Valentina

Hullaba Lulu Book Launch | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

11 Oct 2020 39 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #AuthorTeaganRíordáinGeneviene, #BookTour, #HullabaLuluBookLaunch, #HullabaLuluDieselPunkNovel

Today I am hosting my talented Friend and Author Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene who is launching a new book, a fantasy novella, a “dieselpunk” story, as she calls it.
I learned about the book Hullaba Lulu, when it was made into episodes on the author’s blog with the hint of three-world things the readers would leave on her blog comments, hoping those three things would get worked into a new story and they did.

Valentina, thanks again for letting me visit. Here’s the rest of the information for Hullaba Lulu. I am delighted to host you, Teagan.

The book has a 1920s aesthetic with retro-futuristic technology, a dash of magic, and some creepy settings, along with a crew of misfit characters. Lulu is a snarky, but good-hearted flapper. She and her friends get into all sorts of trouble (often due to Lulu’s clumsiness). They travel on a magical train to a lot of “sideways” places.
My one real-world thing is Erte. “Valentina, with your love of fashion and Art Deco, I’m not surprised that you chose Erté” says the author.

Erté was the byname of Romain de Tirtoff. It was derived from the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T. He was born November 23, 1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia—died April 21, 1990, in Paris, France. Erté was a fashion illustrator of the 1920s and creator of visual spectacles for music-hall revues in France. He designed dresses and accessories for women, costumes, and sets for opera, ballet, and dramatic productions, and posters and prints.

I met Erte’
It was the early ’80s, I was in Paris on vacation. I have some friends there I wanted to visit. One evening they arranged a dinner for me with some of their own friends. The evening was pleasant, we exchanged a lot of laughers and I got to know new people and into the arts. After dinner, the new person I met, had promised another friend to come by his place for a drink. That person invited me along.
I felt safe, during dinner, we talked about the arts, fashion, and design. I felt no threat, when people are into the arts, are into violence, I thought to myself and I went, I did not know I was going to Erte’s house.
Erte’ himself opened the door, he introduced himself as Romain, but he looked familiar, he looked like Erte’ split image. I didn’t want to say
“You look like Erte”, therefore I stayed silent. He was not too tall, slim, fully groomed, and attired well in a velvet smoking jacket, or a chamber jacket as it was called. From what I could see, his house was opulent and not so extravagant, considering who he was and the fame that preceded him.
I remember one thing, a large aquarium filled with exotic fish dominated one wall. The room must have been a library room, filled with bookshelves, on one side, the desk and an armchair behind it on the other side.
I also remember a large bar, with lots of mirrors, liqueurs, and beautiful glasses. We had a great conversation, I saw his drawings and the illustrations of stage design. During the conversation, he told me his nome de plume was Erte’… Lucky me, I got to meet a legend.

My Review on Hullaba Lulu
What a fun story! I have never read a Dieselpunk Adventure Story. This will give me the chance to read more of what the author will write in the future. The novel is set in the roaring 1920s, the flappers, the drinking prohibition imposed in the USA, and train travel. Reading this novel, it’s like slicing through time and I love going back in times I have not lived. It’s brilliant how the Author Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene has included futuristic technology, with magic, tarot cards, automobiles and famous people and how well she worked them all in one plot. I love how strong her characters are, Lulu and her friends Pearl and Rose speak their mind and they are not afraid of any situations they face. The novel is short and full of action, it’s funny and entertaining. I truly recommend this novel. Well done Teagan, your imagination is spatial. 😀👋

Snippet
Here’s a snippet related to Erté. In this scene, everyone is headed to the Cotton Club… or a strange version of it, anyway. Lulu is sad and one of the automatons stayed behind with her.

How could Ginger have heard that I was sad? That as creepy as the jukebox or the Orthophonic Victrola playing the song I mentioned.

I remember how excited Wicky, Wacky, and Woo had been because they had arranged for Dynamite to sing to Ginger onstage at the Cotton Club. I couldn’t ruin that surprise for any of them.

So, I pretended enthusiasm that I didn’t feel. I admit that I actually did perk up when I saw the gorgeous gown Ginger brought. It was royal purple silk and looked like an Erté original. The rose-gold bot also brought a black boa to accessorize the gown.

“There’s a bit of a walk to the club,” Ginger began. “Will your kitten heels be suitable? Ah! But there is another way. We could take the Rolls-Royce!”

