Wednesday 9 August 2017

Author's Inspiration ~ Casanova’s Secret Wife #Casanova #historicalfiction @hfvbt @KensingtonBooks

Book Blast ~ Historical Virtual Book Tour Presents....



Casanova’s Secret Wife

By

Barbara Lynn-Davis


Set in eighteenth-century Venice and based on an actual account by Giacomo Casanova—here is a lush tale of desire and risk.

Caterina Capreta was an innocent girl of fourteen when she caught the attention of the world’s most infamous chronicler of seduction: Giacomo Casanova. Intoxicated by a fierce love, she wed Casanova in secret. But his shocking betrayal inspired her to commit an act that would mark her forever …

Now twenty years later on the island of Murano, the woman in possession of Caterina’s most devastating secret has appeared with a request she cannot refuse: to take in a noble-born girl whose scandalous love affair resembles her own. But the girl’s presence stirs up unwelcome memories of Caterina’s turbulent past. Tested like never before, she reveals the story of the man she will never forget.

Bringing to life a fascinating chapter in the history of Venice, Casanova’s Secret Wife is a tour de force that charts one woman’s journey through love and loss to redemption.

 “Full of passion and rich historical detail . . . an enthralling read, impossible to put down.”

Phyllis T. Smith, bestselling author

“This is Venice beneath the mask: A dark and fascinating love story hiding in the shadows of the golden city.”
Marina Fiorato, bestselling author of The Glassblower of Murano

“Seductive and unforgettable”
Harmony Verna, author of Daughter of Australia


“Breathtaking, beautiful . . . will mesmerize readers.”
 Rosanna Chiofalo, author of Stella Mia



Author's Inspiration



I first became enchanted with Venice while working at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in the neighborhood of Dorsoduro. I lived with an 86 year-old contessa who was a widow and impoverished. She supported herself by taking in students and preparing pranzo (the main meal of the Italian day) for a friend. The scenes in my story of Caterina Capreta’s home are recollections of the contessa’s modest, yet somehow magical apartment, which overlooked the shining Giudecca Canal.


 Charming courtyard in Dorsoduro near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

 
I returned home from this trip sure I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in Venetian art. A few years later, while studying for my general exams, I came across a note mentioning the memoirs of Giacomo Casanova. I had not realized that “Casanova” was a real man, much less a Venetian. Intrigued, I immediately went to the library, found 8 volumes of his memoirs, and dove in.

Reader, I fell in love with him. I remember sitting in my living room in the middle of the night, feeling like I was cheating on my (then, new) husband because Casanova was stealing my heart. He was clever, amusing, adventurous, a risk-taker, and of course, seductive. I adored him.

In the third volume I encountered Casanova’s affair with “C.C.” (Casanova typically does not reveal the names of his lovers, though the identities of some, including Caterina Capreta, have been discovered.) The story starts off innocently and charmingly and full of promise. I tore through the pages. Theirs is a story of passion, hope, desperation, loss, and enduring love. I became haunted by their experiences together.



Francesco Guardi, Il Ridotto (Venetian gambling house), detail of masked lovers, 1746.

I’ve dreamed for years of sharing this love story with readers around the world (so far, the book is being translated into Russian and Czech). I hope in discovering it, you too will feel connected to Caterina and Casanova across the centuries.



Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of Casanova’s Secret Wife!

Giveaway Rules

• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on July 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

  Giveaway is open to residents in the US & Canada only.

• Only one entry per household.

• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

• Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Enter Giveaway…



Links for Purchase


 iBooks


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About the author


Barbara Lynn-Davis graduated from Brown University with a degree in art history. She then worked at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice and later spent a year there while completing her Ph.D. in Renaissance art at Princeton University.
She currently teaches art history and writing at Wellesley College, and lives outside Boston with her family.
Useful Links
Casanova’s Secret Wife by Barbara Lynn-Davis
Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Kensington Books
eBook & Paperback; 304 Pages
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Biographical

Reference 
Francesco Guardi, Il Ridotto (Venetian gambling house), detail of masked lovers, 1746 (full image can be found here) ~ Wikimeida

1 comment:

See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx