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Why a Novel About Jane Austen?

Jane Austen Time Traveler Why make Jane Austen a time traveler? With her wit and insight, I wonder what she’d make of our century — would the 21st century fascinate or repel her, and might she find love? She was a genius at exploring the morality and heart of her characters — their self-interest or goodness. She might find people very different in our time, or  their essential strengths and frailties might be the same…

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Writing Tips — Writing Love and Romance

I’m in the mood for writing love and romance. It’s springtime here in Northern California, with roses, lilacs, and poppies bursting out. I wanted to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary by visiting our local rose garden, and it was a truly gorgeous display! We congratulated ourselves on choosing a springtime wedding date. With love in the air, I resumed work on the romance sub-plot in my new time travel novel, Undoing Time. It’s a difficult…

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Why All My Novels Are Set in Italy

It’s hard to avoid noticing — all my novels are set in Italy. All or part of all three of my stories take place in that magic land, Italy. It began as an homage to the most fabulous traveling of my life, an art history tour of Rome, Assisi, Florence, Portofino, and Venice. Even just one of those places makes you want to fall in love — if with nothing more than this beautiful place.

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Valentine’s Day & My Favorite Love Stories

LOVE STORIES! My favorite love stories in fiction span a variety of genres and authors. But there are some common threads. I like love stories that feature a heroine who has to shed her illusions to find love. Most of my favorites aren’t what we’d technically classify as romance novels. The stories are often broader.

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Time Travel Novels — Escape to Other Times

I love time travel novels that focus on love and mystery. Do you need a good read that lets you escape — lifting you out of your worries or concerns. Want to escape for a few evenings that’s romantic, adventurous, and emotionally satisfying? I know I need such stories right now. Here are three books I’ve read that combine all those elements — with a Youtube link to a song for each book!

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Ideas for Your Global Pandemic Self Isolation Reading List

As a public service, here’s a list of books for your global pandemic, self isolation reading — you are reading more now, aren’t you? They’re books I’ve enjoyed recently (though I wasn’t yet in self isolation). Time traveling, sister stories, romance, and mystery When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal — 5 stars.A poignant story of sisterhood and reunion, this well-told story of separated sisters moved back and forth between the present and the…

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Isn’t It Romantic? More Novels Set in Italy

Isn’t It Romantic? If you can’t travel to this romantic, beautiful land, you can fall in love reading novels set in italy. They take you to what may be everyone’s dream getaway destination. Read my earlier post on this for a long list. Here are some added romantic novels, and even some romantic nonfiction books set in that magical, sensuous country.

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Interview with the Main Character – The Renaissance Club

Today I’m interviewing May Gold, the character in my time travel romance novel, The Renaissance Club. Perfect for fans of Susanna Kearsley and Diana Gabaldon, the story has been called “enchanting, rich, and romantic”! May a young art historian whose career ambitions are frustrated and whose love relationship is disintegrating, goes on a tour of Renaissance Italy with her teaching colleagues. When she steps through a fold in time she meets her 17th century artist…

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Time Travel and Romance – A Perfect Combination

In a new review for The Renaissance Club, one reader summed up the story: “Time travel and romance, a perfect combination.” I think so too, and it thrills me when someone loves my love story between the Italian genius Bernini and a young art historian who falls through a fold in time. To get a copy and leave your own review, click on THE RENAISSANCE CLUB.

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3 Reasons We Adore Love Stories

Love stories — why do we adore them? Three reasons: 1) love is essential to every life — love of someone or something 2) stories of love help us understand our relationships 3) every love is unique. Story Genius author and master storytelling coach Lisa Cron thinks humans evolved by learning problem-solving by hearing stories. And if there’s one big problem in your life, it probably has something to do with  “LOVE” — or lack…

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