I remembered Valentino had that automobile parked on the street above my grandfather’s speakeasy. You had to admit, the guy knew how to put on the Ritz!

***

Here’s the Blurb
Hullaba Lulu, a Dieselpunk Adventure is a wild and wooly 1920s fantasy story. Lulu, the heroine is inspired by the song, “Don’t Bring Lulu,” from 1925 ― so are her pals, Pearl and Rose. My Lulu loves to dance, and freely indulges in giggle water. She snores and burps and says whatever she wants. Lulu is a snarky but good-hearted flapper. The song’s inspiration stops there, but the story is just beginning.

Travel with Lulu and her friends on a magical, dieselpunk train that belongs to the smolderingly handsome and enigmatic man known only as Valentino. They get into all sorts of trouble, usually due to Lulu’s clumsiness. It’s an intense ride through a number of pos-i-lutely creepy settings, including “sideways” versions of Atlantic City and the Cotton Club. At every stop and in between, Lulu ends up creating chaos. There’s no telling where they’ll end up. No, Lulu! Don’t touch that!

Lulu’s the kind of smarty, breaks up every party,

Hullabaloo loo, don’t bring Lulu,

I’ll bring her myself!

Purchase Links

Amazon Universal Links
Kindle: relinks.me/B08JKP1RS4
Paperback: relinks.me/B08JDYXPZM

Alternative Seller
Kobo eBook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hullaba-lulu

Book Trailer Video

Author Bio

Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s work is colored by her experiences from living in the southern states and the desert southwest (of the USA). Teagan most often writes one kind of fantasy or another, including the “Punk” genres, like steampunk, dieselpunk, and atompunk. Whether it’s a 1920s mystery, a steampunk adventure, or an urban fantasy, her stories have a strong element of whimsy. There are no extremes in violence, sex, or profanity.
Her talents also include book covers and promotional images. She makes all of her own. Teagan is currently exploring the idea of offering that service to others.
All of the books by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene are available at her
Amazon Author Page ( relinks.me/TeaganRiordainGeneviene )
Blog: www.teagansbooks.com

Social Media Links

You can also visit Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/e/B00HHDXHVM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teagangeneviene
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeagansBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teagangeneviene/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teagangeneviene/

Congratulations to Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene, whishing you great success.
Valentina
Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Goodreads
Amazon Author’s Page

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion.

Hiding Cracked Glass Book Tour | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

05 Oct 2020 12 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #AuthorJamesCudneyIV, #BookLaunch, #BookWorms, #HidingCrackedGlass

Welcome to a new book launch by Author James Cudney IV, Hiding Cracked Glass. This is the second book of the Series Name: Perceptions of Glass.

About the Book
An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?

Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.

Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.

Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Cracked-Glass-Perceptions-Book-ebook/dp/B08F3YWTYX
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hiding-Cracked-Glass-Perceptions-Book-ebook/dp/B08F3YWTYX
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54399989-hiding-cracked-glass

James has organized a giveaway. check it out here:
https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e5ee1a9220/?

About The Author
Background
James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, a historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business, and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Author
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full-length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.

Reader & Reviewer
Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever-present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.

Blogger & Thinker
I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.

Genealogist & Researcher
I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.

My review on Hiding Cracked Glass
Surprise letters always frighten me, it has been my experience they never carry good news, otherwise, why would they keep secrets? Hiding Cracked Glass is made of many characters, all members, one way or another of the wealthy Glass family and every one holds a secret. In the beginning, I felt a bit overwhelmed keeping up with all the personages and all their secrets, but author James Cudney IV, makes them real, their turmoil and family drama are not too far from what people experience in real life.
I sympathized with Diane, Olivia Glass’s sister. She helps Olivia overcoming the death of her husband by stirring memories of a trip made to Italy together.

Diane sounds much like all my 5 loved aunts, always very supportive, always ready to help out in moments of needs, always generous with their time, their love, and little less generous with their money. My aunts were the glue that kept the family together, very much like Diane does in the Glass family. She also holds a secret. I have enjoyed reading about this character.

The twists and turns of the Glass Family’s vicissitudes are interesting and mysterious enough to keep the readers turning to the next page and find out what happens. I felt I was there, in that house, with all the members. The author did a great job to keep me reading all the way to the end. I am a practical person, who doesn’t read many family dramas, therefore the author succeeded. His writing is clear and his voice strong. If this is going to be a sequel, I look forward to the next story. I recommend this book, it’s a true gem. So glad you crossed my path James.

