Olga Núñez Miret's Blog: Author Translator Olga, page 82
February 19, 2015
Do you enjoy audiobooks? Check out ‘My Prison Without Bars’ by Taylor Fulks (narrated by Elm Elridge)
Hi all:
You���ll remember that last month, after some posts about audiobooks I decided to try and feature them once a month in my blog. Although we���ll come back to the rest of Pauline���s audiobooks (people were very taken with her stories), I thought I���d bring you something quite different, for those of you interested in memoirs and true stories. I���ve heard lots of good things about this book (by all descriptions is a hard read, but some things must be said and talked about, no matter how hard) and I knew you���d be interested. Here is Taylor Fulks and her book My Prison Without Bars.
My Prison Without Bars by Taylor Fulks
My Prison Without Bars: The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal��[Audible Audio Edition]
by��Taylor Evan Fulks��(Author),��Em Eldridge��(Narrator)
My Prison without Bars: The Journey Of A Damaged Woman To Someplace Normal is a novel based on a true story…Taylor’s story. My Prison without Bars is a courageous and harrowing journey through the catacombs of hell, from the mind and voice of a little girl, living with her own monster underneath her bed. Written in first person, this novel is not a memoir, but more a psychological thriller based on true events; chronicling one woman’s attempt to claw her way out of the darkness of Child Sexual Abuse, while struggling to find normal, in a not-so-normal world. It is poignant, dark and graphic; not for the faint of heart. This novel will make you feel… *Warning* this novel is graphic and disturbing. It may trigger csa victims. It is intended for 18+ readers.
Here I decided to leave you a couple of reviews that you might find illuminating:
5 Stars Deneale’s Book Buzz
ByDeneale K. Williams “Deneale”on October 25, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
When I went to Taylor about reviewing her book, she warned me about it first. Giving me an escape: should I want or need one. I assured her I didn’t, and decided to read it, and also found a real soul Sister along the way as well.
Through out Twitter, as well as email, Taylor and I chatted as I read. We opened up to one another and found a lot of similarities. But, that’s not what you’re here for is it?
This book is eye opening. I have underwent so many emotions as I read, I couldn’t keep up with myself. If anyone had been watching me read, they would’ve thought I was insane. Not only do I read abundantly faster then most, I talk to myself out loud. Especially when characters um…. (How to word this professionally) irritate me. I was laughing at her word choices: “ass crack of dawn” and the fact that Taylor speaks just how she would in person as she does in this book. She holds back nothing. You can tell, your opinion, my opinion? It doesn’t matter. She just wants to teach others not to suffer as she has, to learn from her mistakes; (not that the mistakes were hers in the first place!) I also feel, that as Taylor wrote this, somehow she was hoping; like a journal “God willing” maybe it would or could help her to move on. Whether it has or not, only Taylor knows.
Taylor is a survivor. Whether or not her Mother truly even “wanted” her as a Child, only God and her Mother know, but with these words and life lessons that Taylor has and had endured, it shows us: she survived and so can we! She went through terrible things, many of them. Always surviving and striving to succeed.
In the end, at the very last chapter and the Epilogue I was crying profusely. Before that, I was dumbfounded to learn that all along, her Mother knew she was being raped and molested. In so many ways, I found it hard to contain my anger and upset with the “people” who had been in Taylor’s life.
I will tell you this: I do give the book five stars. I wish I could give it more. It was a deep and painful read. But very close to my heart. And I am truly grateful that Taylor Fulks was born and is alive today to educate us and share with us, so that others will stand up and speak out against their attackers, even if they are: “family!” Family or not, that is not love!
To Taylor: You have survived for reasons and sharing your story was and is one of them, to teach others that where there is a will~there is a way.
5 STARS WHAT A TERRIBLE AND YET WONDERFUL STORY
By WILMA CONLEYon October 9, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
MY PRISON WITHOUT BARS by author Taylor Fulks is a *****5 Star “or more” read.
Taylor Fulks bares her heart and soul here readers!!
She is an excellent writer able to take you to the depths of despair, and the heights of joy.
What a story!! I am at a loss for words.
What a woman!! Please read MY PRISON WITHOUT BARS.
You will not view the world as you did before this experience.
Thank you so. Much Taylor Fulks. Job very well done!!
http://www.amazon.com/My-Prison-Without-Bars-Someplace/dp/B00PCSR1Z2/
Just in case you prefer the Kindle Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Prison-Without-Bars-Someplace-ebook/dp/B00AKKMDIM/
Author Taylor Fulks
Here a little bit about Taylor Fulks and her Amazon page:
Taylor Evan Fulks is a native Texan transplanted years ago to southern Ohio, on the banks of the Ohio River. She is a wife, a mother of two “almost grown” daughters, and does open heart surgery to help pay the bills. Always an avid story-teller, Taylor decided to put her pad and pen where her mouth is. “My Prison Without Bars” is her debut novel. Her writing genre of choice is mystery/romance. Even though her debut novel doesn’t fall into that category, she felt compelled to start with this one, find peace, and put it on the shelf.
http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Evan-Fulks/e/B00ACWUKM4/
Thanks so much to Taylor Fulks for sharing her book with us, thanks to all of you for reading, and please, like, share, comment, and of course CLICK!
February 18, 2015
Writer’s Quote Wednesday. 18th February 2015
Writer’s quote Wednesday. Thanks to Silverthreading
Hi all:
I’m trying to keep up with the Writer’s Quote Wednesday Feature and thank Siverthreading for the chance to take part in this awesome joint post. It’s a great way to get inspired, share and meet new bloggers.
I had something in mind, but then I read this quote and thought…I think I have the right picture. So this is my quote for today, from Junot D��az:
Being a writer is an excuse to be a professional reader.
I love the quote and must admit that was part of my logic when studying American Literature. I “had” to read books! And doing the PhD on films, I not only had to read books but also had to watch movies!
If you want more information about Junot D��az, this writer from the Dominican Republic came to fame after publishing in 2007��The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.��He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize with the same novel. If you want to check, here you can check some of his stories for free. And this is a brief article with highlights from an interview and link to the full interview.
Thanks for reading, thanks to Colleen from Silver Threading for the opportunity (and go on and join in too), and you know, if you’ve enjoyed it, like, comment, share and visit Colleen’s blog!
February 16, 2015
El juicio de Dios de Enrique Rios Ferrer. Mucho m��s que un juicio.
Hola a todos:
Como sab��is me gusta compartir mis lecturas y las rese��as que escribo y ��sta novela la le�� hace alg��n tiempo pero no hab��a tenido ocasi��n de compartirla y me pareci�� que ya tocaba.
Yo sospecho que todos conocer��is ya��El juicio de Dios��de Enrique R��os Ferrer, pero por si acaso os dejo la descripci��n que incluye algunos comentarios que no os querr��is perder.
