Today, I’m excited to interview author Michèle Phoenix who has twice been a Christy award finalist! I loved her novel, The Space Between Words, which placed in the awards last year. My local book club enjoyed it too! Michèle was kind enough to help me with research about overseas mission for the novel I’m currently writing (Star Rising), as well. So, I thought I’d share her with our Inspy readers!
I loved the setting of The Space Between Words. Tell us about researching in France and England for this novel. I think I read you and a friend traveled around as your deadline approached?
Writing The Space Between Words, my second novel with Thomas Nelson, was a combination of determination, inspiration, desperation and happenstance. I’d holed up for a couple of weeks in the small town where I grew up, on the outskirts of Paris, hoping the proximity to my French roots would inspire me enough to meet my publisher’s deadline. On my first attempt, I feverishly wrote 136 pages, then came to the conclusion that the fraught, unoriginal story was not worth publishing. So I clicked delete and steeped in disappointment for a few days. (Granted, disappointment goes down easier with a steady diet of French pastries!)
A week later, after hearing a comedian say, “History is psychotherapy for the entire human race,” I found a new direction for my endeavor and set to work trying to find connective tissue between periods of France’s past and the terrorist attack on the Bataclan from which Paris was still reeling at the time. The plight of Huguenot Protestants, centuries ago, emerged from that research, offering a historical backbone to the contemporary story.
A few days later, my mom joined me in London for a previously planned vacation together and wasn’t in the least perturbed to learn that our itinerary was about to be sabotaged by a hunt for Huguenot relics.
We were as clueless as my characters Jess and Grant as we set off on our adventure—following Google-search results across southern England—and just as surprised by the serendipities that led us from discovery to discovery. In the small town of Sandhurst, Kent, on the wall of a tiny Baptist church, we found a page torn from a centuries-old French Bible that had been handed over under perplexing circumstances. It would become the driving force behind the narrative of The Space Between Words.
Perhaps my favorite part of our literary treasure hunt was our last stop—an abandoned Huguenot silk mill in the remote, thatch-roofed village of Holford, Somerset. When we finally located it, we found our efforts thwarted by the “No Trespassing” signs placarding a gate beyond which the ruins lay out of sight. My seventy-seven-year-old mother didn’t hesitate for a moment. I watched a bit nervously as she climbed over the rain-slicked fence with surprising agility and disappeared down an overgrown path. We spent a long time in the peaceful glen that afternoon, exploring the remnants of the old silk mill believed to have belonged to Huguenot refugees.
These startling and galvanizing magical moments, along with several others, coalesced into The Space Between Words, the tale of one woman’s healing from the horrors of terrorism.
So amazing how it all came together! What’s the take away spiritual message from The Space Between Words?
Though this world can be a daunting and dangerous place, God isn’t content to sit back and watch violence and human perversion win. He is constantly at work layering Good over evil, covering darkness with Light—telling humanity in his roaring-calm voice that no matter the nature of our destructive endeavors, he will not, in the end, let the nefarious overcome the righteous. He is near, engaged and full of compassion.
You let me pick your brain for my novel in the works because of your ministry. Tell us a little about what you do there.
I’m fortunate enough to have a full-time ministry focused on Missionaries’ Kids (MKs). My goal is to use my platform to enlighten the broader Christian world about the needs, strengths and struggles of this often-overlooked people group in order for missions to do better, parents to know better and MKs to live better. The work takes many forms: speaking, training, writing, consulting, creating new resources, teaching at Reentry Seminars and interacting daily with missionaries and their families. As an MK myself, I absolutely love the ministry to which God has called me!
What’s in the works for you next?
I have a third book coming out with Thomas Nelson in 2020. It’s all pretty secretive at present, but I cannot wait to start promoting it! I’ll just mention for now that it has a strong WWII component and a contemporary mystery/adventure element. The love story between the two protagonists is unlike anything I’ve written before. I hope my readers will find it as fascinating as I did.
Oh I can’t wait!! How can readers keep up with you?
Connect with me on my website: www.michelephoenix.com
Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle is an international writer and speaker. She left teaching after twenty years at an American high school in Germany to become an advocate for Third Culture Kids. In this capacity, she travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to this unique people group. Michèle is a three-time cancer survivor who understands the gift in every breath and milestone. She is inspired by good conversation, investigative travel and paths to healing.
When Jessica regains consciousness in a French hospital on the day after the Paris attacks, all she can think of is fleeing the site of the horror she survived. But Patrick, the steadfast friend who hasn’t left her side, urges her to reconsider her decision. Worn down by his loving insistence, she agrees to follow through with the trip they’d planned before the tragedy.
During a stop at a country flea market, Jessica finds a faded document concealed in an antique. As new friends help her to translate the archaic French, they uncover the story of Adeline Baillard, a young woman who lived centuries before—her faith condemned, her life endangered, her community decimated by the Huguenot persecution.
