I love to travel, whether to reconnect with my first home (Switzerland) or to explore new areas. When I do research for my novels, which take place in different countries, I often go back to a place to really look at it and see things I didn’t notice when I traveled there as a tourist. It’s a different kind of traveling, you have to slow down and really look at details in order to describe them accurately. Not just looking with your eyes, but using all your senses: observe the colors, light and shadow, smell the scents, listen to the sounds, taste the food. It’s one of the most satisfying experiences of creative writing.

This morning, I went on my usual walk past my favorite pond of my childhood. As a child, I spent hours exploring, watching the ducks and other water birds.

This morning, I was struck by the play of light filtered through the trees.   

 

This pond also plays a role in my novel An Uncommon Family (Family Portrait, Book 1)

More pictures that served as inspiration for the novel, you can find here: Picture Tour.

I get a full-blown cold only about every ten years or so. Well, it must be that year. Anyway, I try not to complain because at least I cough and sneeze while admiring a beautiful fall landscape here in my first/second home in Switzerland.

I allowed myself a writing hiatus, now that my WIP, the second book in The Wine Lover’s Daughter series, is with my loyal beta readers. Here is a preliminary cover of Finding Angelo:

I went for walks in the neighborhood and here are a few photos.

A visit to my niece’s and her husband’s Vegan Restaurant and tea and coffee house Limalimón, in Bremgarten/AG. Excellent tea and coffee and yummy food, and, of course, great service by Claudia and Alberto and their team!

A wonderful selection of teas and cute gifts.

All the food and drinks prepared and served by enthusiastic and friendly people.

Alberto and Claudia, the owners, work together with the team.

Cook Brigitte prepares yummy delicacies.

Have you ever seen a ceiling lamp made of wine glasses? Here it is!

A picture paints a thousand words? Perhaps somewhat exaggerated, but I love pictures and they inspire me. This is why I created a picture journey for each of my novels. Here is the newest one for The Italian Sister (The Wine Lover’s Daughter, Book 1):

Grab some popcorn or chocolate, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Picture Tour from California to Tuscany

THE ITALIAN SISTER is published and available as ebook for the Kindle and with the free Kindle App on all eReaders. The printed version is in production.

Link to the eBook: http://myBook.to/ItalianSister

Standing at her father’s grave in California, Sofia Laverne mourns his untimely death. Henry had not only been a loving parent but Sofia’s best friend and mentor. Imagine her shock and grief when she finds out her father had lived a double-life, that she has a ten-year younger sister and inherited a vineyard in Tuscany. Torn between anger about his betrayal, grief for her loss, and hopeful anticipation, Sofia packs her bags and takes off for Italy to meet fourteen-year old Julietta. Arriving in the small hill town of Vignaverde, she is greeted by olive groves, neat rows of grape vines, and picturesque houses. Some of the inhabitants of this beautiful estate are, unfortunately, less welcoming and resent her intrusion into the family business. Soon, strange occurrences begin to frighten Sofia. When a suspicious accident lands her in the hospital, Sofia fears for her life.

Part family drama, part romantic suspense, THE ITALIAN SISTER takes us on a wild journey from California to Tuscany and provides glimpses into the exciting world of winemaking.

As a special introductory offer, the Kindle ebook is available for 99 cents from August 4 to and including August 10. So get with it and grab it while the discount lasts.

A post about the research into grapes and winemaking in Tuscany, Switzerland as well as California with lots of great pictures is on Lisette Brodey’s wonderful Writers Castle blog. Research for this novel was a truly pleasurable (tasting wine!) and exciting adventure. Click on the link, sit back, and enjoy:
http://lisettebrodey.com/category/guest-blogs-2/

The Italian Sister

Dear Friends and Book Worms,

My new (and fourth) novel, The Italian Sister, is on its homestretch. This time, I have the opportunity to win a publishing contract through the Kindle Scout program. This is a contest, organized by Amazon, where readers have an input on which books get published. It’s a new concept and it sounds exciting to me. The first step in the process is to get enough readers to nominate a book. Although this is not the only criteria for having the manuscript accepted, it is an important first prerequisite.

And this is where you come in. You can help me get enough votes. It’s very simple and it only takes a few seconds of your time. Click the link below, which will take you to my Kindle Scout campaign page, where you’ll find a short description of the book, an excerpt, a brief bio, and a few questions and answers, and the important NOMINATE button. This page will be up for 30 days, starting ??

Please click the NOMINATE button – but only once. If you click again, it will undo the nomination. This is of course to prevent some overly enthusiastic supporters from clicking it repeatedly and give the book an unfair advantage.

You will also get something for your help. If The Italian Sister is published through the Kindle Scout program, you’ll get a free Kindle copy!

And now, here is the link:

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1I2WVS88HW5KR
 
After nominating the book, you can continue to help me by spreading the word to your friends and share my announcements and reminders on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.

