Debra Borchert
Author Interview - Debra Borchert
Author of Her Own Revolution and Her Own War
About Her Own War:
As Napoleon rises from the ashes of the French Revolution, one woman dares to spy against him.
Imprisoned for the crime of impersonating a man, Geneviève LaGarde fears giving birth in an asylum will be certain death for her and her unborn child. Desperate for her release, her husband, Louis, trades his freedom for hers and must join Bonaparte’s army in Egypt.
As Geneviève wages her own war against the tyrannical general, she not only risks her own life but also those of her children and the four hundred families who depend on the Château de Verzat estate. Knowing her desperate actions could cause the government to confiscate the entire vineyard, she sacrifices everything to save her husband and protect the people who become her family. A captivating tale of the power of love, hope, and courage, and the strength of community.
About Her Own Revolution:
A Woman Forges a Treacherous Path to Save Hundreds from the Guillotine
If Geneviève Fouquier-Tinville had the same rights as a man, she wouldn’t have to dress like one. She risks facing the guillotine herself when she replaces names of those she believes innocent on the list scheduled for the guillotine with names of those already dead.
Author Interview - Debra Borchert
Author I draw inspiration from:
2024: Susan Vreeland, Michell Moran, Jennifer Donnally, Sarah Dunant
2023: Charles Dickens
Author Interview - Debra Borchert | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
2024: Next to my standard poodle who is named after a fine French Champagne.
2023: Anywhere I can curl up with my dog.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
2024: Artemisia Gentileschi, The Passion of Artemisia. Artemisia would get us out of there. She was extremely intelligent. She’d take charge and tell me what to do. (I’m usually that person, so it would be great to be a follower.)
2023: Scout "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
Author Interview - Debra Borchert | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
2024: When my modem dialed 911, the police arrived, I wouldn’t let them in, and I sold the story to The New York Times.
2023: When my computer modem dialed 911 and policemen showed up at my door. I had to tell the story, and it was published in The New York Times.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
2024: Hardbacks have a wonderful texture and aroma, but they are heavy to hold. Paperbacks are easier to hold, but they lack the texture and aroma. Hate e-books but read them when I must. Love audiobooks and listen to them while driving, and the only time I ever got a speeding ticket is all Janet Evanovich’s fault.
2023: Paperback
The last book I read:
2024: I both listened to and read Liberty, Quality, Fashion. The narrator, Elisabeth Lagelée, has the voice of an angel, and I found myself improving my French by repeating her pronunciation of the French terms. I then read the book just because I wanted to see how the words were spelled. Liberty, Quality, Fashion was quite entertaining as well as enlightening.
2023: The Rose Code
Author Interview - Debra Borchert | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
2024: Oh, yikes. If I didn’t have so many French terms, I’d dictate my books. I primarily use a computer, but when I’m traveling, researching, or resting, I use a notebook and a Number 2 pencil, sharpened to a very fine point. I also use those pencils to fill in a worksheet I’ve created for myself. Before I sit down and write a scene, I fill out my worksheet. That process reveals surprises and depth of character and meanings and themes that don’t come out when I’m concentrating on typing.
2023: Computer
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
2024: Scout, of To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout is a clear-eyed thinker and direct. I love that about her and would treasure her friendship because I know she’d tell me the truth.
2023: Artemisia Gentileschi | The Passion of Artemisia, Susan Vreeland
Author Interview - Debra Borchert | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
2024: I was an actress, but I HATED memorizing, so I quit. Then I realized as a writer I got to be the director, stage and lighting designer, costume designer, all the characters, the producer, and I got to write dialogue I didn’t have to memorize…Writing is way more fun.
2023: an actress
Favorite decade in fashion history:
2024: I have a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, but I realized creating clothing for me was too personal to make a living at it. I adore the couturier Madeleine Vionnet who revolutionized fashion during the 1930s with her “bias-cut” gowns that flowed and draped over the body. Her gowns were very sensual. Halston copied her gowns for Liza Minelli, but Halston had synthetic knits to work with, Madeleine used woven silks.
2023: Madeleine Vionnet's 1920s
Place I’d most like to travel:
2024: France, always France. The culture, food, and natural beauty of the land.
2023: France
My signature drink:
2024: A chilled Loire Valley Muscadet, which is a dry, not sweet, white wine.
2023: Kir Royale
Favorite artist:
2024: Artemisia Gentileschi. I visited an exposition of the works of Artemisia and her father, Orazio, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Their paintings were positioned opposite each other so viewers could compare their works. Orazio was a master of light, but his female figures were stiff, mannequin-like. Artemisia’s women were sensual and lifelike. She was also courageous, the first woman to make her living as an artist despite great hardships and tragedies.
2023: Artemisia Gentileschi
Number one on my bucket list:
2024: I consider my “bucket list” as a journey. That journey is more about who I am every day, and I strive to be kind at all times. Although I hate memorizing, I’d love to play Madame Bourran in the film version of my Château de Verzat series.
2023: Anywhere in France
Anything else you'd like to add:
2023: Because I make soups to drag me away from my computer, I include the recipes in my books.
Find more from Debra Borchert:
https://www.instagram.com/debraborchertauthor/
facebook.com/DebraBorchertAuthor
https://debraborchert.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-borchert-10b8305/
About Debra Borchert:
Debra Borchert has had many careers. She debuted, at the age of five, as a model at a local country club where her crinoline petticoat dropped to her ankles in the middle of the runway.
Since then, she’s been a clothing designer, actress (starring in her first television commercial with Jeff Daniels for S.O.S. Soap Pads, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. She brings her passions for France, wine, and cooking to all her work. The proud owner of ten crockpots, she is renowned for her annual Soup Parties at which she serves soups from different cultures.
Debra’s debut novel, Her Own Legacy, is the first in a series that follows headstrong and independent women and the four-hundred loyal families who protect a Loire Valley château and vineyard, and its legacy of producing the finest wines in France during the French Revolution. Her Own Revolution is the second book in the Château de Verzat series.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and standard poodle who is named after a fine French Champagne.
