Bookish Tuesday: Introducing Solo Tu in A Tuscan Legacy plus #Giveaway | Narelle Atkins

By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins

I'm thrilled to introduce my tenth book - Solo Tu: Only You - Book 7 in A Tuscan Legacy - a contemporary Christian romance novella series spanning three continents.

Solo Tu is releasing today on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

I've always wanted to write a book for a continuity series that has shared characters and a connected story world.

A Tuscan Legacy is the brainchild of my author friends Marion Ueckermann and Autumn Macarthur. I was delighted to accept their offer when they asked me to join them in their journey to write an indie novella series based in Tuscany.

The series has an overarching family mystery plot that links all the books together. I've loved working with my authors friends in the group who live in England, South Africa and USA. Marion Ueckermann introduced the series back in January - Wandering Wednesday: Beautiful Tuscany.

Here's the video trailer introducing A Tuscan Legacy:

Let me share Solo Tu with you and introduce you to my characters - Sienna Rossi and Dave Maxwell.

If you read A Tuscan Legacy series from start to finish, you'll meet Sienna in That's Amore (Book 1) and Ti Amo (Book 4) before journeying to Sydney, Australia for Book 7.

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father’s unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother’s eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He’s in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

A Tuscan Legacy series - Amazon Kindle and coming in print

A Tuscan Legacy novellas are available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. The books will be releasing in ebook format first, and will later be available in print. Please check out A Tuscan Legacy series page on Amazon.com for more information.

Here's the complete A Tuscan Legacy series list and the Amazon Kindle release dates.

AVAILABLE NOW:

THAT'S AMORE: That's Love Book 1 by Marion Ueckermann - set in Tuscany, Italy.

LUNA ROSA: Blushing Moon Book 2 by Elizabeth Maddrey - set in Washington DC, USA.

RAPSODIA: Rhapsody Book 3 by Alexa Verde - set in Texas, USA.

TI AMO: I Love You Book 4 by Marion Ueckermann - set in Rome, Italy.

LA FIAMMA SACRA: The Sacred Flame Book 5 by Clare Revell - set in England.

BELLA NOTTE: Beautiful Night Book 6 by Heather Gray - international setting (Europe and USA).

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE OF 99 CENTS (US):

SOLO TU: Only You Book 7 by Narelle Atkins - releasing MAY 29 - set in Sydney, Australia.

DOLCE VITA: Sweet Life Book 8 by Autumn Macarthur - releasing JUNE 5 - set in Wales.

LA RISPOSTA: The Answer Book 9 by Autumn Macarthur - releasing JUNE 12 - set in Tuscany, Italy.

A Tuscan Legacy Reader Group on Facebook

A Tuscan Legacy has a Reader Group on Facebook. If you'd like to follow the series and keep up-to-date on the latest news, please join our Reader Group.

Giveaway

I'm giving away a print copy of Solo Tu. The giveaway is open to international entrants with a mailing address where Amazon USA delivers.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or the May New Releases post on May 21. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts.

The giveaway closes on Tuesday June 5 and the winner will be announced soon after in a comment on this post and the May 2018 New Releases post.

The winner can claim their prize by leaving a comment on this post with their email address or by contacting Narelle via social media. A redraw will take place if the winner doesn't claim their prize by June 30, 2018.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

International Christian Fiction - New Releases | May 2018 #giveaway

Solo Tu: Only You (A Tuscan Legacy Book 7) by Narelle Atkins 

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father's unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother's eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He's in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

Giveaway

Narelle Atkins is giving away a print copy of Solo Tu. The giveaway is open to international entrants with a mailing address where Amazon USA delivers.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or Narelle's Bookish Tuesday post on May 29. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts.

Check out Narelle's post on Tuesday May 29 for more information on the giveaway that will close on Tuesday June 5, 2018.

Available at Amazon.com

Harvest of Love: Garden Grown Romance Book Three (Arcadia Valley Romance 17) by Valerie Comer

Hot on the heels of a failed relationship, Kenia Akers focuses on her bookstore along with granting her aging grandfather’s desperate desire to get his hands in the dirt through a program at Grace Greenhouse. Reminding herself she’s on the rebound isn’t enough to keep her from falling for the hunky activities coordinator from Granddad’s facility.

Zane Russell is amazed that the fun-loving, pretty bookstore owner is attracted to him, a guy who’s not even in her league. As their relationship deepens, he avoids explaining why he seems allergic to books. Admitting his failures has never been a good move in the past.

