The Signare of Gorée - Cover Reveal

Before she could blink, she was 48 years old and pined for glimpses of her hometown. And it was just as well she was deep into 1840s Senegal, a world where few have traveled before, while those that have truly seen it are long gone. But we can make them return with a little imagination, can't we? We can create magical characters and spin a mystery. 

You must know that life is short and time is running out for me. This is why these days, my blog is sparse in content. All my efforts, you see, are poured into writing, researching, keeping myself fed, staying mildly connected to the increasingly narcissistic 21st century, and time-traveling to places that will hopefully inspire my future novels.

Not much to say, still working on honing my upcoming historical novel set in Senegal, but in the meantime, here is the full cover by graphic designer extraordinaire, Ross Robinson. 

I love it and hope you do too.

The Signare of Gorée will be released in September 2024 

You can already add it to your to-read shelf on Goodreads, and if you read books on Kindle, it is available for pre-order on Amazon, worldwide.

Folgar...on Gorée island.

  

The Signare of Gorée - a historical mystery set in 1840s Senegal

I have a new book coming out in 2024 and here is the cover. I hope you like it.  

1840s Senegal seems worlds apart from my current home in Brittany. While writing this book, I could not be further estranged from Victorian England where I set the first Maurice Leroux detective novel, Calista. 

This story takes place two years earlier than Calista. It is 1846 and Inspector Maurice Leroux finds himself on Gorée Island alongside my ancestor, Lieutenant Leopold Candeau who will be his Watson during the investigation.   

Nothing pleases me more than assembling puzzles and breathing life into historical figures: Gorée's métis mayor, Armand Laporte; his daughter, the signare Constance Laporte; her husband, the Bordeaux entrepreneur Hilaire Maurel; the famous signare Anna Colas Pépin (who inherited THE house you might have heard of whenever you read about Gorée); and glimpses of one of Senegal's first catholic priests, Abbé Boilat from whom we have acquired many illustrations from this period.

Yet I am most enthralled by my lead signare, Angélique Aussenac. The lady on the cover. She is already one of my favorite characters EVER! 

For months now, I have been researching my birth country's history, its people, their beliefs and that fascinating period existing between the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1817 (soon after the Congress of Vienna) and France's abolition of slavery in 1848. It is a period of shifting mentalities, of moral and economic reckoning, a period that would forever change the pulse and purpose of Gorée Island. 

I have spoken so little about this novel and its premise because it is still my secret place. I will try to add to this post over time. 

There is a trailer on Youtube for now. 

The rest I guard it close to my chest. 

The Signare of Gorée - my new historical mystery

Suddenly it is almost 2023 and you awake with a new historical mystery in the works.

Why not, you think. Why did I not think of it before? I'll return to the place of my birth, in a different time. 

Senegal, you fill my thoughts. I am loving the research and the return to the familiar.

I have called this novel The Signare of Gorée. 

The setting is the 1840s on the French colonial island of Gorée and detective Maurice Leroux is a touch younger than he was in my gothic novel, Calista.

Summoned by the French navy to investigate a series of horrific murders, Maurice is soon haunted by the strange deaths on the island. 

One...by one...

The undeserving must die.

Using Canva to create my book trailers

I had worked with the brilliant tool Canva since 2017, albeit in a professional setting where I was more a passive recipient of mockups lovingly realised by UX designers at my workplace.

After releasing The Secret of Chantilly in late November, then participating in the book’s promotion activities in December and surviving all the Christmas cooking, I decided I needed a purely visual and auditory project. I took on playing with Canva and was pleasantly surprised. What began as social media posters (that I deleted) and fun food menus themed around Christmas and High Tea, soon led to a joyful passion for book trailers. 

I completed two book trailers in late January after upgrading to Canva Pro. One for Calista and one for The Ming Storytellers. I also had loads of fun with a Secret of Chantilly promo to coincide with Talleyrand’s birthday. I’ll eventually work on a trailer for my other books. 

My favorite part of the process was choosing imagery that evoked themes and symbols in my stories — a very rewarding semiotic exercise —  then applying various royalty free sound pieces to set the mood. I also had to avoid modern imagery as my novels are set in the past, and choose video content over photos where possible to avoid that “presentation slide” feel which is not what I wanted.  For the sound in the Calista trailer, I added thunderstorm, ocean and cricket effects and had fun with jarring and downright spooky horror pieces. The addition of sound made me realise just how crucial to the emotional effect sound mixing is and my respect for that discipline of filmmaking has increased like never before. The result is an unsettling little video that captures the contrast in Calista’s life before and after moving to England and creates intrigue. It won’t win an Oscar but I’m very happy. :)

For the Chantilly promo video, my aim was not to convey what the book is about but rather to showcase the essence of my characters : nimble, hardworking chef Carême affairing himself in the Château de Valençay kitchen, and his tasteful and regal master, Talleyrand. All the Valençay photos are my own, taken during a trip to Indre in July 2020 while I was editing the French version of the novel. I also used music that would have been familiar to Talleyrand in his time, so the first piece for example which accompanies Carême’s cooking, is by Mozart, and it worked wonders when I adjusted the pace of the imagery and used lots of dynamics like confetti, butterfly wings, and hand gestures. The cartoonish imagery is befitting because the novel possesses  a fairytale like quality, and these childish finishes also add an element of fun to what is, after all, a birthday celebration video. 

Giveaway ! 📚
How about a trip to the @ChateauValencay for #Talleyrand’s birthday? 🥳 I hear French chef Antonin Carême is cooking up a storm.

