Blog Archives
Racial Freedom
Heat of Paris follows a 26-year-old white man and a 24-year-old Negro woman who cross paths, pulling them into a world of art, politics, race, class, love, and self-reinvention. What first drew you to 1951 Paris as the setting for this story?
My parents were refugees from WW2. My father was in a leftist anti-Hitler group in Germany before the war and was wanted by the Gestapo. He fled Germany for Belgium in 1936 and met my Jewish mother. When war broke out, he was imprisoned by the Belgian/French as an enemy alien and sent to an internment camp in Southern France. He eventually escaped from the camp and rendezvoused with my mother. On the run and evading capture (my father to a forced labor camp and my mother to Anschutz extermination camp), they fled to neutral Spain and with the help of Jewish organizations embarked on one of the last ships leaving Europe in 1942. Hearing the stories of their life and escape from Europe defined the view of my parents as a child. When I was sixty years old, I found out that my father, deceased at that time, had left a daughter in Germany. I tracked her down and wrote a book – My Sister: A Journey to Myself.
Helping my parents send food parcels to her and her family in communist East Berlin to help them survive near starvation defined my childhood. I knew I had to write about that period. And Paris, the city my wife and I loved and visited repeatedly after the war, became the setting for the novel I wanted to write. Paris had not yet experienced the post war prosperity and was a melting pot of ideas about the post-WW2 world and how it would be organized. Self-determination, sexual freedom, and identity were the themes I wanted to explore.
How does being out of America reshape Christie’s and Franz’s understanding of themselves?
Christie was an intelligent, ambitious Black woman seeking to escape the confines of her family and community. For her masters thesis, she chose a summer in Paris to research the French writer George Sand as her entry into the larger white world. Freed from the restrictions of her Harlem community, she was able to initiate new relationships previously considered unimaginable.
Franz was not a newcomer to Paris and France. For him, as a former soldier, it represented the reliving of his wartime trauma and loss of his best friend. But the moment he saw Christie disembark from the ship, his world changed. If he had seen her in New York, it would have been the mere adoration of a beautiful Black woman. But the racial freedom of Paris allowed this adoration to express itself into a meaningful relationship.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in the book?
Race, Culture, and Identity. From my own experience of being married to a Black woman for 58 years, I reached into my own feelings to uncover how I was able to transcend the racial boundaries during the period when I met my wife. For Christie, who lived a generation before mine, it was an enormous jump into the unknown. She never thought of herself as a romantic, but more realistically as an ambitious Black woman striving to be somebody. In Paris, the first time, she experienced the power of love, and she had to process this power against the rules of her upbringing in a segregated society. She loved her family, church, community, friends, and life in Harlem. That life was incompatible with her love for Franz.
Franz’s view on race was different. Living as a white man, yet cognizant of his Negro ancestry, he was seeking absolution for the lie he was living. Yet, he could not confess his Negritude to Christie, wanting her instead to love him as the white man he perceived himself to be. He knew his marriage to Christie would ostracize him from his community and force him to live in a Black neighborhood. He wanted Christie to make the same sacrifice and not fall back on the fact that he looked white but was really black. In those days, one drop of black blood defined your blackness.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
Heat of Paris is the first book in a trilogy. The saga of Christie and Franz continues in Ring of Deception to be published in several months and finally in Sugar Hill to be published early next year. Their saga brings Franz back to Paris, then colonial Algeria and the Mohican reservation in Wisconsin, and Christie to her childhood in segregated Mississippi. Through it all, they are separated, yet together, and must each undergo an unveiling of who they are and then a rebirth to allow their love to flourish.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Heat of Paris
Heat of Paris is a historical fiction novel that follows two Americans in 1951 France: Franz Stromeyer, a young journalist and WWII veteran searching for purpose, and Christie Mathews, a Harlem graduate student determined to carve out her own future. Their separate journeys through postwar Paris and the French countryside eventually cross, pulling them into a world of art, politics, race, class, love, and self-reinvention. The book moves between their perspectives, letting you feel the tension in their inner lives as they navigate a new country that is both freeing and fraught.
As I read, I kept feeling like the book was pulling me in. The writing has a steady rhythm. Franz’s chapters have this restless, searching energy. He wants adventure, but he also wants to outrun the secrets he carries. Christie’s chapters feel more interior. You watch her peel away years of caution, step by step, as Paris challenges the rules she grew up with. I liked how the author let their insecurities sit in the open. Nothing is rushed. Even small scenes, like Christie’s first dinner in Paris or Franz sharing drinks with farmers in Normandy, feel textured and honest.
