The Fantastic Flying Book Club: Welcome to the Club, Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1)
by Anne Blankman
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 22nd 2014

Synopsis:

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

Hi Anne! We are really happy to host this FFBC. We are super excited to have the Prisoner of Night and Fog in our FFBC. 

Thanks so much for having me! 

Oooh, this is almost a cruel question! I can only choose one? I think I'll have to go with PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen. The characters are beautifully drawn, and I start off hating Mr. Darcy and falling in love with him by the end every time I read it.

When you're so deeply attuned to your story that, when you stop writing, you're surprised to see your own face, and not your main character's, in the mirror.

Right now I'm catching up on old seasons of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and I'm obsessed with it. A huge cast of characters, star crossed lovers, and plenty of snarky humor make it a winner for me.

Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST. The always gorgeous and debonair Cary Grant tries to escape from a lethal spy ring and falls in love with Eva Marie Saint along the way. Doesn't get much better than that.

This changes from week to week. Generally, it's whatever gets me in the mood to write.

Banana chips. Weird, I know. :)

Po from GRACELING. He's handsome, skilled at combat, and has a great sense of humor. What's not to love?

I don't like getting stuck in a book rut, so I try to read a variety of genres.

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.--Winston Churchill

This isn't exactly "fangirling," but I love people who are passionate about something in life--whether it's writing, painting, teaching, knitting, whatever. People who aren't afraid to fall in love with something and pursue it are so inspiring.

Shakespeare, definitely. Anyone that talented and prolific has got to be fascinating.

During my research for PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, I learned a lot about several real-life anti-Nazi journalists. I particularly admire Fritz Gerlich. His commitment to writing investigative articles about the Nazi Party, while knowing he was putting himself in grave danger, takes my breath away.

I'm so glad to be there! I hope you enjoy PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG and want to continue reading about Gretchen and Daniel's adventures in the sequel, which releases next April from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. 

It's a YA romantic historical thriller about a teenager who's grown up in Hitler's inner circle. When a fearless young Jewish reporter tells her that her father was actually murdered by the Nazis, she plunges into an investigation that forces her to question everything she'd ever believed...and to follow her own heart for the first time. 

The research was intense, but I loved it. I read everything I could get my hands on: biographies, memoirs, psychological profiles, essays, you name it. Primary sources, such as old maps and photographs, helped me envision the setting. I watched Nazi propaganda films, like "Triumph of the Will." I studied Hitler's autobiography, Mein Kampf, and his early speeches. I felt a tremendous responsibility to portray Hitler as accurately as possible, not just because he was a real person but out of respect for his millions of victims. It would have been really easy to reduce him to a caricature--a villain rubbing his hands with glee, but he wasn't like that at all. 

Resilient, smart, tough, naive, and then disillusioned

The first kiss scene, of course! 

What a fun question! I think Chloe Grace Moretz would make an excellent Gretchen Müller, the main character. Luke Grimes looks just like Daniel Cohen, the reporter. The role of Hitler would be really hard, but I think Kevin Spacey could pull it off. 

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Give Anne some Prisoner of Night and Fog love. Let us know what do you think about the book and why you are excited to read it :)

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