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Art of Loving Italy

Art of Loving Italy

Art & Beauty are all around us.

As an author – what do you enjoy most about the writing process?

March 22, 2018 by Melissa Muldoon Leave a Comment

reviews-Waking-Isabella-Italy-Arezzo-Melissa-Muldoon

Sharing readers thoughts about “Waking Isabella” and answering reader questions

Review of Waking Isabella – OLIO By MARILYN: Kudos to the author on a well-crafted story. I love the way the author’s writing takes the reader between past and present so seamlessly it feels like they are happening side by side. I also enjoyed the chance to learn about Italian history during several eras – the Renaissance, the German occupation, and the current day. Waking Isabella is a story of passion, love, grief, and redemption that is built upon the stories of the characters we meet – their pasts, their secrets, their insecurities, and their passions.’

Review of Waking Isabella Spanish/English – TORRE DE BABEL: Through wildly imaginative eyes, scenes from the past come alive with emotion and turmoil. I loved those. The novel is fluid and easy to read, yet it still manages to convey beauty and heart.

I love reader questions!
Here are a couple I answered sent to me by readers.

As an author – what do you enjoy most about the writing process? What feels like a chore?

I enjoy the moments when my fingers just fly over the keyboard, and it seems like the characters have come to life and are guiding my words. Those moments when ideas come to me effortlessly, scene descriptions seem to write themselves, and I have these little ah-ha moments when I make exciting connections between characters, and things just seem to fit together beautifully. Those are great days.

And then there are those days where it feels like you are pulling teeth, none of your characters want to cooperate with you. You write for an hour and think you have perfected a scene. And then you look back, and it isn’t the way you saw it in your head, and you swear the words began to jump around on the page and re-write themselves (not to your liking) when your back was turned, and you were making more coffee.

As this is your 2nd book, do you find the process of finding new storyline ideas and characters gets harder or easier with each new title?

I think book two (Waking Isabella) was much easier to write. Book one (Dreaming Sophia) was super personal. I was riding a wave of ideas and let the writing take me where it wanted me to go, which it turned out was a bit of a circuitous route and I re-wrote and re-edited the story for many months. But, it was a good thing and wasn’t time wasted. The story evolved and matured as it was supposed to and in the process, I learned a lot — not only about the process of writing, editing, and developing a story but also the design and production of a novel and how to self-publish. After blazing my own trail I had a lot of knowledge in my head, and I couldn’t let it go to waste so decided to begin right away with a second book.

So, “Waking Isabella,” even though it involved a mystery — that required more research and finesse to explain it clearly to an audience who perhaps isn’t knowledgeable about the time periods, settings, the town of Arezzo and its traditions as well as the challenges faced by the diverse group of characters — from the beginning followed a more straightforward progression from start to finish, and I had a clearer idea of how the story was going to play out.

If you have a question for Melissa, send her a message: melissa@MelissaMuldoon.com

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Filed Under: Melissa Book News Tagged With: Arezzo, Dreaming Sophia, Giostra, Italian, Italy, Joust, Melissa Muldoon, novels set in Italy, Waking Isabella

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My girls on mugs! Artemisia, Sophia, Sofonisba and My girls on mugs! Artemisia, Sophia, Sofonisba and Eleonora… the heroines of my four novels set in Italy.

Escape to Italy in the pages of a novel!

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. All four books tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future for themselves. 

Available on Amazon in Print, Epub, and Audio. Links in bio.

5 Stars - Dianne Hales (author of La Bella Lingua, La Passione, and Mona Lisa-A Life Discovered): A true Renaissance woman, Melissa Muldoon weaves her passions for art and Italy into a stirring saga that sweeps across centuries. As her time-traveling heroine, Maddie reconnects with kindred souls, we meet Artemisia Gentileschi, the 17th–century artist who overcame rape and ignominy to gain respect and acclaim. Historical figures such as Galileo and Mussolini also come to life in this intricately plotted novel. Still, the women who defy all constraints to take control of their destinies are the ones who prove to be eternally fascinating. 
 
5 Stars - Lize Amazon Reader: What a lovely story! Melissa weaves the lives of 4 women across time, all with some connection to Artemisia Gentileschi, a 16th-century Italy painter. They represent the feminine strength that arises from life challenges, each with unique intelligence. Underlying their stories is the idea that love transcends all, even time; love is timeless. As with her other books, Melissa fills the story out with interesting facts and references to Italian life, culture, and its history; her attention to detail is immaculate. I loved the many connections in this story that tied it all together; very cleverly done. Wonderful read; I would highly recommend it.

