character was inspired by Knud Christiansen, a Danish Olympic rower who rowed Jews to Sweden. He is bold and outspoken until after he took on his secret identity where he becomes a shipyard worker, appearing to be all muscle and very silent.

EC: What are the similarities and differences between Henrik, Havmand, and Hemining?

SS: He took on all three personas. Henrik was a nobleman with daddy issues. His father had high standards for his son, causing Henrik to rebel. Havmand was the rower, a code name. In Danish it means Merman. He took inspirations from The Little Mermaid story since she gives up her voice to have legs. He basically did the same thing, giving up his voice to be mobile for the resistance. Hemining was the ship worker. Else describes all three: Hemining was noble in character, Henrik noble in birth and upbring, and Havmand is noble in his deeds.

E: How would you describe them:

SS: Henrik was a leader, stubborn, direct, determined, protective, wants to be a warrior, and courageous.

Hemining was level-headed, responsible, considerate, thoughtful, hard-working, stubborn, direct, determined, protective, humble, and courageous.

Havmand was level-headed, responsible, considerate, stubborn, direct, determined, protective, humble, a warrior, and courageous.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between Hemining and Else?

SS: Henrik pretends to be someone else in her presence. He is trying to restrain himself to make sure he does not reveal his identity. She on the other hand is confronting her prejudices. She is a scientist who falls for someone who can barely read, Hemining. She is drawn to his kindness and decentness. She becomes more attractive to him and realizes that what is more important is someone’s character, not the letters after their name.

EC: What was the role of Leila in the book?

SS: She is spunky, fun, persistent, and a good foil for Else. She was Else’s best friend. She quits her job as a PHD mathematician to join the resistance. Leila is Jewish and needed the help of Else and Henrik to escape the Nazis. She symbolized in the story the persecution of the Jews and the courageous acts of resistance. The Danes managed to save almost all the Jews in Denmark by ferrying them across to Sweden. I wanted to tell these stories.

EC: Next book?

SS: It is coming out in February 2024 and set in London during the Blitz. A Dutch refugee is separated from her son who is sent to London as they both flee the Nazis. She enlists a BBC radio correspondent to help find the son. In the flames of the city a bunch of murders pop up. This one will be a mystery and thriller.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan

Book Description

London, 1933

At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection—and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to rescue as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.

Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, offering more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favorite opera singer, coupled with her secret Jewish ancestry, make her both a weapon and a target—until her future, too, hangs in the balance.

From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship—and the courage to save countless lives.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan is a heartwarming story with heartfelt characters. In this current period, when there is so much decisiveness, reading stories like this reminds people how working collectively brings everyone together. Ms. Ryan has hit a home run.

Elsa and Hattie are the most unlikely individuals to become sister-like friends. As with her previous books, Ryan writes about two strong women who work together for a common goal. These two women attempt to save the lives of Jewish refugees during WWII. In the mid-1930s, Londoner Hattie Featherstone, an aspiring artist, falls in love with opera and after hearing Elsa Mayer-Braun sing paints a picture of her. While Elsa is in London, Hattie gives her a picture she painted of the famous opera star. Wanting to return the kind gesture, Elsa invites Hattie and her sister to see a performance.

Meeting backstage at several performances all three realize they have a lot in common, becoming close friends. Hattie, the painter, her sister Vera, the writer, and Elsa, the opera singer, have in common a medium where they express themselves. As the Nazis gain more and more power, they band together to help people escape them, including Elsa’s Aunt Malvina, who is Jewish and living in Germany. A network is built to rescue as many Jewish people as possible.

The mystery of the story comes into play after Elsa is arrested in 1943 and taken to a concentration camp. Who betrayed her and will she survive the harsh conditions of Bergen-Belsen?