What I enjoyed most was the way the novel handles race and identity. The author doesn’t shy away from the sharp edges. Christie’s experience as a Black woman abroad is full of contrasts. She’s stared at, underestimated, sometimes romanticized, sometimes pushed aside, yet often unexpectedly welcomed. Franz is dealing with ghosts of his own, especially those tied to the war and his family. They’re both pretending in different ways. Watching them shed those pretenses, slowly and sometimes painfully, gave the book its emotional weight. And Paris itself feels like a character, sometimes warm, sometimes unforgiving, always alive.
Heat of Paris feels a bit like The Paris Wife in the way it blends personal longing with the pulse of a changing city, though its focus on race, identity, and cross-cultural tension gives it a sharper and more contemporary emotional edge.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I felt like I had lived alongside these two. The tone stays true all the way through: thoughtful, curious, and candid. Nothing too polished. Nothing too sentimental. Just two people trying to figure out who they are when the world finally gives them a chance to choose. I’d recommend Heat of Paris to readers who love character-driven historical fiction, especially stories set in mid-century Europe. If you enjoy novels that explore race, culture, love, and ambition without heavy jargon or overly neat conclusions, this one will speak to you. It’s a warm, grounded book that I heartily enjoyed.
Pages: 315 | ASIN : B0FRL2V2J6
Daughters of the King
Courting the Sun follows a sixteen-year-old village girl who is invited to attend the royal court of King Louis XIV and become the attendant of his mistress, empowering her into the inner circle of the court. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for Courting the Sun came from genealogy research I was doing into my own family ancestry and a group of young women referred to as Les Filles du Roi, or Daughters of the King. They were not true daughters, but were recruited by King Louis XIV to travel to New France (Canada) and marry his soldiers, fur traders, and farmers, and grow a colony for him. He promised to pay their passage, provide a dowry and a trousseau, and reward them financially for having babies. From 1663-1673, roughly 750 women took him up on his offer. I am descended from 23 of these women. I wondered what would cause a young woman to leave everyone and everything she knows and sail to a rough, unknown land. I let my imagination run wild, and thus Sylvienne was born, wholly fictional and very unlike the real Filles du Roi in terms of her personal journey.
Sylvienne is a young girl with big dreams who discovers the reality of those dreams is not what she envisioned. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
One of the themes of this story, I think, is to be careful what you wish for. That doesn’t mean a girl shouldn’t have dreams, but if those dreams are shallow, the outcome will likely be shallow or at the very least restrictive. Sylvienne is intelligent, curious about the world, and a bit of free-thinker and free-actor. When she gets to King Louis’ court, she learns that freedom is not a quality that is respected there and that if she is to be “free” to love whom she wishes, she will have to be subversive about it. She also learns to care about the people who care about her and to not take them for granted.
What intrigues you about the 17th century period enough to write such a captivating and emotionally resonating period piece?
I am always intrigued by and wondering about the lives of my grandmothers and many-times-great-grandmothers going back through the centuries. Once I started researching what life would have been like for Sylvienne, and thus my 7th and 8th great-grandmothers in the 17th century, I was amazed at everything I learned. It was the final century of the Renaissance period, and art, theatre, literature, and the emerging natural sciences and astronomy were at their peak, and France was at the center of it. And yet there was such a dichotomy in terms of what was believed medically, how crowded and filthy the cities of Europe were, how people were treated depending on their religious beliefs or disbeliefs, and the great divide (as always) between those of wealth & nobility vs those of the common or lower classes—though some members of the rising bourgeoisie in France were wealthier than some of the nobility and that created its own complexity.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am working on the sequel to Courting the Sun, tentatively titled A Tangled Dawn. It takes Sylvienne to New France (Canada) where she experiences a life entirely different from what she knew in France. She encounters those “horrendous” fur traders and “scary” indigenous people and engages in an entirely new learning curve in terms of self-survival and learning to live among and respect people who are different from herself. And of course, her love life is as complicated as ever. I am hopeful it will be released in 2025.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In Paris, Sylvienne is quickly swept up in the romance, opulence, and excitement of royal life. Assigned to serve King Louis’s favorite mistress, she is absorbed into the monarch’s most intimate circle. But the naïve country girl soon finds herself ill-prepared for the world of intrigue, illicit affairs, and power-mongering that takes place behind the shiny façade of Versailles.
This debut historical novel from Peggy Joque Williams captures the vibrancy and quandaries of 17th century life for a village girl seeking love and excitement during the dangerous reign of the Sun King.