Will they find a way to let openness, trust, and acceptance blossom into a harvest of love?

Available at Amazon.com

Digging up Secrets by Sandra Orchard (Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries)

Nothing is coming up roses for Kaylee Bleu. Not only are all of the plants in her flower shop going thirsty because of a busted well pump, but a competing florist of Orcas Island is stealing customers from The Flower Patch. As if that wasn’t enough to turn her into Florist Grump, a new client who could be Kaylee’s golden ticket to the lucrative country club set is also her most persnickety yet–and continuously threatens to take her business elsewhere.

But all of that seems like no big deal when Kaylee’s plumber discovers a fractured skull in her shop’s yard. The remains belong to Danny Lane, a troubled teenager accused of killing a high school girl in a boating accident thirty-five years ago. The consensus around Turtle Cove was that the boy fled town shortly after the accident, but Kaylee thinks the holes in that story are as big as the grave-size pit dug up around her well pump.

Unfortunately, somebody on Orcas Island wants Kaylee to leave the past buried. At first, she refuses to be intimidated by menacing messages and frightful pranks. But when suspicious accidents begin to befall witnesses close to the cold case, Kaylee’s seeds of doubt blossom into dread. She must decide how deep she’s willing to dig to determine if Danny’s death was an accident . . . or murder.

Available via subscription to the series at Annie's Attic

Rapsodia: Rhapsody (A Tuscan Legacy Book 3) by Alexa Verde

A risk taker with a crushed spirit and a control-addicted businessman with a crushed heart... Can they surrender themselves to God's healing love?

After the woman he loved left him for a richer guy, Marco Carter turned all his passion toward the chain of pizzerias he founded. He can control his business, unlike love. Then his world is turned upside down. He meets Samantha Jenkins on his flight home to Texas after his grandmother's eightieth birthday. Many hours with the guarded but beautiful Samantha has him questioning his career-centered mindset.

A born risk taker and fiercely independent, Samantha misses her former life as a travel photographer and extreme sports aficionado. But more than anything, she grieves her fiancé. On her trip from Italy on the anniversary of his tragic passing, the last thing she expects is to become drawn to her neighbor on her flight. Deep inside, she still blames herself for her fiancé's death...

Though Marco is determined to forget Samantha, the arrival of a mysterious painting reminds him of all that is missing in his life. Hoping for a new chance with her, Marco opens a pizzeria in Samantha's hometown in south Texas. Spending time with her, he's learning to surrender control to the Lord. But apparently it's easier to earn millions than to make Samantha open her heart again. What will it take for her to heal enough to trust in God and take the biggest risk of all-to love again?

Available at Amazon.com

Ti Amo: I Love You (A Tuscan Legacy Book 4) by Marion Ueckermann

She never wants to get married. He does. To her.

The day Alessandra Rossi was born, her mammà died, and a loveless life with the father who blamed the newborn for her mother's death followed. With the help of her oldest brother, Rafaele, Alessa moved away from home the moment she finished school--just like her other siblings had. Now sporting a degree in architectural history and archaeology, Alessa loves her job as a tour guide in the city of Rome--a place where she never fails to draw the attention of men. Not that Alessa cares. Fearing that the man she weds would be anything like her recently deceased father has Alessa vowing to remain single.

American missionary Michael Young has moved to Rome on a two-year mission trip. His temporary future in the country doesn't stop him from spontaneously joining Alessa's tour after spotting her outside the Colosseum. And being bold enough to tell her afterward that one day she'd be his wife. God had told him. And he believed Him. But Alessa shows no sign of interest in Michael.

Can anything sway the beautiful and headstrong Italian to fall in love? Can anyone convince her to put her faith and hope in the Heavenly Father, despite being raised by an earthly one who never loved her? Will her sister's prompting, or a mysterious painting, or Michael himself change Alessa's mind? About love. And about God.

Available at Amazon.com

La Fiamma Sacra: The Sacred Flame (A Tuscan Legacy Book 5) by Clare Revell

Forged in love's sacred flame, can a firefighter and a widow find the path God set for them?

Ric Rossi left the family farm in Tuscany and never looked back. Working as a firefighter in Reading, England, he has everything a man could ask for—a secure job, a firm faith, and a neighbour who cares for his cat Noci when he goes away. The only thing missing is a woman he can share his life with.

Widowed when her son Deforest was a week old, Bracken Hughes isn’t prepared to open herself to the heartache a relationship can bring. Especially with her handsome neighbour who risks his life each time he leaves for work. No matter how good the man is with her son.

