Monday, March 19, 2018

Angelle Petta on Blog Tour for The Artist and The Soldier, May 2018

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The Artist and The Soldier
by Angelle Petta

Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Warren Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 336 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/LGBTQ

 

 

Two young men come of age and fall in love, set against the backdrop of true events during World War II.

It’s 1938. Bastian Fisher and Max Amsel meet at an American-Nazi camp, Siegfried. Neither have any idea what to do with their blooming, confusing feelings for one another. Before they can begin to understand, the pair is yanked apart and forced in opposite directions.

Five years later, during the heart of World War II, Bastian’s American army platoon lands in Salerno, Italy. Max is in Nazi-occupied Rome where he has negotiated a plan to hire Jews on as ‘extras’ in a movie—an elaborate ruse to escape the Nazis. Brought together by circumstance and war, Bastian and Max find one another again in Rome.

Exploring the true stories of Camp Siegfried and the making of the film, La Porta del Cielo, The Artist and the Soldier is intense, fast moving, and sheds light on largely untouched stories in American and Italian history.

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Praise for The Artist and the Soldier

“Navigating the complex terrain of the friendship, love and sexual awakening of two young men in the shadow of Nazi occupation, Petta summons tenderness, vulnerability and insight. The Artist and the Soldier reminds us what it means to be human in the face of fascism. A timely book!” -Michaela Carter, author of Further Out Than You Thought

“Petta’s novel reopens historical landscapes–from the woods of Camp Siegfried designed to teach a German boy “his place in the order of the world” to the set of La Porta del Cielo where hundreds of lives were saved through a film. In between, readers follow the stories of Max and Bastian. I am taken with the love between Bastian and Max in part because of its unlikelihood and in part for its inevitability–in times of war, it seems most necessary to open oneself to love. As one character says, “Love is never insignificant. Love is the reason we’re here.” To keep company with Max, Bastian, and the characters in The Artist and The Soldier is to celebrate life and art and the extraordinary capacity of each to heal.” – Nicole Tong, author of How to Prove a Theory

“What an amazing true-life premise for a great story! It made for a compelling read. The narrative of Petta’s novel drew me into her historical fiction world, and held me through to the end. Petta has created an original, well written, and fascinating work that takes me back to one of the most important turning points in modern world history.” – Lauren Nalls, author in “Of Words” series

About the Author

Angelle Petta is the author of the novel The Artist and The Soldier, forthcoming with Warren Publishing, spring 2018. She began writing novels 15 years ago and has written in several genres.

She holds an MA from Emerson College, and a master’s equivalency in Drama Therapy through the NADTA. Angelle is a registered drama therapist and a PhD student at Lesley University. She works as a Drama Therapist at an Expressive Arts Center in Virginia called A Place To Be.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, two delightful dogs, and one fat cat.

For more information, please visit Angelle Petta’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.