Ebony and Spica: Two Birds in My Life

Janet Doolaege

France4 Books

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Supernatural Suspense Women's Fiction Literary Fiction Children's

BIOGRAPHY
I grew up in England but now live in France, not too far from Paris, in a village on the edge of a forest. Our house contains more books than I will ever have time to read, besides many old favourites from my childhood. The children’s books that I have written are the sort of books that I liked reading as a child, and I hope children nowadays are not so very different.

Birds and animals have always been part of my life and they keep cropping up in what I write. Ebony and Spica tells the true story of a blackbird and a starling, both of whom became members of the family. A cat plays an important role in the novel A Paris Haunting, while Candlepower features a character who mysteriously attracts birds. For children, Tobias and the Demon is an adventure story told by a dog. In Flora and the Wolf, a girl suddenly finds that she can understand what birds and animals are saying. As for The Story of an Ordinary Lion, the idea of adapting this old legend came to me during a trip to Venice, and I am particularly fond of the main character, Leo, the small lion. I believe this last is a story for young and old, not only for children.
The Christmas Dolls' House is a tale of magic, friendship and the fascination of miniature things.

My novels could be classified as contemporary fiction with a paranormal twist. The unexplained has always intrigued me. The Road through the Woods is a sequel to Candlepower and a protest against woodland destruction.

My Woman in Blue and White takes place partly in Paris and partly in Greece. Bizarre experiences haunt the central character, and she must discover what they mean if she is ever to find happiness.