People come into our life for a reason
I met Author James Cudney IV, a year ago, over the internet when I was doing the launch of my fourth book. We connected immediately and became friends. James is an accomplished writer, he wrote nine novels in three years, some of his work has been translated in Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Italian. In 2021 he will release a new book co-authored with a “surprise” writer (TBD). On his blog https://thisismytruthnow.com, he has reviewed over 1,000 books; he shares several fun features, including the Book Bucket List, Tips & Advice, Author Spotlights & Book Alerts, and the 365 Daily Challenge, where he posts a word each day that has some meaning to him, then converse with everyone about life.

James Cudney’s Websites & Blog
Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/
Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com
Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks
Next Chapter Pub: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney

James Cudney’s Social Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsMyTruthNow/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

James Cudney’s Genres, Formats & Languages
I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.
All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

James Cudney’s Goodreads Book Links
Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Father Figure (April 2018)
Braxton Campus Mysteries
· Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
· Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
· Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
· Mistaken Identity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)
· Haunted House Ghost – #5 (October 2019)
· Frozen Stiff Drink – #6 (March 2020)

@jamescudney4 and @Shalini_G26

Congratulations to James Cudney IV, Ad Majora.

Autumn Calls | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

05 Oct 2020 7 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #FallColors, #FallDecor, #JewelFallColors, #SeasonalStyle, #WarmColors

My friend, I will call her Delphina, says the colors of Autumn are negging colors. Every Autumn she falls into a self-inflicted melancholy, and low self-esteem. For certain people, Autumn means the end of another year, the natural evolution of life galloping where they don’t want to go.

All my life I have lived in European cities with cement and glass buildings with very little vegetation. I craved nature, its colors, its scents, and the peaceful feeling. In my youth, when my friends went strolling downtown, I went to the country instead, where I could admire the change of seasons, feel part of nature, and being in the company of calmer people. It wasn’t until I came to the USA when I first had the real taste of nature. It was Autumn in Virginia, and for the first time, I saw purple trees, red trees, yellow trees, all aligned as in a painter palette. I remember often taking slow rides on roads not too busy with traffic, just to soak in all those colors, with the sun going in and out of the foliage and chasing me. I felt full of joy, and a great sense of gratitude to have eyes that could see all that beauty.

Every two green trees, there was a colored tree. Later, I learned that all those colored trees weren’t a game of nature. City landscapers plant trees with a color scheme in mind and are positioned at a zig-zag pattern, so when they grow look aligned. The variation of colors is meant to keep drivers awake on the wheel.

I told my friend, Delphina, to think of Autumn’s colors like jewel tones colors, she likes jewelry a lot, just like I do. I would like her to start referring to colors as a ruby red, emerald green, topaz yellow, amethyst purple, it would make her feel abundant, opulent and everything around her would change value. She would not feel like a negging middle-aged woman, as she sounds in the Autumn, she would feel precious and needed instead.
She does not listen. 🙄

I adore the warmth of Autumn colors, and I adore the autumn food available in this season. In my home, I change the season decorations as the seasons revolve. I don’t go overboard, I keep it simple, just a few details change, the rest stays the same.
This is an area in my studio where I allow some display.
The leopard purse is a lamp, its warm color at night gives the room a special glow and it goes with all the golden tones you see around it.

In another area of my studio, under a large “oeil de boeuf” mirror I display small ceramic pumpkins with a collectible Mr. Pumpkin. The room feels happy and warm. This is where I work, I like to feel in tune with each current season, the sensations and emotions they all bring. In the rest of the house, I have seasonal fresh flowers once a week.

Outside my entry door, I might place a pumpkin or two while they are in season and that is all.

Decorating with the seasons doesn’t have to be a chore or difficult and neither expensive. As long as one acknowledges the changes life brings and enjoys them. Celebrate the changes, please. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page
Goodreads

Copyright © 2020 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Fall Book Releases | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

26 Sep 2020 9 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #AuthorAeriolAscher., #AuthorBobProctor, #AuthorJackCanfield, #AuthorJamesCudneyIV, #AuthorMelissaMuldoon, #AuthorTeaganRíordáinGeneviene

Excitement is in the air this Autumn. This community of writers, I have known personally with whom I became friends, have been busy fantasizing and producing words for us to enjoy. I compiled a list of a few books coming out very shortly, keep an eye on the launches, there will be many specials offered. Happy reading.

