Posts from the ‘quotations’ Category

Tour quotations: I Looked for the One My Heart Loves

I Looked For The One - banner

Dominique Marny

 on Tour

 September 2-11, 2014

with

I Looked For The One - cover

I Looked for
The One My Heart Loves

[fiction]

 Release date: August 12, 2014
at Open Road Integrated Media / Publishers Square

384 pages

ISBN: 978-1-4804-6116-1

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SYNOPSIS

Anne and Alexis are separated by war as children and reunited later by destiny. A powerful and dramatic love story that spans decades in spite of its seeming impossibility.

Anne, 9, and Alexis, 11, grow up together in the Montmartre area of Paris. While she has a major crush on him, he merely sees her as his friend’s little sister. After WWII begins, the two are separated as their families flee Paris to avoid the German occupation. When they say goodbye, Alexis promises to always protect Anne.

Anne holds on to this promise for years as she constantly thinks of Alexis, wondering where he may be. Anne grows up, finds works in an art gallery, and marries a kind, devoted man with whom she has two children. But her heart still belongs to Alexis and she never stops looking for him. Their paths cross fatefully one day in Brussels many years after they were separated.

Alexis, living in Canada and soon to be moving to San Francisco, has a family of his own; a wife in constant depression and a son. Despite their responsibilities to family and the geographical distance that keeps them apart, Anne and Alexis find a way to love one another, secretly yet passionately.

But after all this time, will they ever manage to be truly together, completely?  [provided by the publisher]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dominique Marny

 

Dominique Marny was raised in a family that loves art,
literature, adventure and travels.
In addition to being a novelist,
she is a playwright, screenwriter, and writes for various magazines.

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WATCH THIS BEAUTIFUL VIDEO
where Dominique Marny speaks
about her book,
and how Paris inspired her writing

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TOUR QUOTATIONS

Readerly Musings:

A wonderful story filled with hope and love, I Looked for the One My Heart Loves is a story that is not to be missed.

Musings of a Writer & Unabashed Francophile

The author built a lot of sympathy for the characters, and what they had in their everyday lives, and how much they wanted to be together.

Mommasez…

A sadly tragic love story that spans 32 years and a number of historical events, including WWII and the John F. Kennedy, I Looked For The One My Heart Loves was an entertaining and engaging read for many reasons.

Jorie Loves A Story

Marny gave me a breath of insight into the French who survived the war and the carefree approach to living I always felt the French embraced as a celebration for life itself.

The French Village Diaries

It was a compelling storyline that never failed to make me want to read more.

Book Nerd

I really enjoyed the historical setting and the descriptions and the times and places.  I highly recommend and enjoyed this beautiful and heartbreaking book about two people that just want to love each other.

Deal Sharing Aunt

It was interesting to read about Paris and how its citizens were affected by German Occupation. It was a view of WWII that I  have not read about before.

Unshelfish

The rich descriptions of Paris and surrounding cities and countryside were lush. I felt as if I was in France… Highly recommend this memorable story of young love that never ended.

I Am, Indeed

Dominique Marny may not have, in my eyes, made me believe in a great romance, but she did give me the chance to walk the streets and feel the setting, and produced characters intrigued and entertained. All I can ask of a good read is that I feel something, remember someone and feel the ending has brought me satisfaction – and this book did all of those things.

The Book Binder’s Daughter

I LOOKED FOR THE ONE MY HEART LOVED is a great read for those who appreciate historical fiction set in Paris.

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Tour quotations: The Wharf of Chartrons

Wharf of Chartrons Banner

Author Jean-Paul Malaval

on Tour

August 12-21, 2014

with

Wharf of Chartrons cover

The Wharf of Chartrons

[historical fiction]

 Release date: August 12, 2014
at Open Road Integrated Media / Publishers Square

468 pages

ISBN: 978-1-4804-6119-2

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SYNOPSIS

A family linked by wine and old rivalries sets out for new territory, during the turmoil of World War I.

David and Gaspard are cousins, bonded by family and their allegiance to their winemaking heritage. Parting with tradition and moving their vineyards near Bordeaux threatens to upset the family peace, but that’s only the beginning of their trouble. Short on funds, they are forced to team with a wealthy but morally corrupt engineer—though perhaps at a cost too high for the cousins…

Despite the odds, David and Gaspard succeed in making a successful wine, Clos-Marzacq. Along the way, they each fall in love, though not always in the best of circumstances. And now, to cement their successes, the cousins need to secure a stronghold on the Wharf of Chartrons, seen as the gateway to selling into England and America.

