Christmas cheer in Montepulciano and Pienza, Tuscany

Pienza, Tuscany/ Kimberly Sullivan

Earlier this month, I was in Tuscany for a weekend with my family, and we enjoyed seeing the cheery Christmas decorations. They were especially pretty in the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza – two gorgeous Tuscan hilltowns.   Montepulciano is a steep medieval hilltown (bring good walking shoes), known for its long wine tradition. Montepulciano…

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … in Verona

Verona, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

Fitting for a Saint Nicholas Day post that we start taking a look at Christmas decorations. This day (or 8 December – The Immaculate Conception) is when many Italian towns begin decorating their centers – although the date is constantly being pushed earlier. Luckily for us, the decorations were up at the start of December…

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Learning the craft of short stories

Short stories/ Kimberly Sullivan

While I’m not a fan of Zoom-work, or Zoom-school, I do have to admit I am a big fan of Zoom writing craft classes. I have been taking them recently, and I am pleased to join in on classes I wouldn’t otherwise be able to join. When you’re  a writer, craft classes always provide new…

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A mini-New Orleans in Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama/ Kimberly Sullivan

My visit last summer to Mobile, Alabama was my first visit to that Gulf Coast town. We arrived in Mobile after a stay in New Orleans, Louisiana, so our first impression was of Mobile a mini-New Orleans, with similar architecture along Mobile’s main stretch. Mobile is Alabama’s oldest city, with a history stretching back over…

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One year as a NetGalley Reviewer!

NetGalley - Women's Fiction

It has been about one year since I have joined NetGalley as a book reviewer! If you don’t yet know NetGalley, it is an ARC (advanced readers’ copies) distibution platform where publishers and indie authors alike post soon-to-be published books to be read in exchange for an honest review. I first joined NetGalley as a…

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Palladian splendor in Vicenza, Italy

Vicenza, Italy / Kimberly Sullivan

I adore the northern small city of Vicenza, in Italy’s Veneto region. I first came here many years ago, and had not been back in years. When my youngest son had a cross-country race nearby, I jumped on the change to get back and visit this jewelbox of a town. I was not disappointed to…

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Returning to dorm life – at Durham University

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

As you can probably imagine, it has been many, many years since I took part in dorm life. In graduate school, I lived in an apartment, but even during my undergraduate years, I only lived in the dorms my freshman year. By second year, I had moved into my sorority, and the final two years…

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