Fionabr /

Valpy’s French romances are like a glass of wine in French sunshine – a perfect summer –br /

and pandemic escape. But she writes more than romance. br /

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Fiona's best-selling World War II fiction tells stories of remarkable women, generations apart, who use adversity to their advantage and find resilience deep within.br /

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Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Fiona shows why her books are the antidote for dark times, and we offer the French Escape Giveaway... three Ebook copies of her chateau romance The French For Always are going to three lucky readers. br /

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An escapist read with the taste of summer on every page…  it’s just what we need in difficult times….  Enter the draw through the Joys of Binge Reading website or the Binge Reading Facebook page.  Offer closes May 9, so enter now.br /

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Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

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How moving to France launched a careerThe secret lives of Fiona's neighborsThe Nazis in Paris and their legacyInterweaving romance and historyFiona's thing about Austen booksMoving on from social distancingbr /

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Where to find Fiona Valpy: br /

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Website: https://www.fionavalpy.com/br /

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Facebook: @fionavalpybooksbr /

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Twitter: @fionavalpybr /

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionavalpy/br /

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Whatbr /

follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word forbr /

word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

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Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Fiona, and welcome to the show.  It's great to have you with us. br /

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Fiona Valpy: Hi Jenny.  Can I just say frombr /

one binge reader to another, it's great to be here. br /

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Author Fiona Valpy - escapist French romance and World War II dramabr /

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Jenny Wheeler: That's wonderful. You're in Scotland and I'm in New Zealand. It's abr /

time of pandemic, so give out our listeners a picture of where are you sittingbr /

and how has social distancing been affecting you?br /

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Lovely spot for introvert writerbr /

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Fiona Valpy: Well, I'm in the conservatory of my house, which is on the edge of a little village in Perthshire in Scotland. And I'm the last house in the village, so I get the benefit of having the community nearby. But I’m also looking out onto my garden, which is full of spring flowers at the moment, such a joy. br /

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Then beyond that there's some fields and trees and hills and I've got the River Tay just down below as well, which I can't see because it's down in a deep valley, but it's always lovely knowing the river’s there. br /

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I'm lucky where I am. I've got the sense of not being too trapped and too claustrophobic here.  I'm also really lucky with the small community that's around because they're so supportive and we've all got together, and we do shopping for people who are in quarantine.  br /

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If anyone needs anything, we will scurry around virtually, electronically, and try and sort that. br /

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The spirit of community rises . .br /

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There was a lovely story the other day ofbr /

an elderly lady in a care home.  It wasbr /

her birthday and the community group all put their heads together by a computerbr /

and managed to come up with a bagpiper who went and stood outside her windowbr /

and played “Happy Birthday” to her. That gives you the kind of idea of thebr /

spirit of community that I'm in. br /

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Jenny Wheeler: That sounds just gorgeous. br /

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Fiona Valpy: It is,