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Before Paris

Before Paris
by
Adria J. Cimino

Publisher: Velvet Morning Press
Pages: 25
Publication date: April 5, 2015

Genre: Literary fiction
Source: Received from the author for review

Goodreads

Buy the book (free in kindle version when this post is up)

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines,
I received this ebook for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.

This book counts for the following Reading Challenges

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

I recently reviewed here Close to Destiny by Adria J. Cimino, and last year her excellent first novel, Paris, Rue des Martyrs. So I am delighted today to present to you one of the characters of that novel. Let’s follow him in the events that lead him to go to Paris.

I really enjoyed the characters in Paris, Rue des Martyrs, so it was fun getting to know Rafael Mendez a bit better.
When the book opens he is 22 and arguing with his dad Diego. Rafael has had enough with the family emerald business and its dangers. He does not want to lead by himself the next night expedition to the mine. His mother supports him in his choice, and his friend Tigo encourages him to follow his heart.

So what is he going to do? You will have to discover by yourself what happened that suddenly gave an unexpected turn to his life, and how events will eventually lead him to take the plane from Bogota to Paris.
In Paris, he will run into three other interesting characters, but you will need to read Paris Rue des Martyrs to follow his life.

I enjoy very much Adria’s style and how she develops her characters.

VERDICT: Nice literary novella focused on one of the major characters in Cimino’s first novel, and how his past led him to Paris.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

See how it all began…
Before the lives of four strangers collided in Paris, there was one young man. Before Paris, a prequel to the novel Paris, Rue des Martyrs, tells the story of how Rafael, son of an emerald broker in Colombia, found his way to the City of Light. One fateful and dangerous night in emerald territory, he learns his father was carrying a secret. And the key to unlock it can only be found in Paris. [from Goodreads]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adria J. Cimino is the author of novels
“Paris, Rue des Martyrs”
and “Close to Destiny”
and is co-founder of indie publishing house Velvet Morning Press (http://www.velvetmorningpress.com).
She also is a contributor to short story anthologies “That’s Paris” and “Legacy.”
Adria is a member of Tall Poppy Writers (http://tallpoppies.org/),
a community of writing professionals
committed to connecting authors with each other and with readers.
Prior to jumping into the publishing world full time,
Adria spent more than a decade as a journalist at news organizations including The AP and Bloomberg News.