As promised, here is the second installment explaining why I chose the photos introducing the four “parts” in French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley. In my earlier blog, I focused on Part One and Part Two, and today I will move on to Parts Three and Four. 
“Part Three, Romance” was the most challenging part of my book to write (because it was so personal), but finding a photo to introduce this part was not difficult. I visited websites like, Shutterstock.com, and eventually decided to license a photo of a table setting at a quaint bistro. I thought the wine glasses added just the right amount of ambiance.
Finding a picture to introduce “Part Four, Escape” took a lot more thought. Several ideas swirled around in my mind, such as a person running away from something or open handcuffs, but these didn’t feel right. Searching for inspiration, I looked back at my own collection of pictures and uncovered the photo to the left. It is an actual photo I took in 1979 of the train I boarded two or three times a week to travel to Tours. This photo depicted perfectly my “escape” from the Château de Montclair. The reason I could use this picture in my memoir 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 during my stay in France.
If you would like to learn more about my experiences in France, you can purchase my eBook or paperback at Amazon by clicking on this link, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley The audiobook is also available at Audible.com.
A super post, Linda. Photos support your writing well.
Thanks again for your comments, Val. Yes, I was pleased to find just the right photos to introduce the sections in French Illusions. Congratulations on your new book, Living With My Sin: The Story of a Dog’s Life. It sure looks like a good read.