#IWSG post - TICK TOCK, A STITCH IN TIME. C LEE MCKENZIE. WEP.

Hi friends!

Hope your Easter was awesome!

This month, it's all happening. Of course, we have the A - Z Challenge, but two things are close to my heart. First, is the IWSG. I'm a bit early, but I want to squeeze so much in, you might need a day to read it, LOL. 

I was so busy writing last month, I forgot all about the IWSG for the FIRST TIME EVER, so I hope Alex will forgive me ((tugs forelock)). Which helps me answer the IWSG question of the month:

When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

I'm so upbeat about my writing, I don't have cloudy days or days filled with rain, except in my settings sometimes. Lucky me. I read a lot, so am inspired by awesome writers then I just wallow in the process myself. Selling a book or six will be a bonus one day soon.

If you have time in crazy April, please visit Alex J Cavanaugh and his awesome co-hosts this month - Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

And

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

Moving on from the IWSG, today, I suspect you're going to hear more about the anthology, Tick Tock, a Stitch in Crime, compiled by the IWSG. I offered to read/review the anthology, so some of my post today is to publicize Tick Tock and show you my review. 

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Amazon

Goodreads

MY REVIEW:

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of thought-provoking crime stories, eleven in all. The differing writing styles and story lines makes this a diverse collection, all linked together under the common theme of time.  Each contains some aspect of thriller, crime or mystery, but all are up against the clock. There's a time travel story (always a winner!), a paranormal whodunit (that got my attention!), and a multi-point of view revenge tale. The anthology had me flipping pages. Hooked. Some stories didn’t surprise me with their endings, while others did, always a bonus. As a whole, the stories drew me in and left me wanting to know more about the authors who were chosen for inclusion in the anthology. I did have favorites, but I don’t want to name them here or single anyone out, or leave anyone out. All of the authors created thoroughly engaging stories, writing to a high standard. Kudos to the editorial team.

I requested a pdf copy so I could prepare this review ahead of release day.

NOW I HAVE A GUEST POST FROM C LEE MCKENZIE...

Hi Denise. thanks so much for sharing news about Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime on your blog today. This is the fourth time I’ll be included in a group of short stories written to a theme. Each time I’m blown away by how all of the stories have a connection and yet are distinct.

Since I’ve been associated with several collections, I finally became curious about the word "anthology", so I looked it up. It seems the word entered our language in the 1600s. We borrowed it from the Greek word, "anthologia", which means The Garland. The story behind this odd association belongs to a Greek named, Meleager who collected lyric poets’ work, put them into a single collection and compared each poet to a flower or plant, forming, in a metaphorical way, a garland. I’m a word nut, so this was an interesting bit of information to tuck away.

In this anthology, there are eleven unique stories that have some aspect of thriller, crime or mystery all up against the clock. Among them is a futuristic time travel story, a paranormal whodunit, and a multi-point of view revenge tale.

Here’s the blurb to give you a better idea about the collection: Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. 

Stitch In Crime by Gwen Gardner

Until Release by Jemi Fraser

The Tide Waits by Rebecca M. Douglass

Center Lane by - Christine Clemetson

One More Minute by Mary Aalgaard

Reset by Tara Tyler

Three O’clock Execution by S.R. Betler

The Little Girl In The Bayou by J.R. Ferguson

Cypress, Like The Tree by Yolanda Renée

Gussy Saint and The Case Of The Missing Coed by C.D. Gallant-King

Heartless by C. Lee McKenzie

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting.

I hope everyone will stop by our new website for excerpts and stories behind the stories. 

Like our Facebook page.

Our Twitter link.Hashtag #TickTockMystery.

Thanks again, Denise. 

Lee

  

BUY LINKS COURTESY OF C LEE MCKENZIE:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Tick-Tock-Stitch-Gwen-Gardner/dp/1939844541/

B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tick-tock-gwen-gardner/1127886068?

ean=9781939844545

Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Tick%20Tock%3A%20A%20Stitch%20in%20Crime%20(Insecure%20Writer%27s%20Support%20Group)&ac=1&acp=Tick%20&ac.title=Tick%20Tock%3A%20A%20Stitch%20in%20Crime&ac.author=Insecure%20Writer%27s%20Support%20Group

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Tick+Tock%3A+A+Stitch+in+Crime

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38227821-tick-tock

WEP (Write...Edit...Publish)

Now I did say there were two things happening that were important to me. After you read my review and C Lee's post, I hope you don't have reader fatigue cuz I want to tell you that WEP (Write...Edit...Publish), that persistent online writing community full of adorable people, has posted their new challenge today for entries on April 18th or earlier. 

