Unmask My Heart
by Arianna
Giorgi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When
Rome’s loveliest rose and Venice’s fiercest lion team up to win back the love
of their respective spouses-to-be, the Serene Republic may expect a hilarious
romp – and perhaps the most torrid love story to have ever bedazzled its gilded
canals…
Survived
a pirate attack on the Isle of Lina, Venice’s sturdiest outpost, Roman Princess
Isabella Pamphili and Venetian war hero Brando Loredan escape from the island
and arrive in Venice.
Isabella
discovers her fiancé is a cheat, her bride dream a lie. Her future husband, the
man she loves with all her heart is flirting in… Brando’s fiancée’s arms!
Shock.
Disappointment. Anguish. Fear for her future. The rascal deserves a lesson he
will not forget, because a princess of Rome doesn’t bow out so easily. Brando
Loredan will not be that hard to convince for he is jealous, angry and
vindictive enough to get some brilliant idea. So she joins forces with him to
get back her fiancé and put together the little dream back on track. But while
trying and insisting on regaining the dream, she discovers a new path of light
and love. It is not a lie, like the first dream, but it may be even harder to
win.
Unmask
My Heart is a story of love and sweet revenge set in sparkling, sumptuous
Casanova’s Venice where everything is possible and sins are concealed behind a
mask.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Everything happened at once. Giulia lost her balance, arched
backward, and fell into the canal.
The gondola capsized and Isabella fell in as well. She
gasped trying to keep afloat but her heavy dress dragged her down. She
floundered about in order to reach the surface.
There was no way to get out of her dress and her lungs burned from a
lack of air. She looked up at the surface where indefinite, dark shapes moved
against the light. She could no longer hold her breath. This was it. She closed
her eyes and gave up her will to fight death.
Isabella felt herself being grabbed by the waist and hauled
to the surface. A violent coughing fit shook her and her lungs burned with the
sudden influx of air.
Hands. On her arms, chest, neck, face. Isabella opened her
eyes and met Brando’s anxious gaze. His drenched locks dripped water onto her
breast. He smiled at her. She was safe and sound.
“You scared me, lady. Are you alright?” Brando caressed her
face and wiped away wet tendrils from her cheeks.
Isabella nodded.
Brando helped her to sit. It was in that moment that she saw
her husband-to-be sitting on the dock on the opposite side of the canal. He was
next to Giulia. Both were wet. Leonardo had rushed to the alley cat’s side and
left Isabella to die.
Isabella suddenly felt old and tired. She took Brando’s hand
in hers. “Thank you…Lion.”
He kissed her hand and hugged her. “No need to thank me.”
“I’m really sorry you had to witness such a scene,” Isabella
said in a whisper.
Brando looked at her open-mouthed. “I am the one who hoped
to spare you this humiliation.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's Learn a Little About Author Arianna Giorgi!
What is
your writing environment?
To be true, I write wherever I can for I'm seldom at home. But
when I'm home, I write in my studio. It’s a small room with light blue walls
and white shabby chic furniture. I have a bookcase overcrowded with books, a small
white sofa, white and blue curtains at my window, some desert plants on my
window sill and an English carpet on the floor. When I write, I always listen
to classical or new age music for inspiration. For example, when I was writing Unmask My Heart, I used to listen to Antonio
Vivaldi. Ah, I was forgetting, there is also a very special place for Sun, my
adorable red cat.
Who is your
perfect hero and why?
My hero is a pirate prince. I mean, I like sensitive men, but not men
who ask for permission to kiss you. I like a man with a strong character, a
wild nature burning underneath a gentleman’s suit. My hero is a man who knows
what he wants and knows how to get it.
What authors have caught your interest lately and why?
Lately, I read Suzanne Enoch's Lessons
in Love Series and I loved all the books! I like her style, simple but never
lacking impact. And I love her characters always very recognizable and her never
disappointing solutions. Books by Suzanne Enoch have been a great inspiration
to me.
What type of book have you always wanted to write?
A timeless love story, of course! There are many that I appreciate,
but the two books I’ve always wanted to write are Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simmons. When I read them, I kept
daydreaming for weeks ;)
Top 3
things on your bucket list?
1. To raise happy, self-confident children.
2. To become a worldwide famous, best-selling author.
3. To write the most beautiful love story, the one people will
speak about for decades, THE romance.
How did you
get the idea for this particular novel?
