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Welcome to Fiona's Q&A! Fiona McIntosh will be answering questions on Friday 28th March in this thread. So, if you have a question about The Lavender Keeper or The French Promise, or just want to say hello, please do so in this thread.

Hi Fiona,
So many people here enjoyed both books, and recommended them to their friends. How did you choose Luc's profession of lavender farmer when you started writing?
~ Alison

Hi Alison, thank you for your thoughtful question. The inspiration for the tale came from Bridestowe Lavender Farm in Tasmania whose history told me that a farmer from Devon at the turn of the previous century was enchanted by lavender growing wild in the mountains of Provence when he visited. He took some seeds back to Devon but they wouldn't take. When he emigrated with his family to Australia and ended up in Tasmania he tried again and these plants flourished. He worked out that Provence is 40 degrees north and Launceston is 40 degrees south. They were a mirror image of each other. I couldn't leave the notion alone, especially after arriving in Paris just a fortnight later my publisher emailed to ask what story I was working on next. I was in France, thinking about lavender and all the celebrations for the liberation of Paris 70 years previously were underway and it all just came together in a perfect storm to have a French lavender grower, walking off his land at the time of the German occupation of France during WWII. My plan was to take the story from there all the way out to Tasmania in one novel. Of course I didn't make it one book and for anyone who has read the book, I blame Colonel Kilian! I didn't know I'd be falling in love with him. :)

Hi Fiona, I hope I'm not too late to join in.

No here I am with my cup of tea and music playing - ready for you!

Well, I'll get this going shall I? I am heading to Provence in July, leading a group of lavender lovers and people who have enjoyed the stories so they can walk in the footsteps of the characters over both the novels. It's going to be so much fun to head back into Saignon, Gordes, Bonnieux .... and Paris of course!...to relive the research of years gone and to see these special places through the eyes of readers.

Hi Fiona, loved the Lavender Keeper and French Promise, then visited Bridestowe Lavender Farm last year (going miles out of our way but so worth it!)as part of my own Lavender Keeper self guided tour. Is there a possible third book in this series??

What was the most challenging part of the wartime stories to write? And on the other hand, where are you most looking forward to revisiting this summer?

Your trip to Provence sounds awesome. I visited Paris three years ago but only had three days there. I would love to go back one day.

Okay, someone who can't get to goodreads has emailed me with a question. She asks: what came first? The story or the characters?

Fantastic question, Sue. I hang my hat as a storyteller on character. I firmly believe that if I get my characters solid, credible, jumping strongly off the page and into the hearts of readers then the story will actually take care of itself. I don't plan any story ahead. I leave that to the characters to wend their merry way and all that happens is mostly a mystery journey for me. I tend to have the barest thread of a tale in mind and I never know where it begins or ends but there's a vague arc back of mind. I know my characters will do all the hard yards over that arc and bring the story to life. So for me, character does come first but I really only need to know a couple of them - and not intimately. For The Lavender Keeper I knew Luc and I had an abstract feeling for Lisette. Everyone else who walked in or out was a surprise. The biggest surprises for me in The French Promise were Max and Jane. Gosh, who knew they would appear. And then of course there's that bit that everyone had to put The French Promise down over for a few minutes or hours. Blame the characters, not me!

Elizabeth wrote: "Hi Fiona, loved the Lavender Keeper and French Promise, then visited Bridestowe Lavender Farm last year (going miles out of our way but so worth it!)as part of my own Lavender Keeper self guided to..."

Hi Elizabeth....how lovely you are! I hope you had a great time at Bridestowe and saw it in the full blue roar of summer? Look, I will never say never because I know there is a lot of story left. However, I'm working on quite a few new stories right now - I've got Nightingale coming up in October (you'll love it!) and then another fab historical romantic adventure for Mother's Day in 2015....and then another two set in France and other far flung places. But Lavender and Promise do resonate. Keep pushing me! :)

Teresa wrote: "Your trip to Provence sounds awesome. I visited Paris three years ago but only had three days there. I would love to go back one day."

