Under a brutal regime, what price must be paid to preserve truth, treasure and love in a world built on lies?
WWII Berlin. Freyja Bremer, a patriotic museum assistant, marries Kaspar Voigt, an ambitious SS scholar, to protect her father. Yet she is unaware her husband is instrumental in Himmler’s twisted quest for Aryan supremacy.
As she strives to safeguard the priceless Priam’s Treasure from air raids, Freyja falls in love with Darien Lessing, an archaeologist who exposes the moral decay beneath the Regime’s myths. Her awakening drives her into perilous resistance — aiding a Jewish doctor and his wife, Darien’s sister — while uncovering Kaspar’s role in the SS’s darkest programs, which subvert history to justify invasion, abduction and murder.
As Berlin collapses into chaos and bloodshed, Freyja, caught between duty, deception and desire, must risk everything to preserve truth in a world built on lies.
A heartbreaking yet triumphant love story, Fables & Lies shines light on lesser-known aspects of the Nazi Regime. It gives voice to the complex moral struggles of German women, the forgotten resistance of Gentiles married to Jews, the dangers of contested history, the evils of Himmler’s racial studies program and the unsung bravery of German museum curators who saved their nation’s treasures.
Perfect for readers of Kelly Rimmer, Anthony Doer and Laura Morelli.
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Publisher: The Book Guild
Audiobook: Bolinda Audio
Pages: 584
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audiobook Narrator: Lucy Tregear
Praise
"Elisabeth Storrs has indeed broken the mould by writing 'from the other side'. Evocative, detailed and heart-rending as the heroine journeys through disillusion and danger in the Third Reich."
Alison Morton, author of the Roma Nova series
"A chilling and meticulously researched journey into the shadow world of the Ahnenerbe. Blending historical rigor with gripping fiction, FABLES & LIES reminds us of the devastating consequences when history is twisted to serve power."
Leah Kaminsky, author of The Hollow Bones
Review
I've read a lot of Second World War fiction over the years, but Fables & Lies is something a little different. It's not about the soldiers on the front line, but about the quieter, murkier battle being fought over ideas, loyalty, and power in Nazi Germany. I found it absolutely gripping.
Freyja is a wonderful character. She starts out believing she's doing the right thing, but as the story unfolds and she begins to see what's really happening around her, her growing doubts place her in genuine danger. I was especially moved by the relationship between her and her sister, whose unquestioning devotion to the regime creates a painful divide within the family. It all felt very believable.
Elisabeth Storrs has clearly done an enormous amount of research. I knew very little about the Ahnenerbe before reading this book, and I found that aspect fascinating. Even so, the history never overwhelms the story. The historical detail is woven so naturally into the narrative that I was completely absorbed from beginning to end.
This is a substantial novel, and there are moments that are difficult to read because of the subject matter, but I never once considered putting it down. It made me angry, heartbroken, and hopeful in equal measure. More than anything, it reminded me how dangerous lies can become when ordinary people stop questioning them. A memorable and thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a long time.
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Elisabeth Storrs has a great love for history and myths. She is the award-winning author of A Tale of Ancient Rome trilogy which was endorsed by Ursula Le Guin, Kate Quinn and Ben Kane.
Now her obsession lies with Trojan treasure and twisted Germanic prehistory in her new release, Fables & Lies: A World War II Novel.
Elisabeth is also the founder of the Historical Novel Society Australasia and the $155,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize. She lives in Sydney with her husband in a house surrounded by jacarandas.
Voices on the Wind (A Novel of Malta in WWII, Part I — Assault) By Helena P. Schrader
Early 1942: the fate of the Suez Canal and access to Middle East oil hangs on the fate of an island just 17 miles long by 9 miles wide: Malta.
Determined to destroy the British forces threatening Rommel’s supply lines, the Axis powers drop more bombs on Malta than London endured throughout the Blitz. The population is forced underground, while the RAF struggles with inadequate resources to fend off defeat. Meanwhile, Britain’s Atlantic lifeline is fraying....
Voices on the Wind follows the fate of four of Malta’s defenders: Senior Intelligence Officer and former Battle of Britain ace, W/Cdr “Robin” Priestman; WAAF SigInt Officer Candice Weld, sent out from Bletchley Park to “man” the only X-machine outside the UK; F/O “Ned” Nettleton, a Beaufort torpedo bomber pilot engaged in suicidal attacks against enemy shipping; and Chief Officer Stevie Mackay of the British Merchant Navy, fighting to keep Britain’s own lines of supply open.
Publication Date: 11th June 2026
Publisher: Cross Seas Press
Pages: 448
Genre: Historical Fiction
Praise
What emerges from these pages is more than a story of military operations. It is a portrait of service, endurance, and sacrifice viewed through multiple perspectives, each contributing to a richer understanding of a critical moment in history.
Yarde Book Promotions
Through a collective of narrators working in different areas of the war effort, mainly in and around Malta, "Voices on the Wind" by Helena P. Schrader explores a frequently overlooked aspect of history, delving into the defence of Malta during the Second World War.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
An interview with Helena P. Schrader
What inspired you to start writing?
When I was four, my family visited Rome and my mother, thinking I was too young to pay attention to a tour guide, tasked my father with leading me through the Colosseum. Intelligent man that he was, he knew how to engage the imagination of a four-year-old; he told me simply: “This is where they fed the Christians to the lions.” My imagination went wild. I kept trying to imagine where the lions had been and how the Christians might have escaped… After that, whenever I found myself in someplace full of history, I found myself trying to picture what it was like. Soon that led to stories in my mind that I started to ‘capture’ by writing them down. But I can’t predict what will trigger that explosion of creativity. To me, it feels simply inspired — as if an outside force says: “Look! This is a story you have to write about!”
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
I love both researching and writing. I’ve compared writing the first draft to eating Tiramisu, one of my favourite deserts, because it gives me such an adrenaline rush. Yet, I’ve come to enjoy re-writing and polishing a work almost as much. It’s like eating something more nourishing like fresh-baked bread. What I find most difficult is editing. I just don’t see my own errors. I’m too lost in the story to notice when words are missing or misspelled or overused.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Not really. They have different holds on me.
Robin is an old friend. I first met him nearly twenty years ago when I wrote my Battle of Britain novel, Where Eagles Never Flew, in which he features as the main protagonist. I’ve also written about his post-war career in my three-part series on the Berlin Airlift, Bridge to Tomorrow. So, Robin is special like any old friend is. However, his role in this novel is more supportive than central.
The man who inspired this book, however, is Ned. He’s the one who demanded that I tell his story and whose story grabbed me viscerally, made me stop, catch my breath, and say “I have to write a book that captures this journey.” That’s why I put his picture (or a contemporary photo of a man who represents Ned in my mind) on the cover. I feel committed to telling Ned’s story, but — I’ll be honest — I’m not sure I’ve entirely done him justice.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
My motto as a novelist is: “Understanding ourselves by understanding the past.” The point is that my novels are always as much about today as they are about the past. This book is not so much a “war story” or a “love story” (although it is both) as a book about the many faces of courage, ambition, duty, sacrifice — and about the price of survival. I hope the novel will remind each of us to recognize the debts we owe to others — most especially to the dead.
Helena P. Schrader is the author of 21 historical novels and six non-fiction history books. She earned a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg and served as a U.S. diplomat in Europe and Africa. She has won numerous literary awards, and two of her titles—Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow series on the Berlin Airlift, and her Battle of Britain novel, Where Eagles Never Flew—achieved Amazon #1 Bestseller status in aviation and military historical fiction.
Schrader masterfully blends meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling. Her success can best be measured not by the many awards or positive reviews, but by the fact that witnesses of the history she describes praise the authenticity of her works. Battle of Britain ace, W/Cdr Bob Doe enthusiastically declared that Where Eagles Never Flew got it “smack on the way it was for us fighter pilots.” Traitors for the Sake of Humanity: A Novel of the German Resistance won recognition for its extraordinary sensitivity to a complex topic from the survivors of the military conspiracy against Hitler and the widows of some of those executed.
The dramatic siege of Malta in WWII attracted Schrader’s attention years ago, and she has visited the island several times to conduct research, visit the important sites, and gain a greater understanding of the people. As she became drawn deeper into the material, the temptation to combine a novel about the siege of Malta with another of her lifelong loves, the British Merchant Navy, became irresistible. Schrader has been an avid sailor all her life and served as a petty officer in the British Merchant Navy on sail training ships in her youth.
Seattle, 1945. The war is ending-but for many, the hardest battles are just beginning.
In a city transformed by global conflict, four families struggle to find their place amid rising tensions, buried prejudice, and shifting identities. Victory overseas has brought hope, but at home, fear, suspicion, and inequality continue to shape everyday life.
A female defense worker, newly awakened to injustice, risks everything as she steps into the dangerous world of labor activism-threatening not only her future, but the safety of those she loves. A decorated Black war hero returns home expecting honor and opportunity, only to face a different kind of battlefield, where racism and exclusion deny him the freedoms he fought to defend. A Japanese American, released from internment, discovers that the end of war does not mean the end of hatred, and that rebuilding a life in a community that no longer trusts him may be the greatest challenge of all. A hopeful British war bride arrives chasing the promise of a new beginning, only to learn that the American dream is complicated, fragile, and not equally shared.