The Wharf of Chartrons exalts the passion of men who have a love of their land, and who are concerned about drawing the very best wine from it.  [provided by the publisher]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jean-Paul MalavalJean-Paul Malaval was a journalist before turning to a career as a writer of local photography books and later fiction.
In 1982, he began what would become a long-term relationship with the publishing house Éditions Milan, in Toulouse.
To date, Jean-Paul Malaval has written ten works of historical fiction,
mainly based in the region where he grew up, the Corrèze, which is near the Dordogne.
Five of his ten novels have been published by Presses de la Cité.
He is loyal to his home region and has been mayor of the town of Vars-sur-Roseix in Corrèze since 1995.

Visit the wikipedia page on him [in French]

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WATCH THIS BEAUTIFUL VIDEO
where Jean-Paul Malaval speaks
about the art of writing

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TOUR QUOTATIONS

 The Book Binder’s Daughter

The Wharf of Chartrons is an emotional read about two men trying to break free of their traditional families, to carve out their own success in a corrupt business world, and to find the loves of their lives.  If you appreciate fine wine and a French setting, then THE WHARFS OF CHARTRONS is the book for you

Jorie Loves A Story

The chapters in which he elicits a more direct connection to the timescape and the landscape were my absolute favourites by far.

The Avid Reader

The writing was well done I think.

Lisa’s Yarns

I love the fact that the author of this book actually lives in the region where the book was set as I feel that improves the authenticity of the book and impacts the author’s ability to vividly describe the region.
All in all it was an entertaining book and filled my France fix for the month.

Words And Peace

If you enjoy France and French wine, especially Bordeaux, get to meet David and Gaspard, in the fascinating period around WWI, rich with so many events, as they launch into wine-making, both following and distancing themselves from their ancestors.

 I Am, Indeed

In one of my favorite genres, the story in The Wharf of Chartrons manages to incorporate family drama, tradition, memories, wine and the various horrors brought on by war, Jean-Paul Malaval manages to take all the elements and present a lovely story.

Deal Sharing Aunt

This was a fun book to read and the ending proves that love makes a family, not dna. I am giving this book a 5/5.

Chocolate & Croissants

The book also offered insight into France’s wine industry and how the war impacted wine growers…
Would I recommend this book?  Absolutely,  Author Jean-Paul Malaval wrote a book that will transpose you back to a different era.  The Wharf of Chartrons is a continuation of The Winegrowers of Chantegrele a book that I am going to seek out.

Book Nerd

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a rewarding experience.  The author was able to combine the wine making experience with life changing experiences with finesse.  Great read!

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Tour quotations: France on the Brink

France on the Brink banner

Author Jonathan Fenby

on Tour

August 4-8, 2014

with

France on the Brink banner

France on the Brink:
A Great Civilization in the New Century

[nonfiction/history]

 Release date: July 1, 2014
at Skyhorse Publishing

448 pages

ISBN: 978-1628723175

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SYNOPSIS

France on the Brink was chosen as a New York Times book of the year and hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “a comprehensive and entertaining diagnosis of what ails French society” when the first edition was published at the turn of the century. Since then, the crisis enveloping France has only worsened, and this second edition, completely revamped to cover the developments of the past fifteen years, offers a fresh assessment of where the nation stands. New chapters chart political developments under Presidents Chirac, Sarkozy, and Hollande; the rise of the hard right National Front; and the unrelenting economic woes that have led to unprecedented levels of disillusion and fragmentation. In this new edition, Fenby offers a loving though candid and unvarnished picture of the nation, contrasting its glorious past with current realities.[provided by the publisher]
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Fenby  reported from France for a variety of newspapers, including the Economist, Christian Science Monitor, Times of London, Guardian, and London Observer. Married to a Frenchwoman, he was, to his surprise, made a Chevalier of the French Order of Merit in 1990. He is also the author of acclaimed biographies of Charles de Gaulle and Chiang Kai-shek, among other works. He lives in England.

Visit his blog on China
Follow him on Twitter | Goodreads

Keep in touch with Skyhorse Publishing and their great books | Facebook | Twitter

Buy this book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bookstore

 

QUOTATIONS FROM THE TOUR

Book Nerd:

 If anyone is looking to learn and read about the current situation of french life this is a must read.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned much more than I had expected.

Words And Peace

VERDICT: Enjoying the beach in Southern France is fine. If you want to go deeper and start understanding the current social, economic, and political situation of that country, this is THE book you need to read.

An Accidental Blog

Author Jonanthan Fenby writes that the problem with the French is “They cling to the past and present, but want a different future.”
After reading Fenby’s On The Brink, it’s clear that even a Frenchman, or anyone intimately acquainted with the Hexagon’s politics and history, would nod in agreement.
“Brink” begins as a political science textbook but it’s soon apparent the author is preparing you to try to understand a “very special place.”

Doing Dewey

The author did a fantastic job showing how history has shaped the French and encapsulating the difficulties their country faces with fascinating anecdotes and just enough optimism.

Booksie’s Blog

Readers interested in France will find much of interest in this work… This book is recommended for history readers and those interested in the world around them.

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