The characters were brave, kind, loving, and resilient during a dark time in history. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as the story has suspense, danger, and intrigue. This is a novel that will stay in readers’ thoughts long after they are finished.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Renee Ryan: In 2013 I was at a conference working on my previous historical novel, The Widows of Champagne, and was told about this person’s autobiography, Ida Cook. She was a British typist who ultimately became a Harlequin Romance writer. But more importantly, she and her sister Louise rescued 29 Jews from Nazi persecution. They would go to Opera Festivals and help Jews escape through that route. I did the ‘what if’ and slowly the story came together. Instead of a sister book like the Cooks I wanted to make it a friendship book of unlikely people.

EC: How did being partially Jewish affect Elsa?

RR: Being part-Jewish she felt she needed to help Jews escape the Nazis to survive. Because her late mother wanted her to hide her heritage and change her name, she had Elsa’s aunt raise her as a Catholic. This drives Elsa on so many levels.

EC: How would you describe Elsa?

RR: A musical prodigy who loved her art form so much. She was desperate to be great, but also had a fear of falling short. She has guilt feelings that things came so easy to her. She always wanted to share her wealth. She is lonely, independent, dignified, optimistic, kind, grateful, and strong. There is also a naivety which was willful, refusing to see people who they really were.

EC: Is Wilhelm, Elsa’s husband, an evil character?

RR: A lot of Maestros have some of his traits. They know they are good, the best of what they do. Everything regarding the show falls on their shoulders, the leader. With Wilhelm, he could spot Elsa’s talent. But beyond that Wilhelm was arrogant, conceited, ruthless, selfish, greedy, optimistic, and smug.

EC: The relationship with Wilhelm and Elsa?

RR: Because she lost her parents at such a young age she is struggling with this grief. Part of her attraction to Wilhelm is because he was so much older than her that there was this parental feel. He was really smitten with Elsa in the beginning, wanting them to be a superstar couple. Elsa could not see beyond his charm and was mesmerized by him. She tried to ignore his negative traits. As Elsa became more independent, he lost control over her and became a mentally abusive husband. His attraction and admiration for her turned to possessiveness, always loyal to himself. Wilhelm was a complete narcissist who was consumed with controlling Elsa’s life, career, and future.

EC: How would you describe Hattie?

RR: Based loosely on Ida Cook. A dreamer. She was a rule follower, yet defiant at times, impulsive. Hattie was also bold, courageous, and stubborn.

EC: How would you describe the sisters’ relationship, Vera and Hattie?

RR: Also, based on Ida Cook since she became the romance writer in the story. Vera was the older sister who became mother-like to Hattie, grounding her, and preventing Hattie from diving off the proverbial cliff. Vera was Hattie’s Jimmy Cricket, a voice of reason.

EC: Describe the relationship between Hattie and Elsa?

RR: Both lost their mothers at a young age. This brought them together. Hattie’s mother passed on her love of art to her, while Elsa’s mom passed on the love of music. They were kindred spirits. Hattie found her own dream within Elsa’s dream, after hearing Elsa sing opera. Hattie admired Elsa. They became friends very quickly. It went from devoted fans, to friends, to allies, to sister-like where they were very loyal to each other.

EC: What was the role of Elsa’s Aunt Malvina?

RR: Through her story I was able to bring in the information about Jews since she was Jewish. They lost their jobs, dignity, and citizenship, and could get arrested at any given time. One of my goals with this story was to show how Jews could not just leave Germany and Austria because of the strict immigration policies of unoccupied nations, who would not let them in. I also wanted to have Elsa have a personal reason to build a network with Hattie and Vera. She feared for Malvina’s survival. Elsa handed Malvina’s care into the sisters’ hands. The aunt was the glue that brought all three together.

EC: Was opera sort of a character?

RR: It was the connection between all the characters. It plays every kind of role including the setting. It is how the characters’ meet, stay together, and what drives them. The clandestine work was able to happen because Hattie and Vera attended opera festivals in occupied countries. Opera is Elsa’s life and it inspired Hattie’s art. I had to learn a lot about opera. Through the opera scenes readers can see the pain, sorrow, joy, and hope of the world and characters. Opera is highly dramatic and emotional, and the era was highly dramatic and emotional.

EC: What about your next book?

