Espionage Blog Tour and Author Guest Post
Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the official blog tour for
by A.L. Sowards
Paperback, 242 pages
Published March 2012
by Covenant Communications
ISBN 139781608611485
Book Summary From Author’s Website: France, 1944: Nobody expects Peter Eddy to survive his first commando mission—to retrieve a code book stolen by the Nazis—so when he does come back alive, his success is rewarded with an even more daunting assignment. Partnered with French Resistance leader Jacques Olivier, Eddy must identify which of three Allied contacts in Calais is a double agent and use the traitor to help implement a strategic Allied diversion that might win the war. Eddy and Olivier secretly cross the English Channel to confront their suspects one at a time, but what appears to be a clean assignment soon turns disastrous, and a shocking betrayal leaves Eddy in the grip of the Gestapo. With the courageous aid of Olivier and his sister, Genevieve, Eddy evades his captors with a dangerous escape plan. But as the Allied invasion approaches, treachery in the least likely places leads to fresh graves in the bloodied European soil—and only the power of loyalty and love can transform tragic endings into new beginnings.
Espionage is a suspense packed thriller with historical fiction elements that is set in WWII. It follows the decisions made by Peter, a young American soldier who enlists after his brother is killed in his service. Peter is chosen for a top secret operation then somewhat betrayed by his allies while putting his life on the line. With a bit of romance, authentic history and well written scenes, Sowards pull you right into the action. There is some moderate war related violence so I would recommend this book for adults.
We are so pleased at Fire and Ice to have an exclusive post from the author about why she writes what she writes…
Guest Post by Author A. L. Sowards
Why I write about war
“I’ve run into a handful of people at book signings who say something along the lines of “I don’t read books about war”. They have good reasons, usually involving a family member’s sad, difficult experience. I met one lady whose father was killed in Vietnam, another whose brothers have served in Iraq. War books aren’t for everyone, and I’ve never thought they should be. These conversations made me ask myself why I write about war. It’s evil, it’s brutal, and it destroys lives in more ways than one. So why am I writing a book about it?
There are a few reasons. First off, Nazis make good bad-guys, and I rarely like books or movies unless there’s an antagonist. It’s also an easy time period to research because so much about it has been written, filmed, and photographed. And no need to waste words giving readers a history lesson—they already know the basics. Then there’s the other reason: all of us have challenges, trials, and moments that try our faith, our courage, our integrity. Reading about fictional characters overcoming their challenges can help us as we try to overcome ours. And what better setting than a horrible war to create difficult challenges for my characters to overcome? In the darkest times, the brightest examples can emerge to enlighten, encourage, and inspire.
I still won’t say my books are for everyone. They don’t have to be. But sometimes looking into the dark chapters of history can help us find the strength and courage we need in our own lives to overcome our current challenges. And that’s why I write about war.”
Author Bio: “I was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in Moses Lake, Washington. Then I came to Utah to attend school and ended up staying. Books have always been an important part of my life. I remember writing self-illustrated storybooks at my grandparent’s house when I was in elementary school (none of those made it to publication for many good reasons) and attending my first writer’s conference when I was in third grade.
Another big part of my early life was swimming. I swam for the Big Bend Manta Rays, the Moses Lake Manta Rays, Moses Lake High School, and Brigham Young University. In addition to swimming, I studied Political Science and English at BYU.
Now I’m a busy mom of twin toddlers. I still love to read and I also love to write. I’m usually reading a couple books at once and working on multiple writing projects too. Other than that, my life is pretty ordinary. I’m grateful for that. I’ll let the characters in my books have all the adventures.
What can you expect from my books?
A little mystery, a little history, a little romance, and a lot of action, adventure, and suspense. Primarily, I write to entertain. I also hope my books will teach readers something new about history or about life (anything from the wisdom of wearing your seat belt to the truth that it’s never too late to change). You will find no printed profanity in my books, and no sex. Espionage takes place during the largest war in the history of the world, so there is some violence, but it’s not gory or excessive. My goal is for my writing to be thrilling, clean, and uplifting.