Author Michelle Gable
on Tour
October 1-10, 2014
with
A Paris Apartment
[Women’s Fiction/Historical Fiction]
Release date: April 22, 2014
at Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press
384 pages
ISBN: 978-1250048738
SYNOPSIS
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER!
Bienvenue à Paris!
When April Vogt’s boss tells her about an apartment in the ninth arrondissement that has been discovered after being shuttered for the past seventy years, the Sotheby’s continental furniture specialist does not hear the words “dust” or “rats” or “decrepit.” She hears Paris. She hears escape.
Once in France, April quickly learns the apartment is not merely some rich hoarder’s repository. Beneath the cobwebs and stale perfumed air is a goldmine, and not because of the actual gold (or painted ostrich eggs or mounted rhinoceros horns or bronze bathtub). First, there’s a portrait by one of the masters of the Belle Epoque, Giovanni Boldini. And then there are letters and journals written by the very woman in the painting, Marthe de Florian. These documents reveal that she was more than a renowned courtesan with enviable decolletage. Suddenly April’s quest is no longer about the bureaux plats and Louis-style armchairs that will fetch millions at auction. It’s about discovering the story behind this charismatic woman.
It’s about discovering two women, actually.
With the help of a salty (and annoyingly sexy) Parisian solicitor and the courtesan’s private diaries, April tries to uncover the many secrets buried in the apartment. As she digs into Marthe’s life, April can’t help but take a deeper look into her own. Having left behind in the States a cheating husband, a family crisis about to erupt, and a career she’s been using as the crutch to simply get by, she feels compelled to sort out her own life too. When the things she left bubbling back home begin to boil over, and Parisian delicacies beyond flaky pâtisseries tempt her better judgment, April knows that both she and Marthe deserve happy finales.
Whether accompanied by croissants or champagne, this delectable debut novel depicts the Paris of the Belle Epoque and the present day with vibrant and stunning allure. Based on historical events, Michelle Gable’s A Paris Apartment will entertain and inspire, as readers embrace the struggles and successes of two very unforgettable women. [provided by the author]
PRAISE FOR A PARIS APARTMENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Gable is a writer and also a mom, wife, financial executive, sports-obsessed maniac (Go Chargers! Go Aztecs!),
Southern California native, barre class fiend, tennis player, and card-carrying member of the Chickasaw Nation.
She grew up in sunny San Diego and attended The College of William & Mary,
where she majored in accounting as most aspiring writers do.
Throughout a career that started in public accounting and then moved to private equity, then investment banking,
and ultimately to the head of FP&A for a publicly-traded software company, Michelle continued to write. And write and write.
Her first novel was released on April 22, 2014, her second scheduled for Spring 2016.
Michelle currently resides in Cardiff by the Sea, California, with her husband, two daughters, and one lazy cat.
Visit her website. Follow her on Facebook, and Twitter
***
TOUR QUOTATIONS
This was a phenomenal debut. It was entertaining while informative, the characters were extremely well written and developed, the transition between story lines were seamless, and it leaves you wanting more. I can’t recommend this enough. It was such an engrossing read that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to pass this up. Next time you are thinking of buying a book, look into this one. You won’t regret it.
I enjoyed this book from page one. Another book I could not put down… After reading this book it makes me want to go to Paris even more than I already did if that is possible. I look forward to more books by this author.
Michelle Gable’s writing style is beautiful. I’ve never been to Paris, and I really hope to make it there someday. Michelle’s words and descriptions really brought Paris to life for me. The atmosphere and detailing of April’s surroundings felt so real to me!
I enjoyed reading A Paris Apartment: it piques your interest at the beginning and the character interaction throughout keeps you rather glued to the book. Readers who enjoy novels set in France and the Belle Epoque and who enjoy history and handling the antiquities may want to check out this novel.
In the company of the furniture assessor April, go spend a month in Paris and get to know with her a remarkable woman who lived their at the end of the 19th century. This fascinating historical novel will open a new world to you, with messages that may give you a new lease on life.
Gable allows her American and French characters to respond and react within the perimeters of this well-established awareness between the two cultural divides, yet she always attempts to step out of the stigma and re-align a sense of forward progression.
I also enjoyed the fact that the main character was well-respected expert in her field and didn’t apologize for being a businesswoman, even when the Frenchman accused her of working too hard.
I zipped through this book, anxious to see what happened next.
I’d definitely recommend picking it up and whiling away some time in Paris.
This was a very well-written book, the story line was effectively delivered and the characters were memorable. I enjoyed and highly recommend.
I loved the story of Marthe, the “demimondaine” apartment owner, and her relationship to the famous artist Boldini, Victor Hugo, and other 19th century personages, and the descriptions of the possessions she accrued in her work. I appreciated the historical accuracy and descriptions of Paris.
***
October 13, 2014
WordsAndPeace
France Book Tours 
1 Trackbacks / Pingbacks
Sunday Post #11 – 10/19/14 | Words And Peace October 19th, 2014 at 02:32
[…] A Paris Apartment: tour quotations […]