Aimie K. Runyan
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan
Author of The School for German Brides, A Bakery in Paris, and The Memory of Lavender and Sage
About The Memory of Lavender and Sage:
Food critic Tempèsta Luddington has always felt like the odd person out in her family, ever since she lost her beloved mother at the tender age of thirteen. When her workaholic father passes fifteen years later, Tempèsta is not surprised that the majority of the considerable family money will pass to her dutiful younger brother, Wal. Still, she is left a modest remembrance from her mother, and for the first time Tempèsta has a world of choices before her.
Lost in grief and hoping to reconnect with her memories and her mother’s past, she uses the money to buy a ramshackle manor house in Sainte-Colombe, a small village in Provence, where her mother had grown up. But she is greeted with more questions than answers. Her welcome, especially by the town’s stodgy mayor, is cold at best, and she finds herself wondering if the entire experiment was a mistake.
Yet she stays, stubbornly sticking it out, slowly learning that her mother’s legacy was more than just a nest egg. Through her mother and the village, Tempèsta learns the value of community and friendship, the importance of self-confidence, and the power of love and trust. What’s more, she sees for herself that there is magic and beauty in the everyday—even something as simple as a sprig of lavender and sage.
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan
About The School for German Brides:
Germany, 1939
As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother's death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a "bride school." There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a "proper" German wife. The lessons of hatred, prejudice, and misogyny disturb her and she finds herself desperate to escape.
For Mathilde Altman, a German Jewish woman, the war has brought more devastation than she ever thought possible. Torn from her work, her family, and her new husband, she fights to keep her unborn baby safe. But when the unthinkable happens, Tilde realizes she must hide. The risk of discovery grows greater with each passing day, but she has no other options.
When Hanna discovers that Tilde is hiding near the school, she knows she must help her however she can. For Tilde, fear wars with desperation. The women must take extraordinary risks to save the lives of mother and baby.
Will they both be able to escape with their lives and if they do, what kind of future can they possibly hope for?
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan
Author I draw inspiration from:
Margaret Atwood
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In the bathtub!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
This is tough... I can't think of one off the top of my head who could fix an elevator ;-)
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Third grade. We were given handmade blank books (mine was leopard print and so awesome). I loved the thrill of being able to write whatever I wanted. I think I wrote a retelling of the myth of Atalanta. Fun times!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
All of the above! Hardback and paperback are my preferred for general reading. Ebooks for travel and audio for driving and workouts.
The last book I read:
The Librarian Spy by Madeleine Martin. So good!
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Mostly computer, but lots of notes on paper. I almost always have a notebook with me.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Eloise from Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series and I would enjoy being snarky together.
Author Interview - Aimie K. Runyan | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Probably a French teacher as that was my career for ten years before I became a writer.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
1950s. I love full skirts.
Place I’d most like to travel:
New Zealand
My signature drink:
For alcohol? Probably cognac or a good red wine. In reality, I drink cold brew and seltzer by the truckload.
Favorite artist:
Renoir. His painting "Woman Reading" is one of my favorites.
Number one on my bucket list:
Travel to all seven continents I only have two so far: North America and Europe.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Working hard on my next book, A Bakery in Paris. It's a triple timeline with the Paris Commune/Post WWII/late 1990s pitched as Les Mis meets Chocolat... and it is all kinds of fun to write. Can't wait to share it with you!
Find more from the author:
IG:@bookishaimie
Twitter/FB:@aimiekrunyan
About Aimie K. Runyan:
Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a three-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next book, A School for German Brides, is forthcoming from William Morrow in spring of 2022. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, two (usually) adorable children, and two (always) adorable kitties. To learn more about Aimie, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com.
