My first novel “Dreaming Sophia” is here! I am thrilled and happy to share Sophia’s journey with my readers. The book is now available in print and e-pub versions for Kindle and iBook. You can find the book on Amazon and through many other distributors as well. The e-pub version of the book has links to the “Dreaming Sophia” website and Pinterest site, so that you can experience the book visually – see the art and images and videos – referred to in the book, as well as listen to the music.
Il mio primo romanzo “Dreaming Sophia” è qui! Sono entusiasta e felice di condividere la storia di Sophia con i miei lettori. Ora il libro è disponibile sia in versione di stampa sia in digitale per Kindle e iBook. È anche possibile trovare il libro su Amazon e attraverso molti altri distributori. La versione digitale ha dei collegamenti al sito di “Dreaming Sophia” e su Pinterest, in modo da poter vedere le immagini e i video di cui io parlo nel libro, così come ascoltare la musica.
È difficile credere che ho iniziato il mio romanzo due anni fa nel mese di ottobre. Il tempo vola quando si scrive!Da quando ho scritto il primo paragrafo introduttivo, ho lavorato per molte lunghe ore, fino a tarda notte e molte volte fino alle prime ore del mattino.Ho scritto centinaia di bozze e ho trascorso innumerevoli ore per modificare e affinare la storia . Le cose che ho tagliato della storia, saranno rivisitati in futuri post del blog sul sito “Dreaming Sophia”. Quindi andate ad iscrivervi al sito e rimanente sintonizzati per ulteriori avventure con Sophia nei prossimi mesi. Sul sito scriverò anche di Firenze e la storia dell’arte.
It is hard to believe that I began my novel two years ago this October! Time flies when you are writing! Since I penned the first introductory paragraph, I have worked many long hours, sometimes late at night and many times, well into the early hours of the morning. I have written hundreds of drafts and spent countless hours editing and honing the story. Things that I cut out of the story, will be revisited in future blog posts on the “Dreaming Sophia” site. So be sure to subscribe to the website and stay tuned for more adventures with Sophia there in the coming months!
Scrivere un romanzo è stato un impegno meraviglioso ed emozionante e ho scoperto molto su di me durante il percorso. Vale a dire, mi piace inventare un mondo abitato da personaggi di fantasia. Come ho continuato a scrivere e la storia di Sophia è evoluta anche di più, ho cominciato a considerare i personaggi i miei amici e non vedevo l’ora di vedere cosa sarebbe successo a loro. Quando mi sono seduta a scrivere a volte sono rimasta sorpresa di vedere dove la storia mi avrebbe portato. Era come se una musa, simile a quelli di Sophia, ha sussurato nel mio orecchio, guidando la mano che teneva la mia penna.
Writing a novel has been an exciting journey and I have discovered a lot about myself during the process. Namely, I thoroughly enjoy creating a world inhabited by fictional characters. As I continued to write and Sophia’s story evolved even more, I began to consider the characters my friends and couldn’t wait to see what would happen to them next. When I sat down to write sometimes I was surprised to see where the story would take me. It was as if indeed muses, similar to Sophia’s, were whispering into my ear, guiding the hand that held my pen.
L’ispirazione per il libro viene dalla mia storia personale, di come mi sono innamorata dell’Italia, la lingua e la cultura. Un altro grande impulso per la scrittura di questo libro è venuto dal desiderio di condividere la mia passione per le arti e di Firenze con i miei lettori, così come le tante leggende e aneddoti culturali che ho scoperto durante i miei viaggi in Italia. Attraverso “Dreaming Sophia” Inoltre so sperando in invogliare i lettori ad imparare la lingua italiana.
The inspiration for the book originally came from own personal story, of how I fell in love with Italy, the language and its culture. Another great reason for writing this books came from my desire to share my passion for the arts and Florence with my readers, as well as the many legends and cultural anecdotes I have learned during my travels in Italy. Through “Dreaming Sophia” I am also hoping to entice readers to learn the Italian language.
Uno dei temi del libro è quello di trovare l’equilibrio tra fantasia e realtà e la credenza che con determinazione e dedizione i sogni avverano. Io credo in questo. Per me, la semplice decisione, quasi casuale per imparare la lingua, ha aperto molte porte e ha reso reale tanti sogni – quello di scrivere questo blog e fare video per questo canale di Youtube, il collegamento con tante persone in Italia e studenti della lingua e un nuovo lavoro e quello di fare collaborazione con scuole italiane per ospitare gruppi di studenti in Italia. La decisione di scrivere questo libro ha anche aperto tante port e mi ha dato l’occasione di conoscere gente molto interessante. Infatti ho incontrato e ho parlato con Sophia Loren se stessa! Quando lei mi ha guardato negli occhi e ha detto: “Io credo nei sogni, i sogni diventano realtà” ho avuto la pelle d’oca su le mie braccia!