If you enjoy foodie historical fiction with heart, The Secret of Chantilly is currently free on Kindle. 🎁♥️ https://t.co/tpWhJXVGTb pic.twitter.com/7zHDcNDAax

— Laura Rahme (@Laura_Rahme) February 1, 2022

The Ming Storytellers book trailer is my greatest joy. It has by far the prettiest music, a melody that wonderfully tugs at the heartstrings while spelling mystery and awe. I remember sighing wishfully years ago, telling myself that I needed a book trailer for my epic story, but I never had the time nor the resources for it, and now, ten years after its release, it finally has one! Thank you Canva!  

Le Secret de Chantilly - Antonin Carême et Grimod de la Reynière

Alexandre Balthasar Grimod de la Reynière, cet aristocrate mal aimé de ses parents qui au temps de Napoléon, devint le premier critique gastronomique. Il publia des almanachs allant jusqu'à influencer la consommation des bourgeois dans tout l'Empire ainsi que celle des touristes Anglais.

Dans mon livre, Le Secret de Chantilly, il en fait voir bien des couleurs au jeune chef pâtissier, Antonin Carême. Informée par mes recherches, j'ai construit la psychologie de ce critique gourmand souffrant d'une difformité jugée impardonnable aux mains, et qui pour Carême, était bien l'ogre formidable dans son conte de fées imaginé. Même aujourd'hui, il faut le dire, les critiques sont souvent la terreur des artistes. 

Je travaille toujours sur la traduction de mon livre en Français, mais je voulais partager ce court extrait qui m'a beaucoup divertie car en l'écrivant, j'ai puisé dans mes expériences. Dans ma vie, je n'ai pas toujours su me défendre et parer la méchanceté quand elle était dirigée vers moi. Même si mon personnage préféré dans Le Secret de Chantilly reste toujours celui de Talleyrand, c'est le comportement de Carême qui reste pour moi plus familier.  

Alors allons-y,  à l'époque, la rue de la Paix s'appelait rue Napoléon...

Rue Napoléon

 

 C'était Grimod de la Reynière.

   « Monsieur Carême, lança-t-il en sortant ce cahier qu'il trainait partout sur lui. Je dois vous féliciter pour vos croquants aux amandes. Ils sont exquis. Croustillant à perfection. On ne trouverait pas dans tout Paris de confiseries plus délicieuses.

  — Vous devriez essayer le Croquembouche à la Chantilly, monsieur de la Reynière », j’entonnai, surpris par son manque d'esprit acerbe à cette occasion.

Comme j’étais dupe.

   « J'ai bien peur d’être un fervent admirateur des pâtisseries de Rouget, et je n'ai en revanche pas pris grand goût à la votre qui me semble, comment dire... plutôt lourde.

   — Lourde ? Ma pâte feuilletée ?   Je restai sans voix. « Allons, allons. La vexation est indigne de tout pâtissier. Mais que vois-je ici ? » Il regarda avec étonnement les meringues que j'avais façonnées. C'étaient d'élégantes formes pastel disposées en pyramide sur mon comptoir de marbre – en vert, en rose, et même des meringues violettes. Elles étaient magnifiques près de ma collection de petits fours.

  Je le vis inspecter les contours de chaque meringue et je m’en félicitais. Pour la première fois, je dévoilais ma dernière invention. Je ne m’encombrais plus de cet usage limité qu’était la cuillère pour former mes meringues. Celle-ci engendrait souvent des biscuits rocheux, et sans raffinement. Je les canalisais à présent. C'était révolutionnaire. Les panneaux de glace reflétaient l'ensemble de mon affichage, produisant un spectacle de lumières et de couleurs. De la Reynière prit des notes dans son journal. Je souris. J'avais alors oublié ses remarques précédentes sur ma pâte feuilletée.

  Je m’aventurai, soucieux de voir ma belle pâtisserie répertoriée dans sa liste d'établissements recommandés.

   « Vous préparez une entrée pour votre prochain almanach ? je m’entendis dire.

    — Il se peut, monsieur Carême. C’est fort possible. Je compile mon deuxième almanach que je publierai sous peu. Pourriez-vous me livrer une dizaine de ces meringues pour une prochaine session du Jury Dégustateur ? Mardi prochain ou peut-être le mardi suivant. Vous devrez effectuer la livraison avant quatre heures de l'après-midi au 8 avenue des Champs-Élysées. Je verrai ce que mes invités en pensent. »

   Il avait prononcé tout cela avec une arrogante attente. Il savait très bien que je ne pouvais pas refuser, car je serais tout de suite qualifié de désagréable, et exclu de toute mention dans son almanach. Et tout cela si ma boutique n'était pas d’abord salie à jamais par ses critiques meurtrières.

   « Certainement, monsieur De la Reynière. Et aimeriez-vous que je vous livre un assortiment de petits-fours ? » J'avais perfectionné ma crème aux violettes et pensais que lui et son jury l'apprécieraient.

  « Je ne peux pas dire que je m’enthousiasme pour votre pâtisserie, Carême », répéta-t-il en examinant la boutique et prenant note du décor.

   À ce moment, je sentis mon ressentiment bouillonner. Je me retrouvais piégé par un homme qui pouvait facilement ruiner ma réputation avec ses écrits. Mais je me contenais, luttant pour ne rien révéler de mes sentiments.

   Mais De la Reynière n’avait pas fini. Soudain, après un long contrôle de la boutique, il se tourna vers moi avec un regard suspect et, quelque peu perplexe, il porta le coup final.

   « Dites-moi, monsieur Carême, comment un garçon comme vous, venu de rien, arrive-t-il subitement sur la rue Napoléon ? Je trouve ça plutôt étrange.

   — Comment étrange ? Monsieur de la Reynière, je travaille la pâtisserie depuis cinq ans. J'ai travaillé six ans avant cela…

   — Oui, on me l’apprit. Dans une gargote.

