August 15, 2016 – JO LAMBERT

HELENE LEUSCHEL

Have you ever felt confused or at a loss for words in front of a spouse, colleague or parent, to the extent that you have felt inadequate or, worse, a failure? Do you ever wonder why someone close to you seems to endure humiliation without resistance?
Manipulators are everywhere. At first these devious and calculating people can be hard to spot, because that is their way. They are often masters of disguise: witty, disarming, even charming in public – tricks to snare their prey – but then they revert to their true self of being controlling and angry in private. Their main aim: to dominate and use others to satisfy their needs, with a complete lack of compassion and empathy for their victim.
In this collection of short novellas, you meet people like you and me, intent on living happy lives, yet each of them, in one way or another, is caught up and damaged by a manipulative individual. First you meet a manipulator himself, trying to make sense of his irreversible incarceration. Next, there is Tess, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision, then young, successful and well balanced Sophie, who is drawn into the life of a little boy and his troubled father. Next, there is teenage Holly, who is intent on making a better life for herself and finally Lisa, who has to face a parent’s biggest regret. All stories highlight to what extent abusive manipulation can distort lives and threaten our very feeling of self-worth.

PURCHASE LINKS:

About the Author

Helene Andrea Leuschel was born and raised in Belgium to German parents. She gained a Licentiate in Journalism, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. Helene moved to the Algarve in 2009 with her husband and two children, working as a freelance TV producer and teaching yoga. She recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening her passion for the study of the mind. Manipulated Lives is Helene’s first work of fiction.

Catch up with Helene on Social Media

Twitter.com/HALeuschel

Or @HALeuschel

Facebook.com/HALeuschel.

Linkedin.com/in/heleneleuschel

Betrayal, injustice and revenge echo down the years…

1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey.
All too soon Olive realises she’s made a mistake.
Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer-
but there’s a price to pay. . .

2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own…
Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive.

Thrown together in a bid to find out what really happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on?

LINK TO BUY: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ Echoes-Time-Guernsey-Novels- Book-ebook/dp/B01IXB3LRG

My Review

I was privileged to receive a pre-publication copy of Echoes of Time. This is the first time I’ve read anything by Anne and was the fourth time slip novel I’ve read this year – a genre I’ve really come to enjoy.

Beauregard Cottage sits on the site of a farmhouse which burnt down many years ago. There is also something of a mystery surrounding the owner, Olive Falla, who disappeared around the time of the fire. Natalie Ogier, quitting her highly paid job in London, has returned home to the island to escape her abusive partner Liam and begin a new life. Falling in love with the cottage she buys it and discovers the neighbouring property, The Barn, is owned by the farmer’s grandson Stuart Cross, a teacher. A friendship blossoms but anything beyond that seems impossible. Like Natalie, Stuart is also escaping from a painful past so new relationships aren’t on his agenda either. When Natalie begins to hear voices and has disturbing dreams she believes are tied to Olive, she enlists Stuart’s help. Together, with his mother Tabitha (Tabby) who grew up on the farm, they begin to piece together Olive’s life during the war. They hope to establish what happened to her and why it appears her unhappy spirit is now haunting the cottage.

Echoes of Time is a beautifully written story woven between the past and present. Life on Guernsey during the Nazi occupation is dealt with in great detail and shows exactly how much hardship the islanders suffered. A great read and thoroughly deserving of five stars.

About Anne Allen

Anne Allen lives in Devon but originates from Rugby. Finding early on in life that she loved the sea she spent most of her adult years moving from one coast to another. Her happiest time was spent in Guernsey where she lived for nearly 14 years and her books are all set on that beautiful island. Until recently Anne was a psychotherapist but has now retired to write full time. So far she has published Dangerous Waters, Finding Mother, Guernsey Retreat, The Family Divided and Echoes of Time, forming the Guernsey Novels series. The books focus on love, mystery, drama and relationships. A sixth, The Betrayal, will be published in 2017.