‘Paris Ever After’ By K.S.R. Burns Guest Post “Hi, My Name Is Karen Burns..”

You may remember that a few weeks ago, I featured author K.S.R. (Karen) Burns during the pre-release stage of her latest novel Paris Ever After.

I shared the ‘opening lines’ of the book here

Further ‘teaser lines’ were added here

My final review of the book will be available soon.

As of May 1st 2018, the book is officially ‘out there’ and now that she has time to breathe again, Karen has agreed to stop by and share her ‘Parisian’ journey…

Over to you Karen 🙂

…

Hi! MY NAME IS KAREN BURNS …

“… but my pen name for fiction is K. S. R. Burns. This came about because there’s another novelist called “Karen Burns” and I wanted to avoid confusion. However, I do use “Karen Burns” for my non-fiction works.

Which is probably a lot more than you wanted to know about my name!

When it comes to novels, I’ve written two so far: The Paris Effect and its “standalone” follow-up, Paris Ever After. They are both set, obviously, in Paris. I was lucky enough to live in France for three or so years, which made it seem natural to send my character, Amy, there. Fortunately, my Paris experiences were not nearly as exciting (or stressful) as Amy’s, although like her I did once manage to get my handbag stolen—rookie mistake—and I have been ‘stalked.'”

Amy and Kat had planned a secret trip to Paris. Even Amy’s husband wouldn’t know about it. But when Amy loses Kat to cancer, she knows the plan is gone forever. Or is it?

Guided by memories of her friend and dissatisfaction with her own calorie-counting life in Phoenix, Amy sneaks off to Paris while her husband is away on a business trip.

Once there, she’s robbed, stalked, arrested and almost kidnapped. Worse, she finds that all her problems have come right along with her.

Through her adventures, laced with luscious descriptions of food and Paris, Amy learns that often in life, love and friendship, nothing is exactly as it seems.

Grab a croissant and settle in for a decidedly non-touristy trip to the City of Light.

“But, thank goodness, I never was tempted to explore the forbidden regions of the Paris catacombs (as Amy does in The Paris Effect), and I’ve never been faced with such a dramatic and sudden life-altering dilemma (as in Paris Ever After). While I’ve met many lovely people in France, I’ve never encountered anyone quite as wonderful and loony as Margaret. And certainly I’ve never “run away from home” the way Amy did, though I can assure you there have been a few times when I’ve been tempted. . .”

Can Amy’s rocky start in Paris turn into a happy ever after?

Amy didn’t realize how stale her life was until she jetted off to Paris without telling a soul—not even her husband—and had the adventure of a lifetime. Now as she tries to establish herself in the City of Light, she finds that despite a fun (and quirky) group of friends and the ability to indulge in French pastries whenever she wants, reinventing her life is much harder than she imagined.

Then on Amy’s thirtieth birthday, two unexpected visitors leave her wondering if she will soon be saying au revoir to Paris and the new life she’s struggled to build. Her estranged husband, Will, shows up—but is he interested in reconciliation or separation? And a young woman who arrives on Amy’s doorstep unleashes chaos that could push Amy out into the street.

As Amy’s Parisian dream starts to fall apart, she must decide: return to the stability of Will and Phoenix (if that’s even still an option) or forge her way forward in Paris? Amid secrets and surprises, set in enchanting gardens, cozy cafés, and glittering Parisian streets, Amy must choose between two very different worlds. And each has a claim on her heart.

“In addition to writing novels set in Paris, I’m the author of a non-fiction book, The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, and I write a weekly career advice column for The Seattle Times.”

A useful and fun book for any woman who has ever wanted, needed, lost, quit, hated, or loved a job. “Working Girl” (a.k.a. Karen Burns) has held a total of 59 jobs (so far), including housekeeper, cigarette girl, paper “boy”, model, ditch-digger, bank teller, editor, brochure writer, artist, and corporate drone. She made mistakes along the way, but extracted one important lesson from each job she has held. Working Girl now shares her hard-earned wisdom for the modern working woman with this series of 59 humorous yet practical vignettes, including guidance on:• Risk-taking and why it’s good
• How to build self-confidence
• Tips for managing your boss
• When you’re not appreciated
• Causes and cures for burnout
• Balancing baby and boss
• When it’s time to say adieu
and 52 more!

Whimsically illustrated with Working Girl cartoons, this is a fun, accessible advice book that deals with the real issues that are on the minds of working women (and not just those who are striving for the corner office!). No matter where a girl finds herself on the job ladder (from the bottom to the top), she’ll find that The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl will give her both perspective and a plan for success.

“Seattle is where I’m living these days, with my wonderful husband and rather naughty cat. My husband helps a tremendous amount with the novel writing. I had no idea when I married him that he would be such a great sounding board for plots, and have such an eagle eye for story inconsistencies and factual errors. But he’s amazing. It’s why all of my books are dedicated to him.

The cat, on the other hand, contributes not at all. She’s cute though, and knows it. Here she is. Her name is Tache, which means “spot” in French—see the little spot on her nose?