Author James Cudney IV announced the release of his mystery novel Hiding Cracked Glass (book 2 of 2), Oct. 5, 2020.

Excerpt: “A blackmail letter arrives at an inopportune moment, and the recipient’s name is blurred out. Who is the ruthless missive meant for?
In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands, her sons try to figure out who’s seeking revenge on them.
Across the span of eight hours, members of the Glass family contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some didn’t learn an important lesson last time, and as each hour ticks by, the family has to come to terms with what happened in the previous months.
Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, and this time the stakes are even higher.”
Find the paperback version on Amazon after the launch date; the kindle version is available now – http://mybook.to/hidingcg

Hiding Cracked Glass

About the Author: I met Author James Cudney IV, a year ago, over the internet when I was doing the launch of my fourth book. We connected immediately and became friends. James is an accomplished writer, he wrote nine novels in three years, some of his work has been translated in Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Italian. In 2021 he will release a new book co-authored with a surprise writer. On his blog https://thisismytruthnow.com, he has reviewed over 1,000 books; he shares several fun features, including the Book Bucket List, Tips & Advice, Author Spotlights & Book Alerts, and the 365 Daily Challenge, where he posts a word each day that has some meaning to him, then converse with everyone about life. Visit his author’s page on Amazon, and Goodreads where you will see all his reviews on books written by other authors.

Author Maria Bradfield announced the release of a motivational book Navigating The Clickety-Clack – Nov. 4, 2020.
She is a featured author in the Navigating the Clickety-Clack: How to Live a Peace-Filled Life in a Seemingly Toxic World.
Also featured in the book are New York Times Bestselling Authors, Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, from the hit movie, The Secret, and Christy Whitman.

Introduction: “Hello. My name is Keith Leon S., owner of Beyond Belief Publishing, and I want to welcome you to our book designed to help you Navigate The Clickety-Clack. As we begin this journey together, you may not yet understand the title, but I am confident you navigate this troubling place from time to time. We all do.
Back in 2005, my wife Maura and I met a man named Fletch Rainey at the Agape International Center of Truth in California. We became good friends with Fletch. Eventually, he created a group called, “The Spiritual Posse” and became one of our spiritual mentors. We would reach out to him when we were freaking out about money, business challenges, fears, or when we were in flux, not knowing what to do next.
One time when we called him with one of our issues, he said, “Relax, you are just in The Clickety-Clack.”
We asked, “What is The Clickety-Clack?”
Fletch said, “Remember when you had a ten-speed bicycle, and you changed from one gear to another? There is that moment when the chain is jumping from one gear to the next gear, but it has not clicked in yet. What sound does it make? Clickety-clack . . . clickety-clack. You have faith it will catch eventually, so you keep peddling the bike. Your faith pays off because it eventually catches, and when it does, you are off into an even better gear! That is where you are right now—you are in The Clickety-Clack. Have faith and know that things will kick into the next gear soon enough. Trust, and know that all is well.”
His reply would stay with us, and to this day when Maura and I are experiencing worry or not knowing what to do next, one of us will look at the other and say, “ClicketyClack.” Other times I have experienced the Clickety-Clack are when others around me are freaking out, coming unglued, being judgmental, hateful, or angry toward me.
In a world filled with so much anger, resentment, judgment, hate, shame, and fingerpointing, how is one supposed to stay peaceful?”

Navigating The Clickety-Clack

About the Author: Maria Bradfield was one of my fun clients, I met her immediate family, a bunch of happy people, while I was working at her house’s project. She is a motivational coach, “Passionate About Performance”. Listen to her podcast https://www.coachingwithmaria.com/

Author Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene announced the release of her new novella. a Dieselpunk Adventure, Hullaba Lulu – Sept.30, 2020.

Introduction: “Hullaba Lulu is a “dieselpunk” novel. It has a 1920s aesthetic with retro-futuristic technology, a dash of magic, and some creepy settings, along with a crew of misfit characters. Lulu is a snarky, but good-hearted flapper. She and her friends get into all sorts of trouble (often due to Lulu’s clumsiness). They travel on a magical train to a lot of “sideways” places.”
Watch the trailer video.

Hullaba Lulu

About the Author: I met Teagan on the blogosphere, I liked her Delta Pearl episodes and started to follow each other. She is a proliferous author of many fantasy books, including the “Punk” genres, like steampunk, dieselpunk, and atompunk. Visit her author’s page on Amazon and Goodreads where she reviews books written by other authors.

Author Melissa Muldoon announced the release of her novel The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola, end of Nov. 2020.
It is about the painting Sofonisba Anguissola, who was also a student of Michelangelo. It is based on historical facts, and most events, people, and places describe in the story are real….

Excerpt: “Set in the sixteenth-century, The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola tells the love story of a woman’s passion for art… and for a man. In a world where women painters had little to no acknowledgment, she was singled out by Michelangelo and Vasari, who recognized and praised her talent. Gaining the Milanese elite’s acclaim, she went on to become court painter to Spanish King Phillip II, and taught his queen to paint. One can’t live such an extraordinary life without having stories to tell… and tell them Sofonisba does to Sir Anthony Van Dyke, who comes to visit her toward the end of her life.”

The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola

About the Author: I met Melissa Muldoon, a few years ago, at a Christmas artsy show organized by the Italian-American Museum in San Francisco, where we both were vendors and became friends. Through the years, we participated in the same kind of shows through various venues where Italian culture and products were on display. Melissa loves Italy, she writes fiction novels based on historical Italian places. In her novel Dreaming Sophia, (Sophia Loren), she ended up meeting the one and only Mrs. Loren after the publication of her book. Visit Melissa’s website, her author’s page on Amazon, and her Goodreads page.

Author Aeriol Ascher announced the release of the book Healing Body Mind and Soul for a Better World – Feb 2021.

22 Authors contributed to this book and will participate in the book talk, which revolves around how to embrace self-care for a better you and a better world. The free Book Talk Series can be accessed at the event link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/122179290547

Aeriol Ascher

About the Author: I met Aeriol Ascher at a networking lunch meeting. I liked how she presented the subject of her talk, her energy was powerful and she had a strong presence. I invited her to appear on the live stage on my TV show, where she sang, played Tibetan bowls, and talked about healing vibrations. We had a great show. Aeriol is an international bestselling Author, Speaker, Podcast Personality, Metaphysical Teacher, Holistic Healing Master, Mentor, and Intuitive Guide on a mission to raise the vibration of the planet one soul at a time.
Visit her: Virtual business card: https://aeriol.gotmygocard.com and her Website: https://healingbodymindandsoul.com

My new book will be on the market by the end of November 2020, I will be ready to show it very soon. This concludes my selection of new books for this Autumn, stay tuned. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page
Goodreads

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books here:
Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Dedicated To Books | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

24 Sep 2020 24 Comments

by Valentina in Books Blog Tags: #AuthorSallyCronin, #AuthorsCommunity, #SallyCroninBookPromotion, #SmorgasbordBlogMagazine, #SmorgasbordCafePromotion

In the midst of this surreal life we are all living, we must keep doing things for the sake of our sanity and maybe doing things that will reshape our future. I am seeing many people who are creating new things, new life paths, new programs, and even new entrepreneurial careers. I am one of them. Thanks to my strong will, I saw a way to reshape my work. I am devoting all my time to design a study program directed to people who want to learn to be their own interior designer and learn from me every possible strategy to decorate or remodel their home. It will happen next year.
The next project is a new non-fiction book about the relation between nature and the interiors of a home. I am pushing to publish it by November 2020.

This week, I read some blogs I missed when they were published. Authors never stop thinking, every moment is a good time to put “words on paper” as we used to say, or at least when the inspiration comes.

Author Sally Cronin features a few authors every six weeks and includes reviews they have received from others. She is so precise featuring and including everyone she knows in her Smorgasbord Blog Café. I read a lot of excellent reviews and I am so honored to be enumerated among so many talented, successful Authors.
Here you can read about every author featured.
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/smorgasbord-cafe-and-bookstore-free-author-promotion/

Last month, I was featured among hundreds of authors in Sally’s circle who received new reviews, mine was on a travel narrative book I wrote a year ago:
The Road To Top Of The World.

(Click on each photo to view and read the review in larger prints)

Sally Cronin featured my books for the first time, in August 2019, with an article she selected from my blog archive: Is There A Trick in Fennel And Wine? (2011) -Valentina Cirasola. That was fun and then she featured additional three articles she found interesting. I am extremely grateful to Sally, she is such a kind and generous person with her time.
Sally is a storyteller, wrote many books on a variety of subjects, health, and fiction, including four collections of short stories. She is a great promoter of other people’s work.

Visit Author Sally Cronin on Amazon Author’s Page and on Goodreads

Thanks again Sally for your dedication to books and authors, my gratitude is immense.

