What Inspired Your Story? by Sophie Claire

I must confess that when I wrote Her Forget-Me-Not Ex I was reminiscing very nostalgically about my childhood summers spent in Provence at my grandparents' house. Not so much the place, though it's still very special to me, but the atmosphere. Let me explain.

My mother is French and every year at the end of July we used to pack up the car and make the two-day journey to the south of France and the house that Mum had known since she was a little girl. It must have been an emotional time for her because she didn't get to see her family during the rest of the year (air travel was expensive back then), and the main method of keeping in touch with my grandparents was by letter – handwritten and posted in air mail envelopes. My grandmother used to write to my mum, my sister and me individually every week, so despite the distance I felt very close to her and I loved the long summers we spent at her house. They were such special times that, come the month of August, I always find myself reminiscing, even now years later.

Although my family didn’t own a vineyard (I wish!) like Luc Duval, the hero in my novel, I have wonderful memories of sunshine and trips to the beach and delicious meals that stretched for hours with my extended family all around the table. With the wine flowing and everyone in holiday mode, there would be lots of stories told and joking and banter. It is a very special feeling to be surrounded by so many people who love you and have known you since you were born…

I drew on these memories when I wrote about Luc's large and noisy family in Her Forget-Me-Not Ex and it wasn't difficult to make my heroine, Natasha, wish she belonged at Chateau Duval. Natasha doesn’t have any family of her own, so she’s particularly envious of Luc’s loving family, and her feelings are made all the more complicated by the fact that she’s there under false pretences. As welcoming as the Duvals might be, she knows she doesn’t belong in this place that’s filled with children’s laughter, where there’s always someone who could use her help, and where the beautiful house and garden are enfused with centuries of tradition. At the end of the two weeks, she and Luc know she will leave and return to England.
But I'll leave it for you to find out what happens when she faces that dilemma...

Has a place inspired you?
How did you spend your childhood summers?
Leave a comment and you could win a free Kindle copy of Her Forget-Me-Not Ex!

Sophie.x

Her Forget-Me-Not Ex is out now and available in paperback and e-book:
Amazon UK
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