Well I made it back from my SC/NC vacation and will be sharing those memories with you ASAHP....but right now our Fall Romantic Travel blog hop is in full swing.
Want to see all of the posts? Just go to Twitter or Google and search for #RomanticTravel....they should pop up. Meanwhile, let's see what our guest has to share with us....
I believe the most romantic spot on earth is Venice, Italy. When you get off the train, walk through the station, and open the doors, it’s like stepping into a fairy tale. The streets are all canals, and ornate ancient bridges span the canals, including the famous Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners gazed upon the city for the last time on their way to be locked up. On our last trip to Venice, I planned the trip to coincide with the full moon. When darkness fell, my husband and I had dinner and walked around. No moon yet. We stopped at a café and had gelato and cappuccino. No moon yet. We crossed a bridge and strolled some more. Still no moon. Finally, at 11:30, it rose, glowing and sending shimmering moonbeams over the canals. So I hadn’t figured what time that full moon was supposed to appear!
THE NEW YORK SAGA by Diana
Rubino
Poverty, Prejudice and Murder
Won’t Stand in the Way of True Love
The New York Saga spans three
generations of the McGlory family, starting in 1894 amidst the poverty and
crime on New York’s Lower East Side, through the wild, boozy years of
Prohibition, and ending in 1963 as the country mourned President Kennedy’s assassination.
In Book One, FROM HERE TO
FOURTEENTH STREET, it's 1894 on New York’s Lower East Side. Irish cop Tom
McGlory and Italian immigrant Vita Caputo fall in love despite their different
upbringings. While Tom works undercover to help Ted Roosevelt purge police
corruption, Vita's father arranges a marriage between her and a man she
despises. When Tom’s cousin is murdered, Vita’s father and brother languish in
jail, charged with the crime. Can Vita and Tom’s love survive poverty, hatred,
and corruption?
In Book Two, BOOTLEG BROADWAY, it’s 1932. Prohibition rages, the Depression ravages, and Billy McGlory comes of age whether he wants to or not. Musical and adventurous, Billy dreams of having his own ritzy supper club and big band. On the eve of his marriage to the pregnant Prudence, the shifty “businessman” Rosario Ingovito offers him all that and more: fame, fortune, his own Broadway musical.
In Book Two, BOOTLEG BROADWAY, it’s 1932. Prohibition rages, the Depression ravages, and Billy McGlory comes of age whether he wants to or not. Musical and adventurous, Billy dreams of having his own ritzy supper club and big band. On the eve of his marriage to the pregnant Prudence, the shifty “businessman” Rosario Ingovito offers him all that and more: fame, fortune, his own Broadway musical.
Can anything go wrong for Billy? Only when he gets in way over his head does he stop to wonder how his business partner really makes his millions, but by then it’s far too late…
THE END OF CAMELOT begins on the day Camelot truly ended—November 22, 1963. The assassination of a president devastates America. But a phone call brings even more tragic news to Vikki Ward—her TV reporter husband was found dead in his Dallas hotel room that morning.
Finding his notes, Vikki realizes her husband was embroiled in the plot to kill JFK—but his mission was to prevent it. When the Dallas police rule his death accidental, Vikki sets out to find out who was behind the murders of JFK and her husband.
Vikki falls in love with Aldobrandi Po, the bodyguard her godfather hired to protect her. But he's engaged to be married, and she’s still mourning her husband. Can they find happiness in the wake of all this tragedy?
An Excerpt from FROM HERE TO
FOURTEENTH STREET
As
Vita gathered her soap and towel, Madame Branchard tapped on her door. “You
have a gentleman caller, Vita. A policeman.”
“Tom?”
His name lingered on her lips as she repeated it. She dropped her things and
crossed the room.
“No,
hon. Another policeman. Theodore something.”
No. There can't be anything wrong. “Thanks,” she whispered, descending the steps,
gripping the banister to support her wobbly legs. Stay calm! she warned herself. But of course it was no use; staying
calm just wasn't her nature.
