Annette Chaudet

I've been writing for more than 30 years and like to work in a number of genres. I confess my real love is fiction. My newest book BELOVED, A NOVEL OF 18th CENTURY FRANCE is very close to my heart. I loved visiting Provence and Corsica to do some research. Most people don't know that the story is based on a past life. When they find out, the trick is to decide which character was me! My first novel, MONTANA SPRING, was an award winner and was written under the pen name "Richard Magniet." It's based on a true story of the early days of Montana. Though it was first published in 2001 it's become very popular with book clubs over the last year and word continues to spread. It was fun researching the story and visiting some of the locations where the book is set. Last fall it was recorded and is now also available in a downloadable audio version. Also new is a little book of fanciful alliterative instructions for enjoying your life: ABC ATTITUDES, LAUDABLE LESSONS FOR LIGHTHEARTED LIVING works its way through the alphabet with nine suggestions for each letter such as, "Communicate Concisely and Coherently, Captivating Company with Compassion and Character." The print version is appealing in color and makes (I'm told) a great hostess gift! My children's Christmas book, PRAYERS FROM THE MANGER (which has charming illustrations by Wyoming artist Paige Money) is a collection of the reflections of the creatures who were there at Jesus' birth. People tell me it's destined to become a classic and it has been performed as a Christmas program in churches and elementary schools. I love writing for kids and nonsense verse in particular. A JUNGLE BOOK and THE NOSE BOOK are fun for kids and the adults who read to them and I illustrated them both myself! There's a fun little book I did called THE TOAST SWEAT ENIGMA which is my homage to Edward Gorey with a dose of tongue-in-cheek humor about living in Wyoming. I admit the appeal may not be broad, but it has provided a good laugh for a number of people who understand the concept of living in a state with less and half a million residents! I have a collection of more-long-than-short stories called ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS. I like to call them "unconventional tales." I'm afraid brevity is not my strong suit, though I did shorten things up a bit in my collection of essays, HOME RANGE, which includes some of my own photos of Northern Wyoming where I live and work. In this part of the country it is always quite a few miles between towns and the essays reflect some of my thoughts and observations while driving and viewing these wide open spaces through my windshield. I'm also an artist and over the years have donated work to fundraisers for a number of organizations. That helped me compile the information in ART OF THE BOOKS, which gives detailed instructions for putting together an art based fundraising project. It was designed primarily for libraries, which are suffering under the current economy, but is easily adaptable to any type of organization that wants to raise money. The book I'm working on now, THE YEAR OF MY LORD, is the "autobiography" of Mary Magdalene and my version is nothing like any of the others you may have read. She seems to be gaining in popularity these days. I hope to be able to make it available as a serialized work-in-progress in 2013 for Kindle. (If Stephen King can do it, why not me?) I figure if people are waiting for the next chapter it will give me added incentive not to let it slip to the back burner as other work crowds in. So Friend me on Facebook and I'll keep you posted as Mary Magdalene becomes available!