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Spotlight on Ella Carey, The Paris Time Capsule and Giveaway!

Today's Author Spotlight is on Australian author Ella Carey. And she's got a kindle copy giveaway of her debut release THE PARIS TIME CAPSULE to one commentater.

Ella on the web:




Facebook     Twitter   Author Page  

 

 The Paris Time Capsule





Who is Ella Carey?

I have a complete fascination for reading that I have had ever since I was young; I find books are ‘the thing.’ Along with this, I have always had a tendency to make up all sorts of settings, characters and stories in my head. These days, I just write them down! I love history, music, art, and travel. I adore travelling in Europe in particular; I could never be there enough.

Who is your favourite author?

I am going to have to choose a few! Ernest Hemingway for his incredible, innovative writing style, and wonderful descriptions that make you feel as if you are in the same place he is; Emily Bronte, for passion; Jane Austen, for wit, characters, and everything else; Edith Wharton, for charm and Tolstoy, for Anna Karenina. I think I may be living in the wrong century here!

Do you listen to music while you write?

Rarely. The problem is I find I become so involved with the music that I don’t concentrate on the world that is my story. I am half listening to the music instead. I play the piano, and have a degree in music, so maybe I am just too attuned to listening. Maybe I overanalyze it, then that will affect my writing … but just sometimes, it can be brilliant having music playing, and you write along with the music. It’s a mix!

What type of music do you like to listen to?

Bach. I love Bach. His cello suites. And Chopin. Rachmaninov. There is something about certain pieces of music that is perfection. When they finish, you are left, thinking … yes. Whatever it encapsulated was almost magical, something else. Mozart’s Requiem is one of those pieces. And these pieces are history, you can feel what the composers are writing about … it’s as if they are telling you about what they have felt, what they have been through, what their countries have been through. I love that.

What do you do to relax?

I walk to relax, with my beautiful girls, my two dogs. I have so many people asking me if they are whippets, but they are not! They need little t-shirts that say: ‘I am not a whippet!’ They are Italian greyhounds. They love their walk too.

Tell us about your book …

The novel was inspired by the true story of an apartment that was abandoned in Paris when the owner fled just before the Nazi invasion in June, 1940. This was reported on many online articles and blogs. The pictures were incredible, atmospheric rooms, a dressing table laid with silver backed brushes and ancient bottles of scent, a painting that turned out to be a portrait by the Belle Epoque artist Giovanni Boldini. What was intriguing was why the owner never went back. Why did she leave such a treasure trove, her home, everything she must have loved, never to return to Paris before her death?

To me, this was a fascinating story. I started to research it. My lead character Cat evolved with her own set of problems, her own attitude towards life and love and other things. She filtered into the story set in Paris. So it became something else again. When I considered that Marthe de Florian, the woman in the portrait found in the apartment, was a courtesan, I became interested in how the generation into which we are born affects us so very much. There are other women in the novel too, from other generations again. I was also interested in exploring secrets; the things we don’t share. I am a hopeless romantic. Looking at this blog, it is all do with romance.

One thing I am interested in, is what do readers here love about romantic novels?


Inspired by the true story of an apartment in Paris that was abandoned for seventy years. The owner fled Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion in 1940 … but why did she never return? 
New York photographer Cat Jordan has fought hard to free herself from the past, but when a stranger dies, Cat finds herself the sole inheritor of a treasure filled apartment in Paris that has been locked up and abandoned for seventy years. A stash of love letters belonging to Marthe de Florian, one of the Belle Époque’s most famous demimondaines, and the appearance of the mysterious Isabelle de Florian’s grandson leads Cat in search of the reasons why Isabelle kept her Paris apartment a secret, and why she left her entire estate to Cat. As Cat unravels the story, she too begins her own journey, realizing that the secrets in the apartment may finally unfasten the future.

Praise for Ella Carey:

"Ella Carey creates an almost impossibly romantic atmosphere."Rachel Edwards, Review of Australian Fiction.

I am so looking forward to the release of The Paris Time-Capsule. Ella Carey is one of the most talented writers I have ever worked with. Roll on release day!' Melanie Milburne, USA Today best selling author

For more information please visit www.theparistimecapsule.com 

Read Reviews 

BUY LINKS:




Amazon UK        Australia
 India      New Zealand 


US and rest of the world      Amazon US





    Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

The Paris Time Capsule

by Ella Carey

Giveaway ends April 30, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

36 comments:

  1. I like the premise of your book, Ella. And it's nice to know you've got such good taste in authors!

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    1. Thanks William! If only we could chat with them all ... I hope you enjoy the novel. Thanks for calling in. :)

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  2. I scrolled down the page and saw the book cover and immediately thought of Nana by Zola. I'm always in the wrong century!
    This does sound intriguing and Ella must have done a lot of research. It's good for authors to be inspired by factual events and to add some fiction - even better.
    I wish Ella every success with her novel.

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    1. Hi Fanny, Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, Zola's novel Nana tells the story of a courtesan during the Second Empire. There was much research for this novel. It is contemporary, but it delves into the past. The original true story did fascinate me - and did lead to a little imaginative foray on my part!

