“If I wrote the things he did I would not be living at the end of a ten mile lane in Maine.”

Over a 1,000 people gathered at Powell's last night to have Jeff Kinney sign his new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, HARD LUCK. Like everyone else, we were waiting for our turn to meet him. Fortunately, though, we’d found a spot to sit and finish homework near the book signing location.

It also happened we were right next to the Thriller section of the bookstore, and in particular, Stephen King. As the line snaked by us it was a perfect time to over hear lots of comments about this prolific author. While many of the comments had to do with how frightening his books are, for some reason most were about his home in Maine.

Here’s a different overhear on the topic:
“Some friends mentioned we had just passed by his house, so I made them go back so I could see it. And then, while we were driving by, he jogged right by us. They pointed out that it had been him, but I hadn’t seen his face. When I asked them to turn around again they said no way. He was hit while jogging, you know. And since they lived in the town they really didn’t think it was a good idea to drive back and forth in front of his house.”

Many comments were of a similar vein… near sightings of Mr. King, or of his house. But one overhear made me laugh out loud. A woman was talking on her cell phone while waiting in line. So I only heard her end of the conversation. But it went something like this:

“Where am i? Instead of explaining she was near the front, she looked around for a marker. “I think I’m in the Thriller section. I’m right next to Stephen King…. No, I’m almost there. But I’m going to have nightmares tonight. … No,” (laugh) “not about Stephen King. About this  ridiculous line.”

I could relate. I suppose participating in the “Hard Luck Tour” meant experiencing some hard luck ourselves

Are you a Stephen King fan? Have you been to Maine and can you explain what would be so scary about living there? I love, love, love, to hear reader comments. And to prove it, I will give $10 to the non-political charity of one lucky November commenter. Leave a comment on any of my blogs and then check back at the end of the month to see if you won!

“I was a totally different person there.”

Sometimes when we travel we end up in places that have such a strong identity they infuse us with it as well. Italy has always been one of these spots for me, and I was glad to find that Annie Seaton’s new book, ITALIAN AFFAIR, successfully captures its essence.

As you know, I don’t typically write book reviews in my blog. But in this case I was so intrigued by the setting (Italy) that I decided to join in her blog tour. I’m so glad I did! It turned out to be a fun story with a great sense of place. -

When Scottish girl Brianna finds she has inherited a property in Italy she feels she will finally be able to get a feeling for the mother she never knew. The catch? She must be married to inherit it. Lucky for her she meets a kind, if a bit uptight, Australian guy, Tom, who for his own purposes agrees to help her out.

While at times I craved a bit more character development, this may have been because I liked both Tom and Brianna and wanted to see their personalities shine through even more. The story itself has just the right pacing so that the reader can enjoy the beautiful Italian setting.

And enjoy it I did! Descriptions of the villa she has inherited which brought me into the beautiful Mediterranean sunshine; attention to the details of food and drink; the portrayal of sounds which remind the reader they are in a living place.

     A whitewashed villa sprawled down the hill at the end of the
  road. The vista of the sea formed a scenic backdrop to the waves
  breaking gently on the pebbled beach far below them.
    “Is this it?” He strode down the hill and caught up to Brianna,
  who stood at a locked wrought iron gate. Tom peered over the
  top of the intricately scrolled metal into a paved courtyard with
  a small fountain in the middle. Wind chimes tinkled and the soft
  sound of the cascading water greeted them from inside.
                                                   (excerpt from- Italian Affair)

All of this allowed me, for a brief time, to travel to Italy and watch as the two main characters became the Italian versions of themselves… still quirky and unique, but a bit softer around the edges and more passionate about their own lives.

I give ITALIAN AFFAIR,  4 * stars. Take your own trip to Italy via this fun story and you might become a different person for a while as well.

Which of your favorite books have immersed you in their setting? Do you become a whole new person (without the help of alchohol:>) when you travel? I love to hear from readers, so leave a comment and be sure to let me know what you think of my posting a review every now and then.

Here’s to your own Journey Inspired by Love -
Deanne
                                    Be to click on the 'Read More' button below right for Author Bio, Book Blurb and Tour details