Aimie K. Runyan Books In Order

Publication Order of Daughters of New France Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Aimie K. Runyan is a historical fiction author born in Sacramento, USA. She writes in celebration of history’s untold heroes. Runyan is a speaker and educator in the writing community.

The author was selected as Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice as a thrice finalist for the Colorado Book awards and a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year.

Aimie Runyan has been a zealous French and francophone student for over fifteen years.

Across the Winding River
The novel’s a story of a lady who unlocks the mystery of her father’s time in the war in a book about the secrets and power of love and sacrifice. Beth Cohen is looking forward to making the most of the time she has left with her old father, Max.

His only request to his daughter is to peruse through the forgotten box of memorabilia with things from his time as a medic. one of his wartime souvenirs, Beth finds a photo with a beautiful and an adorable stranger, and it raises lots of questions.

After completing his dental training in 1944, Max joined the army as a medic to serve his country. While working in Germany, he met a young lady named Margarethe, a resistance fighter. He had a brief romantic relationship, but after the war was over, she was nowhere to be found.

He didn’t know what had happened to her and her baby. Now 60 years later, Beth is trying to find them, but her father doesn’t know her last name.
Together, they were ready to take the risk for what she believes is right. Max was willing to sacrifice everything to be with Margarethe and even got her travel papers for her to seek amnesty and safety in another country. Beyond them is a dangerous romance with a dream to escape and a destiny that none had control over.

However, it appears Max isn’t the only one being haunted by the memories of the war. A German woman lives in a neighboring private care home with a past to narrate. When Beth and the woman meet, they realize how much more there is to know about her father.

Johanna Patterson is Metta’s elder sister, and during the war, she was an engineer who designed and flew planes. The post-war period in Germany was filthy as people lost contact during the chaos, and it was hard to find someone who was missing.

Both Johanna and Max spend around two years separate trying to look for Margarethe but have no luck, after which they choose to move on with their lives.
The stories of the three main characters are connected where Max is aware that his clock is ticking and wants closure. Beth is recently divorced and wants to use most of the time she has left with her dad and let him rest in knowing what really happened to his first love.

She’s still nursing the wounds of a failed marriage while mourning her mother’s death and her father’s old age. Even in her brokenness, Beth lifts herself with strength she didn’t know she possessed, a strength that shows up when she needs it the most making her a hero in her own way.

On the other hand, Johanna has remarried again and no longer lives in Germany, and even after sixty years, she still wants to find her sister. The novel is based on Metta’s, Max’s, and Johanna’s experiences during World War II.

Max has always kept in touch with the friends he made during the war since they are people who know what really happened and, at times, share their triumphs and heartaches while speaking to one another. The author describes how Max joined the war after he got his mother’s blessings, after which his life changed forever.

Across The Winding River is a gripping story about loss, war, sacrifice, persistence, and destiny. There are themes of family love and loyalty. The author weaved a complex story based on facts to keep the reader engaged to the last page.

The novel includes Max’s reflections on his past life many years back. Aimie transports the reader back to a time during WWII in Germany, making them feel every emotion for humanity, leaving them deep feelings.

The story switches between WWII and the present period. Across the Winding River is a beautiful story of love, courage, and loss set against World War II. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, and the pace is next to perfect.

Daughters in the Sky
Katya Ivanova is pilot in a military academy located in the Ural Mountains. Since childhood, she has dreamt of going to the sky to escape her mountain life. Fast forward to the 1940s, as the war erupts in Europe, Katya is training to be a pilot. In the same military academy, she catches the eye of a soviet soldier and later gets married.

She calls on her wings to serve her country during its darkest hour with the Nazis matching across Europe. She took to the sky to live her dream and put her life at risk.

The pleas of her new husband, a sensitive artist, minding about her safety, can shift her mind from doing her part as a proud Russian girl. The two young couples have no time to enjoy their married life due to the invasion of Germany into Russia. After many years of strenuous training, Katya is tasked to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, which is among the only Soviet air units entirely made of women.

Germans fear nocturnal raids and the ‘Night Witches.’ The witches were known to do a lot of damage to the German companies around. The cruel campaign will bring a bitter toll on Katya and her sister in arms. When the war ends, nothing will be as it was, and one of the Russian military heroines will have to face the most excruciating choice.

The story is told from Katya’s point of view, where the reader can learn how women in the Red Army faced a lot of danger from enemy gunfire and male soldiers whom they were expected to be fighting alongside.

Aimie Runyan did extensive research on what it was like to be a pilot during that time. Katya has a lot to overcome with her fellow aviators from icy temperatures, insufficient rations, subtle resentment, and sexual harassment

One Response to “Aimie K. Runyan”

1. Lori Gottlieb: 2 weeks ago

   The School for German Brides is a deeply passionate read that captures the terror of the Nazi era without reiterating the gore that most readers are already familiar with. It elevates the strength, convictions and resistance of women in the face of unspeakable brutality. My book club loved this superb
   novel which inspired many essential discussions that need to be revisited at this time in our own history. Thank you Aimie, for delivering to your readers
   such excellent writing and fabulous storytelling. We plan to read your other novels with great anticipation. You are an exceptional novelist.

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