I’m delighted to be involved in Ocelot Press‘s latest venture: Doorways to the Past, a collection of historical short stories and character interviews from five Ocelot Press authors, will be released on 30th July 2020. There’s something for all historical tastes in here. Sue Barnard, myself, Cathie Dunn, Nancy Jardine and Jennifer C. Wilson haveContinue reading “Doorways to the Past”
Tag Archives: short stories
True Inspiration for Fiction #5: the Ghosts of World War I
At 11 am on this day in 1918, the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Ninety-nine years later, none of the combatants in that terrible war is alive, but the memories still echo down the years. In France, where I live, the smallest village has its war memorial. Often, several men with the same surnameContinue reading “True Inspiration for Fiction #5: the Ghosts of World War I”
True Inspiration for Fiction #3: Plague!
The plague first made an appearance in 1347-48, when a catastrophic and unstoppable pandemic swept through Western Europe. In four years, the population of 14th-century Europe plunged by an estimated 33-50% and its civilisation changed forever. The figures are debated, but as many as 150 million people may have died worldwide. The disease spread acrossContinue reading “True Inspiration for Fiction #3: Plague!”
Book Cover Design: the Story of French Collection
When people buy a book, their choice depends on many factors: recommendation, a favourite author, a catchy title, a genre they like and so on. The cover also has a big influence on book buying. For that reason, instead of exercising my minimal (no, zero) design skills on my forthcoming collection of short storiesContinue reading “Book Cover Design: the Story of French Collection”
True Inspiration for Fiction #2: Edgar Degas’ Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando
Works of art can provide endless inspiration for fiction. The paintings alone, with everything they convey, would be muse enough. But sometimes the story behind the painting is just as enthralling. I have always loved Edgar Degas’ paintings and I was fascinated to learn the origins of ‘Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando’, whichContinue reading “True Inspiration for Fiction #2: Edgar Degas’ Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando”
True Inspiration for Fiction #1: the Christmas Truce 1914
“There, the night before we had been having a terrific battle and the morning after, there we were smoking their cigarettes and they smoking ours.” This was the slightly bemused verdict of a British Tommy on one of the most extraordinary and poignant events of World War I: the Christmas truce of 1914. Up andContinue reading “True Inspiration for Fiction #1: the Christmas Truce 1914”
Short Stories Inspired By #France
To celebrate my 20 years in France, I’ve decided to publish a collection of a dozen of my short stories. They are all linked by being set in France, many of them in the southwest region, where I live. This part of France has rich and varied landscapes and a strong tradition of separatism andContinue reading “Short Stories Inspired By #France”
A #Corsican Easter Procession
Religion in Corsica is just as important as in the rest of France – if not more so. You get the sense, though, that the Roman Catholic faith overlays deeper currents of belief, stretching back beyond the birth of Christianity. It’s more elemental, like Corsican music. There wasn’t a place in The House at ZaronzaContinue reading “A #Corsican Easter Procession”
On the Chaise Longue with Vanessa: Meet Author Louise Charles @LouCwriter
This week it’s my great pleasure to welcome my virtual friend, author Louise Charles (whose real name is Jo Lamb). Louise is a talented author and founder of ex-pat writing community Writers Abroad. She self-published her historical novel, The Duke’s Shadow, in 2014, which was shortlisted as one of the finest eight novels in theContinue reading “On the Chaise Longue with Vanessa: Meet Author Louise Charles @LouCwriter”
National Flash Fiction Day 16th May 2012
Tomorrow, 16th May, is National Flash-Fiction Day (NFFD) in the UK, celebrating this short story form. What is flash fiction? A very short but complete story, normally 500 words or less. It usually has an unexpected twist at the end which resolves in some way the problem posed at the beginning for the main character. FlashFlood,Continue reading “National Flash Fiction Day 16th May 2012”
Vanessa Couchman 