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  3. I share your taste in authors, Ella. I have a fixation with Hemingway and have followed his footsteps in Paris. In a romantic novel I look for reality, something that is possible to happen, not pure fantasy.

    Looking forward to having you on my blog.

    Denise

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    1. Hello there Denise! Yes, Hemingway's time in Paris holds real fascination for me too. I had an indulgent read of his work again last year. 'A Moveable Feast' lingers with me long after I read it. Your comment regarding reality in the romantic novel is interesting ... I am blogging about that very topic in another blog tour soon. You might like to drop in there too! xx Looking forward to chatting with you on 8 May.

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  4. I'm amazed how many authors listen to music while they write. I've never been one to do that, but I do usually have the TV on in the background, oddly.

    Visiting from the A to Z challenge signup page. Great to meet you!

    Stephanie Faris, author
    30 Days of No Gossip
    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Stephanie! How interesting that you have the TV on in the background. Writing is such a solo business, perhaps a bit of company gets you going! Thanks for calling in today. x

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  5. What a fascinating story to base your book on. Imagine walking into a room like that. Gorgeous cover too!

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  6. Hi Shelley - I know, walking into that room would have been magical. Everything was sitting there just as it was so long ago, and the beautiful things in the rooms were just extraordinary. I'm so pleased you like the cover.

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  7. I also think that your premise is very intriguing, and your cover is spectacular! Best of luck with your book! Nas, thanks for hosting Ella!

    Julie

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  8. Thank you for calling in! The painting on the cover is the Giovanni Boldini portrait of Marthe de Florian that was found in the apartment. On the book, she sits atop a picture of a room in the abandoned apartment. The back cover shows a stack of love letters wrapped in silk, vintage perfume bottles, and a view of Paris. x

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  9. The cover is luscious. I really liked your choices of writers and what you said made each of them your favorite.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind comments! I was thinking about why I loved these authors and thought I'd share my thoughts. So thrilled that you like the cover. I must let the designer (whose name is Giovanni, just like Boldini) know! x

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  10. Saw this one last week, and it still sounds awesome. I love the faded colors and sepia tones to the cover. Very evocative.

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    1. Thanks Crystal! That's a good point about the cover; I think it fits well with the photos of the real apartment. x

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  11. Hi again, Ella! *waves* I liked getting to know you a bit better in this post - and I probably would've been one of the people who thought your dogs were whippets :( Now I know!

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    1. Hi Liz! Lovely to see you here! Glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, the whippet thing is so funny. Italian greyhounds are a bit smaller, but have similar gentle natures. x

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  12. Hi Ella, I had the pleasure of reading your story over Easter and what a wonderful tale it is. I found myself nodding when you mentioned your favourite authors, I think I can pick that up from the wonderful flow of your story and the depth that it has. What a great story. Thank you :)

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    1. Thanks so much Tash. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the novel! Thank you dearly for letting me know and for your kind thoughts. x

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    2. You're very welcome. Enjoy your time in NZ. I saw on the news last night they let lots of flares off as a practice in the harbour in Wellington, what a sight that must have been :)

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  13. Loved the interview. You've got great taste in books, Ella. I'd love to go back in time with your story.

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    1. Hi Leslie! I think these writers are so classic, and it was an interesting question to answer. I hope you enjoy travelling on the journey with Cat! x

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  14. I'm so thrilled to have won this book already. I love the premise.

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    1. So great to see you here Medeia! It is wonderful that you won the book and I'm so glad you like the idea behind the story. I hope you enjoy travelling to Paris in the book! x

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  15. I enjoy classical music, too, but I could never listen to it and write. Too distracting!

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    1. Hi there Sherry! There is something about absolute silence when writing that allows you to immerse yourself in the world in the best possible way. x

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  16. I already have this one on my TBR list- it sounds fabulous. I love the setting and the storyline sounds great. I like romances that seem believable and I like to get caught up in the story. The shirts for her dogs might be a good idea. :)

    Best of luck to Ella!

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    1. Hi Jess! So pleased you like the idea of the novel! Yes, I agree about stories being believable; I think its about attempting to write the truth, no matter what the setting. Wish I could get some of those shirts - it's so funny. :)

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  17. You mentioned some of my favorite authors [from the past] too, Ella. I love the premise of your new novel. What a great way to write a novel to begin with an abandon room and its artifacts. Good luck with everything, Ella. Thanks for sharing this interview, Nas.

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    1. Hi Victoria, lovely to meet someone who shares some of my favourite authors. The original story was so inspiring for me that I couldn't abandon it at all! Thanks for calling in. x

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  18. You had me at Bach cello suites. <3 Best of luck!

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  19. Hi Carrie, thanks for calling in here! Bach's cello suites are perfection to me. Lovely to meet someone who enjoys them too. x

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  20. I used to listen to classical music ALL THE TIME! I entered the giveaway. Your book sounds great.

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  21. I get phases where I adore classical music. It depends on my mood. My favourite composer is Bizet.

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  22. Always love learning where the seed of a story came from. Great interview!

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