Views from the top of Pey-Berland belltower in Bordeaux
The views from the top of this 66 meter/216 feet tall belltower are spectacular – well worth the 231 steps you must climb to get up there. Construction on this clock tower began in 1440. It was physically separated from its cathedral, Saint Andre, to protect the church structure from the vibrations caused by daily…
Read MorePreparing for my next Three Coins novel…
What they don’t tell you about being a novelist is that you had better enjoy your own work, because you’ll be reading it a lot! I am doing that in these days as I prepare my next novel, May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn: Three Coins 3. I am having it formatted, and that…
Read MoreRome’s ex-Aquarium … that was never an aquarium
Living in Rome, I often pass the “ex acquario”, the former aquarium. For years, it was closed entirely, but I was always impressed by its beautiful exterior. Later, I would learn it was never truly an aquarium. The building was planned for Piazza Manfredo Fanti, in Rome’s Esquilino district, right beside the Termini railway station.…
Read MoreNew Literary Global Book Award for Easter at The Three Coins Inn
Happy to share the good news that my latest novel, Easter at The Three Coins Inn : Three Coins 2, has just won its fifth book award! This is good news – but even better, because I’ll soon be releasing the next in the series, May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn: Three Coins 3,…
Read MoreBordeaux’ stunning Place de la Bourse
Last November, I visited Bordeaux, France for the first time. It’s a city I’d been “meaning to visit” for many years, but it was such a pleasure to finally make it to this beautiful city. One of the first places to visit when you’re in Bordeaux is the spectacular Place de la Bourse. This is…
Read MoreGetting a start on my 2026 writing…
We’re a little over a week into 2026, and I’m thinking about writing goals in the new year. I always enjoy considering my writing goals for the year. I don’t always meet them, but I generally try to hold myself accountable to what I’ve mapped out for myself. With my steadily growing pile of published…
Read MoreIn the steps of the Grand Tour – at Castello del Gallo, Mandela
I had a wonderful trip to visit the Castello del Gallo, in Mandela, a small town east of Rome. The castle was taken over by the Orsini family in the 1600s, and would later be purchased by the Gallo family, with its connection to Giulia Bonaparte, cousin of Napoleon Bonapart III, and patron of the…
Read MoreWrapping up my 2025 reading year
Happy New Year! Absolutely no idea where the time goes anymore, but hard to believe 2025 is now over – and it was another great year in books. Once again, I met my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2025, reading 46 books of my proposed 45. A whopping 14,622 pages of fabulous books. And yes,…
Read MoreThe wonderful Cité du vin, in Bordeaux
I had a wonderful time on my recent trip to Bordeaux, France. There was so much to enjoy about this city, but one can’t visit Bordeaux without learning about one of its most important industries – fine wines. Luckily, there’s a fabulous museum you can visit to learn all about wine – Bordeaux’ Cité du…
Read MoreMy time travel novel, Dark Blue Waves, is having a 99 cents sale
It’s the end of the year, and who doesn’t need a bit more romance, fantasy – and Jane Austen – in their lives? I have a 99 cents/pence BookBub deal taking place tomorrow on my novel Dark Blue Waves in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom … and I decided to extend it to the…
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