Stepping back into the past, in elegant Mantova
My first two years living in Italy, I was in Milan. While there, I explored many towns in the Lombardy region, of which Milan serves as the regional capital. Since I’ve moved to Rome, I have returned to Milan, but it has been years since I’ve been back to eplore many of Lombardy’s charming towns.…
Read MoreLooking for a spooky read? Try my Rome’s Last Noble Palace
I don’t generally write Halloween-appropriate fiction. My novels are mostly contemporary or historical women’s fiction. But when I wrote my dual timeline novel set it Rome, I chose to have a ghostly presence unite my two protagonists living in a Roman palazzo over a century apart. And I’ve heard from many readers – and read…
Read MoreBack to colonial times, in Williamsburg, Virginia
The last time I was in Williamsburg, Virginia was when I was a liitle girl. I remember my mom had sewed for me a colonial gown, with a little cap I loved, and I wore it that day, very proud to be dressed the part. I had an elderly aunt who lived in nearby Newport…
Read MoreMy May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn wanted to hang out in a Madrid literary cafe
When I was recently in Madrid, I couldn’t pass over the chance to take my latest novel, May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn, to visit this famed Madrid literary café, the Gran Café de Gijón. This café was opened in 1888, by Gumersindo Gómez, an Austrian-born Spaniard from northern Spain. This café became an…
Read MoreA night at the opera … in Madrid
While in Madrid last month, I also made time for an opera performance. The Madrid opera was playing Giaccomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, and I got tickets to see it. My hotel in Puerta del Sol was less than a ten-minute walk from the opera house, making it quite easy to reach after a hectic day…
Read MoreBack from the European Writers’ Salon Madrid 2026
At the end of September, I attended the European Writers’ Salon in Madrid, Spain. I’ve been to a few writers’ conferences, and I always enjoy them, but this was my first time with the European Writers’ Salon. They have several pop-up salons throughout the year, but their main salon is held each September, in a…
Read MoreFrankfurt’s picturesque Römerplatz
I had been many years since I was back in Frankfurt, so when I returned last spring, I was eager to return to picturesque Römerplatz, otherwise known as Römersberg. This is the heart of Frankfurt’s old town, and has served as the seat of municipal government since the 15th century. In the past, I’ve been…
Read MoreExcited to have a BookBub deal today on my Dark Blue Waves!
My ebook Dark Blue Waves is available on BookBub for $0.99 – 0.99 pence – 0.99 euro cents – 0.99 Canadian cents on Amazon and Kobo for a limited time! Subscribe to BookBub for free to access amazing ebook deals from your favorite authors. Go to the link here to snag Dark Blue Waves before…
Read MoreAn evening in Teramo, Abruzzo
I spend a lot of time in the Italian region of Abruzzo, but strangely, until this summer, I had never visited Teramo. I’d driven by Teramo numerous times, heading off to other destinations. I always told myself that if I had time, I’d stop off – but I never did. So, when my younger son…
Read MoreRock-Rock-Rock- Rockaway Beach – in Queens, New York
Love that when you’re in New York, you can have a fabulous beach day by simply hopping on the subway’s A train. My New York apartment is on this line, so the trip from Harlem to Queen’s Rockaway Beach is one I do frequently in the summer. It’s a long trip, but well worth it.…
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