It seems as though everyone is writing a book these days. In fact four friends of mine have released new books in the last two months about Paris. Each book has a very different subject matter, from a spy novel with a transgender hero to a practical Paris restaurant guidebook.
Bernie’s Paris: Travel Stories with Love by Linda Spalla
My good friends Linda Spalla and Bernie Verdier from Huntsville, Alabama spend two months in Paris every year, renting an apartment in the Marais around the corner from me. We have become great friends over the last six years and I am always giving them tips and suggestions on where to go and what to see. Linda saves many of my blog postings during the year, visiting the destinations when she is here.
Bernie’s Paris: Travel Stories with Love is Linda’s new book about her special relationship with Bernie. Part auto-biography, part romance story and part travel guide, the book is about how she unexpectedly met Bernie and the exciting but sometimes challenging adventures they encountered coming to Paris over the last 12 years.
In a never too late fairy tale romance story, Linda, a retired television network executive with two failed marriages behind her, had no illusions about ever falling in love again. She is introduced to Bernie, a retired military man, and suddenly she finds herself falling for him, even though he’s not like any other man she’s ever been attracted to before. It takes her a while for him to win her over but his kindness and tenacity pays off when Linda falls head over heels for him.
Bernie was born in Paris but moved to the U.S. while still in elementary school, when his mother divorced his father. Fluent in French, Bernie coaxed Linda to come to Paris with him so he could show her his Paris. In subsequent years Linda’s love and appreciation of Paris and Bernie blossoms and the book illustrates Paris from Bernie’s perspective.
Linda has generously mentioned my name and tours several times in the book. Bernie took the 40 color photos.
https://smile.amazon.com/Bernies-Paris-Travel-Stories-Love/dp/1523491159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475935223&sr=8-1&keywords=Bernie%E2%80%99s+Paris%3A+Travel+Stories+with+Love
My (Part Time) Paris Life: How Running Away Brought Me Home by Lisa Anselmo
My new friend Lisa Anselmo is a bit of an international celeb, having risen to fame a few years ago when she and her friend Lisa Taylor Huff started the anti- love lock campaign, which went viral. Eventually they met with mayor Anne Hidalgo and the locks were removed permanently from Pont des Arts.
Lisa’s first book, My (Part Time) Paris Life comes out today. The memoir is about Lisa’s struggle to find herself after her mother dies of breast cancer in 2011. Her mother was an overwhelming force in Lisa’s life and the book deals with her conflicted feelings about her overpowering mother. Instead of playing it safe she acts out and as a survival tactic to distance herself from her mother’s death she creates a new life for herself, which includes buying an apartment in Paris.
Lisa is also a Paris insider like myself and has a blog with the same title. She also stars in a series of short videos where she interviews local bakers, chefs and neighborhood celebs.
https://www.amazon.com/My-Part-Time-Paris-Life-Running/dp/1250067472/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1462575868&sr=8-1&keywords=lisa+anselmo&linkCode=sl1&tag=parttimeparis-20&linkId=72ae83fba8bbc53a6dddee0b89a90530
Transformed: Paris: A Quirky Queer Spy Novel by Suzanne Falter and Jack Harvey
Suzanne Falter was my landlord when I lived in a brownstone in New York near Union Square from 1986 to 1992. We became fast friends and Suzanne was multi-talented and creative- actress, singer, entrepreneur and writer. We lost touch after I moved but we recently reconnected. Suzanne spent almost a month in Paris last year researching a new spy novel she was writing. We hung out a lot together and Suzanne did my Marais tour and a tour of the 9th arrondissement, to get a feel of the varied neighborhoods of Paris.
The fruits of her labor have become the book Transformed: Paris: A Quirky Queer Spy Novel. It’s the second of a series of books whose main character is Charley MacElroy, perhaps the first Transman spy hero.
Charley travels to Paris to help authorities to expose a Neo Nazi plot to plant dirty bombs around Paris. His older lover Electra tags along to study French but becomes involved in the plot when she discovers the lavender haired British aristocrat Dickie Borque may be be behind the planting of the bombs. Enter Odile, Dickie’s feisty 80 –something year old milliner, who helps to uncover the plot. Drama ensues when Electra disappears and Charley frantically pursues her in the rainy gray streets of Paris in winter.
https://www.amazon.com/Transformed-Paris-Quirky-Queer-Novel-ebook/dp/B01K0T768E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476113993&sr=1-1&keywords=suzanne+falter
Dining Out in Paris - What You Need to Know Before You Get to the City of Light by Tom Reeves
Dining Out in Paris is the second edition of my friend Tom Reeves book. The first section of the book is a comprehensive and well detailed account of how to dine in Paris from how to order to tipping to classifying restaurants to etiquette. Also included is a section listing the different type of gourmet and food shops plus outdoor food markets.
In the remainder of the compact book, instead of writing reviews of various restaurants all over Paris, Tom wisely narrows it down to ten restaurants in his own neighborhood, the Latin Quarter. Each extensive review gives a total overview of the restaurant.
https://www.amazon.com/Dining-Out-Paris-Before-Light/dp/0981529216/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476034154&sr=1-1&keywords=Dining+Out+in+Paris+tom+reeves
Eye Prefer Paris Postcards
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.
Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.
Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or
Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or
$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)
Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store
Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store
Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 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
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
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: 195 euros per person (about $210)
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.
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