Hello! I am writing from my little writing cubby in my New York City apartment and am delighted to be doing an author chat. Tomorrow or the day after I will be receiving my editor's comments on my new novel "The Green Dress," about Claude Monet in his young, struggling days when he couldn't afford rent or food. that will be out spring 2010 and in the meantime I am revising that, and writing short things and parts of a new novel and...I'm here! So I will log on again tomorrow and see if anyone has sent me any messages!
Whoops! The above message is from Stephanie Cowell, the author...I did not know one could have one's own name when I joined Librarything!
Stephanie Cowell
Oh, I'll definitely be interested in the new book! I recently watched a DVD dramatization of Monet's life and found it fascinating. And I'm always up for historical fiction focused on artists of any sort (writers, musicians, actors, painters, etc.). I read
Marrying Mozart several years ago and very much enjoyed it.
My question, then: Did you spend time in France conducting research on Monet? If so, what interesting details did you find (if there are any you can tell us without taking away from your upcoming book)?
Message edited by its author, Feb 24, 2009, 9:03am.
FROM STEPHANIE COWELL:
I am glad you liked "Marrying Mozart!" Yes, I went to France to research the Monet novel. I always found it thrilling to walk the streets where a character walked... I was amazed to see the size of Giverny and how his paintings are reverred and look back to him when he was young, in his 20's and 30's, and so poor and no one wanted him. It shows we never know what our futures may be...he had no idea he would receive such love and plenty of money in the future. He was very determined but often desperate. He kept a lot of his friends going, especially Renoir.
Stephanie--
Is "Marrying Mozart" historical fiction or biography? I'm thinking of buying it for my wife who is a music professor and enamored of all things Mozart. We visited Salzburg and Vienna last spring, and I assume there is plenty of reference to those cities in your book.
Tim Fleming
www.eloquentbooks.com/MurderOfAnAmericanNaziwww.AuthorsWebTV.comDefinitely historical fiction, but based on real characters and events.
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