Book: Frannie in pieces

I used to be a book blogger.

For five years, I shared my loved for great novels, putting special emphasis on novels that were published two, three, ten years ago.

Do you also have a thing for « old » books? Am I alone in my weirdness?

Don’t get me wrong, I love new releases! More then often, I’m sooo envious of booktubers/bookbloggers holding the ARC of a book I can’t wait to read.

Nevertheless, the library holds many great treasures simply waiting, patiently, to be discovered or re-discovered.

Must admit, what caught my attention with that book at first was the famousness of the author: Delia Ephron.

A dearly beloved role-model, friend, most important person in my life loved the movie she had wrote with her sister, You’ve got mail.

A little heartwarming literature, with a side of romance, was just what this over-tired mama needed.

The novel was borrowed for three weeks. I finished it in less than a day.

Published in 2007 (yes, more than 10 years ago), the amazing « Frannie in pieces » simply captured my imagination, all of it, and hold me captive in another world for many delightful hours.

It has been a while since a novel swept me off my feet like that.

Funny too, because at the beginning, even though I was hooked right away, at times I really wondered where this story was going.

And, before I knew it, I would keep reading, reading, reading. One more chapter, just one more.

It’s not a thriller or a suspens or anything. It’s a teen novel dans les règles de l’art. A really well-told story about a teen who experiences a great loss, and through it, experiences what it is to live… sort of anyway.

Yes, I did cry. But it’s an overall joyful story, full of colours, art, friendship and re-conquered love.
Please note: the romance is there, but in the back-ground, quiet and sweet.

Other positive note, the author stayed away from the stereotypes, and it was most, most welcomed.

Without further ado, I will let you go get « Frannie in pieces » at your local library.

Thanks for reading and happy reading fellow book lovers!

Diary of a writing project. Day 113​: dear book market

These days, sometimes when I’m writing, constantly when I’m revising or editing, I’ll listen to some podcast about writing and the book industry.

It helps me keep my high hopes in check.

When editing, it’s the best. It’s easier to edit when you’re listening to professionals’ advice or listen about how many revisions a book got through even before being sent to a literary agent, let alone a publisher.

Should you write to the market is always a big topic among those kinds of shows.
Back when I was studying literature in college and working as a bookshop clerc to pay the rent, I remember thinking while putting the best-sellers on the shelves « why don’t I write cheesy romances and be done with it?« . It seems so simple, easy…
How naive, how cocky of me!

I soon learned that writing a novel, any kind of novel, is never easy.

Writing for the market is not the answer.

Writing for an audience you love and you get is what matters.
Writing an original, well-paced, well-told story never hurt either.

Can’t help but wonder thought, especially with the MG writing project, if it’s gonna be well received.

At it’s core, it’s a fantasy novel… with some tweaks.

In this final editing tour, I’m making the story almost dance to the story-beats. It is as close to a « commercial » book this novel can get without losing what makes it, in my very humble opinion, unique.

But is it really unique? Is this just in my brain? Am I wasting writing time on this project when I could be working on other writing projects?

With those forever questions in mind, dear writers, I wish happy writing, happy questioning, happy sleeping’ !