My life in 2020 – What life? I was robbed of one year, this coming October I will turn my birthday off.
My friends are locked in within the coziness of their homes and are keeping distant as ordered 😱 and some other friends even have moved out of burning, tumultuous California.
Everyone I know is working from home and no one knows when and if they will return to be part of society as we knew it before the pandemic. Some people commute 4 hours round trip to work, I am sure they don’t look forward to starting that again.
Social life is almost inexistent, towns seem deserted, stores are open and empty of customers, I guess buying online has become easier, at least we don’t have to wear a mask. Not much is going on. My Honduran hairdresser comes to my home to do my hair.
I even watched two Operas from home. I paid a fee to be sitting in front of my computer dressed in short pants to watch the Operas streaming.
The Opera of course was good, I didn’t like the experience, the atmosphere of the Opera was lost.
My family lives in Italy, thanks to free WhatsApp video I can see and talk to them almost every day.
The TV station where I produce my TV shows is still closed. The travel bug is eating me up.

I look forward to new challenges in a new shaped life, maybe I will meet new friends close and far, the internet has been a saver for sure. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire and inform, while she is living her passion.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

I Had A Dream | Valentina Cirasola | Designer and Author

18 Sep 2020 5 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #AutumnFood, #DreamingFigs, #Figs, #FigsandCheese, #FigsandProsciutto, #FigsAsSnack, #FigTrees, #HealthyFigs

Ah… figs…red inside, dark on the outside, that sweet, round and comforting taste I remember so well. Around this time of the year, that sweet taste takes me far away in time, in the company of people who are no longer in this world.

My father and his friends got all the kids up early in the morning, prepared our breakfast, got us all dressed cozy and warm for the woods, and out we went to pick fresh figs. The life span of figs is very short, thus we went often to pick figs until they lasted. Hundreds of fig trees filled the vast land cultivated with olive trees, walnut trees, and other fruit trees. We got closer to the figs and embraced the tree first. It was fun and lovely, I felt the earth vibrating, my young friends told me they felt the same vibrations, so, I was not imagining.
The adults picked the figs up high in the tree, us kids harvested those close to us. In the morning, figs were very cold and had drops of dew on it. We grabbed the baskets, covered the bottom with the large fig leaves, and gently aligned the delicate figs.

(Click on each photo to view it larger)

Lasseter-winery-Unsplash

After we filled our baskets, we sat down on the grass, leaned on the fig tree, and started to peel the figs, cut cheese, added prosciutto slices, cracked almonds, and ate them until our heart was content. We lost our bearings for a few hours, we were in heaven. It was life’s greatest pleasure! We listened to the adults talking adults matters, it was fascinating, and kept eating in silence.

Aliona-Gumeniuk-Unsplash

We spent a few hours eating and drinking warm stuff until the sun started to get too warm for the figs.
We had to remember to take home at least a basket full per person, otherwise, our moms would have not let us in the house.

The tastiest fruit of Summer is also one of the agriculture erotism, I think! After the figs I ate in Puglia, I have never found a similar experience anywhere else.

I woke up, it was a dream, I was there, in Puglia, under our usual large fig tree with my father. Ciao.

Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page

Valentina Cirasola is a designer, author, TV producer, and a storyteller by nature. Stories told through shapes, lines, forms, and colors are very important to her design career to convey ideas that contribute to the making of a personalized home, reflecting the life’s experiences of people living there. As an author, she writes non-fictional books, about practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, travel, and cooking. Find her books on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

A Day Painted In Dull Colors | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

10 Sep 2020 8 Comments

by Valentina in The Good Life Tags: #CaliforniaFires, #SmokeyDay, #Solitude, #Wildfires, #YellowSky

I woke as usual at 6:00 am, actually, a strange yellowish-greyish light in my bedroom woke me up, I thought the lights were left on somewhere in the house during the night, or some UFO had landed. The yellowish light came from outside, the garden was infused with darkness I have never known before, like a noir film. It wasn’t the usual spunky daylight of a day just starting at 6:00 am, and neither was the light of a falling day. It was just dark, grey, and flat, like a winter day, but it felt oppressive as if something was about to happen. As the day progressed, the sky became more yellow and surreal. My flowers have lost their colors, my lemons don’t look yellow, the birds are sensing something is going on and are not singing. I thought this is the way it would be if the sun leaves this earth. No, wait, it would be totally dark. My 5+ mile walk in the park by a lake was full of questions of the day, what if this, and what if that? I was in a total silent nature almost the whole time I was walking. A hand full of people were walking, biking, or exercising, they all had their heads down carrying who knows what kind of weight. It was a strange feeling.

