Jacqueline Luckett did one of our cooking classes about a year and a half ago and during our conversation while shopping at the market, I discovered her unbridled passion for Paris. So profound is her love, it propelled her to write two novels about Paris. Her second novel, Passing Love, is hot off the presses and being released today. She describes it as " Two women dealing with lost love, secrets, and betrayal...and how Paris may hold their answers". Jacqueline has written todays blog about her fascination with Paris.
Like a character in my novel, PASSING LOVE, I’m not quite sure where my fascination with the City of Light comes from. I simply know that it’s always been there, and I’m blessed to be able to indulge it every now and then.
The first time I went to Paris, I hadn’t spoken a word of French since high school. I’d longed to see it for most of the twenty years it took me to get there. The memory of conjugated verbs and gender-based nouns took quite a while to dredge up. But I did—for the love of the language and the excitement of speaking French in France. I did tons of research, too, and made plans to see the sites and visit museums. I chucked the list at the end of my first afternoon and learned to walk purposefully, but without intention. It wasn’t until my second visit that I realized that, for me, Paris is like the fat dictionary my parents kept in our living room when I was a young girl. So many words waiting for me to discover them. A book that I could never read in one sitting, but one that I always wanted come back to.
For all of the times I’ve been, I haven't lost my passion for Paris. I hope that I never do. I try my best, each time the navette from Charles DeGaulle shuttles me toward the heart of Paris, to hold on to the feeling I had the first time I saw the city. My awe at the rushing Seine and its many bridges, the tightness of the buildings, the wide boulevards, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower off in the distance, tricking my eyes into believing it lies within my arm’s reach. With each visit, I’ve held on to my “first time” feeling. One I’ve wanted to share. On my first visit I documented my stay with photos. Since then, I’ve documented my trips with journal entries, and those words have turned into two published novels.
English teachers and professors typically advise new writers to “write what you know.” I thought I knew Paris, but I don’t—certainly, not as well as I want to—and that’s why I keep returning, and my characters keep following me. Every trip brings a new discovery. A left or right can yield adventure, an unexpected shop, bakery, theater, bookstore, or café. New York is the only other city where I’ve had the same feeling. But, in Paris, language is the frosting on the cake. Yes, this is why my characters romp about the city, look for love in the faces of strangers, and try to discover themselves in Paris. It’s my selfish way of learning as much as I can about the place that I love.
I write about Paris because I want to relive seeing the city for the first time. Because I want to hold on to the romance of a place where couples kiss often, freely, and without shame. Because I want to revisit all the streets that I’ve wandered and somehow memorialize them for myself, and others, so that I can pick up a book filled with my words, and recall exactly how I felt.
Jacqueline Luckett is the author of two novels in which Paris plays an important part of the story: Passing Love and Searching for Tina Turner. She lives in Northern California and travels to Paris as often as she can to practice French and sit in sidewalk cafés while drinking café crème and contemplating new story ideas.
Click here to order Passing Love from Amazon.
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Photos by Jacqueline Luckett
New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale
I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.
Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
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