Yesterday, an Aixcentric follower prompted me to remind everyone of a series of crime novels set in Aix-en-Provence and beyond.  She had spent time in town recently on holiday and loved reading fiction set in places newly familiar.  For all those who aren’t in Provence right now but would like …

Through my Uzès experience,  I’ve known and written about quite a few artists. Yet there was something extraordinary about meeting Simon James aside from his status as an award-winning writer and illustrator. Meeting Simon James Living in a “red zone” COVID world,  I miss the small, intimate art exhibitions that …

Based in the United States, author Raylene Abbott’s work surrounds spiritual training with mentors from Native American and other sacred backgrounds. Her studies of the Black Madonna began in 1992 and eventually led to a lengthy stay in France where she traced religious pilgrimage routes. In 2014, she discovered her …

A Writer’s Dream I will never forget the morning I received an email from an established cookbook publisher and immediately deleted it, convinced it was a scam. They wrote asking me to write a beginner French cookbook for sale and promotion nationwide. I quickly scanned the email, deleted it, and …

French Riviera an Artistic Book Whether you have been to the French Riviera countless times or have always dreamed of the place, Virginia Johnson’s “Travels Through the French Riviera” is an insider’s guide from an artist’s perspective. Johnson is a Canadian designer and illustrator, and her book is a compilation …

Book Review: The First Noël Kat, Philippe and the gang from the “Love in Provence” three-book series are back, in a delightful new novella from Patricia Sands, The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes. Kat and Philippe are looking forward to their first Christmas together at the villa, and …

I’m happy to announce that my new book, Berets, Baguettes, and Beyond: Curious Histories of France is out now. Just in time for the holidays! If someone on your gift list loves France, maybe this book would fill the bill. Berets, Baguettes, and Beyond: Curious Histories of France is a collection of …

Provence Love Stories A budding romance, a Provencal setting and voila – a love story. The following list of books only begins to scratch the surface of the popular women’s fiction genre. However, we recommend these authors as they write beautifully, inviting you into the lifestyle in the South of …

Travel Guides for Provence Remember when we carried around hefty paperbacks to guide our travels? In the 1980s, long before smartphones, tourists faithfully checked these guidebooks for reviews on hotels, restaurants and must-see sights. Backpackers conscious of space and weight often discarded the pages for a city or region once …

Joy of Cooking in Provence True confession: I am a committed foodie (although the grammar checker doesn’t seem to like the word). Maybe that admission will get me off the hook for being unable to delete thousands of photos of markets objectively. Over the years, we have taken many (did …