This playboat is usually full of small children, it was deserted today.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Playboat at Shoreline

The ducks usually make noises, fly around, and play in the water. Today, they were still on the quay and bunched up together in silence.

Ducks

This is no filter effect, the pathway today looked just like this.

Pathway

Some people are saying things like “it feels like Mars”, or “something will happen”. No human has gone to Mars yet, how would they know what it feels like? We still have vegetation and we will still eat real food today. The waters of lakes and seas are still there. The succession of day and night will still happen today. Nothing is going to happen, no Armageddon is in the plans of some divinity. Maybe someone will flip the wig today, but someone flips every day regardless of the strange light, the smokey air, and the effect of the cosmos on our psyche.
This is the result of all the wildfires here in California, even though I strongly believe most of these fires are arson, that’s another story.
Perhaps it is a good time for me to make yellow muffins from my lemons and brighten my day. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page

Valentina Cirasola is a trained Italian Interior Designer in business since 1990. Being Italian born and raised, classicism, stylish and timeless designs have influenced Valentina’s design work. She will create your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away your comfort. She loves to restore old homes, historic dwellings, she focuses on remodeling including nature as a harmonious expression of her designs. Check out her books, one of which is on the subject of colors: ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition. Amazon and Barnes&Nobles

Beauty Marks | Valentina Cirasola | Author and Designer

01 Sep 2020 2 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #1700Venice, #BeautyandFashion, #FacialBeautyMarks, #RenaissanceVenice, #VirnaLisi

The editing of my home, all the bookshelves, my studio, my closets have become a great affair with the past. Memories are resurfacing in my mind and are taking me back to distant lands and moments. Fortunately, I don’t have many painful memories, I have always had a very dear and sweet family, my life with them has always been pleasant even with the difficulties and tensions that exist in all families, but together we always have overcome everything in the best way.
All my photos speak of the ways people dressed in other eras, the hairstyle, the jewelry, and some of the fashion habits now look a little ridiculous but were very well appreciated then. I can even hear the words spoken that have fallen out of fashion.

In Renaissance Venice, the city that was teeming with vices, idleness, sins, and forbidden loves, most women painted a beauty mark on their face, a custom which continued well into the 1970s. All my young aunts had a beauty mark on their face. Now that I know the meaning, I don’t think they needed a beauty mark, nature gifted them with a special beauty they carried to the old age. How could have they said no to fashion? It would have been like saying no to the mini skirt when came out on the market as a novelty. Every woman of every age wore beauty marks.

My aunt Rita at 21 years young. Photo property ©Valentina Cirasola

The Italian actress Virna Lisi, wore a beauty mark on the right lower corner of her mouth, she was a gorgeous woman with a rare beauty.
She was in many Hollywood films, one of them was “How to Murder Your Wife” with Jack Lemmon, in which she popped out of a wedding cake clad in a bikini.

The beauty marks have different meanings if they are painted in different places on the face.

The “appassionata” (passioned) worn at the corner of the eye, the “coquette” (flirtatious) above the top lip, and the “assassina” (assassin) at the corner of the mouth. Of course, these terms refer to how women perceived themself sexually and how men responded to their provocations.
Sexual harassment didn’t exist, it was a game of seduction between women and men, accepted by both parts. For certain women, with a little more gumption than others was a game of “the highest bidder wins” to land themselves in a good or high social status position that often would have fixed their reputation (sort of). How time has changed! Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon Author’s Page

I am Valentina, a trained Fashion and Interior Designer, born in Italy in a family of artists. Style has surrounded me since the very beginning of my life. My many years of experience in the design business led me to offer consultations in both fashion and interiors, so much so that I can remodel homes as well as personal images. I am passionate about colors and I encourage my clients to express their individual style in their homes and with the clothes they wear.I am an author, and one of the books I wrote is about color theory, paperback and kindle:
©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition
Amazon and Barnes&Noble

New Life To A Room | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

26 Aug 2020 6 Comments

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #ExtraRoomRedesign, #KidsRoomRemake, #RepurposeRooms, #RoomRemake

The kids are gone to college and to live their lives, you are left with either a boy’s or girl’s room without any function anymore.
If you are lucky, the kids will not return to live with mom and dad again as a single young adult. The first feeling that assails you is the emptiness of that room. No more mess, no more noises, and no more friends over. Closing the door behind and leaving it in the past, as the kids were still there is a crime. What do you do with that room then? Your budget will tell you what this extra space can become. It can be all yours, for all those activities you have been wanting to do and didn’t have space or time for it.

