Susanne Bellefeuille has written the tender love story of Lucas and Isabelle, based on her late parents' lives. I met the author at BookExpo this year and decided to read her debut novel. What an amazing man her father was! Read my interview with Susanne and enter the giveaway to win a copy of Path of Lucas.
Book Details:
Book Title: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured by Susanne Bellefeuille
Category: Adult Fiction, 350 pages
Genre: Fiction, Based on a True Story, Romance, Drama
Publisher: Balboa Press
Release date: December 26, 2015
Tour dates: August 21 to Sept 1, 2017
Content Rating: PG (for words Oh God, Damn and there is kissing)
Book Description:
Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard working farmer’s son. From a small town in Eastern Ontario, the author, Susanne Bellefeuille, brings us on Lucas’s journey through the trials and tribulations of his life.
Lucas’s path is not as simple as the man he’s portrayed to be. From the days spent working on his dad’s farm to becoming a successful mechanic, with a genuine heart and his incredible strength, Lucas faces many difficult decisions. The choices he makes may be the difference between realizing his dreams and keeping his family together.
Based on true events, this is Susanne Bellefeuille’s first novel.
Susanne Bellefeuille has written the tender love story of Lucas and Isabelle, based on her late parents' lives. She begins with her parents' courtship and subsequent marriage to the raising of their large family and their journey through their lives filled with enduring and strong love for one another as well as their hardships.
LCR: What is your best advice for someone writing a story based on true events?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Title: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured by Susanne Bellefeuille
Category: Adult Fiction, 350 pages
Genre: Fiction, Based on a True Story, Romance, Drama
Publisher: Balboa Press
Release date: December 26, 2015
Tour dates: August 21 to Sept 1, 2017
Content Rating: PG (for words Oh God, Damn and there is kissing)
Book Description:
Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard working farmer’s son. From a small town in Eastern Ontario, the author, Susanne Bellefeuille, brings us on Lucas’s journey through the trials and tribulations of his life.
Lucas’s path is not as simple as the man he’s portrayed to be. From the days spent working on his dad’s farm to becoming a successful mechanic, with a genuine heart and his incredible strength, Lucas faces many difficult decisions. The choices he makes may be the difference between realizing his dreams and keeping his family together.
Based on true events, this is Susanne Bellefeuille’s first novel.
Buy the Book:
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
Susanne Bellefeuille has written the tender love story of Lucas and Isabelle, based on her late parents' lives. She begins with her parents' courtship and subsequent marriage to the raising of their large family and their journey through their lives filled with enduring and strong love for one another as well as their hardships.
The story is told by Lucas, in his 70s as he sits by his daughter's side in the hospital after she sustained a car accident, and is lying unconscious. I enjoyed Lucas' story, the setting of the small Canadian town, and how one man's strength and determination helped his family, especially his wife, to recover from serious mental illness. The author's love for her father shines through in this novel, and the reader cannot help but admire this man who is hardworking, self-sacrificing and prioritizes his family above all else.
There are joyous and sad despairing moments throughout Lucas' life. In my line of work, I have seen families torn apart by mental illness, and Lucas' determination for this not to happen is estimable and inspirational.
The book is easy reading and the writing somewhat simplistic, with more telling than showing, but Lucas' character and story is compelling. Better editing would have made the dialogue more realistic and eliminated some mundane scenes. Nevertheless, the author succeeds in bringing us the story of her parents' lives and her dedication to her father.
To read more reviews, please visit Susanne Bellefeuille's page on iRead Book Tours.
LCR: Susanne, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me. I am always curious about authors who write novels based on true events. How would you describe your book in 20 words or less?
SB: Lucas’ voyage through his life with stories of trials and tribulations and of love and sorrow. Based on true events.
LCR: The first thing that struck me about your novel is that it is based on your parents life story, correct? Did you intentionally set out to write their story or did that evolve as you began writing?
SB: Yes, this story is based on true-life story of my parents. Yes, I intended to write about my parents because my dad is my Hero. I knew I wanted to write about him because he taught me the power of love.
LCR: I admire people who set out to write fiction based on true events in their family lives? What was the hardest thing about writing this novel? The easiest?
SB: The hardest thing was reliving my past, remembering my mom’s depression and later her death, also when my brother died of cancer. The easiest was creating a story and making these characters come alive, also because I got to spend quality time with my dad talking about his journey.
LCR: Did any of your family recognise themselves in your novel and were not pleased to be in it?
