The Joys Of Wearing Fancy Dress by Marie Laval

Author of A Paris Fairy Tale for Choc Lit/Joffe Books Marie Laval joins me on my blog this week. It’s fun to find out more about fellow writers and this time, Marie is going to talk about dressing up!

Thank you so much, Morton, for welcoming on your blog to reveal something your readers may not know about me … my love for dressing up!

A few weeks ago I was fortunate to see Taylor Swift in concert in Liverpool with my daughter. She is a massive fan and I was tagging along to keep her company. I even thought I would get bored when I heard that the concert lasted three hours and suggested bringing a book. Little did I know that I would enjoy myself so much that I would dance the whole evening!

*Taylor Swift, June 2024, Anfield, personal photo*

One of the best things that evening – apart from Taylor Swift’s great music, fantastic stamina and stunning showwomanship – was to hear the crowd sing every single line of her lyrics and see people of all ages all dressed up and having fun. I was expecting to see lots of girls wearing cowboy hats, silver boots and lots of sequins, of course, but what I hadn’t anticipated was all the teenage boys joining into the fancy dress fun too, complete with pink hats and sequins face jewellery, and the famous friendship bracelets too. My daughter was wearing a green outfit with some fake ivy wrapped all around her, which she told me referred to one of Taylor Swift’s songs, but I had only gone in boring jeans and a shirt, which made me feel underdressed and quite left out. Not only did I only know the lyrics to one song, but I wasn’t even wearing anything special…

When I was growing up, my mum and her friends used to have regular fancy dress parties. They had so much fun, dressing up as rabbits or cavewomen whilst we children looked on, wondering how grown-ups could have such a good time and not care that they looked silly.

I think I inherited my taste for dressing up from them. Every year for World Book Day teachers and children dress up at school as their favourite book character. A couple of years ago I actually won the best teacher award for my Cruella Devil outfit. Not only did I have a wig and fake Dalmatian fur stole, but I actually ‘became’ Cruella and pretended to snarl and snap at the teenagers and chase them up and down the corridor all day… and they kept coming back for more.

Last November I went several times to our local Whittaker Park Museum to see a fantastic art show by artist Ruby Tingle. She wore beautiful ball gowns (every time a different one), and was helped by two characters, one of them dressed as The Frog. During her artist talk, the man inside The Frog costume – a university professor – told us how dressing up helped him during a particularly difficult period of his life. He regularly goes out in town as The Frog and says it helps him connect with people of all ages in a way he could never do as himself.

*Ruby Tingle Afterlife show at the Whittaker Park Museum, Rawtenstall, personal photo*

I may not plan to wear anything as extreme as this frog costume but if I ever go to another Taylor Swift concert, I will make sure I am all kitted out to be able to properly join in the fun!

Love, love your Cruella Devil outfit! Mx

About Marie Laval

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie has lived in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire for the past few years. She writes both historical and contemporary romance. Her contemporary romance novels include best selling contemporary romantic suspense novels LITTLE PINK TAXI and ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU, which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Awards, as well as A PARIS FAIRY TALE, BLUEBELL’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC and HAPPY DREAMS AT MERMAID COVE. The five romances now feature in a box set ESCAPE INTO ROMANCE. Marie also contributes to the best selling MISS MOONSHINE anthologies together with eight author friends from Authors on the Edge.

You can get in touch with Marie on Facebook or Twitter

About A Paris Fairy Tale

ESCAPE TO THE CITY OF LOVE IN THIS INCREDIBLE ROMANCE FULL OF AMOUR AND ADVENTURE.

Workaholic and socially awkward art historian Aurora Black has been hired by a Parisian auction house. They want her to authenticate a legendary medieval manuscript lost over a century ago. She meets journalist Cédric Castel, who is nearly hot enough to melt her seemingly icy exterior . . . Aurora clashes with him immediately. But even though she’d never admit it, Aurora is a romantic at heart. She secretly dreams of Prince Charming and the knights’ missions in her medieval manuscripts.

Cédric is on a mission to uncover art thieves in the city. But what does this have to do with Aurora? The closer Aurora gets to Cédric, the more they struggle to hide their increasing attraction to each other. Life for Aurora isn’t about fairy tales and happily ever afters, but maybe just this once, it can be?

Buying Link for A Paris Fairy Tale : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paris-Fairy-Tale-stunning-uplifting-ebook/dp/B0CBMVBXRF/ref

Buying Link for box set : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-into-Romance-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B0CLKZ27MQ/ref