Often, I have been hired to redesign the kids’ room who flew away and turn them into a dream room for one of the parents.
It was fun to see the various requests I had. I made a game room, a reading room, a guest room, a craft room, a spacious walking closet, a wine room with controlled temperature (these last two rooms were so fun to remake), a painting studio, a music room, a home office, a dancing room, the choices are endless.

This one below was a boy’s room and became a cozy guest room, redesigned with affordable furniture and soothing colors. It is also used as a reading room when guests are not there. Hopefully, the boy of this house will return to visit their parents with a spouse and then with their own kids. The red daybed is there just for that reason.

Enjoy the Before and After transformation.

(Click on each photo to view it larger)

Sitting/Guest Room – View 1

Sitting/Guest Room – View 2

Boy’s Room – Before

Boy’s Room – Before

If you are in the same situation, think of the many possibilities with which you can fill that empty room. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola transforms and creates spaces realizing people’s dreams in homes, offices, interiors, and exteriors. She infuses your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. Valentina is well-known for finding creative solutions. She offers online design consultations through Skype or Zoom and the traditional in-house consultations, helping people with their design challenge anywhere in the world. She is the author of five books.

Amazon and Barnes&Noble

600 Years and Still Standing | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

21 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #BrunelleschiDome, #FlorenceHistory, #RenaissanceArchitecture, #SantaMarieDelFiore

August 19, 1418, Florence announced a competition for anyone to participate with an idea on how to build the dome for Santa Maria Del Fiore Cathedral. Up to that moment, the cathedral had been building for a century already and no one knew how to build a dome on top with a span of 143 feet diameter, thus the construction came to a dead end until a goldsmith and a clockmaker participated with extravagant plans and won the competition. He was Filippo Brunelleschi, forty-one at the time. For the next twenty-eight years, he would be preoccupied with the novelty construction methods he proposed for the dome and occupied building it. Brunelleschi revolutionized architecture with his original plans and designs.

In the Renaissance, the patrons of the arts threw a lot of money around to get the best-looking buildings, the most beautifully decorated rooms, or to acquire paintings made by the most known artists. It should have been easy to build something extravagant, in reality, it was not. Due to the lack of powerful machinery, Brunelleschi felt the need to invent sophisticated pieces of engineering machines and mechanic tools never been seen before to bring his plans to the realization. Some of those types of machinery are still in use today.

Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral – photo by Gabriele Colzi with permission of the author

The city official of Florence needed a large striking cathedral to reflect its political importance in the world of the 1500s Renaissance, a time when every European country was erecting the tallest buildings just to prove how close to God they could be. Brunelleschi’s life as the master of this project was not at all sweet. People tried their best to discredit him, there was gossip, feuds between prominent political Florentine families, intrigues, the fight between city, states, nobles, and all the artists competing, then the plague arrived and decimated Europe.

The dome construction kept going despite all the adversities and it was completed. It is the largest dome still standing since the fifteenth century. No one to these days has made a different form of Brunelleschi’s dome.
Somewhere in the world history is remembered, revered, studied, and not burned down.

Author Ross King wrote a book called Brunelleschi’s Dome, a very informative book about the construction of the dome, the machinery invented on the spot to get the job done, and all the disputes behind the curtains of this massive project. I read the book twice, I was so enthralled, that year I planned a trip to Florence, just to enjoy with my eyes what I read.
I also reviewed the book on Goodreads. Visit me there too, if you can.

Today, scrolling through my Instagram feed I found this beautiful photo by Gabriele Colzi from Florence. He makes pictures with a soft pink/yellowish tone using Huawei P40 Pro. His photographs are so beautiful. Many thanks to Gabriele to let me use his photo. Ciao,
Valentina
Amazon’s Author Page

It’s my hope that through my writing and my stories I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style, and inspiring you to live in beauty. I love to encourage my clients to show their personality through their home décor, or the clothes they wear. I have loved my profession as an interior-fashion designer since 1990. I am here ready to offer consultations on-line if you need it. Check out one of my books on the subject of colors, ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition.Amazon:
Amazon and Barnes&Noble