‘So the River Flows’ fuses fiction with historical fact to depict a fledgling American fashion designer’s life in Paris before and during the Nazi invasion. Love meets war as protagonist Jennifer’s hasty courtship with a young Frenchman is cut dramatically short following Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, and her life takes a dramatic turn as she returns to the United States to become a leading figure in Hollywood’s “golden age” of radio. This upcoming release follows Blaney’s ‘Somewhere the Road Turns’, a widely-celebrated novel that has been hailed as “incomparable” to anything else on the market.

Auburn, CA -- (SBWire) -- 09/05/2014 --The Nazi invasion of Europe has become a staple of the literary world, although almost all narratives are told from the perspective of those fighting the war. In her compelling second novel, Suzanne Blaney bucks the trend with gusto to fuse the realities of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg with a love story that puts this pivotal moment in history into a vivid new context.

‘So the River Flows’ is an epic tale of love, loss, war and Hollywood’s “golden era” of radio. This unlikely cocktail pieces together perfectly to serve as a microcosm to the thousands of similar stories that took place in reality.

Synopsis:

Jennifer Ainsworth arrives in 1936 Paris to study fashion design and return to America with a career. Despite growing political turbulence and entrenchment in Germany of Hitler’s Nazi Party, Parisians scoff. Why worry? France’s army is supreme. Jennifer meets a young Frenchman who introduces her to the heart of Paris through its restaurants. Over time, their relationship grows. Then, Hitler pounces––a blitzkrieg through Norway, Belgium and Northern France. All is chaos. Jennifer succumbs to Philippe’s desperate plea to marry … then he is gone. She is trapped for weeks as the Nazis invade Paris. Philippe is lost somewhere in battle. Will she ever see him again? Following a harrowing escape to America, Jennifer’s life evolves over the following years in unexpected directions that lead to the heights of Hollywood’s “Golden Radio” era and ultimate return to Paris and the capitols of Europe.

“Paris has a certain romantic image, a perceived immunity from the world’s wider problems. However, as my new novel proves, it has had to roll with the punches during some of Europe’s cruelest times,” explains Blaney, who is also an award-winning artist. “This is a vivid account, told through the eyes of one young American, of the city’s biggest transitionary period in the 1930s. Hitler’s Blitzkrieg stormed south and Paris suddenly became as vulnerable as everywhere else in their path. While fiction, I worked diligently to provide a vital and accurate insight into what life was like during that time.”

This second novel already has strong pre-publication buzz. Blaney’s first contemporary release, ‘Somewhere the Road Turns’, was received with critical acclaim.

Synopsis:

Maggie Ainsworth struggles to overcome a humiliating divorce and find direction to a frivolous, useless life. She finds purpose and happiness working in a small neighborhood San Francisco delicatessen until her grandfather reveals a deep-held family secret. With the help of a private detective, her search for answers produces danger and great heartache, but also joy and the awakening to a new life.

Critics praised the book with abundance. For example, Suzy Edwards McMinn commented, “A real page turner. Blaney develops innovative story lines that simply aren’t comparable to other writers. Her pace and plotting are so very strong and unique; readers just don’t want the book to end.”

‘So the River Flows’ is due for release via Kindle before the end of September. For more information on the book, the author and her numerous other works, visit: http://suzanneblaney.com.

About Suzanne Blaney
Prior to focusing solely upon a writing career in the last several years, Blaney was a multi-award-winning artist in the media of oil and pastel. A long list of patrons extends throughout the United States and Europe. She has been judge for major exhibitions and lectured on her favorite medium—pastel, which prompted her first book “Little Book About Pastel,” followed in 2013 by the award-winning “Adventure in Color – the Impressionism of Anita Wolff.” She remains involved in the art organizations of her Gold Country area of California.