Oh Teresa you must. I think everyone should go to Paris every year, don't you? It is a city that just inspires through its sheer beauty.

Lesley wrote: "What was the most challenging part of the wartime stories to write? And on the other hand, where are you most looking forward to revisiting this summer?"

Thanks Lesley, the most challenging part of the wartime stories was researching the Holocaust. It is such an enormous topic and apart from the harrowing research I did for it in London, Paris, Krakow and Auschwitz, there was a tense balancing trick required to get just the right amount of story dedicated to the traumatic Jewish story. I needed it there because the Holocaust couldn't be ignored in any wartime story but at the same time I didn't want to write a Holocaust tale that has been done so poignantly and brilliantly in previous novels. I think we got it just right with Rachel. I cried and cried and cried.

Where am I most looking forward to visiting this summer. I think it has to be taking the group to Saignon - where Luc lives and having them understand why I fell instantly in love with this village from the moment I arrived as the sun was setting, starlings were flocking to roost, church bells were chiming seven o'clock and the lights were just coming on. It was the archetypal Provencale village and I knew I'd stumbled into Luc's home.

Fiona how do you go about choosing names for your characters. Do you accumulate a list of names that you keep for future reference or does the name appear in your mind as the character is developing?

Fiona wrote: "Okay, someone who can't get to goodreads has emailed me with a question. She asks: what came first? The story or the characters?

Fantastic question, Sue. I hang my hat as a storyteller on char..."

That's what i love about your stories, Fiona, you are not afraid to follow your characters into events that other writers would hesitate to inflict on their readers. And then blame the characters themselves!

Teresa wrote: "Fiona how do you go about choosing names for your characters. Do you accumulate a list of names that you keep for future reference or does the name appear in your mind as the character is developing?"

No, I forget more names than I remember, Teresa. But each character has the perfect name - I'm sure of it - and so I just wait. It comes as the character's personality begins to percolate through my mind, through the story. And I begin to discard names and hunt for new ones. I'm mostly writing historical fiction and so I have to get the era right. There would be no point in calling any of my characters a name like Shane....it's a 70s style name and I am for ever searching for names that work in and around both world wars. So that begins the narrow the field - especially in WW1 when most blokes were called William, James, and that ilk. There weren't that many going around. Even so, I know ultimately a name is going to fit my character. And for instance when Lisette fell into place she was perfect. Luc was Luc from the get go. But Markus - oh my...I had to search for him. But when he came into my mind, the character took on his full personality for me. And I saw Daniel Craig in my mind's eye!

Elizabeth wrote: "Fiona wrote: "Okay, someone who can't get to goodreads has emailed me with a question. She asks: what came first? The story or the characters?

Fantastic question, Sue. I hang my hat as a story..."

Thanks Elizabeth. That's when I'm having fun as a writer. I've got no idea what's about to happen and when it's traumatic I feel the pain just like the reader but I refuse to pull away from it. Which is why that bit in French Promise that shocks so much was very hard to write but I had no choice - it's where the characters wanted to go.

I discovered you by reading your fantasy novels first, and that is my "home" genre to read, but it has been an easy transition to read your romantic sagas. I have gifted The Tailors Girl many times this year as the ultimate romantic read. But do you have any plans to write more fantasy in the future? I am all out of Robin Hobb and Sara Douglass .....

I don't think there would be one female reader who didn't fall in love with Markus just a little bit...sigh! Wouldn't it be a dream come true to one day see Daniel Craig in character as Markus in The Lavender Keeper the movie??

Elizabeth wrote: "I discovered you by reading your fantasy novels first, and that is my "home" genre to read, but it has been an easy transition to read your romantic sagas. I have gifted The Tailors Girl many time..."

