TOUR, GUEST POST & #GIVEAWAY - Our Time Will Come by Jean Gallant Marcoux
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After a year in Paris studying painting at l'´Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Hélene Simard returns home to Quebec City in 1939, with a secret. She has a German fiancé. She can conceal his identity, but not the baby she carries. Hans Werner, her lover, was drafted in the German army, and his dreams of ever reuniting with Hélene are shattered with WWII escalating. In 1942, a bold opportunity arises for him to cross the Atlantic. Hounded by the Canadian police and Nazi assassins, the lovers' hope for a new life together becomes intertwined with a plot to kill Winston Churchill. "Our Time Will Come is an historical fiction novel that revolves around a romance that began in Paris in 1938. The war impeded the couple’s plans as Hélène returned home to Canada while Hans fulfilled his obligations as a German soldier. Despite the complications of the war, their love motivated them to find a way to be together. The unique perspective that the author shed on this world event kept me intrigued. The exceptional character development and the numerous twists that the narrative took made reading the book pass quickly. Readers of historical fiction would enjoy this author’s innovative angle on World War II. Romance is also a central theme of the book and would satisfy readers of that genre." -Official OnlineBookClub.org review.
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It was dark outside. Hélène was in Hans’s small furnished apartment, in his bed, crying silently. Her love, her lover, the man she wanted to be with for as long as she lived, was leaving for Germany. They said war was possible and Germany was calling its men to serve. Hans’s letter had come after Hans had called his mother to inquire about its arrival. When she said she had received it, he asked her to forward it to him in Paris. At first Hélène could not believe it was true.
“There must be a mistake; this is not you they are calling.
It must be someone else.”
He took her in his arms and said, “It is me. This letter was expected, and as hard as it is for me to be away from you, I must go. Hopefully, this war will be over in a few months, and as soon as I am discharged, I will come to you in Québec. We will never be apart again.”
“Why did you sign up for the military? You’re an artist, not a warrior,” she said with a flare of anger in her voice. “Why, why, why?” she yelled, pulling away from his arms. Her hands involuntarily formed fists and her eyes filled with tears.
He pulled her back to him and said, “I was drafted; I had no choice.”
“I have a plan,” Hélène said, regaining some of her poise. “
What Inspired Me to Write My Book
Years ago, I learned about the two WWII Quebec Conferences of 1943 and1944, where President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and their military advisers met in Québec City, my hometown. I even saw newspaper pictures of Churchill touring the city in an open-convertible limousine. At one point, the limo stopped in front of City Hall, and Churchill stood in the car to salute the dignitaries and the immense cheering crowd filling the street. I wondered why the Nazis didn’t use the opportunity to assassinate the British Prime Minister. Or did they try?
Once I retired from practicing medicine, I planned to write a spy novel on the subject, and I read all I could find about the events occurring in Europe and in Québec, just before and during WWII. I also read online, French and Canadian newspapers of the era.
I soon realized that a typical story of a Nazi spy coming by U-boat from Europe to assassinate Churchill during the Québec Conference, didn’t make historical sense. The planning of the Conference was kept secret almost until the day it started, and Churchill was NOT supposed to be exposed to the public. It’s only the Prime Minister’s daredevil nature, coupled with daily hordes of Quebecers in front of the Chateau Frontenac hotel clamoring for Churchill, that produced the last-minute decision of the open-convertible tour.
My spy novel became a love story between Hélène, a Québec City girl meeting Hans, a German boy, in Paris in 1938, where they were both students. They fell in love and planned to marry. However, WWII was brewing, and Hans was drafted in the German army, while Hélène had to return to Québec. Daring efforts to reunite resulted in our protagonists’ lives becoming intertwined with a Nazi plot to assassinate Churchill. They were chased by the Canadian police AND by Nazi assassins.
At the end, “Our Time Will Come” became a story that fans of historical novels should enjoy because of the Canadian angle on WWII. Romance is a central theme of the book and should also satisfy readers of that genre.
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Jean Gallant Marcoux was born in Quebec City Canada, where he earned an MD degree from Laval University. As a board-certified allergist, he practiced in Quebec City from 1970 to 1977 after which he continued his career in Houston Texas until his retirement in 2007.
Passionate for history, he has published articles for historical society magazines in his native Quebec. This is his debut novel. Dr. Marcoux lives in Houston with his family.
Website: https://jeangmarcoux.com/
Blog: https://jeangmarcoux.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanGMarcoux/
Tour hosted by: Goddess Fish Promotions
