Searching for some news articles I had written, I googled myself and came across a Kirkus Review article that featured my book Paris Runaway. Not the initial review, which was flattering, but an article call "The Last Time They Saw Paris" by David Rapp in March 2018.
Hmmm. What could I have been doing in March 2018 that I didn't notice? Oh, I know. I moved to France and was trying to sort out my new life.
The article is very flattering. Here's the link in case you want to take a look.
But I'll let you see the first two paragraphs here:
The city of Paris has long captivated American writers. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and James Baldwin set key works there, and the City of Light’s rich history, gorgeous structures, and stunning artworks remain sources of fascination for authors in all genres. Here are a few eclectic works that Kirkus Indie has reviewed that take full advantage of the French capital’s many charms:
Beginning with -- moi!
Paulita Kincer’s Paris Runaway (2016), 50-year-old American Sadie Ford finds out that her 17-year-old daughter has gone to Paris with the intention of losing her virginity to a French foreign-exchange student named Luc Rollande, so she hops on a plane to stop her. Along the way, she meets Luc’s attractive father, with whom sparks soon fly. Kirkus’ reviewer calls this novel an “enjoyable romp,” noting that “through [Sadie’s] wanderings, readers get a first-rate tour of the city, complete with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that make it unique.”
Oh la la! I can almost pretend I'm in the same league with Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Baldwin.
I do think that Paris Runaway is a fun read with a lot of French scenery, wine and foods. If you haven't read it yet, here's the link to Amazon.com and another link to the book on Amazon.co.uk.
Here's the original Kirkus Review of Paris Runaway and the link.
I have to admit that I've been slacking big time at advertising my novels for the last year or so.
In an effort to get them out there, I had some photos made that incorporate the book cover into pictures, along with a blurb of a review.
I love the way he found a picture that use the same colors and foliage.
The Summer of France is about (surprise) a woman who runs away from her life in Ohio to run her Uncle's B&B in Aix en Provence. Could a crackly phone call from France save Fia Randolph’s jobless and family troubles? That’s what she hopes when her Uncle Martin asks Fia, her husband, and teenage twins to move to Provence and take over his bed and breakfast. She pictures long picturesque walks carrying crusty baguettes and bonding with the kids. But Fia didn’t bargain on being pulled into Uncle Martin’s World War II secret that wrenches her family further apart.
This picture definitely feels like a dive down a forest trail, this one is my only novel set in the United States, so far.
How does a woman know what she wants after spending 20 years thinking about her husband and children? Sometimes it takes an escape from everyday life, time to examine the forest before the trees become clear. Friends Jess and Andi figure life hiking the Appalachian trail can't possibly be worse than dealing with disgruntled husbands, sullen teens home from college, and a general malaise that has crept up in their daily lives.
This photo might be my favorite, the way the book cover is slotted along the top of the building, like a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower between different sides of the building.
I See London I See France is about another woman running away. When her husband of a dozen years walks out in a huff, Caroline Randolph walks out too – to Europe, with her kids after impulsively selling her minivan for travel money. Tired of being the perfect wife, she escapes to rediscover herself, and possibly rekindle the unrequited love of a Frenchman from her college days. While shepherding her kids from London to Scotland then Paris to Provence, she finds herself at a crossroads. Does she choose love, or lust, in the arms of a European man, or should she try again with the father of her children and the man she truly loved, once?
And, of course, my latest novel set in Paris needs a picture from Paris. I love the Metro sign in the foreground.
When divorced mom Sadie Ford realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris, all she can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit. She joins forces with the boy’s father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find the missing teens. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. Since the divorce, Sadie has devoted herself to raising kids and putting her dreams on hold, but when her daughter needs her most, Sadie finds that concrete barrier to life beginning to crack. In her journey, she learns the difference between watching the hours pass and living.
If you haven't read my novels, I'd appreciate the support. Just click and download to your Kindle.
