I've always been a
stickler for accuracy in details and this certainly applies when I write. A
realist by nature, even though I deal in fiction, if it exists, I don't make it
up. If it can't be done, don't expect any of my characters to do it. That said,
roughly six months ago, while working on the seventh thriller of my Vigilante series entitled Femme Fatale, I wrote the following
sentence:
The Boeing 777-300
came to a halt at Gate B59 of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminal 2A at
8:14 a.m. and Air Canada flight AC870 had arrived, sixteen minutes ahead of
schedule.
The flight referred
to in that sentence exists and the plane is really that particular model. Even
the gate and terminal information are accurate. The sixteen minute thing, I
made up just for fun.
By now, some of you
are probably saying, "Whoop-Dee-Do. What’s your point?" To that, I
say, "Hang on a second. That wasn't the weird part. It's coming.
Chill." Moving along…
About two months
ago, friends from Australia informed me they would be vacationing in Vietnam
come spring and suggested we might do the same and hook up with them. My wife
and I found this to be a terrific idea and started looking into flight
possibilities. From past experience, I knew that flights to Asia from Montreal
generally involve connecting in NYC, Chicago or Vancouver then heading west for
twelve to fourteen hours over the Pacific. The weird part is getting closer.
After looking at
possible flights, effectively going through Vancouver to either Seoul or Tokyo
then on to Hanoi, we decided to contact a travel agent to see what she could
come up with in terms of flight plans and price. To our surprise, the agent
proposed heading east, connecting with our flight to Vietnam in Europe. Flying
time would be about the same but we would be waiting a lot less between flights
and leaving home a half day later. The price was the same so we went ahead and
booked our trip. Now for the weird part…
Recently, while
working through a final edit run of Femme
Fatale before its release in March, I came upon the above-mentioned
sentence and felt a sudden chill… I realized my wife and I would be on Air
Canada flight AC870 to Paris in May, on our way to Vietnam…
Coincidence or
conspiracy? I’m going for coincidence for now, but when I get on that plane, if I see a gorgeous redhead in a second row Executive First Suite, I’m going to
freak…
~ ~ ~ ~
About
Author Claude Bouchard: I was born in Montreal, Canada, where I still reside
with my spouse, Joanne. I completed my studies in human resources, accounting
and management at McGill University and worked in various management capacities
in the fields of HR and finance for a handful of firms for what seemed like
decades, because it was. I should also mention I love pizza, but who doesn't
and, in my opinion, nothing rocks more than cooking on the grill.
My
first stab at writing was in 1995, the result being my first novel, Vigilante. This was subsequently
followed by The Consultant
(1996) and Mind Games (1997),
all of the same series. Professional obligations and other creative interests
led me away from writing for a number of years but I found myself busy at the
keyboard in 2009 with The Homeless
Killer after having finally published my first three novels. I then
followed up with 6 Hours 42 Minutes
in 2011, also part of the Vigilante
series born from Vigilante.
In July 2011, I released ASYLUM,
my first stand-alone novel and Discreet
Activities, my sixth Vigilante
crime thriller was published in January 2012. In October 2012, I penned and
released Something’s Cooking, a
faux-erotica parody and cookbook under the pseudonyms Réal E. Hotte and Dasha
Sugah. I think I'm really starting to like this writing thing. My eighth novel
and seventh installment of the Vigilante series, Femme Fatale, has just been
released.
Besides writing, editing and promoting my work, I also
spend some artistic energy with my five guitars, oil paints and watercolours.
Other passions include cooking (big time with fine wine to go with it, of
course), reading, traveling and working out just enough to stay fit. It should
also be noted that following several years of practice, I now excel at being
cat furniture for Krystalle and Midnight, or so they tell me.
