Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Paris?? No Really, It's Research! @LucyBurdette


LUCY BURDETTE: You might remember when I wrote about a nubbin of an idea for a women’s fiction a.k.a. book club book mostly set in Paris. Last week I was thrilled to start thinking about the novel while actually on the scene. A Recipe for Paris or The Paris Recipe (working titles) isn’t a sequel to The Ingredients of Happiness but it takes off from (will take off from!) one of the subplots from that book about a girl given up for adoption as a baby, her birth mother, and her unknown birth father. Once the mother, Betty, finds her daughter, Winifred, she gives her a box of clippings she’s been keeping for 20 years about the biological father, who is a patisserie chef in Paris. Winifred decides she has to go meet him in order to understand herself. You can see why I had to go back to Paris to do the research!


As we walked and walked and walked the city streets, I tried to keep Winnie's story burbling in the background. What would she see and feel and taste?




(I'm not sure how she'll end up hearing a concert like the one we did, but it will happen...)

Many of the Paris novels I’ve read over the past few years involve a secret inheritance, maybe a high couture dress or a fabulous apartment left languishing for years. I don’t expect to find either of these in the book I’m planning, but there will surely be an unexpected upper crust grandmother. I had such fun, figuring out where she lives (the seventh arrondissement), which is old money, and very formal. Maybe it would look something like this? 



or this? 





(Photo from the Sotheby’s booklet of Parisian apartments for sale.)


When Winifred arrives in Paris to work for her biological father (who knows nothing about her), I’m pretty sure she’ll be assigned to live in a bunk on a houseboat on the Seine until she gets her bearings. It might very well look like this: 




I’ll be telling you lots more as the story evolves, but if you’re heading for Paris for real, or want to go in your imagination, I recommend these blogs: David Lebovitz, Heather Stimmler's Secrets of Paris, Cake Boy Paris on Instagram, the Real Emily in Paris, Dorie Greenspan, Paris by Mouth. Here are a few of the novels and memoirs I’ve enjoyed: there are so many more!


Hidden in Paris

Almost French

The Paris Wife

My Life in France

The Sweet Life in Paris

Paris is Always a Good Idea (Jenn!)

The Paris Dress

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris

The Paris Dressmaker

Jacqueline in Paris

The Paris Library

The Keeper of Happy Endings

The Paris Key

Cara Black's mysteries

Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars

and of course...

Rhys's THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT, which kept me glued to my kindle app on the long trip home...

 


Meanwhile, THE INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS, where Winnie makes her first appearance will be in bookstores July 4 –I'm so excited! Reviewers, you can get your copy on NetGalley now.


Reds, do you share my Paris obsession? Or have a place you visited or yearned to visit that would make a great story?


PS Reds, Barnes and Noble is running a big 25% off sale on all pre-orders (print, ebook, and I think audio--for two days only! You can pop over and preorder any of the upcoming Reds' titles!

77 comments:

  1. Oh, my . . . Lucy, I am so looking forward to reading THE INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS . . . and your follow-up book sounds so intriguing.

    Paris always makes a great story, and it's a place I hope to visit one day . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with Paris, but it is fun to visit fictionally, and I would like to visit in real life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on your upcoming release. Love the cover. I would love to go back to Paris.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your book sounds sooo intriguing. And thanks for the list of books. I love books about Paris, and have always considered a Cara Black/Aimee LeDuc mystery a free trip to Paris.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fabulous trip! I haven't been to Paris is SO long and must get back - maybe I could rent a houseboat to stay on. (Am rushing off to catch the Acela to Malice - see some of you there!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I do enjoy reading books set in Paris. It's been a long time since I was there in real life!
    In the meantime, I do subscribe to the David Lebovitz and Dorie Greenspan newsletters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are so delicious, aren't they? Try the others too, Cake Boy and the Real Emily. You will enjoy them!

      Delete
  7. Thank you for sharing your Paris obsession, Lucy! Through your pictures and books, as well as those of others, is the only way I'll get to visit that magical city so I definitely look forward to reading your book.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the beautiful photos. Now I can visually arm chair travel to Paris. Question. as I am suffering from allergies right now, is there the same problem in Paris? Just downloaded installment #1; excited for my Parisian adventure. Happiness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely lots of spring pollen in Paris. Same for Key West. I take the allergy medicine wherever I go!