  — M. Boucher de chez M. de Talleyrand ne m'aurait pas employé s'il ne m’en jugeait pas digne, rétorquai-je, sentant le sang rougir mes joues.

   — On voudrait le croire ! »

   Il semblait se moquer de moi à chaque mot.

  « N’allons pas prétendre, monsieur Carême, que monsieur de Talleyrand n'a rien à voir avec l'investissement dans votre boutique. Vous êtes tout simplement un jeune homme très chanceux. »

   Il me dévisagea avec une insolence insupportable.

  « Pourtant, je me demande ce qu'un homme de votre milieu pourrait jamais apporter à une gastronomie vieille de plusieurs centaines d'années et qui existe depuis des siècles dans des cercles beaucoup plus élevés. Comprenez-vous le sens de mes paroles ? Ce n'est pas dans une gargote que se fait la gastronomie.

  — C'est vrai, mais… j'ai étudié avec de grands pâtissiers, monsieur. J'ai appris plein… » Ma voix traîna. J'eus l'impression d'étouffer et aucun mot ne vint. Peut-être que De la Reynière avait raison.

   Il vit alors que je vacillais et que je n'étais pas fait pour ça. Cette fine repartie d'esprit en plein débat houleux – c'était son domaine. Il semblait gagner en confiance à chaque signe de doute qu'il voyait gravé sur mon visage.

  « Vous savez, monsieur Carême, je me demande encore pourquoi Talleyrand vous aiderait pour financer cette pâtisserie. C'est assez déroutant. Un homme comme Talleyrand est à peine connu pour son altruisme. On pourrait penser que vous étiez le talent que tout Paris dit que vous êtes ! Mais franchement, je ne le vois pas. »

Goodbye for now

I have just turned 43 and more than ever, I discover that as a writer, nothing is more regrettable than two activities. 

One: revealing myself when my natural tendency is to opt for secrecy. I would choose evasiveness any time rather than divulge what I am writing or researching. In the past I always felt compelled to say something, describe anything, so as to justify the long writing silences and offer meaning for the months spent in incubation with nothing to show. I would share and share to prove that there was an idea being hatched, that I was authentic and that it was all true and there existed a work in progress. But I won't do that anymore. I don't need to prove myself.

My work is something I would rather not reveal until complete. Either way, when I shared a little in the past, I always sensed a lack of a connection with others about what I was trying to describe. Unless they actually ended up reading the entire completed book, it gave me an uneasy feeling that they had understood nothing. 

Nothing gives me less satisfaction than people knowing what I am up to when they don't really understand it. To make matters worse, given I am likely to remain purposefully enigmatic about the work in progress, then there is no point in speaking much of anything until the deed is done. 

Otherwise it is a waste of time. Which brings me to...

Two: spending time writing long emails, articles, marketing posts or any other self-promoting posts when I would rather be researching and writing; there is nothing wrong with author marketing and I respect it when it makes sense, but if it takes away from my current work in progress, especially when I am so limited in time, then I resent it. 

I feel reluctant to spend that precious commodity, time - there is enough piracy and unfair treatment of writers as it is without compounding the problem. Do you understand? I don't want to write for free unless I am aiding other writers by composing a review of their work. Our books are already cheapened every year as it is. 

I also feel indignant about being a person that I am not. I loathe the reputation that writers have acquired on Twitter or any other social platform - that of being self-promoting, constantly blasting others with posts about their work. It saddens me that it has come to this when in fact writers are the least likely to be self-promoting by default. Many writers chose that medium because they are introverts in the first place and don't enjoy the limelight. Yes, it is annoying to see writers continually rant about their books. Even I am annoyed by it, though I understand it. It doesn't come to mind to non-writers that we have no choice. If we remain quiet, we will not be read. Even those who are traditionally published are called to do their part in marketing. 

Why do writers have to promote themselves so much? You see, the nature of our medium works against us. To illustrate this, I will say, that today, especially today, the public is slow to take up a book from an unknown writer. A couple of readers might give you a chance but for this, they will need to accommodate you, squeeze you in between the known writers they adulate, make time for you. Time is crucial for readers. Why would they read you when they can read Dickens, Hugo, King. I am guilty of the same. I would drop any unknown writer to spend time with Wilkie Collins. But now a different medium like visual arts has an advantage. An unknown person can post a photo on Instagram and it will be seen by thousands because the eye cannot but see. Visual artists have an advantage because the mode of consumption for their work is instant. You cannot read, let alone comprehend, a 300 page book in the flash of a second, but you can effortlessly consume countless images in a matter of minutes. Hence why writers try to grab your attention. 

Anyway it has come to this. I don't want to be the self-promoting writer even if I will not judge others who choose to engage in marketing. But don't worry, I am not contrived. If I have something exciting to share, I will share it.

Since 2010, I have enjoyed posting in this blog - it was fabulous when there was time, but 2019 is going to prove demanding in so many areas of my life that I have no choice but to say goodbye...for now.

This is not the death of this blog. Or maybe it is...

Perhaps I'll start a new one. After all, this was the second blog after Les Nuits Masquées which I held since 2007. I can't believe that I have been blogging for 11 years. 

Chantilly: A Tale of Carême

I wish I were setting off to the Hofburg Palace in romantic Vienna, but that will have to wait until 2020 when I am in Europe. For now, I am heading to friendly Brisbane where family waits. I have my fourth novel, CHANTILLY, on my Kindle and I can't wait to put on the hat of reader. I am bound to be horrified and realise that there is still much to do, but that's life. I can't see this novel being released for a while. Who knows, it might even be released in France. And so it should! It deserves to be born in France. Marie-Antoine Carême would demand nothing less. 

