Drinking too much bubbly. Meeting sappy Frenchmen who have girlfriends or are creeps or both. Encountering problème after problème with French bureaucracy. When newly-single party girl Vicki moved to Paris, she was hoping to taste wine, stuff her face with croissants, and maybe fall in love.
In her first book, this long-time blogger and semi-professional drinker recounts the ups and downs of her life in Paris. Full of sass, shamefully honest admissions, and situations that seem too absurd to be true, Vicki makes you feel as if you're stumbling along the cobblestones with her.
Will she find love? Will she learn to consume reasonable amounts of alcohol? Will the French administration ever cut her a break?
I loved this book and could not put it down. This is a very quick, easy read. Paris is on my bucket list and the Lesage did a fantastic job taking me along on her journey. Lesage's attention to detail of the people, of the buildings and of the architecture blew my mind. I loved that the author conveys a feeling a friendship (like you are her friend) while you are reading this book. I give this book 5 stars as I loved her writing style, her attention to detail, how the book flowed. But what I loved the most was her sense of humor. I hope there is a sequel to this book.
Q. What inspires your writing?
A. As an American
living in Paris ,
I’ve experienced some crazy things. From eating bizarre foods to being yelled
at by taxi drivers for not having correct change, I find something new to write
about every day! I would go crazy living in this city if I didn’t have an
outlet to share my frustrations, and I try to temper my “rants” with the good
points of the city life as well.
Q. What is your favorite thing about being a
writer?
A. I love being taken
away to a different place. Once I get into writing one of my stories, time
flies and I feel like I’m really there (partly because I was really there since I write about my life). For example, the
other day I wrote about the birth of my son and it was like reliving the entire
18 hours, minus the pain!
Q. What is the toughest part of being an
writer?
A. Getting started. I
have small goals for each day, whether it’s a blog post or working on my next
book or editing. Once I get started I really enjoy it but it’s hard to get off
Facebook and get my creative juices flowing! As a math nerd it’s way easier for
me to dive into the more analytical tasks, such as tracking sales and making
decisions on ad spending.
Q. If you could not be writer, what would you
do/be?
A. Currently my day
job is IT Director, which is pretty much the opposite of writing but I love it.
In fact, for me, there are similarities in both - I take big tasks (launching a
website, writing a book), break it into manageable pieces, then start chipping
away at them. I enjoy organization (I use spreadsheets for work and my writing!) and I enjoy the
satisfaction of crossing things off my list.
Q. What would the story of your life be
entitled?
A. This one’s easy
since my book is a memoir - Confessions
of a Paris Party Girl! While I could have written about any number of
things that happened in my life, living in Paris is the most interesting and unique, so
that’s why I chose it. Also, many stories about American girls who move to Paris focus on the good -
I chose to focus on the crazy and sometimes bad stuff, just to show what it’s
really like!
Q. What is your favorite book of all time?
A. “The Time
Traveler’s Wife,” by Audrey Niffenegger. It’s a well-written, fascinating story
that is emotional to its core. It’s one of the most romantic stories I’ve ever
read, but is heart-wrenching at the same time. During a road trip I was
describing the book to my husband (as English is his second language I knew he
would never get around to reading it) and I actually got choked up just talking
about it. I don’t think I have it in me to read it again but it’s a book I
continue to recommend to people because it just had such an effect on me.
Q. Which character from ANY book are you most
like?
A. This question is
harder than it sounds! I guess in a lot of ways I’m like Becky Bloomwood from
the Shopaholic series. Deep down I’m
a caring person who means well, but some people don’t see it through all the
partying. I also really try to do my best but sometimes, due to things I can’t
control (like the infuriating French administration!) things turn out a total
disaster.
Q. What character from all of your books are
you most like?
A. Another easy one -
I’m most like me in my book!
Q. Which book would you love to take a weekend
vacation inside of?
A. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett.
I’m fascinated by the time period and would love to be thrown right in the
middle of it, but I think I’d be done by the end of the weekend - their level
of hygiene would totally gross me out!
Q. What is your favorite season?
A. Autumn. I love the
smell, the crisp air, the leaves changing color, and the promise of exciting
things to come - first my birthday, then Christmas!
Q. What inspired your book cover?
A. Before starting my
cover, I looked at numerous other covers in my genre and in books about Paris . I wanted a cover
that immediately conveyed the following: Paris ,
girly, fun. I feel like my cover accomplished that!
Q. Tell me something funny that happened while
on a book tour or while promoting your book.
A. I’m just starting
out and so far so good, but given how crazy my life is on a daily basis, I’m
pretty sure the next mishap is just around the corner!
Q. Are you working on something new?
A. I have already
started a sequel, which will pick up where Confessions
of a Paris Party Girl left off. It will be mostly focused around pregnancy
and raising kids in Paris
- which is no easy feat!
Q. Anything you want to say to followers of
this blog or those that are just stopping by?
A. If you’re looking
for a humorous read about what it’s really like to live in Paris , check out my book. Part of what gets
me through the hectic aspects of the city is sharing my experiences with
others!
***
Wine, romance, and French
bureaucracy - the ups and downs of an American's life in Paris
Drinking too much bubbly. Meeting sappy Frenchmen who have girlfriends
or are creeps or both. Encountering problème
after problème with French
bureaucracy. When newly-single party girl Vicki moved to Paris , she was hoping to taste wine, stuff
her face with croissants, and maybe fall in love.
In her first book, this long-time blogger and semi-professional drinker
recounts the ups and downs of her life in Paris .
Full of sass, shamefully honest admissions, and situations that seem too absurd
to be true, Vicki makes you feel as if you're stumbling along the cobblestones
with her.
Will she find love? Will she learn to consume reasonable amounts of
alcohol? Will the French administration ever cut her a
break?
“Her writing brings the characters she meets to life, her friends,
boyfriends, fellow Metro travellers and French officials, and the stories she
tells are full of humour, even the truly frustrating ones.”
- Jaqui, FrenchVillage Diaries
“Her struggles with French men, love, work and bureaucracy made me laugh
out loud, I could not put it down!”
- Sissi de Beauregard, Chick-litet autres Love Stories
***
Vicki Lesage is an IT Director by day, writer by night. And a full-time
nerd. She loves fondue, wine, math, and zombies. She lives in Paris with her French husband and
rambunctious son.
Get more of life, love, and sarcasm in Paris at:
Website & blog: http://www.vickilesage.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vickilesage
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vickilesage
Email Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/IYdMn
Thanks for the great review, Emily! So glad you liked the book. I hope your readers enjoy it as well! My sequel will be coming out May 2014 so stay tuned!!
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