Determined to learn the Baillard family’s fate, Jessica retraces their flight from France to England, spurred on by a need she doesn’t understand.
Could this stranger who lived three hundred years before hold the key to Jessica’s healing?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Mj0zFN
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2MifgJ9
Christian Book: http://bit.ly/2MigaFx
Inspy Readers, Michèle has kindly offered a giveaway of one paperback copy of The Space Between Words to someone who comments by September 2, 2019 (void where prohibited)!!
If you were flying to France tomorrow, what is the first thing/place you’d want to see?
Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian so she could be around them all day. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after. Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space. Connect with her at http://www.janetfergusonauthor.com/
Great interview! I would love to see the Eiffel Tower.
It’s cool to see in person!
It’s worth the trip–especially after the twinkling lights go on at night.
Hi Janet, and Michele. I enjoy your stories and this one was no exception. I teach French Revolutionary history to my senior students, so would love to visit France one day and visit sites around Paris, as well as country areas that I have read about. I would also go hiking in the French Alps:)
Blessings:)
Oh sounds wonderful! I hope you get to!
France’s history is so rich with drama and overcoming, courage and corruption. Thanks for teaching it so those narratives aren’t lost.
The tourist in me will see the Eiffel Tower, of course. The magnificent churches and the vineyards would be high up there as well.
I’d love to see that too!
Those vineyards in the fall are stunning.
Love the interview, Janet, and this book sounds wonderful! I love to armchair travel! If I had a chance to go to France I would have to say the first thing I would want to see is the Eiffel Tower… typical tourist😁
That’s fine to be a tourist!
After you see the Eiffel Tower, make sure you wander into a “Paul” bakery and order a chocolate croissant. :-)
Michele’s book sounds so interesting! High on my list for visiting France Is a vineyard in the Southern Rhone region that my brother spent time at a few years ago. The photos were breathtaking!
That sounds amazing!
The Rhone is a gorgeous area of France, an not as tourist-saturated as others. I hope you get to go there!
Hi Janet and Michele! As a German, Janet your blog interview made me research and think about my 2002 Germany trip when I spent one day in Strasbourg, France the official seat of the European parliament. This beautiful Alsace region played an important role in the Protestant Reformation. While today it is part of France, during the Middle Ages it was German. I would love to spend more time exploring the history of the Alsace region, especially the beautiful Gothic Cathedral Our of Lady with its gorgeous Rose stained glass window. Also want to visit Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s home, Germany’s most famous author. I would take a canal and river cruise. I enjoyed the street mime artists and the open air markets. A perfect blend of French and German culture. Best wishes.
That would be fascinating!! Take me!
I was actually born in Strasbourg! A truly beautiful city, especially during the Christmas season, when its “Weinachts Macht” sets up right out side the cathedral. So magical…
Once I landed in Paris, I’d be headed to the Louvre. I’ve always wanted to see the Mona Lisa!
So great to have you with us, Michele!
It’s amazing! I love art!
You’ll want to plan days at the Louvre, not hours! I’d love to know how you feel about the Mona Lisa once you’ve seen her. Reviews tend to be mixed–some disappointed and some awed.
This book sounds so familiar that I thought I had read it. But I checked my spreadsheet where I track my books and it looks like I haven’t. I guess I only intended to. I don’t even own it. Anyway, I enjoyed the interview, especially the visit to Holford. I probably would have been too timid to cross the No Trespassing signs so I would have missed the adventure.
I’m so impressed by your spreadsheet! Do you use Goodreads?
Yes, I do use GoodReads and love it. I use it to track books I’ve read. I started my spreadsheet long before I knew about it. My spreadsheet has all the books I own and whether they’re ebooks, hardback or paperback. It also has the genre and my ratings. Since I don’t trust an online site to always be there, the info that is on GoodReads is also in my spreadsheet. I only put my rating there not the full review.
BTW, I loved The Art of Rivers. It got one one of my 5 star ratings that I save for the very best!
Oh neat! I used to be a librarian, so it makes sense to me! Thank you so much for reading The Art of Rivers! I’m thrilled that you liked the story! God by praised!
Honestly, I wouldn’t have climbed over that fence if my intrepid mom hadn’t led the way. :-) So worth it once we found the ruins of the old Huguenot structures! There’s a picture of the silk mill (as well as a video trailer for the book in which it appears) here: https://michelephoenix.com/2017/09/the-space-between-words-its-launch-day/
I went to Paris a long time ago. If I went today I would want to visit my cousin who lives there and I would also like to visit southern France and see some of the smaller towns, countryside and vineyards.
Sounds perfect!
I got to briefly visit southern France to get the details of the Huguenot past right. It’s such a beautiful place, and its people are generally quite different from the Parisian people.
