Alpine art-deco splendor in Ortisei, Italy

I’ve already written about my fantastic skiing holiday to the Dolomites, in northern Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige province, this past winter, and the town in the Val Gardena where we made our base, Selva di Val Gardena. But the ‘historic’ town – always feels funny to use that term in Italy unless a town spans back…

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Does an author owe something to her readers?

As a reader, there are many types of books I don’t like. If a book isn’t well written, it’s an easy write-off for me. If it’s not a genre I enjoy – most action/spy novels or science fiction fall under this category for me – I’m not expecting much either, even if they are well written.…

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The long trip down San Patrizio’s well, Orvieto

I love the Umbrian town of Orvieto, perched up so dramatically on a hilltop. I’ve already written about the views over the town from the Moro Tower and the town’s Etruscan Museum, with its stunning views over the cathedral, but there’s plenty more to see when you’re in town. If you’re coming in by train and…

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Women’s fiction vs romance. One author’s discovery

In this very informative post on the Writer’s Digest site, romance author Linda Goodnight discovered, once she submitted a story proposal to her editors, that her story was not romance but women’s fiction. In this post, Women’s Fiction or Romance? The Differences, and 5 Reasons Why They Matter, Goodnight explores the differences between the genres. As…

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Oslo’s Nobel Peace Prize Museum

I was recently in Oslo, Norway for work. I’ve already written about starting my days off right with my morning jogs around Norway’s capital. Although I didn’t have much free time, I did manage to squeeze in a few tourist visits on my stay. One was the Nobel Peace Prize Museum. I was passing this…

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Book Review: Queen Idia’s Africa – short stories

I enjoyed this collection of  short stories. These connected stories all imagine a contemporary society in which Africa has developed as a wealthy continent, and is working to finance the development efforts in the lesser developed regions of Western Europe and America. This overseas development aid is largely intended to stop the flow of desperate…

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Beautiful sunsets in Ariccia, Italy

I was out in the Castelli Romani region, the hillside towns located to the south of Rome, on a  recent Sunday. My younger son was – once again – out there for a track and field meet in the town of Velletri on a  beautiful spring day. On the drive back to Rome, both my…

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