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Q&A with Sarah Ready
Author of French Holiday
Q: Tell us about your new release French Holiday.
A: I loved writing this book! I’d been planning a big birthday trip to France for my husband, who is a devoted Francophile. Then our island was locked down for a few years and his birthday trip was cancelled. So I told him, if I can’t take you to France for your birthday, I’ll write you a book that takes place in France for your birthday. I wrote this book so that you can taste, see, hear and feel all the wonder and delight of visiting the French countryside. There’s a crumbling chateau, a romance, and a bit of intrigue. All with a dash of croissants, wine, and sparkling flirtation. If you want to visit France for an afternoon, this is the way to do it.
Q: How did you conduct the research for this book?
A: French Holiday takes place in Annecy, France. For a short time we lived in Geneva, Switzerland, which is very near Annecy. I called on personal experience, watched plenty of documentaries, travelogues, and read a lot of articles and books on the area. Of course, I also ate plenty of croissants, chocolate, and macarons. That was an essential part of the research.
Q: There’s French in this book. Do you speak French?
A: Poorly, but with great gusto and enthusiasm. I was very lucky to have a wonderful reader from France volunteer to read my French and offer editorial suggestions. I was also lucky to work with a wonderful audiobook narrator (Kelsey Navarro) whose French is beautiful.
Q: What should we read after devouring French Holiday?
A: This July my new novel The Space Between releases. I spent hours upon hours interviewing a lifelong musician who played in a band now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I wanted the richness and passion of music to come through the page. It’s a fantastic, emotional ride.
If you can’t wait for July, I’d recommend Josh and Gemma Make a Baby which is an award-winning romantic comedy about a single woman undergoing IVF who asks her brother’s best friend to be her sperm donor. No commitments, just a baby. You’ll love it, and when you’re finished you’ll want to read book 2, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around.
Q: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
A: I grew up in a large family. When I was little I would spend hours entertaining my siblings with made up stories – horror stories, fantasies, science fiction, romances, anything that kept their attention. I was nine when I wrote down my first story and won my State’s young author competition. The award was a trip to a writer’s conference where authors and story tellers filled my head with dreams of writing. After that, I was hooked.
Q: What do you love about writing?
A: Everything! Telling a story is like the night before Christmas, the expectation and excitement are intoxicating – typing “The End” is like unwrapping the first gift. It’s a joy.
Q: What is a typical day like for you?
A: I write first thing in the morning for as many hours as possible. After that, I take my dog for a long walk and plot out the upcoming scenes. In the afternoon I write again for as many hours as possible. After that I do research, read, or work on other projects.
Q: Do you have a philosophy you live by?
A: Give as much joy, laugher and love as possible to the world – they’re free to give and come from an endless supply.
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