Posts by WordsAndPeace

Cognac Conspiracies: Tour quotations

Cognac Conspiracies banner

Authors Jean-Pierre ALAUX and Noël BALEN

are featured for the 5th time on France Book Tours!
After Treachery in Bordeaux,
Grand Cru Heist,
Nightmare in Burgundy,
Deadly Tasting,
meet again the famous wine maker detective with this 5th volume!

***

Jean-Pierre ALAUX and Noël BALEN

on  Tour

February 1-20, 2015

with

Cognac Conspiracies cover

Cognac Conspiracies

(cozy wine mystery)

 Release date: February 18, 2015
at Le French Book

140  pages

ISBN: 978-1939474322

Website | Goodreads

***

SYNOPSIS

The heirs to one of the oldest Cognac estates in France face a hostile takeover by foreign investors. Renowned wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to audit the books. In what he thought was a sleepy provincial town, he is stonewalled, crosses paths with his first love, and stands up to high-level state officials keen on controlling the buyout. Meanwhile, irresistible Virgile mingles with the local population until a drowning changes the stakes. [provided by the publisher]

***

An episode in a long successful French mysteries series
that is a hit television series now in its fourth season
and attracting an audience of over 4 million.
The series is a huge success in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alaux-Balen

©David Nakache

 

The authors of the Winemaker Detective series, are Epicures.
Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and TV journalist
when he is not writing novels in southwestern France.
He is the grandson of a winemaker
and exhibits a real passion for wine and wine making.
For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine.
He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective,
which he coauthors with Noël Balen.
Noël lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing,
making records, and lecturing on music.
He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books
about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.

 ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

Translator Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado where she wrote Camus and the Americas: A Thematic Analysis of Three Works Based on His Journaux de Voyage.  Her career includes more than twenty years of translating and teaching French and Italian at Berlitz and at Colorado University Boulder.  She has worked in scientific, legal and literary translation; her literary translations include Operatic Arias; Singers Edition, and Reality and the Untheorizable by Clément Rosset.  She also served as the interpreter for the government cabinet of Rwanda and translated for Dian Fossey’s Digit Fund. In addition to her passion for French, she has studied Italian at Colorado University, in Rome and in Siena.  She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband.
***
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 ***

TOUR QUOTATIONS

I Am, Indeed

I’ve read several of these mysteries and am always impressed by both the wine-related information and the solidly described French countryside, history and traditions that surround the wine business.
The food and wine descriptions, and Cooker’s knowledge of both are beautifully integrated within the story. These are lovely little afternoon treks through France, giving readers plenty of information, imagery and entertainment.

The Discerning Reader

The descriptions of Cognac, the making of this fine liquor piqued my interest. The lush environs of Samson’s Mill even the details of the Lavoisier property captured my attention.

Mommasez…

I absolutely love the Winemaker Detective Series.
Alaux and Balen entice and entertain the reader with edible delicacies, superb cigars, and vintage wines, offered with a backdrop of some of France’s most beautiful vineyards and countrysides.

Hook of a Book

Anyone could have “who-done-it” and we feel suspicious of them all. There is an air of intrigue, deceit, and suspense that makes you anxious to the turn the pages.
I know I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series!

Griperang’s Bookmarks

One of the things I enjoyed reading in this book is the history of Cognac and the making of it. I thought the characters were interesting and like getting to know them. The story kept me going and I was not able to solve the mystery until the end which for me makes a good mystery.

Words And Peace

I enjoyed the plot, or rater the plots, and how they end up interconnecting.
And of course, like in the other books of the series, what’s really neat is the description of the region and information on the wine.
Shady characters and great wine join for a new adventure in company of wine expert detective Benjamin. Reconnecting with your past may lead you to unexpected mysteries and dramas.

It’s a Mad Mad World

I liked the writing style and the main characters in the book.
In the end will I say that I liked the book. It was a nice cozy mystery book and I would very much read more in the series.

Deal Sharing Aunt

I really liked this book. It was short, but definitely kept me hooked!