El juicio de Dios de Enrique R��os Ferrer
VATICANO Un secreto guardado durante Siglos, y una mujer sola, enfrentada a un mundo despiadado regido por la ambici��n y el poder.
Sus preguntas no iban a obtener respuesta, pero provocar��an que la m��s dura batalla legal de la Historia, estuviera a punto de producirse.
Los mejores abogados del mundo estaban preparados. Los de la Iglesia; para impedirlo.
PALOMA GOMEZ BORRERO (Roma) Periodista y escritora. Experta en la Santa Sede.
He le��do con extraordinario inter��s la novela ���El Juicio de Dios��� ya que a medida que pasas las p��ginas, te va capturando, manteni��ndote hasta el final en suspenso. Estoy segura que si viviera el gran Hitchcock le habr��a pedido los derechos para llevarla al cine. Adem��s de muy bien escrita , es muy original el trasladarnos, para enlazar la trama con la Historia , de la ��poca actual al Imperio romano. Y muy bien documentada. La sorpresa final, te hace pensar en esos renglones torcidos de Dios para escribir derecho. Mi m��s sincera enhorabuena al autor.Atendiendo los deseos del mismo, se le ha hecho llegar un ejemplar al PAPA FRANCISCO I con la esperanza de que sea de su agrado” .
UNA JOYA EN AMAZON Por Blanca Miosi (Caracas, Venezuela) Autora de los Best Seller mundiales; La B��squeda o El Manuscrito, entre otros.
“El Juicio de Dios” es una novela muy recomendable por su originalidad y por su complicada trama, digna del mejor de los orfebres Un relato, cuya fuerza e intensidad en los di��logos no deben perderse. En medio de una trama de tanta acci��n, agradec�� especialmente la primera conversaci��n entre el cardenal Noldo y el encargado de la Biblioteca del Vaticano, Roncelli; para mi gusto un ejemplo de c��mo hacer un di��logo en el que se destila humor sin que el narrador intervenga demasiado. No voy a adelantarles el final, pero a m�� me satisfizo una enormidad. Pude respirar tranquila, y lo digo literalmente. Una novela para disfrutar���
UNO DE LOS MEJORES LIBROS QUE HE LEIDO por Purificaci��n Estarli, autora de los best seller ���Las arrugas del tiempo��� o ���El secreto de las margaritas���
���El Juicio de Dios��� es un libro que hay que saborear despacio, como si se tratara de un buen vino, con calma y sin prisas. Sin duda, es una maravilla de obra.
El Juicio de Dios es uno de esos libros que deber��an estar en lo m��s alto de cualquier ranking de ventas. Una sucesi��n magistral de cap��tulos entrelazados por un hilo invisible que te mantiene en vilo desde principio a fin. Por todo lo anterior, recomiendo abiertamente y al cien por cien su lectura.
HACIA TIEMPO QUE UNA NOVELA NO ME ATRAPABA CON TANTA INTENSIDAD. ��Extraordinario! Sylvia Cabot Lectora
MAS QUE ENTRETENIMIENTO Lola Marin��, autora de los best sellers ���Nunca fuimos a Katmand����� o ���Habana Jazz Club��� .
���He disfrutado con la lectura de “El juicio de Dios”..Los di��logos me parecen magn��ficos y muchos de ellos llevan a la reflexi��n. Si busc��is algo m��s que entretenimiento en un libro no os perd��is El juicio de Dios���
UN LIBRO QUE YA ES IMPRESCINDIBLE PARA MI Por la historia y sus excelentes di��logos. Mercedes A��oto. Lectora
MAYTE ESTEBAN autora de los best sellers ���Detr��s del cristal��� o ���La arena del reloj���
La novela tiene una complicada secuencia temporal, que nos sit��a, en un impactante principio, en 1.578 en Dinamarca, para luego trasladarnos al pr��logo en 2004, en el que conocemos a Giselle, las mujer que pondr�� la demanda a Dios, o mejor dicho, a su representante en la Tierra; el Papa. Esta es una novela de las que te gustar��a ver convertida en pel��cula.
Muchos compa��eros que ya la han le��do, la califican como una joya. Lo es. En serio.
No os perd��is el book tr��iler.
EXCELENTE NOVELA Por Frank Spoiler. Poeta y autor entre otras de; ���Sucede a diario��� o ���Poesia desde las entra��as���
���Poco m��s puedo a��adir a lo que ya se ha dicho de esta fant��stica novela hist��rica, de acci��n, thriller, o incluso rom��ntica. Sencillamente GENIAL. Felicidades al autor, por su excelente trabajo de documentaci��n.
No s�� si hace falta que incluya mi rese��a, pero ya puestos…
El juicio de Dios de Enrique R��os Ferrer. Mucho m��s que un juicio.
El juicio de Dios a primera vista es una novela sobre un juicio y una complicada b��squeda, un juego del gato y el rat��n, entre dos equipos de abogados que se enfrentan intentando encontrar un documento vital para el caso. Este documento podr��a representar la diferencia entre una crisis de credibilidad para la Iglesia Cat��lica y la simple crisis de fe de una creyente enfrentada con una tragedia personal extrema.
A pesar de�� lo envueltos que nos vemos en el seguimiento de los pasos que se siguen para intentar la localizaci��n del tal documento, quiz��s la cuesti��n de fondo es otra. ��Cu��l es la naturaleza de nuestras creencias? ��D��nde termina la responsabilidad de Dios y d��nde empieza la de los hombres?
La narraci��n nos lleva desde el Tsunami en Tailandia a la Roma cl��sica del emperador Constantino y su lucha por afincar la religi��n cristiana, pasando por la Italia Renacentista y la Zaragoza de la Guerra de la Independencia.
El autor es ambicioso y crea un complejo entresijo de historias, ��pocas y personajes, todos centrados alrededor de este documento, que como los McGuffins de las pel��culas de Hitchcock, se convierte en una excusa para hacernos cuestionar cu��les son nuestras prioridades y qu�� nos podr��a hacer cambiarlas. ��Una tragedia de colosales proporciones? ��O la mala suerte cr��nica de cada d��a?
Puede que el final os parezca sorpresivo, u os desilusione, pero si lo pens��is bien���A m�� me parece un final feliz.
Si os gustan las lecturas inteligentes, complejas, sobre temas fuera de lo com��n, os lo recomiendo. Os aseguro que os har�� pensar y probablemente os emocione. A m�� me pas��.
http://www.amazon.com/El-Juicio-Dios-incre%C3%ADble-Historia-ebook/dp/B007A53ORY/
http://www.amazon.es/El-Juicio-Dios-incre%C3%ADble-Historia-ebook/dp/B007A53ORY/
Muchas gracias a Enrique R��os Ferrer por su libro, a vosotros por leer, y ya sab��is, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid, y haced CLIC!
More book recommendations! Enter dragons, alchemists and witches and Roots!