Ric finds Deforest to be an appealing child who captures his interest. And the mother has that certain something that pricks his heart. But the unhealed wound in Ric's soul might just spoil any chance he has at love.

Available at Amazon.com

Bella Notte: Beautiful Night (A Tuscan Legacy Book 6) by Heather Gray

He likes to play the field. She's content to wear her goody two shoes.

Piero Carter packs light and travels often. He loves adventure and manages to keep his life simple by sticking to a two-dates-only rule. The longest relationship he's had -- aside from family -- is with his camera. As a photographer who works primarily with fashion, he's used to having his pick of beautiful women who want to be seen by his side.

Felicity von Wolff is a makeup artist whose job takes her around the world. That's all the adventure she craves. She has little use for Piero the Playboy. Being seen on his arm means getting tied to his reputation, and that's the last thing she wants. Yet, somehow, they keep getting thrown together. What's a girl to do?

Piero finally meets a woman who makes him want more than two dates, but does that mean he's ready for one of life's greatest adventures -- falling in love? When Felicity peeks over the wall she's built, she discovers there's more to the people around her than she ever realized. What will it take for Piero and Felicity to stop hiding from life and open their eyes to the rich beauty God has in store for them?

Available at Amazon.com

The 49th Mystic by Ted Dekker

Some say the great mystery of how one can live in two worlds at once died with Thomas Hunter many years ago. Still others that the gateway to that greater reality was and is only the stuff of dreams.

They are wrong. In the small town of Eden, Utah, a blind girl named Rachelle Matthews is about to find out just how wrong.

When a procedure meant to restore Rachelle's sight goes awry, she begins to dream of another world so real that she wonders if Earth might only be a dream experienced when she falls asleep in that reality. Who is a simple blind girl to have such strange and fantastic dreams?

She's the prophesied one who must find and recover five ancient seals--in both worlds--before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, both worlds will forever be locked in darkness.

So begins a two-volume saga of high stakes and a mind-bending quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward.

Ready? Set?

Dream.

Available from Amazon.com

Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden

Twin sisters Waverly and Charlie Talbot have drifted far apart as they pursue opposite dreams of stardom and service to the poor. On an astonishing journey across Central Europe, they must come together to face their fears, find their courage and fight for what they love.

Celebrity chef Waverly Ross has built a successful career with her home-entertaining show Simply Perfect. Yet she and her husband, Andrew, have never been able to realize the true desire of Waverly’s heart: to become a mother. Meanwhile Waverly’s twin sister, Charlie Talbot, buries her bitter disappointment and shattered idealism beneath a life spent serving others as an international aid worked in Budapest, Hungary.

When the beloved aunt who raised them passes away, Waverly and Charlie come together in their grief after living years on separate continents. Struck by a fierce desire to bridge the distance between them, Charlie offers Waverly and her husband the selfless gift of surrogacy.

But soon the sisters find they are each in danger of losing their jobs, seemingly putting their dreams on hold once again. When Waverly shows up unannounced in Budapest with a plan to rescue Simply Perfect, the sisters embark on an adventure across Central Europe that could save them both from occupational hazards. Though the twins haven’t had to rely on each other since childhood, an unforeseen dangerous turn in their journey across Europe forces them to stand together to save their careers, the baby, and each other.

Available from Amazon.com

No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens

David Galloway can’t die.

How many lifetimes can God expect one man to live? Over a century old, David Galloway isolates himself from the mortal humans who die or desert him by making a quiet life as a used bookstore owner in Northern Michigan. But then he spots a news article about a man who, like him, should be dead.

Daredevil celebrity Zachary Wilson walked away unscathed from what should have been a deadly fall. David tracks the man down, needing answers. Soon David discovers a close-knit group of individuals as old as he is who offer the sort of kinship and community he hasn’t experienced for decades—but at what cost?

David finds himself keeping secrets other than his own. . .protecting more than himself alone. He’ll have to decide what’s worth the most to him—security or community. When crimes come to light that are older than any mortal, he fears the pressure is more than he can stand. What does God require of him, and is David strong enough to see it through?

Available from Amazon.com

International Christian Fiction - New Releases | April 2018

That's Amore: That's Love (A Tuscan Legacy Book 1) by Marion Ueckermann 

Begin your journey to Tuscany this summer with Book 1 of A Tuscan Legacy! Each novella is a complete and satisfying romance, filled with faith, family, forgiveness and love.

When Rafaele and Jayne meet again two years after dancing the night away together in Tuscany, is it a matter of fate or of faith?

After deciding to take a six-month sabbatical, Italian lawyer Rafaele Rossi moves from Florence to Tuscany, resigned to managing the family farm for his aging nonna after his father’s passing. Convinced a family get-together is what Nonna needs to lift her spirits, he plans an eightieth birthday party for her, making sure his siblings and cousins attend.

The Keswick jewelry store where Jayne Austin has worked for seven years closes its doors. Jayne takes her generous severance pay and heads off to Italy—Tuscany to be precise. Choosing to leave her fate in God’s hands, she prays she’ll miraculously bump into the handsome best man she’d danced the night away with at a friend’s Tuscan wedding two years ago. She hasn’t been able to forget those smoldering brown eyes and that rich Italian accent.

Jayne’s prayers are answered swiftly and in the most unexpected way. Before she knows what’s happening, she’s a guest not only at Isabella Rossi’s birthday party, but at Villa Rossi too.

When Rafaele receives what appears to be a valuable painting from an unknown benefactor, he’s reminded that he doesn’t want to lose Jayne again. After what he’s done to drive her from the villa, though, what kind of a commitment will it take for her to stay?

This nine-book Christian romance series from seven of your favorite authors releases weekly from April 2018. Look out for Book 2 in the series, Luna Rosa.

Available at Amazon.com

Luna Rosa: A Blushing Moon (A Tuscan Legacy Book 2) by Elizabeth Maddrey

She loves the spotlight, he prefers backstage. Can they still play love’s duet?

Nick Carter’s career as a piano tuner and teacher keeps him off-stage and allows him plenty of time to compose music he has no intention of ever publishing. Enter Louisiana Chalfant, the new symphony pianist who embodies the word diva. She’s exactly the kind of woman Nick has vowed to avoid, but when they’re cajoled into playing a duet he finds there’s more to her than he first thought.

Louisiana settles into her temporary role with the symphony in Washington, D.C., glad for the reprieve from touring professionally. She’s astonished to discover immense talent in the handsome man who keeps her piano in tune. Practicing for a duet at church gives her the perfect opportunity to get to know the real Nick.

As they play together, Nick and Louisiana develop a friendship that begins to morph into something more, but what happens when their diverging goals threaten to upstage their love?

This nine-book Christian romance series from seven of your favorite authors releases weekly from April 2018. Look out for Book 3 in the series, Rapsodia.

Available at Amazon.com

A Lethal Spectre (Lord Danvers Investigates Book 5) by Donna Fletcher Crow

The elegance of a London season and the atrocities of an Indian mutiny woven into an intricate tapestry

Antonia and Charles are swept up in the glittering swirl of a London season as they present Aunt Aelfrida’s ward to society. In India Antonia’s closest girlhood friend is caught in the most brutal massacre ‘in the book of time’. What could these disparate events have to do with murders in London and Brighton? This engrossing story comes to life with all the vivid historical detail readers expect from Donna Fletcher Crow.