Stranger On This Earth
The Dream Collector: Book II: Sabrine and Vincent Van Gogh follows the relationship of Sabrine and van Gogh, who grow increasingly self-destructive, leaving Julie and Freud to find out why. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The setup arose out of my passionate desire to understand why Vincent van Gogh, a genius of a painter, possessed his self-destructive impulses. I came to the conclusion that, in part, he perceived himself as a “stranger on this earth.” From childhood (in Biblical terms), a seed who fell by the wayside. Of course, for a more detailed (and explosive) explanation, one must read my novel. Sabrine, my fictional character, enabled me to mirror Vincent’s sense of abandonment and betrayal with her own backstory.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
Hmm… another hard question. I remember, at age 14, the awe I felt after finishing Dostoevsky’s ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. It revealed to me the affective power of literature.
Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
This book reaches a definitive and (I will boast) a happy ending. There is no next book, but my ultimate plan has been a film in which to draw out more aspects of the characters in The Dream Collector.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Sabrine, hospitalized for five years at the infamous Salpêtrière Asylum for Women, gains her release due to intervention of her sister Julie Forette and a young Sigmund Freud. The reunited sisters are introduced to the dazzling art milieu of 1886 Paris, and soon become close friends to the leading Impressionists. Sabrine attracts a cult following as a poetess, the enigmatic “Haiku Princess.” Seemingly cured by Freud of her Grand Hysteria, Sabrine soon enters into a tumultuous relationship with Vincent van Gogh.
Jule and Sigmund Freud, alarmed by the eerie parallels between the emotionally volatile couple and their self-destructive impulses, begin an urgent search to discover the root causes for Sabrine and Vincent’s growing psychoses. Julie, ‘The Dream Collector’ seeks their most unforgettable dream for Freud’s interpretation and revelations occur.
The Dream Collector is an exploration of the psychological consequences of betrayal, abandonment–and the redemptive power of art.
Courting the Sun
Peggy Joque Williams’ debut novel, Courting the Sun, is an exceptional work of fiction that captivates readers with its rich narrative and compelling characters. Drawing inspiration from French history, this novel weaves a tale of ambition, adventure, love, and intrigue, immersing readers in a world where tragedy, politics, and personal struggles are intricately entwined.
Set in the 1660s, the story begins in the serene countryside of Amiens before transitioning to the opulence of Paris and Versailles. Williams masterfully portrays the social life of 17th-century France, offering a vivid glimpse into the era’s vibrant and tumultuous society. The protagonist, Sylvienne, is a young village girl with a thirst for knowledge and dreams of a grander life. Her journey takes an unexpected turn when a secret about her heritage propels her into the lavish court of Louis XIV and the bustling streets of Paris.
Sylvienne’s initial enchantment with court life quickly dissipates as she confronts the harsh realities and complex politics of the nobility. Williams’ eloquent prose and immersive settings bring to life the salons, balls, and galas, capturing the ever-changing dynamics of court life where ambition and power play pivotal roles. Sylvienne’s narrative is a poignant exploration of love, yearning, and grief, as she finds herself betrothed to one man while her heart belongs to another.
The novel’s conclusion is both bittersweet and satisfying, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Sylvienne as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Williams has crafted a magical and enthralling tale that resonates with readers long after the final page. Courting the Sun is sure to entertain, intrigue, and mesmerize anyone who delves into its pages. Highly recommended for those seeking a richly detailed and emotionally engaging historical novel.
Pages: 391 | ASIN : B0CV32PXBK
The Dream Collector: Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh – Book Two
In The Dream Collector: Book II: Sabrine and Vincent Van Gogh, RW Meek presents the captivating continuation of Sabrine’s journey, set against the rich backdrop of 1880s Paris. Following a prolonged stay at the Salpetriere Asylum for Women, Sabrine, now freed through the efforts of a young Sigmund Freud and her devoted sister Julie, delves into the vibrant Parisian art scene. Here, she meets the enigmatic Vincent van Gogh, and together, they embark on a passionate, albeit tumultuous, affair fueled by their shared artistic fervor and personal demons.
This sequel explores new dimensions of Sabrine’s character as she transitions from her intricate interactions with Freud to the equally complex Van Gogh. While the series blends historical fiction with elements of magical realism, it also evokes the adventurous spirit of “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” through its integration of historical figures and fictional narratives. Fans of art history will find much to admire here, as Meek vividly reimagines the lives of cultural icons such as Van Gogh and Freud. The portrayal of these figures is meticulously crafted, bringing an immersive authenticity to the narrative. Despite the larger-than-life personas surrounding her, Sabrine holds her own as a compelling protagonist. Her multifaceted personality—humorous yet fragile, unpredictable yet endearing—ensures that she resonates deeply with readers, making her more than just a mere adjunct to the historical luminaries she encounters.