I wanted a love story taking place in Venice. I’d read several but
none had given me the "taste" of the real city (and that's what I’ve
tried to give in my book). I’m so very fond of Venice and every time I visit
it, it convinces me that there is no other city in the world that’s more made
for romance. Yes, I wanted Venice.
There was a character obsessing me night and day, a spoiled,
arrogant, unpleasant Roman princess. Did such a woman need a gentleman? Well,
not too gentle J. I liked
the idea of a soldier, but not the usual knight, I wanted to see him on the battlefield,
I wanted a man who killed for his country, a man who had no time for etiquette
or flowery words. I wrote the plot during a road trip all around Tuscany.
What is
your favorite scene in your new release?
There are many. The one that thrilled me most is the love scene
in the prisons, in the Leads of Venice. The one that amused me most is when
Brando and Isabella flee from the Leads with a very special companion.
What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?
I'm working on the second book of The Lions of Venice Series. It
will be the story of Dario Pesaro, Minister of War and Brando’s friend. Dario is
a love wary man and she, Lorena, is an heiress in big big big trouble ;) But
you’ll have to be patient until next spring.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love being with my family, but not only. I love to travel and
cook. Like me on my facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arianna-Giorgi/252501224952593?ref=hl because I post
some Italian recipes every now and then. And remember, pasta Bolognese with
meatballs is not an Italian dish ;)
What would you consider a perfect date?
The perfect date for me is romantic. My man has to call on me and
take me to a super chic restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. I want flowers to be
delivered at my table and he must be sincerely interested in me and in what I
say. He has to make me laugh! Then, after dinner, I would appreciate to sip a
drink as walking barefoot on the beach. A kiss, deep and romantic is a must.
I’d hate false compliments, big words, what I want is him telling me he wants
to meet me again as soon as possible.
However, this is what happened on the first date with my husband.
He called on me driving a damaged car, took me to a cheap Chinese restaurant.
Later we took a walk by the lake during which we talked about our precedent
disappointing love stories. He asked me for a kiss (yes, hahahahahahaha). But
girls, he was so funny, spontaneous and caring that he won my heart. And then
he made me laugh so much that my belly hurt horribly when I got home. We have
been amusingly together for 12 years J
What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?
As a writer, when I write about a place, I do it only after I had carefully
visited it, experienced it, breathed it. When I write, I always have a cup of
tea and a glass of Coca Cola Zero on my desk, a CD of classical music playing
and the cat curled up in my lap.
As a person, I find it very inspiring high mountains, though, when
I have a lot to do and little time and I need to concentrate, I retire to my
house on the beach in Tuscany. There, I can enjoy the spectacular view of the
sea from the huge window overlooking Elba, the famous island where Napoleon was
imprisoned.
Thanks Arianna Giorgi for being my guest!
It’s been an honor and a great pleasure to be your guest. I'll be
happy to pop in again, and I hope you will join me, my recipes and my giveaways
on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arianna-Giorgi/252501224952593?ref=hl There you can also see all the places mentioned
in my book. Last October I went to Venice to take some pictures which I love to
share. See you soon!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Arianna Giorgi
is a historical romance author and a journalist, a college graduate and an avid
reader. She makes her home halfway between the Vatican City and the picturesque
old quarter of Trastevere at the heart of the city of Rome in Italy, where
Julius Caesar kept an apartment as a young man about town and from where a long
list of artists gave the world some of its greatest masterpieces.
She has an
intrinsic appreciation of beauty and everything eccentrically romantic,
including a strong affiliation to the city of Venice which she visits at least
twice a year.
Independent and
curious, Arianna has travelled extensively around the globe, from America to
Africa and back to Europe. Frankly, she never misses a chance to pack her bags
and jump on a plane. Driven by a passion for European history and art, she
wanders and investigates every hidden corner of the Old Continent, armed with a
camera and a notebook, and looking for intriguing stories and settings for her
books.
She loves
history, astrology, gourmet cooking, and cats. She lives with her husband, her
beautiful daughters and her red cat, surrounded by her own cultivated flowers
and the magical grandeur of the Eternal City.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway:
Ariana will be awarding an
original handmade Venetian mask from Venice to a randomly drawn winner via
rafflecopter during the tour. Follow the tour HERE
Thank you so much for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteArianna Giorgi
You are so welcome!
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteInteresting characters
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview.
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