Hi all:
As you know apart from writing and translating (when I have time!) I read books and review in a variety of places. And every so often I bring them here for your information. Today I have a varied selection. See if you find something of interest:
The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly. Non-stop action and dragons in China.
Thanks to Net Galley I got a pre-release copy of this novel. It���s still in pre-order, so you can read about it before it comes out.
The Great Zoo of China is a good romp, a fabulous ride and a fast-paced adventure/thriller book. You have to be prepared to suspend disbelief and to not mind if situations are stretched a bit far, but if you are happy to do that���you���ll have a fun read.
The book reminded me of Jurassic Park and reading the interview with the author at the end (that I recommend to readers and writers alike) I was not surprised to discover it was one of his favourite books.�� The main differences are the setting and the creatures. If Jurassic Park could be seen as a criticism of capitalism���s lack of scruples, one has to wonder, what would be crueller and hungrier, capitalism run amok or communism desperate to become the biggest power by hijacking the world���s attention? While you might have your own opinion on how likely a scenario this is, the possible reasons provided as background don���t interfere greatly with the enjoyment of the story, unless you take them too seriously.
The Great Zoo of China (hardback cover)
The similarities with Jurassic Park go from the pseudo-scientific details (although this book���s premise is more fanciful if you like myths and dragons you���ll enjoy the thought), to the size of the creatures, little children, and families, the action-packed episodes and our wondering who (if anybody) will make it out live.
I liked the female hero although we get but a few glimpses of her previous life and there is little psychological depth, but she has guts aplenty. It���s easy to root for her.
To begin with, the book made me think of a huge action movie, later of an adventure computer game where the main character is always looking for a new weapon to fight the big menace (here really enormous). It also reminded me of horror movies with the scary monster who refuses to die and always keeps coming at you. And of the old movies by instalments where you would go from one nail-biting cliff-hanger to the next without time to catch your breath.
The book is a quick and easy read and a page turner. It made me very aware that there are only so many ways one can say big, huge, enormous���
If you’ve read many books in this genre I don���t think it will break new ground or be utterly surprising but it achieves its aims successfully and it is big. If you want escapism, a read that will make you jump and keep you entertained, this novel more than fits the bill.
This is the pre-order link:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Zoo-China-Matthew-Reilly-ebook/dp/B00MENIERC/
The Serpent Papers by Jessica Cornwell
The Serpent Papers by Jessica Cornwell. Alchemy, codices and witches in Barcelona
I requested a free copy of this novel from Net Galley when I read the description and saw this was a book about a quest for knowledge, the search for an old manuscript, and the action took place in part in Barcelona. Being from Barcelona and having loved books and reading all my life, it was difficult to resist.
The Serpent Papers is the story of the search for an old illuminated manuscript (a palimpsest to be precise) that has been hidden for years to prevent its destruction. The links of this manuscript with alchemy, an enigmatic figure (Rex Illuminatus confused ��at times with the historical figure of Ramon Llull), immortality, witches, and women���s murders make for a complex story. At the heart of the novel there���s a scholar/detective/expert, Anna Verco, who might or might not have some paranormal powers (that might instead be due to organic reasons). Like in many of these books, the search for meaning also becomes an inquiry into the main character and what she stands for.
Cornwell (granddaughter of John le Carr��) builds up a complex structure to tell her story. Letters from different periods, accounts of previous attempts at investigating Rex Illuminatus by other experts, interviews of people who knew the victims, dreams and hallucinations���All of them sound and read real, showing a breadth of knowledge and characterization rich and convincing. The language can go from the poetic and lyrical to the mundane and down-to-earth, changing registers with ease.
I loved the little snippets of folk story and legends of the city of Barcelona, the descriptions of the landscape of the island of Mallorca, and the challenges the story poses. It is not an easy read and it can be demanding, both of one���s attention and also of knowledge and deductive capacities. I wondered if a cast of characters for the different eras with some brief descriptions might not make the reading experience easier.
Men using their power and violence to silence women, women being cast as witches as a way of shutting them up, and centuries of attempts at keeping secrets under wraps are not new ideas (at times it made me think of Lars von Trier���s Antichrist although the novel is more complex) but that does not detract from a solid novel that I kept imagining in a big screen near us. I can see actresses fighting over the main character and Barcelona and Mallorca looking very handsome indeed in the adaptation.
I understand this is the first in an ���alchemical thriller��� trilogy. The appeal and the pull on the imagination of the subject would keep readers coming back for more. Readers who like books about intrigues in a historical setting and with conspiracy theory backgrounds will enjoy it, although I suspect it might be slightly more demanding than previous titles that have become very popular.
In a separate note, I wasn’t sure about the Catalan sentences. There were a number of typos and I couldn’t work out if it was phonetically recorded rather than intended as orthographically correct. More consistency in that aspect would have made the book more seamless for me (that would not be a problem for people not familiar with Catalan).
Just in case you want to check what others have said, here is the Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/21/the-serpent-papers-jessica-cornwell-review
Here the link to the actual book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Serpent-Papers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00MELZJM2
Alex Haley’s Roots. An Author’s Odyssey by Adam Henig
Alex Haley���s Roots: An Author���s Odyssey by Adam Henig. Shining some light on the Roots controversy.
This is an informative account of the period of time in Alex Haley’s life following the publication of roots and the TV series but it is not a complete conventional biography. Although it does not delve deep into the author’s motives (it is not a deep psychological portrait), it does a great job of reviewing existing sources and even on occasions adding new material from interviews. I was aware of some of the controversy surrounding ‘Roots’ but not of the evidence and details that unfolded. This is a must for people interested in Roots and Haley, and considering its length, it offers a good summary of the sources. I’d love to see and read more of the extensive sources the author explored to produce this work, as there seems to exist much untapped potential.
A well-written and compelling account of a fascinating work (however we might choose to define it) that changed people’s perception of African-American history and stories.
As an author, I also enjoyed the collection of blogs chartering the journey of Adam Henig to, first research, and finally self-publish the book. I hope more books will follow.
http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Haleys-Roots-Authors-Odyssey-ebook/dp/B00HRN891A/
Thanks to all the authors for their books and special thanks to all of you for reading. Please, like, comment, share, CLICK and above all, keep reading!
February 12, 2015
Valentine Day Romance books mammoth giveaway! Don’t miss it!
Hi all:
This is an extra post today because wonderful author��Marie Lavender��has organised a fantastic��giveaway. 42 authors, 77 titles and 150 donations.��I’m donating a couple of my titles��Click Me Happy!��and��I Love Your Cupcakes but there is such a great choice that I’d go there straight away if I were you.
To participate in the giveaway, you only need to��CLICK ��on the links and visit the two blogs. ��And I recommend you carry on visiting. Here they are:
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/2015/02/multi-author-romance-book-giveaway-Valentines-Day.html
https://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/can-you-resist-romance-multi-author-book-giveaway/
Go, quick! Don’t waste any time!
