The French Cookery School by Caroline James
Hello Sheri, and many thanks for inviting me to your excellent blog as I celebrate the publication of my new novel, The French Cookery School – a brand new romcom! In this post I’d like to tell your followers about my writing routine and the inspiration behind my new novel.
“It was a magical time…”
The French Cookery School was motivated by a week I spent in France many years ago on a press trip to a gorgeous old farmhouse on the edge of the Charente. As a media agent representing celebrity chefs, I was invited by the host, Chef Valentina Harris, to attend alongside notable journalists and experience the cookery course that Valentina and her helpers were instigating. It was a magical time, and I fell in love with the house named Le Touvent, which had been the former boyhood home of the late President Mitterrand. I always thought the venue would make an attractive fictional base for a novel. On a return visit to France, I decided to set the story in the Vienne district, and my research proved fruitful as I found many interesting places to take my characters to.
When beginning a new book, I buy a big A4 notebook, with tabs and plastic folders. This is my ‘book bible.’ At the back, I list the chapter page numbers and word count, which helps me see a rhythm. My chapters tend to have similar word counts, which isn’t deliberate, it just seems to happen. Any research quotes, notes, pictures or information go in the folders in sections. At the front is a chapter-by-chapter analysis, then the characters and their backgrounds. Finally, as I write, I list by page number and brief detail, any points that need picking up further on in the book.
My ideas come from life and people watching. If I sat down to write a bucket list of things I’ve done, there are often experiences that can form the framework for a story. For example, a holiday may create a destination scene. You know it well, so why not write about it? Change the names and fill the picture with words and your story has begun.
My ideas begin set in stone, but as I write they shoot off, like the branches on a tree and I very often have no idea where they are taking me. Which is fun, like telling myself a story. I plot initially then let my imagination have free fall and by the time I’m halfway I know exactly where the book is going and it tends to gain momentum and write itself.
I do hope that you enjoy The French Cookery School and I wish you and
your visitors many happy reading hours. Warmest wishes, Caroline xx
Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a
literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included
owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent
representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and
began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many
bestseller badges for her books.
Her Amazon Top Five Bestseller, The
Cruise, is described as: ‘Girl power for the
over sixties!’ Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold
Hotel’.
The French Cookery School is set in the magical environment of La Maison du Paradis,
where an eclectic group of guests get more than they bargained for when they
come together for an unforgettable week.
Caroline likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and
in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake.
Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SoA, ARRA and
the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with
many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship
guests.
Books
by Caroline James:
Contact:
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Facebook: Caroline James Author
Insta: Caroline James Author
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