Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.
His fascination with France began at the age ofseventeen when, as the 'lowliest trainee' in Shell, hewas instructed to accompany his boss - a Mr. Jenkins -on a trip to Paris, and discovered that there was moreto life than fish-and-chips. Jenkins, needless to say,was a caricature of the Englishman abroad("personally, I never eat anything I can'tpronounce").
In his twenties he went to New York and becameadvertising copywriter for David Ogilvy. He laterreturned to England to a comfortable life inadvertising, with a salary higher than the PrimeMinister's.
At age 35, after 'one committee meeting too many', heleft his career as an advertising executive and movedwith his wife and children to Devon in the south ofEngland to write children's books.
In 1974 one of his books - 'Where Did I Come From' -became a best-seller, but because of an unfavorabledeal with the publisher, the book didn't make himwealthy.
In his late 40's Peter Mayle moved with his third wifeto Provence in the south of France, where theyrenovated an old farmhouse.
Their experiences became the subject for 'A Year inProvence' which was an instant success and spent threeyears on the New York Times best-seller list. It wastranslated into twenty languages and turned into a BBCseries.
'A Year in Provence' was followed by 'ToujoursProvence' and 'Encore Provence'.
But his new-found fame came at a cost. Hordes oftourists and reporters descended on Provence lookingfor the writer and his house.
Not realizing the book would become a best-seller,Peter Mayle had given an accurate description of thelocation of his house in the opening pages of 'A YearIn Provence'.
Plagued with unwanted visitors, and suddenly unpopularwith the locals, Peter Mayle fled with his wife to Long Island.
Four years later, when the hue and cry had died down,he returned to France and bought a large house nearAvignon.
Peter Mayle's success with the Provence books spawneda new genre in travel writing - books by Englishmenwho leave the cold wet island, set up house insunnier climes and then write about the curious habitsof the locals. There's even a phrase for it: "Doing aPeter Mayle".
You can get your copy of 'A Year in Provence' at:
http://www.ezine-writer.com/mayle.html
------------------------------------------------
------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More
In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
It's 6:00 p.m. You're dead tired, but instead of an... Read More
I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25... Read More
Often, time is an enemy of writers. Sales seem slow... Read More
Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project,... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
Without denigrating the work and contribution of Syd Field to... Read More
When one population in one century survived five wars, two... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More
No matter what you are writing, the first priority is... Read More
I asked several writers how long it took them to... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..So you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
Here's everything I know about improving your writing, publishing it... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?The writer, who doesn't have the time... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More
IntroductionSometimes it may be beyond a companies or individuals budget... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
It is satisfying to be a part of such a... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
We've all heard a politician on their soapbox, pushing for... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear... Read More
Concision. (Sounds like I made up another word.) It's the... Read More
Using a ghostwriter to craft your free reprint articles and... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter... Read More
To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
What possibly could I have to write about? I never... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
Writing |