New stash of books
Not living in an Englsih-speaking country, I tend to get excited by book stores when I return home to the US or visit other Englsih-speaking countries. Yes, we have English-language bookstores in Rome, but they tend to have narrow selsctions. And oredering online isn’t the same as browsing bookstores. I was only back in the…
Read MoreSanta Maria Maggiore – The Papal Basilica where Pope Francis is buried
With the recent death of Pope Francis and his decision to be buried not in the Vatican, but at Santa Maria Maggiore, it seemed like a good time to spotlight this impressive basilica. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s four papal basilicas. The others are Saint Peter’s, Saint John Lateran and Saint Paul Without…
Read MoreNew book award for Easter at The Three Coins Inn
Pleased to have received my third book award for my latest release, Easter at The Three Coins Inn. This is the second installment of my new Three Coins series. I’m especially pleased it recently won The Book Fest Award 2025, Women’s Fiction- First Place. Creating this series, set in the heart of Umbria’s Todi, has been…
Read MoreAdmiring Exeter’s Cathedral between bouts of rain
This past autumn, I was in Devon, England for the Historical Novel Society Conference. While there, I joined one of the organized trips for us to visit Exeter’s Norman-Gothic cathedral, and to enjoy a wander around the pretty town. The Exeter Cathedral was founded in 1050, but was expanded between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.…
Read MoreGet your copy of Easter at The Three Coins Inn during this pre-Easter sale!
Yesterday, I had a BookBub promotion for my latest novel, Easter at The Three Coins Inn, in the UK, Australia and Canada, with my novel on sale for just 99 pence and 99 cents in those countries through Tuesday. As a pre-Easter treat, I decided to extend the sale to my readers in the rest…
Read MoreEnjoying the early spring rays in Marche’s seaside Fano
It was a glorious, sunny March day and my husband and I were were driving from our weekend trip to Urbino and long the Marche coast back to Rome. We had never been to seaside Fano, and since it was on our way we stopped off to explore this beach town. The weather was perfect…
Read MoreEditing, with a view…
Let the editing begin … in Urbino! At this stage, I’ve published a fair amount. And while I always love the writing process, editing still remains a slog. So, when I can sweeten the pot a bit, it always improves the process. That’s why I was thrilled to have finished the first draft of my…
Read MoreThe stunning fourteenth century frescoes in Padova’s Palazzo della Ragione
You can’t miss this spectacular structure on your visit to pretty Padova. I’ve already written about the picturesque Piazza della frutta and Piazza delle erbe, on which this palace is located. The bottom of the Palazzo della Ragione (The Palace of Reason) was dedicated to a covered market built in 1166, but the upper section…
Read MoreCall out to Book Clubs!
Is your book club dreaming of a trip to Italy? If so, I may have the solution for you. My novels and short stories (with the exception of one – a time travel story for Jane Austen lovers set in Bath, England) all take place in Italy, and may be perfect for your book club…
Read MoreTraining it along the “English Riviera”
This past autumn, I traveled to Devon, UK for the Historical Novel Society conference. Flying in to Exeter, I took a bus to the train station, and then embarked on a trip down to the Devon coastline – also known as England’s Riviera. I nabbed a coastline window so I could catch views of the…
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