Monthly Archives: October 2012

This is going to be a quickie, with no comments allowed. Because I’m not asking for pity or support or any other input. But since my bio has changed drastically in the last year, I’m going to tell you the story succinctly, and then you’ll understand all of the Tweets, blogs, etc. where I am suddenly a single mom living in Paris instead of a married mom living in the French countryside.

Laurent and I split up early this year. We both have apartments in Paris now, care for our kids alternating weeks, and have kept the Loire Valley home (with my ancient office) to use for vacations. I won’t say anything else about that because he is a good man and an excellent dad and I couldn’t wish for a better father for my children.

Now I’m a single mom in Paris. Getting used to living alone, trying to do the best things for my children, and writing furiously to meet a couple of deadlines (the first book in my JUNEAU series and another mystery project that I will be able to announce very soon).

On the weeks I don’t have my kids I am becoming very familiar with frozen dinners, working round-the-clock, and beginning to tiptoe out into the Paris night life. (See fashion week party post.) I’m a part of two different book clubs, and am forcing myself out to art and literature happenings so that I can meet people and have friends in Paris other than my books’ main characters.

So here we are, nearing the end of 2012. I have a beautiful apartment in the center of Paris, gorgeous healthy children, the best job in the world, and wonderful friends supporting me from around the world. These are the things I am focusing on—moving forward, enjoying the beauty around me, and learning. Always learning. Because that’s what life’s about.

I promised to take you along on some of my Paris experiences now that I’m living in the city full-time. So how about accompanying me to the designer Oscar Carvallo’s fashion week party?

I met Oscar at a peniche party a few months ago, during which he said he wanted to do the costumes for a DIE FOR ME film if one were ever made. So when I got an invitation last week to his end-of-Paris-fashion-week party, I didn’t hesitate to accept.

However, about an hour before party-start last night I was on Twitter begging for makeup tips from my friends at Epic Reads as well as make-up experts (okay, YA writers) Natalie Parker and Tessa Gratton. After leaving a pile of discarded dresses and shoes strewn across my apartment, I came up with this:

Revenants meet fashionistas...at least in my mind

As for the rest, I will let the photos & captions speak for themselves. Welcome to your Paris fashion experience!

Me with the man of the evening, Oscar Carvallo