Un Affare da Ricordare… (An Affair to Remember)

I  don’t know what was more heart stopping—the weird adventure that inspired me, the dangerous feeling of discovering new literary territory, or finding the nerve to read something “a-spicy” to an audience…. but altogether, bringing Carla White’s hot supernatural romance to life through Cosima was like stepping into an alternate universe.

The “Afternoon at the Caffe Florian” Carnevale party started at two in the afternoon. By five, all of the exquisitely costumed guests were floating on cloud nine, transported by heavenly music, elated by each other’s beauty, and bubbling over with happiness from all the cannoli and Prosecco.

At the comic urging of hostess “Donna Giovanna,” The high-haired Belladonnas serenaded the audience from the orchestra loft. An exotic turbaned poet emerged to romance the beautiful people with some sotto voce haiku. And then she arrived… Cosima Zanardi (with some excuse about having to send Kristen on a wild goose chase)—who you could tell was an International Woman of Mystery by the expensive Italian sunglasses on her head—swooped into the room wearing a flaming lava cape from some opera, and charmed the crowd with her heavily-accented description of the new novellette. “This Kristen, she writes the fancy bla bla bla, not how I talk. I tell you what I really said…”

The volcano of books was dramatically unveiled, and guests flashed their custom die-cut souvenir bookmarks to claim their limited edition, signed by both “authors.”

After the party, the remaining books went to live at Gondola Servizio, a little slice of Venice on Lake Merritt. They are there, still, and if you go get a copy (please support this wonderful store!) you’ll learn why California’s drought really ended!

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Thank you to lovely Leah Vass, for this place of Grace for a powerful Muse!

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Learn more about The Vesuvian Affair!