      Delete
  9. Lucy, congratulations. So far, I don't seem to have the technical skill to get netgalley's approval but I promise to review THE INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS when it comes out. I love the title!! Love it. Will pre-order today.

    Paris is a fantastic location for a story and I will save your list of Paris themed books. The last time I was there, I was young and single, traveling with a fellow teacher ( EUROPE ON $5 A DAY) on a summer Eurail pass, staying in pensiones and eating in inexpensive restaurants. So long ago. (Sigh.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You and your hubby are due for a trip Judy! I would think Netgalley would love to have you as a reviewer...

      Delete
    2. They asked me for my website! What website? No website, no books.

      Delete
  10. Thank you for your beautiful pictures of Paris.
    I’m not obsessed by Paris. I visited ten years ago and enjoyed it but I preferred to visit the Dordogne countryside. It must be said that at the end of march 2013, it was very cold and it snowed in Paris while it was warmer and a beautiful spring in the south.
    However, I’m always happy to read about places that I’ve visited and I’m looking forward to your book taking place in Paris.
    Danielle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Danielle--our week started out cold and rainy. We didn't ever have a chance to wear our pretty Paris duds!

      Delete
  11. I've been to Paris three times in the last two years. Sadly, we never left the airport! It's one of the three most common connections to Nairobi from the States, so on both our trips to Africa we had long layovers in CDG, but not long enough to leave the airport, durn it (and one that connected through Amsterdam, where we also could not leave). At least there was good espresso and croissants to be enjoyed while we were waiting.

    However, I have been there several times: on my own with other women, like your trip, Lucy--when it also rained almost the whole time; with my husband; and with almost all the rest of my family on a weekend jaunt from London. Hoping to go back soon, as a side trip to visit Athens!

    Loved seeing your photos. Was the concert in Ste. Chappelle? My very favorite spot in that lovely city, but I did not know they had concerts there. What a feast for the senses. Another such was being able to smell the heady masses of blooming hyacinths in the Jardin de Luxemborg from a block away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes the Sainte Chapelle was such a highlight Karen! You can Google this--I spotted a concert featuring The Four Seasons and we snapped it up. It was only an hour, but magical to be hearing the live music and watching the light change on those glorious stained glass windows!

      Delete
    2. And the acoustics in those magnificent old churches are spectacular. What a treat that must have been!

      Delete
    3. Saint Chapelle remains one of the highlights of a few vacation days I was able to attach to a work trip in Europe. A long, long time ago but it still lives in my memory. It was just beyond words. And the other 5 star experience of that trip was Monet's garden.

      Delete
  12. previous message didn't post. We stayed on the Left Bank last September, walking distance to the Jardin des Plantes. Loved my neighborhood, the food shops and cafes, the kids dropped off at the Maternelle pre-school down the street.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great photos Lucy and I love how the new story is revealing itself. I love Paris - such a beautiful city. I love the wide tree lines streets, the parks, cathedrals, museums. It's so wonderful to walk along the streets - coming across various shops (cookware, bakery, cheese, coffee) and spending time browsing. Especially love the open air markets.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely tour of Paris, Lucy. And your new books coming and in process sound terrific. They bring to mind my gap year between high school and university (mid-70s), some of which I spent in Paris -- wandering the streets, sitting in cafes, visiting museums and galleries. Fabulous memories!

    Unrelated: I have a guest post on Brevity Blog today, in which I mention the influence that this JRW blog has had on my own writing journey over the past few years. You can read it here: https://brevity.wordpress.com/2023/04/26/how-breadcrumbs-are-making-me-a-better-writer/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great Parisian tour! It sounds so fabulous! It will be fun to read the book when it's done. I especially loved the little taste of the concert. The times I spent in Paris are now long ago and far away, a blur of memory. I did read Cara Black's Three Hours in Paris (thanks JRW!), and found myself pouring over the maps and trying to remember the locations,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gillian, I didn't get a good video of the concert because my flashlight came on and it had to bothering other people. I told myself to stop and enjoy the moment!

