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/
------------------------------------------------------------
1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More
Clustering, also called Mind Mapping, is a great way to... Read More
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More
I owe the completion and success of my book to... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact,... Read More
1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you... Read More
Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Without denigrating the work and contribution of Syd Field to... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More
A few magazines refer to their written idea sources in... Read More
The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More
Most of us hate housework.Nevertheless, even the most hopeless slobs... Read More
One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails... Read More
Tips for your writing journeySo, you'd like to be a... Read More
Kallu was a tenant of Santosh Kumar Nayak. Santosh Kumar... Read More
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More
~~~Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned,... Read More
West Dundee Lincoln Stretch limo rentals ..Writing for the web is very different from writing for... Read More
Just about everyone is familiar with this beginning: "In the... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More
I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms... Read More
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
Communication is effective when we follow certain rules. These rules... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been... Read More
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More
So, the decision is final. I am a writer.Actually, I... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
If you have been online for any length of time... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play... Read More
SALE, SAIL Sale is either offering something for purchase... Read More
It's the funniest thing. When someone asks me what I... Read More
Writing |