In 1979, while I worked as an au pair for a family in the Loire Valley in France, I spent a few Saturdays at the local middle school helping the teacher, Madame Bernard, teach English to her students. During the holidays, I visited the school and the children surprised me with box filled with Christmas presents. The doll in this photograph was one of those gifts. I’m so pleased that I kept it safely tucked away all these years. Here is an excerpt from my book detailing this special event:
Linda Kovic-Skow, author of French Illusions
Foreshadowing in “French Illusions”
January 13, 2016 by 12 Comments
Foreshadowing is a great way to hint to a reader that a future event will occur in your story. According to Wikipedia, “It is also sometimes used to arouse the reader.” The writer can do this with dialog or an action, and the “hint” often occurs at the end of a chapter or scene. You don’t want the reader to put the book down. You want the reader to turn the page because they “have” to find out what happens next.
Hairdresser Hazards for Authors
December 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The summer of 2015 was the first summer my husband, Alan, and I spent four months aboard our boat in the Pacific Northwest Waters of Washington and Canada. We made Bellingham our home port and this is where I found my new “summer hairdresser.” During my initial appointment with young Ellie (not her real name), we covered the basic “how do you dos,” and then we moved on to the subject of my books.
From Tours to Paris: The Pictures that Introduce Parts One, Two and Three
December 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Back on February 6, 2013, after I published my first memoir — French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley — I wrote a blog that revealed the “story” behind the photographs introducing the four parts in my book. As I said before, it was my publisher’s design team that came up with this fantastic idea and I carried it forward to my sequel, From Tours to Paris.
The French Illusions Box Set
December 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Bargain priced at Amazon for $4.99! Thank you, Laurie, for your fantastic review. My heart is full.
Cover Reveal for French Illusions: From Tours to Paris!
March 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Drum roll please! Here’s my new cover for Book 2 in the French Illusions Series, scheduled for release in April 2015. My head’s in the clouds!!!
Hitting The Pause Button
January 1, 2014 by 9 Comments
I’m working my fingers to the bone writing my sequel, French Illusions: From Tours to Paris, so please bear with me while I pause my blog. I’ll check back in soon.
Grand Chateaux Of The Loire Valley
November 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This will be the first of three posts centering on chateaux from the Loire Valley in France. First on my list is the magnificent Chateau de Chambord.
What Defines a Memoir? What Is Narrative Nonfiction?
October 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Merriam-Webster defines a memoir as follows, “a written account in which someone (such as a famous performer or politician) describes past experiences, or a written account of someone or something that is usually based on personal knowledge of the subject.” So, how does that differ from a biography or an autobiography? Once again, turning to our expert above, a biography is the story of a real person’s life written by someone other than that person,” whereas, “an autobiography is the biography of a person narrated by himself or herself.” Obviously the lines can get blurred, but quite often, an autobiography spans a person’s lifetime whereas a memoir tells a story about a certain time period in someone’s life.
Enhanced Ending For French Illusions
October 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I want to thank all of my readers for their reviews of French Illusions at Amazon. Although most of your comments are positive, I’ve received a consistent criticism, gulp, my abrupt ending. I didn’t get it right away. At first, I thought the reader was left with too many unanswered questions. What happens to Adam? Does Linda ever learn French? Does she ever become a flight attendant? These questions are not only understandable, there’re expected. Where to end this memoir was a difficult decision for me. After I outlined my first diary, I realized that I had too much story left in my second diary for only one book. A natural place to break the story occurs after my au pair experience.
