Today's post is by Caddy Rowland, author of the sexy and delicious Gastien series. I know you will enjoy this one.
Why I Choose to Write
About a Crazy Bohemian
Caddy
Rowland, Author of “The Gastien Series”
When I started to write the first book in The Gastien Series I didn’t
plan on writing a series at all. In fact, I simply thought I was
going to write one book about a fictional artist living during the
bohemian art era (nineteenth century France). Boy was I in for a
surprise! The first surprise was that the first book was over 1,000
pages long – and that was after editing! I quickly realized that
there actually was a logical place to end a first book and make the
darn thing into two novels. The first book would be about Gastien’s
struggle to become an artist. The second would be about his life once
he had achieved the dream. Both books were full stories, able to
stand on their own.
Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream was born. I was a new writer
and didn’t think about what that title implied. Now I realize that
to some people it sounds like the story is only a half of a book, so
down the road I may change it to simply Gastien: The Cost of the
Dream. It would make sense to, but I’ve been working like crazy to
complete the series first.
You see, I knew as soon as I published the first book that this was
going to be a series. I thought it was going to be a trilogy, but
then the second book came out. I knew then that there were going to
be five. The series would tell the story of Gastien’s family, with
the fifth (and last) book closing the circle. The fourth book just
came out on November 7th, and I will be working on the
fifth book before Thanksgiving.
I had always wondered how authors picked their subjects, their
characters, the time period their books take place in. For me, it was
a no brainer. I am also an artist. I paint in oils, acrylics, water
color, ink…you name it and I’ll try it. Because of this the whole
bohemian art era has always fascinated me. That era was when
Impressionism started, and from there painting took on all kind of
new faces. This era took place the last half of the nineteenth
century and lasted until about 1914.
The location was Paris, most specifically the area of Montmartre.
More famous artists came from that time period than any other period
in history. Renoir, Degas, van Gogh, Picasso…the list goes on and
on. Why so much talent? Who knows! But I tend to think the cliché
“great minds think alike” is a cliché for a reason. With so many
talented men (and there were only one or two women) hanging out
together painting and socializing, art was bound to get set on fire.
Plus, the camera had been invented, making it necessary to paint in
new ways or become redundant. Paint in tubes was also new. Big deal?
You bet it was. For the first time in history, artists could easily
pick up and go paint outside. That’s how Impressionism started.
Thank the camera and paint in tubes for giving us all of those
wonderful artists and all of their unique painting styles.
I’m surprised that more novels and movies don’t take place during
this time. It’s one of the most decadent and wild times in history.
Those men didn’t only know how to paint, they knew how to party.
For better or for worse, they made ancient Rome look staid – and
the future Roaring 20’s would pale in comparison! That makes for a
fun time period to place your characters in.
Life was hard for these artists. Extremely hard. No wonder they
partied with such gusto! Yes, the bohemian artists were
undisciplined, sexist, poverty-stricken, and prone to all kinds of
excess…but, wow, could those men paint. Oh, yes. Those men could
paint.
When young Gastien Beauchamp flees the farm for
Paris, the late nineteenth century bohemian era is in full swing.
Color has always called to him, beseeching him to capture it on
canvas and show people a new way of seeing things. His father
belittled his dream of being an artist and tried to beat him into
giving it up. The dream wouldn’t die, but Gastien would have had he
not left.
He also yearns to become a great lover. After
the years of anguish he has endured at the hand of his father, it
would be heaven to feel pleasure instead of pain.
However, the city of Paris has a ruthless
agenda. Unless a man has money and connections, Paris unfeelingly
crushes dreams and destroys souls. With neither of the required
assets, Gastien faces living in alleys, digging in trash bins for
food, and sleeping where a man is often killed for his threadbare
blanket.
Left with nothing but his dreams, Gastien
clings to the hope that the impossible is possible. He pushes on,
regardless of the cost.
___________________________________
Adult
fiction for men and women over age 18
Buy links for Gastien Part 1: The
Cost of the Dream:
http://tinyurl.com/3ecu8ku
For Kindle readers
http://tinyurl.com/3ue4a7h
For NOOK readers (Part 1)
http://tinyurl.com/bx3edem
For Kobo readers (Part 1)
http://tinyurl.com/3luddg7
To order paperback (Part 1)
Gastien
Fanpage: www.facebook.com/Gastien.Beauchamp
Author Blog
(Writer of Fiction, Painter of Life & Energy:
www.caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@caddyorpims
Additional
books in the Gastien Series so far:
1 comment:
Thank you for allowing me to visit on here, Kathleen! It was great fun.
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