The Captain's Wife (Book One)

     The Lyons Saga by Leslie Peppers is a captivating story that will transport you into a world created by the author filled with intriguing characters. The Captain's Wife is where she introduces you to them and gives you details of their private lives as well as a glimpse into a future of unexpected danger, espionage, romantic physical encounters and a well kept family secret is slowly revealed.
     The story centers on Genevieve Delcroix, who works in the intelligence division on the U.S. Destroyer Base in San Diego, and has a Top Secret security clearance level. Genevieve lives a secluded life with her French American family who is part of the close knit society there she is a reluctant member of and does not play their games. While sitting alone on a bench during her lunch hour one day a woman named Joanna Mitchell sees Genevieve and introduces herself. Joanna has just moved from the Navy base in Oahu, Hawaii and is waiting on the ship her husband Mitch is the captain of to arrive at its’ new homeport. During the short wait time Joanna and Genevieve become close friends.
     Commander Trevor Lyons is a navigator for the ship. He was born and raised in Washington D.C. by an American mother and British father until he was of age to begin his education and was sent to London to maintain his British heritage. Instead of attending a university there he chose to attend the United States Naval Academy due to his love of the sea that developed on his numerous trips aboard ocean liners to spend summers at home. The unusually handsome commander meets Genevieve through Joanna and their lives collide.

The Commander (Book Two)

     The Commander continues in San Diego where The Captain’s Wife left off, with the reunion of Trevor and his mother after a three year separation. His father arrives days later and soon his entire family is reunited. Over the next two months Genevieve and Trevor, accompanied by their friends and families, live a life filled with lavish parties at the Yacht and Beach Club and celebrations of weddings. Then early one morning the family secret is out. After the dramatic events that follow things return to normal until their world crumbles at their feet and they are left standing in the rubble. The United States declares war on Japan.
     The entire West Coast goes under a mandatory blackout to protect it from a Japanese invasion targeting bases for all the branches of our military, manufacturing facilities and other strategic locations. Even though it is the holiday season the base in San Diego is filling beyond capacity with men who left their homes to enlist in the Navy.
     The New Year is bittersweet as well, because with it comes the day Genevieve has dreaded since she met Trevor, the day of his deployment along with William and Mitch, two men she adores who are married to her nearest and dearest friends. But now it has taken a terrible turn, they are going to war.

The Field Agent (Book Three)

     The Lyons Saga concludes with The Field Agent and will be released in Spring of 2023. Readers will learn who returns from the six month deployment into the Pacific Theater where the war with Japan is taking place. There will be be events that will cause your jaw to drop and your spine to tingle. Then an ending that doubtfully anyone will have expected.
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The Captain's Wife and The Commander of The Lyons Saga trilogy are available in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats. A large print edition in paperback is also available. Find out more information or purchase them through the following links:


The Commander :

All Formats:
Amazon U.S.: www.amazon.com  UK; www.amazon.com.uk  Canada;www.amazon.com.ca  France; www.amazon.fr et cetera

Hardcover and Paperback:

eBook:
Kobo, U.S. and international website; www.kobo.com/the-commander

Large Print:


The Captain's Wife :

All Formats:
Barnes & Noble; www.barnesandnoble.com
Amazon U.S.: www.amazon.com   UK; www.amazon.com.uk  France; www.amazon.fr   Australia; www.amazon.com.au  et cetera

Hardcover and Paperback:
Foyles UK: www.foyles.com.uk
Waterstones UK; www.waterstones.com
booktopia of Australia; www.booktopia.com.au
BOOKS.A.MILLION US; www.booksamillion.com

eBook:
Kobo, U.S. and international website; www.kobo.com/the-captains-wife
BajaLibros for Portugal; www.bajalibros.com

Paperback:
Indigo of Canada; www.chapters.indigo.ca
Thru Abebooks U.S. for Germany; www.abebooks.com

Large Print:
Merchandise with humorous quotes, the mugs featured from Sam's Diner and a replica of the wedding invitation suite described in The Commander for your own wedding or as a keepsake, shirts and caps from Jed's are available, along with promotional items for retailers such as book markers and posters for The Lyons Saga all at Leslie Peppers at Zazzle Inc.

About the Author

     Leslie Peppers is known for being an artist, but when she was a little girl she started writing short stories, then in her teens she started writing poetry all for her eyes only. This changed in May of 2015 when she went public with Coincidence or Fate?, a very short story the author made into a video that is an automated book available at no cost online at vimeo. It’s the true story about her involvement with the SARS epidemic of 2003.
     Apparently writing was still in the back of her mind as she created artworks, because a few months later the author had an idea for a novel. Being an artist she didn’t want to commit to a project that would occupy the majority of her time. Then one day the desire to tell the story overtook her. After beginning to write the outline she realized it was going to take more than one book to tell. And without hesitating she dived into The Lyons Saga and found the water was warm.