      Delete
  16. Thanks for all the tips of blogs and books to read. I'm going to Paris this summer. My first time since the mid-1980s, and I'm sure that much has changed. Good luck with the new book you're writing and the one that is just published.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, oh, oh. Thank you! The info on sources is perfectly timed. We have just this very week started talking about a trip to Paris in the fall to celebrate a landmark anniversary ( How did we get so old? How did we spend so many years together?) We have been there before (not recently) - and I've been there alone, too - so we've done many of the "big" things. Some we will do again. (Musee d"Orsay) We could spend 4-5 days just walking around, but we are keeping our eyes open for the new or new to us fun. (we've never been to the famous flea market) And looking forward to the new book too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are SO MANY museums. I did go to two new ones, the Victor Hugo home overlooking Place des Vosges, and also Eugene Delacroix's home and studio, which has a lovely garden.

      Delete
  18. Thanks for the lovely tour of Paris and the preview of your upcoming book about Winifred. Since Paris is only a four-hour train ride from Bern, my husband and I usually get there once a year, although not often in the spring. "I love Paris in the springtime." True, unless it rains! Still, if it does rain, there are all those fabulous museums and churches to visit. Confession: although I DO love Paris, I love London more.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos of Paris. My internal frenemy "Cruella" is pleased I can level up my distraction game for her and finally send her to Paris.

    When she starts in criticizing me inside my mind, I now realize what's happening and stop the thought by saying something like: "Cruella, aren't you late for the pilates brunch on the lido deck?" That makes the last thing on my mind something luxurious and often wacky.

    Like, a martini tour of The Parthenon. See? I bet that's on your mind now and you're smiling. :)

    So, thank you for providing new scenery for her. I mean, us. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome Rhonda, I am glad you're making good use of it LOL

      Delete
  20. Glorious pictures. I love just sitting in places with stained glass windows, add music and I'd most definitely try my best to be there. Both books sound great. Thanks for the reminder about Ingredients of Happiness, I need to order it for my summer reading.

    Someday I'll get off this continent. I've been thinking it would be nice to find the city where my Norwegian grandfather's family came from. Only problem is that the bio for what seems to be the family lumber yard, in Wisconsin, says Isaac came from Sweden, which I know ruled Norway about the time Isaac would have left.The old world. So am I Norwegian or Swedish? Hmmm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! Deana, having spent time in Bergen in Norway and visited Sweden, you know you are Swedish if you know all the ABBA songs by heart. You are Norwegian if you were born with cross country skis! Both countries are definitely worth a long visit. Norway is exceptionally beautiful and majestic.

      Delete
    2. those two places are HIGH on our list to see!

      Delete
    3. Hi Lucy, I recommend going in late May to early October!

      Delete
  21. What about The Little Paris Bookshop? That is one of my absolute favorite books.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Love your photos of Paris, hope more pics to come tomorrow? Any recommendations for shopping, eating? I remember a gelato shop in Le Marais district - maybe Amorino? It was on a corner spot and the lines were out the door.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Although I’ve never been to Paris, I’ve read so many books set there that I feel like I would recognize some neighborhoods if I ever had the opportunity to go! The books you mentioned are going on my TBR pile.

    I look forward to reading your new book this summer, and I’ll impatiently wait for the Paris book!

    DebRo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks DebRo! Reading takes us places we couldn't otherwise go

      Delete
  24. First, let me thank you for taking one for the team, Lucy, and traveling to Paris to do all that work. It must be a huge sacrifice to have to be there. Hahaha!

    Next, I have to say that I don't think anyone could be more obsessed or have more extensive lists for Paris reading than my dear friend Kaye Wilkinson Barley. Kaye has a running list of fiction and non-fiction titles on her Meanderings and Muses blog. I'm giving you a link to the fiction list, where there's a link to the non-fiction. If you go to the home page of the blog, you will click on the Paris pig in the column going down the right side of the page. http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2018/01/my-paris-reading-list.html Kaye has a Paris non-fiction book she and her husband collaborated on that you will not want to miss. It's Carousels of Paris, and is just what the title implies. There are pictures and comments about carousels in Paris. The link to her blog page for it has links to where you can buy it. https://kayewilkinsonbarley.com/books/carousels-of-paris/

    One book that Kaye swears by on her trips to Paris, one she takes with her and makes notes in, is The Little Black Book of Paris: The External Guide to the City of Lights from Peter Pauper Press.

