Bookworm Press

Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair – #Romance #Historical Jan Sikes, #Romance #France J. Arlene Culiner, #Historical #Romance #Mystery by Christa Polkinhorn, #Christmas #Romance Jacquie Biggar

I recently attended a webinar about a hot contemporary topic: If and how authors can and should use Artificial Intelligence in their writing. The title of the webinar made me curious and gave me pause at the same time. I’m paraphrasing here:

How can authors use AI to speed up the writing process and write books in days instead of months and years?

At first glance, this title sounds typical of today’s highly competitive market for authors, whether they write fiction or nonfiction. The webinar itself was informative and helpful. It was the title that made me feel uncomfortable.

Writing is a process, first and foremost. Of course, we hope to have a finished product at the end. However, if we don’t enjoy the process, we miss the most important part of writing. When I write, I explore ideas, emotions, and insights. I write to study myself. I put myself into the minds and feelings of the characters I create. I investigate the world within and around me. This is a meaningful experience and I want to cherish it, not cram it into the shortest possible timeframe.

AI is an exciting field that can be useful in many ways. I work as a freelance tasker for a company that improves AI texts in German. AI, like all inventions, can be used for good and bad. As an author, I can see using AI for things such as research, for instance, perhaps even for some editing tasks.

AI, however, shouldn’t replace meaningful work that enriches us. So, my fellow authors, enjoy this time, this adventure of creating an imaginary world or helpful information you share with others. Don’t rush. Take your time, whether it takes days, weeks, months, and yes, even years.

Happy Writing!

Fire in the Vineyard is the third book in the The Wine Lover’s Daughter series. This time, the action takes place on the Central Coast of California, particularly in Paso Robles, Atascadero, Cambria, the Benedictine Monastery of the Risen Christ, and the Cal Poly Campus in San Luis Obispo. The Central Coast of California is one of my favorite areas, which made the research for the novel all the more exciting.

Click on the link below, take a trip from the convenience of your home, and enjoy the pictures.

Fire in the Vineyard, Photo Journey

Again, I traveled to research the second book in The Wine Lover’s Daughter series, Finding Angelo. This time, the journey in the novel began in Paso Robles, California, the home and vineyard of Sofia and Nicholas Segantino. Sofia and Nicholas traveled to New York City for a late honeymoon. From there, Sofia embarked on an adventurous and dangerous trip to Tuscany and the Piedmont region in Italy in search of her missing great uncle, Angelo, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago.

The goal of my research was again to capture the unique features of the locals and the people, the vineyards of the Central Coast of California, the bustling life of New York City and Staten Island, and the diverse and fascinating countryside of Tuscany and the Piedmont region of Italy.

Let’s take a trip together through my novel, Finding Angelo (The Wine Lover’s Daughter, Book 2). Enjoy the journey from the convenience of your home. Click on the following link:

Picture Tour – Finding Angelo

One of the most interesting aspects of planning and writing a novel is doing research, meaning reading a lot, traveling to the locals where my novels take place, and taking pictures that fuel my imagination while writing.

I love to travel, and I find joy in “situating” my novels in locations I’ve come to know through past adventures or by exploring new destinations. Unlike a casual tourist, my travels are driven by the eye of a researcher, cataloging every detail—the landscapes, the quaint villages, the bustling cities, the local cuisine, and the diverse tapestry of people.

What sets this form of travel apart is the intent behind the journey. I’m trying to capture the essence of a place that will breathe life into my storytelling. It’s a journey where my camera becomes a tool not just for capturing memories, but for documenting scenes that will later inspire my writing.

Let’s take a trip together through my novel, The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover’s Daughter, Book 1). Enjoy the journey from the convenience of your home. Click on the following link:

Picture Tour – The Italian Sister

Dear bookworms and loyal readers,

I’m excited to let you know that all my novels are now available as audio books on Audible.com.

Check out the free samples:

Audio Books on Audible

Happy listening and have a great weekend!

Christa

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I went to visit my niece and her husband in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands west of North Africa. One of the highpoints of my stay was a trip to the Teide mountain, a 3,715 meter (12,188 feet) high volcano. We drove the scenic road about half-way to the top. There is also a gondola to the very top but we stayed at the halfway point. The view from there was spectacular. Here are a few pictures.

You can see the volcanic structure and the rocks. Reminds me somwhat of a lunar landscape.

There were quite a few people watching the sunset above the sea of fog and you can see why. The view was breathtaking.

Now, something more sinister. My nephew told me that a few days or weeks ago, two bodies were found at the bottom of the volcano. At the time, it wasn’t known who the people were or how they ended up at the bottom of the cliff. An accident or foul play? This must have been a terrible and shocking experience for everyone involved. And yet it is a mystery that triggers my writer’s imagination. My next mystery novel could indeed take place on Tenerife. We’ll see.

Enjoy the pictures!

My niece and her husband moved from Switzerland to Tenerife, Spain. Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometers west of Morocco. I went to visit them and fell in love with the island. It may become the location for one of my next novels!