And if you don't have a Kindle, they're free to download on your computer or your phone. I love reading on my phone because if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, I don't have to turn a light on, I just pick up my phone and get lost in a story (with the screen on black and the print white to reduce ambient light).
So in between traveling and teaching and keeping strong relationships with my family, I haven't been very good at promoting my books.
That's why I ventured into another online book promotion tour for Paris Runaway.
I've already received two new reviews of Paris Runaway, and I always love hearing what readers enjoy in my novels. It isn't so great when they don't like things, but I guess that's part of the learning process too.
Denise gave Paris Runaway a 5-star review on Goodreads. She said, "This highly entertaining novel is the perfect summer read." And it's officially summer here once Memorial Day arrives. And, maybe she knows this from her own life experience: "If you have ever fallen in love with a Frenchman, you will recognize how special it can be, as epitomized in Auguste."
Amy at Locks, Hooks, and Books blog also reviewed Paris Runaway and gave it 5 stars. She wrote, "It has a perfect combination I love in a story, some laughs, mystery, suspense, adventure, action, and romance. I highly recommend it!"
You can visit the tour at the link to see other upcoming stops.
And you can enter to win Kindle or paperback copies. If you don't want to take a chance on not winning, Paris Runaway is free on Kindle Sunday, May 28, through Tuesday, May 30.
So please, visit Amazon and download it. Let your friends know and have them download it. You never know when you're going to need a trip to Paris through the eyes of Sadie.
Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
I had some extra points on my Amazon account, so I ordered a paperback that I can take with me to France. I'm always looking for something good to read as I travel, and books set in France are
perfect.
I found this book, French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain and didn't even read the summary before I ordered it. I truly enjoyed his novel The Red Notebook, and his other novel The President's Hat was also a fun read.
Laurain is French and sets his books in France with real French people, unlike many of us who write novels about Americans or Brits reacting to travels in France.
This novel tells the story of Alain, who had a band in the 1980s but gave up his music dream and became a doctor. Then he receives a letter that went awry and should have reached him in 1983 that offers him and his band a music contract. Should he track down his band members and try at music again? What could have been if only the letter hadn't gotten lost?
I'll have to resist opening this book until we leave for France. Maybe I should stow it in my suitcase now.
I ordered this book on Friday and it appeared on my front porch today, Sunday. So weird. I have Amazon prime, but I didn't expect it on a Sunday.
How about you? Have you read a book set in France that you love? Please share.
And, if not, I encourage you to try Paris Runaway, It's fast-paced and will definitely put you smack dab in France, at least the way I experience it.
Here's a blurb to tempt you further:
When divorced mom Sadie
Ford realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris, all she
can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter
chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit.
She joins forces with the boy’s father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find
the missing teens. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of
Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. Since the divorce, Sadie has
devoted herself to raising kids and putting her dreams on hold, but when her
daughter needs her most, Sadie finds that concrete barrier to life beginning to
crack. In her journey, she learns the difference between watching the hours
pass and living.
Thanks so much for playing along with Dreaming of France.
I appreciate you sharing your love for France, along with food, books, movies, stories and pictures. Please visit the blogs of others who play along so we can share the love.
Yesterday, Kirkus Reviews Magazine notified me that a review for Paris Runaway had been "selected as a feature review."
That means that way back on page 132, they include their thoughts about Paris Runaway -- which were good overall.
But in addition to the entire review, they included a quote from the review at the top of the page.
I love that they experienced Paris with Sadie and that my use of concrete language stood out.
The placement of the review might be only for the dedicated who thumb through the pages to the end, but I'm grateful to be included.
Here's the link for anyone who wants to visit. It's at the bottom of page 132, but here's how the review looks.
It starts at the bottom of the page then jumps to the top of the next column
Thanks to Kirkus Review and to everyone who supports my writing. I'm grateful and hope you'll visit the page, as well as consider reading Paris Runaway.
