Not always. Before I was seven, I remember that I wanted to be a veterinarian, then a fireman, then an astronaut. After the age of seven, I thought about becoming an aviator, a doctor or a researcher. but the math killed me! I wrote a little as a teenager, and I began writing seriously when I was thirty-seven with If Only It Were True.

My passage into writing was a little unusual; there was a lot of luck involved. When I began writing what became If Only it Were True,.I hadn't planned on writing a novel, and I never would have thought it would be published. I had written this story for my son, or more like for the man he would become one day. My idea was to present him with the manuscript when he got to the age I was when I wrote it.
In the course of this novel, I wanted to tell him about living for your dreams, and not letting anyone discourage you from doing so.
With the encouragement of my sister, a film director, I sent my manuscript to Editions Robert Laffont, who responded eight days later and wanted to publish the book. Several weeks later, Steven Spielberg called to let me know that he wanted to adapt my story to film. I then resigned at the architecture firm I directed to write a second novel and devote myself to writing.
I had to be internally consistent. Life had given me the opportunity to grasp a dream I'd never dared to realize, and if I didn't do it, everything I'd told my son in my first novel would have only been a lie.

My ideas come from everyday life. I like to watch and listen to what's going on around me. But the idea for a story is not the same as the story itself. I carry the characters around with me for a long time, whilst their personalities develop and the plot takes shape. When I've finished my research, when I can answer the question "What is this story really trying to say?", that's when I'm ready. Then I have my little ritual: I begin by looking for the cover, then I organize my office, keeping only the essentials, finally I get settled, I have several lucky objects, particularly a little photograph of my grandmother, Lili, who watches over me, and then, I begin to write.

I like living abroad.  Being in contact with people of a different culture and who speak another language is always very enriching.  In addition, it's a daily lesson in humility: nothing is ever a given. Every day you must forget your habits and reflexes, and adapt to the customs of the country where you live, even if they sometimes don't make any sense.
I’ve always felt drawn by New York and its energy, its cultural diversity, eclecticism, and dynamic feel… I’ve already lived there, and wrote several chapters of my books there.
And it’s not because you live abroad that you love your own country less… On the contrary, often the things you miss have even more prominence in your life.
French people living abroad are also ambassadors that help foreigners discover and love their country.

Yes, out of respect for those who are generous enough to read my work and take the time to write to me. So I find it normal to take the time to write them back. I'm not saying that I always write back straight away! When I'm writing, for example, I'm very focused on my novel and I inevitably have less time to read letters or emails from my readers. Even if I'm a bit late, I always make up for it by sending a little note in the end. This connection is very important to me.

My next book Le premier jour, will come out in France on June 25, 2009.

My books should be available in most major high street book stores or online stores, but you can also consult the website of the publisher for your country, either by following the link to the country information from the drop down menu on the welcome page, or by visiting the "Links" page of this website, where you will find links to all of the publishing houses that have websites.

My novels have been translated in 41 languages. Publication dates vary because of the necessary delays of the translations. In general, a novel published in France comes out a year later abroad, sometimes later because the foreign editors don't necessarily publish my novels in chronological order. For information on which titles have been translated in which languages, you can consult the drop down menu on the Home page. By clicking on a country you can see which titles are available there, as well as the details of the publishing house.

I really enjoy getting out and meeting my readers, at bookstores, literary cafes, salons or forums.even though I still get stage fright! It's also a way for me to thank the bookstores for the work they have accomplished.
Each year, my publishers organize several tours in France and abroad, but it is impossible to respond to all of the requests, otherwise I'd have to stop writing! As soon as a date for a reading is anticipated in France or abroad, you can find it in the «Signings» page on my website.

I've written nine novels to date. My next book Le premier jour will be published in June 25, 2009. All Those Things We Never Said was published in France on May 15, 2008.
My first novel, If Only It Were True, was published in January 2000, Will You Be There? was published in November 2001, Seven Days for an Eternity in 2003 and In Another Life in 2004, Finding You in June 2005, London, Mon Amour in July.
I've also published several short stories, including one entitled « A Une Seconde Près » that was published in Germany and Italy.

I was raised in a family where humor meant knowing how to laugh at yourself. So when a critique is well written and constructive, or factual, I pay attention and respect it. When it becomes excessively mean spirited or aggressive, I mock myself. Anyway, it's better that I'm mocked by a critic than his readers. I have the chance to have a career that I love, that allows me to meet many fantastic people, to travel.it would be indecent not to appreciate this happiness. I thank my readers every day.

I think about it every day.I hope to see them again, I miss Arthur and Lauren a lot, they've really changed my life!

Many readers ask me for a sequel to Finding You, but for now, nothing is in the works because even if I really want to, I don't want to run the risk of becoming repetitive. And I'd like to leave them alone to live their life.I'm certain that they will have new adventures that will be original enough for a third book, and that it will be a pleasure to write.