An Interview with the Author by Alison Bird

Sitting at a table in Leslie Peppers favorite place to meet, the MFA Café at the Museum of Fine Art, Houston, I feel like the man who interviews the actors for Inside the Actor’s Studio, because I am here to interview Leslie about her book The Captain’s Wife. It is on the table to my left and there is a stack of index cards and a pen in front of me next to my macchiato. Across from me is a San Pellegrino with lime for her. By the way, I am early, she is not late. And there she is with her hair pulled back as always and wearing black. My first question is not on the cards.

What was the last painting you looked at, the Gérôme, (Tiger on the Watch) or the Seurat, (Young Woman Powdering Herself)?

     “The Gérôme. I do love tigers. There are some things that are predictable about me.”

I place my hand on the book as I tell her: and there are some things that are oh so not.

     “Of all the things I have done artistically, that one was certainly unlike anything else."

I didn’t see it coming. Where did you get the idea, your imagination or something you saw?

     “You are the first person to ask me that. —  It was something I saw. I had a dream that was all of 10 seconds. Two young women were sitting on the floor with a woman who was in her forties and they were wearing retro dresses. When I woke up I immediately thought how odd and out of the blue it was. Then I began imagining events around it to fill in the blanks. I made one of the young women the main female character who is half American and half French then named her Genevieve Delcroix. Days passed and I was still adding to it for some reason. I began to feel like the author Karen Dinesen, Meryl Streep played her in Out of Africa, because Karen would have someone give her the first sentence for a story and she would tell one from it. Anyway, I had just written Coincidence or Fate? to let people know that an herbal tincture of lobelia can cure pneumonia and I remembered I did enjoy writing short stories and poetry. Then one thing led to another and there it is — my first novel."

For my next question I am going to pretend for the reader's sake I don't know the answer. Why did you choose Early Bird Co to publish your saga?

    “One of the big four publishing houses was going to. The publishing consultant assigned to me, after reading the manuscript for The Captain’s Wife said ‘your book is beautiful’. Things were moving along smoothly until we were discussing the industries standard guidelines and the reasons that stopped me from signing with them was; an author’s first book should be between 375 to 389 pages. After editing a 442 page manuscript down to 409 I felt deeper cuts would compromise the soul of the story and I couldn’t do that to something I poured my heart into. The other reason was my copyright had to be signed over to the publisher and I would be required to 'listen to their advise'. As fate would have it a few days later I watched the film Genius. It was about the relationship that formed between an editor for Scribner's in New York City and the author Thomas Wolfe. It gave me a shock to my nervous system. The following Monday I called the publishing consultant and declined their offer. Then I called you.”

Smiling I open the book to the Acknowledgements page. Since you agreed to this I am going to take advantage of it. I have been itching to ask you this. How did Henry Cavill wind up on this page?

    “I was already writing The Captain’s Wife and taking my day off. I decided to watch The Man From U.N.C.L.E, a movie he was starring in and at one point I realized he is the embodiment of Trevor, the main male character in my saga. Knowing he was British I decided to keep Trevor's mother American, make his father British and give Trevor a British accent. This required rewrites that made it possible for me to add more drama and humor. It had an impact I was very happy with, so I thanked him.”

As you well should have, because the moment I read "blue eyes", in my mind I could see him. Then I started thinking of actors and actresses for the other characters and while I read I could see it all in my imagination and felt like I was watching a movie, so I really enjoyed reading the book. Speaking of a movie, knowing you, instead of asking if, I will ask when your saga makes it to the big screen who do you see in the roles of your other characters?

     “That is a loaded question. Of course a dream come true would be to have Henry Cavill as Commander Trevor Lyons. Helen Mirren has to be his fraternal grandmother, Hilda Lyons. I see Frank Langella when I think about Thomas Harding and Christopher Walken as Mr. Blackwell. Mathieu Demy could be Genevieve’s father. I have no idea who could play her older brother Theo and Trevor’s best friend, William. The same goes for Joanna and Emily, but I see Patricia Clarkson as Emily's mother, Faye. Even though Andy Garcia is not Italian, I want him to play one of the Bertucci brothers. And Viggo Mortensen has to be Captain “Mitch” Mitchell. The Commander has a role for Olivier Martinez and The Field Agent has one Colin Ferrell should play. And … that is all I am going to say. Who did you see?"

I’m not as good at this as I thought. Frank Langella is Thomas Harding. And I motion for a server.