RR: It is titled The Paris Housekeeper and comes out this time next year. It has three women: one who is Jewish, an American, and a girl from Brittany. The American is an heiress and the other two work at the hotel Ritz in Paris. The story is how they navigate German occupation. I wanted to show that the Germans did what they did because of the Jewish race, not just the religion. I also show how the Nazis get help from other nationalities in the treatment towards the Jews.

THANK YOU!!

***

Feature Post and Book Review: The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing My Feature Post and Book Review for THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SALZBURG by Renee Ryan from Harlequin Love Inspired Trade.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Inspired by true events, comes a gripping and heart-wrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II.

London, 1933

At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection—and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to rescue as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.

Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, offering more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favorite opera singer, coupled with her secret Jewish ancestry, make her both a weapon and a target—until her future, too, hangs in the balance.

From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship—and the courage to save countless lives.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60374849-the-secret-society-of-salzburg?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bmzOGvhrYW&rank=4

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SALZBURG

Author: Renee Ryan

On-sale: December 27, 2022

Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook

Imprint: Love Inspired Trade

Price: $16.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SALZBURG by Renee Ryan is an emotionally riveting historical fiction story primarily set in WWII Salzburg and London featuring two talented artists who risk everything to save as many Jewish lives as possible from persecution. Loosely based on a true story, I was unable to put this book down. Make sure you have some tissues handy.

Hattie and Vera Featherstone are sisters who have been working clerical jobs to survive, but they both have bigger dreams. Vera, being the oldest has also been a mother figure to the younger Hattie since their mother’s death. Even as she does everything in her power to encourage Hattie’s dream of being an accomplished artist, she works on her own dream behind closed doors. Hattie’s art is good, but there is still an emotional depth missing until she and Vera are introduced to a young opera singer’s work.

Elsa Mayer-Braun has worked her entire young life in Salzburg to reach operatic recognition and fame. As her fame rises, so does the threat from the new Nazi party. When Elsa meets the two sisters Featherstone on tour, she forms an instant bond with Hattie. Elsa and Hattie refuse to ignore the threat to the Jewish population and set up network to help as many as possible escape to England.

This dangerous alliance will test both women’s courage and bond of friendship forged in a time of danger with spies, traitors, and informers around every corner.

This is an inspirational historical fiction story beautifully written with memorable characters, acts of bravery and of human depravity and treachery which kept me on an emotional roller coaster. Hattie and Elsa displayed courage, bravery, and an unbreakable bond of friendship. All the secondary characters are as realistic and fully fleshed as the main characters. The plot is divided between two timelines that merge into an uplifting and triumphant ending.

I highly recommend this inspirational historical fiction!

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About the Author

Multi-published, award-winning author Renee Ryan grew up in Florida. She’s written nearly thirty books in several genres, including historical fiction, historical romance and contemporary romance. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and a large cat many have mistaken for a small bear.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.ReneeRyan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renee.ryan.31/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeRyanBooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2884421.Renee_Ryan

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee

Book Description

A gifted trainer in a time women are not allowed to race, Nora Fenton prefers horses to men. They’re easier to handle, they’re more reliable, and they never tell her what to do. After her father’s passing, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. But when a stranger arrives and starts asking disconcerting questions, she suspects he may have other motives than unseating her in the training job that is rightfully hers.

Silas Cavallero will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery of his father’s death–even if it means training an unwieldy colt for Nora, who wants nothing more than to see him gone. But when mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to his past, Silas will have to decide if the truth is worth risking ruining everything for the feisty woman he’s come to admire.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee is a great read combining mystery, some romance, and historical facts about the South in 1905. There are secrets, manipulation, and roadblocks that the characters must confront to solve the mystery.