The competition on Kindle Scout is fierce, so I need all the help I can get. Thank you in advance for your support. It really means a lot to me.
Christa

THIS WEEK ONLY, from Monday, April 20 to and including Sunday, April 26, the complete Family Portrait collection (An Uncommon Family, Love of a Stonemason, Emilia) is available on all Amazon sites for $2.99. You get three novels for the price of less than one!

Link to the Book:

myBook.to/Family_Portrait

CHECK IT OUT AND HAPPY READING! 

Rosmarie Spiegel-Umiker, October 19, 1929 – April 15, 1997

In Memoriam

This past week, I was in San Leandro, in the Bay area of California, visiting my friend Susan and having a good old time visiting, chatting, eating and drinking and going for walks. And during our walks and drives, we stumbled upon art and literature at unexpected places.

It started at the De Young Museum of Art in San Francisco. By chance they showed an amazing exhibition of some of my favorite painters, Botticelli, for instance.

The De Young is not only a great art museum but situated within the beautiful Golden Gate Park, it is also a place to just hang out, have lunch, or a coffee.

Susan and I at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

On the way to San Francisco and back, we passed the new Bay Bridge, which is impressive and a little scary (can’t help thinking about earthquakes). But I love the skyline of San Francisco and of course the city itself.

After all the excitement, we relaxed with a cup of coffee and a sweet. Food for the spirit and the body.

One of the next outings was to Berkeley and in particular to the Botanical Garden, a real treat! It’s an oasis of peace with a display of the most gorgeous plants and flowers.

But next to the Garden of Old Roses, there was a lovely surprise waiting for us. See further down.

Hidden underneath a canopy of leaves, a poem by Sylvia Plath carved into stone!

From the Botanical Garden, you have a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge!

Berkeley still has a selection of fine brick-and-motar bookstores. This one was another surprise: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf!

A great bookstore that still invites you to browse and hang out.

On my way back to Los Angeles on 101, I drove through Salinas and stopped for a quick look at another literary great–you guessed it. John Steinbeck lived here many years and there is a museum and a restaurant in his honor.

“Meeting” all these fantastic artists and writers inspired me to get back to my own writing. I’m polishing my next novel, The Italian Sister, which takes place in California and on a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy. More about this later!

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Für die deutschsprachigen Leser, die es noch nicht wissen: das zweite Buch meiner Familienportrait-Trilogie ist nun ebenfalls auf Deutsch erhältlich, als eBook und, seit kurzem, auch als Taschenbuch.

Kurzbeschreibung:
Für die junge Malerin Karla Bocelli gehört Verlust zum Alltag. Mit fünf Jahren verlor sie ihre Mutter bei einem Autounfall im Süden der Schweiz. Ihr peruanischer Vater lebt am anderen Ende der Welt und vor einem Jahr starb auch die Tante, die sie großgezogen hatte. Jetzt, im Alter von vierundzwanzig Jahren, wird sie beinahe von einem rasenden Auto angefahren. Als ob das allein nicht schicksalhaft genug wäre, ist der Fahrer des Wagen, Andreas, ein Bildhauer und Gestalter von Grabsteinen. Trotz seines Berufs ist Andreas alles andere als morbide. Hitzig und intensiv, strahlt er eine wilde Energie aus. Nach dem stürmischen Anfang ihrer Beziehung wird Andreas für Karla zum „Felsen“ ihres Lebens, das perfekte Antidot zu ihren Ängsten des Verlassenwerdens und den Depressionsanfällen. Andreas hat jedoch mit seinen eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen: einem alkoholkranken Vater, der ihn als Kind misshandelte, und seiner Neigung zu Wutanfällen. Gemeinsam müssen sich die beiden Künstler mit ihren Dämonen auseinandersetzen.

 DER STEINMETZ UND DIE MALERIN handelt vom Kampf zweier Künstler mit der Vergangenheit, ihren Familien, ihrer Kreativität und ihrer Liebe zu einander. Die Geschichte führt den Leser auf eine Reise der Sinne vom Süden der Schweiz nach Italien und in die peruanischen Anden.

Das Buch ist bei Amazon erhältlich:
EBook: myBook.to/Steinmetz
Taschenbuch, Druckformat: myBook.to/Print_Steinmetz

Das erste Buch der Trilogie, Eine ungewöhnliche Familie, ist ebenfalls auf Deutsch erhältlich:
Ebook: myBook.to/Ungew_Familie
Taschenbuch, Druckformat: myBook.to/Print_Ungew_Familie

Für die Leser, die es vorziehen, die Bücher in der englischen Originalfassung zu lesen, hier ist meine Autorenseite auf Amazon:  Author.to/ChristaPolkinhorn

Viel Vergnügen beim Lesen oder Happy Reading!

Wenn Ihnen das eine oder andere Buch gefallen hat, würde ich mich für eine kurze Bewertung/Rezension auf Amazon freuen. So werden andere Leser auf das Buch aufmerksam!