Debbie Harpham
from author’s website
From even my earliest years, I loved jotting down stories and really, really bad poetry. I dabbled in the world of the short story for a long time, until I finally sat down one fateful February day and decided that my beloved short story, “Days of Plenty” deserved to become a novel. I felt (and feel) it was a story the world needed to hear. More importantly, I knew that after thirty-three years of life, seven years of marriage, and two children, I finally had the life experience to tell it. Thus, Promised to the Crown was born.
Since Promised, and its little sister Duty to the Crown, I’ve moved forward in time. Daughters of the Night Sky was a complete departure from my earlier works, but the stories of the long-forgotten female pilots on the Russian front in World War Two deserved to be told. Girls on the Line, the story of the intrepid women who served as phone operators in World War One was another story I was thrilled to bring to the page. Ruby remains one of my favorite heroines. My subsequent novels, Across the Winding River and The School for German Brides largely delve into the personal nature of war and the people who are forever changed by it.
I am also thrilled to be moving into contemporary fiction in the near future. My upcoming novel, The Memory of Lavender and Sage, set in the lush hillsides of Provence, explores the life of Tempeste Luddington, unmoored after the death of her father. She seeks out her purpose in the small village of Sainte Colombe where her mother was raised. Along the way, she learns some shocking truths about her mother’s past…and herself. Delving into the emotionally-charged world of Women’s Fiction is a challenge I am so excited to undertake. I hope to create vibrant characters, lush settings, and heartwarming dramas that will transport the reader to a different place. Consider it “Virtual Vacation Fiction”.
Before transitioning to full time writing, I taught French to high schoolers, with occasional stints into English, Public Speaking, and Competitive Forensics. When I’m not writing or wrangling my wayward kiddos, I enjoy hiking, baking, sewing (especially costumes), music (especially live), theater, movies, and all things sacred unto Nerd Culture.
I’m proud to be a member of the Tall Poppy Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Pikes Peak Writers, and the Women’s Fictions Writers Association.
ABOUT A BAKERY IN PARIS:
From the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century and post–World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre.
1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau—headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents—awaits the outcome of the war from her parents’ grand home in the Place Royale in the very heart of the city. When an excursion throws her into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Théodore Fournier, her destiny is forever changed. She gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood in its hour of need. When the city falls into famine, and then rebellion, her resolve to give up the comforts of her past life is sorely tested.
1946: Nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier is coping with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother during the war. In their absence, she is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. At the hand of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline finds herself enrolled in a prestigious baking academy with her entire life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and desperately unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Her classmate at the academy, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one capable of helping Micheline move on from the past and begin creating a future for herself.
Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own.
Available for pre-order here.
PRAISE AND RECOGNITION FOR A BAKERY IN PARIS:
“The School for German Brides is a fascinating deep-dive into the German home front during World War II. Aimie K. Runyan deftly paints the details of Nazi-run Berlin through the eyes of two lovable heroines destined to cross paths at one of the Fuhrer’s sinister Bride Schools: independent Hanna, fighting her engagement to a high-profile SS officer tooth and nail; and Tilde, a resourceful Jewish dressmaker struggling simply to survive. Moving, unsettling, unforgettable!” — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
“In The School for German Brides, Aimie Runyan has penned the thoughtful and original story of an SS officer’s bride and a young Jewish mother, whose lives collide in unexpected ways in World War II Germany. This is a moving and memorable tale of sisterhood, strength and survival, which will resonate deeply with readers of historical fiction.” — Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
“The Stepford Wives meets The Alice Network in The School for German Brides. Aimie Runyan brilliantly evokes the sinister, gilded world of 1930’s Berlin—a world where young women are forcibly groomed to become perfect mates to men who hide their brutality behind toothy grins and perfectly pressed uniforms. It’s also a world where secret acts of feminine resistance flare beneath the surface, along with heart-tugging compassion and daring bravery. You won’t be able to put this one down.” — Kris Waldherr, author of The Lost History of Dreams and Unnatural Creatures
“Equal parts fascinating and horrifying, Runyan offers a riveting tale of love, loss, and survival not only of life but of the human spirit. Readers are dipped into a genteel world of young ladies, wooing suitors, satin dresses, and proper etiquette, but this world is a thin veneer for hatred and intolerance for anything less than perfect. Compelling from start to finish, this is Runyan’s finest work yet.” — J’nell Ciesielski, author of The Ice Swan
“Tense and compelling, The School for German Brides tells the story of courageous young Hanna who becomes an unwilling pawn in a game of political chess when forced to marry a high-ranking Nazi official, and also of Rachel, a Jewish woman fleeing to save herself and the life of her unborn baby. Both characters are endearing and well-drawn, and the narrative is beautifully crafted—readers will need a tissue for the deeply moving end! In Runyan’s latest, she proves she’s at the top of her game.” — Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Ship Home and Last Christmas in Paris
AUTHOR VISITS:
Schedule your author visit with Aimie K. Runyan via NovelNetwork.