In 2020, author Samantha Vérant dazzled readers and critics with her debut women’s fiction novel, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, the story of a young female chef who journeys to France with aspirations of earning a coveted spot in an elite kitchen and earning her Michelin stars―even though only 1% of chefs who are bestowed the honor are women. Now, Vérant whisks readers off to Paris in her delightful sequel, SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS (Berkley Trade Paperback; on sale October 19, 2021).
In Vérant’s second novel, readers are transported back to the French countryside to be reunited with Chef Sophie and a vibrant cast of supporting characters – and then, off to Paris for an unforgettable adventure! Readers will adore a trip through the pages to the City of Lights as Sophie takes on new culinary challenges. Vérant’s stories offer a perfect escape, with all the tastes of French cuisine to make the reader feel as though they are basking in the sunshine at a French chateau, or lounging along the Seine.
When working on a series, how do you decide which threads or characters to pull forward from the first?
I always intended to carry on Sophie’s story in a second book. In act one, she gets over her insecurities, becomes a comeback chef, and inherits a fabulous château in France. For book two, with a devil on my shoulder, I asked myself what’s the worst thing that could happen to a chef on the rise? Alas, she loses her senses of taste and smell– a pretty timely subject. In Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars it was important for me to give enough back story from The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux so it could also be read as a stand-alone novel. All of the characters from the first book live on in this second book (some through spirit)—and there are quite a few new ones– namely the villain Nicolas de la Barguelonne. I stole this last name from my cat, whose full name is name is Juny de la Barguelonne. We call him Juju and there is little chance he can sue me. He’s a cat and he can’t read. But I digress. The threads I pulled from the first book are fighting for dreams, no matter the obstacles, and cooking your heart out– maybe falling in love with yourself along the way.
At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut to drafting your sophomore creation?
Great question! I’m still promoting my debut—it’s been a consistent ride, good news for me! It did take time, dedication, and sitting my butt in a chair to write Paris Stars, but I already had the concept in mind. And I also had a 2-book contract. Let’s just say I work best under pressure. Most people shy away from deadlines. I’m not one of them. I live in southwestern France and writing is my day job. After I turned in Paris Stars, I immediately began working on a third novel. Can’t say much about it now, save for it is another food focused book and it has nothing to do with Sophie. Stay tuned!
Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re published?
I write lists. Without them I wouldn’t get anything done. There are always tasks that creep up on you– like providing a beta read or a blurb. I think it’s extremely important to support other authors. As for my family, they do get fed because I test recipes on them. A win-win!
You're operating deeply inside the foodie community. Do you utilize that audience through your social media and book promotion?
I’d say I’m more steeped in the expat community–specifically writers who lived or live in France. It’s like one degree of separation. I’m blessed to have connected with Ann Mah (author of Mastering the Art of French Eating, among other amazing books), Janine Marsh (author and purveyor of The Good Life France), Mardi Michels (In the French Kitchen with Kids), and Janice MacLeod (Paris Letters), among others. So many amazing people I can’t list them all! Through books, I have made more connections. Social media is a different beast and I adore establishing one-on-one connections. So. Yep. I’m trying to break through the clutter and not scream into the wind. Which has me asking myself: Why, oh why, am I even trying to do TikTok videos? I might dip in with a few random videos and cooking demonstrations. We shall see.
Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at home French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a French rocket scientist she met in 1989, a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. When she's not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.
