Early in 2019, I started to jot down a few words, thinking that I might eventually make a reasonable short story. Well, many months of work, many sleepless nights trying to untangle plot knots and a global pandemic later, The Rose of Florence is a full-length novel, ready to go. It hardly seems believable that I have managed to reach that goal, and as every author will tell you, it is hard work. Hard work doesn't mean that it's not enjoyable, though. I have loved every minute of this process, even if there were occasions that I seriously doubted my ability to reach this point.

Recently, I made a trip to Florence (yes, another one!), to celebrate New Year with some of my family. Taking the opportunity of the perfect location, I took some photos of The Rose in her birthplace. It was very special.

Now, we're just a couple of weeks away from publication date. It's an exciting time, but equally terrifying. I'm releasing my work to the world. What will people think? Will they love some of the characters as I do? Will they despise the characters that I do? I guess I can't spend too long worrying about that, but just hope that it brings some joy and entertainment to at least one person.

So, as I enter the realms of "published author", wish me luck. It's a whole new world!

And if you haven't already ordered your copy, check the links above and travel back to Renaissance Florence with me.