Traci Andrighetti's Blog, page 3

Cruising (and Writing)

Last week my husband, son, and I went on our first cruise to Key West and The Bahamas. Visions of the Titanic swirled in my head as I boarded the ship, but thankfully the massive thing stayed afloat. Not only that, it almost never seemed to be moving. Once I didn’t even realize we’d left a port. Talk about smooth sailing!

I loved a lot of things about the ship and the ports we visited, not to mention the international staff and crew. But a few things really stood out:

Accidentally ending up at Gilligan’s Island!

Fortunately, we weren’t shipwrecked. We went on a snorkeling and “snuba” tour in The Bahamas, and the boat driver took us to a site surrounded by five islands including Sandy Cay, which appeared in the opening of the first season of Gilligan’s Island. The other islands were featured in Pirates of the Caribbean, four James Bond films, The Island of the Blue Lagoon, and Flipper. And no, we did NOT try to rescue Gilligan, The Skipper, or the other castaways. They’d just end up back on the island, anyway.

Seeing the six-toed cats at Ernest Hemingway’s house.

A ship captain gave Hemingway a six-toed cat named Snow White, and the fifty cats living at his home today are her descendants. Most of them are polydactyl, but we met a few who didn’t have the extra toes. A veterinarian visits them every week, and each cat breeds once and then is spayed or neutered. They literally have the run of the place—including climbing on the dining table and sleeping on Hemingway’s bed.

Writing in the Habana Bar on the ship.

Campari Crimson, my fourth Franki Amato mystery, is underway, and I wanted to keep the flow going while I was cruising. The Habana Bar was a perfect place to write because it wasn’t open for drinks until evening. Also, Hemingway loved to write while he was in Cuba, so writing in a fake Cuban bar on a cruise ship was an inside joke with myself. I figured it was as close as I was going to get to Cuba—and to being like Hemingway.

Buona Pasqua!

Every time Easter (Pasqua) comes around, I remember the year my husband and I spent the holiday in Rome. And immediately I think of these Italian Easter things:

EASTER BREAD (il pane di Pasqua):

Italians color Easter eggs like we do. And then they bake them into sweetened brioche bread in a variety of shapes. There are some with a cross (like the one pictured below), but many of them are braided or resemble chickens. Il pane di Pasqua is also called pane pasquale, so if you know a Pasquale, you now know what his name means.

THE EASTER EGG (l’uovo di Pasqua):

Italians have another egg option—chocolate with a surprise inside. Understandably, kids prefer this version. And frankly, I do too. Just look at the one I’m holding, and you’ll understand why. Note: I was ecstatic to find this egg at Mandola’s restaurant here in Austin the other day. And no, I don’t know what the surprise is. I have to wait until Easter to find out.

THE EASTER CHICK (il pollo di Pasqua):

Italians don’t have an Easter bunny. Instead, they have an Easter chick. An Italian friend was the first to break this news to me, and my reaction was this: “A chick? That’s so weird.” To which he replied, “Actually, we think the rabbit is pretty darn strange.” After I thought about it for a moment, I had to agree with him. I mean, why DOES a rabbit bring us chicken eggs?

MASS WITH THE POPE (la messa con il papa)

Easter mass at The Vatican is a fascinating experience. The last time I went, Pope John Paul II delivered the service, and it was surprising for several reasons: 1) It wasn’t very crowded, 2) No one dressed up, and 3) A lot of locals were talking on their cell phones during the mass, while we foreigners were just in awe. My favorite part was the end when Pope John Paul II said “Happy Easter” in fifty-seven languages, and people in the crowd cheered when they heard their version. Such a thrill!

LITTLE EASTER (la Pasquetta)

Italians not only celebrate Easter (with a family dinner), they also mark the Monday after, i.e., “Little Easter.” Pasquetta, as it is known, is basically national picnic day. And Italians make it a day trip to the countryside, the mountains, or the beach. I don’t know about you, but I could really get behind that practice.

To celebrate Easter, I’d love to send you all Italian Easter eggs, but I can’t. They’re too expensive, and they almost always break in the mail (read the angry customer reviews on Amazon, and you’ll see). So, I’m giving out five copies of the PROSECCO PINK AUDIOBOOK to commenters on this post (I’ll pick your names at random). The book was narrated by the insanely talented Madeline Mrozek, so you’ll definitely want to give it a listen.

