Kimberly Sullivan's Blog, page 23

A mini-New Orleans in Mobile, Alabama

My visit last summer to Mobile, Alabama was my first visit to that Gulf Coast town. We arrived in Mobile after a stay in New Orleans, Louisiana, so our first impression was of Mobile a mini-New Orleans, with similar architecture along Mobile’s main stretch. Mobile is Alabama’s oldest city, with a history stretching back over…

One year as a NetGalley Reviewer!

It has been about one year since I have joined NetGalley as a book reviewer! If you don’t yet know NetGalley, it is an ARC (advanced readers’ copies) distibution platform where publishers and indie authors alike post soon-to-be published books to be read in exchange for an honest review. I first joined NetGalley as a…

Palladian splendor in Vicenza, Italy

I adore the northern small city of Vicenza, in Italy’s Veneto region. I first came here many years ago, and had not been back in years. When my youngest son had a cross-country race nearby, I jumped on the change to get back and visit this jewelbox of a town. I was not disappointed to…

Taking my novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, out to meet its setting

My newest novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is set in modern days – in the Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, and in the nearby town of Pescina at the eve of WWI. While Pescina is very real, Marsicano is an invented Italian mountain town. However, it bears a striking resemblance to the real…

Returning to dorm life – at Durham University

As you can probably imagine, it has been many, many years since I took part in dorm life. In graduate school, I lived in an apartment, but even during my undergraduate years, I only lived in the dorms my freshman year. By second year, I had moved into my sorority, and the final two years…

Marking Armistice Day through WWI literature

Today is Armistice Day. The day in which the end of WWI fighting was declared at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. I am fascinated by WWI stories. I love the era and the way society was changing at the outset of the twentieth century. In order to…

Bourbon & old-style charm in Lexington, Kentucky

It doesn’t take long in the state to discover that Kentucky is bourbon country. Last summer I was driving through Kentucky with my family and we stopped off one night at Lexington, Kentucky – first time for me. We had been on a loooong drive, so it was good to park and stretch our legs…

Abruzzo’s WWI Memorial soldiers in In The Shadow of The Apennines

An important symbol in my newly released novel, In The Shadow of The Apennines, is the memorial soldier statue found at the high peak of the Italian mountain town that serves as the setting of my story. My novel’s protagonist, Samantha, is an American who moves to the tiny Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano, hoping…

Enjoying fall foliage on an Abruzzo getaway

I was in desperate need for a weekend get-away out in the mountains, and so was my son. The weather forecasts were perfect, and we decided to take a short get-away to our favorite mountain hamlet in Abruzzo – Ovindoli. It was exactly what we needed: fresh mountain air, long walks, fall foliage, and fantastic…

A big shout-out to Bookstagrammers and book bloggers supporting my launch

I’m hardly an expert, but this is the third book launch I have under my belt, so at least I’ve gleaned some knowledge about how book promotion is done. And, as I’ve learned, it’s wonderful to leave things to the experts. So pleased to have my Bookstagrammer launch tour through Kate Rock Book tours. Kate…