Lisa Taylor Huff

One minute, I was that most dreaded of all things for a woman -- "over 40 and still single" -- and living the most boring life imaginable in suburban New Jersey; the next, I was living "La Vie en Rose" in Paris, sipping coffee from dainty cups in cafés, and trying to learn how to tie a scarf like those chic Parisiennes. Oh, and did I mention that I'd also fallen in love with and married a Frenchman with three kids and a psychotic cat? And despite the fact that I have since become a French citizen (dual US/French nationality), I still can't speak the freaking language properly even after 8 years and I will always feel like a fish out of water in France. I sometimes find my French life exhausting (the French don't make it easy, even on themselves) and yet I am still the most disgustingly happy that I've ever been in my entire life. Go figure!

HOW I BECOME A WRITER:

Born and raised in northwestern New Jersey (but without the annoying "Joisey" accent), I was a book geek from my earliest memories, and frequently experimented with creative writing as a young girl when I wasn't busy stalking the local bookmobile or library. Never imagining that I might be able to call myself a writer one day, I spent the first 20 years of my working life career-hopping - executive secretary, computer programmer, web designer, life coach - before coming full circle and returning to my true passion: the written word. Along with that, I decided to fulfill another life dream by moving to Paris in 2006. The following year, I stepped off a Paris city bus near the Luxembourg Gardens and locked eyes with a handsome Frenchman; we were married less than a year later. I now make my life in Paris, where you can frequently find me on the terrace of a cozy café called L'Ecritoire (The Writing Desk - how apropos!) on the Place de la Sorbonne, working on my latest book while enjoying a decadent chocolat chaud. If you see me, please feel free to say "Bonjour!"

PUBLISHED WORKS:

In 2007, I published my first book, "The Writing Coach's Guide to FINALLY Writing Your Book!".

In 2010, I co-authored "To Drink the Wild Air", a memoir about the amazing experiences of Birgit Soyka.

In 2013, I completed my first memoir about taking my mid-life crisis all the way to Paris, for keeps; it's entitled "It's Always the Last Place You Look" and I'm in the process of seeking publication.

I've started my first-ever work of fiction, "I Never Wanted to Be a Parisian Housewife", inspired in part by my own challenges in becoming a French wife and step-mom to three French kids and a psychotic French cat (my own step-kids in real life are SO much nicer than the brats in the book, but the cat was exactly the same!)

And very shortly I will be publishing two short non-fiction works as mini e-books right here on Amazon Kindle, so stay tuned!

You can read more about my Parisian adventures at my blog, The Bold Soul™ (www.TheBoldSoul.com) and learn more about me at my web site (www.LisaTaylorHuff.com). I'm also the co-founder of NO LOVE LOCKS™, a non-profit community project that seeks to rid the historic bridges of Paris from the negative impact of thousands of rusting padlocks, often called "love locks". Check it out at www.NoLoveLocks.com.