Hello Val,
You kindly offered to post something about my forthcoming novel. It will be published in a month’s time, so here is a first instalment, with publication details to follow when I know them.
Vanessa x
When I started writing fiction four years ago, after a very long gap, I had no idea that this might lead to a published novel! Now, my début novel, ‘The House at Zaronza’, will be published in paperback and e-book formats by Crooked Cat Publishing on 29th July.
The book was loosely inspired by a true story: we stayed in a chambre d’hôtes in Corsica in 2012 and saw some framed love letters hanging on the walls. I asked about them and a fascinating tale emerged.
The background is early 20th-century Corsica and the Western Front in World War I. I did a lot of research about life in Corsica then and about World War I, especially on the topic of nursing at the Front.
Maria Orsini is the daughter of a bourgeois family in a Corsican village. She and the local schoolmaster carry on a secret romance. But Maria’s parents have other plans for her and she sees her dreams crumble. This is a story about love, betrayal, loss and reconciliation in a strict patriarchal society, whose values are challenged as the world changes.
Corsica is a savagely beautiful island with a turbulent history – a gift for novelists. I’ve been captivated by it and have tried to convey its magic in the book.
I will be publishing a few extracts from the book over the next few weeks on my blog:http://vanessafrance.wordpress.com/category/corsica/
Watch this space for publication details.
