My Paris Story | Book Launch & Giveaway!

I have some exciting news to share with you all : I am officially a published author of a bestselling book!

[This is a long post with lots of pictures, so I’d make a nice cup of tea and curl up on the couch before digging in. 🙂 ]

I embarked on this project led by the incredible Dawn Bournand a few months ago, and now, I can finally share this news with you. Our book, My Paris Story, has been published! It feels surreal to finally have a physical copy of My Paris Story. I am honored to have been a part of this project with such successful, fearless individuals, and have learned so much throughout the process. I am grateful to Dawn for having brainstormed and brought this project to life and am so thankful to her for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My Paris Story

Here’s a description of our book from the My Paris Story website: “Now the time has come to read the real stories from real women who took the leap to transform their lives in the most dreamed about city in the world. My Paris Story is the much-anticipated anthology that combines the stories of twenty-two authors from around the globe who have made their dreams come true. It is the result of harnessing the extraordinary creative energy of an exuberant, passionate, and motivated group of women who actually did pick up everything and take the leap to follow their hearts’ desires in the City of Light. Transforming their lives with real purpose, lofty goals, and a good dose of dreams, each author shares her secrets, challenges, exhilarations, disappointments, and victories of living, loving, raising a family, starting a business, and succeeding as an entrepreneur and businesswoman in the mythical city of Paris.”

Launch Day

We had our book launch event at the home of Closet Guru, Creative Genius, founder of Paris for the Philippines, and fellow author, Michelle Pozon, on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. The day started off with yoga and a breathing exercise, followed by a session that we dubbed “The View – Paris.” We had a videographer and photographer on hand to film our interviews where we discuss our motivations and reasons for coming to Paris, being involved with the book, and what we hope our readers will take from our stories. Yours truly had an impromptu performance during our interview, and later in the day as well, at the Place de la Republique! It must be said that plenty of champagne was enjoyed on the day of this launch! A girl needs to celebrate, don’t you agree? Videos to come soon on the My Paris Story site, as well as on the Facebook page. [Warning: there are a few selfies below.]

June 14 Event Invitation

I’d like to invite you all to the first My Paris Story book signing and author meet-and-greet, which will be this Saturday, June 14, 2014 at W.H. Smith bookstore in Paris (248 Rue de Rivoli, 75001) from 3 – 4:30 p.m..

Who: 11 My Paris Story authors

What: My Paris Story Book Signing and Meet the Authors Event

Where: WH Smith – 248 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

When: Saturday 14 June 2014 15h – 16h30

Why: To pick up a great summertime read and to give a portion back to Paris for the Philippines

How: Simply stop by WH Smith, buy My Paris Story and get your copy signed by the authors!

The goal of the book is to empower, motivate, and entertain the reader with our variety of crazy, exciting, scary, funny, and exhilarating stories of how we got to Paris, the life changes that have come about through being here, and the experiences that are truly unique to the City of Light.  I hope you enjoy it!

MY PARIS STORY BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Enter to win a signed copy of My Paris Story! Leave a comment below with your e-mail address, and you’ll be entered into the drawing. Contest ends on June 25, 2014.

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More My Paris Story info:

Buy the book here: http://amzn.to/1g4FsSr

Check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/myparisstory

Here’s the site: http://myparisstory-thebook.com/

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This beautiful dress is a creation of fellow author, Sanda Taranu, designer at Atelier-52. 

The lovely spread of food, cheeses, and salads! 

With Celine Douay and Sabrina Makar

With Claire Morris of Claire Morris Photography (who recently was hired to photograph the Queen of England on her Paris visit!)

With the Queen of the Marais and owner of Sightseeker’s Delight unique walking tours, the powerhouse Karen Reb Rudel

With Francoise Bor de Lay, Margot Nightingale, and Genevieve PronoIn the hot seat: Alecia Caine, Petronela Zainuddin, Olena Yashchuk Codet, and Lesley Kirk-Renaud

Thank you, Dawn Bournand, for your incredible leadership and spirit, and for leading this wonderful project.

Cheers, ladies! (Loving Julia Willard‘s green dress!)

Thanks to Yulin Lee, financial coach extraordinaire, for the brilliant idea of having these bags made! Mine goes with me everywhere!

We went around interviewing different woman, asking what their Paris Story was. We had some fantastic volunteers with absolutely incredible stories!

Being interviewed by our fearless leader, Dawn Bournand, alongside Celine Douay

Photo credit: http://www.theclosetguruparis.com/

Photo credit: http://www.theclosetguruparis.com/

Photo credit: http://www.theclosetguruparis.com/

Photo credit: http://www.theclosetguruparis.com/