I have published only three novels, but each time it is the same. I dream up the cover long before the writing is polished. I imagine this book beside a tea set. It has a mint jacket, a familiar pastel hue in 19th century estates. That frivolous word, Chantilly, is a splash of white, its generous curves  dancing just above the middle of the cover.  Blush, peach and light pink flowers bloom across the page, perhaps just above the words "A Tale of Carême". Something like that. Would you have cake with that? Please do.

I've written a blurb too. My goodness, I am terrible. Who does that? 

So you pick up that taunting mint delight and flip to the back to read the blurb. A story about a chef, huh, you mutter as you twirl the tiniest golden spoon in your Assam tea. And hell, why not. 

"From rags to riches, an abandoned child from the worst back streets of Paris will rise to become France's first celebrity chef. 

A heartwarming story of friendship and cake, Marie-Antoine Carême's imagined biography has all the elements of a classic fairy tale.

From the finest patisseries of rue Vivienne, to the dreamlike chateau of Valençay, and all the way to the palaces of Vienna, Carême is swept up in an extraordinary journey, serving desserts for princesses and tsars alike.

But the man who invented the modern toque and revolutionised French cuisine is baffled when Mr Boucher, an ex-maître d'hôtel for the House of Condé, promises to reveal to him the secrets of Chantilly.

Along the way, to help him, is a downtrodden flower vendor, a crippled gastronomic critic, sequestered Spanish princes, and the richest man in France.

But it is the influence of one man that will remain as unforgettable as this wonderful tale.

Because in Carême's words, as in all fairy tales, there is always a prince."

There is always a prince.

A fairy tale, huh. A fairy tale about a 19th century chef. You lay the teaspoon on the pretty saucer. You take a sip and feel a warm rush. And then, it hits you. You realise that you would love a slice of that buttery sponge. And maybe lashings of Chantilly to go with it.

Please do.

An Author's Rant

"Dwelling for months in the forest, in forced isolation, 
she had given birth to this masterful trickery of the mind."  

- Julien's Terror

For all those gentle Goodreads peeps who entered the latest Julien's Terror giveaway, and found themselves unlucky, fear not. I will be running a Bastille Day freebie.

For five days, from Thursday 12 July to Monday 16 July, Julien's Terror will be FREE on Amazon Kindle. This is for all Amazon territories, not just the US.

There were 1555 US entrants and three winners will soon receive their print copy. I have to admit I set up this giveaway in the hope that it would reach those with an interest in the setting and subject of the novel. I hope the winners will enjoy Julien's Terror and are kind enough to post a review on Amazon. (or Goodreads!)

Now bear with me as I want to share a glimpse into my latest novel.

While writing Julien's Terror, I couldn't help but notice something. A little background first. The story is set during the French Revolution, with focus on that narrow period from September 1793 to July 1794 called the Terror, and also during the years following the Terror, which saw the rise of Napoleon and the changing landscape of Paris.

It is erroneous to believe that after the fall of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, change happened overnight and that the people of Paris suffered no more hunger. The Declaration of Human Rights changed little economically. There were still bread shortages resulting from crop failures and extreme bad weather the years before. There was still inflation. In fact inflation worsened in 1795. Following the Terror, after years of social tension, of political and economic uncertainty, there was this surge, this desire for affordable pleasures.

All of a sudden, with the emerging bourgeois middle class, everyone in Paris began to take an interest in feasting like a king, in visiting newly emerging restaurants and cafes, and in feeling special through the consumption of a gastronomy that had once been the privilege of nobles.

It was also a time when the chefs who had once served aristocrats began to offer their creations to the wider public. And then something happened. Dalloyau, the famous pâtisserie chocolaterie, opened its first store on 101 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Back then, it was actually called "Maison de Gastronomie", the House of Gastronomy.

It so happens that in Julien's Terror, my main character, Marguerite visits this store to purchase cakes before something tragic and quite mysterious happens. But I'll say no more...

That same Dalloyau store still stands today in its refurbished glory. I ate a Mille-feuille there during my visit to Paris last year.  Dalloyau is also open in many parts of the world, including Japan and the Middle East. When the first store opened in Paris, in 1802, it was a sensation. For the first time in restaurateur history, customers could "take away". They could purchase cakes and bring them home to enjoy.

One man was paying attention. About a year later, in the winter of 1803-1804, he would open his own pâtisserie boutique on rue de la Paix. He used his boutique as a shop front for his rising popularity as a reputable pastry chef, and for creating his lavish pièces montées destined for diplomatic dinners.

That person was none other than 19th century chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. Carême is barely mentioned in Julien's Terror, because you see, I was saving him for later...like a dessert that I was not yet ready to share.

While writing Julien's Terror, I observed the workings of my mind at all times. What had I just written? First, the mysterious Marguerite enjoys Carême-inspired vols-au-vents at her wedding, then she orders cakes at Dalloyau in Paris, later she sits down at Caffè Florian in Venice, and last she savors a succulent strawberry tart during the traditional strawberry month of May. She really gets around this Marguerite. Julien's Terror is not a frivolous tale, I assure you. Yet those frivolous ideas were flowing, and I couldn't help but tune into them.

It was clear. I was obsessed with cakes.

I was not only obsessed, but I was seeing parallels between Napoleonic France's preoccupations with all that is pâtisserie and gastronomy, and our own present preoccupation with fine pâtisserie - especially high teas, but also pastel-colored maccarons, Croquembouche, the lot daintily presented on porcelain belonging in the 18th and 19th century. This nostalgia is no coincidence. We want to go back there! Wedding cakes today are taking on flower decorations like never before.  Old-fashioned flavours like lavender and violet have returned. That whipped-vanilla-cream word, Chantilly is now in vogue in the English speaking world. There is a resurgence for that sugary time, that sweet indulgence of the 19th century when all the ladies of Paris were aspiring to do exactly what Marie-Antoinette had infamously uttered (a gross exaggeration), and eagerly practising what she had hinted to when she told them, or so they think, to "eat cake".

That's when it struck me. That's when the idea for Chantilly: A Tale of Carême was born.

I am two-thirds of the way through the first draft and I've been eating cake like never before.

If Julien's Terror proves too macabre for some readers, then Chantilly will be a gently whipped delight. Both historical novels cover the Napoleonic period. But whereas Julien's Terror is often distressing, psychologically intriguing, and speaks of real life horrors, Chantilly is rich in sentimentality, a fairy tale written for the heart. And most of all, it celebrates friendship and gastronomy.

I can't wait to share it.

Julien's Terror as a Psychological Thriller - Between Rationalism and Superstition

Julien's Terror features various facets of the psychological thriller listed by Mecholsky¹ including, apparent paranormal danger, a form of prolonged psychological torture, psychological trauma / memory losses and past traumas that revisit in the form of a new danger.

Julien, my main character, experiences a dread towards his wife, Marguerite which has as its origin: family trauma; the internalisation of a misogynistic mentality that would have been common in the 19th century; the internalisation of his own father's jealous paranoia towards Julien's mother; and finally the suppression of his own inner fears which rebound forcibly, manifesting into a terror. This is revealed during his final visit to fortune teller Marie Anne Lenormand, where Julien makes a powerful revelation about a crucial passage in his life.

The only person in the novel who appears fearless in the novel is Marguerite, adding to the aura of mystery and potency around her.

A young Marguerite Lafolye

Painting by Gustave Jean Jacquet (1846-1909)

For all his knowledge, engineering aptitude and cerebral prowess, Julien cannot decipher his own wife. Marguerite appears as an unknown entity. Mid-way into the novel, he considers her a liar, perhaps even a traitor. 

According to Mecholsky, this fear is key to the psychological thriller. He claims that this dread, that dangerous secrets lie beneath once-safe sectors of life is in fact an anxiety about the modern age and its implication. Despite living in an Age of Reason which had presumably enabled the French Revolution, despite having been rigorously schooled by the Ponts et Chausses, the Cartesian Julien is confronted with the limits of his knowledge. He knows nothing about Marguerite. Before him, is an unknowable being, one who reflects the unknowable mind in each and every one of us.

Aptly set in the French Revolution, Julien's Terror illustrates this modern dynamic that Mecholsky describes as having given birth to the psychological thriller - a modern anxiety (about the nature of the mind and the Self) existing through the Enlightenment struggle to subjugate myth and superstition by way of science and rationality. Marguerite is a Catholic royalist. Worse, she is of Breton descent. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bretons were considered not only filthy by the French, but also savage and backwards. Meanwhile, their 'blind' adherence to religion was seen as evidence of their superstitious minds. Julien's domination and abuse of Marguerite is a metaphor for this symbolic subjugation of the rational over superstition and myth. 

As modern anxiety would have it, Julien does not fare better through his actions - his anxiety only accrues and the enigma of Marguerite appears all the more horrifying.  It is only when Julien takes Marie Anne Lenormand's advice and considers the supernatural as a potential explanation for what is happening - at the cost of his cherished logic, only when he concedes that there may be forces he knows nothing about, and then pragmatically undertakes to confront these occult forces, can he achieve a solution.

Marie Anne Lenormand reading

In its resolution, however, Julien's Terror presents two opposing explanations for the reader that can be listed here briefly to avoid spoilers. The first explanation is grounded in rationalism, informed by a conversation with the physician Franz Anton Mesmer. Mesmer proposes a valid psychological theory, albeit one that had not been fully developed at the time, and which was only starting to be known in limited scientific circles, due to the rising cases observed and reported. 

The second explanation is supernatural. It confirms Marguerite's innate belief that she can see and converse with the dead. It suggests that there is something real about the myths in Breton folklore - they are not mere superstition. This explanation also implies that Marguerite, by way of a certain unique and harrowing childhood experience, now finds herself between two worlds - she lies in-between - and as such, she can channel the dead.

Les Lavendieres de la Nuit - Breton Folklore painting by 

Jean Edouard Yan Dargent (1824-1899)

At the conclusion of the novel, Julien rationalises what he has seen, to himself. He is never truly convinced about one explanation over the other, but he now understands that there is something strong and worthy of esteem in Marguerite. He is also made aware of his own past failings - though that is not to say that he has overcome them (an important point, if one is to understand his last vision in the Temple prison). He comes to cherish, admire and love Marguerite all the more. An ending like this was necessary to reconcile the couple after much conflict and to achieve a satisfying character arc for Julien. 

Despite Julien's own reckoning, I don't want underplay the tone of uncertainty that the final chapter creates - this fine line between the rational and the paranormal interpretations is the hallmark of the psychological thriller. We are not meant to know for certain. Some anxiety remains. 

The horror that Julien's Terror illustrates is both a facet of the period during which it is set (the French Revolution/ the Terror / the Vendée wars) and the repercussions this period had on the French population. 

Mecholsky indicates that the French revolution was a logical cultural goal of the Enlightenment, yet it resulted in horrific terror and murder, casting a pall over rationalism. Julien embodies this contradiction perfectly. He is both the most logically-minded character and the character that undergoes the most destructive and potentially sociopathic psychosis. Incidentally this is the reason the novel is named Julien's Terror.

Just as it opposes rationalism to superstition, Julien's Terror also highlights the ever present conflict between those French who embraced the Republic and were loyal to its tenets, and those French who pined for the Ancien Regime and espoused the royalist cause. This opposition is embodied by Julien and his wife Marguerite.

Julien is an upcoming bourgeois who has thrived in the new Republican order and accepted the Napoleonic age. He considers Napoleon his benefactor and the benefactor of France. Marguerite is a staunch royalist with a great disdain for the 'Corsican upstart' who has come to rule post-revolutionary France.

When I conceived a marriage between two unlike souls, I was partly cautious about its probability. I decided, among other character motivations, to employ a 'marriage of convenience' disclaimer - Julien marries the first woman offered to him to avoid serving in Napoleon's army so that he can instead become the engineer he had always dreamed of becoming. With this mindset, he spends no time evaluating her personality, background or values. By way of this disclaimer, I hoped no one would question such an unmatched pair. Still, I wondered how likely an alliance of this nature could have been. Could a republican at soul marry a royalist? 

I had no idea that this unlikely combination was in fact common. So common, that it existed in none other than author Victor Hugo's family². The similarity struck me and I simply have to share it here.

Like Marguerite, Victor Hugo's mother was from Nantes. Like Marguerite, Sophie Hugo née Trébuchet, was from a royalist Breton family. And like Marguerite, Sophie did not share her husband's Napoleonic sentiments. Madame Hugo went so far as to shelter those who plotted against Napoleon's life. Meanwhile, Hugo's father, Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo distinguished himself as a soldier in Napoleon's army, rising to a high position, notably at the battle of Marengo in 1800, acquiring the Legion of Honour in 1804. He also fought against guerillas in Spain from 1808 to 1810 a period during which the young Victor Hugo became acquainted with the Spanish language and learned to love the country.

Sadly, and unlike Marguerite and Julien, the Hugo couple's differences could not be resolved.

A final word about Julien's Terror. Mecholsky explains that novels like the psychological thriller and its early Gothic form have helped us disguise sources of anxiety, throughout the history of western culture since the 18th century. Quoting Fiedler, Mecholsky alludes to one of the tensions that such novels help us deal with: "a fear that in destroying the old ego-ideals of Church and State, the West has opened a way for the inruption of darkness..." I think this is perfect.  You see, as a psychological thriller, Julien's Terror happens to be set during and soon after the French revolution, that is to say a period where the power of the Monarchy and Church were toppled, leading perhaps to much anxiety and guilt...   Here then, Julien's Terror provides a coping mechanism for a fear that has presumably surged during the very period in which the novel is set.

Sources:

1. Kristopher Mecholsky, The Psychological Thriller, http://www.academia.edu/17484925/The_Psychological_Thriller_An_Overview, Accessed on 12 June, 2017.

2. Albert.W. Halsall, Victor Hugo and the Romantic Drama, University of Toronto Press, 1998.

Writers on the Couch: Lisa J Yarde

"Never stop. 

If I could give one piece of advice 

in my whole life, that would be it." - Lisa J Yarde

Undaunted by new ground, she has penned a six-part series set in Moorish Spain, her favorite place to travel is Spain, and she has devoted 20 years of research into Spain's history - she is, the pioneering and fearless, Lisa J. Yarde.

I am thrilled to have this talented writer on the Writers Couch today. Based in New York City, Lisa is a writing and publishing powerhouse, with work translated in four languages. A member of the Historical Novel Society, she was a presenter at its 2015 Denver conference and serves as the co-chair of the Historical Novel Society – New York City chapter. Lisa is also an avid blogger and moderates at Unusual Historicals. She is also a contributor at Great Historicals and History & Women.

Whew!

To break the ice, Yarde warns me that her worst sin is that she curses too @#$%&*@% much. I am delighted that we are in for an honest and passionate discussion - a real treat. But before we begin, I need to say how excited I am about Yarde's upcoming novel. I have been a huge fan of the Sultana series and am very much looking forward to the final book, Sultana: The White Mountains, out this Spring.

The exact release date has not yet been disclosed...hopefully it will be soon. For those not familiar with these artfully crafted novels, the Sultana books bring to life multiple generations of Spain's powerful ruling dynasty, the Nasrids. Sultana: The White Mountains is set during and after the fall of Granada and follows the exiled ruling family into Spain's Sierra Nevada.

Having read a number of books set in Spain that delve into Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon's conquest of the Alhambra fortress, I always wondered what became of the Moors who had built and ruled this beautiful place for centuries. Where did they go? What happened to them? Well, Sultana: The White Mountains will paint this story. And judging from Yarde's solid efforts in the past, it will be a story well told.

Now for those who are asking, YES, there will be a 'Dracula' novel, likely a couple. Yarde's Order of the Dragon which is slated for release in 2018, will focus on the 15th century Wallachian ruler, Vlad Dracul, and his sons. This is one subject I suspect will enthrall fans of  Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, and though Yarde has offered to say no more, we may have some scoop... When asked about a travel scene or landscape she admired in a novel, Lisa J. Yarde mentions "the dark almost mystical descriptions of 15th century Wallachia in C.C. Humphrey’s Vlad: The Last Confession". Is this anything to go by for the upcoming Vlad books? We can only hold our breath in suspense...

Vlad Tepes

For now, enjoy this exclusive interview with the amazing Lisa J. Yarde.

Lisa J Yarde on the Writers Couch

Your memorial. What is it, where is it located, and what is it you are remembered for?

It’s at a floral garden alongside a beach in my birthplace of Barbados. There’s a small, flat marker that reads, “She loved with her whole heart and learned from a lifetime of encounters. But she didn’t pass any of the lessons on to you because life is a unique experience for all. Go live it and make it count!”

 A strong childhood memory

It isn’t from childhood, but rather my early twenties. One night, just spontaneously, my mother and I sat up talking until 4 am the next day. Although I had to go to work in the morning. We spoke about everything imaginable. She was a vital, energetic force in my life and I’ve missed our conversations every day since she died. I inherited my mother’s personality and I think she would be equal parts amused and horrified, like me, at the current state of the world.

Who is your favorite literary villain and why?

Less of a villain in the classic sense of the word and more an antagonist, it’s Inspector Javert in Les Misérables. Not only is he utterly relentless in the pursuit of Jean Valjean, but Javert’s dogged efforts remain well-intentioned, even if his methods are flawed. I prefer to read and write about determined villains in the mold of Javert, with a set of principles or a “code” for living. My ideal villain must, like him, have a purpose and never lose interest in their goal, regardless of the consequences.

Inspector Javert, Les Miserables

A Hollywood studio is all over one of your books. Which is it and tell me about the director and/or cast.

I can’t say which of the Sultana series would be best suited for adaptation, but I’d like Bernardo Bertolucci or Ang Lee to direct and Oded Fehr or Amr Waked should get the lead. Bernardo Bertolucci has directed some of my favorite films; The Last Emperor, Little Buddha and Besieged among them. His films are a sumptuous visual feast. The film wouldn’t be complete without Ashraf Barhom and Said Taghmaoui playing some important roles.

[Ok, we have just Googled Oded Fehr and, wow, we completely approve. You know what to do, Bertolucci.]

A writer who has moved you

That’s like picking a favorite child! So many fellow writers have stirred the strongest emotions in me over the years. To the point where I’ve thought, okay, I may as well give up right now because I will never craft anything as evocative as this. If I had to narrow it down to an author I’ve read in the last six months… Taylor Brown is debut author with an incredible novel, Fallen Land. Events occur during the Civil War. His descriptions are amazing; I smelled Atlanta burning as I read the scene.


If you could rewrite the ending of any book of film, which would it be and how?

Book: I’m going to cheat here and say, none, strictly as a professional courtesy to other authors. I can’t place myself in their heads to understand why they chose certain endings.

Film: Titanic, of course! I don’t care what the director James Cameron has said about the ending of the film. There was enough room on that wood for Jack AND Rose. I would have found a way for the lovers to survive and have their happily ever after, especially after they’d sold that huge diamond. Despite evidence to the contrary, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart.


How do you deal with dark/emotional scenes in your writing?

I love them and embrace the process of writing them wholeheartedly. I prefer deep point-of-view, to immerse myself and readers in characters and the events surrounding them. There have been times where I’ve looked up from my computer keyboard and reminded myself that I’m not in Moorish Spain and medieval England. For me, dark or emotional scenes should provoke corresponding feelings in readers. If they don’t then I haven’t done my job as a writer.

"They are often women or those marginalized in history, 

so I write to give them a voice 

and reflect on their experiences." - Lisa J. Yarde

Recurring themes in your writing

Survival against almost insurmountable odds and the importance of family, two values I hold in high regard in my personal life as well. My protagonists aren’t the victors ultimately; they are often historical figures who lost the great battle, as in the Sultana series or On Falcon’s Wings. They are often women or those marginalized in history, so I write to give them a voice and reflect on their experiences.

Self-published vs traditional. What was your experience?

I’ve sought traditional publishing; established relationships with editors, but nothing came of it. Self-publishing was an option I ignored for too long; I should have pursued it two years earlier than I did in 2010.


Your advice to new writers

Never stop. If I could give one piece of advice in my whole life, that would be it. Writing is hard, publication is harder, marketing is the hardest of all. But the personal rewards are so satisfying. If I could give another piece of advice, I’d add, set realistic goals so you are never mired by defeat and can celebrate easy victories. Whether that is the act of writing each day, reaching a certain word count, getting your first sale, responding to your first piece of fan mail, or speaking engagements and signing books at an event. Just give yourself the time and tools to accomplish those goals. Above all, stop comparing yourself to other writers, whether it’s their output, fan base or sales.

This is precious advice, thank you, Lisa J. Yarde. It has been an honour to have you drop by our Writers Couch. From Andalucia to Wallachia, we wish you a wonderful journey.

Julien's Terror - Joseph Fouché visits Marie Anne Lernormand

I don't often share snippets from my work in progress but this won't reveal much of the plot so I'll give it a go. This is one of my favorite short scenes from Julien's Terror, due for release in July this year. 

Here, I pit Parisian fortune teller, Marie Anne Lenormand, against Minister of Police Joseph Fouché. The order from Napoleon is based on fact - he was secretly planning to divorce Josephine in order to marry Marie Louise of Austria...

***

The door at 5 rue de Tournon swiveled open and Marie Anne Lenormand came face-to-face with the Minister of Police, Joseph Fouché.

“Plotting with the aristocrats can lend you in prison, mademoiselle.”

His sly smile chilled her bones. The man who had once voted for King Louis XVI’s execution won no favors with Marie Anne.

“My royalists are well behaved,” she quipped, still standing by the doorway. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Things have been a little chaotic here, for a few years. Having a glimpse into their future allows the Parisians to sleep at night. After all,” she added, alluding to him, “not many of us can change allegiance as frequently as their linen.”

Fouché’s thin lips were pursed and he shot her a murderous glare. Marie Anne saw that her remark had hit its target.

“I am warning you, that is all. Call it courtesy.”

“You could, yourself, predict the future but the doom and gloom would suit no clients, Fouché. What do you really want?”

“May I?” He gestured towards the door.

She let him in.

Fouché’s piercing small eyes missed nothing of his surroundings. He strolled on the thick carpet in the entrance hall and sat himself on a Louis XV seat. Then he crossed his leg and reclined, drawing out a pipe which he pressed to his lips.