Good luck with the giveaway, thanks to Marie for organising such a great event and thank you all for reading and clicking!
Unas cuantas recomendaciones rom��nticas para celebrar San Valent��n
Hola a todos: Como ya sab��is, viernes es el d��a de las novedades literarias y los escritores invitados. Como ma��ana es San Valent��n, decid�� compartir unas cuantas novelas rom��nticas por si no sab��is qu�� comprar, o si simplemente os apetece leer algo adecuado. No os olvid��is de que he compartido muchas otras novelas del g��nero en el blog, as�� que os recomiendo que le ech��is un vistazo si os qued��is con ganas de m��s. Y ahora, las novelas:
Suspiros de un sue��o de Sergio Casanova Segura
��Suspiros de un sue��o�� de Sergio Casanova Segura
Escribir esta apasionante novela rom��ntica supuso para m�� y para ella, estoy seguro, un antes y un despu��s. Significa mucho en el sentido estricto de la palabra mucho, siempre fluyeron las letras en m�� por si mismas y la mayor parte de ellas son rom��nticas, tiernas y basadas en sue��os que podr��an, o no cumplirse alg��n d��a.
Soy y siempre fui un so��ador y lo peor es que siempre pens�� que mis sue��os podr��an hacerse realidad, y bueno, poco a poco voy d��ndome cuenta de que son los sue��os en si los que he de disfrutar, y olvidar que es un sue��o en su transcurso.
Si luego despierto y es real��� ��Bienvenido sea!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MU9QX7S/
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00MU9QX7S/
El amor es cosa de otros planeta de Silvana Saba
El amor es cosa de otro planeta de Silvana Saba
Es una deliciosa y emotiva novela juvenil, rom��ntica que narra una bella experiencia de amor. Protagonizada por una pareja adolescente. Hay un velo de misterio que los envuelve manteniendo expectante al lector.
Est�� cargada de met��foras que caracterizan el escenario pueblerino y a cada uno de sus personajes. Todo cambia, suceden cosas extra��as, pero sobre todo triunfa el amor.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUQRK8O
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00KUQRK8O
��
Persiguiendo un coraz��n de Lauren Mor��n
Persiguiendo un coraz��n de Lauren Mor��n
Ingrid tiene lo que toda mujer puede so��ar: un buen trabajo, un novio estupendo y grandes expectativas de futuro. Sin embargo, todo eso cambia cuando Adri��n, su prometido, sufre un accidente de tr��fico y muere. Ingrid cae en una depresi��n que la har�� replantearse toda su vida. Ser�� gracias a la ayuda de su hermana Ruth, su vecino Alex y la extra��a petici��n de su suegra que concentrar�� todas sus fuerzas en descubrir si vali�� la pena que Adri��n muriera. Una historia que se sumerge en la donaci��n de ��rganos, en el padecimiento tanto propio como ajeno y en la lucha por seguir adelante.
Biograf��a del autor
Lectora voraz desde ni��a, comenc�� a escribir hace unos a��os. Disfruto creando personajes, escenas e historias, dedicando un rato cada d��a a la escritura. Participo con un relato en la publicaci��n Historias del Drag��n de Kelonia Editorial y con otro en 400 palabras, una ficci��n de Editorial Letra de Palo. Tambi��n he colaborado en la composici��n del IV Redlato Participativo Feria del Libro de Valladolid 2013. He publicado mi primera novela Persiguiendo un coraz��n en Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLLEQM6
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00KLLEQM6
��
Rozando el cielo de Cristina Gonz��lez
Rozando el cielo de Cristina Gonz��lez
Sarah Praxton no tiene una vida sencilla.
Desde que sus padres murieron en un accidente de tr��fico, ella tuvo que hacerse cargo en solitario de su hermana Rachel, quien naci�� con s��ndrome de Down. Es una responsabilidad muy grande que limita bastante su vida, de cara al trabajo, a las amistades y sobre todo al amor.
Sin embargo, a pesar de las dificultades, ella siempre est�� dispuesta a encontrar la soluci��n frente a cualquier problema que se le presente. Es una mujer fuerte, trabajadora y honesta.
Cuando John Miller, su jefe, le pide que d�� clases de franc��s a su hija ��� lo cual implica estirar mucho m��s su jornada laboral ���, Sarah se ve entre la espada y la pared, al no tener tiempo suficiente para hacerse cargo de su hermana. Esto har�� que salga a relucir su fuerte car��cter, impresionando a John��� Para bien o para mal.
Biograf��a del autor
Cristina es una joven escritora que trata de ofrecerle al mundo las locas ideas que se suceden en su imaginaci��n, en forma de historias rom��nticas, amores entra��ables, bromas, chistes y cualquier cosa que le haga re��r a sus lectores – y llorar de la emoci��n -. Es una apasionada de la medicina – como futura m��dico que es -, de las ciencias, la astronom��a y los libros. Y sobre todo, de la escritura. Escritora de Fuera de juego, Querido Word, Becca Breaker entre otros.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MSQQWAG/
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00MSQQWAG/
Y por si os apetece algo ligerito, os recuerdo mis dos novelas rom��nticas:
Click Me Happy!
Click Me Happy! de Olga N����ez Miret
En esta novela, Lilith, una bibliotecaria, se ve forzada a explorar las redes sociales por asuntos de trabajo y conoce al que parece el hombre perfecto. Gracias a una amiga, organizan un encuentro en Bermuda. Pero, ��c��mo acaba la cosa? En esta novela le ofrezco al lector la oportunidad de escoger entre tres finales, uno desgraciado, uno neutro y uno feliz. Leed los tres y escoged, o decidid de antemano y disfrutad. La decisi��n es vuestra.
En digital en Amazon;
En papel:
(Tambi��n disponible para Nook, en i-Tunes, Kobo, Scribd, y Page Foundry).
I Love Your Cupcakes
I Love Your Cupcakes (Me encantan tus cupcakes) de Olga N����ez Miret. Portada de Lourdes Vidal
Un romance muy dulce, que transcurre durante un concurso pastelero televisivo. Hay un poco de todo, desastres culinarios, perros perdidos, malos mal��simos, amistades entra��ables, bigamia, cuarteles de bomberos, pasteles y mucho amor. Una novela optimista que os recomiendo si quer��is animaros sin ��pasaros de calor��as.
En Amazon en versi��n digital:
En papel:
En Casa del Libro:
(Tambi��n disponible para Nook, en i-Tunes, Kobo, Scribd, y Page Foundry).
Gracias a los autores por sus novelas, a vosotros por leer, y ya sab��is, si os han interesado, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid, haced CLIC y ��quereos mucho! ��Besos!
Blog Tour. ‘Echoes of Love’ by Hanna Fielding. Romance, art and passion in Italy.
