Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Book Launch!

Had a very swanky book launch on Wednesday at the Italian Cultural Institute in Berkeley Square, a really lovely place. It was a very smart affair, champagne all round and a great gathering of family and friends. Once my speech was over (I kept it short!) I was able to enjoy Sara Girolamo singing some Italian folk songs, and Micheal Campari (great name!) crooning some appropriately Italian-themed standards like 'That's Amore'! Thanks to everyone who turned up, and to our gracious hosts at the Institute. Back to reality now with some more book signings around London, and then back up to my beloved north country next week for an event in Colne.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

On page four of the Botticelli Secret you use the term *you* to your audience. It's used as the narrator, not one character to another. This makes your whole book second person, not first as you claim in your readers guide.

Lynn said...

Just finished The Botticelli Secret - beautiful! Thank you for opening this world to me!

I wish to visit Italy one day soon... as I journey to become a certified Sommelier, I had originally wanted to visit "Italia" for the food, wine and culture. Now I have the new misssion of uncovering and devouring the history of this Mediterranean gem!

Unknown said...

i have just read Botticelli's Secret and enjoyed it a great deal as I have studied the iconography of paintings of this period and wrote an essay about Madonna of the Rocks as a posssibly political secret message to Il Moro from Lorenzo de Medici so it all chimes with me. I can see clearly the background knowledge that you bring discreetly to bear on the story. I enjoyed it very much, lots of accurate details. I particularly liked the sassy heroine.

Kay

Unknown said...

I got the Glassblower of Murano from the library based on the title and found the story fairly good, but quit shortly after encountering the disastrous description of the man working glass with his bare skin which would char it in fractions of a second and of his putting up glass for the chandelier without annealing because it would shatter in minutes. Pity you didn't ask someone about this kind of detail. I work this stuff.

Dee DeTarsio said...

Dear Marina--I'm a big fan--Luciana Vetra is one of my all-time favorite characters, ever! My husband and I just returned from Italy and I was lucky enough to stand in front of La Primavera at the Ufizi in Florence for half an hour (until I inadvertently had a run in with some old man tourist's 'crown jewels' who was standing a lit-tle too close for comfort, geeze!)

I loved The Glassblower of Milano, and at risk of sounding like a stalker, I am bummed that I cannot get a copy of Madonna of The Almonds--not even on the kindle, yet! I can't wait to read it!

(I love your writing--my first novel, The Scent of Jade, an action/adventure set in Costa Rica, is on Amazon.com)

Anonymous said...

hi! i finished your boticelli's secret just a moment ago. i bought it in perth because i was intrigued by renaissance era. thx to ur book my interest in renaissance has grown bigger. i'm pretty sure i'll love your next; the horsemen of siena.


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