Welcome, Corinne LaBalme!

Avis: Welcome, Corinne LaBalme! I’m so happy we get to learn more about you and your fabulous book, French Ghost. Let’s begin with a little bio from Corinne.

Corinne LaBalme lives in France and loves everything about it… except eating snails. Her articles about European fashion, food and fun destinations have appeared in The New York Times Travel section, Diversion, La Belle France and France Revisited. Her favorite place to write? Any Parisian café with a good croissant connection…  

Avis: How fascinating, and I envy you your food choices. Yummy! So, let’s get to the questions, shall we? What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? 

Corinne: Despite having several ‘real human’ friends who studied at Oxford, I trekked to the British university town solely to see where Lyra Belacqua (the gallant dimension-shifter from Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials) grew up; where playboy Sebastian Flyte (Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited) played hooky; and where Lord Peter Wimsey (the suave Sherlock from Dorothy L. Sayers’ detective fiction) actually attended a few classes

.   

On the Wimsey front, it was fabulous to finally see the punts (small flat gondola-type river boats) which are so important in Gaudy Night and Wimsey’s college – Balliol – founded 1263. Since it was school vacation, I didn’t see too many proto-Flytes about. However, as Oxford is quite town-and-gown, the rundown hotel where I stayed was a dive that the shadier members of Lyra’s gang would’ve known well. There were about fifty cats in the courtyard and I’m sure that at least half of them were daemons. 

Avis: LOL! I’m sure there were some daemons in the mix! What fun to explore the places where these great characters lived and got into mischief! The next question is: Do you want each book to stand on its own or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book? 

Corrine: French Ghost is the first book that I’ve ever planned as a trilogy. The mysteries in each book are one-offs, but the complex romantic arc of Melody and Carlos… well, it was a forgone conclusion that it would take three books for that terrible twosome to work things out. Book 2, French Toast, is currently in revisions. I’m hoping that French Poster Girl will see the light in 2023. 

It’s been lots of fun to work on a second book in a series. It gave me the opportunity to re-visit and develop some of my favorite characters from Book 1: food-blogger Jenna Bardet, fashion model Ingrid Svenson, and stylist Joey Stahl.  

Avis: I’m so happy to hear that Melody and Carlos aren’t finished. They are a lot of fun, and their steamy relationship is hot in so many ways. I love your titles, too!  The next question is: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? 

Corinne: Buying an Olivetti portable typewriter and a one-way ticket to France from New York. Post-college, I’d worked for several crazed clothing designers doing insane Devil Wears Prada jobs but within a week of landing at Charles De Gaulle, I was the fashion editor of a trendy Paris city magazine called Passion… and I’ve been writing ever since. 

Avis: Wow, again! Your experiences as a professional writer are accomplished and impressive! I’m sure the Olivetti helped put you in the mood.  That talent and expertise really shows in your novel, and I’m sure people will love all your books! Who wouldn’t love a romp around Paris! 

Our next question is: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? 

Corinne: Since I’m bi-cultural, I’m going to cheat and give you two books. 

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons is, to my mind, one of the funniest books ever written. Even the minor characters – like the sappy loser promoting revisionist Brontë theory – are hilarious. It’s my happy pill. I re-read it whenever I feel down, and I’m always surprised that so few people have discovered this delightful book. 

My French genes whole-heartedly recommend Astragal by Albertine Sarrazin, a Franco-Algerian writer who led a short and very dangerous life (much of it behind bars) before her death in 1967. Memoir? Novella? Essay? It’s impossible to confine Astragal to any category. If you’re lucky enough to track down an English edition, the preface will probably be by Patti Smith who (like me) thinks this unfairly overlooked masterpiece is a life-changer.   

Avis: Cheating is allowed, especially if we get to hear about two great books! It’s such a pleasure to get to know more about you, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from you soon! Good luck with your writing, and cheers!

The Review:

Corrine LaBalme’s debut romantic mystery French Ghost pulls the reader in on the first page, and takes us on a wild ride through Paris, Bordeaux, and beyond. With a cast of richly developed and crazy characters to support her hero, Melody Layne, we soon learn that she is the ghost. She’s a ghost writer hired by the world-famous actor Charles-Henri Banville, rich, talented, and a womanizer, but before she can even begin the job and after she’s spent most of the advance, Banville is found murdered on location of his latest film in Bordeaux.

Melody is torn. With all the research she’s done to prepare for this job, she’s found that Charles-Henry Banville is one of Europe’s worst sexual predators, and she has his journals to prove it. He might even be a pedophile, and the more she learns the luckier she feels that she doesn’t have to pen his sanitized and over-glorified version of his life.

                  But a girl’s gotta eat. When a drop-dead gorgeous Spaniard approaches her to finish the autobiography of Charles-Henri Banville, she jumps at the offer, only to find out that her new boss, 
Carlos Ortega, is the son of her former employer, Charles-Henri Banville Jr.. Without missing a beat, Melody continues her research for her new employer. Together they find out more about Banville the elder, but Carlos needs to prove that his father has some redeeming qualities, or his mom will refuse the bountiful estate! 

                  Are you hooked yet? This novel is a fun romp with laughs and tears, mystery, and romance. It is a satisfying read that will suck you in and keep you turning pages into the night. I highly recommend Corinne LeBalme’s French Ghost. Mystery/Romance fans won’t be able to put it down!

by Avis M. Adams

Corinne’s links and sites:

Twitter:

@corinnelabalme 

Website:

Corinne LaBalme

Amazon:

Amazon Buy Link for French Ghost

Lis Angus is the author of Not Your Child, her debut novel published by Wild Rose Press, available now wherever you buy your eBook publications. 

Avis: I personally loved your book. It was riveting, and a nail biter at the end. But I have several questions for you. The first is:

How important is setting to your story?

Lis: My characters, and the events that bring them into collision, could be set in many other places. In that sense the setting is not crucial, though Susan and Maddy definitely live in an urban, middle-class environment. But I chose to have the story take place in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, for two reasons. First, it’s a city I know well. While writing the novel, I many times walked the neighborhoods where the events take place, which helped me anchor the characters’ actions in a real, physical sense. Secondly, it’s a beautiful city, but one that American readers may not be familiar with; I wanted to bring Ottawa into their awareness, in the way that we often feel we are familiar with neighborhoods in New York City or London, simply because we encounter them so often in novels.

There are a few scenes, mainly flashbacks with the older man, Daniel, that take place in rural Alberta. It’s a setting not unlike many rural communities in the American Midwest, but I chose Alberta because it’s where I grew up and I could easily imagine how those scenes unfolded. 

Avis: I love that answer. Setting is important to get right, and being able to walk through the setting, I think really did enhance your story. Here’s my second question:

Did you have to do any research in the writing of this novel, and if so on what?

Lis: I quite often found myself at a point where I needed some information and had to go digging for it. In what circumstances are Amber alerts issued? What legalities apply if someone harbors a runaway child? What’s the lethal dose of common sleeping pills? Could a mother have different DNA than her child? What year did Canada set up a national DNA database for missing persons? 

For the key psychological underpinnings of the characters, though, I mainly drew on two aspects of my own knowledge. First, on my Masters degree in psychology and the years I spent working with children and families in crisis. And secondly, on my memories of being a young girl yearning for independence, and my experience as a mother facing the challenges of raising two daughters of my own. 

Avis: Wow! I do remember reading about all of those things, but often we don’t think of the research an author does to make their story believable. All of your research paid off in Not Your Child. 

My third questions is:

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Lis: Writing is definitely hard work for me. First of all, I’m not someone who imagines a story unfolding in my head like a movie: the story only emerges as I get it down on the page. So creating the first draft is quite draining: that’s where I’m groping to get to know my characters, what happens between them and why. And the first draft is just the beginning—then comes the fine-tuning. Going deeper into the characters, figuring out plot points and pacing, bringing it all to a satisfying conclusion. All that can take several drafts. And then there’s line editing: is it better to use this phrase or that one? Did she have green eyes three chapters back or are they brown? Have I overused a favorite word? At every stage, it’s work, and in a certain sense the book is never finished. Even when I reviewed the final galleys I saw small things I wanted to change. But there’s nothing so satisfying as having someone read the book and tell me they couldn’t put it down.

         Avis: Thanks for your honesty, Lis! Writing is hard work, but all that hard work has paid off for 

you in Not Your Child. It’s a riveting read! 

To learn more about Lis and her fascinating book, check out the following sites and pages. 

Crime Writers of Canada: Crime Writer’s of America

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lisangus1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisangusauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisangus459/

You can purchase Not Your Child at all major booksellers, including

Amazon: 

Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59436824-not-your-child?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=WZSuxdjA4G&rank=2

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-your-child-lis-angus/1140920528?ean=9781509241187

Review:

What happens when your only child disappears, and a DNA test says you are not her mother? This is the just one aspect of the complex premise for Lis Angus’ debut thriller, Not Your Child.

When Daniel Kazan, a white-haired farmer from Alberta, sees Maddie, he follows her. Maddie resembles his missing granddaughter Hannah’s mother at twelve, and Daniel’s insistence that Maddie is his granddaughter threatens Susan and sets in motion a series of events that involve the police, a lawyer, and DNA testing. 

Susan and Daniel dance the precarious dance of who’s right and who’s wrong. And stuck in the middle is Maddie, who is tired of her mother’s suffocating control. After a bitter fight on the drive home, Maddie makes her mother pull over and she leaves, not with the intention of running away, but she doesn’t go home.

Maddie spends the night in her school, and Susan calls the police who search Daniel’s property. In a bizarre twist, Maddie seeks Daniel out after the police clear him, thinking he’ll help her while she takes a break from her mom. Daniel sees this as the chance he’s been waiting for and plans to take Maddie home to his farm. 

When Daniel learns that a DNA test proves that Maggie is not Hannah, the level of danger ratchets for Maggie. Daniel makes one poor decision after another, and Maddie becomes suspicious. Susan’s intuition is the only thing that can save Maddie now.

In this story of family and mother/daughter relationships, Angus delivers plot twist after plot twist as the agonizing search for Susan’s daughter unfolds. Not your Child is a nail-biting, page-turner that satisfies from first page to last.

I highly recommend this delicious read. 

Your Next Favorite Author—Sandy Young

Sandy Young is the author of Divine Vintage, her debut novel published by Wild Rose Press, available now wherever you purchase your eBook and paperback publications.

Welcome, Sandy! Readers are ready to get to know you!

Here’s our first question:

1. Have you always wanted to be an author?

Sandy: I loved to write and read as a child and into adulthood and did imagine publishing someday. In my teens, I even submitted a short story to a big women’s magazine when they used to publish them. No, they didn’t accept it! But then I got into community theater, and it consumed my free time. Writing sadly took a backseat for way too many years. I’ve loved acting and singing in more than 75 shows, where my appreciation of vintage fashion evolved. The first draft of Divine Vintage was written in 2010 as part of three linked novellas, and I envisioned meshing them into one book. At a workshop with international bestselling romance author Catherine Lanigan, who had moved back to our area, she advised to turn this story into a novel. I wrote drafts of other books along the way, but always kept coming back to Divine Vintage. I eventually pitched it to land a contract with The Wild Rose Press. 

Avis: That is so interesting. I always want to know more about my favorite authors, so thanks for sharing your love of vintage clothing with us! It makes sense that your first novel would blend one of your passions in your story, and what a blending! It’s a supernatural delight!

2. What real life experience influenced your novel?

Sandy: The initial hazy concept for the book was driven by my huge vintage collection, which fills a small bedroom. As a “pantser” who doesn’t outline ahead, the opening found me in Tess Burton’s new vintage shop as she nervously prepped to open the doors to the public. I read a lot of diverse genres, and some favorite books wrap around romance, historical elements, mystery, and a lighter, ghostly vibe. Ultimately, I’m pleased with the blend. And, of course, getting to describe some lovely clothing. I don’t dwell in the details but liken them to the lacy frill on a gown. Some of these garments come from my collection, and readers can see them on my web site at SandraYoungAuthor.com.

Avis: I’m surprised to hear you are a pantser because your story is so meticulously plotted and falls together seamlessly! Including all your ideas centered around the ghostly vibe of the owners of the clothing. It is pure genius! I encourage all readers to check out Sandy’s website and links. You’ll learn more about her and her collection of vintage clothes!

3. Does your family support your career as a writer?

Sandy: My fiancé’, Rick, is my proudest supporter. He leaped to buy the book when it was up for pre-order and marvels at how much time I put into preparation, building connections with readers and other authors, and establishing a “brand” image around my love of vintage clothing, acting, and singing. It’s definitely a full-time job.

Avis: Well, I’m happy to say that your hard work is how I met you, and your hard work is really paying off! It’s definitely a pleasure to know you as a dedicated author, and new fans will appreciate your connections with them as they read your book and get to know you! I can’t wait to read your next book!

4. What real life experience influenced your novel?

Sandy: I started out as a newspaper journalist and retired early from nonprofit management to finally focus on writing. In my last position as Vice President of a community foundation, I chaired a large coalition focused on helping the homeless and those most at risk in our county – where the book is set. That inspired me to add a homeless character and secondary plotline that are impactful to the main story arc. If I hadn’t been drawn back to writing, I’d still be working in such a capacity. I now volunteer for organizations that help our community in many ways, including some that focus on the arts.  

Avis: What an interesting career you’ve had! The subplot of homelessness adds so much to the story. I wondered what prompted you to add it to your story, and how you knew so much about the homeless. It’s a powerful addition and creates such a rich dynamic with all of your other plotlines. It also explains how you could develop such a realistic character and situation surrounding this issue. It adds so much to your story, and informs us as well, on the issue of homelessness. Thank you for that!

I encourage all readers to check out Sandy’s links and read her fabulous, engaging story. The clothes and their owners become characters in their own right, and the romance of the characters from the past will capture your heart as much as the romance that develops between the present day characters!

Website:

Home

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59747507-divine-vintage

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sandra-l-young

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/slyoungauthor/

https://twitter.com/1DivineVintage

Buy links:

https://bookshop.org/books/divine-vintage-9781509238231/9781509238231

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divine-vintage-sandra-l-young/1140776337

https://books.apple.com/us/book/divine-vintage/id1599901532

Review:

Sandy Young’s debut novel, Divine Vintage will capture your imagination and your heart. This mystery/romance/historical novel crosses genres in the best possible ways and will keep readers satisfied from the first page to the last.

Young introduces Tess, a young entrepreneur, who is short on self-confidence, but long on moxie, and despite her ex-boyfriends destructive and negative treatment, she breaks from him and begins a new life and a new business in a new town.

Young opens the novel in Tess’s shop, Divine Vintage, and we learn that Tess gets more from the old clothing than joy, she gets a glimpse into the past, but her abilities become a problem for her when she meets a town matriarch Esther DeLeon.

As soon as the OPEN sign is turned and the door unlocked, in walk Esther and her grandson, the handsome Trey. After introductions, Esther pegs Tess as the perfect model for her Anniversary Tea and Style Show to benefit the local homeless shelter. Tess agrees and visits the beautiful Carver house to try on the clothes she will model. Tess finds Esther’s longtime family home meticulously restored and maintained and the clothing out of this world.

When Tess tries on the beautiful honeymoon gown, she is instantly thrown into a memory from the previous owner, Phoebe, a young bride killed the night before she is to travel to Paris with her groom, Edward Carver, Esther ancestor and the builder of Carver house. The crime is ruled a suicide/murder, but Tess gets a different take on what happened through the visions.

Tess’s connection to Trey goes from mere attraction to psychic connection as he is slated to wear the groom’s suit in the fashion show. She takes his arm to enter the ballroom, and faints. When she is revived, she proclaims that Edward did not murder Phoebe!

And thus begins the murder/mystery. Before it is solved, Tess and Trey enlist a caste of characters to clear the name of Edward Carver and lift the dark stain of murder from the family history.

This is a captivating read, and I highly recommend it! Young delivers a smart and savvy novel and develops Tess as a capable hero who is in charge of her own destiny, a strong woman who can solve her own problems, and solve a one-hundred-year-old murders in her spare time! Five-stars all the way!

I’ve already missed 21 days! I plan to do better!

Having said that, I’ve sent interview questions to two fellow authors at The Wild Rose Press, and hopefully I can share their interviews with you soon!

I’m calling it “Your Next Favorite Author,” and I’m looking forward to sharing new authors with you, authors that have become my new favorites. 🙂

Oh, yes, and there will be a review of the book attached. 🙂

I’m so excited! My debut YA novel, The Incident released January 5, 2022 from The Wild Rose Press!

I couldn’t be happier with this wonderful review from Chanticleer Book Reviews. 🙂

Two teens face the precarious events & consequences surrounding a natural #disaster while ultimately realizing the true value of friendship & family bonds. #YA #dystopian #suspense https://t.co/iIl8zrkGXW pic.twitter.com/sQq7aesoOh

— Chanticleer Reviews (@ChantiReviews) January 6, 2022

In Avis Adams’ creative young adult novel, The Incident, two teens face the precarious events and consequences surrounding a natural disaster while ultimately realizing the true value of friendship and family bonds.

Nearly seventeen, Josh Woolf has recently lost his beloved grandfather and is now concerned that his Dad wants to sell the family farm. While his father is away at a conference to address climate change and the potential of “El Primo,” a violent storm system predicted to wreak havoc across the country, Josh and his Mom batten down the hatches in preparation for a severe weather front headed their way. Amidst the tumultuous mayhem of dropping trees, shattered glass, and unhinged window screens, Adams finely details the storm’s intensity. She masterfully captures the fear of the unknown as Josh is forced to deal with a significant medical emergency then later defend his family’s property against encroaching ne’er-do-wells.

Meanwhile, Emma Tate is at odds with her own Mom and ventures out of the house to attend a downtown climate change protest.

With worsening weather conditions, she gets caught up in violent winds but luckily finds shelter with Lilli and Jade, the quirky owners of an artsy tattoo establishment. Jade’s comment, “It’s been a long year today,” truly captures the essence of time’s slow passage during the continuing days of hurricane chaos. This new trio of “sisters of the storm” soon form an unlikely bond, depending on one another in their efforts to help Emma get back home. In the aftermath of continuing storms, Adams creates an atmosphere with an apocalyptic feel. Suddenly the streets are filled with zombie-like wanderers, dogs appear wild, and looting and shooting define daily life experiences.

The book’s chapters move easily between the difficult journeys of Josh and Emma’s coming-of-age narratives.

While each story encapsulates their personal experiences, Adams unexpectedly leads their teen paths to cross, allowing readers to recognize the similarities of their circumstances. Themes about the desire for parental approval, and family love and pride, are aptly woven within a narrative laced with newfound friendships, violence and upheaval, and budding amorous interests.

Whether showcased through Emma’s nervous habit of chewing on the end of her ponytail, a Grandmother’s Danish plate collection that withstands the wrath of Mother Nature, or Josh’s finding solace in playing his violin, such added intricacies all serve as calming elements in a storm. While the opening prologue also serves as an audience draw indicative of a central character’s precarious situation, Adams purposefully returns to the scene later in the story to reveal a fortuitous meeting.

Readers familiar with violent environmental events will recognize the chaos and casualties Adams showcases. The Incident clearly offers a message about the inability to escape a hurricane’s path and the web of destruction and feelings of fear and helplessness it often leaves behind for those in its wake.

Adams leaves us with a contemporary tale that brings two storylines into a clever joining. As the present state of global warming forces its way into our consciousness, with a bevy of well-crafted characters facing the rising tensions of a planetary dilemma, Adams’ The Incident provides a quality and thought-provoking read.