Svetlana’s Reads and Views

If you’re looking for an escapist read, it can be a good stand-alone book

***

 

 

 

Christian Laborie on tour: The Rocheforts

Rocheforts banner

Author Christian Laborie

on Tour

April 6-15, 2015

with

Rocheforts

The Rocheforts

(fiction / saga)

Release date: May 5, 2015 at Open Road Integrated Media

484 pages

ISBN: 978-1-4804-6120-8

***

SYNOPSIS

Two very different families are bonded by scandal in this sweeping story of love, greed, and betrayal.
Anselme Rochefort has built an empire manufacturing serge de Nîmes, or denim. His biggest client? Levi Strauss. As the craze for blue jeans begins to sweep the globe, Rochefort Industries seems poised for untold success. But Anselme can be as cruel and ruthless with his family as he is in business.
The Rocheforts’ neighbor Donatien Rouvière has one of the region’s most prosperous farms and is desperate for a son to carry on his legacy. After the births of three daughters, the Rouvières adopt an orphan from the Sisters of Charity convent and raise him as their own.
When Anselme suggests uniting the two families by arranging for their children to marry, it seems like the perfect match. But as the lives of the two clans grow increasingly intertwined, dark secrets come to light, including the mysterious circumstances of the death of Anselme’s eldest daughter.
With The Rocheforts, Christian Laborie weaves a captivating tale of deceit, intrigue, and the dynamic tension between industrialization and a way of life rooted in the land. [provided by the publisher]

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rocheforts - Laborie

©-Artephoto-Stéphane-Olivier

Christian Laborie
was born in the North of France
but has lived in the southern region of Cévennes
for more than twenty years.
The Rocheforts is his first novel to be published in English.

Follow Open Road Integrated Media on Facebook |   Twitter

Subscribe to Open Road’s Newsletter

Buy the bookAmazon

 ***

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, April 6
Spotlight +  Giveaway at Words And Peace

Tuesday, April 7
Review +  Giveaway at The Fictional 100

Wednesday, April 8
Review at The French Village Diaries

Thursday, April 9
Review + Giveaway at Book Nerd

Monday, April 13
Review + Excerpt + Giveaway at View from the Birdhouse

Review + Giveaway at It’s a Mad mad World

Tuesday, April 14
Review + Giveaway at Caroline Wilson Writes

Wednesday, April 15
Review + Giveaway at The Discerning Reader

Review + Giveaway at For the Hook of a Book

*

You can enter the global giveaway here
or on any other book blogs participating in this tour.
Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,
they are listed in the entry form below
.

Entry-Form

Visit each blogger on the tour:
tweeting about the giveaway everyday
of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time!
[just follow the directions on the entry-form]

Global giveaway open internationally:
5 winners will receive 1 digital copy of The Rocheforts

*

Cognac Conspiracies: release day today

Cognac Conspiracies banner

Today is the official

release day of

Cognac Conspiracies cover

Cognac Conspiracies

(cozy wine mystery)

 Release date: February 18, 2015
at Le French Book

140  pages

ISBN: 978-1939474322

Website | Goodreads

***

SYNOPSIS

The heirs to one of the oldest Cognac estates in France face a hostile takeover by foreign investors. Renowned wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to audit the books. In what he thought was a sleepy provincial town, he is stonewalled, crosses paths with his first love, and stands up to high-level state officials keen on controlling the buyout. Meanwhile, irresistible Virgile mingles with the local population until a drowning changes the stakes. [provided by the publisher]

***

An episode in a long successful French mysteries series
that is a hit television series now in its fourth season
and attracting an audience of over 4 million.
The series is a huge success in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alaux-Balen

©David Nakache

 

The authors of the Winemaker Detective series, are Epicures.
Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and TV journalist
when he is not writing novels in southwestern France.
He is the grandson of a winemaker
and exhibits a real passion for wine and wine making.
For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine.
He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective,
which he coauthors with Noël Balen.
Noël lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing,
making records, and lecturing on music.
He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books
about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.

 ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

Translator Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado where she wrote Camus and the Americas: A Thematic Analysis of Three Works Based on His Journaux de Voyage.  Her career includes more than twenty years of translating and teaching French and Italian at Berlitz and at Colorado University Boulder.  She has worked in scientific, legal and literary translation; her literary translations include Operatic Arias; Singers Edition, and Reality and the Untheorizable by Clément Rosset.  She also served as the interpreter for the government cabinet of Rwanda and translated for Dian Fossey’s Digit Fund. In addition to her passion for French, she has studied Italian at Colorado University, in Rome and in Siena.  She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband.
***
Follow Le French Book on Twitter  | on Facebook
Sign up to receive their latest news and deals.

Buy the book | on Indiebound | Amazon | on Barnes & Noble

And there’s a good deal right now on the first books of the series.
The first volumes are now also available as audiobooks,
wonderfully narrated by Simon Prebble!

***

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE