Whether it be love, life or the light, France has inspired artists of every hue to attempt to capture the essence of L’Hexagone.
But in the past, the work of artists or writers would burst on to the scene be that through a book launch or with the unveiling of a painting or piece of sculpture.
Now though with the ease with which a blog style website can be created, people can be sat alongside artists as they work through the day, and this is especially so for writers.
As you follow their updates you can learn more about their latest work, and some even draw on the experiences of readers to add to their stories, which brings a whole new sense of connection to a title.
And whilst some would say that a writer is only doing it to promote their book, others may draw inspiration and ideas from them to feed into their own lives.
So here is a quick selection of the sites I follow:
Petite Anglaise: Catherine Sanderson
Many writers start a blog after they have written a book or two, for Catherine Sanderson it was the other way round. Her anonymous tales of life in Paris as a young mother, with a French partner, were popular but once her employers found our about her blog and gave her the boot, things got a bit crazy.
Newspapers and websites got hold of her story and soon enough a book deal was signed, and surely it can only be a matter of time before the film arrives on cinema screens.
French Word A Day: Kristin Espinasse
My reading of Kristin’s website goes back a long way, before her book came out and when it was a word a day.
Now with her writing taking up more and more of her time, her words come out three times a week, but they still offer an intriguing glimpse into French life from the south.
Helena Frith Powell
Known for her books on how to age gracefully, what it is that French women have that many others don’t and the search for her Italian father, Helena Frith Powell’s website offers tales of her family life in the Languedoc.
Her blog tells of zipping off to do interviews in support of her books, but also the trials and tribulations of bringing up three young children, with some cute observations of of how kids adapt to French life with English parents.
Kate Mosse
The author of the massively successful Labyrinth and recently published Sepulchre takes you through her writing life, including the travel itinerary involved in promoting her books and what it’s like to sit in a bookshop in the middle of America promoting her writing.
A man stops, looking utterly dumbstruck, before coming over to the table. An Englishman, it turns out that Labyrinth was one of his mother’s favourite novels and he can’t quite believe the author is sitting in front of him at CostCo in SF on a Saturday in April.
But Kate also keeps you in touch with the literary world she inhabits away from the word processor, as the founder of a book award and her involvement in trade fairs.
Extremely Pale Rosé: Jamie Ivey
From London life to tracking down the palest rosé wines in France, Jamie and his wife Tanya have many a tale to tell of their business ventures as well as recently becoming mum and dad to Elodie.
Jamie has written two books about life in Provence and now he has set his mind on new ventures realising that the rosé wine trade is seasonal at best, so he is keeping readers up to date with a magazine project and has his eye on a plot of land for a new house.
Wonders Never Cease: Rebecca Ramsey
This is a new blog for me from Rebecca Ramsey whose book French by Heart tells of her family’s life in Clermont-Ferrand, far away from the sunny tales of village life you often cross.
Although now back in the US, Rebecca’s website still brings a touch of France to her readers including mentions of the things that inspired passages in her book.
No Damn Blog: Susie Kelly
Susie’s books are never dull, in one you follow her on a walk across France whilst in another you take a 10,000-kilometre tour around L’Hexagone in a camper van, so you can expect some great tales on her blog.
And you get many, but also how Susie is involved in campaigns against animal cruelty as her house in France has been a safe haven for many, and this passion comes out in her love of Grand Prix motor racing as well – told you her life is far from dull.
So over to you, if you have a favourite author who writes about France and keeps people up to date through a blog please feel free to add a comment below.