Jennifer Macaire: Island on Fire by Sophie Schiller

Island on Fire

by Sophie Schiller

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GENRE: historical thriller

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BLURB:

In the lush, tropical world of Martinique where slavery is a distant memory and voodoo holds sway, Emilie Dujon discovers that her fiancé, a rich sugar planter, has been unfaithful. Desperate to leave him, she elicits the aid of a voodoo witch doctor and is lured into a shadowy world of black magic and extortion. When the volcano known as Mount Pelée begins to rumble and spew ash, she joins a scientific committee sent to investigate the crater. During the journey she meets Lt. Denis Rémy, an army officer with a mysterious past.

At the summit, the explorers discover that a second crater has formed and the volcano appears to be on the verge of eruption. But when they try to warn the governor, he orders them to bury the evidence for fear of upsetting the upcoming election. As the pressure builds, a deadly mudslide inundates Emilie’s plantation and she disappears. With ash and cinders raining down, chaos ensues. Left with no choice, Lt. Rémy deserts his post and sets off on a desperate quest to rescue Emilie. But with all roads blocked, can they escape the doomed city of St. Pierre before it’s too late?

Emilie flushed with excitement. She placed her hand in Lt. Remy’s and they began to dance, absorbing the rhythm with their feet, legs, and hips. Colors blended into one, and song and laughter rang in their ears, the music almost lifting them off their feet. Remy did his best to follow the steps, which were faster and more free-flowing than what he was used to, while Emilie sang along in the local patois. As they twirled across the dance floor, the rum coursed through their veins, making their steps lighter, their laughter merrier, their closeness more apparent.

All at once they stopped dancing. Rémy pulled her close and kissed her. Emilie melted into his embrace, caressing his head and neck, forgetting all her problems and worries. It was only until this moment that she realized how much she had longed for him.

“You are lovely,” he said, caressing her face. “But I suppose many men have told you that.”

“You are the first,” she said. “The first man I’ve ever loved.”

He stared in her eyes and said nothing. She laid her head against his chest, and they continued dancing until the early-morning hours. Then, when all was quiet, they headed out into the night, the laughter and music still ringing in their ears.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sophie Schiller was born in Paterson, NJ and grew up in the West Indies. She loves stories that carry the reader back in time to exotic and far-flung locations. Kirkus Reviews called her "an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer”. Her latest novel is Island on Fire, a thriller about the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century, the Pompeii of the Caribbean. She was educated at American University, Washington, DC and lives in Brooklyn, NY

Links:

Website: https://sophieschiller.blogspot.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SchillerSophie/

Facebook Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/Island-on-Fire-898938183595340/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieSchiller

Buy Link for e-book:

https://www.amazon.com/Island-Fire-Sophie-Schiller-ebook/dp/B079QFVG49/

Paperback – Special low price of $10.99 at Amazon and B&N:

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-on-fire-sophie-schiller/1128211308?ean=9781986210782

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Island-Fire-Sophie-Schiller/dp/1986210782/

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

Sophie Schiller will be awarding a travel size Exotic French noix de coco perfume and shower gel (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An amazing tale! I grew up in the Caribbean, so much of this was like visiting home. The author describes the heat, the island, the vegetation and the people so well, you think you are there! Emily is a likeable character. As the book opens, she learns, to her great dismay, that her fiancé is unfaithful. In those times, men can do as they like, and Emily has no way to break off her engagement. If she does, she will be ruined in the eyes of society, and her family will suffer. Her family has suffered enough - her beloved brother, the person she is closest to, is dying of consumption. And the volcanic mountain, Pélée, is rumbling ominously. The author definitely knows her history, and her account of the volcani eruption and the story are tied together seamlessly. You feel as if you are there, and you realize that you are helpless to escape. An real pager-turner of a story - highly recommended!