RI Authors Showcase - Meet Elizabeth Splaine

Nov 29

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Welcome to the Rhode Island Authors Showcase! Each day in November, this blog will feature a different Rhode Island author. Read the post and leave a comment and you are eligible to win this day’s giveaway!

Leave a comment every day this month for over 30 chances to win either our Grand Prize (a $250 Amazon gift card), our Bonus Prize (a $100 Amazon gift card), or a Cheer-Up Prize (amount to be determined), just in time for holiday shopping!

A winner will be randomly selected one week after the publication of the blog post, and the Grand Prize and Bonus Prize winners will be randomly selected on December 7, 2021. For the daily giveaways, the author will contact you directly to coordinate delivery. Print books for delivery within the US only, please.

Elizabeth Splaine

Elizabeth B. Splaine lives in Rhode Island with her husband, sons, and dogs. When not writing she teaches voice at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Swan Song is her fourth novel. She can be reached via her website www.elizabethsplaineauthor.com.

You can also follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethsplaineauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elizabethsplai2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizbsplaine/

and on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ezs3uxf6

Few people know the following facts about Adolf Hitler. He had a nephew who fought for the Allies, and he had an affair with his niece, Geli Raubal. On the night of September 18, 1931, following a screaming match with Hitler, Geli shot herself in the heart with one of his Walther revolvers. She was one of seven women who attempted suicide following an affair with the megalomaniacal leader. Hitler was devastated and ordered the suicide covered up. As his memory reinvented Geli and her suicide, her death became regal, an honorable, heroic choice to which he would refer again and again over the ensuing years.

In her historical fiction novel, Swan Song, Elizabeth Splaine imagines Hitler’s twisted state of mind as he makes the acquaintance of Ursula Becker, an operatic diva who so closely resembles Geli that he cannot help but be drawn to her. Hitler sees Ursula as his second chance; he yearns to possess and control her. But Ursula’s will is strong and her personality rebellious. As she continues to defy him, Hitler’s broken mind conflates the two women and, over time, the truculent Ursula becomes Geli. Hitler is left with two choices: once again cause the death of someone he cherishes, or allow her to live and openly defy him. The personal decisions he makes, as seen through Ursula’s eyes, reflect the turmoil he continues to create throughout the world.

Splaine wrote Swan Song for many reasons, not the least of which is to continue educating future generations about the danger of bigotry. As the greatest generation passes away, we must remember that war is never black and white. Rather, it’s a grotesque spectrum of gray in which morals are traded for food, and dignity for warmth. The ugly side of humanity is paraded before the world to be judged. In recent politics we have been continually reminded of “us” and “them.” Swan Song reminds the reader that, to ensure survival and prosperity, there is only “we” and “us.”

Elizabeth is thrilled to be the featured author in Ink Fish Books' Rhody Reader Box, an innovative project that supports local businesses while giving back to charity. Check out her website or https://www.inkfishbooks.com for more information.

As her book is about a Jewish opera singer who rises to fame in Nazi Germany and becomes the object of Hitler's twisted obsession, Elizabeth, a retired opera singer, is giving away a 1/2 hour virtual voice lesson (value approx. $40.) Tap into your inner diva! You can connect with Elizabeth from anywhere.