Hi all:
As you know I bring you guest authors and new books on Fridays. When I saw this book tour advertised just before Valentine’s I thought it was meant to be. And here it is…I leave you with Hanna Fielding and her novel ‘Echoes of Love‘. Romance and Venice, what else could you want? But if you want more, I also include my review and there’s a great giveaway.
Hannah Fielding bio
Hannah Fielding is a novelist, a dreamer, a traveller, a mother, a wife and an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own. Years later ��� following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development ��� Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: she writes full time, splitting her time between her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
Her first novel, Burning Embers, is a vivid, evocative love story set against the backdrop of tempestuous and wild Kenya of the 1970s, reviewed by one newspaper as ���romance like Hollywood used to make���. Her new novel, The Echoes of Love, is a story of passion, betrayal and intrigue set in the romantic and mysterious city of Venice and the beautiful landscape of Tuscany.
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Social media links
Website:��www.hannahfielding.net
Twitter:��http://twitter.com/#!/fieldinghannah
Facebook:��http://www.facebook.com/fieldinghannah
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5333898.Hannah_Fielding
Buy links
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Echoes-Love-Hannah-Fielding-ebook/dp/B00H3S3FFO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1386249349&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-echoes-of-love-hannah-fielding/1117405658?ean=9780992671839
Book trailer
Book excerpt��
The clock struck midnight just as Venetia went past the grand eighteenth-century mirror hanging over the mantelpiece in the hall. Instinctively she looked into it and her heart skipped a beat. In the firelight she noticed that he was there again, an almost illusory figure, leaning against the wall at the far end of the shadowy room, steady eyes intense, watching her from behind his black mask. An illusory figure indeed, because when Venetia turned around he was gone.
Venetia shivered. Nanny Horren���s voice resounded through her head, reminding her of the strange Celtic superstitions that the Scottish governess used to tell her. One in particular came to mind.�����Turn off the light and look into the mirror by firelight at midnight on Shrove Tuesday,�����the old woman would whisper to the impressionable and imaginative teenage Venetia,�����and if you see a face reflected behind your own, it���ll be the face of the love of your life, the man you will marry someday.���
Was this what had just happened to Venetia? Was this stranger the love of her life?
Rubbish, she remonstrated, laughing uneasily into her own eyes,��you���re mad! Haven���t you learnt your lesson?��Venetia had indulged in such fantasies several years ago and had only managed to get hurt. Now, she knew better. Still, she did not move away. Venetia leant closer to the mirror that reflected her pale, startled face in the flickering light, as tremors of the warm feelings of yester love suddenly flooded her being. For a few moments she seemed to lose all sense of where she was and felt as though she stood inside a globe, watching the wheel of time turning back ten years.
Gareth Jordan Carter. ���Judd���. It was a diminutive of Jordan, chosen by Venetia who hated the name Gareth and didn���t care much for the name Jordan either. Judd had been her first love, and as far as Venetia was concerned, her last. She had been young and innocent then; only eighteen. Today, at twenty-eight, she liked to think she was a woman of the world, who would not allow herself to be trapped by the treacherous illusions of passion, however appealing they might seem. She had paid a high price for her naivety and impetuosity.
Venetia tried to shake herself clear of those haunting phantasms and her thoughts ambled back to the masked stranger ��� well, almost a stranger.
Their brief encounter had occurred the evening of the first night of��Il Carnevale di Venezia,��ten days before Shrove Tuesday ���
***
It was nearly seven-thirty and the shops were beginning to shut down for the night. The wind that had blown all day had dropped, and a slight haze veiled the trees, as if gauze had been hung in front of everything that was more than a few feet away. The damp air was soaked with silence.
Venetia tightened the belt of her coat around her slim waist and lifted the fur collar snugly about her neck. The sound of her footsteps echoed off the pavement as she hurried towards the Rialto Bridge from Piazza San Marco, a solitary figure in an almost deserted street. She was on her way to catch thevaporetto��water bus, which would drop her off at Palazzo Mendicoli where she had an apartment. A few huddled pedestrians could be seen on the opposite pavement, and there was not much traffic on the great inky stretch of water of the Grand Canal.
Suddenly Venetia saw two figures spring out in front of her from the surrounding darkness. They were enveloped in��carnevale��cloaks, with no visible faces, only a spooky blackness where they should have been. A hand materialised from under the all-encompassing wrap of one of the sinister creatures and grabbed at her bag. Chilled to the bone, Venetia tried to scream but the sound froze in her throat. Struggling, she hung onto the leather pouch which was looped over her shoulder and across her front as she tried to lift her knee to kick him in the groin, but her aggressors were prepared. An arm was thrown around her throat from the back and the second figure produced a knife.
Just as he was going to slash at the strap of her bag, an imposing silhouette emerged from nowhere and with startling speed its owner swung at Venetia���s attacker with his fist, knocking him off balance. With a grunt of pain the man fell backwards, tripping over his accomplice who gave a curse, and they both tumbled to the ground. Then, picking themselves up in a flash, they took to their heels and fled into the hazy gloom.
���Va tutto bene, are you alright?��� The stranger���s light baritone voice broke through Venetia���s disoriented awareness, and he looked down anxiously into her large amber eyes.
���Yes, yes, I think so,��� she panted, her hands going to her throat.
���Are you hurt at all?���
���No, no just a little shaken, thank you.���
���You���re shivering. You���ve had a bad shock and you need a warm drink. Come. There���s a��caffeteria��that serves the best hot chocolate in Venice, just a few steps from here. It���ll do you good.��� Without waiting for a response, he took Venetia���s arm and led the way down the narrow street.
Venetia���s knees felt like jelly and her teeth were chattering. ���Thanks,��� she murmured, still trying to catch her breath, her heart pounding, and let herself be guided by her tall, broad-shouldered rescuer, who seemed to have taken the situation into his hands.
Thus does Fate cast her thunderbolts into our lives, letting them fall with a feather-like touch, dulling our senses to the storm they would cause should we realise their devastating powers.
They sat in silence at a table in a far-off corner of the crowded��caffeteria. There was too much noise to talk and Venetia was exhausted, so she concentrated on appraising the man sitting opposite her as she listened to the music playing: Mina���s nostalgic 1960 love song, ���Il Cielo in una Stanza���, the unashamedly romantic hit that was so Italian, and which was therefore still frequently played as a classic all over the country.
Venetia���s guardian angel looked more like Lucifer than a celestial being, with his tempestuous blue eyes, curiously bright against the warm tan of his skin, which slanted a fraction upwards under heavy, dark brows when he smiled. They were staring intently at her now with an emotion which puzzled her, and for a few seconds she found herself helplessly staring back into them. It was like gazing into shimmering water.