Marie Anne Lenormand remained standing at the door.

“My clients are waiting, Fouché. Are you planning on arresting me?”

“Not this time.”

“Then what is it you want?”

He inhaled quietly, his sunken cheeks appearing all the more spectral under the dim candle light.

“It’s simple. I want you to start turning away Josephine de Bauharnais. Without revealing state secrets, I can tell you, that the emperor is entering a state of affairs that can only agitate her in the months to come. Josephine has, as I understand it, often had recourse to your generous services. When the moment arrives, and I believe it will be soon, she is likely to turn to you. Just as she has, countless times. For this reason, much as the emperor has tolerated your charlatan cabinet for years, his warning is now explicit. He wishes that there be absolutely no influence on your part. Mademoiselle Lenormand, may I make this very clear. Your affairs, meddling with the empress are now ended. Do you understand?”

“You wish me to turn away the empress on her next visit?”

“That is correct. And the visit after that. And the one after. It is over, mademoiselle.”

“You would prevent me from seeing Josephine de Beauharnais?”

“Something like that.”

“Then I say, Monsieur Fouché that you are as much a crook as I am.”

“If you say so.”

“And what if I refuse?”

“That, mademoiselle, would be very, very unwise. If you so much as meet Josephine de Beauharnais, either in this house, or elsewhere, or even – and don’t think me a fool – even in the Luxembourg gardens, I shall know of it. I have spies watching your every moves, mademoiselle. And if I find that you have lent your services once again to the empress, I shall have no recourse but to arrest you. Mark my words.”

“Arrest me? For seeing the empress who willingly engages my science? The nerve of it!”

“Your black arts, your charlatan tricks, whatever you want to call them. By all means, indulge another, but not the empress.”

“You cannot arrest me for obliging a willing client!”

Fouché put away his pipe and rose, indicating that the interview was finished. Marie Anne stood away from the door and pulled it open.

“Get out!”

“I will be watching you, mademoiselle.”

And he let himself out without looking back.

***

Julien's Terror is psychological thriller/mystery set in post revolutionary France. 

Julien's Terror - Imagining the French Revolution

Julien's Terror, my latest novel, is the story of a haunting - a haunting that is either metaphysical or psychological, or is it both? 

Set in the dramatic period of the French Revolution, culminating into Napoleon's empire, it revolves around a young couple from different walks of life. Yet both have lived tragedy and both are touched by it. 

Julien's Terror features impressive figures of the French Revolution, including Charette, the Vendée counter-revolutionary and Marie Anne Lenormand, the celebrated Parisian fortuneteller.

Historical figures who play a minor role in the story but which I place on a pedestal, are the author, Madame de Staël who Napoleon hated, and the famed Austrian physician, Franz Anton Mesmer, whose works laid the foundation for hypnotism and psychotherapy.

The novel is dedicated to Charette.

While some dates around Charette’s presence in the Gralas forest may have been modified or blurred to aid the narrative, the events of the Vendée war depicted in Julien's Terror and the tragic massacres that unfolded in Western France are historical. 

When I was a teen, enamoured of art, I reproduced a centuries old drawing depicting Charette’s entry into Nantes on February 1795. At this young age, I knew not the significance of this drawing and its relation to the French Revolution.

Many years later, I learned the meaning of this drawing. It was a truce (not in the novel). Charette had agreed to a truce with the Republic and one of the secret conditions of this truce was that the revolutionaries would free the young king, Louis Charles. The truce was later ignored, as more fighting between Republicans and the Vendéens insued. 

Meanwhile, the young King, Louis Charles died in the Tower of the Temple in Paris. He was neglected and suffered the worst conditions. 

Ah, I almost forgot. Louis Charles is a central figure in Julien's Terror. 

There are many things that drove me to write Julien's Terror. On the one hand I was unsettled by the disturbing fate which an eight year old was forced to suffer until his death.  I wondered at times whether Louis Charles' soul might not haunt Le Temple had Napoleon not demolished it... 

There were also personal reasons - my awe for Charette is one of them.

Recently, while researching my Breton and French genealogy, I discovered that one of my 18^th century ancestors, had hidden Charette in the area of Montaigu, south of Nantes. It was that perilous time, prior to Charette’s capture in 1796, when the Vendée general had been abandoned by most, and erred from farm to farm in search of an asylum. I was proud of my ancestor for hiding Charette.

There was also the urge to tell the world of something tragic, to reveal a past...

Nantes is my home city in France, the city of my ancestors and a place that I have returned to many times since childhood. But when I visited in 2013, I experienced an urge to write about the drownings, the “noyades”, and to depict the tragedy that befell Nantes during the Terror.

And then, there was a fascination for the psychology of the people of France in those times. 

More than simply creating a character who had lived those events of the Revolution, I wanted to create a dynamic between two people, both damaged by their experience of the reign of terror. I examined the psychology of that period. What was fascinating was the increased resort to fortune telling services; the arts practiced by Marie Anne Lenormand were never more popular than from the revolution to the First Empire, where people sought answers and were deeply anxious about their future, and the future of France.

Delving into the past, with a psychological lens, I envisaged these historical events as a major cause for the rise in suicides, the growing number of asylum patients and the rise in depression. And then I remembered the majority. The majority which in all appearances seemed to not exhibit mental problems. If they did, then these poor souls never sought help, because such psychological help did not exist as it does today. This majority whose mental illness would remain concealed in a domestic realm, would resume living, but it would forever hide wounds.

That’s when I realised that this majority, it was an entire nation. And perhaps just as France’s wounds were never healed completely, so too, there exists today, in most parts of the world, wounds that have not healed and psyches that are forever marked by historical events. In essence, it is the psychohistorical dimension of this novel which most drove me to write.