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Garden of Secrets: A heartbreaking WW2 historical novel about an unforgettable wartime secret


376 pages Bookouture Publisher Publication date April 8, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

1940, England: A heart-breaking, unforgettable and powerful story about love, wartime secrets, and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen’s The Victory Garden and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.

When Anya is sent to rural England to work as a spy, she’s glad to escape a terrifying situation at home in war-torn Russia. But as she settles into life as a land girl, she fears she’s made a terrible mistake.

With her life at risk every day, she can only turn to her fellow informer, Nikolai, who she finds herself impossibly drawn to. They both desperately want to join the fight against the Nazis and when they are told Russia has switched allegiance, they start to believe their love might stand a chance.

But no one can ever know their secret history, and being together puts them in the gravest danger. So they devise a plan. If they’re ever separated, they will find their way back to each other. They just have to follow a series of secret coded messages. Clues no one else could possibly understand.Starting with a small key, left in the place that has become most precious to them: the secret garden.

Now, England: When Laura agrees to restore a beautiful garden in the grounds of an English stately home she sees the opportunity for a new start, away from heartbreak. But when she finds a box buried under the weeping willow tree, she is spellbound by its contents – a key and a cryptic note. As she begins to piece together the fragments of a love story that stretches across wartime Europe, Laura doesn’t realise it, but she is embarking on an unforgettable journey. One which will change her own life forever.

MY THOUGHTS

A secret garden, a walled garden, it conjures up thoughts of secrets long buried, of secret trysts happening long ago.
I am once again captivated by the author’s portrayal of WWII and the courage of the women of that time period.
The love story found within the page’s spans seventy-five years, and the garden plays a pivotal role in the story in both the past and present times.
Oh how my heart ached reading this, the emotions it evoked, as though I knew the characters personally.
This historical fiction dual time span absolutely captured me once again. Spies putting their lives on the line, secret identities, plans changing at the drop of a hat. Having to live life on the edge and be prepared for anything at any time.
WWII fiction by an author you’ll want to read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Kelman an Amazon bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and her books have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide accumulated 10 rights deals across eight territories. Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.

As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch – https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com

Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe. Thank you for stopping in.

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Daily Prompt……. Favorite automobile?

Read more: Daily Prompt……. Favorite automobile? Read more: Daily Prompt……. Favorite automobile?
Daily writing prompt
What is your all time favorite automobile?

1967 Chevrolet Corvette ZZ502 6 Speed Widebody Restomod

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Daily Prompt- Physical activity?

Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

I would say as the weather gets cooler, I really enjoy walking my Chihuahua, Annie. She’s a wonderful companion for walking and loves walking in the wind and chasing leaves. She doesn’t mind walking in the snow either though I carry her when I see salt down as dogs should never get that on the pads of their feet then lick it.

When it’s too hot for us to be outside I enjoy doing workouts in the house, but I haven’t taught her how to do those yet 🙂

This is not Annie, just a shared picture of a cutie dog.

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Admiration? Daily Prompt

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

Showing compassion and understanding towards other people and animals.

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Daily Prompt- free vacation?

Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

I’ll freely admit by choice I’ve never been on an plane. I have a fear of heights and multiple times have dreamt of being in a plane that’s taxiing through a busy city and it’s about to take off but I wake up before it does. I’ve recently thought of just trying flying to help me get over my fear but I’m not sure I’ll take that final step. I’d love to visit Ireland the home of some of my ancestors if I were to win tickets.

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Do you enjoy live performances?

What was the last live performance you saw?

Last year when we were traveling in the New England states we saw a street show. They were acrobatic and funny. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name of the group.

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Last thing I’ve learned – Daily prompt

What is the last thing you learned?

Life is a journey and the learning never ends. Of which I am glad because I find it fascinating to learn new things every day.

The latest thing I’ve learned though is my cats really don’t know how to tell time.  If I get up at 3 a.m. to use the bathroom they’ll meow at me for food but if I sleep in til 5 or 7 a.m. they’re still meowing at me for breakfast. They’d have you convinced I’m starving them. 🤣🐾😹😍

Iris didn’t want the grilled cheese but she sure enjoys sniffing all my food.
And I’m sure you’re convinced this boy misses a lot of meals.
Hmmm, I’m not too sure this is comfortable for me.
Will this bring my dinner any faster?

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Daily prompt -Monday

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

Getting home repairs done.

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Favorite shoes? Today’s daily prompt

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

My favorite shoes are still my Converse . I have many pairs in many colors, low tops and high tops and even a pair of wine colored velvet high top ones. They’ve taken me to casual places , for walks, to appointments, the library and everywhere in between.

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Daily prompt -Tuesday

Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

Material things you accumulate, so many come and go. They can get broken, scratched, lost or you lose interest in them. While I am grateful for every gift given to me my biggest blessings are not material. The greatest gifts I have are the love of my family and pets.