Author Interview with Jennifer Ivy Walker ~ New Release: The Witch of the Breton Woods ~ #WRPbks #Blog #historicalromance #romanticsuspense

Please help me welcome my guest, Jennifer Ivy Walker. I had the pleasure of editing her book and, take it from me, it’s wonderful! Now, let’s get to know Jennifer…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I am a former French teacher who has traveled and lived in France, so many of my novels, such as The Witch of the Breton Woods, takes place there. I currently live in Florida with my family and my golden retriever. I take long walks on the beach every evening and collect seashells.

Where did you get the idea for The Witch of the Breton Woods?

I have always been fascinated by the heroic and dangerous efforts of the French Resistance during WWII. I love Brittany and Normandy (the northern coastline of France along the English Channel), and I love healers who use herbal medicine. So I blended these themes and wrote a novel about a young woman–a member of the French Resistance–who is ostracized by villagers who fear her as a witch She finds, shelters, and heals a critically wounded American soldier, keeping him hidden from the Nazis who are hunting him. (And her!)

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

This was a totally new genre for me! I have written medieval romance and paranormal romance, but never romantic suspense. I hope my readers will love it!

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

Since I was a high school and college French teacher, I was already familiar with the D-Day landing in Normandy and the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII. But as I did additional research in writing this novel, I discovered that there were approximately 35,000 members of the French Resistance in Brittany. I decided to weave together the actual historical events in the Battle of Brittany (and the Battle of Saint-Malo in particular) to create this historical fiction/romantic suspense.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

I also design and create Renaissance Denim Couture , where I take vintage denim and upcycle with French bohémienne flair. This is my Etsy shop with my creations:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/bohemienneivy

Do you collect anything?

I collect huge seashells from my daily walks on the beach in Florida where I  live.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I am currently writing a Viking historical romance trilogy, blending real historical events with Norse mythology and epic fantasy!

How did you come up with the title?

Since my female protagonist is a reclusive healer who lives in a secluded cottage and concocts  herbal potions, I selected the title The Witch of the Breton Woods because the villagers fear her as a witch.

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

Excerpt:

Beau would leave her in a few short weeks. To rejoin his regiment and return to battle. Neither of them knew if they’d even survive this damned war. Tomorrow might never come. But they did have today. And Yvette vowed that she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

 He’d leave her, yes.

 But with fond memories instead of bitter regret.

Life was ephemeral. Fragile. Fleeting. Love was a rare, precious gift.  This time, she would grab the chance for happiness and seize the day.

Carpe diem.

Buy links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Breton-Woods-Jennifer-Walker-ebook/dp/B0D33VNSTP

Barnes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witch-of-the-breton-woods-jennifer-ivy-walker/1145462481?ean=2940185776735

About the Author:

     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 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.

Website:  https://jenniferivywalker.com/

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

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jenniferivywalker

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209456185-the-witch-of-the-breton-woods

 Book Trailer on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A-VLgO7Aww

 Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-witch-of-the-breton-woods-by-jennifer-ivy-walker