SB: Yes, my family recognized themselves in my book, my brothers were very happy and supportive about me writing this book; also they were anxious to read it. My children were always there to encourage and believe in me.
Interview with Susanne Bellefeuille:
LCR: Susanne, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me. I am always curious about authors who write novels based on true events. How would you describe your book in 20 words or less?
SB: Lucas’ voyage through his life with stories of trials and tribulations and of love and sorrow. Based on true events.
LCR: The first thing that struck me about your novel is that it is based on your parents life story, correct? Did you intentionally set out to write their story or did that evolve as you began writing?
SB: Yes, this story is based on true-life story of my parents. Yes, I intended to write about my parents because my dad is my Hero. I knew I wanted to write about him because he taught me the power of love.
LCR: I admire people who set out to write fiction based on true events in their family lives? What was the hardest thing about writing this novel? The easiest?
SB: The hardest thing was reliving my past, remembering my mom’s depression and later her death, also when my brother died of cancer. The easiest was creating a story and making these characters come alive, also because I got to spend quality time with my dad talking about his journey.
LCR: Did any of your family recognise themselves in your novel and were not pleased to be in it?
SB: Yes, my family recognized themselves in my book, my brothers were very happy and supportive about me writing this book; also they were anxious to read it. My children were always there to encourage and believe in me.
LCR: What is your best advice for someone writing a story based on true events?
SB: My best advice for someone writing a story based on true events is make sure to notify the person or people that you are writing about them. Also ,make sure you use a different name of the characters. Do your homework before you start to not offend a member of your family.
LCR: What do you hope your novel will do for your readers?
SB: The hope my novel will do to readers is for them to see the power of love. Also they will be able to relate to situation that Lucas and Isabelle had to face on how not to give up in life.
LCR: If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
SB: If I could travel back in time would be in the 1950s because I like that era … style of music and dance the pop culture, the looks of cars and diner restaurants with the neon lights, detail signs like coca cola signs, soda shops and the jukebox. I love the fashion clothes and hairstyles, drive-ins and black and white TV. Most of all I love the way family gatherings were very traditional with home cooked meals, home made bread as they sat around the table with coffee and baked goods.
LCR: Favorite dessert?
SB: My favorite dessert is pecan pie.
LCR: A favorite book you've read that you'd like to share?
SB: My favorite book would be Tell by Frances Itani.
LCR: Your next project?
SB: My next project is writing about my mom (Isabelle) and it will be more in depth about her life with depression.
LCR: What do you hope your novel will do for your readers?
SB: The hope my novel will do to readers is for them to see the power of love. Also they will be able to relate to situation that Lucas and Isabelle had to face on how not to give up in life.
LCR: If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
SB: If I could travel back in time would be in the 1950s because I like that era … style of music and dance the pop culture, the looks of cars and diner restaurants with the neon lights, detail signs like coca cola signs, soda shops and the jukebox. I love the fashion clothes and hairstyles, drive-ins and black and white TV. Most of all I love the way family gatherings were very traditional with home cooked meals, home made bread as they sat around the table with coffee and baked goods.
LCR: Favorite dessert?
SB: My favorite dessert is pecan pie.
LCR: A favorite book you've read that you'd like to share?
SB: My favorite book would be Tell by Frances Itani.
LCR: Your next project?
SB: My next project is writing about my mom (Isabelle) and it will be more in depth about her life with depression.
LCR: Thank you so much, Susanne, for chatting with me about you and your book!
Watch the Trailer:
Meet the Author:
Susanne Bellefeuille is a sister, mother, grandmother, and an inspirational mentor to many people. Graduating from the social service worker program at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall, Ontario, Susanne spends countless hours offering her professional aid, guidance, and most importantly, her friendship to people with intellectual disabilities.
Susanne’s life changed remarkably after the realization that her desires would require her to complete college and set a better example for her children and grandchildren. From being a high school dropout and a mother at the young age of seventeen, Susanne has journeyed a considerable distance to become the successful person she is today. Her journey is not only to write books but also to help people reach their full potential, as she truly believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to shine in life.
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Sept 9
Thanks for this beautiful, emotional and wonderful feature and giveaway. It resonates with me and would be a treasure which I would enjoy greatly. Sounds like my father who dealt with so much in his life. I too would travel back to the 1950's, Montreal, where I grew up when life was simpler, safe, and enjoyable and worry free. That is my favorite era since it was true and lovely.
ReplyDelete