The Paris Wife: 1920s Hemingway’s Hadley Book Review by Tam Francis The Synopsis The Paris Wife written by Paula McLain (2012 Random House), tells the story of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife Hadley Richardson at the cusp of Hemingway’s writing career. The story opens with Hadley visiting friends in Chicago and meeting the pre-published Hemingway. McLain gives […more…]
The Little Church of the West Unites the Past & Present by Tam Francis The Church of the West I’m always surprised when the past folds on itself and reveals a connection that seems too serendipitous to be real, though that’s what moments of fictional romance are made of, aren’t they? But then life’s often stranger […more…]
5 Elements for your first 5 pages I’m a member of ARWA (Austin Romance Writer’s of America) and we are fortunate to have experienced writers who are willing to share their expertise. We were recently treated to a 5 Elements for Your First 5 Pages workshop by Shellee Roberts who taught us the important elements for the first five […more…]
~Some Girls, Some Hats And Hitler: Book Review with a Vintage Slant~ By Tam Francis The Synopsis Some Girls, Some Hats and Hitler by Trudi Kanter (originally self published in 1984, republished by Virago Press 2012), is part love story, part Holocaust, and very much vintage fashion and lifestyle memoir. We follow Trudi, a half-Jewish milliner, […more…]
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: Vintage Reviewer by Tam Francis As I was writing The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress (a story told in a parallel narrative with two points of view), my mother insisted I read this book. She thought it similar to my novel and thought I’d love it. It […more…]
Why Book Signings are for you whether you’re a reader or a writer By Tam Francis First let me invite you to my reading and signing of my debut book, Ghostoria: Vintage Romantic Tales of Fright. If you’re in the Austin area, the darling little town of Lockhart is just a hop down one of […more…]
Interview with Ghost Story Author My name is Lizzy and I’m a character in Dressing the Part from Ghostoria: Vintage Romantic Tales of Fright. Tam has asked me to interview her to get everyone excited about her collection of ghost stories. I’m surprised she didn’t pick a ghost to interview her. Hmmm, that’s a great […more…]
The Story Behind the Story by Tam Francis Have you ever wondered how writers come up with their ideas? Why they choose a certain genre. Or WHY write such a specific sub-genre like ghost stories? I was recently asked to guest post on Gretchen Rix’s blog site. To entice you to check out her site, […more…]