February 14, 2018
Guardian Angel
Master of Illusion Book 4
Additional Info for Reviewers & Staff
I am a retired school teacher and farmer from Australia. To realise my dream of being a published author, it seemed the best route to take was self-publishing, as I did not want to waste time knocking doors at publishing houses only to be rejected because I'm not already a celebrity. Self-publishing is quicker, more efficient and cheaper for someone in my position. And thanks to the many freelance editors and designers in the market, I have been able to produce quality products. I have even won two Global Ebook awards for previous books in my series.
I employ Felicity Matthews of Web Etch Design and Editing. She provides an end-to-end service for self-published authors, including: structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, typesetting, ebook formatting and conversion, cover design, marketing, as well as sourcing the publishers (Amazon, Smashwords, etc.).
Dear Melody, Thank you in advance for considering my novel, Guardian Angel, for review. I feel this book is a perfect fit for you based on your literary preferences and life experiences.
The protagonist in my novel (Nicolas de Beaulieu) is a famous child soprano and comes from a long line of famous French opera singers and dancers. I thought this may appeal to you, given your degree in music! Music is an important theme in all my published novels.
Furthermore, I see you enjoy historical fiction and clean romances. Guardian Angel is set before and during World War II in France. It is a reimagined version of history - I have incorporated true characters of the war with my own characters. Romance is a key element to Guardian Angel, and I tend to keep my romance writing more innocent, so it appeals to a young adult audience as well as adults.
Guardian Angel also includes a fair amount of drama, adventure and suspense. It even contains some elements of magic and the paranormal - as have all my books in the Master of Illusion series.
I understand if you are unable to review this, but I believe you would truly enjoy my book and that we have many interests in common.
As a side note, my previous novel, Angel of Song, was reviewed by Underground and was a Pitch Perfect winner.
I appreciate any support you can provide!
Warm Regards
Anne Rouen
Editing, Production, Marketing & Sales
Edited by Web Etch Design & Editing
Cover design by Web Etch Design & Editing
Formatted by Web Etch Design & Editing
Published Through Amazon Createspace – KDP
Distributed by Amazon
Additional services through Australian Society of Authors
Scheduled for review – the information below will be filled out slowly. It will not be visible to the public until it is published on our magazine.
Armand DeLaine works for the marquis de Beaulieu as a tutor to his son, Nicolas. Nicolas and his mother, Angelique, are concert vocalists who tour Europe, so Armand accompanies them as they travel about touring. Armand’s father is a publisher, bent on publishing the memoir of the late Madame Dupont, Angelique’s godmother. He was sent to spy on them in order to see if the information written about them and their noble family is indeed true so
that the memoir can be published.
But Armand falls in love with the family and immediately regrets his betrayal. He is on a long boat cruise with the family and cannot get home to reach his father and beg him not to publish the book about them. As soon as the boat docks, Armand asks for time off to see his family. The marquis generously grants him leave. Armand tries to tell his father that Madame Dupont specifically stated in her will that the diary was to be kept private. Unfortunately, Armand arrives immediately after the book has been published. His father needed the money and also got approval to publish the story from another relative, Countess Kireyevsky, who only cares for money and cares not for the family or anyone else.
The marquis and his wife find out about Armand’s betrayal and Armand is let go from his position. But Nicolas, the boy he tutors, has grown close to Armand and so Armand is allowed to stay. Thus begins a close friendship between Nicolas and Armand.
Earlier, Nicolas had signed a contract to perform at the Opera Magique, owned and run by the cruel Countess Kireyevsky. In fine print it stated that Nicholas must perform there every week. So Nicolas has to move in order to perform there consistently. He and Armand befriend one of the dancers there named Lisette. Lisette helps them navigate the turbulent waters of dealing with the countess and finding another singer, Gerry, who can pretend to be Nicolas and fill in for him when he is unable to sing.
The plot takes another turn when Hitler comes to power and WWII breaks out. Then everyone must try and navigate the tension of averting the Nazis.
Those who like plot driven suspense novels that cover many years, include a number of characters in the plot, or readers of sweet historical romance, will enjoy this story. It is reminiscent of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in that it is a story of a musical family who must interrupt their lives in order to deal with the war and also contains a love story as a subplot.