Thank you for being so loyal and for moving from your home genre - what a lovely expression - to historical romantic adventures. I'm grateful and for all those gifts! Yes, indeed, fantasy will always be a love for me and in the next few weeks you'll see my new historical timeslip novel called Tapestry hitting bookstores. It's the most incredible tale based on a real piece of British history of the early 18th century and blows the mind that a noblewoman could pull of this most extraordinary event. And of course I took that real history and wrapped a whiff of fantasy about it - made it fun and a rip roaring read. Hope you'll enjoy it, Elizabeth.

Teresa wrote: "I don't think there would be one female reader who didn't fall in love with Markus just a little bit...sigh! Wouldn't it be a dream come true to one day see Daniel Craig in character as Markus in T..."

I've even drafted the letter to Daniel Craig but I haven't had the courage to send it yet nor any notion of where to send it! To his wife perhaps???? Yes, Markus is utterly, indescribably delicious. And I really loved that he became a noble German that we could all respect. Meanwhile, von Schleigel...I think he has to be Anthony Hopkins or that fabulous guy from Django and/Inglorious Basterds!

I (and others here) were so shocked when Lisette died. I had to reread that part to check if I'd read correctly. I think many writers wouldn't have dared for that to happen to a main character, but it did work for the story (I can see that now...) :)

Oh yay! In time for Mothers Day I hope. Thank you for your time tonight Fiona.

Townsville wrote: "I (and others here) were so shocked when Lisette died. I had to reread that part to check if I'd read correctly. I think many writers wouldn't have dared for that to happen to a main character, but..."

Spoilers.....spoilers......spoilers.........


I know. I wept a lot that day. Blame the characters!

Elizabeth wrote: "Oh yay! In time for Mothers Day I hope. Thank you for your time tonight Fiona."

No, THANK YOU. Lovely talking.

It's 9,10pm here and I think everyone's earned a cuppa. It has been wonderful chatting and I am going to check back here for international readers over the next few days. Please do feel free to leave your questions here and I'll answer ALL of them. It's been a pleasure and my thanks to all for reading The Lavender Keeper and The French Promise....Allison & Busby is publishing it across Britain. Give it a go lovely Brit readers....:)

Oh yes I can never get sick of hearing Anthony Hopkins sexy voice.

Fiona, do you talk and maybe even argue with your characters when you are writing. The reason I ask is I have a friend who writes for a hobbie and she often tells me that she talks and sometimes argues with her characters because they will take over the story and head it in another direction.

I enjoy reading all your books & each time I become part of your book and the characters in it as if I'm living inside the story! I so much enjoyed reading The Lavender Keeper & The French Promise. Is there any likelihood or chance of these books becoming a movie? It would make a great movie with a sequel.

Thank you for taking the time to chat Fiona it's been a very interesting.

Thank you so much Fiona, I really appreciate your time.

Teresa wrote: "Oh yes I can never get sick of hearing Anthony Hopkins sexy voice.

Fiona, do you talk and maybe even argue with your characters when you are writing. The reason I ask is I have a friend who write..."

No, I've never found myself in that position. I have no reason to argue with their decisions. I don't hold the reins too tightly.

Carolyn wrote: "I enjoy reading all your books & each time I become part of your book and the characters in it as if I'm living inside the story! I so much enjoyed reading The Lavender Keeper & The French Promise..."

Oh Carolyn wouldn't that be fun - a movie! I'd love it. There's always a chance but it's a lot to do with luck and timing. If the right person reads my books at the right time when they are looking for a new project of that nature then I'm in with a chance. the problem is with my books they are historical, so they have to be a costume drama, they need big sets, lots of production, lots of research - a big effort in other words. So you'd almost need a big name on board just to give it the cred it would need to attract funding. Either that or a luscious BBC serial would be amazing, right?

Townsville wrote: "Thank you so much Fiona, I really appreciate your time."

Please...I think it's wonderful that readers stop by. Very kind, thank you.