Long and Short Reviews welcomes Luca Domani who is celebrating the recent release of An American in Venice.
1) Venice, Italy – Venice had to be on this list, for obvious reasons. I think everyone should visit Venice at least once in their lives. It’s one of those places that is both familiar and exotic. We have a preconception of the city from movies and books. The first time you see it, it’s like a fairy tale come to life. The lack of cars adds to the magic: to get around, you either walk or take a boat. It is one of the most romantic places in the world. Despite it being a bit of a tourist trap, I do recommend taking a gondola ride at least once. Just make sure you haggle about the price!
2) Nantucket, Massachusetts – If you are from in Massachusetts like myself, chances are you have summered on the cape. I love Cape Cod, but Nantucket has a special place in my heart. It’s a tiny island, with limited commercial development. You won’t find any big box stores here, and there is only one town, which is quaint and full of cobblestones. I find Nantucket to be one of the most peaceful places in the world. With its bounty of beautiful beaches, it’s possible to find your own piece of sand and surf, even during the busiest times in summer. The sunsets are picture perfect and not to be missed. Even the ferry ride from Hyannis is part of the experience. You don’t have to bring your car (the car ferry books up months in advance), since there is an extensive bike path system and a bus that goes around the island. Perhaps it’s only downside is how expensive it is to live there – the median price of a home on Nantucket is a million dollars!
3) Maui, Hawaii – There’s a theme to this list apparently. I am drawn to peaceful places with water. Maui is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations, for good reason. The beaches are gorgeous, and the sunsets are magnificent. The flora and fauna are spectacular, and rainbows are a daily occurrence. I also recommend going to Mount Haleakala for the sunrise – many companies offer a biking tour including a van ride up the volcano in the morning and then a downhill bike ride on the way down. The Road to Hana, which is a drive around the island via the Hana highway, is also a must do. Just be sure to wear your SPF 50, the sun is much stronger at this latitude!
4) Disney World, Orlando, Florida – This might seem like an incongruous choice compared to the other places on this list, but I am a kid at heart. I will always come back to Disney, and the Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite. I like to stay on campus when I visit, at one of the hotels on the monorail. Disney requires a lot of walking, so always remember your sneakers and lots of water. Make time to relax and enjoy the hotel pool, so you don’t get burnt out from all the fun you’re having!
5) Napa Valley, California – Gorgeous scenery, amazing wine and delicious food – I don’t think I need to say much more to recommend Napa. Some of my favorite wineries include Duckhorn, Benessere and St. Supery. I also suggest starting with Robert Mondavi winery if you are a newbie, they have a fun and unpretentious class that teaches you how to taste wine. There are also so many great restaurants in the area and two of my favorites are Bouchon and Zuzu. Alas I haven’t yet had the chance to go to The French Laundry, which is considered one to be one of the best restaurants in the world, but it’s on my bucket list!
Tom has always been steady and predictable—a formula he’s sure will lead him to success in his career. When his method fails him and he loses his job, he throws caution to the wind for the first time in his life and books a European holiday.
Maybe Tom shouldn’t be surprised that Cupid’s arrow finds him in one of the most romantic cities in the world: Venice, Italy. When he encounters Giovanni working in the family pizzeria, it’s lust at first sight. Their time together touring the city is so magical it feels like a dream. But Tom is shy while Giovanni is charming and flirtatious. Tom has a newfound freedom with his unemployment, while family burdens weigh heavily on Giovanni. Add culture differences and miscommunication into the mix, and their brief romance might fade as quickly as the beautiful dream it resembles.
About the Author: Luca Domani has been writing stories since childhood. Although he has a doctorate in engineering, he has never given up on his dream of being a writer. He adores science fiction and is partial to postapocalyptic epics with zombie hordes, but at heart, he is a hopeless romantic. Luca is married to his high school sweetheart, who is his muse and the love of his life. They reside in Massachusetts with their dog and cat. An American in Venice is his second publication outside of a technical journal.
Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press.
Tihar travels to Earth to find and claim a Jones’ female. He knows they are fearless, psychic warriors and talented in bed sport. Ten minutes after meeting Sarah, Tihar knows the feisty, little human is the one he has been searching for. Now he must convince Sarah, she’s meant to be his.