“Theodore
something” stood before the closed parlor door. He’s a policeman? Tall and hefty, a bold pink shirt peeking out of
a buttoned waistcoat and fitted jacket, he looked way out of place against the
dainty patterned wallpaper.
He
removed his hat. “Miss Caputo.” He strained to keep his voice soft as he held
out a piece of paper. “I’m police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt.”
“Yes?”
Her voice shook.
“I
have a summons for you.” He held it out to her. But she stood rooted to that
spot.
He
stepped closer and she took it from him, unfolding it with icy fingers. Why
would she be served with a summons? Was someone arresting her now for something
she didn't do?
A
shot of anger tore through her at this system, at everything she wanted to
change. She flipped it open and saw the word SUMMONS in fancy script at the
top. Her eyes widened with each sentence as she read. “I can’t believe what I’m
seeing.”
I
hereby order Miss Vita Caputo to enter into holy matrimony with Mr. Thomas
McGlory immediately following service of this summons.
An Excerpt from BOOTLEG
BROADWAY (my favorite passage, which made my aunt cringe)
Pru
had kept closemouthed all day about what she was giving him for his birthday.
He badgered and hounded her, but she wouldn’t give in.
As
Ma began divvying up the rum cake, the doorbell rang, and Da came back with a
long box. “This thing’s heavy. What’s in here, Pru? Billy’s tombstone?”
Billy
cut the ribbon with the cake knife and slid the lid off. Wads of tissue paper
filled the box. As he removed the last layer of covering and revealed what was
inside, they all gasped—a sculpture of a naked man, in all his masculine
glory—and fully aroused. He had one hand on his hip and one foot upon a
pedestal on which was inscribed in bold letters, “BILLY.”
“Oh,
crap.” His face turned red hot.
An Excerpt from THE END OF
CAMELOT
Billy
came down the stairs for a nightcap and glanced into the living room. He
noticed the glow in the fireplace, Vikki’s eyeglasses and the anisette bottle
on the table. The couch faced the other way, but nobody was sitting on it.
“Where’d they go?” Then he realized they hadn’t gone anywhere—and they were on
the couch, but not sitting. Before he got out of their way, he placed a
long-playing record on the phonograph. Jackie Gleason’s “For Lovers Only.”
Purchase THE NEW YORK SAGA
Amazon Kindle
The Wild Rose Press
About Diana
I'm a self-confessed history
nut, my favorite eras being Medieval and Renaissance England, and all American
history. I've written several novels set in England and the U.S., two time
travel romances, a vampire romance, and an urban fantasy, FAKIN’ IT which
received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I'm a longtime member of Romance
Writers of America and the Richard III Society. In my spare time, I bicycle,
golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre.
Wow...a trip to Venice would certainly be something to treasure!
Hope you enjoyed today's post. The Fall Romantic Travel will go on until the first week of November then we'll get back to our regularly scheduled Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless!
PamT
9 comments:
The books sound like great reads! Congrats, Diana.
And yes, I have read that Venice is the most
romantic of cities. My younger son and his family
visited Italy this summer and they were in Venice.
They loved Northern Italy in particular.
I love Venice too. Best of luck with your books!
Good thing you waited long enough for that full moon. :) Best wishes.
Oh wow, I have never been to Venice, but BOY would I love to go. Especially now. It does sound like a fairy tale! Your books sound great too...best wishes!
Thanks, Ladies...Venice is just like stepping into a fairy tale. The full moon was worth the wait! Thanks again for hosting me, Pam. See you on the 21st!
I love the full moon, even at home. There's something about it that is beyond words beautiful. But seeing it in Venice? Wow. Thanks for telling us about it. And I wish you the best on your new book. Cheers
Even though I majored in English (history minor) I love using history backgrounds in my cozy mystery/Southern Gothics--favoring the Civil War South because there was and still is so much angst involved--great fodder for ghosties! Best wishes with all your endeavors.
Wow! What a series this is! I love the time periods and subjects you have chosen. I am addicted to historical fiction. I can't wait to read your books.
Would love to go to Venice...even more so now that I've read your description. Must have been glorious. Love the excerpts, too. Sounds like you did a ton of research!
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