    Kaye also has different installments of her favorite spots in Paris. These should be required reading before you go to Paris. Kaye is an outstanding guide to what to see, not that you could probably see everything in one trip. I'm linking you to her 9th installment on her blog of "Favorite Spots in Paris." If you're interested, I can get the other 8 links or ask Kaye to get them for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kaye, you have so much to offer people who are going to Paris. I had to share your information.

      Delete
    2. Yes we adore Kaye and her Paris lists and notes!

      Delete
  25. A boathouse on the SEINE! Brilliant!! Oh, Roberta, this sounds like such a wonderful trip. I do love Paris. The food! The pastry! Charcuterie!! And, I hope, romance?!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Going to look for my copy of ELOISE IN PARIS...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Ooo, what fun research, Lucy! And how did I miss you have a "book club book" coming out soon?
    Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Lucy, LOVE LOVE LOVE today's post! I so vicariously enjoyed your trip and your photos, I loved The Ingredients of Happiness, and can't wait to read this interconnected story. This is just an all round win! And I think A Recipe for Paris is a great title, too.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh, how fun! Love this!!!

    Everybody needs a sister of the heart like Kathy Boone Reel! ❤❤❤. I do, indeed, have not only one extensive Paris book list, but two. One for fiction ( http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2018/01/my-paris-reading-list.html ), another for non-fiction ( http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2022/02/my-paris-reading-list-non-fiction.html ). And there are many, many, many links with lots of photos from past Paris trips accessed by typing aParis in the little search box ar the very tip top left corner of my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ooh, lucky you! I'd love to visit Paris (and a lot of other places). Right now my husband refuses to get on a plane while covid and other things are circulating. Humbug.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WE did worry Pat. We all wore masks on plane and in airports and any crowded places. And we took tests and Paxlovid with us. So very lucky that no one got sick!!

      Delete
  31. What lovely photos! The book sounds fantabulous. I'm looking forward to it.

    For me, it will always be Cornwall. I must have lived there in a past life. It calls to me like no other place on earth. Although, Paris in a snowstorm is a close second!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know Cornwall, but I love that you lived there in another life!

      Delete
  32. All here know that I’m obsessed with Paris and with France. We’ve made so many trips, one per year for a while. We rent an apartment in the 7th, just off the Rue Cler, have our favorite restaurant and favorite shops. However I can remember the last book I read set in Paris It is fabulous. The Book of Salt by Monique Truong. Believe it or not, it’s about Gertrude Lawrence, Alice B Toklas, and their retinue. Not to be missed

    ReplyDelete
  33. I only visited Paris once, briefly, but I did love it, and I love reading books set there. It will be fun to explore the cooking that is surely part of her DNA as well as seeing splendid places.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Can’t wait for your books Roberta! Sandy and I were in Paris last fall. One of my most favorite places. We stayed in the Ile St. Louis and loved the location. I’ve read many of the books on your list hit not all….guess what I’ll be doing!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Fantastic pictures, Lucy!!! I am so jealous but also just delighted for you. Your novel sounds wonderful. I can't wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I can manage to get around Paris on my own, with my very basic French, but I've seen a real change- I was there alone in 1996, when no one admitted to knowing English, and in a city full of foreign visitors, almost no signs were in anything but French. (And American tv was dubbed not subtitled) The attitude seemed to be, "If you cant' speak French you shouldn't be here." A few years later? I went with my husband, who used to speak French fluently, after a summer job in Switzerland, and was excited to revive his skill. And everyone in Paris wanted to practice their English with him! All signs were in 2 or 3 languages too. Quite a startling change. Husband did take adult French for a few years, homework and all, and we've been to different parts of France but sadly admitted it's much harder now than it was at 24.

    ReplyDelete