Available at Amazon.com 

~~~ Check out Donna's post tomorrow -- Bookish Tuesday: Travelling in Time and Space -- to learn more about the Victorian London setting for A Lethal Spectre ~~~

The Keeper's Crown by Nathan D. Maki

~Quintus~

As a boy, he dared to fight Nero. Worse, he won.

Stripped of his family, the love of his life, and his self-respect, he sets out on a quest to win a victor's crown, rescue his parents, and restore his family's honor. But his path to glory in the restless province of Judaea is threatened by the corrupt governor Felix, the murderous priest Melechi, and most of all by the rabble-rousing Paul of Tarsus.

When Quintus finds himself in Rome chained to Paul all hope of a crown seems lost, but Paul's example makes him question the true meaning of success. And why does Jael, the mysterious young Jewess who once saved his life, now respond with barely restrained flashes of hate?

~Jael~

The Romans took her father and her brother from her.

Now Jael vows to fight for her father's faith, fulfill her brother's oath, and avenge their deaths. But the further she travels with Paul and Quintus the more she feels torn. Can she follow her heart and still keep her vow?

~Paul~

He turned the world upside down.

Paul never expected to end his ministry in chains, but even still, he is determined to carry the gospel to Rome and the Emperor Nero himself. But what if those who need the gospel most are those closest to him?

As the Great Fire strikes Rome, fanning Nero's persecution of the Christians to a white-hot fury, murderous secrets, impossible choices, and steadfast faith will lead to tragedy and triumph.

Available at Amazon.com

The Wilderness Journey by Misty Beller

A Christian Historical Romance novel

Joseph Malcom has spent his life protecting those in need, but now that his sister is safely settled with her new family in the Canadian Rockies, his help is no longer required. That is, until he’s asked to safely retrieve the priest’s cousin to help minister to the local Indian tribe. But his passenger is not at all who he expects.

After the death of her mother, Monti Bergeron has nothing to keep her in Montreal. While the prospect of ministering to the Indians out West is daunting, she looks forward to assisting her beloved cousin in his mission work. The life of a nun may be just what she needs to heal her grief, serving her Heavenly Father and fellow mankind, especially if no more pesky suitors are around to ask for her hand in marriage. But the man who’s been sent to guide her through the mountains might make her second-guess her plans before she even begins.

As Monti settles into her ministry, Joseph finds his wandering feet drawn back to the Indian camp. Monti’s focus on God is more unsettling than he’d like to admit. Add to that her beauty which tests his willpower at every turn, and she’s made it crystal clear she doesn’t want a husband. But when his determination to keep distance between them puts Monti in danger, protecting her might require something Joseph might not be able to give.

Available at Amazon.com

The Brother's Keeper by Tracy Groot

The sons of Joseph run a successful carpentry business in Nazareth. At least, it was successful until the oldest brother, Jesus, left home to tell the world he will forgive their sins and save their souls. Now everyone is hearing outlandish reports of healings and exorcisms. Business is suffering: not many people want a stool made by the family of the local crazy man.

When one of his brothers starts listening to Jesus’ troubling speeches and fanatical Zealots descend on Nazareth to convince his family to join their fight against Rome, James wants nothing more than to shut out these rumblings and have a normal life. But normal walked out the day his brother did.

James knows that this year’s Passover pilgrimage will be more important than ever. Hearing about a possible plot against Jesus, he must find him and talk some sense into him before it’s too late. And he must decide for himself who his brother really is. But on the dusty road to Jerusalem, more than one faction has murder on its mind. . . .

Available at Amazon.com

Adoration (The Sword And The Cross Chronicles Book 5) by Olivia Rae

A Deathbed Confession Forces A Wedding...

Sir Darrin de Longue is desperate to get his lands back from Lady Faith de Sainte-Marie, the woman who betrayed him and may have had a hand in his father’s murder. But when King Richard discloses a secret on his deathbed—that Lady Faith is the king’s daughter—and then issues an ultimatum, Darrin has no choice but to obey. In order to reclaim his lands, he must marry Lady Faith and get her with child in a year’s time.

Without Love, She’ll Remain a Wife In Name Only

Left on a doorstep as a babe, Lady Faith has always been grateful for the home she was provided. Since childhood, she has loved the rowdy and bold Sir Darrin, but cannot be a true wife to the bitter, angry man whom she has wed. In order to gain his trust and love, she vows to find the truth about his father’s murder. But when she stumbles upon some dark and deadly secrets, will she be able to prove her innocence—and his—to erase the past and win Darrin’s heart?

Available at Amazon.com

Wandering Wednesday: Beautiful Tuscany

By Marion Ueckermann @ueckie

When one hears the word Tuscany, one cannot help but be swept away by the sheer romance and beauty of the place conjured up by the name. I mean, look at that cover image...doesn't it make you  want to travel there and fall in love?

That's what happened to fellow author, Autumn Macarthur and I about eighteen months ago. 

I got an email one evening from Autumn saying something to the effect of, "Hey, why don't we put a multi-author set together?" At that time, I was busy writing A Romance for Rose with some scenes in Tuscany. So I suggested Tuscany as a storyworld option. Autumn loved the idea because she had a character from her book Least Expected who needed her story told. And there was a link back to Tuscany in that book. You can read more about what we've planned in this 9-book multi-author series titled A Tuscan Legacy in my blog this week on Inspy Romance