Strong, masculine features graced his nut-brown face beneath a thick crop of raven-black hair, sleek and shining, swept back from a wide forehead. He wasn���t good-looking in the classical sense, his face was too craggy for that immediate impact, but he was a striking man who emanated controlled power, someone used to making decisions who would not be swayed by any argument or sentiment; a hard man. Still, his steeliness was tempered by the enigmatic curve that lifted the corners of his generous mouth into a promise of laughter; this, coupled with the deep cleft in the centre of his chin, gave him a roguish expression that Venetia found appealing.
The waiter brought over a cup of hot chocolate, a double espresso and a plate of��biscotti��which he said were offered��con i complimenti della casa. Her rescuer was obviously a regular customer.
Venetia took a few sips of the thick, warm brew. She felt herself revive as it trickled down her throat, becoming a warm glow in her stomach which reflected on her cheeks.
The stranger smiled at her. ���Feeling better?���
She nodded. ���Thank you, you���ve been so very kind.���
His smile broadened. ���You are welcome,��signorina.��It is always a pleasure to come to the rescue of a beautiful lady. My name is Paolo Barone, at your service.���
Venetia had been working in Italy for over three years as an architect cum interior designer in her godmother���s architect firm, and was used to the gallant ways and the charm of Italian men. She found their smooth repartee refreshing, and sometimes even amusing, but never took them too seriously. Paolo Barone was different. Maybe it was because she was in shock and felt vulnerable, but nevertheless her heart warmed to this man, who, although not that young, was still in his prime ��� middle to late thirties perhaps ��� and she relaxed. Still, even though the circumstances in this case were unusual, Venetia was not used to accepting invitations from strangers, so she deliberately made no conversation; and to her surprise neither did he.
As she raised the warm cup to her lips with both hands, she was aware of him looking at her directly with unabashed interest. Was he trying to decipher her, she wondered? Relieved that the hot drink���s effect on her cheeks was hiding the slight confusion she felt beneath, she sipped a little too quickly and cooled her lip with the tip of her tongue. Then realising what she had done, she glanced up to see his expression deepen into something else, which made her instantly lower her eyes.
When she had finished her chocolate, Paolo smiled at her. ���Andiamo?��Shall we go?��� he asked, cocking his head to one side and looking at Venetia with curiosity.
Sparkling hazel eyes flecked with gold smiled back at him through long black lashes that somehow did not belong with her chestnut hair. ���Yes. Thank you for the hot chocolate. It is really the best chocolate I���ve had in Venice.���
He helped her with her coat, lifting her glorious long locks over the fur collar. At five foot seven inches, Venetia was tall but as he faced her and began buttoning the garment himself, she noticed again how he towered over her. His hands were strong and masculine; she had a curious sensation of warm familiarity, as though he had performed this act with her several times before. Yet mingled with that feeling came one of embarrassment; his touch seemed a rather intimate gesture instead of the impersonal indifference of a stranger, and she drew away with a little nervous laugh.
���Thank you, that won���t be necessary.���
He held her gaze intently for a moment, as if surprised at what she had said, and she looked down again, for some reason unable to meet those midnight-blue eyes and their burning intensity. Then he smiled and held the door open.
���By the way, I don���t know your name,��� Paolo said as they stepped out into the misty night and began walking towards the Grand Canal.
���Venetia. Venetia Aston-Montagu.���
He quirked a black eyebrow. ���A very romantic name, Venetia, like our beautiful city. But you���re not Italian? You speak Italian like a native.���
She laughed. ���Thank you for the compliment. No, I���m actually English, but I was named by my godmother, who is Venetian. She was my mother���s best friend and she insisted I learn Italian.���
���So you���re on holiday here?���
���No, I live here.���
���Nearby?���
���No, in the Dorsoduro district. I need to catch the��vaporetto,��as the entrance to the building where I live is on the Grand Canal.���
���My launch is moored across the street. Dorsoduro is on my way. It would be a pleasure for me to drop you off.���
���No, thank you. You���ve already been very kind.���
���It���s late and snow has been forecast for tonight. The��vaporetto��is bound to be almost empty. I wouldn���t want you to come to any harm,��signorina. I will give you a lift.��� He spoke quietly with an air of command, his hand coming up to her elbow, but she avoided it hastily.
It was very tempting to accept, but Venetia would not let herself. This stranger was a little too attentive, she thought, and though she had been grateful for his kind invitation to a hot chocolate when she was in distress, and could still recall the feel of his hands buttoning up her coat, she was not in the habit of being picked up by men.
���No really, thank you very much. I���m used to travelling by��vaporetto.��It���s quite safe.���
Paolo did not insist, and for the rest of the way they walked in silence through the narrow, tortuous alleys, Venetia conscious of his nearness in every fibre of her being.
It was bitterly cold. The wind was whistling and a bank of threatening cloud hung over Venice like a white cloak. As they arrived at the waterbus stop, a few snowflakes started to come down. A couple of gondolas, their great steel blades looming dangerously out of the soft velvety mist, glided by swiftly over the gently lapping waters.
���Are you sure you don���t want to change your mind? It looks as though there���ll be a blizzard and the��vaporetto��may be delayed.��� He looked at her with a polite, but guarded smile and she felt a momentary pang of regret at her determination to escape him.
Paolo���s pride was spared a new refusal as they heard the croaky purr of thevaporetto��announcing its lazy approach.
���Here comes my bus,��� Venetia said cheerfully. ���I���ll be home in no time.���
The boat appeared and presently drew up at the small station, bumping the landing stage as it did so.
���Thanks again for all your help,��signore,��� she went on, smiling as she held out her small, perfectly manicured hand to say goodbye. The young man took it in his own, which was large and warm, and held it a trifle longer than would be usual. Venetia stood there with waves of heat passing over her, her senses suddenly heightened at this contact. She abruptly withdrew her hand.
His blue hawk eyes gazed down at her, intent though unfathomable, and he paused uncertainly. ���Will you dine with me tomorrow night?��� he uttered in a low voice.
It would be exciting to dine with Paolo, she thought,��but you must run from him,��urged the echo of an insistent voice within her;��this man has the power to hurt you.
���I���m so sorry,��� she replied stiffly. ���I���m afraid I���m busy.���
���That���s a pity.��� He sounded as if he meant it, but did not insist, leaving her feeling curiously disappointed. He held out his hand again, silently, and she took it, also without a word. There was nothing lax or vague in his firm grasp. Like many people, Venetia was swift to gauge character by the quality of a handclasp and had known many apparently vigorous men whose fingers were like limp fish. Once more, she was aware that Paolo���s large, sensitive hands held a strength and vitality that stirred her deeply.
She hurried onto the��vaporetto,��suddenly eager to flee, but as the waterbus pulled away from the quay, she watched him go up the stairs and disappear into the snow-white night with a strange sinking of the heart, wondering if she would ever see him again.
