Meet Charlie Butler
Twenty-seven
year-old Charlie Butler is the eldest of two boys born to Dr Malcom Butler, a
Harley Street gynaecologist, and his wife, Audrey. Having always wanted to fly
airplanes, he joined the Royal Air Force straight from school and has recently
been promoted to Flight Lieutenant. He is handsome, he knows it, and it doesn’t
bother him one bit that he has a reputation as a womaniser.
He first
sees Kate Sheridan the day after her arrival in London from Ireland. Her aunt
had brought her to Oxford Street to smarten her up and Charlie finds himself
mesmerised by the ‘film star’ who gets out of a cab across the street from him.
It isn’t
until he’s granted Christmas leave that Charlie has the opportunity to ask her
out to the pictures. He behaves himself, the date goes well and, despite
misgivings about getting involved with a woman during a war, he asks her out
again – this time taking her to his favourite jazz club.
There, he
gets the shock of his life when the beautiful woman seated opposite him lets
slip that she is, in fact, a nineteen-year-old girl. Clearly dismayed by his
reaction, Kate gets up to leave. Should he let the girl he is beginning to feel
very strongly about walk out of the club and his life? Find out what he decides
in Into The Unknown.
Excerpt:
A couple of
hours later, Charlie sank back into one of the leather armchairs which ran
along a wall in the Officers’ Mess at his fighter base, his mind still on
Kate’s legs and lips. He was pretty unnerved that a mere glimpse of this girl
could affect him like this.
“Oi,
Charlie?” He jumped as someone’s goggles hit him on the head and dropped into
his lap. He looked around as Pilot Officer Billy “The Kid” Benson grinned at
him. “Had a good leave?”
“It was the
usual, but then...” He trailed off and frowned.
Billy
laughed. “War is declared, yeah, great. It’ll be all go from now on.”
“No, it’s
not that.”
“What? You
don’t think the Luftwaffe deserve a good old thrashing?” Billy’s voice had
risen and Charlie began to tense.
“Of course
I do. It’s just that I saw this girl...”
“Ah,” Billy
roared and the others sniggered. “Yet another female about to fall for the
Butler banter.”
“I didn’t
even speak to her.”
“Just as
well, or you’ll have Doris after your balls. Bloody hell, is no woman safe? You
must have little blighters running about all over the country!”
“No, I
bloody don’t,” Charlie snapped, wishing he hadn’t opened his mouth. “I’m
careful, which is more than can be said for you.”
“My father
isn’t a bloody Harley Street gynaecologist who knows where to get condoms
from.”
“Well, you
should at least try and get some from somewhere. A barber’s, perhaps?”
“Charlie’s
right.” A calm voice spoke from the door and they all turned in surprise.
No-one had heard Squadron Leader Ralph Clarke come in and they all got to their
feet to salute him. “Now we’re at war we can’t afford any...accidents. We’ll
all be under pressure from now on. We all have our needs, but we don’t want to
be leaving them with something to remember us by. Try, lads, I’m sure they’re
not that hard to find.”
“Yes, sir,”
they all mumbled, and Charlie sat back down in his chair with some
satisfaction.
“Now,
look.” Clarke leaned back against the door. “No lectures, but I’ll give you all
an idea of what to expect. Everyone here and at Fighter Command expects your
full support in whatever operations you are sent on. The plan is that we carry
out two weeks of maximum effort, one week of sustained effort, followed by one
week of rest. Our first objectives are raids against German warships in
Heligoland—which is just off the north coast of Germany—and the dropping of
leaflets, but we are not to raid Germany itself.”
There were
mumblings at that and Clarke raised his hands. “Patience,” he told them, then
smiled at Charlie. “Congratulations on your promotion.”
Blurb and
buy Links
London on 3
September 1939 is in upheaval. War is inevitable. Into this turmoil steps Kate
Sheridan, newly arrived from Ireland to live with her aunt and uncle, and look
for work. When she meets Flight Lieutenant Charlie Butler sparks fly, but he is
a notorious womaniser. Should she ignore all the warnings and get involved with
a ladies man whose life will be in daily danger?
Charlie
Butler has no intention of getting involved with a woman. But when he meets
Kate his resolve is shattered. Should he allow his heart to rule his head and
fall for a nineteen-year-old Irish girl while there is a war to fight?
Private
conflicts and personal doubts are soon overshadowed. Will the horrors of war
bring Kate and Charlie together or tear them apart?
Amazon UK -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UAY719Y
Amazon US -
http://amzn.com/B00UAY719Y
Smashwords
- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/525040
Barnes and
Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121346684
Author Bio and Links
Lorna Peel is an author of contemporary and historical
romantic fiction. She has had work published in three Irish magazines –
historical articles on The Stone of Scone in ‘Ireland’s Own’, on The Irish
Potato Famine in the ‘Leitrim Guardian’ – and Lucy’s Lesson, a contemporary
short story in ‘Woman’s Way’.
Her first novel, Only You, a contemporary romance, was
published in 2014. Into The Unknown, an historical novel set during WWII, will
be published in May 2015.
Lorna was born in England and lived in North Wales until her
family moved to Ireland to become farmers, which is a book in itself! She lives
in rural Ireland, where she write, researches her family history, and grows
fruit and vegetables. She also keeps chickens (and a Guinea Hen who now thinks
she’s a chicken!).
Thank you for hosting me, Kay!
GIVEAWAY!
Make sure to follow the whole
tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter
the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/lorna-peel-2/
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This is a lovely blog post to read ,Lorna. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Sounds like a wonderful read and I'll be downloading it soon.
ReplyDeleteThe best of luck with 'Into the Unknown'
Thank you, Cathy!
ReplyDelete