At 82 years old, Renee Goudeau, of Westlake, is proud to finally call herself a published writer. After decades of writing attempts, her book 'Once Upon a Place' is now available to the public.
"This novel stands on the shoulders of other novels never finished. Some parts are 30 years old," said Goudeau.
But aside from the writing, the Southwest Louisiana native admits that the entire experience has been challenging for her.
"When you write a book, you think that's it. It's not. There is everything that comes afterwards," said the writer.
Publishing, marketing, and promoting has proven to be harder work than she had imagined but Goudeau was, and still remains, bound and determined to see her book in as many hands as possible.
"I want my characters to live," she said.
And live they do. Giselle O'Connell Richards is Goudeau's central character. She is a young WWI widow who is part owner of the local weekly newspaper, The Independent, which also could be Richards' nickname as well. The setting is a fictional Southwest Louisiana town named Lake Badin in the early 1920's and is full of the sights, sounds, attitudes, language, and people of the period, including her main nemesis, Frank 'Rabbit' Cotton III, along with a wide array of other characters, many with a French flavor to their names and their accents. And of course, there is Man O'War, a wild boar who is a pivotal character in her story.
"The book is true to what I know about this part of Louisiana," said Goudeau.
And Goudeau isn't afraid to address controversial issues in her book, as they are a reflection of the time and place the story is set. Having thoroughly researched her subject matter, the various aspects of the story and of the characters hold true and reflect her thoughtful work.
"I do not have a degree or formal training, but I do love history and enjoy research."
The Calcasieu Parish library system has a handful of copies available to checkout and it can be requested by those who can not find it on their library shelves. The 346 page book is also available to order on www.amazon.com (and all their international sites), www.barnesandnoble.com, as well as through smaller local bookstores.
