THE FRENCH EFFECT will pop out into the world on November 15th! I’m excited to bring this story to you. This is just a quick reminder it’s not too late to pre-order.

Full disclosure ~ At the end of 2024, I was in a bit of a dip, which was most unusual for me. But it happens from time to time to most of us, right?

To be honest, I have to thank Ann Garvin and all of the Tall Poppy Writers for the fact that this book exists. At the end of 2024, I was having a bit of a meltdown that my next birthday in July would be my 80th. My age has never bothered me in the past and I’m blessed with good health, BUT … mon Dieu … that was suddenly a number I couldn’t quite deal with. Out of nowhere, the invitation arrived from Ann to join the author/reader group she created in 2013! What an honour to be part of this collegial and encouraging group of writers. Inspiration followed and my words began to flow. I loved writing THE FRENCH EFFECT. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Here’s the blurb: Here’s the blurb … Sorry for the crazy spacing. Being totally a non-techie, I have no idea how to fix it and it is too late at night to ask my tech assistant. So I’ m just going to post it like this. Please forgive me …

From the bestselling author of the LOVE IN PROVENCE series, comes a hopeful and
heartwarming journey that reminds us it’s never too late for a second chance.

France has a way of changing your mind … and your heart …

Novelist Nora Bennett is living her fifties with more doubts than dreams. Once content with her
quiet life, she’s recently found herself battling writer’s block, a growing restlessness–and
resistance to a holiday season she’s long stopped celebrating. So, when her daughter Chloe, an
artist living in Paris, asks her to dog-sit an intimidating Doberman named Atticus, Nora surprises
them both by saying yes.

Delicious meals, long walks through the storied streets of Montmartre, and a chance to
rediscover a spark of joy in the glittering holiday lights of Paris: Six weeks in the City of Light
might be just the escape Nora needs.

Except Paris has other plans. Nora agrees to ghostwrite a memoir for 93-year-old Marie-Louise,
who reveals haunting memories of surviving the Occupation as a child of the Resistance. A
charming younger tango partner with secrets of his own introduces Nora to the French art of
pleasure. All the while, the city’s irresistible festive spirit envelops her gently.

Chloe invites Nora to spend Christmas at her husband Olivier’s centuries-old ancestral farm in
Provence. There, Nora is embraced by the warmth of family and treasured traditions. She’s also
unexpectedly drawn to Pierre, her son-in-law’s moody and magnetic father. Their connection is undeniable, even as he seems intent on keeping his distance.

But when Atticus suddenly goes missing, Pierre joins Nora in searching for him. Soon a winding
road trip returning to Paris softens their defenses … and reveals complicated truths behind
their guarded hearts.

Yet as Nora’s time in France begins to wind down, she must decide: Return to the comfort of
the life she knew – or leap into a bold new chapter she never imagined beyond the pages of her novels.

Happy reading! Bonne lecture!