What the reviewers are saying
���The book makes the reader want to visit Italy, as the descriptions of the sights and sounds evoked such beautiful images.��� ��� Associated Press
���A��very well written, and different kind of romance�����an exceptionally riveting romance��� I would certainly recommend this to fans of the intelligent and suspenseful romance.��� �����Amazon review
���Classic romance fiction�����with all the right ���s��� ingredients ��� seduction, shall-we/shan���t-we, secrets, steaminess.��� ��� Amazon review
���A��haunting, poignant romance�����immerses you in a truly heartwarming and stirring tale of deep passion, love, forgiveness, and healing.�������� Book Bag Lady
���A beautifully crafted book, the echoes of which will remain with you for a long time.��� ��� Amazon review
���I absolutely adored the depth of the love story�����It reads like a film, indeed I can totally imagine it as a Baz Luhrman epic with glorious costumes and elaborate settings.��� ��� Books with Bunny
Message from the author
I first visited Venice as a young child. Then, as now, I was wide-eyed and enchanted by the beauty of the city. I distinctly remember standing in the main square, the Piazza St Marco, gazing up at the stunning architecture of Saint Mark���s Basilica, and feeling I had somehow entered another world ��� a fairytale world. Then I looked down, at the square itself, which was overrun by hordes of pigeons. There was nothing beautiful about those birds. They were quite spoiling the place. And it struck me then that Venice is a city of two faces: that which the tourists flock to admire, that makes the city the capital of romance, that breathes new life into the imagination and leaves a permanent, inspirational impression. And the other side, the darker side, that which is concealed in what Erica Jong called ���the city of mirrors, the city of mirages���.
When I returned to the city as an adult, I became quite fascinated by the concept of Venice ��� what it means to be Venetian; what the city really is beneath the layers of history and grandeur and legend.�� Frida Giannini wrote ���Venice never quite seems real, but rather an ornate film set suspended on the water.��� I understand this quote ��� there is something fairytale about the place, and with that comes some reluctance, perhaps, to see the realism beyond.
Venice so captured my imagination that I knew some day I would write a romance novel set in this most elegant and fascinating of cities. But it had to be the right story to fit the place. For me, that meant a story that reflected the two faces of Venice ��� the mask she wears, and the true form beneath.
I very much hope that readers will enjoy my new novel, and will fall in love with its romantic Italian setting, as I did.
Don’t miss the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here my review:
Echoes of Love by Hanna Fielding. A luscious and passionate Italian romance with a touch of suspense.
As much as I enjoy taking part in blog tours I don���t always participate, even when I���m interested in the books, because of constraints with regards to time for reviewing. But when I received the information for this blog tour I was in the mood for a read that would take me away and wrap me in a story. A romantic story.
Romance is not my first choice for genre but I enjoy reading it, although more recently my preference has been for contemporaneous, light and humorous takes on the matter, and chick-lit. ���Echoes of Love��� isn���t that kind of book. The story of Venezia, an English young woman whose godmother is Italian (and therefore her name), and Paolo, the man he meets in Italy and feels irresistible attracted to from the very beginning, is a story of star-crossed love, fate, damaged and wounded lovers, in the setting of Italy (mostly Venice, but also parts of Tuscany and Sardinia). There is also an element of intrigue that I must confess I guessed from very early on in the story, but was curious as to how the writer would build into the story. It is one of these books where readers and those around the main characters have more insight and can see more clearly what is going on than the couple at the centre of the action, and where the ���will they, won���t they��� tension is a driving force for the narrative.
The author surrounds the story with luscious and detailed descriptions of everything, from architecture and interior design, clothing, characters��� looks, to food and landscape. I���m not usually a big fan of descriptions and prefer to leave some space to imagination, but I enjoyed the use of quotations, settings and the local stories and customs that illustrate the characters��� journey. Sardinia in particular, although only occupies a short part of the story, is beautifully depicted, and it seems visiting it during Easter would be a great experience.
The story is well-written, it picks up the pace in the last third of the book, all details of the plot are important (there are no clues given for no reason). We get to follow the inner thoughts of the main characters, although not only them but also many of the secondary characters seem ruled more by their passions than by their heads. Their very luxurious life-styles and lack of ���real-life��� problems (they have high flying professions, drive Ferraris and Porsches, and money is never a consideration), require a degree of suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader but also give the story the dream/wish-fulfilment quality that is one of the attractions of the genre.
In conclusion, if you���re looking for a story rich in details, that will make you feel as if you���re sharing the total experience and getting under the skin of characters that live a life of luxury surrounded by beauty, and you fancy a romance in Italy with a touch of darkness and intrigue, this is your book.
Thanks so much for reading and if you’ve enjoyed, please like, share, comment, and of course, CLICK!
February 11, 2015
Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Video!
Writer’s quote Wednesday. Thanks to Silverthreading
Hi all:
For quite a while I’ve been following Silverthreading��blog and wanting to take part in one of the challenges or post shares she engages in. Not being very talented with pictures and managing to never have time for anything (and loving quotes) I thought Writer’s Quote Wednesday might be the right one. As Colleen has been keen on having videos posted, and I just did a post sharing quite a few videos, I thought this one might do.
From Rodgers and Hammerstein‘s musical South Pacific, the song ‘Happy Talk‘.
The quote would be: ‘You got to have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how are you going to have a dream come true?’
This video has Anita Hall’s original voice rather than the dubbed version in the movie, although it is the scene from the movie.
Have a great and inspiring week.
Thanks to Colleen for this opportunity, thank to you all for reading and watching, and you know, like, share, comment and don’t forget to visit Silverthreading for the roundup next Wednesday!
February 9, 2015
Cantemos sobre nuestro amor (m��s o menos)
Hola a todos:
Como es San Valent��n el s��bado, y el a��o pasado decid�� compartir algunos poemas, se me ocurri�� que podr��a compartir canciones.
Me encantan los musicales, as�� que no pude evitarlo cuando me puse a buscar canciones.
Primero:
Ava Gardner (ella de verdad, y no la cantante que la dobl�� en la pel��cula) en��Showboat (la pel��cula se llama Magnolia)��singing�����Can���t help loving that man of mine��� (No puedo evitar amar a mi hombre). Bell��sima. Si no sab��ais para que inventaron el Technicolor ahora ya lo sab��is.
Me encanta��Oklahoma. Aqu�� os dejo un par de canciones, aunque por gusto compartir��a el musical entero (de hecho os dejo un enlace a la versi��n que v�� en Londres en 1998 protagonizada por Hugh Jackman y Maureen Lipman).
Sab��is que la gente se inventa rumores cuando ven a un chico y a una chica juntos, pelando la pava, como nos recuerdan Curly y Laurey:
People will say we���re in love (La gente dir�� que estamos enamorados)
Pero el ser discreto no se le da bien a todo el mundo. Me encanta Ado Annie.
