I love sharing about debut authors, and today we’re meeting Olivia Lara, the author behind the novel Someday in Paris. Olivia, who was born and raised in Romania comes from a family of book lovers and storytellers. The novel, begins in 1954 where star-crossed lovers Zara and Leon meet for the first time in a small French museum as teenagers. Over the next several decades Zara and Leon continue to fall in love over and over again… but the only question is will they ever be able to stay together for good?
In this interview, Olivia shares about where she was when the idea for the novel was first sparked, her fellow authors who have inspired her over the years, her love of Paris and more.
You were born and raised in Romania, in a family of book lovers and storytellers. When did you first know that you wanted to write a novel?
I’ve always wanted to write, and I’ve always loved to write. I could sit for hours (inside, outside, surrounded by people, alone…it didn’t really matter) and just fill out notebooks with my stories. For years it was short stories, maybe all the way up to novella length, but it wasn’t until 2015 when I started writing about Zara and Leon, that I even thought about a full-blown novel.
Who is a author(or) are authors who inspire(s) you?
Marc Levy is an influence, without a doubt. I read him first while in Paris and have followed his career ever since (and haven’t missed a book yet). I also love and admire Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, Salman Rushdie, Haruki Murakami, Richard Matheson, and Nora Ephron (always!).
When did you first come up with the storyline for your debut novel Someday in Paris?
I remember I was on the high school graduation trip with my classmates, visiting Europe, and I picked up Marc Levy’s book which I read on the bus between Paris and Marseille. In Marseille, I scribbled down thoughts for a story. Parts of that story are in my debut novel, many years later…
It’s hard to pinpoint though when was the exact moment the actual idea which became Someday in Paris came to me. I think it was over the years. First came the characters and their story without all the details. The locations came to me pretty quickly, while I was living in France. I fell in love with Colmar, and I was already head over heels with Paris. So, I’d say…it’s an idea many years in the making.
Did you visit or have you previously visited Colmar and other locations in the novel?
I have been fortunate enough to have lived in France for a while (that is when Colmar became one of my favorite small towns in Europe and Paris, the city of my heart). They are both absolutely magical, for different reasons and in their own special ways. I have visited all locations in the novel, from the British ones to New York. I tend to write about places I am not only familiar with, but that I love. I feel the story flows so much more natural that way. And I’m lucky that I have traveled extensively and also lived in different places, so I have quite a lot of possible locations for future stories.
Someday in Paris revolves around the love story of star crossed lovers Zara and Leon. What did you enjoy the most about developing these characters and their love story?
I loved everything about it. I already knew that I wanted them to meet as teenagers. I also knew it was going to be a story that spans decades and continents. The interesting part was deciding which events would pull them together and which ones would push them apart. I have immensely enjoyed the process of writing this book, so much so that at one point I had way too many words and had to stop myself, otherwise, we would’ve had Someday in Paris in three volumes.
The novel begins in 1954 where Zara and Leon meet for the first time at a museum and bond over their love of Monet and Paris. What drew you to the particular time period?
It is definitely a period when I wish I could’ve walked the streets of Paris. My grandmother would’ve been Zara’s age in 1954 and she was so incredibly passionate about France, I think I initially chose these settings as an homage in a way. Unfortunately, we lost her many years ago, but I hope she’s enjoying Zara and Leon’s Parisian love story from where she is. An interesting fact: out of all the stories I wrote so far, this is the only one set so far back in time. Sometimes all you have to do is listen to your characters and follow the story. And Zara and Leon wanted to meet in the 50s, in simpler times, times of letter writing, turntable music, and taking long walks rather than long drives.
Was it difficult to switch between the ‘present’ and the ‘past’ as you were writing the book?
Not at all. I felt Dominique telling the story in the present to her granddaughter closed the circle perfectly. There were moments when I was writing chapters in the past, and I too needed to take a moment to process, feel, just like Dominique’s granddaughter does. To me, it felt like a natural element of the story, for sure.
What was the hardest (or) favorite scene to write?
Both the hardest and probably one of my favorites was the first chapter of Zara’s story. I had all these images in my mind, all these feelings and emotions, and I wanted to make sure I do both Zara and Leon justice when I first introduce them and their love story to readers. I felt the magic, but would everyone else feel it too? I was so happy when reviews started coming in…and it was apparent readers felt the magic as well, and the story touched them and had an impact on them. It’s the best feeling for an author. You love your characters and your story and hope the world will love them too. I am thrilled Someday in Paris is being read and loved. Seeing it being called ‘the most memorable love story’ someone has ever read, or their favorite of all time, or magical and beautiful is a dream come true!
If you could meet any of the characters in the novel in real life, who would it be?
Oh, tough choice. I would definitely like to meet them all. But more than anything, I would love to see Zara and Leon together, even if it’s for a minute.
Are you currently working on your next novel?
I definitely am and it probably won’t surprise anyone that it is a love story. This is also an idea that’s been with me for quite some time, and while it’s too early to share any details, I will say it is not set in France or in the 1950s. But it’s a story that is close to my heart and has meaning to me, just like Someday in Paris.
Get your copy of Someday in Paris.
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