Spring Breeze by Angela Barton

This week I’m pleased to welcome Apricot Plotter and friend, Angela Barton, who is about to launch a new novel, Spring Breeze, set in World War Two. Over to Angela …

Hello Morton

Thank you for your continued generosity in supporting authors on your blog. I’m delighted to have been invited back to share the news about the publication of my next book, Spring Breeze. (Publication date is 30^th September 2022)

As with my first historical fiction novel, Arlette’s Story, I’ve included an actual event from World War 2 in my story. One reason is that I love researching, but the main reason is that I hope, in some small way, that Spring Breeze will help to keep the memory of what happened in Europe not so very long ago, alive.

Although it’s only a part of my story, I’ve written about the roundup of Jewish families in the Vélodrome d’Hiver (winter stadium). Operation Spring Breeze took place in July 1942. Over thirteen thousand Jewish citizens, including four thousand children, were rounded up in Paris and kept in horrendous conditions in the stadium. After several days in stifling temperatures, without water or food and in unsanitary conditions, they were transported in cattle trucks to concentration camps. Could a more contradictory and erroneous name have been chosen by the Germans for such cruelty?

Despite this heart-rending subject, there are hard fought victories in my story. There is incredible bravery shown by ordinary citizens, selflessness shown in the face of danger, friendships that shine through adversity and proof that love can always find a way in the most desperate of circumstances.

There are scenes where people who lived through those times make an appearance. My protagonist meets an old friend in church, the author Irène Némirovsky, and my hero is ordered to raid the apartment of a painter he admires, Pablo Picasso. A greedy, darker character from history also makes an appearance, Hermann Wilhelm Göring, the Nazi military leader and German politician.

Spring Breeze takes you on a trip around Paris, visiting the Tuileries Gardens, the Jeu de Paume museum, the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, the banks of the River Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and also the miles of underground tunnels beneath the city – the catacombs.

I’m thrilled to have received some early feedback from the advanced reader copies that have been sent out.

“I started it last night and I’m hooked. I was reading till 4am. The best one yet!”

“Five stars without a doubt.”

“The courage of ordinary people is powerfully portrayed in this story.” 

If you would like to pre-order Spring Breeze, you can do so here: https://mybook.to/eSpringBreeze

About Angela Barton

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She has three grown up children and loves to spend time with her eight-year-old twin granddaughters and a new baby granddaughter born Christmas 2021.

Angela is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching for her novels. She lived in France whilst writing Spring Breeze and explored Paris and its catacombs for research.

In 2018 Angela signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme, a member of the Society of Authors and also Ellipses and Ampersands’ fiction critique group.

Angela is busy writing her fifth novel set in France during WW2. Her next story takes us away from the capital to the Pyrenees bordering Spain.

In addition to writing, Angela also relaxes by making jewellery, and also landscapes using free motion sewing. She has a small online gift business at www.buttonmooncreations.com

Social Media links:

Website angelabarton.net

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/angela.barton3

Twitter https://twitter.com/angebarton

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/abarton3862/

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

About Spring Breeze

Paris, June 1940. The enemy has entered the city and Matilde Pascale hopes to sink into the shadows for the entirety of the war. However, when tragedy strikes it changes everything and Matilde focuses on revenge in order to fight back against the Nazis and their heinous crimes against humanity. But life sometimes takes a bizarre twist and it seems that love has a way of infiltrating the most impenetrable of boundaries. A common purpose drives two enemies into each other’s arms and together they discover the capacity of their combined strength.

Book links:

Spring Breeze:  https://mybook.to/eSpringBreeze

Magnolia House: https://mybook.to/MHPB

Arlette’s Story: https://mybook.to/ASPB

You’ve Got My Number: https://mybook.to/YGMN

Once again, huge thanks for hosting me and my new book, Morton.

Ange x

Thank you, Ange. Next Monday is the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and it didn’t seem appropriate to post my usual author feature blog. Instead, I will put my own tribute to the Queen on my blog later next week. Jenni Keer, who was due to be featured next week has asked me to delay her post until October. 

Thank you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here 

Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.

Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.

Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.

The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also as a paperback and audiobook.

The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms –Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.