#MelissaMuldoon #IndieAuthor #artemisiagentileschi #NovelsetinItaly
#Medici #Tuscany #Rome #Montepulciano #Florence #SofonisbaAnguissola #IsabellaMedici #Medici #ARezzo
Ciao! Sono Melissa, la studentessa Matta. Sono c Ciao! Sono Melissa, la studentessa Matta. 

Sono contenta che mi stia seguendo qui su Instagram!

I’m pleased you are following me on Instagram. I help you to learn Italian.

I organize, with my partner schools in Italy, small group language immersion programs in Arezzo, Lucca and Montepulciano.

For 10 or 12 days, you will study at the school at your level in the mornings and in the afternoons we will participate in activities and go on excursions— like make pasta, drink wine, talk to local artisans and see churches, museums, art —even the giostra del Saracino - the jousting festival if you join me in Arezzo.

Accommodations and most evening meals are all included AND you will have unlimited conversation practice and language learning when you meet my Italian friends and teachers from the schools who will accompany us.

The dates for 2023 Matta Italian Language Programs are

2023 Matta and Arezzo Italian Language Program: June 11 - 23

2023 Matta and Lucca Italian Language Program: August 24 - Sept 2
 
2023 Matta September Arezzo Joust Weekend: September 2 - 4, 2023 (Open to Italian learners and English speakers) 

2023 Matta and Montepulciano Italian Language Program: September 10 - 22

Join me in Italy 2023 and take your Italian language skills further.

More information and to sign up can be found on the StudentessaMatta.com website

Alla prossima! Ciao!

#learnItalian #ItalianImmersionPrograms #StudentessaMatta #Arrezzo #Montepulciano #Lucca #LuccaItalianSchool #LIS #Culture_Italiana_Arezzo #IlSasso #LearnInItaly#TravelItaly #tuscanylovers
Modi di dire con rospo, rana, ranocchio! Italian i Modi di dire con rospo, rana, ranocchio! Italian idiomatic expressions involving frogs and toads.

New post on the StudentessaMatta.com blog site.

Today I'm talking about lively idioms that practically jump up and down. These idiomatic expressions involve frogs and toads and will surely put a spring in your step and make you jump a level up. Want to sound like a native Italian speaker? Here is a chance to brush up on some Italian idioms involving our little web-footed friends.

#ItalianExpressions #ModiDire #Rano #Rospo #Ranocchio #Frog #Toad #SputareRospo #RanaGola #PrincipeRanocchio #FrogPrince #IngoiareRospo #StudentessaMatta

Image credit: AdobeStock
Out on the town with Ryan last night to see "Prett Out on the town with Ryan last night to see "Pretty Woman the Musical" at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. ( His Christmas gift to me this year!) We had so much fun! Began the evening with drinks at the Otopia rooftop bar to watch the sunset, then dinner at Acre 41. The show was fantastic, well staged, great singing — just a lot of fun to watch live theater again! #prettywomanthemusical #austintexas #bassconcerthall #theater
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Alessandra, Italian teacher from Livorno, shares recipes for a successful homestay and a delectable dish

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In her guest post Alessandra tells us about Livorno and more about herself and her background. Alessandra has traveled extensively and made homestays in America so she knows what it’s like to be away from home and how important it is to find a warm and friendly environment that makes you feel comfortable as a family or among friends.

Find out more about the Italian Language Homestay opportunities offered on the StudentessaMatta.com website : See links in Bio.

#italian #ItalianLanguageHomestay #Livorno #HomestayLivorno #learnItalian #LearnInItaly #studentessamatta
Addio a Gina Lollobrigida. Lo star del cinema ital Addio a Gina Lollobrigida. Lo star del cinema italiano è scomparsa. È successo ieri, Mercoledì 18 gennaio. La diva italiana aveva 95 anni. 

Più ricordata come un modello e attrice - una vera bomba, molto sexy e seducente, Gina Lollobrigida era una donna di talenti incredibili che comprendeva tutte le arti - cinema, fotografia e scultore. 

Leggi il nuovo post su StudentessaMatta.com

#studentessamatta #GinaLollobrigida #Lollo #ItalianCinema #ItalianFilmStar #attriceitaliana✨👑🎬🎥
Ieri sera ho ricevuto una dolce sorpresa. Una vici Ieri sera ho ricevuto una dolce sorpresa. Una vicina di casa ha fatto marmellata in casa e mi ha dato un vasetto! Oggi l'ho spalmata sul mio toast! Il gusto è veramente ottimo! Grazie Brianna!

#marmellata #vasetto #vincina #dolce #italiano

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