The theme is ROAD LESS TRAVELED. If you have something that would suit the theme, or you can make it work for the A - Z, please link it and go right ahead and submit your name to the list in my sidebar or at the WEP website. There's a $10 Amazon Gift Card for the outright winner!

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy the crazy month of April!

The #BooktagsBlogHop - The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. And my vampire novella is on Amazon!

Today I'm participating in Toi Thomas' #BooktagsBlogHop. Right up my alley. How about you? Not too late to tag along. The link is in my sidebar.

Here's what Toi has to say:

The purpose of this blog hop is for readers and writers to share what they are reading, have read, are writing, or have written with others. This is not about promoting free or discounted books, though some of those may be featured. This is about book lovers sharing what they love about books.  This blog hop is about the Joy of Reading and the Joy of Writing and is hosted by me, Toi Thomas, the 3rd Monday of each month.

Post No. 1 will be October 19, 2015.

To learn more, click here.

What I am reading:

First, here is my overview, then an excerpt from a favourite book I've read recently. I've read several in October, but one that stays with me is The Little Paris Bookshop. What a quirky little book about Jean Perdu who calls himself a 'literary apothecary', which translates to mean a bookseller who discerns which book/s you need/don't need to read at a given moment in your life. He lives on a beautifully-restored barge on the Seine in Paris near Notre Dame and, being a troubled soul himself, his aim is to help other troubled souls. But the person he can't cure of torment is himself. He's nursed a broken heart for twenty odd years, when the love of his life left him. When a strange turn of events pops up and he actually reads the letter his ex-lover sent him, he realises that he's been a fool--his lover was dying and was hoping he'd visit her before her death, 21 years ago. So the story gets underway when on a whim, he unhooks his barge and heads downriver to Provence, to reacquaint himself with his past. But not before bestselling author Max jumps on board. The barge trip includes many unusual adventures, a love story to France's beautiful rivers and coasts and a completely charming ending.

An extract can't do justice to what I love about this book, but I'll try. Here is an extract close to the beginning which gives you an idea of the quirkiness of the story:

'No,' Monsieur Perdu said. 'I'd rather not sell you this book.'
Gently he pried Night from the lady's hand. Of the many novels on his book barge - the vessel moored on the Seine that he had named Literary Apothecary - she had inexplicably chosen the notorious bestseller by Maximilian 'Max' Jordan, the earmuff wearer from the third floor in Rue Montagnard. (M. Perdu's apartment building). 
The customer looked at the bookseller, taken aback.
'Why not?'
'Max Jordan doesn't suit you.'
'Max Jordan doesn't suit me?'
'That's right. He's not your type.'
'My type. Okay. Excuse me, but maybe I should point out to you that I've come to your book barge for a book. Not a husband, mon cher Monsieur.'
'With all due respect, what you read is more important in the long term than the man you marry, ma chère Madame.'
She looked at him through eyes like slits.
'Give me the book, take my money, and we can both pretend it's a nice day.'
'It is a nice day, and tomorrow is the start of summer, but you're not going to get this book. Not from me. May I suggest a few others?'
'Right, and flog me some old classic you're too lazy to throw overboard where it can poison the fish?' 
'Books aren't eggs, you know. Simply because a book has aged a bit doesn't mean it's gone bad.' There was an edge to M. Perdu's voice. 'What is wrong with old? Age isn't a disease. We all grow old, even books. But are you, is anyone, worth less, or less important, because they've been around for longer?'
'It's absurd how you're twisting everything, all because you don't want me to have that stupid Night book.'
***
'Hello?' called M. Perdu. 'Can I help you?'
'I'm not looking for anything,' croaked Max Jordan.
The bestselling author stepped tentatively forward with a honeydew melon in each hand, his obligatory earmuffs riveted to his head.
'Have the three of you been standing there long, M. Jordan?'
Jordan nodded, and a blush of embarrassment spread to the roots of his dark hair.
'I arrived just as you were refusing to sell my book to that lady,' he said unhappily. 
Oh dear. That was rather bad timing.

