Taking my novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, out to meet its setting
My newest novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is set in modern days – in the Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, and in the nearby town of Pescina at the eve of WWI. While Pescina is very real, Marsicano is an invented Italian mountain town. However, it bears a striking resemblance to the real…
Read MoreReturning to dorm life – at Durham University
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…
Read MoreMarking Armistice Day through WWI literature
Today is Armistice Day. The day in which the end of WWI fighting was declared at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. I am fascinated by WWI stories. I love the era and the way society was changing at the outset of the twentieth century. In order to…
Read MoreBourbon & old-style charm in Lexington, Kentucky
It doesn’t take long in the state to discover that Kentucky is bourbon country. Last summer I was driving through Kentucky with my family and we stopped off one night at Lexington, Kentucky – first time for me. We had been on a loooong drive, so it was good to park and stretch our legs…
Read MoreAbruzzo’s WWI Memorial soldiers in In The Shadow of The Apennines
An important symbol in my newly released novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is the memorial soldier statue found at the high peak of the Italian mountain town that serves as the setting of my story. My novel’s protagonist, Samantha, is an American who moves to the tiny Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, hoping…
Read MoreEnjoying fall foliage on an Abruzzo getaway
I was in desperate need for a weekend get-away out in the mountains, and so was my son. The weather forecasts were perfect, and we decided to take a short get-away to our favorite mountain hamlet in Abruzzo – Ovindoli. It was exactly what we needed: fresh mountain air, long walks, fall foliage, and fantastic…
Read MoreA big shout-out to Bookstagrammers and book bloggers supporting my launch
I’m hardly an expert, but this is the third book launch I have under my belt, so at least I’ve gleaned some knowledge about how book promotion is done. And, as I’ve learned, it’s wonderful to leave things to the experts. So pleased to have my Bookstagrammer launch tour through Kate Rock Book tours. Kate…
Read MoreA whirlwind stop-off at the Jim Beam Distillery, Kentucky
Anyone who has ever been to Kentucky knows – this is Bourbon Country. Kentucky boasts forty distilleries producing 200 brands of bourbon, spread out along the state, and boasting bourbon trail visits for visitors. We definitely need to get back to do this, but on our big driving tour this summer, we had limited time…
Read MoreHappy Publication Day to In The Shadow of the Apennines!
It’s here….!! I am so excited to announce that my new novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, officially launches TODAY! As fellow writers know, it takes a lot to get a novel out into the world, so, even if there will be a million details to handle and assessments to make, launch day is…
Read MoreIn love with atmospheric Spanish moss
Anyone who has traveled in the southern United States will have noticed the beautiful, atmospheric Spanish moss that graces the oak trees there. Whenever I return, it never fails to make me smile. I love it in the daytime. I love it at night, when it adds an air of mystery. And I love it…
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