I think as much research about the bohemian
artists in nineteenth century Paris happened as writing did. In fact, I would wager there was more time
spent on research. Not only did I want
the era accurate in regard to how the artists lived and acted, I wanted to make
sure that I didn’t use terms or items that would not have been in existence
during that time period. Boy, did I
learn a lot!
To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the
learning experience. Like I hinted in
the beginning, I was never much interested in history growing up. But this,
well, this was different. I am a painter
and I love anything having to do with art and painting. I thought I knew quite a bit about the
Impressionist period, but I was sure wrong. What a wild, decadent bunch of
people these folks were. Stuffy and formal? Ha! I doubt there was ever been a
time in human history where people were less so.
I wanted to transfer that information in a
way that would engage the reader and make them feel the raunchiness and freedom
of that time period. I hoped to garner
some of that excitement into my work and show readers that “historical” does
not have to bring about a yawn. I
believe I have done that.
In the third book I moved the main
character to the United States and the Roaring Twenties happened. Need I remind
anyone that the Roaring Twenties were anything but a yawn? What a blast it was
to write about that particular period in history. Again, I hoped to make
readers enjoy the period without it being a “period piece”. My books are not about the history of the
era, they are about the Beauchamp family and their struggles and successes. I
hope I struck a good balance so that people are transported back in time
without getting bogged down with too many historical details that take away
from the drama of the Beauchamp story.
Writing – and reading – historical fiction
does not have to be ponderous and dull.
In fact, depending upon the era it can be downright sexy and exciting! I
hope more readers decide to take a chance with books that are historical
fiction. Some of the wildest characters ever are waiting to meet them.
In this first book of the Gastien
series, young Gastien Beauchamp begins his journey from the farm to Paris with
two goals in life. The first is to become an artist with his own studio,
following his own rules. That is an almost impossible dream for a peasant with
no money or formal training. Paris spits out talented men into the gutters
every day. “Good” gets you nowhere. “Great” maybe gets you a bowl of soup.The second is to become the greatest lover in France. That should be easy. With his stunning looks and willingness to learn, the women of Paris are about to be awakened in a way they have only dreamt about in the nineteenth century!
Gastien also has focus, drive, and raw, natural talent. With the dream burning inside of him, he is determined to succeed at any cost. Poor Gastien. If he could only know in advance what brutal struggles await him, he might turn around and go back home.
Sometimes the “impossible” is possible. But the cost can be extremely high.
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Adult fiction for men and women over
age 18
Buy
links for Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream:
http://tinyurl.com/3ecu8ku
For Kindle readers
http://tinyurl.com/3ue4a7h
For NOOK readers (Part 1
http://tinyurl.com/3luddg7 To
order paperback (Part 1)
Gastien Fanpage: www.facebook.com/Gastien.Beauchamp
Author Blog (Writer of Fiction, Painter of Life & Energy: www.caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com
Twitter: @caddyorpims
Additional books in the Gastien Series so far:
Thank for you having me on your blog the last couple of days. It was great fun!
ReplyDeleteIt has been a pleasure to have you appearing. Good luck with your next release! I shall drop by and check it out.
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