Bookworm Press

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

Greetings loyal readers!

Both the eBook and the paperback version of Fire in the Vineyard are now available–and with an improved cover!

Blurb: When bottles of wine disappear from the Segantino Winery and an arson fire kills his close friend, the owner of the estate, Robert Segantino, is faced with the toughest ordeal of his career as winemaker: someone intends to destroy what he has built over the years. As it becomes increasingly clear that members of his staff and of his family are among the suspects, the ambitious wine tycoon is forced to reevaluate his goals in life, and, above all, his relationship to his son and future heir.

Part family drama, part suspense, Fire in the Vineyard, the third book in The Wine Lover’s Daughter series, takes the reader on another thrilling adventure through one of California’s wine countries.

Links to the books:

eBook: https://mybook.to/FireVineyard

Paperback: https://mybook.to/FireVineyardPrint

If you decide to buy the paperback, you’ll get the ebook for free!

One of the enjoyable activities when writing my novels is the research part, in particular when I get to travel to the beautiful wine region of the Central Coast of California. If you would like to see some pictures that inspired me in my work, here they are. Sit back and travel with me!

Picture Tour of Fire in the Vineyard

This was another opportunity to combine fun with research for my novel, Finding Angelo, Book 2 in The Wine Lover’s Daughter series.

I’m staying in Switzerland at my second home for a while. My nephew had an important birthday and his niece, my great-niece, organized a wonderful trip for the family to an old castle in the Piedmont region, Italy, just south of Switzerland.

The castle was renovated and turned into a hotel and restaurant. However, whatever could be kept of the medieval structure was left intact. You could get lost on the inside of the buildings with its many hallways and secret pathways. Pictures of the predecessors of the castle looked down from the walls of every room and I swear I heard a ghost at night, rattling in the hallways. Hmmm?

The towns below are Pavone and Ivrea.

Gorgeous suites and bedrooms, all in the old style with paintings from the original castle.

View from the castle.

The gardens are well kept but natural.

Dinner and breakfast were served in a vaulted cellar.

Very romantic and special. Who knows, my next novel may take place in the Piedmont in Italy!

March 2018: What started out as an idea about a novel became reality. Finding Angelo, Book 2 in my The Wine Lover’s Daughter series does take place in the  Piedmont, and, in part, at the Castello di Pavone!

https://myBook.to/FindingAngelo

More about the castle and its history: http://www.castellodipavone.com/en