Pretend Bride

About the Book

In the Year of 1793, after corresponding for several years, William Hooker of Newport, Rhode Island and Monique Du Mont of Reims, France marry by proxy. After receiving his copy of the marriage certificate from Monique. William acquires travel documents for himself and Monique, then takes ship for France to get her. Arriving in Reims, France, William learns that Monique had died of tetanus. Devastated, William starts back to America. In Paris he stops over for the night. Azura Gauzet, who had been in the service of Contessa Marie Jeanne Du Barry, returned home to her mother; only to have to flee to avoid arrest as a Royalist sympathizer. In Paris, she was attacked by two men in the night. William, out for a stroll, heard a woman scream. He was able to rescue Azura. However, the two men assaulting her now lay dead. William realized that to save himself, he would also have to save her. She would pose as his wife until they both were out of France. They headed for the coast by public coach to take ship to America. The two dead men were soon discovered and Monsieur Proust, an agent of the Committee of Public Safety, went in pursuit by public coach. Will they make it to safety?

About the Author

Raised on a ranch in north Texas. Michael entered Military service in 1956. He served two tours in Vietnam. The first with the Airborne Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. The second as an infantry heavy weapon adviser on a mobile adviser team (MAT-105). Retired from military service in 1977 as a Sergeant First Class. Michael won the 2009 Beach Book Festival award in the history category for “SHINY BAYONET”. A first hand historical account of the first combat operation of the Vietnam war of the men of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile), 10 to 14 October 1965. Michael is the author of several books. He now lives with his wife Jeanne in Evans Georgia.