Meek’s novel, The Dream Collector: Book II: Sabrine and Vincent Van Gogh, celebrates the turmoil of the creative process and offers a poignant exploration of identity and belonging through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine. This series promises to be a rewarding journey for those intrigued by the intersections of history, art, and human emotion.
Pages: 654 | ISBN : 1962465357
The Secret Journey
The Secret Journey, co-authored by Brian Barnes and Judith Briles, delves into the tumultuous life of Lisa, the sole daughter of a port commander in Marseilles, France. This young adult historical fiction paints a vivid picture of Lisa’s complex familial dynamics, highlighting her estrangement from her mother and brother in contrast to the adoration of her father, Alexander. Alexander, recognizing Lisa’s acute understanding of human intentions, is a pillar of support in her life. However, the narrative takes a dark turn with his untimely death, attributed to poisoning by Lisa’s mother. In the wake of this tragedy, Lisa’s life undergoes a drastic transformation. She flees her opulent life, taking on the disguise of a teenage boy named Nichol, and sets out for Paris, pursued by unseen threats. This journey is a flight for survival and a quest for a greater purpose, shadowed by the need to address past injustices.
The narrative captivates from the start, with a rhythm that dynamically shifts to reflect the varying phases of Lisa’s journey. This variance in pacing adds a unique flavor to the story, especially in the rapid development of Lisa’s romance with Robert. This brisk unfolding introduces an element of surprise and spontaneity, which can be particularly appealing to readers who enjoy unexpected turns in a storyline. The dialogue and narrative structure are skillfully crafted, laying a solid foundation for the story. There’s an exciting opportunity here to deepen this already engaging narrative. By exploring the characters’ emotions and motivations in more detail, the authors have the potential to enrich the reader’s experience, making it even more immersive. This enhancement in character development promises to strengthen the reader’s connection with the characters, adding an extra layer of intimacy and engagement to an already captivating tale.
The Secret Journey is a commendable choice for those interested in a story featuring a strong female lead overcoming familial strife in a medieval setting. The novel’s exploration of resilience and self-discovery, set against a historical backdrop, makes it a noteworthy addition to the young adult historical fiction genre.
Pages: 478 | ASIN : B0BMM14LYK
Empowerment of Art
The Dream Collector Book I: Sabrine and Sigmund Freud follows a young woman working in a women’s asylum who meets Sigmund Freud, and together they explore mental health and the world of 19th century Paris. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In 1886 Freud had been awarded a grant to study with famed hypnotist Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière Asylum for women. Vincent van Gogh came to Paris to study the new art emerging, Impressionism. Here were two iconic figures who found themselves, their path, their calling, during that one special year. Annus Mirabilis. I only needed a protagonist with an interest in mental health and art to entwine their stories. Julie Forette, a self-educated woman, became my storyteller.
With so many famous people from history in your novel, what was your writing process to ensure you captured the essence of these characters?
Research, extensive research on each historical character, including letters, journals, anything which revealed their experiences, thoughts, and tone. And maintaining individual files, with sections like “His words/Her Tone’ so that when dialogue occurred in the story, I had a go-to resource, to capture their individualistic tone.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I’m so glad you used the plural, themes. My overarching theme was the empowerment of art, how a painting, book, poem can enable us to resonate with our own identity. How art can touch our hearts, raise our consciousness, and–––to risk addressing the spiritually inclined–––uplift our souls.
But a subsidiary theme emerged when learning that famed author Émile Zola, in 1886, betrayed his childhood friend Paul Cezanne by writing a roman à clef. In the novel, a failed artist, confronting his mediocrity, commits suicide. All of Paris knew that Zola was describing Cezanne. When Cezanne read the novel, entitled ‘Masterpiece’, he was heart-broken and never spoke to Zola again. I wanted to explore the tragedy of how someone you trust, you love, betrays you. And whether you can overcome the pain and trauma of betrayal. Can you recover? If so, how? So the theme of betrayal and abandonment becomes mirrored in my major characters, especially the protagonist Julie Forette and the Salpêtrière hysteric, Sabrine Weiss.
When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Publication for Book II “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh’ is scheduled for April 2024. We will follow Sabrine and Julie’s continued journey toward self-realization as they immerse themselves into the art milieu of late 19th century Paris. Under the watchful eye of Sigmund Freud, Julie and Sabrine become intimately involved with the major luminaries of the period, especially the van brothers, Theo and Vincent.
Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including “talking sessions.” Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries.
In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the “Peruvian Savage” Paul Gauguin. Julie is the eponymous ‘Dream Collector’ collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period.