One of the themes of the book is to learn to walk the fine line between fantasy and reality and believing that with determination and dedication dreams do come true. I do believe this! The simple, almost random decision to learn the language for me, has opened many doors and has made many dreams come true…writing a blog and making videos for this Youtube channel, connecting with other language learners, AND working with Italian partners to host groups of students in Italy. The decision to write this book has also opened my doors and introduced me to many fascinating people! Case in point, all because of my decision to write this book, I met and spoke with Sophia Loren herself! When she looked at me and said, “I believe in dreams, dreams become reality,” I had goosebumps up and down my arms!
Ora che “Dreaming Sophia” ha fatto il suo debutto, non vedo l’ora di condividerla con il mondo. Spero che anche voi mi aiutiate a diffondere la notizia!
Now that “Dreaming Sophia” has made her debut, I am looking forward to sharing her with world. I hope you will help spread the word too.
Per festeggiare l’uscita del libro mi piacerebbe regalare uno di voi un libro e un Dreaming Sophia sacchetto!
Basta riempire il modello di Rafflecopter per partecipare.
To celebrate the launch of my new book I’d like to give to one of you a copy of “Dreaming Sophia” and a Book Bag.
Simply enter the Rafflecopter entry below to enter the Give Away.
October 10th A winner was selected! Congratulations to Kath Sturgeon
and to all who participated in the contest!
Here is a brief description of the book.
Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy, language, art, and culture. It is a story about turning dreams into reality and learning to walk the fine line between fact and fantasy. When tragedy strikes, Sophia finds herself alone in the world, without direction and fearful of loving again. With only her vivid imagination to guide her, she begins a journey that will take her from the vineyards in Sonoma, California to a grad school in Philadelphia and, eventually, to Italy: Florence, Lucca, Rome, Verona, Venice, and Val d’Orcia. Through dreamlike encounters, Sophia meets Italian personalities—princes, poets, duchesses, artists, and film stars— who give her advice to help put her life back together. Following a path that takes her from grief to joy, she discovers the source of her creativity and learns to love again, turning her dreams into reality.
Ecco che i lettori stanno dicendo! / Look what readers are saying!
In Dreaming Sophia, Melissa Muldoon weaves many strands of Italian culture into a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, art and history. With an artist’s keen eye and deft touch, she brings to life the titans of Italian culture in a touching tale of a young woman reeling from loss who discovers that “Italy is the answer.” The many Italophiles who share her belief will revel in the adventures of this kindred spirit. Brava, Melissa! -Dianne Hales, author of “La Bella Lingua” and “Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered”
I loved following in Sophia’s footsteps as she was introduced to Florence and the Italian culture. Her vivid imagination and her love of artistic icons was charming. Melissa Muldoon’s experience with Italians and their expressions, wives’s tales and cultural idiosyncrasies had me chuckling. It had me reminiscing all the times my mom and nonna would do and say the exact same things! But it’s the ex-pat life of an artist who discovers who she truly is meant to be that warmed my heart as I read Dreaming Sophia. To all the dreamers out there, the message is that no matter how rough the start, dreams do become reality. -Laura Fabiani, Italy Book Tours
In Dreaming Sophia, Melissa Muldoon shares her love of art and all things Italian. Inhabited by an eclectic cast of historical characters, the story emerged from the author’s numerous travels to Italy, her deep appreciation of Italian culture, and her spirited, years-long study of the language. -Mary A. Osborne, Award-winning author of Alchemy’s Daughter and Nonna’s Book of Mysteries
I Loved DREAMING SOPHIA!!! You are a great writer! I could hardly put it down. I highly recommend your book to all who love a great story as well as those who appreciate Italy, art and love. – Marilyn Ricci, Take Me Home Italy Blog
“I just finished it and I loved it! It has all the makings of a success: colorful, heartfelt, searching, with a wonderful mix of Italian culture and history. And how can you not drop of a few tears!”
-Caroline Eitzen, author of “A Tangled Tale – Mona Lisa’s Knot”
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