This week, we're welcoming historical author Diane Scott Lewis, as she
celebrates the release of her latest novel, ELYSIUM. Diane has generously
offered to give away an electronic copy of the novel! Here's the blurb:
In 1815, after the battle of
Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to Saint Helena. On this remote
island, Amélie Perrault, the daughter of Napoleon’s
head chef, is determined through healing herbs to rise in importance and is
fascinated with the fallen French Emperor. When her beautiful singing voice
catches Napoleon’s attention, she is drawn into his clash with their British
jailers, court intrigues and a burgeoning sexual attraction.
Napoleon is soured on love.
Since political maneuvers fail to release him, he desires freedom no matter the
risk. Amélie suspects someone in their entourage is
poisoning the emperor. Will she uncover the culprit in time and join in
Napoleon’s last great battle plan, a dangerous escape?
**An Interview with Diane
Scott Lewis**
Your novel, Elysium, released in April, is quite controversial.
What prompted you to write it?
Many years ago I read a book called Desiree, and became interested
in Napoleon, who was a vivid character in that story. After reading biographies
on him, I was fascinated with his exile on the remote island of St. Helena. The
British went to great lengths in his imprisonment and I began to sympathize
with this man who was hemmed in by soldiers and watched in everything he did.
Warships even patrolled around the island constantly. My biggest question was,
could he have escaped given the right situation? I found a book on that very
subject: Revelations
Concerning Napoleon’s Escape From St. Helena, by
Pierre Paul Ebeyer, 1947. It’s a strange read and I used nothing in the
author’s speculations for my story, but it proved that others have thought
about the possibility of the ex-emperor’s escape.
You also bring up the poisoning theory. Don’t many Napoleonic
scholars refute that?
You’re right, they do. But what if an assassin had been sent to
the island to ensure Napoleon never returned to power? Such a prospect was
investigated in The Murder of
Napoleon by Ben Weider and
David Hapgood, 1983. I found it intriguing enough to include that possibility
in my novel.
History doesn’t show Napoleon as a great lover, yet you include
a romance in Elysium. Why did you decide to go that route?
I found that a more interesting my story theme: Could the
ex-Emperor of the French have accomplished such an audacious act as escape if a
clever and compassionate woman rallied his soul and earned his heart? It made
for a sexier story.
Tell us about your fictional heroine.
Amélie Perrault delves into healing herbs and is determined to be
more important in her emperor’s entourage than just the chef’s daughter. When
one of Napoleon’s valets hears her beautiful singing voice, he suggests she
sing for the emperor. Cultivating her garden, she sings like the siren Calypso
calling Odysseus to shore. At last catching his attention, she uses her herbal
tinctures to strengthen the emperor and, eventually, save him from an
assassin’s poison. Yet she finds herself falling in love with him.
And what is Napoleon’s reaction to this young woman?
Napoleon is jaded where love is concerned. He wishes to preserve
his imperial dignity—his faithfulness to the Hapsburg wife who deserted him
back in Europe—while the world watches his persecution. Amélie, however,
touches his heart with her intelligent advice and selfless devotion. She is the
little bud who scents so many of his moments, but now she’s turning into a
desirable woman. How long can he resist her allure?
Where can people purchase your novel?
You can visit my website: http://www.dianescottlewis.com
For the ebook version, please use this link:
Or you can purchase the paperback or ebook at Amazon:
