Crystal King interviews me about Fables & Lies
Way back when The Wedding Shroud was published, I had the pleasure of connecting with fellow Romaphile, Crystal King, who had written Feast of Sorrows (a deliciously beautiful book!) Crystal very kindly interviewed me about my new release, Fables & Lies, in ‘We’re Not the First to Live in Troubled Times’ on her Tasting Life Twice substack. I have to admit many of her questions really made me think twice, especially when she drew a parallel to Caecilia in the A Tale of Ancient Rome trilogy and Freyja in my WWII novel. It seems I love writing about women who marry into the wrong side of a conflict and have to decide where their allegiances lie!
Based on a true story, Fables & Lies explores WWII through the eyes of Freyja, a German museum assistant striving to protect Priam’s Treasure while navigating love and loyalty amid the horrors of Nazi Germany. The book blends romance, suspense, and ethical dilemmas as Freyja discovers the moral corruption of the Regime, dark family secrets, and personal transformation in a world built on lies.
A heartbreaking yet triumphant love story, Fables & Lies shines light on lesser-known aspects of the Nazi Regime. It gives voice to the complex moral struggles of German women, the forgotten resistance of Gentiles married to Jews, the dangers of contested history, the evils of Himmler’s racial studies program, and the unsung bravery of German museum curators who saved their nation’s treasures.
Priam’s Treasure was a fabulous hoard of gold found by Heinrich Schliemann at Troy. He named it after Homer’s legendary king even though it was subsequently proven the gold was dated 1,000 years before Homeric times. The painting Crystal chose in her blog is The Death of Priam by Jule Lefebvre. Priam was the king of Troy and father of Hector and Paris. He was slain by Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. By way of coincidence, Achilles and Neoptolemus are featured in Judith Starkston’s new book, Achilles’s Wife, an excellent mythic retelling. Judith featured me on her blog recently to write about the Odyssey of Priam’s Treasure.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Fables & Lies: Plot in a nutshell
WWII Berlin, patriotic museum assistant Freyja Bremer, marries SS scholar Kaspar Voigt to protect her father, unaware of his role in Himmler’s schemes. While racing to save the priceless Priam’s Treasure, she falls for archaeologist, Darien Lessing, who exposes the moral decay beneath the Regime’s myths. Her awakening leads her to aid a Jewish doctor, confronting moral corruption as she risks everything to safeguard truth, treasure and love amid chaos.
A must for readers who love thought provoking WWII historical fiction exploring the complexities of survival, moral conflict and impossible choices which feature thwarted love and a journey to enlightenment. If you love novels about stolen art in WW2 then Fables & Lies is for you. Perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Laura Morelli and Anthony Doer.
