Book Title: The Witch of the Breton Woods

Author: Jennifer Ivy Walker

Publication Date:  July 10, 2024

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 163

Genre: historical romance/ romantic suspense

Traumatized by horrors witnessed during the Nazi invasion of France, a young woman retreats to the dense Breton woods where she becomes a member of the clandestine French Resistance. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper whose plane was shot down, she shelters the wounded soldier in her secluded cottage, determined to heal him despite the enormous risk.

Ostracized by villagers who have labeled her a witch, she is betrayed by an informant who reports to the Butcher—the monstrous leader of the local paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Germans. As the enemy closes in, she must elude the Gestapo while helping the Resistance reunite the American with his regiment and join the Allied Forces in the Battle of Brittany.

Can true love triumph against all odds under the oppressive Third Reich?

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mdAzww

Author Interview:

Often writers started out as readers. Was there a particular book that inspired you to be an author?

Yes, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s novel, The Mists of Avalon. I discovered how much I LOVE Arthurian legend and the Forest of Brocéliande, birthplace of Merlin, the Lady of the Lake Viviane, and Lancelot, the First Knight of Camelot. Many of my novels take place in Brocéliande, and there are a couple subtle references to that enchanted forest in The Witch of the Breton Woods.

Do you tend to read the same genre you write?

Mostly, yes. I prefer reading medieval romance and historical fantasy, especially tales from Celtic or Nordic myths and legends.

Do you have a favorite time period to write about? If so, why?

I prefer to write medieval stories, for I have always loved tales of chivalrous knights and Arthurian legend, but unlike most of the novels I have read, my stories take place in France rather than England or Scotland.

How long have you been writing, and how long did it take before your first book was published?

Although I have wanted to be a writer since I was eleven years old, I didn’t start writing my first novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven, until two years ago. That debut novel evolved into my award-winning trilogy of the same name.

Now, I am proud to say that I have had seven (soon to be eight) novels published through The Wild Rose Press. I have also just completed my ninth novel, Dragon of Denmark, and am halfway through my tenth —Wolf of the Nordic Seas–both of which are part of my new Viking historical romance fantasy series which takes place in 10^th century Normandy. I hope to have my Valiant Vikings trilogy published in early 2025!

What is the scariest thing you face as a writer? How do you handle it?

The scariest thing for me as a writer is getting a 1 star review. I don’t think people realize when they leave such a low rating, how much that can kill a writer who is trying to attract potential readers. I handle it by having a good cry and going for a long beach walk. It’s really difficult to keep going after a hard knock like that.

If you could pick your top 3 favorite books of all time, what would they be?

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Ivy Walker has an MA in French literature and is a former high school teacher and professor of French at a state college in Florida.  Her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, incorporating her lifelong study, summers abroad, and many trips to France.

The Witch of the Breton Woods is heart-pounding suspense set during WWII in Nazi-occupied France, where a young woman in the French Resistance shelters and heals a wounded American soldier, hiding him from the Gestapo and the monstrous Butcher who are relentlessly hunting him.

Author Links:

Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-ivy-walker-685b58248/

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bohemienneivy/

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-Ivy-Walker/author/B0B91R2MJZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker