This is the second installment in a series of two posts. As I stated previously, readers have asked me about the pictures introducing the four parts inside French Illusions. It was my publisher’s design team that came up with this fantastic idea. I doubt many authors ponder the interior design of their book. I certainly didn’t. My mind was focused on the cover design until Dog Ear Publishing sent me the first interior galley for review.
When I saw “Part One, The Dubois Family” and the oval containing the picture of the chateau from my cover, I actually yelped with delight. This photo, chosen by me, is an unnamed French chateau in the Loire Valley. The Point Wilson Bridge introduces “Part Two, Venturing Out of Songais” and a romantic table setting at a quaint bistro introduces “Part Three, Romance.” I thought the wine glasses added just the right amount of ambiance.
Finding a picture for “Part Four, Escape” took some thought. Several ideas swirled around in my brain, such as a person running or open handcuffs, but these didn’t feel right. Searching for inspiration, I looked back at my own collection of pictures and uncovered this one. It is an actual photo from 1979 of the train I took two or three times a week into the city of Tours. The reason I could use this picture in my book was because none of the passengers are looking directly at the camera. If someone had been recognizable in the photograph, I wouldn’t have been able to use it. I had to protect the identity of the family I lived with.
Well, there you have it. Aren’t you glad you asked?
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