Here's the link on Amazon for paperback or Kindle version. And if you have Amazon Prime with the books, you can probably read it free.
Thank you for joining this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
Christmas is less than a week away and maybe it's time to think about buying some books set in France. I've read a number of fun books set in France and I'd love to share a little bit about them.
I just began The Paris Effect by K.S.R. Burns and I'll be reviewing it for FranceBookTours.
Amy and her friend spent hours planning a someday trip to Paris as the friend suffered through cancer. After her friend dies and she feels numb in her marriage, she decides to take the someday trip while her husband is away on business.
I can't imagine the adventure she'll have. The novel is available on Amazon $4.99 Kindle version and $11.99 paperback.
I recently finished reading The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain, and it was almost as good as the previous book I read by him, The Red Notebook. In a brasserie in Paris, Daniel has lunch next to President Mitterand. When
Mitterand forgets his hat, Daniel keeps it and finds his life is changing as the hat gives him added confidence. When he loses the hat on the train, a young woman finds it and discovers the hat helps her take control of her life. You can see where this is going, but there's a hook at the end too. A lovely trip inside French life.
The book is available on Amazon Kindle for $8.79 and paperback for $9.71.
Another book set in France that I read was Fa-La-Llama-La by Stephanie Dagg. This romantic comedy follows British Noelle who is down on her luck, having recently lost her fiance and her job. She takes a pet-sitting job in France to care for some llamas. Troubles ensue, here. The book is available on Amazon Kindle for $2.99.
but rewards come in the form of an Australian man who recently bought the property where she is pet sitting. I reviewed the book
Of course, if you're considering a book set in France, I'd love it if you'd check out Paris Runaway by me. When divorced mom Sadie Ford
realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris all she can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit. She joins forces with the boy’s father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find the missing teens. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. It's available on Kindle for $5.99 or paperback for $16. You can find reviews of Paris Runaway on France Books Tours.
Another book on my list is But You Are in France, Madame by Catherine Berry. An Australian family
moves to France and has to learn to adjust. Berry tells the story of her family as they come to love France in spite of the travails they face there.
The book is available on Amazon Kindle for $4.99 or paperback for $19.99.
How bout you? Have you read a good book set in France? Would you recommend it? Please share with us and I wish you a Merry Christmas. I hope you'll join us for Dreaming of France next Monday.
Thanks for playing along with Dreaming of France. Please leave your name and blog address in Mr. Linky below, and leave a comment letting me know what you think about my love affair with France, or your own passion for the country and its people and cultures. Also consider visiting the blogs of others who play along so we can all share the love.
I'm trying to take a deep breath on this, the last day of the month.
July has flown by, hasn't it?
I've had some spectacular days, walks with my husband, walks with my friend Sheila, hanging out with my children and talking about everything or nothing.
I'm already missing the early, early morning sunshine. I'm disappointed now that the sun isn't rising at 5:30. I think that if I had the money, I'd follow the summer, maybe spend my winters in New Zealand.
Well, on the last day of the month, I'm trying to sell a few extra copies of Paris Runaway, my latest novel. So, if you were considering a purchase of Paris Runaway, $5.99 for the Kindle edition, go ahead and buy it today and leave a comment here or on my Facebook page or send me an email or tweet, and I'll enter your name to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
The drawing will be Sunday evening, so your odds are very good.
Some readers have said this is their favorite of all my novels. It has a couple of steamy, romantic scenes, but mostly it's women's fiction with the main character dealing with the complications of life and raising teenagers as a single mother, while chasing after her daughter to France.
Don't take my word for it though, go to the link and read the reviews.
I love that different readers can have totally different experiences:
Here's a review from Goodreads: "An interesting, entertaining suspense novel, I loved it.
Could not put it down, I felt I was with her in Paris."
Here's another review from Goodreads: "The highlight of the book would be its narration. Looking at Paris through the writers eyes was sheer blissful. The narration is vivid and the writer has tastefully described Paris even when the story demanded that the setting be dimmed out. That blending and weaving of the setting even when the main character writhed in turmoil was done perfectly without compromising emotions."
