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/
------------------------------------------------------------
Take out a white piece of paper and place it... Read More
Why should you consider creating a memoir of your personal... Read More
It is certainly true that we don't get a second... Read More
Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the... Read More
I recently set up a website to promote a new... Read More
The journey to having my first novel for children published... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
If you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want... Read More
What a wonderful resource the Internet is!Students find information to... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
How many of you take the time to really write... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
All your publishing options are as follows:--Conventional publishing--Vanity or subsidy... Read More
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
~~~Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned,... Read More
Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to... Read More
Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or... Read More
Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
Creating written documents reveals so much about you and your... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More
Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails... Read More
Great writing transports one vicariously to realms that the reader... Read More
You know, I really hate it when someone catches me... Read More
Compiling a list of the history's ten best writers is... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
Writing |