This is the first in a series of guest posts by fellow historical fiction authors. Dianne Ascroft, who writes World War II fiction, kicks it off with some thought-provoking reflections on unusual settings for wartime fiction and what readers are looking for. Thanks for joining us today, Dianne.
Author Archives: Vanessa in France
Sunday Sojourn – with Vanessa Couchman
Originally posted on Jennifer C. Wilson:
For today’s Sunday Sojourn, I’m joined by Vanessa Couchman, to talk about creating a sense of place… Creating a Sense of Place I’ve lived in Southwest France for nearly 20 years. The region is steeped in history and chock-full of scenic and fascinating places. Why, then, didn’t I set…
Write Despite – Procrastination
Fellow Crooked Cat author Margaret K. Johnson has invited me onto her blog today to take part in her ‘Write Despite‘ series, in which women writers talk about their writing challenges and how they address them. So I’ve focused on a topic close to my heart – procrastination – about which I wrote on thisContinue reading “Write Despite – Procrastination”
History: a thing of the past?
Today, I’m delighted to welcome guest blogger Olga Swan, who also lives in SW France. Lamplight, the first in her David Klein, war-reporter, series is released tomorrow by Crooked Cat. Olga’s post gives us a flavour of her series, which spans the build-up to World War II and the war itself, and outlines some of theContinue reading “History: a thing of the past?”
Nursing in World War I: the French Experience
Writing a credible historical novel is like doing an obstacle course with your hands tied. A significant challenge for me in writing The House at Zaronza was to find out about nursing from a French viewpoint on the Western Front during World War I, where about a third of the novel is set. Countless books existContinue reading “Nursing in World War I: the French Experience”
In Praise of Procrastination
I am a procrastinator par excellence. My motto is, “Why do something today if you can put it off until tomorrow?” I wrote my university essays at midnight, fuelled by industrial-strength coffee; I submit my competition entries at the last minute; and I’m often to be found tapping away frantically with a client’s deadline looming onlyContinue reading “In Praise of Procrastination”
Vendetta in Corsica: Myth and Reality
We’ve visited Corsica six times. L’Île de Beauté is a captivating place, with a savage beauty and a culture all its own and I strongly advise a visit. In 2014, we went to Olmeto, once the home of a woman who was the inspiration for Prosper Mérimée’s Colomba. His novel is about vendetta, an integralContinue reading “Vendetta in Corsica: Myth and Reality”
10 Thoughts about Blogging Part 2
Here’s part two of my post about blogging. You can find part 1 with thoughts 1-5 here. I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I have several years of blogging and a lot of trial and even more error behind me.
LOCATION, LOCUTION: Uprooted from life in the UK, Vanessa Couchman writes novels about people with roots
Originally posted on The Displaced Nation:
Columnist Lorraine Mace, aka Frances di Plino, is back with her latest interview guest. This month’s guest, Vanessa Couchman, was uprooted from her native UK in 1997, when she moved, with her husband (who is Swedish) to an 18th-century farmhouse in the Midi-Pyrénées region, in southwest France. Between the…
10 Thoughts about Blogging Part 1
I’ve been blogging for around six years and I maintain not one blog, but two. I’ll explain why below. When I first started, I barely knew what a blog was. The learning curve was vertiginous – and you learn new things all the time.
Vanessa Couchman 