5 Star Review for 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover!

Feeling very blessed for the following review from ReadersFavorites.com: 

"Carolyn Moncel is a wonderful author. I like the development of the characters and the way they blended into the plot. This is not Ellery and Julien Roulet's first appearance, though. I was a little confused on that aspect at first, but once I pushed through the novella, I quickly became acquainted with them and found myself pulled into the middle of the book to take the journey of relationships and complicated issues that surround having a lover.

Not that I have been through these things, I really felt a deep connection with Ellery. Just the way that Ms. Moncel created and formed her character really reached out to me. I think that is part of what makes it such a fantastic book. The issues at hand, the cheating, the deeply emotional journey of abuse, all of them were created not to be entertaining, but informative and life like..."

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OOSA Online Book Club Gives 5 Stars to Encounters in Paris

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” – Flora Whittemore

When you think of Paris, one of things that might cross your mind is romance, but the last thing Ellery Roulet is feeling is romantic. Ellery never imagined reading her mail would send her life in a downward spiral, but soon she realizes it was already headed that way.

“Encounters in Paris” is described as a collection of short stories, but I would describe it as chapters in Ellery Roulet’s life. Every short story involves Ellery coming to the realization of a situation in her life, and also understanding that life’s solutions aren’t so black and white. The author does an excellent job of engrossing readers in the language, atmosphere, and culture of Paris, also addressing topics such as infidelity, trust, and regret.

Hopefully the author will continue Ellery’s story, because I believe there is so much more waiting in the wings for the main character.

Author Angela Henry Interviews Carolyn Moncel

Check out my blog interview with Angela Henry, author of the terrific book, Paris Secret! A fast-paced mystery, it's the perfect read for a cozy weekend at home!

APOOO Bookclub Recommends Encounters in Paris!

In Encounters in Paris, Ellery Roulet, a 35-year-old American public relations executive, is living what appears to most people a successful and envied life. In addition to living in her dream city, Ellery is married to a handsome Frenchman, has two adorable daughters, and is one of the founders of a successful public relations firm. But, life always provides a couple of curve balls, some expected and some unexpected. In this well-crafted gem, Ellery will soon discover that life and love have both joy and sorrow. How she deals with the ups-and-downs is what life is really all about, and the joy of reading this book.


Ellery's life is revealed through connected episodes in this short-story collection. Some of my favorite episodes were the ones that deal with what-if scenarios, if you ever had a chance to re-do some past incidents in your life. In "A Brief Indiscretion," Ellery has a second chance to recapture love with an ex-boyfriend, and at the moment to make everything right, Ellery makes a decision that even she never imagined. In "Pandora's Box Revisited," Ellery and her husband will both discover what matters most to them, but one knows more than the other about what came in the mail that will change their future. I was simply engrossed in these stories, and in Ellery's world. I enjoyed that the stories were set in France and how the French culture was incorporated in the tales. The author was able to create situations which appear ordinary, but were more richly complex than what meets the eye. While the stories may use few words to describe the situations, the words are smoothly elegant and polished.


What I most enjoyed about this book, is while Ellery is African-American, she really is "Everywoman," as Ms. Moncel has written about universal experiences women encounter across cultures and time. It was refreshing to read a story that will appeal to all women, and one that features an African-American as the main character.


I recommend this book to all woman readers; this book shows how artful storytelling can be. The themes of job loss, infidelity, and death while bittersweet will speak to your heart. Grab your favorite beverage and be delighted by these profound stories. I look forward to reading future works by Carolyn Moncel.


This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.


Reviewed by Beverly

APOOO BookClub

Ether Books

Ether Books publishes short/flash fiction especially for smart phones, precisely the idea I had in mind while writing these stories. Check out their site: www.etherbooks.co.uk, as there are so many other stories written by awesome writers presented there too! Also, I'm listed as a contributing writer just under Sir Paul McCartney! How cool is that? Check them out.

Can’t Fall in Love with a Person? Fall for a Book!

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, American author, Carolyn Moncel together with Smashwords invites readers to fall in love with her book, ’Encounters in Paris,’ by offering free digital downloads from February 11 to February 15, 2011.