Silas Cavallero has long doubted the sheriff’s account of his father’s death 15 years earlier, that Silas’s father was accidentally trampled by his prized stallion, never to be found. He decides to investigate which leads him to Mississippi’s Emberwild Horse Farm. There he is he hired to train Arrow, a harness racing horse, but must contend with the horse’s owner Nora Felton. She prefers her horse to people and makes it known that she should be training Arrow. Unfortunately, after her father died, her uncle and mother conspire to wed Nora since they believe she should be a proper lady and leave the horse training and racing to men. Yet, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt Arrow into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. With Silas’ support and encouragement, he and she team up to prepare Arrow for the harness races. But after mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to the past, Silas must decide if the truth is worth risking and endangering the feisty, gritty woman he’s come to admire.

This story will captivate readers from page one. The characters are very relatable and believable. The insight into how women were treated is eye-opening. Regarding the mystery there are many surprises that keep readers on their toes and guessing as to what really happened.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Stephenia McGee: I have a degree in animal science and equestrian science. I worked as a horse trainer. Because my back went out, I could not do any horse training anymore. I wanted to write a story with the horsemanship skills I used, having a heroine who would face difficulties because of the time, the early 1900s.

EC: There is a mystery thread?

SM: Yes. Silas is trying to find out what happened to his father, never believing it was an accident. He is also looking for the horse that disappeared. The readers know there is a connection somehow between all these characters. One of the bad guys have motives that are suspect, the Uncle Amos. He is overconfident, a liar, uncaring, manipulative, and does not have much regard for women.

EC: How would you describe the heroine, Nora?

SM: She is a little bit older and has led a sheltered life. She is trying to learn how to be independent. Nora is headstrong, curious, very opinionated, and struggles with the society pressures of the time. Her own family wanted her to be quiet, soft-spoken, act like a lady, and get married. This goes against everything in her personality. Nora is a spitfire, rebellious, defiant, and coy. She is like a horse whisperer.

EC: How would you describe Silas, the hero?

SM: Quiet, gentle, and easy-going. He is confident, sincere, protective, and honorable.

EC: Why the setting?

SM: I put her in Neshoba County Mississippi because of the fair. It started in the late 1800s. It is a huge deal. People take off a week to go, staying in cabins. One of the big events is the harness racing, the only legal horse racing track in Mississippi. I thought it would be fun to put Nora there so she could be a racer.

EC: Women in the early 1900s?

SM: They had to have their place, following orders, and being seen and not heard. They were stifled and had no say in their marriage. Nora had a tug and pull with the way women were treated in the times. Although, she had some freedom since it was in the middle of the suffrage period.

EC: What role does Arrow the horse play in the story?

SM: Arrow plays a big part in the story. He is a character. Like Nora, he is headstrong, ornery, high strung, temperamental, high energy, and wild. Silas tempers both Nora and Arrow. Ever since Arrow was born, he became Nora’s best friend since she was so lonely. She loves him and spills her problems out to him. I was able to use my experiences with my horse, Rona, for Arrow. Rona is retired after she broke a bone in her hoof.

EC: There is a book quote comparing Arrow and Silas. Please explain.

SM: I put in this book quote, “They are like two stallions. They assess one another looking for weakness, while at the same time offering due respect to one another.” Nora is watching how Silas will handle Arrow. He is not rough with Arrow and does not man-handle him. They both give each other mutual respect.

EC: What about the relationship between Silas and Nora?

SM: When he is first hired, she does not want anything to do with him, having the feeling he is taking over her duties. She is trying to establish her position. She slowly gains respect for him, watching how he handles the horse, people around him, and even her. They share a passion for horses, develop a friendship, and then it turns to love. In a sense they are kindred spirits. He finds her fascinating, becomes intrigued with her, and is never overbearing. He takes her for what she is.

EC: What about Nora and her mother’s relationship?

SM: Nora and her mom are complete opposites who hardly agree on anything. Her mother wants Nora to have a stable life, to do feminine things like cook and sew. This causes mother and daughter to butt heads. After the father died, they try to understand each other more. They each want the bond and friendship that goes beyond parent-child.

EC: What about your next book?

SM: This current book is stand-alone. The next book is called The Swindler’s Daughter, set in 1918 in rural Georgia. A girl finds out her dad just died in prison even though she thought he died a long time ago. She has been left an unusual inheritance. It comes out in May 2023.

THANK YOU!!

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