Ella Carey: On a True Mystery Inspiring Historical Fiction
Bestselling author Ella Carey discusses how a true story her mother recounted inspired her new historical fiction novel, From a Paris Balcony.
Ella Carey is the USA Today and Amazon charts bestselling author of 10 books: Paris Time Capsule, The House by the Lake, From a Paris Balcony, Secret Shores, The Things We Don't Say, Beyond the Horizon, A New York Secret, The Lost Girl of Berlin, The Girl from Paris, and The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue. The novels have been translated into many languages and are published around the world.
Ella has degrees in classical piano and arts, majoring in English literature and history. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and two Italian Greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.
Ella loves to chat with her readers and would be delighted for you to join her lovely group of long-time readers on Facebook and on her website at ellacarey.com, where you can find more information about the background behind her books, and join her mailing list for updates about her books. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.
In this post, Ella discusses how a true story her mother recounted inspired her new historical fiction novel, From a Paris Balcony, her hope for readers, and more!
Name: Ella Carey
Literary agent: Hannah Todd, The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency
Book title: From a Paris Balcony
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release date: December 13, 2022
Genre/category: Historical fiction
Previous titles: Paris Time Capsule, The House by the Lake, Secret Shores, The Things We Don’t Say, Beyond The Horizon, A New York Secret, The Lost Girl of Berlin, The Girl from Paris, The Lost Sister Of Fifth Avenue.
Elevator pitch for the book: Sarah, a curator from Boston, goes to Paris to uncover the truth behind her ancestor, Louisa’s mysterious death at a glamorous party during the Belle Epoque.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I was inspired to write this book by a true story that my mother told me about a girl who fell to her death from a balcony at a glamorous party in the 1930s. My mother showed me the balcony of this big, beautiful old mansion, and it always haunted me, every time I walked past.
It was such a tragic story that seemed imbued with mystery to me, as my mother did not know what really happened on that fateful night. I wove the mystery into the story of Marthe de Florian, a famous Belle Epoque courtesan whose abandoned apartment in Paris was discovered in 2010.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took about two years to go from original idea to publication. The idea remained quite consistent throughout the process, which, I have to admit, is unusual for me! I had a clear picture of Sarah, and I knew that I wanted to portray Marthe de Florian as a character in the book, while looking at her life as a courtesan, and as a member of the demimonde, and while weaving her beautiful apartment into the book in its heyday—Paris’ Belle Epoque.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I loved working with my editor on this novel, as she really helped me to find connections between the two storylines and to intertwine these connections in both stories so that they became one strong narrative.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I loved trawling through the streets of old Paris looking for the locations in the book. I was completely enchanted when I found a plaque on a building telling me this was once the famous Belle Epoque nightclub, Le Chat Noir, which was exactly what I wanted to put in the book. It was so atmospheric to see that beautiful old building which held so much history during such a tumultuous time.
I also learned so much about the turn of the old century, and the forces that were changing as the modern world came into fruition. In Paris, everyone was about living their lives to the full—it was all very theatrical. However, there were also strong intellectual forces at play, and both came to shape the early decades of the 20th century, which changed the world we live in forever.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope that readers will get a wonderful journey to both modern day and Belle Epoque Paris, and that they will love Sarah and Louisa in both those times and experience their lives in this beautiful city over 100 years apart.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
To write from the heart.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