“We’ve all fallen in and out of love, and some of us may be alone this Valentine’s Day,” says Moncel, a Chicago native, who has lived with her family between Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland for the last eight years. “It doesn’t have to be a tragedy. Instead, why not love yourself this weekend by curling up with a good book and a nice cup of hot chocolate?”

’Encounters in Paris’ centers on Ellery Martin-Roulet, a 35-year-old American public relations executive living and working in Paris has the perfect life. She is married to a handsome Frenchman, has adorable twin daughters and a successful bilingual PR firm located in one of Paris’ trendiest arrondissements. Unfortunately, Ellery soon realizes that life isn’t always perfect. When betrayal, loss, and regrets enter Ellery’s world at five different periods of time over a ten-year span, she quickly learns that it is how she chooses to deal with life’s trickiest situations that shapes her soul.

At the Smashwords site (http://bit.ly/ePNpa2), readers simply select their favorite digital format and type in the coupon code, SE56P, to generate the free download. The ebook, which normally sells for $9.99, is available in virtually every format including PDF, .mobi for Amazon’s Kindle, Epub, and LRF for Sony Readers.

According to Moncel, there is only one tiny request: All readers are encouraged to post an honest review at their favorite online bookseller site like Amazon.com, GoodReads.com and of course, Smashwords.com.

“It’s my way of saying thank you to all the wonderful fans I have met over the last few months,” added Moncel. “If you love the book, then shout it from the rooftops by posting a message! If you hate it, post a message anyway so I can write better books in the future!”

About Carolyn Moncel

A virtual media and web consultant by day and author by night, Carolyn Davenport-Moncel moved to Paris from Chicago, her hometown, in 2001. Known for her online articles on media relations, Moncel owns MotionTemps, LLC (www.motiontemps.com), a Digital Project and Web Content Management firm, and its subsidiary, Mondavé Communications (www.mondaveinc.com), a media relations and publishing company. She currently resides in Lausanne, Switzerland with her husband and two daughters. ’Encounters in Paris’ is her first work of fiction. Her next collection of short stories, 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover will debut in fall 2011. Discover her other works at www.carolynmoncel.com. Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Encounters-in-Paris-A-Collection-of-Short-Stories/171683209508859; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/motiontemps; and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/carolynmoncel.

About ’Encounters in Paris’

Published in November 2010 by Mondavé Media via CreateSpace, ’Encounters in Paris’ – A Collection of Short Stories is now available in paperback and also in digital format for Kindle at all major online bookstores including, Amazon.com (http://bit.ly/cB9bfR). The retail price for paperback is $17.99. The Kindle edition is $9.99. Single story downloads start at $2.99. The ISBN number is: 978-1-4538-9821-5. Ms. Moncel is available for appearances, book club discussions and interviews.



About Smashwords.com



Smashwords is an ebook publishing and distribution platform for ebook authors, publishers and readers. Smashwords offers multi-format, DRM-free ebooks, ready for immediate sampling and purchase, and readable on any e-reading device. Visit their site at www.smashwords.com.



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Upcoming Events for Encounters in Paris

I will be on Black Author Network Radio with Ella Curry on Feb. 9, 2011 at 8 PM EST. Check it out here! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/black-author-network

I had the pleasure of doing an interview on Dave and Lillian Brummet's Conscious Blog! Check out the interview today: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
Go back in the future 'cause it's great reading and highly recommended!

It was a lot of fun chatting with Tyora Moody from soulful site, Written Voices Blog. Thanks for checking out the interview where we talked about Encounters but also spirtual topics. http://writtenvoicesblog.com/2011/02/interview-carolyn-moncel/

New Review for ReaderViews.com!

Encounters in Paris - A Collection of Short Stories
Encounters in Paris - A Collection of Short Stories A new review in from ReaderViews.com: "...The end of this short book holds a question and answer session with the author which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was given the chance to understand the author, get to know Ellery better and discover the inspiration that surrounds the writing of this book. It was a unique feature... that fully fits the book..." Follow the link to read the entire review!

Reader Views - Encounters in Paris
www.readerviews.com