[…] “Can you suggests any places?” he asked and turned on the charm, his smile warm enough to melt the wax of unlit candles.Gabriela found herself mesmerized. This was the man she had met for the first time yesterday–charming, witty, and simply fascinating. Sensing her eyes on him, his smoky gaze turned her way, warm … Read more
Like I learned from my neighbor in France while I was writing The Coin, this gentleman learned it from his Belgian mother-in-law, who learned to live off anything from the land during WWII. Now he hunts for dandelion leaf for salads. I think I’ll go hunt some myself. Just click on the link. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/benefits-of-dandelion-greens-zmaz08amzmcc.aspx#axzz2vwBVeFaJ
All my readers have asked what inspired me to flesh out my characters in The Coin. I usually invent them, with a very clear idea of who they are and look like, rarely basing them on real people whom I’ve met. There is one exception in The Coin: Madame Degaut. Her description in the novel … Read more
Hope to see you there tomorrow at the book signing and reading!!! Books & Books, Coral Gables.
In the novel, one of the chase scenes takes place on the country roads. This is the descriptive paragraph: They continued at a reckless speed down the narrow road where more private driveways branched out like river tributaries, some of them perilously concealed. […] The winding road began a steep descent and was in some … Read more
In the novel, Gabriela explains to Richard about the coins in her bracelet. She points out several, including a commemorative coin her son has suggested she place on her bracelet.I got that idea from the French coins that I used every day. In one instance, I got change back from my purchases and saw a very pretty … Read more
In France, throughout the hiking trails peppering the Maritime Alps and Pre-maritime alps, there are rest houses for those hikers who will walk those trails for more than one day. You can rest for a few hours or you can stay overnight to continue your trek and stay away from the bad elements, should you … Read more
http://www.booksandbooks.com/event/maria-elena-alonso-sierra-gables
Sorry I have not been able to post, but I’ve had a family emergency that needed immediate care. Here is more on the posted information on the event at Books & Books on Sept. 5th. This information is from their website. http://www.booksandbooks.com/event/2013/09/05/day
When I first began the novel, I had a different prologue. My first plot point thought was–in this newly expanding era of technology (remember the novel takes place in 1993 — the iPhone was just a dream of Jobs) — where would a bad guy hide important information that would remain protected and untraceable? Well, when I … Read more
