Gary Dickson

It began as a simple flirtation . . . In September of 1963, Scott Stoddard, an American graduate student, is traveling to Switzerland, when he meets the Countess de Rovere, a French divorcee; he is smitten, and she is intrigued. What begins as a little coquetry soon becomes a serious love affair, much to the consternation of the Countess's ex-husband and mother, not to mention the Countess's friends of European high society. A meeting of equals poses problems enough, but what about one between two people who seem to have so many differences? And when a man of traditional attitudes couples with an independent and self-confident woman, something's got to give. It won't be the countess. As their liaison transcends an affair that cannot be dismissed, they all agree that something must be done. An Improbable Pairing is a historical romance that chronicles the enduring themes of a young man's coming of age and the rebellious love of the mismatched. This pas de deux, set in the golden years of 1960s Paris, Geneva, Gstaad, and Cannes, provides an insider's peek into the worlds of haute couture, three-star gourmet restaurants, and lavish hotel suites--the domains of rank and privilege. But society's privileged resist when an interloper threatens to upset their cozy structure.

An Improbable Pairing

In July of 1964, Desirée and Scott Stoddard are honeymooning in the South of France when their idyll is interrupted by a notice from Scott's draft board advising him that his status is being reviewed. Desirée, doesn't understand why her new husband, must traipse off to some military base in Germany to be tested.

A Spy with Scruples

He has always lived in mystery; will she be the one to discover his secret? Robert Valmer moves from Rome to Beverly Hills in 2015, where against his better judgment, he falls for Alexis Roth, PhD, psychologist to the stars. But Alexis wants to know everything. Start from the beginning, she says. The beginning? Can he really tell her about how he fled France during the French Revolution in 1789 or about Italy during World War II? If he tells her even a little, will she think of him as a liar or a freak rather than a lover? He tries to deflect her probes, pleading shyness, but she knows that reticence is often the veil behind which secrecy lurks. His practice of stonewalling only further ignites her burning curiosity. As the pressure for honesty mounts, he does what he's always done-flee. But Alexis is not a lover to be easily dismissed. She follows him to Europe, determined to track him down for an explanation. Where can she start when her quarry doesn't want to be found? Each clue she uncovers leads her deeper into intrigue. An Oddity of Some Consequence is a glamorous tale of mystery, romance, and the fountain of youth.

An Oddity of Some Consequence

Gary Dickson is an inveterate traveler, an avid gourmet, and a Francophile sans merci. He received his B.A. degree in history while in the United States and then attended graduate school at l'Université de Lausanne, Faculté des Lettres to study l'histoire in Switzerland. In addition to his poetry, Gary has written two novels: An Improbable Pairing, a 1960s historical romance, and its romantic thriller sequel, A Spy with Scruples. Gary lives in Los Angeles with his wife Susie where he continues to write.

The Poetry of Good Eats

Peter Iver Kaufman

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue &quot;Charisma, Medieval and Modern&quot; that was published in Religions

Gary Dickson

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