 Today. I'm delighted to welcome author Diane Scott Lewis, whose splendid WWII romance of forbidden love just launched last month. We'll learn more about the book -- and we have a beautiful excerpt -- but let's get to know Diane a little better first. Congratulations, Diane,and welcome! 1)What sort of books did you enjoy reading as a child? Did you have a favorite book or series? When I was very young, I liked the Henry and Beezus series by Beverley Cleary. That annoying little sister, Romona! Later I devoured horse stories, anything horsie. By the end of elementary school, I was deep into mysteries and historical fiction. I wanted to visit exotic places. 2) What sort of books do you enjoy reading nowadays? Mainly historical fiction, because that’s what I write, especially from the era I’m writing in. I also enjoy a good romantic suspense, or romantic mystery, which can be historical or contemporary. 3) Around what age did you realize that you liked to write? And when did you know that you wanted to write books? I enjoyed writing before I could write. At age five I illustrated a story and told my mom what to put down for the words. At age ten I wrote a historical novel and a romantic suspense, both illustrated, of course. That’s when I knew. But life got in the way, work, husband, kids, so I put it off until twenty years ago. Wow! You started really young! That's amazing! 4) What’s the first thing you wrote that you remember being proud of? My first novel, a historical that took place in England during the French Revolution--Escape the Revolution. It took ten years to write, and revise, with lots of research. I dove in to write before studying the time-period. I’ll never do that again. 5) Tell us about the creative force within you. What inspires you to write, to create? I’ve always loved to tell stories and I’m a voracious reader. Tales will pop into my head after reading something, watching a movie, or visiting a certain site. I can’t help myself. Then the characters rush forth and demand their story be told. 6) What’s your writing space like? My office is a bedroom that leads out to the back door. A cluttered desk, bookcases crammed with books, research documents and maps. I need to sort through it all. I’m working on that.  Now, that's a writer's space! LOVE IT! 7) Do you have a favorite time of day to write? Any habits or little rituals that put you in a writing mindset? I prefer first thing in the morning, 7 to 12. Though when I was working, I wrote in the evenings. Coffee, lots of coffee keeps me going. Still, if I get an idea, I’ll run in anytime to jot it down. 8) Time to talk about your recent release (rubbing hands together). Are there any interesting tidbits you’d care to share with us? The TV series, Island at War, inspired me. The character of the baron was fascinating. How do I turn an anti-hero into a hero? I set my WWII novel in Brittany, France, a trapped Englishwoman and the German commandant. He’s not the man she thinks he is. I loved entwining them in the morass of war and mistrust. The idea of a forbidden affair. 9) Now let’s hear about Outcast Artist in Bretagne. Here is the blurb. Unwed and pregnant, Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany before Germany’s 1940 invasion. After her baby is stillborn, she's trapped under the Occupation. Norah consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught 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 young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth. Soon, their relationship evolves into a passion neither can deny. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Will their love ruin her and end in heartbreak? Or will they overcome the odds and survive the surging threats. 10) I comprehend that you’ve just recently published a book. Still, I can’t help but ask – do you have anything waiting in the wings? Oh yes. I’m working on a young adult haunted house mystery with my granddaughter. And I’ve begun a Victorian time travel. I also have a story set in Greece in the 1950s that I’m halfway through. 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? I like to keep my history authentic, and situations believable. No melodrama or coincidences. Unless I’m writing a Gothic young adult where ghosts are involved. Thank you for sharing your time and talent with us, Diane. We look forward to more books from you and wish you all the best! And now, ladies and gents, enjoy a peek at Outcast Artist in Bretagne.  Outcast Artist in Bretagne – WWII heartbreak and forbidden love Can a damaged Englishwoman find love with her worst enemy, or will the brutality of war rip them apart? Is she a spy? Will he retaliate against Hitler? A dangerous love affair. Excerpt from Outcast Artist in Bretagne August raised his eyebrows. “You are straightforward, as always.” He sipped more cognac as his career stumbled through his mind. “Do you mean have I ever commanded or committed any executions? No, honestly, I have not.” He was proud of this, too—but how much longer would he have that choice? “That’s important to hear.” Norah looked relieved, her shoulders relaxed. “As long as you’re truthful.” “I have been. Do you wish to be finished once the painting is completed?” He must measure her feelings for him. “I don’t wish to be done, no.” She smiled, her voice tender. “We mean much to one another, don’t we?” he asked. She might walk away, reject him, though she seemed too sincere and brave for that. Or so he hoped. “We do, it seems. But what else can I paint?” She tilted her head as if waiting to see if he had the solution. Her mouth firmed with intensity. “What excuse will I have?” Reaching over, he clasped her hand and squeezed it, his thumb rubbing along her fingers. He shouldn’t offer to do this, to put them both on open display. “There is a fine palace about sixty kilometers from here. The Château de Keriolet, in Concarneau. A magnificent place. I’d like a painting of that. We could go for a day.”  About the Author 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. 
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