What I am writing:
As well as reading, I've been writing/editing up a storm. At 8.10 pm Sunday night, I finally pressed Publish for my vampire novella which I told you about last week. Cutting it fine for Halloween. Wish me well. More later. My cover designer, Jennie, decided to have her baby early, so with my husband's help, I came up with this temporary cover. What do you think?  Now available on Amazon worldwide. I've included the most popular links...Of course, I'd love it if you bought it for the low price of 99c and wrote a short review, even though I understand that huge TBR list you have!

Amazon.com

Amazon.uk

Amazon.au

The WEP Halloween challenge goes live this Wednesday. Still not too late to jump onboard and share something scary that someone else created, or something you created. Submit your name and URL to your post in my sidebar.

Have a great week! 

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse #bookreview -- The Quality of Silence by @Rosamundlupton.

Hello book lovers!

Time for Armchair Squid'sThe Cephalopod Coffeehouse again! I've read so many books this month but Lupton's is my favourite, no question. It's the third book of hers I've read and loved. First was Sister, then Afterwards, then this thrilling and chilling story of a mother and her daughter who can only communicate through sign language, yet take off on a crazy trip across the very north of Alaska to the Arctic Circle.

Click here to read more book reviews

On 24th November Yasmin and her deaf daughter Ruby arrive in Alaska. Through the madness of circumstances, within hours they are driving...alone... across a frozen wilderness. Here, nothing grows, no one lives and even the tears on your face freeze.

The reader is taken along on a wild ride in the cab of a huge truck with Yasmin at the wheel. Luckily, her talent in physics helps her work out the science of keeping this monster truck on track in the impossible conditions. But the extreme conditions, especially the perpetual darkness, add to the tension and terror as they go in pursuit of Ruby's father and Yasmin's husband who police believe has been burned to death along with the whole population of an Iniut village near the Arctic Circle. But there are other mysterious forces at work, related to the fracking that has been taking place in this previously pristine landscape. Could this disaster be related to the greed of big business? So, Yasmin and Ruby embark on a surreal adventure to find Yasmin's husband and Ruby's father. Against every well-meaning (and often threatening) word of caution, they steal a truck and drive north into a hideous,yet inspiring adventure in search of answers.

The book gets its title from Ruby's disability along with the deep silence of the frozen north.

Night will last for another 54 days.

They are looking for Ruby's father.

Travelling deeper into a silent land.

They still cannot find him.

And someone is watching them in the dark.

Thanks for visiting/reading.

• Have your read any of Rosamund Lupton's thrilling books?

I was going to post for Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 24th but missed it. If you haven't already, check out Hilary Melton-Butcher's excellent post on this dreadful asbestos-related disease.

If you want to continue the thrills, sign up for WEP's Halloween challenge. Linky open in 2 days!

 

From the Couch With Chrys Fey, including my review of Witch of Death.

Hi everyone!

Now wasn't Roland Yeomans entertaining as he spoke From the Couch! I hope you learned something you didn't know about him previously. Go to my next post if you missed him!

Now this week is a little different. I'm featuring Chrys Fey, beloved of many of us. Her blog (Write with Fey) posts are scheduled like a year in advance or something amazingly ridiculous, but it works for her! And we all benefit from very practical 'how-to' posts much of the time. 

Now, musn't dally, as because Chrys has launched her new story, Witch of Death on May 20th, this post is going to be a bit longer than usual. Long posts are a joy to me to read, but I know many of you get itsy after a couple of hundred words. Just skip to the salient bits!

ON THE COUCH WITH CHRYS FEY!

The word that best describes me is...

Determined. When I set out on a new goal, I head toward it with all I’ve got.

My favourite smell is...

Baking bread. Oh it’s the best! Especially if it’s banana bread.

A song that gives me goosebumps is…

Somewhere by Within Temptation. Seriously...listen to it!

My favourite movie of all time is...

Little Women with Winona Ryder. I’m a huge fan of Louisa May Alcott and love Jo!

My first job was...

Going door-to-door trying to get subscriptions to the Florida Today newspaper. Yes, I was one of those annoying kids. I hated it because I didn’t like talking to strangers, but I was the best seller because everyone thought I was sweet. ;)

I began writing when I was...

