fignolage

When this madcap publishing adventure is over, can we all just sit down and have a drink together? Speaking of sipping, here's a word from Chief Grape:

Invite Rouge-Bleu wines to your table for Thanksgiving. They will assure you great success, even if you burn the Turkey. Click here to locate them or Email Chief Grape if you can't find a local retailer. Thanks for your support.

fignolage (fee-nyo-lazh)

    : touching up, polishing

C'est presque fini. Le reste c'est du fignolage.
It's almost done. The rest is finishing-up work.

 Also: un fignoleur/une fignoleuse = a meticulous worker


A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse

It may take a miracle to meet this Wednesday's publishing deadline, meantime... please have a look at the book description that I have just written up! It will go on the book page at Amazon and it may appear, in part, on the back cover (or on the first page of the book, followed by reader blurbs, which I hope will complete the book's description).

Note: I've given the sensitive job of choosing blurbs to my Mom! I hope to include many more blurbs on the first 4 pages of the book (do you think 6 pages would be overdoing it? Talk about sending oneself flowers! By the way, thank you so much for the blurbs you have sent!)

The following text will appear on the sales page for this book:

Blossoming in Provence

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of this blook.*

Following an emotional "scrape" with skin cancer, author Kristin Espinasse (Words in a French Life) decides to refocus her creative efforts. Rather than let a colorful imagination dispirit her, she puts her mind to work in a spirited project: "Publish a book in 21 days!" 

The madcap literary adventure that follows takes on a life of its own when Kristin invites her blog readers—and her mother—along for the ride!  

Opening up the heart of her blog, Kristin asks readers to edit her stories. Soon, everyone from a high school dropout to a literary agent begins to fix the author's punctuation and cure her misplaced modifiers. Offering forth a comma or a dash or a needed splash (Lourdes holy water, bien sûr!), these accidental editors give more than grammar tips—they give their heart and soul in an effort to help Kristin choose the best stories for her forthcoming book Blossoming in Provence (heck, they even come up with the book's title!). As the project careens forward to a self-imposed deadline, a parallel adventure in healing is taking place. 

Thanks for the behind-the-scenes, but what's the book about, anyway?
The result of these combined efforts is a semi-polished collection of over two dozen episodes "in a French life". Blossoming in Provence includes stories from the archives of French Word-A-Day. Go back in time with Kristin as she encounters, among the lavender and the locals, more language and cultural snares and learns that the only way to break free is by growing inwardly.  

Over two-dozen full-page black-and-white photos of Provençal life accompany these inspiring stories of cultural and inward transition.

Editorial Reviews

"Kristin Espinasse is the American Everywoman who opens our eyes to French life from the inside out. From back-breaking vineyard work to the joys of family, food and unique village characters, we walk the lavender-scented paths of Provence with her - and we believe." —Ellen Aragon

"Using the definition of a French word as a starting point, Kristin shares - with warmth and humor - her love of her adopted language as well as the challenges of marriage and motherhood. Kristin's gorgeous photos perfectly complement her descriptions of la vie quotidienne that make France come alive wherever you live." —Maureen McCormick

"Kristin's vignettes of life in France and her discoveries of the nuances of la belle langue are refreshing to both the novice francophile and the seasoned traveler. Because she explores France and French with the eyes of an American expat, her discoveries consistently reveal the complexities of language and culture. Never pretentious, always self-revelatory, Kristin demystifies the ways of France to the American reader." —Tim Averill 

"An American living her dreams and passions in the south of France, Kristin invites us, with remarkable frankness and generosity, to share her own and her family's challenges and triumphs. She inspires, enlightens and entertains with down-to-earth vignettes of daily life that sparkle with her wry humor, zest for life, energy and bon courage." —Lana Holmes

"The human expression of her experiences in life and France are generous, candid and warm. I have never met her, and I feel I know her very well. Her writing is like hearing a friend speak. Her willingness to be vulnerable I find inspiring; her quest to publish I feel is encouraging to me as a writer." —Hilary Tayeb

 * blook: a printed book that contains stories from a blog

Note: we still haven't chosen which blurbs will go on the back cover. If you have any suggestions let us know in the comments box below. 

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Le Coin Commentaires

Do you think the text, above—along with the editorial blurbs—adequately explains the book's contents? Is it good to go? Let me know here, in the comments box. 

 Meantime, for those who would like to help me catch any typos, here are the next three stories to edit. Merci!

 

 Noeud: Learning to tie shoes in French

 S'Occuper: Josephine Baker and my Josey, Baker of pizza

Ceinture de Securite : buckling up my toddler, I receive an impromtu lesson in pronunciation

 For Editors Only: for those of you who have submitted edits and helped work on the stories in this collection, don't forget to add your name to the credits section, here!

 

 

 

Many thanks to Tamara Dever, of TLC Graphics, for designing this book cover. Check out some of the gorgeous covers Tami has made, here. 

It is still a toss-up between this one... and the No. 2 cover, but we are getting there! Now to get the back cover squared away... the clock is ticking! Also, we are thinking of using reader Betty Gleason's catchy phrase, on the cover:

"As satisfying as a seven-course French dinner with lots of good wine and laughter!" —Betty Gleason

(Betty also came up with the title. If she isn't in publishing, she should be, don't you think?)