And one of my favorite reviews: "This was a fabulous beach read! I picked it up this morning and never sat it down until I was done. The characters were relatable and their adventure was a joy to watch unfold. If only real life teenage drama ended in a trip to Paris and an adventure with a sexy French man then the teenage years would not seem so bad."
Thanks for your support, whether you buy my novel or not, reading my blog helps give me that feeling of community too. If you do buy it, I wish you a lovely, relaxing day or reading and a quick trip to Paris, even if it's only in the book.
Thank you for joining this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
I've written some guest posts for the FranceBookTour of my novel Paris Runaway. I thought I'd share one of the posts that I wrote for bookwormerz which ran on Sunday. It tells the story of how, after a
rocky start, I fell in love with France.
Falling in Love With France
I
visited France for the first time at age 20. My college boyfriend and I went on
one of those 21-day tours where we visited 14 countries, or maybe it was a
14-day trip with 21 countries. Either way, one of those countries was France.
I’d
gotten sick in Rome, with Montezuma’s Revenge, and it lasted into Paris. I
remember visiting Notre Dame and desperately searching for a bathroom nearby.
What I found was a Turkish toilet.
Those
are hard to find in France these days, but a Turkish toilet was a stall with a
place for your feet to go on either side of a drain in the floor. I still can’t
work out the mechanics for a woman that doesn’t result in damp underwear. That
experience could have ruined my love for France, but it didn’t.
A
year after college graduation I was working at a newspaper and dating a
photographer, whose sister was married to a Frenchman. The sister, who was
pregnant, her husband, and their two little girls had tickets to go to France
for the summer, when the sister was ordered to bedr est. Someone needed to step
up and travel with the girls. I volunteered.
Here are the two girls and their grandfather, along with a couple of cousins, on the balcony in Corsica.
I
told my boss I was going and that I didn’t care whether I’d have a job when I
returned. Picture me as a bossy, impetuous 22 –year-old. (Luckily, they found a
summer intern and my job waited for me.)
So
with two little girls and a Frenchman I didn’t know, we flew to Paris. The
first few days could have ruined my love affair with France as I took the girls
on a bus to their great-grandmother’s apartment in the Latin Quarter of Paris.
But the bus went the opposite direction that we needed and we ended up on an
impromptu, hot, diesel-fueled tour of Paris, getting off at several stops in
hopes of finding our way. Another day I
got separated from the girls when they stepped through a Metro stall with
sliding doors, and the doors closed before I could follow them. A flight
attendant behind me had an extra ticket and used it to reunite me with the
girls.
But
every negative experience melted away as I traveled with the girls and their
grandparents over the next three months. We flew to Corsica and spent our days
splashing in the Mediterranean and enjoying each meal as a symphony of tastes
and textures.
Me, on the beach. There are probably naked, or at least topless, people right behind me.
Our evenings filled with concerts and tennis matches and nights
on the veranda watching the star-spangled sky for the slowly moving space
station.
When
we returned to mainland France, we stayed one night in Aix en Provence. I can
still remember the thrill of coming home that rippled through me when I stepped
onto Cours Mirabeau, the wide boulevard lined with plane trees.
For
a month, we stayed in the family’s country home near Bourges. The house came
into the family during Napoleon’s reign, and it had served as a base for the Germans
when they invaded during World War II, then the Americans when they drove back
the Germans. The numerous sets of French doors opened onto a yard, which led to
fields of sheep and flocks of chickens. We walked to the village for bread each
day, stopping to feed a pony.
Here I am, prepared for dinner, as I sit on the terrace writing. I wish you could see my
adorable ankle socks and aqua shoes that matched my top, but this print is not the best quality.
Finally,
we returned to Paris and the grandparents’ apartment in the suburbs. The
grandmother urged me to explore the city while she watched the girls, and, oh,
what adventures I had as I wandered alone.
