This week, I’m happy to bring you to France! Julia McDermott has set her book, Make That Deux
Why is the setting important to your story?
Jenny Miles is the main character in my novel Make That Deux, set in Montpellier, France, in the south. She spends her junior year of college abroad there, and travels all around Western and Southern Europe during her school year. The year is 1979-1980. The setting is very important because she must acclimate to the French culture as she learns to speak French fluently and takes all her college courses there in French. She lives in an apartment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and drives her used moped into school every day. She spends a lot of time at the beach!
Which location did you enjoy writing the most in your story?
The location I enjoyed writing about the most was Mykonos, Greece, where Jenny travels for her spring break. She meets a very handsome Israeli soldier there and almost forgets about her boyfriend back ho
When you visited France, which location did you prefer?
I have visited Paris, Lyon, Nice, Provence, Avignon, Nimes, Montpellier, and lots of small villages and towns in the south of France and in the southeast. I prefer Nice and the Cote d’Azur because it is beautiful and full of history, art and Italian influences.
Which part of the French archetype did you discover to be wrong?
The French archetype I found to be wrong: I found the French very friendly, polite and welcoming, and not at all rude. French people were patient with my ability to speak French and were very nice!