I was ten weeks old when I moved with my family from Illinois to Pakistan. After that we lived in Vietnam, Laos, and Ecuador, and travelled extensively through Europe and Asia. I never really knew the US as home until my tweens when my parents retired from the Foreign Service and we returned to Illinois. I credit my dad for giving me a world view, along with a deep appreciation for the United States. On the negative side, some overseas experiences still haunt me today, yet I know they helped create who I am. Some might consider my childhood “privileged” but it was far from idyllic; almost everyone has memories they would prefer to forget, but it’s the combination of “good” and “bad” that makes us dimensional, and I like to think, gives us compassion. My characters—even the supporting ones—often have something lurking in their shadows, and none is beyond redemption. On a different level, I love foreign cultures and settings. Born in China, my mom was the daughter of Christian missionaries. I credit her for my faith and spirituality, which subtly pops up in my writing.
I live on a no-kill ranch that doubles as a sanctuary for all wild creatures, great and small. Aside from my animal family—two horses, a dog and cat—I live among snakes, deer, coyotes, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, packrats, javelina, mountain lions, bobcats, range cows, and lots of birds. When I’m not writing, I’m caretaking the ranch and animals by providing habitat and water (especially crucial during summer). I usually don’t relax until the evening and before bed, I usually watch PBS. My favorite programs include everything on Sunday night (Grantchester, Home Fires, My Mother and Other Strangers, Last Tango in Halifax—pretty much anything!), Nature, Father Brown, The Coroner, Murder in Paradise, and currently hooked on The Great British Baking Show.
Pretty much, a panzer! I start with an idea and begin writing. I have a direction I think I’d like my characters and story to go, but it’s not set in stone. I prefer to let them wander as they like. Often, I’m surprised by the journey. But I figure, if I’m surprised, then the reader will be, too. This wasn’t the way I was taught to write—where’s the start-to-finish outline? But then, I live my life in a similar way, so this feels natural. When I was working on my BA in Art, I had no idea that I would get an MBA. When I was in grad school, I hadn’t anticipated moving to Alaska. When I moved to Anchorage, I did so without having a job or a place to live. It goes on from there. But having faith and going with the flow works for me.
A few things that aren’t in my bio… I can operate a John Deere tractor; I relocate rattlesnakes unharmed (when they coil in inconvenient places like next to my deck slider); I once made bi-weekly appearances on a kids’ television program (Cactus Pete’s Funny Company); I can wiggle my ears; I served 18 months on a Federal Grand Jury; I once owned a women’s weight-lifting gym; and during college I worked as a go-go girl.
Golden Heart nominee Maggie McConnell spent her childhood overseas as the daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she earned a BA in Art and an MBA while working at the local humane shelter. At 26, she packed her dog and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska, where she spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in a single-engine Cessna. A vegan and animal rights advocate, Maggie provides a sanctuary on her Arizona ranch for all creatures great and small, but her immediate family includes dog Molly, cat Sara, horses Quinn and Teena, and an ever-growing dynasty of chipmunks. Every year, like the Gray Whale, Maggie returns to Alaska.
“The Tryst” tells the story of one woman desperate for the approval of her very dominant partner and the lengths she is willing to go to in order to earn it.
CoCo Gem was born on June 1, 1982, in Washington DC. An only child to older parents, CoCo became an avid reader at a young age, and has always had a love for words. “I didn’t have any siblings, so I found my friends in books,” CoCo says. “It wasn’t long before I’d read every book on my bookshelf and was asking for weekly library visits.” All throughout school, CoCo maintained As in English, and she went on to major in English Arts at Hampton University. She graduated and became a high school English teacher, and, for the next 9 years, shared her love of literature and writing with high school students in Oxon Hill, Maryland. 
Undone By His Desire
I live on Anglesey which is a small island in North Wales.My life here is busy as I help with the family business (general dogsbody lol) and try and fulfill my writing contracts.
My office is under the stairs of our small welsh cottage and this is where I let my imagination run riot.
Talon’s deadly abilities are spiraling out of control. Desperate to keep Finn safe, Talon struggles to protect the man he loves with all his heart, and not become the greatest risk to Finn’s life.
Founded by the three Bender sisters, the Amish community of Promise Lodge is thriving—and growing. In fact, residents are thrilled to welcome a charismatic new arrival—one who may not just strengthen their faith, but put it to the test . . .
Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King. 
When you can’t trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?
New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury spends her days lost in a world of budding romance and impossible obstacles. Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The Fighting Series and won a RONE Award. JB Salsbury lives with her husband and two kids in Phoenix, Arizona.
In the ultimate battle between good and evil, Nicole is in a race to stop Keitus before he achieves his plans. If he succeeds, he will crush everyone who has opposed him and enslave Earth and countless other planets. Unfortunately, he is only minutes away from his goal.
Andrea Pearson is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast who plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them.