Great interview! And reminder that I had sampled this book in the past and forgotten to buy it! I remedied that 😉
Oh great! It’s so good!
I got to briefly visit southern France to get the details of the Huguenot past right. It’s such a beautiful place, and its people are generally quite different from the Parisian people.
Wow, the book sounds good! I have to admit, Paris is not on the list of places I’d like to go. I don’t know why, really, just doesn’t strike my fancy. I’d like to go to Scotland and Ireland, though.
I’m dying to go to Scotland! We went to Ireland last year and really enjoyed it! I’m saving up for the next trip! (Or I’m supposed to be saving…)
If ever you get to France and don’t want to spend time on Paris, Normandy (site of my upcoming novel) is stunningly beautiful, feels “lost in time” and steeps in WWII history. It many be my favorite part of the country, particularly around June 6th (D-Day).
The book sounds so intriguing! I would like to tour Paris, Louvre, Notre Dame , the countryside. I believe we have Huguenots in our background. So interesting!
I found out that we have them in our genealogy too!
The Huguenots have such a rich history! How wonderful that you have them in your genealogy.
Great Interview I would Love to see The Eiffel Tower!
Thanks! It is cool!
See it in the evening for “best results”! :-) And if you’re taking the metro to Paris (on this fictitious trip we’re all hoping for), get off at the Trocadero stop, not the one closest to the site. It’s a bit farther from the tower, but the view down the hill, across the fountains… It can’t be beat.
Hi, Janet and Michele!
Great interview! I’ve heard tons of fabulous things about this book, but I don’t think I’d ever read the description before, now that I have I’m off to add it to my wish list as it sounds like a story that I’d really enjoy!
If memory serves correctly I believe one of the things France is known for is their lavender fields, that’s definitely what I’d most want to see first! 😊
Oh that would smell so amazing!
Ah…those lavender fields. I have sachets of the aromatic flower in all my drawers, a French tradition I’ve never abandoned. Sure hope you get to see those fields someday.
I always like reading about how books came to be and the research behind them! I got to go to Paris when I was 12 (my dad went on a business trip and took me and my mom along), so I got to see a lot of the fun tourist sites. Today I’d enjoy seeing Notre Dame Cathedral again after the fire.
Me, too! I hope they can restore it.
Wasn’t that fire devastating? I watched from my home in the Chicago area, brokenhearted, as it burned. Even in its current state, though, it’s still elegant and breathtaking.
I would totally go see Vimy Ridge. Everything I hear about it is very powerful!
Interesting! I need to look that up!
I wish more people knew about the history of Vimy Ridge! Maybe you should write a novel about it…? :-)
That’s a very interesting question…since I’ve been to Paris three times…I’d pick another place, like Nice or Burgundy!
Sounds good! You’ve been a lot!
Yes! The small “perched villages” inland from Nice look untouched by time and are well worth the effort of getting to them. Many of them are artist communities.
Well, then it’s definitely my next destination point <3
This book sounds amazing!! I can’t wait to read it!! I hope to visit historical sites around France when I get the chance….churches, the Eiffel Tower, and see the countryside.
I love to visit churches!
I hope you get to do all of that, Laura! I’ve grown to love France–its history, countryside and people–even more since I moved back to the States from Europe.
Sounds wonderful…already on my wish list. I’ll visit Paris vicariously through book books as I’m a homebody.
Traveling through books is fun!
There are wonderful movies that can give you a taste of Paris too. Not the big, flashy ones–those lesser-known tales that take their time unfolding and meander like the Seine river.
Having once visited a bakery together in Germany, Michele knows I love to eat. The first thing I’d like to see on my next visit to France would be a steaming French casserole with a crisp cheesy top…or a croissant fresh from baking…or a cup of hot chocolate made with actual chocolate bars…or….
Yes! Or a crêpe with flambéed bananas and Nutella! :-)
I’m drooling now!
Hi Janet,
Thanks for introducing me to a new author! I’m excited to read this book. I love how it all came about, and I love the subject. It’s very close to my heart because my descendants were part of the French Huguenots.
If I could go to France I think I’d just want to wander around the villages and see the countryside. I’m not one to need the touristy sites.
I also loved hearing about Michele’s work with MK’s. I worked as a short-term missionary for a year in Japan, and my sister actually is a missionary in Austria teaching MK’s in a Christian International School. She’s done that in several countries and she’s near retirement.
I think that ministry is so needed. I know they are blessed by Michele!
I’d love to tour those villages with you!
This story sounds promising. Thanks for sharing.
I’d love to visit France someday but as a researcher of human behavior, I’m actually more inclined to sit down in a cafe and mostly observe the people going around. I always thought french were fascinating.
People watching is fun! Authors do a good bit of that, LOL!
I would want to see the Louvre first. I love art museums.
Me, too!