View from my niece’s home. Across is La Gomera, another island of the Canary Islands.

Every evening, we were able to watch another amazing sunset. Here are a few more!

My niece and her husband lived in Switzerland but had been visiting Tenerife for many years and loved it so much they decided to eventually live here permanently. They sold their business (a vegan restaurant and store) and apartment in Switzerland and bought property here. Now, they harvest olives and produce olive oil. It was a bold retirement step, but they enjoy it very much and so far, it’s worked out for them. Here are a few pictures of their home and property.

The olive harvest was plentiful. In fact, they didn’t have enough pickers yet. Family, friends, and colleagues helped but a few of the olives were left on the trees. I’m sure some critters enjoyed them!

In December, it was still warm enough for a swim in the ocean.

And for breakfast outside, a nice change from cold Switzerland!

Stay tuned for more. Tenerife sports a famous volcano, El Teide. With its 3,715 meters (12,188 feet), in height, it is also the highest point in Spain.

The best rewards for authors are readers who love their work. It makes all the effort of writing a book worthwhile. I’m so excited about the lovely review of my new novel, Letter from a Cave, from Sally G. Cronin, UK author of many books and host of the wonderful Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:

“This is a delightful book with several elements that add interest and colour, along with stunning descriptions of the majestic mountains and lakes of Italy and Switzerland.

The characters in this story have appeared over the years in the author’s other books, but there is enough back story for the book to be a standalone read. It was the first time I had met them, but they are so well rounded and engaging that you feel you have known them for years.

A tragedy towards the end of the war prompts a journey through Italy and Switzerland to unravel the mystery, but it is also a journey of discovery for the main characters as they come to terms with the past, loss and uncertainty about love and the future.

With two romances developing for the younger and older generation there is plenty of light-hearted chapters as well as the unfolding discoveries about the letter in the cave to keep the reader engaged. The fact there is a cute dog in the mix will also make readers very happy and entertained.

There are reminders of a darker past and that there are still those who bear grudges and guilt about their own actions during a time of repression and fear. There are also wonderful moments where there is an opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of others.

I highly recommend this lovely and well-written book to romance and mystery fans of any age.”

– Sally Cronin, Author and Host of Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, UK

Finally! This book took me forever to write, at least it seems that way, but here it is now. I’m very happy and grateful for the wonderful reviews it has garnered so far. Here is the blurb:

With a captivating mystery at its core, Letter from a Cave is a suspenseful journey through Switzerland and Italy that will make readers feel a gamut of powerful emotions. Fans of Christa Polkinhorn’s other novels will be delighted to meet a few familiar characters. Don’t miss your chance to get lost in this unforgettable story!

Andreas, a Swiss sculptor and stonemason, grieving the loss of his wife from three years ago, discovers an old, abandoned backpack in a cave during his hike in the Swiss mountains. What he finds within the backpack—a letter written by a young Jewish refugee during the Second World War to his pregnant wife in Italy—sets him on a quest with his friend, Luisa, to find out what happened to the man, to his wife, Bella, and her family in Italy. During their search, they meet both helpful people and those who try to prevent them, even by force, from digging into a past filled with heroism but also with cruelty and betrayal. Will the outcome of the quest bring closure and peace, or will it cause turmoil and heartache?

Review by Lisette Brodey:

I’ve read several of this author’s books over the years, and I was very happy to learn she had a new release, one that gives new adventures to established characters. It’s always great to see old friends. That said, this wonderful book doesn’t rely on past novels to be enjoyed.

Sculptor Andreas, who has been lonely and depressed since his wife’s death three years prior, often hikes into the mountains. One day, while with his dog in a cave, he is surprised when the dog unearths a backpack from years ago. Looking inside, Andreas finds a letter from an Italian man named Joshua to his pregnant wife, Bella during World War II. He realizes Joshua never made it home and his family most likely never knew what happened to him or that he had tried to make contact.

The emotional weight of the letter hits Andreas hard, and with the encouragement of his daughter, Emilia, and his son, Tonio, he sets off to Italy to see if he can do the impossible and track down Bella (if she’s still alive) or other family members. Tonio takes his sister and father to a vineyard in Tuscany where he has a friend, Julietta. Readers of the author’s previous book will remember Julietta and her mother, Luisa, from The Italian Sister.

From this point on, the story really takes off. I don’t want to summarize the plot, but rather offer a short commentary on why I found this book to be so special. Author Polkinhorn has several wonderful and heartfelt sub-plots flowing through the main story. All of them are skillfully woven together, beautifully emulating life and its twisty, unpredictable ways. I genuinely cared about every character.

Letter from a Cave offers suspense, romance, emotion, surprises, nostalgia, and so much more. The author’s gorgeous descriptions made it easy to visualize the scenes in Switzerland and Italy—not to mention making me hungry for Italian food.

This was truly a feel-good read, and I hope the author will continue to write more stories with her delightful characters. Already, I’m wondering how they’re all doing.

Thank you so much, Lisette!

Letter from a Cave, eBook

Letter from a Cave, paperback

Happy Reading!