BUONA PASQUA!

#ChickLitLove Hop Giveaway!

Join 49 chick lit and romantic comedy authors in celebrating friendship and romance in the #ChickLitLove Hop. We’re honoring Galentine’s Day on February 13 and Valentine’s Day on February 14 with prizes, freebies, and entries to win the grand prizes of SpaFinder gift certificates.

FRANKI’S GALENTINE

For the hop, Franki Amato gave this galentine to her BFF and boss, Veronica Maggio (the owner of the PI firm, Private Chicks, Inc.).

WHAT I’M GIVING AWAY

The Kate Spade “Eat Cake for Breakfast” pancake set (Franki suggests you use it to make Nutella-stuffed pancakes).

HOW TO ENTER

Like my Facebook page and follow me on Amazon and BookBub (don’t forget to comment below). Here are the links:

https://ww.facebook.com/traciandrighettiauthor/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lHLkWr

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2lbq90X

OTHER AUTHOR GIVEAWAYS & THE AWESOME GRAND PRIZE

Visit the #ChickLitLove Hop Facebook page to see the list of participating authors and enter to win the grand prize.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, February 16. Check the authors’ Facebook pages as well as the #ChickLitLove Hop Facebook page to find out the winners.

So stop by the hop, and hop till you drop. You could win a trip to a SPA!

Talk about love…

Franki Amato News

Last year amazing things happened to Franki Amato: She solved a Bourbon Street strip club murder in Amaretto Amber, she heard Madeline Mrozek narrate her voice in the audiobook version of Limoncello Yellow, and she became a USA TODAY bestseller when “Rosolio Red” hit the list in the short story collection Cozy Christmas Shorts.

So, what’s Franki doing in 2017? Well, she’s kind of irked that she’s been sidelined by a forthcoming Danger Cove Hair Salon mystery, A Poison Manicure and Peach Liqueur (a Christmas release). But like I always tell her, from time to time Cassidi Conti has to investigate a murder too.

Once I’ve gotten Cassidi on the right path, Franki’s going to solve a short mystery set in the springtime, possibly in Italy. Then she’ll tackle a bloody crime in Campari Crimson, her fourth mystery involving New Orleanians who live as vampires (yes, that really happens).

But next up for Franki is a boxed set! Gemma Halliday Publishing will release Franki Amato Mysteries (Books 1-3) on January 31. To celebrate, I’m giving away five e-copies (it’s not available in print) to the first five readers who comment below.

After that I’m going to get ready for Mardi Gras in NOLA, where I’ll be on a float with the Krewe of King Arthur. I’m super psyched but also a little scared. Because Franki has assured me there’s a mystery in the works . . .

 

 

Rosie Genova’s Christmas Novella

Buone feste, y’all! A fellow Italian-American writer’s got a holiday release. How could I not promote it?

Rosie Genova, author of the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, serves up a new dish this week with the release of her e-book holiday novella, The Seven-Course Christmas Killer: A Holiday Novella from the Italian Kitchen.

The story takes place on Christmas Eve, as Vic and the gang prepare the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes for their annual holiday party. But before you can say “shrimp scampi,” Mayor Anne McCrae takes a nasty fall that may not be an accident. Add a nosy reporter, guests with grudges, and a missing kitchen knife—and Vic suddenly has all the ingredients for murder!

On Christmas Eve, someone might be sleeping with the fishes. . .

It’s December at the Casa Lido, which means only one thing: the Rienzi family’s traditional Christmas Eve celebration, including wine, song, and seven Italian seafood courses. As Victoria and Tim prep scungilli and calamari, Nonna directs the cooking until all is in readiness for the big night.

But the holiday cheer is interrupted by the attempted murder of Mayor Anne McCrae, who asks Vic to investigate. Trouble is, there are as many suspects as there are fishes on the Christmas Eve menu . . .

About Rosie Genova:

A Jersey girl born and bred, national bestselling author Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her appreciation for good food and her love of classic mysteries from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, was named a 2013 Best Pick by Suspense Magazine and was a finalist for a 2014 Daphne Award. Her books have been described as blending “mystery with comedy, romance, family drama, a vivid and affectionate portrayal of the Jersey shore and…oh yes, cooking.” 



