Junefinnigan's Weblog

Ciao Ragazzi

 My man and I have just returned from our coffee fix in Fiano and I am getting on with this blog, which I had intended doing yesterday!  A glorious day and expected to be 24 degrees by lunchtime.  Today I am talking about the lovely Silvio B, the Cuckoo and My Father, The Assassin.

 “La casa brucia, altro che pettinarele bombole. Governo forte o elezione!”  The house is on fire, another that combs the cylinders!  Strong government or election!  Well that’s the translation as quoted on his personal Facebook page ten hours ago.  Silvio Berlusconi will be back.  Vertically challenged, rotund and wearing makeup, at 76 a very high percentage of the female voters love him.  506,000 ‘like’ him on Facebook and you can be sure they are not all women.  Crowds have been thronging to the piazzas to hear him blow his own trumpet.

 So, on to the subject of the cuckoo.  No the bird variety silly!  Our feathered friend arrived last Tuesday and locals are talking excitedly about the formal arrival of spring.  All outside areas from balconi to giardini are being made ready for living and eating outside. And the weekenders, who own the property behind us, are outside playing ping-pong.  I cannot describe how good it is to be breathing in the warm scented air.

 My man thought you might like to read an extract of my novel, ‘My Father, The Assassin’.  Now remember this is his idea, however, if you have not already read the book I will be interested to know if it encourages you to do so.  So here is a bit of chapter 6 where Joanna is preparing to leave for Singapore on her quest to follow the ghost of her father; she rings her daughter Emma…..

 After putting the phone down on the enthusiastic Jimmy, I realised that I was probably rushing into this adventure of mine without any proper planning.  I rang Emma.  “Mum, how are you?  Harry‘s just landed himself a superb job running the John Nichols Golf and Country Club.  That means we have free access to all the facilities and it‘s the best club in the country now.  Did you know that annual membership is £15,000 a year and you need to be sponsored by an existing member?  Harry won‘t have to pay his fee anymore, instead they’re going to be paying him – isn‘t that just amazing?  Oh god!  Finny has just come in with the dead rabbit the cat was playing with, hold on a minute!”  The receiver clattered onto the table, and I listened to Emma shouting at Finny the lurcher and trying to retrieve the poor dead rabbit. “Blast” Emma gasped, “he‘s gone under the bed with it, can you believe it?  Harry will have to sort it out; Finny doesn‘t take a blind bit of notice of me!  where were we – oh yes, and my friends are so jealous.  We thought we might have our wedding reception there, what do you think?”

“I didn‘t know you were getting married!” I gasped.  “Of course you know, Mum, It’s living in the depth of beyond that makes you to lose your memory all the time,” Emma quipped.  “Emma, I need your help.  I want to fly out to Singapore to do some research, and need to be away for two to three weeks.  I wondered if yourself, Harry and Finny would like to come down and house sit for me.  It would be ideal for you all and you badly need to take a rest.  Dippy would love to see Finny again and….”  I was suddenly interrupted.  “Actually mum, that’s a brilliant idea, we have just been talking about taking one of those Landmark Trust properties for a couple of weeks; coming down to Devon would be an even better idea.  Harry doesn‘t start his job until the middle of next month, leave it with me!”  And she was gone.

 Here is the direct link to the novel;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Father-The-Assassin-Finnigan/dp/1481904396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358800225&sr=8-1

 Drop me a line and don’t forget to share with all your social networks!

 Have a great week, June x