My story is set in Brittany, France, in the small village of Saint Guénolé. It’s 1941, a year after the Germans have invaded France during WWII. A beautiful country backdrop marred by swastika flags, roaring motorcycles, and marching German soldiers. Norah, an Englishwoman, fled to France to hide the shame of her out of wedlock pregnancy the month before the invasion. Trapped, the baby stillborn, she lives with her cousins and draws birds, aching to return home.

August is the battle-worn German Commandant. He loathes Hitler’s policies. A widower, he starts to appreciate France and needs a change in his life. The lively Englishwoman catches his attention. Is she a spy? Or are his interests more visceral?

A TV mini-series, Island at War, inspired my story. The commandant was a complex, often-charming man.

I’m a terrible pantser, throwing ideas around, a vague idea of where to begin and where to end, until my characters show me where they need to go. Then I tighten it all up. The project could take a year and I try to write every morning, from 7 to 12. I fell in love with these characters and hate to say goodbye.

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dachshund in western Pennsylvania.

Follow Diane at https://dianescottlewisauthor.blogspot.com/

Unwed and pregnant, Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany just before Germany’s 1940 invasion of France. After her baby is stillborn, she’s trapped under the Occupation as war expands across Europe. Norah grieves and consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught too 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 lively young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He questions her and asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth.

Soon, their relationship evolves into a passion neither of them can deny. She endures taunts from the villagers. His superiors warn him of not being harsh enough—he could be transferred or worse. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Both acts are fraught with danger while kept secret from one another. Will their love ruin her and end in heartbreak? Or will they overcome the odds and survive the surging threats on all sides?