The proud mama of three grown sons, Rosie lives in her home state with her husband and charming mutt Lucy. She also writes as Rosemary DiBattista.

Find Rosie on the Internet:

Website: www.rosiegenova.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RosieGenova

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6462450.Rosie_Genova

Check out the other stops on Rosie’s tour!

November 30 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews

December 1 – Jane Reads

December 1 – Moonlight Rendezvous

December 2 – Queen of All She Reads

December 2 – Turning the Pages

December 2 – Island Confidential

December 2 – Brooke Blogs

December 2 – T’s Stuff

December 3 – Melina’s Book Blog

December 3 – Christa Reads and Writes

December 4 – A Holland Reads

December 4 – The Power of Words

December 5 – A Blue Million Books

December 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews

December 6 – Classy Cheapskate

December 7 – Books,Dreams,Life

December 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy

December 9 – Valerie’s Musings

December 10 – StoreyBook Reviews

December 10 – Mystery Playground

December 11 – Bibliophile Reviews

December 11 – Laura’s Interests

December 12 – Socrates’ Book Reviews

December 13 – Traci Andrighetti’s blog

December 14 – Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf

December 14 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

December 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

December 15 – Author Annette Drake’s blog

December 16 – Varietats

December 17 – Author Michele Lynn Seigfried’s blog

December 18 – Community Bookstop

December 19 – The Girl with Book Lungs

December 19 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews

December 23 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf

Cozy Christmas Shorts!

is officially available today for only 99 cents! And because it’s the giving season, the twelve of us authors who have contributed to this collection of short stories are donating a portion of the proceeds to Toys for Tots.

So please help us spread the word—and the mystery and magic of Christmas. And do it quick! This collection is available only for a LIMITED TIME.

And be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of Cozy Christmas Shorts. This collection includes eleven holiday-themed cozy mystery short stories by New York Times, USA Today, and National Bestselling authors, and it features some of Gemma Halliday Publishing’s most popular cozy mystery series:

Rosolio Red (Franki Amato Mysteries)

by Traci Andrighetti

Christmas, Spies & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries)

by Jennifer Fischetto

Christmas Canapés & Sabotage (Culinary Competition Mysteries)

by Janel Gradowski

Baby It’s Cold Outside (Tahoe Tessie Mysteries)

by Gemma Halliday & T. Sue VerSteeg

Christmas Al Dente (Southern Pasta Shop Mysteries)

by Jennifer L. Hart

A (Gingerbread) Diorama of Death (Helen Binney Mysteries)

by Gin Jones

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas (Greatest Hits Mysteries)

by Leslie Langtry

Ornamental Danger (Working Stiff Mysteries)

by Kerri Nelson

Motion for Mistletoe (Jamie Winters Mysteries)

by Kelly Rey

The Blonde Before Christmas (Barb Jackson Mysteries)

by Anna Snow

Sleighed at Castle Rock (Amelia Grace Rock ‘n’ Roll Mysteries)

by Anne Marie Stoddard

BUON NATALE A TUTTI (MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE)!

Limoncello Yellow is LIVE!

I said this on Facebook, and I’ll say it again here: It’s WEIRD to listen to someone perform your book! And that’s exactly what I did when the terrifically talented voice artist Madeline Mrozek performed the audiobook version of Limoncello Yellow.

And what a performance it is! Madeline said that she felt like Cybil when she was recording the book because of all my crazy characters. And honestly, she’s such an amazing voice artist that at times I really thought that she was multiple people.

But don’t listen to me, listen to Madeline! An audio sample of Limoncello Yellow is available here. And you can get a free copy by signing up for a free 30-day trial of audible.com here.

Don’t want a free trial? No problem! Because I’m giving away three audio copies of Limoncello Yellow to the first requesters!

The Casket Girls: A Tale Literally from the Crypt

Halloween is the perfect time to share one of the spooktacular stories I heard on a New Orleans vampire tour. As I tell you this tale, keep in mind that New Orleanians are proud to trace their roots to these women.

What women, you ask? The infamous filles à la cassette (French for “girls with a case”), a.k.a., the Casket Girls!

