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Posts Tagged ‘Tuscany’

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.

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 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?  Harrys 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 its 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 wont have to pay his fee anymore, instead they’re going to be paying him – isnt 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, “hes gone under the bed with it, can you believe it?  Harry will have to sort it out; Finny doesnt 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 didnt 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 doesnt 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

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And it is another lovely day.  The sun is shining and it’s warm enough for my man to go outside with his lap-top to work.  The covers have come off the orange trees and our first daffodil is about to burst into this wonderful world.

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Well, this week has included my four weekly visit to the hairdresser(parrucchiere).  This is one Italian word that refuses to lodge itself in my overworked brain, so I explain to my coven friends in Bar Italia next door, that I am going for ‘colore’.  Sandra, my loyal and lovely hairdstylist, always asks me if I want ‘solito’ (the usual) and then she goes to mix the colour.  She would love to do my hair in multi-shades of red rather than just one as it goes against her grain not to be artistic and creative.  A little later she will sigh with acceptance when I say I only want ‘liscie’, no this is nothing to do with head lice, it translates to mean straight, however, to a hairstylist it means blow dried naturally.  if you really want to pick up the language and local accent, the hairdresser is the place to go.  The stylists never stop talking no matter how noisy the dryers.

Yesterday morning, I met my lovely Bavarian friend for coffee.  She has the gift of speaking both English and Italian despite her first language being German.  If I take a female friend for coffee at Fiano, I am always asked if she is my daughter!  How many daughters am I supposed to have and do I look that old?  On the subject of daughters, I do have one, a very talented Garden Designer.

Well, the new Papa (Pope) seems to be very busy telling all his followers that the new church will be a poor one dedicated to helping the needy.  Whilst the non-government will remain rich dedicated to helping those not in need.

On a lighter note, Italian Rugby is on the rise, finishing fourth in the Six Nations.  This is spurring our grandson (age 12) on to greater things and he is playing for Siena under 15’s this afternoon.

Did I mention my book last Saturday?  My man has been passing my author card to all and sundry on his travels to London and back.  I’ve also been proactive in the local village of Fiano and Certaldo, our nearest town.  In case you need the link, here it is again and do let me know if you have enjoyed the read and spread the word, I need your support!

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

Salute, and have a great week. x

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This morning I look down from our hilltop to a frozen landscape of valleys filled with freezing fog that look just like lakes.  A different kind of beauty and a little awe inspiring.  Image

My man set out at seven o’clock this morning to collect the grandson and son-in-law on the way to Siena.  There they will pick up the coach to take them to Roma to watch Italy beat Wales at rugby.  I hope I’m right about it being Wales!  Last Saturday my man drove across to our wine supplier across the valley below us.  There Claudio fills our empty bottles and my man puts in the corks with a special punching machine.  It’s a nice man thing, and he comes back feeling rather pleased with himself.  The Chianti is delicious and organic as it has not yet gone through the processing bit.  Mmmm, I fancy a glass now but it is only 9am, so I will wait a bit!  Claudio exports his wine world wide and you should visit his website at http://www.corbinelli.it.

I am currently playing very loud rock music as I have finalized the repertoire for my next concert in June.  It’s good to brainwash myself with the same music (25 tracks) whilst I am writing.  If you did not get an invite last year and would like to come this year, send me your email address!

Back at the local cafe bar; I no longer have to carry my own coffee to my table because I am a famous author.  No, no Juni they say, (Italians cannot say June) we will bring your espresso fix over.  The Italian for June is Giugno.  Now the Italians find this a little odd because it is masculine and I have to explain that June in Inglese (English) is feminine.

Well, I must crack on with ‘The Bolivian Connection’ which is the follow on novel to ‘My Father, The Assassin’.  My heroine, Joanna, is currently organising herself for a trip to Bolivia for the reading of her deceased father’s will.  Now I know what’s ahead of her, but she doesn’t.  It will be yet another thrilling adventure and I will be with her all the way!

Not read ‘My Father, The Assassin’ yet? Go to

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

Have a good week and see you next Saturday, Salute June xx

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Ciao Ragazzi

Well, it seems I am famous at last.  I know this because Lina the owner of our local cafe bar in Fiano has told me so.  Also, local people are stopping me and saying ‘gosh, I did not know your were a famous author!’ (in Italian of course) and I say yes, here is my card you can buy the book on Amazon you know! Is it in Italian they ask and I say that it will be in the future, but tell your English speaking friends who can buy it and pass the word around!

An occasional visitor from Florence approached me and took my card.  He speaks good English and wanted to tell me that he grew up in an appartamento under the one once occupied by Elizabeth Barret Browning.  When he was there, an English writer called Margaret Nabb lived upstairs and he liked her a lot, but she’s dead now.  He went off to download ‘My Father, The Assassin’ on Kindle and to ‘like’ it on his social networks!  All this and just whilst I was having the usual espresso fix with my man.

Meanwhile a lovely American writer is doing an article about me, my book and The Rock Chick Band and hopes to sell it to a certain well known in-flight magazine!  My man will be dropping my new printed cards on aeroplane and train seats as he travels across Europe, which is bound to be effective.  I read a few days ago that another author sold millions of books this way.  I have just checked how many visitors I have had to my blog over the last seven days and can you believe it….. 655!  Wow!  If you are reading this, thank you for doing so, however, please do leave me a message.  Salute June x

ps Not got the book yet?  Go to:

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

 

 

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