The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Whether a book has an amazing plot, incredible characters, or a spectacular setting, one way to turn a reader away from the story is to misrepresent a crucial fact. Ex: Did you know vehicles are not allowed to cross the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day 6 am to noon.  As small as a sliver is, the irksome little irritant, pain can explode with a single touch.  So also is the incorrect portrayal of a cultural detail. Readers will notice!! We don't have to visit the setting used in our book, but it helps. If you can't go to the location, there are other ways to ensure the culture is properly represented. And this is  SOOOOOO crucial to keep readers reading the story! Take for example the book I am reading. I won't mention the title, but it was chosen because I happen to be in a beautiful rut reading tons of books with Parisian settings, watching movies filmed in Paris, and studying French, I've visited Paris--spent weeks in France, and okay, you get the drift. As a resu...

Sometimes taking a vay-cay to Paris is impossible, but a trip to Paris, Wisconsin or Paris, Tennessee, or Paris, Texas is a little more affordable.  We can always take a picture of the sign, buy new clothes, eat at a restaurant, and call it good, right? Or not. Sigh. There's something about being in the real place. Today's book talk with real scene photos by Mary Vee is:  Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan Definitely a 5 stars story. Well written. Engaging. Focused on the story. Rich. I totally loved this story, especially the way Callanan told the tale. Here is why: The story begins in Paris, Wisconsin. Our main character, Leah  is drawn to Robert by a chance encounter outside their small town bookstore. She wanted The Red Balloon , he wanted Madeline . Two stories with a Parisian setting. Their love story continues into their wedding. As you might expect, about one third into the story, Leah travels from Wisconsin to her dream place, Paris, France. ...

The more we know about a person, the better we understand why they say what they say, and the meaning behind the body language that accompanied the words, in addition to the intent behind the tone. Arch de Triomphe Photo by Mary Vee Whoa, that was almost philosophical. Pontification done. But this is the reason for my choice of book to talk about today. I woke this morning and asked myself, which of the many books I've read should we talk about. The choice had to be one that would benefit you as well as me. The winner unarguably was Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Since Les Miserables takes place in Paris, I chose Paris pictures to show you. But not the 1840's you would have seen had you lived during the time the story took place ;) Me in The Louvre Hubby took this photo While the musical is epic, the movie heart-rendering, (Love Liam Neeson's performance)--the book is overwhelmingly magical. Think:  the difference between a l...

Photo Courtesy During our one-week stay in Paris, we rushed to get up in the mornings, hurried down to the quaint breakfast area of our hotel then briskly walked to whatever sight we wanted to see. Each morning we passed so many cafes on our way to the subway or bus or walkway. Seriously, there seemed to be a cafe on each corner. And each cafe had fifty percent of the seating outside under an extended roof.  One morning we left our hotel around seven. We walked a block and passed the first cafe. Two men sat across from each other, engaged in what seemed like a political discussion.  I couldn't understand the French and only assumed. But you know what two people look like when they have these types of conversations. They leaned their body forward to make their point then sit back when satisfied they won...until the other person leaned forward and countered the thought. As they spoke, their hands moved to emphasize certain words. Of course their eyes al...

Hubby and I had decided not to buy souvenirs while in Paris. Instead, we set aside funds to make a memory book.  It took two days to make a special memory of our dream trip. Two well invested days.  I happened to work on my order when the company offered a 50% off discount. This made me super happy because I ended up with twice the pages. I'm not a great scrapbooker.  In fact, all my mother's art skills went to my sisters. But--put a reasonable computer program in my hands, one that is sensitive, offers more than I could possibly dream, and offers great discounts, and I'm on board.  This is the product. Awesome, eh?  To see Mary's album, click here When I finished ordering the book, Shutterfly gave me a chance to let you see it as well!  Wow! If you are interested in taking a walk through Paris, click on the link and flip through the pages.  Hubby and I had so much fun in Paris and this book will help remind us of the t...

Photo by Mary Vee I am sitting in the Chicago airport at this very moment. Hubby and I arrived an hour ago. The announcer said our flight to Paris would depart from gate H3. We had 3 hours to get there. How hard could it be? We gathered our things and walked into Ohara airport's terminals and looked for a monitor to confirm the information. Of course, Paris was the ONLY International city not listed. We saw a courtesy desk with two elderly volunteers. "Can you tell us which gate is for the flight for Paris?" The man looked at his pad of paper and said, go to gate K19. The answer seemed reasonable. But we had our doubts because he had his information scribbled on a small pad of paper. Halfway to gate K19 we saw a booth with American Airlines courtesy phones. We called the airlines and asked, what gate we should go to. The person said, "The gate has not yet been assigned." Really? Hubby and I walked a few gates farther and found an American Ai...

Time to pack your bags. This is the last day we will spend in Paris. It has been a wonderful trip. I hope you have tons of pictures. Writer, Sarah Forgraves gave me permission to post her Paris photos.  Hopefully you took an extra day of vacation to rest from the jet lag when you get home.. I am playing cyber French music and cooking with butter. Julia Child is laughing in the background from her Paris apartment. Are you ready? Arc de Triomphe The Eiffle Tower Notre Dame and the Seine River Notre Dame Cathedral Palace at Versailles The Louvre The Louvre View of the Seine from the Eiffle Tower Paris really lights up the night sky. I like the evening photos the best, don't your? And so life returns to normal next week. We'll be back in our beds at home, woken by the alarm, and ...

This is the year for an adventure of a lifetime. My hubby has always wanted to go to Paris…so that is where I will take you. Since I don't know what we'll see, or have any great scoops for you yet, I have borrowed photos from author Keli Gwyn and a free photo website to share a bit of Paris with you. (I always like taking you on my trips) Ready to go? A favored spot for us, and frequently talked about attraction for us is Notre Dame.  Next an evening at the Louvre… The Eiffel Tower During the day you can see the Market near the Eiffel Tower Photo Courtesy Arc De Triomphe Photo Courtesy next an old Shop in Paris is a must Photo Courtesy last stop for today is the Castle Castillo Taking a European trip is a big deal. Such preparations! I hear travelers need adaptors to power electrical devices, passports need to be ready...