Originally posted on Jennifer C. Wilson:
Today, on the blog, I’m featuring the wonderful Augustine, the prequel to the Alouette Trilogy. Having previously reviewed the first in the series, Overture, it was wonderful to go back to the start and meet Joseph and Augustine. Here’s the blurb, to tempt you in… Love conquers all. Or does…
Author Archives: Vanessa in France
Chapter 1 of Augustine
Augustine is a bitter-sweet romance set against the rolling landscape and hilltop villages of southern France in the late 19th century. This novella is a prequel to the Alouette Trilogy and is available on Amazon Kindle. Read Chapter 1 below.
Augustine: Cover Reveal and Launch Details
Augustine, a prequel to the Alouette trilogy, has now been released. This is a novella (about half the length of a standard novel), set in rural Southwest France in the 1880s. It tells the story of Augustine and Joseph, who appear in Book 1 of the trilogy, Overture. My fab cover designer, JD Smith, hasContinue reading “Augustine: Cover Reveal and Launch Details”
The Power of Letters
Originally posted on Ocelot Press:
Letters that inspired a novel What is it about old letters that come to light later that is so appealing to our imagination? In our age of instant communication via email and social media, letter-writing is a rare practice. Why write someone a letter when you can Skype them instead?…
Art in Fiction: Overture is Novel of the Week
A few months ago, I came across a website that I thought (and still do) was a brilliant idea. I can’t think why it hasn’t been done before – or maybe it has, but I haven’t found it yet. Art in Fiction: listings of novels that are inspired by the arts, whether it be music,Continue reading “Art in Fiction: Overture is Novel of the Week”
Going Back in Time: Creating a Sense of Place in Fiction
Originally posted on Ocelot Press:
In our continuing series of weekly blog posts, Ocelot author Vanessa Couchman tells us about her research process. And she’s got a surprise for you at the end! For all historical novelists, research is a vital part of the writing process. Since I took a degree in history, I enjoy…
Cornflowers and Poppies: Symbols of World War I
Originally posted on Life on La Lune:
Symbol of Flanders fields Today is Remembrance Sunday, the closest Sunday to 11th November, the day the Armistice came into force in 1918. Tomorrow is a public holiday in France, and remembrance ceremonies will take place at war memorials throughout the country. Wearing a poppy is common in…
Meet the Ocelots: Lorenzo from ‘The Ghostly Father’
Today it’s my turn to interview another Ocelot Press author’s character. And I’m so pleased that it’s Fra’ Lorenzo, the gentle friar from Sue Barnard’s The Ghostly Father. Here he is above in a lovely drawing by Sue’s friend, Kay Sluterbeck. Sue’s novel is an alternative version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Like many people,Continue reading “Meet the Ocelots: Lorenzo from ‘The Ghostly Father’”
Meet Frédéric from ‘Overture’
Charming, witty, handsome. All of those adjectives fit Frédéric. But he also harbours a secret that he wants to keep from his family at all costs. He’s not the protagonist in Overture: that’s Marie-Thérèse, who has a burning ambition to become a singer. For the daughter of a modest farming family in rural France inContinue reading “Meet Frédéric from ‘Overture’”
Meet the Ocelots: Overture
Originally posted on Ocelot Press:
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Meet the Ocelots series of posts. I’m completing the line-up this week by telling you a little about my novel, Overture, and about my character Frédéric Grandcourt, who’s the subject of an interview next week in our character interview blog hop. Look out for…
Vanessa Couchman 