Twelve years old and found a rusted screw with a crooked tip in the grass next to my house. For the strangest reason, I got a story idea while looking at that pathetic screw. It was essentially the key to my creativity. I started writing a story right then and there and never stopped.

My most treasured possession are...

The notebooks of the first series I ever wrote. I was twelve when I started the series, after I found that magical screw, and I was seventeen when I stopped writing the series. I stopped because I ended up rewriting them, but I can’t even throw out the original books. Those notebooks were a huge part of my childhood.

Books I loved as a child:

Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman, the Little House on the Prairie books, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.

If you are a writer, tell us about your latest project.

I recently published two short story eBooks Ghost of Death and Witch of Death. Right now I am working on book three in my Disaster Crimes series. As a matter of fact, I just sent book two (to follow Hurricane Crimes) to my publisher. My fingers are crossed.

What is your writing plan?

To finish my Disaster Crimes series. The next four stories will all be novels and available in print, which is awesome since I’ve only published short stories and novellas in eBook format. So I’m thrilled about that. I also hope to publish a couple of short stories to go with things already available. But those stories are still secrets. ;)

Where do you do most of your writing?

Either on the couch while watching TV or at my desk with my headphones plugged in and strapped to my head. I’m one of those writers who like sound.

I relax by...

Plopping down on the couch with a good book, hot tea, and some chocolate.

The point of life is...

To try. We all go through hard times and traumas, we all fail and fall, we all have dreams and goals, we all experience grief and heartbreak, but we just never stop trying...trying to strive, love, and live.

NOW I'VE JUST READ WITCH OF DEATH AND OFFERED TO REVIEW IT IN WITH THIS POST.

Firstly, Chrys is a great writer. I read so much, (52 books so far this year!) but am not enamored of reading e-books (so I'm pleased that Chrys is going into print soon!), but I did sweep through Witch of Death. Chrys had me hooked from the get-go.

NOW, MY REVIEW...

Chrys is, in my opinion, a writer who has learned her craft. I'm a sucker for wonderful imagery. Description delights me. And Chrys has mastered the art.

For example, CHAPTER ONE begins:
"The moon was a ceramic bowl overflowing with milk in the amethyst sky, and all the stars were sugar crystals." Nice scene setting, isn't it, but you just know things aren't going to stay nicey nicey in Chrys' spellbinding story. Skip down a few lines: "At the end of the street a tidal wave of white fog billowed over the black pavement...and crashed into houses..." Oops. Not good. Then..."Inside the deflated cloud a woman manifested..." And so the story gets underway and continues with relentless suspense. 

This is a magical love story. All excellent stories have a romantic element I think. We are human after all, well most of us are, and we like to see love overcome obstacles. Liberty Sawyer and Detective Reid Sanders have a mountain of obstacles to overcome if they are going to have a crack at the happily-ever-after. 

There's a witch causing mayhem in the town, and Liberty is the only one with any idea of the modus operandi of this evil murderer. Obstacle number one, Reid, no believer in what he can't touch or see, marks Liberty as the number one suspect, even while she uses her skills as a witch to fight against time to solve these horrific crimes. It doesn't help her case that she looks like your typical evil witch: "Black hair fell from a rigid part in the middle of her scalp to her hips. Her eyes were a soul-stabbing blue and her lips were blood-red". Ooh, aah! 

Will Liberty solve the crimes in time to save herself? Will Reid come to respect her magic abilities and work with her instead of against her? Will they stop this rampaging witch before Liberty loses her life?

Pick up Chrys' story to find the answers. You'll love it!

My only criticism is that it's too short! I want to read more about Liberty and Reid!

Here's the blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.
Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT CHRYS' BOOK

Title: Witch of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 45 (short story)

Release Date: May 20th, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

HERE'S CHRYS' BIO: 

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

Author Links:

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads

Thank you dear readers (sorry, just re-read Pride and Prejudice with a student) for coming by today for From the Couch with Chrys Fey, and to support her as she launches her new story. Please leave a comment. Both Chrys and I would love to hear what you think!

Now, who's next to recline on my couch? Come by next week to see! On May 30th I'm participating in Lexa Cain's SUMMER bloghop!

If you enjoyed this post, please share using the social media buttons below...