Here’s what we know from the history books:

The French founders of La Nouvelle Orléans asked King Louis XV to send brides for the colonists, most of whom were felons that France had wisely shipped off to the New World. And in 1728, three hundred alleged virgins, pale and gaunt after months at sea, arrived at the port with their hope chests, i.e., cassettes.

To the colonists, these cassettes looked like coffins, and the word cassette soon morphed into casquette, which is Cajun French for casket (in France French it means helmet). Not surprisingly, the skinny, pasty, casket-carrying women were a little off-putting to the colonists, especially when they coughed up blood (from tuberculosis, one hopes).

Nevertheless, the ever-industrious nuns of the Ursuline Convent, who’d been tasked with the care of these girls, managed to arrange their marriages. But life in a swamp with criminal colonists wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, so many of the Casket Girls disappeared—leaving their creepy hope chests behind.

A rumor then began to circulate in the city: The girls hadn’t brought French clothes in those chests—they’d brought FRENCH VAMPIRES (of the ruffled shirt– and silk waistcoat–wearing variety)!

This is where the story gets weird (and a lot less historical).

After the girls had gone, the nuns moved the girls’ cassettes to the convent’s third-floor attic. A day later, someone discovered that the chests were empty. Fearing that something supernatural was afoot, the nuns bolted the attic door and used nails blessed by the pope to seal the attic windows, which were then mysteriously shuttered—unlike other French Quarter windows.

But one of those windows had a strange habit of opening. In the middle of the night.

So, in 1978, a whole two hundred and fifty years after the Casket Girls’ arrival, a couple of amateur reporters decided to investigate this window business. After being denied access to the convent’s attic—by none other than the Archbishop—they climbed the convent wall and spent the night outside, waiting for that attic window to open.

The next morning, their decapitated bodies were found on the steps of the convent. Eighty percent of their blood had been drained—as in, it was not on the ground, it was GONE. And their murders have never been solved.

Little Free Library LOVE

It’s official—I’m a proud owner of a Little Free Library. If you haven’t heard about this nonprofit organization, I urge you to READ all about them. Little Free Libraries aren’t just sweeping the nation—they’ve gone international, as well. If you don’t believe me, check out the Little Free Libraries in Armenia Facebook page.

Because I live in a historic neighborhood, I had my dad design and build a library that would match my house. Then my husband painted the library our colors, yellow, purple, and green. I know—the colors sound a little “out there,” which is probably why our place is known locally as “the Mardi Gras house” (the Bacchus head on the front doesn’t help any).

But back to the library.

My Little Free Library officially opened to the public on August 13, offering books in English and Italian. Since then, we’ve already had a lot of traffic. Within minutes of its debut, in fact, our first patron came along with a backpack and pretty much emptied the shelves, which, by the way, IS NOT HOW THE BORROWING SYSTEM WORKS.

Fortunately, I haven’t been the only one to stock my library. Someone left a copy of Bill Cosby’s Fatherhood, which was promptly unshelved. Another person left Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café (in large print, too) and The Hobbit. But my favorite “return” was three Nancy Drew books that disappeared within a day. I’m not sure who dropped them off or who took them, but it my mind it definitely was a dark and mysterious figure.

Sgroppino: A Serious Summer Slushie

When I visited the Bele Casel winery in the Veneto region of Italy last March, Paola Ferraro and Luca Comello (The Winefathers) took me to the Caffè Centrale Fratelli Botter in Asolo, a small town known as “The pearl of the province of Treviso.” While I was at the caffè, I was psyched to see sgroppino on the menu.

Why? Well, I love Italian drinks as much as some women love diamonds, especially when I’m sipping them in Italy. And just look what’s in sgroppino:

1/3 cup lemon sorbet (or gelato)

3 oz. prosecco

1 oz. vodka

lemon zest (optional)

One of the coolest things about this drink (besides the ingredients) is that it was used as a palate cleanser among aristocrats in Venice as far back as 1528. The fact that Venetians would consider a drink made of prosecco, vodka, and lemon sorbet to be a simple palate cleanser is, IMHO, one of the many things that makes Italy so freaking great.

These days, Italians drink sgroppino at the end of the meal or between the first and second courses (Buon appetito! and Cin cin!), but visiting Americans like myself drink it whenever and wherever they can. Obviously.

Another great thing about sgroppino is that you can switch out the lemon sorbet for other flavors of gelato and sorbetto. Just THINK of the possibilities.