Me? In Texas?
Me? In Texas?
Remembering the Alamo and the Historical Novel Society Conference
A few weeks ago, I attended my first Historical Novel Society conference in San Antonio, Texas. For years I have had fellow author friends trying to get me to go and hang with them, and this year, despite my serious aversion to wanting to give any money to a state that is banning books and removing human rights, I decided to give in and make the journey south.
I gave two talks, one on how to use food to enhance your fiction, and another with fellow novelist, Laura Morelli, about promoting yourself and your books.
Spending time with her was a treat—our novels are both set in Italy, and while Laura (The Stolen Lady) used to live in Boston, she moved away, and it had been years since we had seen each other in person.
I also had the genuine pleasure of meeting two other authors of Italian fiction that I’ve long known online for years but had never met in person, Alyssa Palombo (The Borgia Confessions) and Diana Giovinazzo (Antoinette’s Sister).
The conference had fantastic sessions, and I got a lot out of the ones I attended—revision, managing time, point of view, and more.
We also managed to make it out of the hotel from time to time.
The Alamo was a beautiful place with a complex history that I had no idea about before going.
I also had the chance to catch up with one of my favorite authors and inspirations, Margaret George.
We bonded over Ancient Rome and Italy when Feast of Sorrow came out, and her novels about Nero (The Confessions of Young Nero and The Splendor Before the Dark) were released. I didn’t have a lot of luggage space, but I decided to bring back a signed copy of her bestselling tome, The Autobiography of Henry VIII, a book I devoured when it first came out when I was 15. This book showed me how history can be thrilling on so many levels. Re-reading it now is such a joy, and even more interesting now that I have since learned I’m directly related to a few of the people in this timeframe (most notably, Sir Francis Bryan, who was my 13th great-grandfather, and also notably, the betrayer of Anne Boleyn).
Here’s one last shot with a few of the members of my tribe, both old friends and new, all historical novelists with fascinating stories to tell.
What’s Bringing Me Joy This Week:
These Grilled Pork Tacos with Summer Corn and Nectarine Salsa are freaking delicious. 🌮
This puppy can’t figure out the rain.
Singer Cesare Cremonini brought an amazing art installation to Bologna for just seven days, lighting up the longest portico in the world (666 arches and 2.35 miles), the Portico di San Luca, which leads up to the church of San Luca.
Thanks for Joining Me
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! 🍒🍗🍷
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