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse Book Review - Memories of Murder, Yolanda Renee

Hello there, book lovers. Greetings from Spain! 

Spending many hours on planes helps with the reading. I have been reading blogger e-books in my travel downtime. Today I'm reviewing Yolanda Renee's Memories of Murder, the second in her Detective Steven Quaid murder mystery series. I don't know how many people will be reading blogs after the joys of Christmas feasts, but here we go...

Thanks to Armchair Squid who organises the monthly book reviews. The idea of the Coffeehouse is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you've finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same.  In this way, we'll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers.  Please join us:

An Amazon review is more helpful than a blog review, so being short of time as I travel, I first wrote the Amazon/Goodread's review and am pasting an updated version below. 

The second in the series of the Detective Quaid Mysteries kept me riveted throughout. I'd enjoyed meeting the characters, artist Sarah Palmer and Detective Steven Quaid in the first book, Murder, Madness and Love, and found Yolanda Renee's writing style to be fast and furious as she takes the reader on a whirlwind ride as Sarah and Steven attempt to overcome obstacles to their relationship. This time the settings include Paris!

It is often a cliche to say you couldn't put a book down, but that is how these books affected me. I was often annoyed with Sarah's decisions in the first book, feeling her desire to be independent put herself and those around her at risk, and Sarah's independence continues to be a plot mover in the second book which I have just finished. Will the damage and pain she has suffered in the past allow her to accept help from those around her?

In Memories of Murder there is the ghastly spectre of Lucifer, the all-to-real demon who haunts Sarah's dreams, turning them into nightmares that she paints in an effort to make sense of what she is experiencing. Lucifer's desire is to have Sarah, and it is Detective Steven Quaid's mission to find Lucifer before he kills any more innocent victims on his quest to have Sarah. At times the macabre scenes are repugnant, so be prepared for blood and gore in the demonic rituals. (Side note: Yolanda adds explanations for these rituals at the end of her book).

Despite the gruesome machinations of Lucifer, the love story between Steven and Sarah is the central theme of the book. Their on-again of-again relationship is frustrating for the reader who just wants them to get over their distrust, their misunderstandings, their insecurities and their careers which put obstacles in the way of their relationship. There are those who seek to steal their love - Scott Chase is still determined to have Sarah, and Alice the Terrible, who was brought into the case as a professional to supposedly help Sarah, does everything she can to keep Steven away from Sarah and to have Steven for herself. What is annoying is that both Steven and Sarah allow themselves to be manipulated by those around them and believe the worst of each other, even though they love each other deeply. 

All through the novel with its central plot and sub plots, the reader wonders - will Sarah survive? Will Lucifer be brought down? Will Sarah and Steven come to trust each other enough to allow their love to win over all? How will such a driven couple ever let their love take precedence over their careers?

Read Memories of Murder to find out how/if they work their way through the obstacles.

About this author

I really wanted to be a drummer, or a race car driver. Obviously I'm neither, but they are on my bucket list, that and owning my very own fire breathing dragon!

I've always loved books and it was through books that I escaped and experienced all the things I'd only been able to dream about - through the stories, the characters, and the places created by talented authors. From Caroline Keene, Judy Bolton, Agatha Christie, Harold Robbins, Danielle Steele, and my all time favorite Stephen King. Now I read K J Larsen , Jennifer Hillier, Joanie McDonell, Maryann Miller, J D Robb, well, pretty much everyone and anyone who gets their words in front of me! I LOVE BOOKS!

I've always been a writer, always loved making things up - a crazy imagination is a good thing - or is it just being crazy?

You decide!(less)

• I have lots of Amazon Gift Cards to put to good use, so if you can recommend a great e-book for me to buy, please do so!
• Have you read Yolanda's Detective Quaid series? What did you think?
• Thinking about New Year's resolutions? Sign up now for Write...Edit...Publish's January challenge - NEW BEGINNINGS.

There is a full list of the next 6 month's WEP challenges in my side bar and on the WEP site.

A Thousand Days in Venice - #book review for The Cephalopod Coffehouse.

I'm about to head off for my next overseas adventure in a few days, so out of time. Therefore I'm re-posting a book review I wrote for the Reading at Dawn book review blog, for one of my favourite genres - travel memoir. I have quite a collection as you can imagine. Here is just one of my favourites...