I’ve
included memories from this trip in all of my novels set in France – The Summer
of France, I See London I See France, and Paris Runaway.
In
each of my French novels, I try to recapture the magical experiences of that first
immersion into France – the trip that taught me the importance of savoring each
bite of luscious nectarine, rather than worrying about the juice that ran down
my arm.
Thanks so much for playing along with Dreaming of France today. Please leave your name and blog address in Mr. Linky below, and leave a comment letting me know what you think about my love affair with France, or your own love affair. And consider visiting the blogs of others who play along so we can all share the love.
I'm also linking to Paris in July. Hope you'll play along with both Dreaming of France and Paris in July. We can't have too much France love, right?
Join West Metro Mommy for this weekly meme of photos people have taken and share on their blogs.
This week, we spent some time digging up two strips of grass in front of our stone wall and planting it with flowers.
I mostly considered this an unimportant job because I thought the grassy area was fine, but apparently it always bugged my husband. And truthfully, I didn't do very much.
I did go to the store to buy plants, manure and mulch, which subsequently spilled in my car and I'll need to vacuum it now.
After one side was planted, I realized we didn't buy enough flowers, so I went back to the store for more and spent one steamy afternoon digging holes to add the extra flowers. But my eldest son discovered me in the act and came to help.
He also dug up the grass on the other side so my husband could plant, manure and mulch there. So mostly, I'm a bystander in this project.
Even though I didn't think it was necessary, it does look nice.
The morning glories come back up each year around our porch. Usually I take a picture to show how they cover the railings, but I wanted you to see one up close. They look silky and velvety.
And each year, I buy a flat of zinnias to plant. I don't know why sometimes they look like this. One or two simple stems and flowers.
And other times, they outdo themselves, like these.
Hope your summer and your gardens are doing well too.
Hope you'll also visit French Village Diaries today where she posted a review of Paris Runaway, my latest novel. There's a giveaway too, so be sure to enter.
I'm busy forcing myself to write these last few weeks of July -- write novels that is, instead of blog posts. So I might not be around as much as I should, but you can read some blog posts by me and some Q&As, if you're interested, on FranceBookTours this week.
Just click on the banner to see the entire schedule. So far this week we've had spotlights, which means book bloggers are kind enough to run the banner, along with a bio of me and some information about my novel. And throughout the online blog tour, there are chances to enter a copy of my novel. So if you are hoping to win a copy, visit all the blogs and enter to win. So far, it has been
On Friday, you'll see an interview that really taxed my brain. I didn't notice until after I finished that the blogger said I could feel free to skip questions. Instead, I dug deep to come up with my scariest experience and how my first trips to France connected with early boyfriends. Well, on Friday you should visit Library of Clean Reads to see if you can read the entire interview. Make sure you leave a comment so I don't feel so alone.
The reviews begin this weekend, so I'll be sure to update you.
Thanks to everyone for your support for Paris Runaway. So far, it's a favorite of many people who have read my other novels.
Well, just a hint first, I'm working on a sequel to The Summer of France that's called Autumn in Aix. No secret from World War II this time, but an American with a plan to change the world wanders into Fia's bed and breakfast. Will she help protect more precious art or lose herself in her new French life?
Just in time for Bastille Day, or as the French call it Fête Nationale, Laurel-Rain Snow at Serendipty posted a review of Paris Runaway.
I love being online friends with voracious readers who so succinctly sum up the plot of a novel and are able to share what they liked -- or didn't like -- about my novels.
Luckily, Laurel-Rain enjoyed it.
Paris Runaway, an intensely engaging novel, kept me rapidly turning pages, losing sleep, and eagerly trying to figure out what would happen in the end. Would Sadie and Auguste find the kids and extricate them from disaster? What would happen with the developing connection between them afterwards? I definitely wanted to know, so I very happily kept reading…and now I’m awarding 5 stars to this novel.