This story is not for those who enjoy character driven novels, as one of the weaknesses was character development. The story was told from multiple points of view so it was difficult to know who to root for. There was also a bit of confusion in the first few chapters because the point of view changed so often. Once the novel was in full swing, a few chapters in, it was easy to see where the story was headed and the story line and characters were easier to keep track of.
The Rundown
Armand DeLaine works for the marquis de Beaulieu as a tutor to his son, Nicolas. Nicolas and his mother, Angelique, are concert vocalists who tour Europe, so Armand accompanies them as they travel about touring. Armand’s father is a publisher, bent on publishing the memoir of the late Madame Dupont, Angelique’s godmother. He was sent to spy on them in order to see if the information written about them and their noble family is indeed true so
that the memoir can be published.
But Armand falls in love with the family and immediately regrets his betrayal. He is on a long boat cruise with the family and cannot get home to reach his father and beg him not to publish the book about them. As soon as the boat docks, Armand asks for time off to see his family. The marquis generously grants him leave. Armand tries to tell his father that Madame Dupont specifically stated in her will that the diary was to be kept private. Unfortunately, Armand arrives immediately after the book has been published. His father needed the money and also got approval to publish the story from another relative, Countess Kireyevsky, who only cares for money and cares not for the family or anyone else.
The marquis and his wife find out about Armand’s betrayal and Armand is let go from his position. But Nicolas, the boy he tutors, has grown close to Armand and so Armand is allowed to stay. Thus begins a close friendship between Nicolas and Armand.
Earlier, Nicolas had signed a contract to perform at the Opera Magique, owned and run by the cruel Countess Kireyevsky. In fine print it stated that Nicholas must perform there every week. So Nicolas has to move in order to perform there consistently. He and Armand befriend one of the dancers there named Lisette. Lisette helps them navigate the turbulent waters of dealing with the countess and finding another singer, Gerry, who can pretend to be Nicolas and fill in for him when he is unable to sing.
The plot takes another turn when Hitler comes to power and WWII breaks out. Then everyone must try and navigate the tension of averting the Nazis.
The Recommendation
Those who like plot driven suspense novels that cover many years, include a number of characters in the plot, or readers of sweet historical romance, will enjoy this story. It is reminiscent of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in that it is a story of a musical family who must interrupt their lives in order to deal with the war and also contains a love story as a subplot.
This story is not for those who enjoy character driven novels, as one of the weaknesses was character development. The story was told from multiple points of view so it was difficult to know who to root for. There was also a bit of confusion in the first few chapters because the point of view changed so often. Once the novel was in full swing, a few chapters in, it was easy to see where the story was headed and the story line and characters were easier to keep track of.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Characterization, Page TurnerCons: Character Developement, Plotline, Suspension of Disbelief
Author’s Summary
From the winner of the Silver (2016) & Bronze (2014) Medals for Modern Historical Literary Fiction in the Global Ebook Awards comes the World War II romantic saga, Guardian Angel, the fourth instalment in the Master of Illusion series.
Ten-year-old French singer Nicolas de Beaulieu seems to have it all in the rigours and depression of the 1930s: money, social status, fame. But as he grows up, he becomes no stranger to grief and loss.
World War II begins and Nicolas finds himself in deadly peril, hunted by the Nazis. His already complicated relationship with the girl he loves takes a new direction when France surrenders to Germany, and they fight a different kind of war as part of la Résistance.
Hidden in the fastness of their mountain stronghold, every day is a battle of wits, courage and endurance as they fight to survive and undermine the overwhelming might of the Nazi war machine. And it appears the Nazis have the upper hand until salvation comes from an unexpected source …
Fans of The Nightingale and The Lost Wife will enjoy this riveting historical romance saga.
Short Description
Ten-year-old French singer Nicolas de Beaulieu seems to have it all in the rigours of the 1930s, but as he grows up, he becomes no stranger to grief. World War II begins and Nicolas and the girl he loves find themselves in deadly peril, hunted by the Nazis.
Catchphrase
From innocence to resistance - A WWII romance sagaYou might also like...
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Quality reviews of independent literature from 2011 - 2018
Quality reviews of independent literature from 2011 - 2018