And before I get underway, I must advise you that I use Grammarly for english proofreading because I really like the idea of Grammarly as a metaphor for sentinels standing guard over my writing, slashing and burning all those typos, spelling and punctuation errors and grammar mistakes, but obviously kind enough to overlook my mixed metaphors.

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi - a travel memoir

Travel memoirs are charming books that tell the often-enhanced travel stories of people just like us but who get to travel, then write about it, then travel some more...and write about it. Now that's Utopia...to me! 

Another much-loved fiction author is the effervescent Italian, Adrianna Trigiani, who has this to say - "The great Marlena de Blasi writes fairy tales for grown ups." Well, this book, and others that Marlena has since written, are my kind of fairy tale.

A Thousand Days In Venice is a charming story about love found late in life and straight away the story will resonate with many readers. Marlena is a divorced American chef who decides to leave her material possessions and America behind and travel to Venice, Italy, and lo and behold she finds love with a "blueberry-eyed Venetian." At first she thinks she is too old for romantic love and intimacy and wants to run away, but is inexplicably drawn into a romance which would seem to most, utterly impossible. 

Marlena chooses to take a risk, to follow her heart and venture out into a world of new possibilities. She leaves her well-established life in the U.S, two grown children and a beautiful home in St. Louis to begin a new life with a Venetian she calls "the stranger..." 

...which I thought was a bit strange. It bothered me how she called this man, Fernando, "The Stranger," not just when she first met him, but throughout most of the book. Maybe she thought it added to the strange allure of Venice, a city where the idea of meeting and making love to a stranger is folklore, especially during Carnavale.

Fernando, "The Stranger" is at times demanding in his wishes, which was strange since it was Marlena who was making the big changes, not him. He really wasn't the one giving up anything. He was also rather controlling in day-to-day living, just as you would expect of the stereotypical pampered adult male Mumma's boy used to getting what he wants. He imposes his wishes on her and expects her to conform, yet you can tell Marlena isn't the type who would usually be pushed around by a man. I'm glad I gritted my teeth at his at times mincing habits as he did change later as the relationship developed.

As you can imagine, this is a mammoth crossroads in Marlena's life and she turns to her best friend Misha for advice. As Marlena is struggling with her feelings about this new-found love and discussing the ramifications with Misha she receives some poignant advice:

"Now that it has presented itself to you, could you dare to imagine turning away form it for anything or anyone?" 

Misha tells of love she has once known:

"I was afraid that the sentiments would change. I was afraid of some form of betrayal and so I walked away. I betrayed it before it could betray me. And maybe I thought life inside that intensity would suffocate me. So I chose a sort of pleasant, safe compromise, an emotion less than passion and more than tolerance. Isn't that what most of us choose?"

Don't most of us more often than not choose the "safe road" in our lives?  Doing a Robert Frost and choosing 'the road less travelled' can be a scary thought and there are not many of us that have the stomach for it. I've read other memoirs of 50-somethings who run away from their life, find another country, find another man, and live either happily or confusedly ever after (check our the Australian Mary Moody's books on escaping to France. Hot. Hot. Hot.) Marlena's story was bringing up conflicting emotions for me as I both admired her for it, and felt maybe she was a little crazy for it too, especially with 'The Stranger' who I know I couldn't live with for a minute! But, ah, Venice I could live with forever!

Marlena de Blasi has a very descriptive writing style which is beautiful and lush. She takes you right into the streets of Venice. You can smell and see the foods that she describes with her chef's eye and palate and I could visualise myself walking down those same fascinating streets or sitting by the Adriatic Sea. (I've since visited Venice and followed in Marlena's footsteps but I took my own non-'stranger' with me.) There were many thoughtful and insightful paragraphs that grabbed me in this book. Marlena. de Blasi makes you ponder choices in life and imagine wonderful worlds of possibilities that might just be in reach after all. But possibly more so in Venice than anywhere else, seeing as it is one of the most fascinating and romantic cities in the world.

This was the first book of Marlena de Blasi's that I had read. I've since read all her travels through Italy - Tuscany and Umbria. Beautiful. Exciting. Being a chef, she has written at least two cookbooks on regional Italian food. 

• Would you like to be swept off your feet by an unexpected romance?
• Would you give up your home country for your new love? 
• Do you enjoy reading travel narratives? Tell me about them...

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