As labor strikes ripple through the city, racial tensions simmer, and the first shadows of Cold War hysteria begin to take hold, Seattle reveals itself as a place both beautiful and deeply divided. Old prejudices harden even as new voices rise, demanding change.
This powerful, emotionally charged novel strips away the myth of an open and enlightened city, exposing the human cost of exclusion and the quiet courage of those who refuse to accept it.
A sweeping story of resilience, identity, and the search for belonging-welcome to the City on the Sound, where no one is quite sure where they belong.
Publication Date: April 15th, 2026
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 270
Genre: Historical Fiction
Praise for Unbelonging:
"Just a great read and anyone who picks it up is guaranteed to learn a thing or two: from Guadalcanal to local labor disputes."
David J. Jepsen is a historian, writer and educator teaching Pacific Northwest and U.S. history at Tacoma Community College. His novel about racial and labor conflicts in Seattle following WW II, titled Unbelonging, was released in April 2026.
He was lead author of Contested Boundaries: A New Pacific Northwest History (John Wiley and Sons, 2017), and he wrote and directed the award winning documentary Labor Wars of the Northwest, nominated in 2019 for Best Feature Film Made in Washington by the Gig Harbor Film Festival.
David writes a weekly post for the Washington State Historical Society titled “This Day in Washington.” He holds a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Washington.
He lives with his wife, Jackie, in Gig Harbor, WA.
New York City, 1937. Seventeen-year-old Marigold McGrath is coming undone.
Her mother is dead. Her father is drawn to dangerous politics. The only place she feels joy is behind a camera — where she can frame the world on her own terms.
After a series of her own missteps, she reinvents herself in London: mentored by a celebrated émigré photographer, photographing Kindertransport children, working alongside Edward R. Murrow. She falls in love with Joop, a charming Dutch student, and shrugs off the war gathering around her.
Then the Blitz begins.
Joop vanishes into the Dutch Resistance. And Marigold — who has always preferred to photograph the world as she wishes it were — must finally decide what kind of woman, and what kind of witness, she is willing to become.
A sweeping WWII coming-of-age novel set in wartime London.
For readers of Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, and SL Beaumont's The War Photographers
I read a lot ofhistorical novels... this one wasone of my favorites. From the characters to the setting to the actions depicted Ithoroughly enjoyedthe journey—I reallydidn’t want it to end! ~ Netgalley Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrathby Carrie Hayes is the tale of a well to do American seventeen year old sent to Europe just prior toWorld War II. The book isexquisitely writtenwith a well paced dialogue. The characters are well formed and interesting. Sprinkled throughout the book are bits from news outlets that help set the larger context for the reader - they are well timed and helpful.Great read,well worth it!" ~ Goodreads Review, 5*
"The Making of Marigold McGrathexplores a rarely examined aspect of WWII: the complex journeys to maturity ofyoung adults in war-torn Europeas they seek human connection and meaning. Marigold finds both, using her skills as a photographer to document the stories of refugee children. With gobs ofhistorical referencesandvivid imagery, interlaced withintrigueandromance,The Making of Marigold McGrathis agreat read!" ~ Goodreads Review, 5*
A conversation with Carrie Hayes
What inspired you to start writing?
I grew up surrounded by writers and swore to myself that I would never, NEVER become a writer. But my dad used to insist that I would be a writer and invariably, I would roll my eyes and vow that would never be the case. He died when I was 24 years old. Lo and behold, by my fiftieth birthday, I realized that yes, indeed, I was in fact writing a lot of the time, and that I wanted, very much, to write fiction.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The most challenging part was how to describe the magnitude of suffering that occurred, right across the board. It was very important to me that it not be a doom-and-gloom read, filled with the endless horrors of war. At the same time, I wanted to show how ordinary people were grappling with the incessant destruction during the Blitz and how ordinary people responded to the Nazi occupation in Holland. Figuring out how to deal with that reality in my story was an enormous challenge.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
It’s probably Falaise Cooper. We don’t see a lot of her, but for me, she is the essential tower of strength. She doesn’t waiver and she is loving and kind. Falaise is based upon an old lady who really helped me when I was growing up. I was constantly in a muddle and an absolute adolescent mess. The woman who Falaise was based upon simply showed me unwavering kindness.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
An actor named Maisy Stella would be a wonderful Marigold. I saw her in a film called “My Old Ass” and she completely bowled me over- with the right amount of vulnerability, awkwardness and gumption. Hunter Schafer who folks would recognize from “Euphoria” would be a great Trude- Harris Dickinson would make a good Joop.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
The idea behind the book is my belief that heroes show up in the most unexpected people and in the most unexpected ways, and that all of us truly are connected.
Carrie’s first two novels, Naked Truth or Equality and Well Dressed Lies, follow the lives of the iconoclastic suffragist sisters, Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin.
Carrie lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in a rambling Victorian house just outside of New York City.