I cain���t say no (No s�� c��mo decir que no)
Y por si os apetece verlo todo…
Ya os habr��is dado cuenta de que me gustan Rodgers y Hammerstein. South Pacific��es otra de mis favoritas. Aunque tengo que admitir que el color que le a��adieron a la pel��cula hace que verla sea una experiencia algo rara pero… (me gustan mucho los n��mero c��micos pero no para hoy.)
Si el amor os hace poneros l��ricos, os recomiendo estas dos canciones (sin importar como de j��venes se��is o si no es por la tarde ni particularmente encantador) :
Younger than springtime (M��s joven que la primavera)
Some enchanted evening (Alguna noche encantada)
Tambi��n me gusta mucho��West Side Story��y estoy segura de que tambi��n os hab��is sentido as�� cuando est��is enamorados.
I feel pretty! (��Me siento bonita!)
Y porque a veces no lo podemos evitar…
Mamma Mia! (advertencia, ��es de la pel��cula!)
��sta os la traigo porque adoro a Billie Holiday (probablemente Lover Man es mi favorita pero es demasiado triste):
That Ole Devil Called Love��(Ese viejo diablo llamado amor)(1945) Billie Holiday
No s�� qu�� me hizo pensar en ��sta. El album me gusta mucho aunque esta canci��n no me convenci�� al principio. Ahora es una de mis favoritas y particularmente aprecio el toque de humor:
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – “Fortune Teller” (Adivina)
Y ahora, algunas de nuestra canciones. Me encanta ��sta en catal��n.
Josep Carreras: Ros��
Y aqu�� los tres tenores.
The three tenors: Amapola
Siempre me ha gustado esta canci��n y el ��lbum de Bos��. Escog�� esta versi��n entre las muchas que hay.
Laura Pausini y Miguel Bos��: Te amar��
Ya os he dicho que me encantan los musicales.��Mar i Cel��es una obra de teatro de, ��ngel Guimer��. Estudiamos tres de sus obras en bachillerato (en la clase de Literatura Catalana) y mi preferida fue siempre ‘Mar i Cel’ una historia de piratas y una tragedia de amores imposibles entre una joven mujer, noble, destinada a convertirse en monja, Blanca, y un joven pirata Musulm��n, Said. Tiene lugar en la Edad Media, poco despu��s de que los Reyes Cat��licos expulsaran a los Jud��os y los Moros de Espa��a. Piratas, y un amor imposible. ��Qu�� m��s se puede pedir? Unos a��os despu��s, Dagoll Dagom��(la compa����a de teatro musical que acaba de cumplir 40 a��os) lo transformaron en un musical de gran ��xito. Lo fui a ver por aquel entonces (ya hace 25 a��os) y me enamor�� de la producci��n.
Mar i cel: Per qu�� he plorat? (��Por qu�� llor��?)
Esta no es particularmente amorosa, pero a��n recuerdo estar en primera fila en el teatro, justo al lado del director de orquesta y ver como se mov��a el barco. I-N-C-R-E-I-B-L-E. Y por cierto, para celebrar el aniversario, est��n haciendo Mar i cel en Barcelona (y no s�� si ir�� de tour pero…)
Mar i cel: Himne dels pirates (Himno de los piratas) (Dagoll Dagom)
��Gracias por leer, o por ver y escuchar, y ya sab��is, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid, y feliz San Valent��n! (Compartir�� libro el viernes). Y contadme cu��les son vuestras canciones favoritas.��
Let’s Sing of our Love. Love Songs (sort of).
Hi all:
As it’s Valentine’s Day later in the week, and last year I decided to share some poems I like, this year I thought about sharing some songs.
I love musicals, so when I got looking for songs, I couldn’t help myself.
First:
Ava Gardner (yes, really her, not the singer who dubbed her in the movie) in��Showboat, singing�����Can���t help loving that man of mine���. She is so beautiful! Colour cinema was made for her.
I adore��Oklahoma. Here, a couple of songs, although I’d happily share the whole show (I actually will leave you a link to the version I saw in London with Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman)
You know how people like to make up stories when they see a boy and a girl together, as Curly and Laurey remind us:
People will say we���re in love
But being discreet isn’t always everybody’s cup of tea. I love Ado Annie.
I cain���t say no
In case you feel like watching the whole thing…
You’ve probably guessed I like Rodgers and Hammerstein. South Pacific is another one of my favourites. I must admit the added colours to the movie make the viewing weird but still…(I love the humorous numbers but maybe not for today)
If love makes you feel all lyrical, these two songs are a must (it doesn’t matter how young you are or if it’s not evening or particularly enchanted):
Younger than springtime
Some enchanted evening
I also love��West Side Story and I’m sure you’ve also felt like that when in love.
I feel pretty!
And because we sometimes can’t help ourselves…
Mamma Mia! (warning, it���s from the movie!)
This one because I love Billie Holiday (probably Lover Man is my favourite but it makes me too sad):
That Ole Devil Called Love (1945) Billie Holiday
Not sure what made me think of this one. I love the album but I wasn’t very convinced by this song at first. Now it’s one of my favourites and I like the touch of humour:
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – “Fortune Teller”
I decided this would be an international post and I’d add some songs I also like in Catalan and Spanish. I love this Catalan one.
Josep Carreras: Ros��
I hope you like this one.
The three tenors: Amapola
This is a very beautiful song with gorgeous lyrics. There are many versions so I randomly chose one.
Laura Pausini y Miguel Bos��: Te amar��
I’ve already told you I love musicals.��Mar i Cel��is a play by a very famous Catalan dramatist, ��ngel Guimer��. We studied his plays in High School, and I really loved ‘Mar i cel’ a play set up in the Middle Ages in Spain, some time after the Catholic King and Queen had expelled both the Jews and the Moors. The pirates succeed in taking control of a ship where Spanish soldiers were escorting some young women destined to become nuns. The love story between the pirate Captain, Said, and Blanca, a noble young woman, is set for tragedy. As impossible loves go it’s pretty out there. A few years later, a Catalan theatre company, Dagoll Dagom (last year they reached 40 years staging musicals) took it to the stage with great success. I went to see it and I loved it. It is one of my favourites.
This song takes place shortly after Blanca goes to Said’s quarters with the intention of killing him and he ends up telling her the story of how the soldiers killed his mother, and asks her to kill him. She cries, and the song is when they realise there might be something… (She wonders why did she cry when he is an enemy of the faith and a pirate, and he wonders why did she cry…? )
Mar i cel: Per qu�� he plorat? (Why did I cry?)
This one is completely irrelevant, but hey, I still remember being on the first row of the theatre, right next to the orchestra conductor and seeing the ship moving around. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Mar i cel: Himne dels pirates (Hymn of the pirates) (Dagoll Dagom)
Thank you for reading, or rather listening and watching today, like, share, comment and happy Valentine! (Sharing some relevant books on Friday). Let me know your favourite songs.
Author Translator Olga
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