Thursday, February 21, 2019

VBT and Giveaway: Bella Toscana by Nanette Littlestone


Bella Toscana
by Nanette Littlestone

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GENRE: Women's Fiction

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BLURB:

An explosive yearning that can’t be denied.
Disturbing visions from an ancient past.
A mysterious stranger that somehow feels familiar.

On the night of her fiftieth birthday, the comfortable ride of Toscana’s life takes an alarming plunge. Haunted by seductive visions, she tries to push aside the desire and focus on the husband who adores her. Then she falls for Flynn, a younger man with an eye for adventure and a heart full of romance, who leaves her doubting everything she’s believed about love and passion.

In Atlanta, Rome, and the lush scenery of Tuscany, Toscana searches for answers to the mysteries of her life while she faces her biggest question. If she listens to her feelings will she lose everything she holds dear, or does her heart hold the key to love and joy?

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EXCERPT

I loved him before I knew him.

Some people talk of synchronicity. The rhythm of life. I know of rhythm, in the lyricism of words, in music, in the ebb and flow of the ocean, in the monthly cycles of plants and trees. A beautiful orchestration exists in the simplest of nature. But my world operates on logic, practicality, reason. I do not believe in a grand plan. I do not believe in God.

And then he came.

Before him, I had a well-ordered life. Habit and routine carried me through the day, warmth and comfort eased me through the night. There were disappointments. Longings. Not all was perfect. But such is life. If there was no great passion, so be it. Peace is preferable to something wild that soars then fizzles and leaves you with an aching heart. I had a different kind of love—security, respect, admiration, friendship.

He showed me my lies in a slow creep of warmth that grew and teased and eventually began to burn. The thought of him burrowed deep inside me until I could think of nothing but him.

To this day I don’t think he knew what would happen. How do you know what fate has in store for you? They say man has free will to act, to choose, to create whatever he desires. But what of other people’s actions, choices, desires? What if those choices conflict with your own? We tried to resist the seemingly magnetic pull. We did our best to act rationally, to behave with honor and dignity. To be selfless. But love is not selfless.

Love is selfish. Love craves attention. Love needs to be heard, to be felt. Love is a natural disaster.

You may think this is nothing new. We all know stories of love. But this story is different. This story spans over two thousand years. This story began in ancient Rome.

So I beg you, for as long as it takes to read this story, to put aside your beliefs. Something took hold of me, pulled me along. Was it fate? Destiny? Divine intervention?

Look to your own heart for the answers.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nanette Littlestone never knew she wanted to be a writer until she was over forty. But once she began, the ideas didn’t stop. Her fascination with relationships, history, and the spiritual path has opened her writing to women's fiction, historical fiction, and inspirational nonfiction.

A native Californian, Nanette lives in Atlanta, Georgia, far from the beach (which she loves) but a place that’s warm with spectacular scenery. On the professional side, she helps entrepreneurial women write and get published with Words of Passion. On the fun side, she takes walks with her husband, cooks, plays with graphic design, and makes origami butterflies. She loves to travel, but she’s waiting for the teleportation machine to whisk her off to Greece or Asia. In the meantime, she’s happy with dark chocolate and romantic movies that make her cry.

Contact Nanette at nanette@wordsofpassion.com.

Links
Words of Passion – www.wordsofpassion.com/bella-toscana.html
Facebook - www.facebook.com/nanettelittlestone
Twitter - https://twitter.com/nanettepl
Amazon - https://amzn.to/2BVdfv2
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bella-toscana-nanette-littlestone/1129755075  

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GIVEAWAY

Nanette Littlestone will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!
February 11: BooksChatter
February 12: Rogue's Angels
February 12: The Reading Addict
February 13: Mythical Books
February 14: Edgar's Books
February 14: Fabulous and Brunette
February 18: T's Stuff
February 19: Uplifting Reads
February 19: So Many Books
February 21: Locks, Hooks and Books
February 22: Long and Short Reviews








My Review

Bella Toscana is a fabulous read. I was quite surprised at how great this book was. It has everything I love in a story: beautiful setting, adventure, and love. I was not sure how it would all end until the last page. It is not one I found to be predictable. 

I am giving Bella Toscana a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it. It should not be one to be missed. I look forward to more by this author in the future. 

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.



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9 comments:

  1. I am enjoying these tours and finding all the terrific books my family is enjoying reading. Thanks for bringing them to us and keep up the good work.

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    1. Hi James, it's nice to see you following the tour. I hope you're enjoying all the reading!

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  2. Good morning! Thank you so much for hosting me and Bella Toscana. And thank you for the wonderful review. I so appreciate that!

    A question for the readers: Toscana's journey in Bella Toscana is about learning to follow her heart. Do you listen to your head or your heart and why?

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  3. Did you design the cover for your book? Congrats on the release. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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    1. Hi Bernie,
      I did design the cover for my book. It took me several iterations to decide on the background. At first I thought of the ocean, since Toscana loves the ocean. Then I thought of using a nautilus since that has a lot of meaning later in the story. But I eventually settled on this beautiful panorama of a villa in Tuscany, and I think it was the perfect choice. Thanks for asking!

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  4. Great review, I'm looking forward to checking this one out :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Victoria. I'd love to hear your thoughts when you do.

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  5. Thank you so much for hosting me today. I'm so grateful for the wonderful review. I really appreciate the kind words. I look forward to questions and/or interactions with your followers. This is such a great opportunity!

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