What would you like in your Christmas stocking this year? A three-book contract with one of the big ones, perhaps? You can’t get those at Amazon or Waterstones, unfortunately. Decorative notebooks are always handy, if a bit predictable, but I hate sullying them with my scrawl, so several unused ones languish in my desk drawer.Continue reading “8 Stocking Fillers for Writers and Readers”
Author Archives: Vanessa in France
Chestnuts are not Just for Christmas in Corsica
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” goes the Festive Season song. We associate chestnuts with Christmas, roasted whole or made into succulent stuffing. But this seasonal treat was once a staple food for many people, including the Corsicans.
The Story Behind ‘The List’: Occupied France 1941-42
It’s surprising where research can lead you. I have been reading about World War II and France. Robert Gildea’s book Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation describes everyday life in the Occupied Zone and investigates certain myths about ordinary French people’s attitudes and fears.
History People #2: Miriam Drori, an Unintentional History Person
A big welcome to fellow Crooked Cat author Miriam Drori, who continues my series about authors who write historical fiction. She’s involved in an interesting co-authoring project with another writer, but I’ll let her tell you about that.
Sunday Sojourn – Corsica
Originally posted on Jennifer C. Wilson:
Happy Sunday everyone – the last before December kicks in… Today, we’re travelling to Corsica, with Vanessa Couchman. It’s somewhere I’ve always thought of visiting, but never quite got around to, so I’m sure I’ll be tempted after this! Hidden Treasure in Corsica Thank you for inviting me, Jennifer.…
Women in Traditional Corsican Society
Oppressed, subservient, insignificant? Does that accurately describe Corsican women in past times? Not always. That Corsica was a patriarchal society can’t be denied. But to portray the island’s women as downtrodden and overlooked is to over-simplify a complex situation. A previous post explored marriage customs in Corsica. This time, I look specifically at the roleContinue reading “Women in Traditional Corsican Society”
Excerpt from ‘The List’, a WWII short story
This week, I’m publishing a short extract from my story, ‘The List’, which is set in occupied France. The story originally appeared in an anthology entitled Pearl Harbor and More: Stories of WWII – December 1941, published by eight authors of wartime fiction. The short stories were set in locations around the world and commemorated theContinue reading “Excerpt from ‘The List’, a WWII short story”
Courtship and Marriage Corsican-Style
In Corsica, relations between the sexes have always been regulated by unbreakable codes of honour. I researched courtship and marriage customs on the island for The Corsican Widow, which is set there during the 18th century. The Corsican ideal of honour is central to the story.
This Book is Worth More than Rubies to Me
This book doesn’t look like much, I know, and the subject may seem a little abstruse – Everyday Life in Corsica in the 18th Century. But this was the only copy available outside faraway libraries; the very last one I could get hold of. Why is it so important to me? Because it’s invaluable for oneContinue reading “This Book is Worth More than Rubies to Me”
Views of #Corsica
Come with me on a photo journey through some of the places and views on Corsica that have inspired my writing during our six visits there. I have taken hundreds of photos on Corsica, but these are among my favourites. I can feel a seventh visit coming on…
Vanessa Couchman 