http://www.inspyromance.com/something-a-little-different/
To get an idea of what we have planned in Tuscany, watch our promo video on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Wys-lEjBI&t=6s or our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/atuscanlegacy/videos/443467872738425/

Around that time, I was planning a trip overseas to visit my son, Kyle, in Finland, and my brother and his wife in the UK. Kyle suggested as I'd be that side of the world and I was planning two books set in Italy for this series, one in Tuscany and one in Rome, that hubby and I should plan a stopover in Italy too. And that's how our month-long holiday stretched into six weeks.

Today, I'd like to share a few photos of our time in Tuscany.

I might even throw in one or two of Rome as well. Soon we'll have a photo album of both these places on A Tuscan Legacy's website , however, where you'll be able to enjoy many more of my wonderful Tuscan memories. Follow our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/atuscanlegacy/ page to see when we post the website link (as soon as the site is ready for the world to see).

I chose this picture below to start off with because it reminded me of so many things I loved in Tuscany—the walled villages perched on hilltops, the undulating hills dotted with hay bales (see next photo), and the narrow cyprus-lined roads leading to villas and interesting villages. This is Tuscany!

One of my favorite images in Tuscany was the hay bales. Sometimes they were neatly stacked like here, and other times they lay scattered in newly-cut fields. The first-cut hay, or maggengo, is cut in May/June, the second-cut hay in August, and the third-cut hay in September. Obviously the first-cut is the best quality. So glad we got to see the maggengo.

Monticchiello

was the first little village we decided to stop in a on our way to our hotel. And I'm so glad we did because this quaint place with its very own Michelin-star restaurant for eight years running, features in the storyworld for A Tuscan Legacy's first book, That's Amore. We had fun exploring the alleys and courtyards and old church.

Bosco Della Spina,

with its perfect views and wisteria-laden pergolas near Murlo, was the hotel we stayed at for four incredible days. Have a look at some of the photos from there and you'll soon see why this became my location of choice for my heroine in That's Amore's first days in Tuscany. The window views are from our lounge window (which was mine and hubby's bedroom as we gave my son and his wife the privacy of the bedroom. But with a morning view like this, I wasn't complaining!)

 

Flora

I can't only show you the beautiful views, now can I? I wanted to share these three photos of this strange tree formation, wild poppies (and it was only the beginning of the poppy season), and the overgrown jasmine creepers that left a pungent aroma everywhere. I loved it! But as much as I loved the smell of jasmine hanging in the air, the tiglio tree (lime tree) was like jasmine on steroids. I've never smelt something so incredible—first in Florence, and then one evening in Modena (yes, where the balsamic vinegar comes from).

Food

I'd be cheating you if I didn't let you see a little Italian cuisine, wouldn't I? This was the dessert hubby and I shared one night (traveling abroad on a weak rand, many things were shared LOL). It was at this same dinner that I discovered pici pasta—thick, hand-rolled pasta originating from Tuscany. I loved it so much, I had to try make it when I got back home (see pics below). Why not try it yourself sometime...totally worth it!

Walled medieval village

Finally, I want to take you on a whirlwind tour around Buonconvento that features briefly in That's Amore. Buonconvento is purportedly one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. We could see why.

 

Ice cream

No visit to Italy would be complete without sampling their gelato. Daily! Sometimes more than once. Three scoops in a sugar cone. This little gelato shop in Buonconvento had the best we tasted in Italy. My favorite (as is my heroine), was dark chocolate, mango (only because I couldn't find orange), and I think I topped it with lemon, or limone as the Italian's say.

The famous Italian scooter

I just had to add in this photo. I'm sure you're going to love reading about strong-headed Alessa buzzing around Rome on her Vespa in A Tuscan Legacy book 4, Ti Amo.

Hot springs

Before I go, I just had to pop on over to the next village we visited and share four special photos from there. Bagno Vignoni is in the hamlet of San Quirico d'Orcia and is situated on a hill above the Val d'Orcia (valley of d'Orcia where all these other villages we visited are to be found). It's well-known for its hot springs and hubby and son couldn't resist trying out the thermal pool at the bottom of the hill below the village.

It was in Bagno Vignoni that we discovered the yummiest sandwiches and this wonderful old Italian woman. I just couldn't resist sneaking a few photies of her. All in the name of research.

Arrivederci!

Let me leave you with one last image of Tuscany...the sunset. And believe me, these photos do no justice to how beautiful it was.

PS. Sorry there wasn't space to fit in anything of Rome, and I've barely scratched the surface of Tuscany. Perhaps on my next blog, althought that could be a while as I'll be stepping back from blogging on ICFW due to enormous writing projects scheduled this year. But who knows, maybe I'll find some spare time to share the odd blog here or there. And if I don't, you can always visit A Tuscan Legacy's website to enjoy more of Tuscany, Rome, and Florence...the places to be found in my Tuscan Legacy books.

About Marion Ueckermann

Marion Ueckermann's passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. Marion and her husband again live in South Africa, but with two gorgeous grandsons hanging their hats at the house next door, their empty nest's no longer so empty.

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Google+ | Twitter | Instagram  | Pinterest |  Goodreads | Bookbub