Stella Bled Series by A.W. Hartoin

For Stella Bled Lawrence being wealthy and stylish in 1938 is exactly what it's cracked up to be. She's blissfully unaware of the rising tensions in Europe even as she travels to Vienna on the eve of the Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass. Stella and her husband, Nicky, witness the night's atrocities first hand. Even as they watch the horror, they never imagine it will touch them personally, a pair of wealthy Americans on their honeymoon but touch them it does... moreFor Stella Bled Lawrence being wealthy and stylish in 1938 is exactly what it's cracked up to be. She's blissfully unaware of the rising tensions in Europe even as she travels to Vienna on the eve of the Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass. Stella and her husband, Nicky, witness the night's atrocities first hand. Even as they watch the horror, they never imagine it will touch them personally, a pair of wealthy Americans on their honeymoon but touch them it does. In the chaotic aftermath, Stella finds passion and purpose in the form of a package with a Paris address. She promises to deliver it, not knowing what it contains or who wants it. Soon Stella must decide who and what she's willing to sacrifice to keep a secret that has been quietly guarded for five hundred years. less

November, 1938 It began in Vienna, after a night of fire and fear. Stella Bled Lawrence made a promise and she kept it. But the job isn’t done. Abel Hershmann’s cousins, unaware of the danger, are heading to Venice in search of him and the family secret he carried. Stella and her husband, Nicky, follow, intent on warning them. But things don’t go to plan. Venice is flooded, Stella aggravates her injuries, and the cousins are no where to be found. Suspicions abound and friends are hard to find... moreNovember, 1938 It began in Vienna, after a night of fire and fear. Stella Bled Lawrence made a promise and she kept it. But the job isn’t done. Abel Hershmann’s cousins, unaware of the danger, are heading to Venice in search of him and the family secret he carried. Stella and her husband, Nicky, follow, intent on warning them. But things don’t go to plan. Venice is flooded, Stella aggravates her injuries, and the cousins are no where to be found. Suspicions abound and friends are hard to find. Italy has fallen under Hitler’s spell and nothing is as it was. The Nazis and, in particular, SS Oberführer Peiper still want their prize and believe Stella and Nicky have it. Stella will have to decide how far her loyalty goes and where she belongs: far away safe from the gathering storm or on the front lines with a chance to change the course of the coming war. Her choices will affect her family’s future for generations to come. less

It’s been a year since Stella Bled Lawrence and her husband, Nicky, escaped Italy by the skin of their teeth and a lot has changed. Nicky joined the Royal Air Force and Stella spent the year training as a spy for His Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service. She has the languages and the tradecraft down pat, but she still has a way to go when the Earl of Bickford pulls her from her training early... moreIt’s been a year since Stella Bled Lawrence and her husband, Nicky, escaped Italy by the skin of their teeth and a lot has changed. Nicky joined the Royal Air Force and Stella spent the year training as a spy for His Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service. She has the languages and the tradecraft down pat, but she still has a way to go when the Earl of Bickford pulls her from her training early. The earl uses his influence to make her a courier, a job well below her skills, but it’s not as simple as it seems. The new head of the service isn’t convinced of her worth and Stella has to use the opportunity to show him that she and other women can deliver for Britain or she’s out on her ear. That would be enough to make any newly-minted spy nervous, but the earl isn’t done. He has a favor to ask and the request sends Stella to a place that will haunt her forever. (from Amazon) less

Paris 1940The Reich is moving in and Stella Bled Lawrence can’t get out.Stella has proved adept at the double agent game, too adept as it turns out. The British want her to stay where she is, even though she’s about to be trapped, and worse, the Nazis want to expand her work into a distressing direction.When two Nazi agents go rogue, Stella is at the right place at the wrong time. She ends up on the worst mission possible and her Nazi handler Villemain demands success or else... moreParis 1940The Reich is moving in and Stella Bled Lawrence can’t get out.Stella has proved adept at the double agent game, too adept as it turns out. The British want her to stay where she is, even though she’s about to be trapped, and worse, the Nazis want to expand her work into a distressing direction.When two Nazi agents go rogue, Stella is at the right place at the wrong time. She ends up on the worst mission possible and her Nazi handler Villemain demands success or else.Stella thinks she can use this new mission to get herself and her poodle, Bijou, out of Paris. It isn’t the best place to be between food shortages, roaming packs of abandoned dogs, and desperate people with the Wehrmacht marching ever closer.One problem leads to another and Stella’s assigned to work on the Reich’s plan for theft on a grand scale with sidelines into documenting Jewish art and apartments. Everyone wants something and Stella thinks she has nothing left to give until she realizes her wretched assignments might be used to help the people she cares about instead of hurting them. It's a huge gamble, but she’s willing to take it.Once she’s on the job, her expertise in art gets noticed and delivers an opportunity that the British never thought they’d have. The ultimate sacrifice is always on the table and Stella will have to make a devastating choice. People won’t survive. The question is…will Stella? less