Nancy LaPonzina

May meadows are special fields of fragrant spring wildflowers and new life. There’s nothing like a sun-dappled meadow first thing in the morning or at late afternoon for inspiration.

I look for meadows wherever I travel.  This one is at Chateau des Baudry near Monestier, France. Not only flowered with yellow, blue, white, and pink flowers, it’s filled with bright bird song, madly buzzing bees, and crickets. Over the treetops off to the West, you can make out the spire of the Eglise or church in Monestier.

Of course I asked Monsieur Francois if by chance there were any suncup wildflowers. Those would be the ones Leyla Jo searches for in A Path through a Garden.  From Monsieur’s puzzled face, I immediately recognized the value of knowing the Latin names for plant species. Because Jed is an archeobotanist in Paths, he told me the proper Latin name … Oenothera biennis. Monsieur then smiled, but answered, “Non.”

C’est la vie!

Yup! Wayward bags met up with us at Manoir de la Malartrie, Vezac, France near La Roq Gageac. Leyla Jo and Hal from A Path through the Garden travel to Rome, visit the Pantheon, enjoy the lovely Hotel San Anselmo, and never have a problem with luggage. Considering how often this does happen perhaps it’s more realistic to write that in?  I’ll have to take that into consideration. Mme Ouaffa at the Manoir de la Malartrie was so kind and helpful and as it happens all worked out well.

La Roq Gageac nestles alongside the Dordogne River and has for centuries. Facing South, earliest man found the rock maintained the sun’s heat and provided warmth. They dug into the rock, forming cave like living areas and eventually built stone  homes that backed into the rock. You can see the row of rock houses set inside the cliff below.

Perhaps the most beautiful rock gardens were those Mme Ouaffa tended at the manoir.  There was a wonderful calmness walking the garden  where  the playful sound of the water fountain added to the garden’s tranquility.

Of course, I find gardens remarkable places of sanctuary and respite.  A Path through the Garden releases July 3 … the awaited sequel to award-winning Nardi Point. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to share the continuation of Nardi Point!

Our next stop is east of the Dordogne … all the way to Entraygues-sur-Truyere to the Sweet French Cottages. Entraygues means “between the waters” and sits at the confluence of the Lot and Truyere rivers.

Without any more worries about luggage, we’re making good time and enjoying our path!

So, a pretty standard writing convention is … if you describe a rifle hanging above a fireplace or displayed in a room, that rifle had better be important to the plot. Here’s what I found about that … don’t characters get lost on their journeys? But unless the getting lost leads to a plot element, we never do hear about it.  Not that my characters are anywhere near Toulouse, France of course!

Here’s what happened to us! After flying into Brussels, a bag handler strike kept our checked bags from going on to Toulouse. We never check our bags, but thought this time, why not? Ahhh yes, why not. We landed in Toulouse, picked up the rental car, sans baggage and drove into Toulouse.  Toulouse is an ancient city with narrow streets, road constrution, and a plethora of one-way streets. We knew we were way wrong when we ended up in a cemetery on the other side of town. Fortunately, our basic French helped make us two new French friends who nicely led us to our Cote Carmes. And were we ever happy to turn in that evening!

We learned some 20,000 pieces of luggage were stockpiled from Sunday evening. Our chances of being reunited with our bags were slim. That meant … SHOPPING at Galeries Lafayette for basic clothing items. And then on to La Roque Gageac.  If only I could write my own story!

I met with a reader of Nardi Point over a coffee recently. She’d finished the story and enjoyed it even though when she first began she had mixed feelings. “What do I have in common with a gal who drives a Porsche sports car and wears designer clothing?” she’d asked.

But then as she read deeper, she bonded with Leyla Jo and the story became a richer and more satisfying read. This wonderful reader took notes and wanted to explore the characters and gain insight into their motivations. This level of interest is what makes writers’ hearts soar!

And here’s where our meeting gave me chills. This dear reader had selected two quotes that especially rang true to her. These were the same words that as I’d written them, I respected their meaning fully. I guess you’d say I was inspired to write them. And to receive affirmation that these words had been received was amazing. I thank and honor this dear reader with a very happy heart.

I’d love to share any feedback readers would like to share about Nardi Point! I welcome your comments! Feedback helps shape and mold current stories and the issues the stories explore.

And, A Path through the Garden, the sequel to Nardi Point, releases July 3, 2013! I’ve heard from others that they are waiting anxiously to follow Leyla Jo’s story and what comes next. You won’t have long to wait!

Starting today and through May 15, Nardi Point is participating in the Night Owl’s Review Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt!

The Scavenger Hunt is just that, you visit author blogs and seek answers  to twelve questions about titles prepared by Night Owl’s Review team. It’s fun and there are many awesome author gift baskets of books and prizes. I’m offering a $25 Amazon gift card!

Check it out! You may find new titles or authors along the way!

Writers are lucky in so many ways … the joy of creating a story, inventing wonderful characters who live with you forever,and receiving lovely invitations from book clubs to talk about our most precious stories.

Today I experienced all these joys when the Book Club Studioso invited me to luncheon and book discussion for Nardi Point. The meeting hostess, Bethany Kelly, presented a delicious three-course luncheon for sixteen members in her delightful and beautiful home in Wakefield. Wine, Mattie Reddick’s famous vegetable soup, savory sandwiches, sweet tea, chocolate bark brittle, and banana pudding … yum!

There were touches of spring whimsically presented in every nook and crannie throughout Bethany’s home. The table-settings included Bunnies, birds, egg-filled trees and I enjoyed the warm hospitality extended to every invitee. Program chairman Matt Reddick delivered a beautiful introduction, thank you Matt, and we were off to the land of Nardi Point … exploring its local setting only miles from where we all sat together.

Synchronicity again was in evidence. At the end of the discussion, Bethany presented me with the most exquisite moss-wrapped pot of spring pansies set in amongst small green ground-cover plants! Yes, my next story, Pansies in a Blue Cobalt Jar, uses the pansy as a metaphor … and here it was being kindly presented to me! Amazing!

Thanks to everyone this afternoon, your questions, your interest, your kindness in sharing Nardi Point! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Ahhhh, the writing life!

I’m so excited to accept Mattie Reddick’s kind invitation to share Nardi Point with the ladies of the Raleigh Book Club Tuesday, March 12th! The club meets in Wake Forest. I love to hear what readers think and what resonates with them for my story that received the 2012 Chanticleer Books & Review Blue Ribbon Published Novel Award.

For those of you with a novel in your hearts, I can recommend the Write Now! Triangle Area Freelancers 2013 Writers’ Conference Saturday, April 20. A very special keynote address will be delivered by award-winning journalist, Zachary Petit, the senior managing editor of the prestigious Writer’s Digest. Would love to see you all there!