Barbara Lynn-Davis's Blog, page 2

Teaser (and a sexy photo)

One week till publication of Casanova's Secret Wife
"Our eyes met, and I smiled back gratefully. I dropped my gaze, then peeked up to study him more. His skin was swarthy, and his black eyes had a fiery light."
This photo of Heath Ledger as Casanova I adore.

Coming to the MFA in Boston!

Did you know that coming to the MFA in Boston in fall 2018 is "Casanova: Art in the Age of Seduction"? It will focus on the whole, delicious eighteenth-century: paintings, costumes, decorative arts. Included is this painting which to my knowledge has not traveled outside of Venice and shows life in the (decadent) eighteenth-century convents as featured in my book:

Second Review! (RT)

Very proud of this positive review of my true love story!


CASANOVA’S SECRET WIFE by Barbara Lynn-Davis
“Lynn-Davis debuts with a fascinating story based on the notorious lover Giacomo Casanova’s writings. With Venice as the romantic backdrop and young love as its focus, this stunning tale of passion, betrayal and redemption is a richly woven tapestry of Casanova’s early life. By bringing little known history to life, Lynn-Davis delivers an unforgettable love story, centering not only on Casanova, but two women who share the beauty of love and the pain of loss; one will find salvation and the other true happiness.”- RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

Casanova's Secret Wife

First review!

The historian me is especially excited and gratified how this reviewer sees Casanova in a new way (less legend and more human) after reading this true love story.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-...

Venetian Carnival!

Living near Boston, I am lucky enough to enjoy the vibrant early music scene here. This year's production by the Boston Early Music Festival was Andre Campra's opera "Le Carnaval de Venise" (1699) set in Venice. The costumes were unbelievably vivid and true to the period, and it was my first time seeing the full Venetian Carnival costume I describe in my book: white plaster mask, black tricorn hat, and black, disguising cape. Mysterious and thrilling. This is a picture from my favorite scene: a romantic night serenade:

First Event Booked!

Thrilled about my first scheduled book event, August 22 at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts! "http://www.portersquarebooks.com/"

I, Eliza Hamilton

At Book Expo America in New York City earlier this month, it was my special pleasure to meet Susan Holloway Scott, who is not only another eighteenth-century fan like me, but also was an art history major at Brown University! I am excited about her upcoming novel, I Eliza Hamilton .
Can you believe she conceived this story BEFORE the Hamilton craze? That's some cultural prescience.
It's coming out September 26, here's more about it from Bustle:
https://www.bustle.com/p/i-eliza-hami...

The Story of the Book Cover

I was thrilled to receive on my doorstep this week the real book, which has a cool gold "frame" that you lift off to find a painting by French artist Antoine Coypel. I actually didn't know of this painting before I finished my book (I'm a specialist in Italian, not French art), but a Venetianist friend showed it to me and I thought, OMG! This looks exactly as I always pictured Caterina, my main character! It was a magical moment, as if in seeing her she took flesh form before my eyes. And I was so glad I had dedicated the years to telling her story.

Blog Tour!

I've been away on a research trip to Germany, Austria and Poland for my second book but now I'm home again and getting excited about my upcoming blog tour with 27 stops planned! Here's the schedule link:

http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/casanov...

Music in My Book

I so enjoyed weaving music into my story. At the same time, it was frustrating that love songs that moved me to tears, when rendered in black and white on a page, only in small part conveyed their original power. For this reason I've included music excerpts on my website, www.barbaralynndavis.com, and will be featuring some on my blog.

Here's one: Se tu m'ami (If You Love Me) by Giovanni Pergolosi or Alessandro Parisotti (Parisotti attributed it to Pergolosi but now music scholars are wondering if he was just being modest!)

Here's the YouTube link, sung by Cecilia Bartoli. In my book, my main character, Caterina, hears this song echoing in the watery darkness as she heads to the theater in a gondola to meet Giacomo Casanova alone for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THTUC...