Flore

Apolline has tea at Cafe de Flore in her chic Parisian neighborhood every week with her mother and grandmother. But today, after the teatime routine, she dares to return alone... for an intriguing encounter.

"Flore" is the first in a series of Cafe Life stories by Adria J. Cimino. In this volume, it is accompanied by "Love Unlocked," one of the author's stories from the anthology "That's Paris."

If you'd like to try the ebook before you buy, it's free if you join Adria's mailing list: http: //eepurl.com/8y0K1. Interview with the Author Q. What was your inspiration to write "Paris, Rue des Martyrs"?

A. City life inspired me. The idea that every day, we might pass the same people as we walk down the street, yet what do we know about their lives? What would happen if our paths crossed? One of my favorite genres is literary fiction, so I decided to write a novel in that vein about life-changing encounters. Q. What kind of story is "Paris, Rue des Martyrs"? Will it make us laugh, cry?

A. I hope it will be an emotional read. "Paris, Rue des Martyrs" is about the importance of encounters. It is a love story, a story of friendship and family relationships. A mother-daughter relationship and a father-son relationship are integral to the plot. The novel is about love and loss, and healing wounds of the past. It is about city life & coming of age. And it is a Paris romance story, of course. Q. So many books have been written with Paris as the setting. What sets yours apart?

A. Many books are about the Paris of berets and baguettes. "Paris, Rue des Martyrs" is about the reality of Paris life... living in a Montmartre neighborhood, sitting at a cafe, being Parisian by adoption in this melting pot of a city. It also has diverse characters, one of whom is deaf. There's not much in deaf fiction these days, so I was happy to take on that angle. Q. Tell us about your other books.

A. "Before Paris" is the prequel to "Paris, Rue des Martyrs." It delves into Rafael's past in the emerald mines of Colombia. I've also written another literary fiction romance novel, "Close to Destiny." It's magical realism romance about righting the wrongs of the past. Some readers have compared it to "The Time Traveler's Wife." And I contributed to the literary fiction collections "That's Paris" and "Legacy.""