Thanks, Laurel-Rain!
Take a look at her blogs Serendipty and Snow Sparks and you can discover more great books, along with some Laurel-Rain has written as well. Laurel-Rain is also considered a top reviewer on Amazon, so it's always great to have her input.
And, for those who are growing weary of seeing the book cover of Paris Runaway, here's another picture of Paris -- not from Bastille Day, because I haven't been in France on Bastille Day for 30 years, but maybe next year.
First, here are some links where you can buy Paris Runaway in ebook or paperback.
On Amazon for Kindle here. The paperback should be available soon on Amazon.
On Barnes & Noble for Nook or paperback here.
Now, for those of you not on Facebook, I wanted to share some of the festivities from the launch party last night.
Yes, I was stressed all day, including a stiff neck.
Around 4:30, I decided to have a glass of wine, hoping it would help me relax. As I worked to slice four baguettes for the meat and cheese trays, my youngest decided it would be a good time to engage about the fact that my husband and I were abandoning him next year to move to France. But that will be a post for another time.
I made it to the launch and friends immediately jumped up to chip in and help get everything organized. Things went much more smoothly than I'd anticipated.
I served five different kinds of French cheese, along with salami, prosecco and capicola. We also had margherita pizza from Dewey's. For dessert, macarons from Pistacia Vera and madeleines made by Grace.
I served 4 kinds of white wines and 3 kinds of reds, all French, bien sur.
Friends provided beer.
Overall, I felt really loved and supported by both my friends and my family as people kept me busy all evening signing books. Grace was in charge of the book sales so that I didn't have to mess with the money or the credit card.
Earl worked hard serving wine and then cleaning up at the end. Spencer, who had to get up at 6 a.m. for work, woke up from a nap and made it to the book launch about half way through. He fetched me a glass of wine when I asked for it, so his support was really helpful. It was nice to have 2 out of 3 of my children there, and that is not a passive aggressive slam at Tucker. I didn't expect my boys to attend, so getting one of them there was a coup.
This might be the last book launch I have in the United States, but I'm planning to try to finish another book this fall, so you never know. I might have one more book launch.
Here are some pictures from the party.
I did a reading, and it went better than I expected.
And when we got home and unloaded everything, I got a picture with my husband.
I wonder who came up with the word launch to refer to a book publishing. Launch usually goes with rockets, and as much as I would love for my novel to make it to the stratosphere, I simply don't see that happening.
Nevertheless, today is launch day for my novel Paris Runaway.
I've never had a perfect launch day.
The day my first novel, The Summer of France, arrived, I had a broken nose.
For my novel, Trail Mix, the copy editor didn't finish by the agreed date and I was a nervous wreck trying to get all the changes made, even as the online version was released.
I've tried to be more relaxed with this one, but I still woke up at 4:30 because of a cat, and my mind immediately jumped to the things I need to do.
The box of paperbacks I ordered are scheduled to be delivered today, hopefully before the party tonight. That could still go wrong, but I am picking up three dozen macarons later today at Pistacia Vera, so what can be horrible with 36 pastel macarons to cheer me up?
A couple of early readers for Paris Runaway have posted reviews on Goodreads, and I hope they'll post on Amazon as well. Here's one:
Great adventure/romance novel!I felt completely immersed in French culture when I was reading this book. Kincer included so many fascinating tidbits that nobody would know unless they'd spent a considerable amount of time in France....This book is a fun, twisty ride that goes full-speed up until the last page.
And another:
This was a fabulous beach read! I picked it up this morning and never sat it down until I was done. The characters were relatable and their adventure was a joy to watch unfold. If only real life teenage drama ended in a trip to Paris and an adventure with a sexy French man then the teenage years would not seem so bad. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, sexy read!
Those reviews make me feel hopeful.
Thanks to everyone for your support with my writing and my blog. Every comment inspires me to keep going.
I'll let you know tomorrow how the party goes tonight.
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