“I”is for Italy

  Italy is my second homeland. Although I am an American by birth, I spent most of my adult life in Italy; to tell the truth, I lived more than half my life in that beautiful country. Today, I would like to dedicate the letter ”I” to giving a pictorial view to several of my favorite parts of Italy.

Photos of Italy VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

“H” is for ‘House of Mirrors’

I love to read; I’m not sure which I love the most – reading or writing, it’s probably a tie – but at the moment I have the chance to do both together – sort of. When Vantage Press publishing company closed its doors in late 2012 it left hundreds of authors both – published and not – in the lurch. A support forum was set up for us on Facebook and it was great meeting other authors, including one who also lives in Brooklyn – Debbie Boswell, the author of House of Mirrors. She had a book signing party on March 16 in New York, so I decided to go and meet her. I’m very glad I did – the description of her book enticed me, since it’s just the kind of book I like to read – not write, mind you, just read – and I obtained a signed copy.

House of Mirrors is written a classic gothic style although in a very present-day situation. Ms. Boswell temporarily stopped writing the book when she realized she had come to something that just wasn’t her. And that is the very core of the book. There is, of course, an attempted murder. The reader knows from the very start who the “perp” is, and why it was done. And the readers may, as I have done, find themselves questioning their own sense of right and wrong as the detective in charge zeroes in on possible culprits. Will he find them? I don’t know yet, because I’ve only read halfway through; I wouldn’t tell you if I did, because I don’t want to ruin it for you.

Ms.  Boswell has skillfully entwined love, fear and hatred together with the ability to overcome abusive and twisted relationships found in a family that is a pillar of the community – with a houseful of closets with skeletons in them. It’s a fun read – not funny, but entertaining.

You can find out more about Debbie Boswell and The House of Mirrors at: http://debbieboswell1.com/house-of-mirrors_278.html