- Born in Paris, 1970
- Possessed a frightful intelligence and prodigious vocabulary before entering kindergarten
- Wrote voraciously as a teenager under different pseudonyms; most of her work was published without challenge assumed to have come from a seasoned writer
- First book written on a summer break, a spellbinding, erotic thriller that "…overflowed with lust, gripping readers with mystery and deception right down to the final sentence" (The Times)
- Degree in Literature from La Sorbonne
- Moved to Berlin at 21 to immerse herself in its culture and intellectual intensity
- Became one of Europe's hottest models once appearing on 14 different glossies in the same month (still a record surpassed only by Princess Diana)
- Engaged to a Russian muralist who had been commissioned to adorn the chambers of the new parliament building
- Met Charles in Venice at a private soirée of his wealthiest clients causing her to call off her marriage and start traveling with Charles
- Agreed to write about her own experiences and Charles & Marie was born