Bookworm Press

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I went to visit my niece and her husband in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands west of North Africa. One of the highpoints of my stay was a trip to the Teide mountain, a 3,715 meter (12,188 feet) high volcano. We drove the scenic road about half-way to the top. There is also a gondola to the very top but we stayed at the halfway point. The view from there was spectacular. Here are a few pictures.

 

 

You can see the volcanic structure and the rocks. Reminds me somwhat of a lunar landscape.

 

 

 

 

There were quite a few people watching the sunset above the sea of fog and you can see why. The view was breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

Now, something more sinister. My nephew told me that a few days or weeks ago, two bodies were found at the bottom of the volcano. At the time, it wasn’t known who the people were or how they ended up at the bottom of the cliff. An accident or foul play? This must have been a terrible and shocking experience for everyone involved. And yet it is a mystery that triggers my writer’s imagination. My next mystery novel could indeed take place on Tenerife. We’ll see.

Enjoy the pictures!

 

My niece and her husband moved from Switzerland to Tenerife, Spain. Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometers west of Morocco. I went to visit them and fell in love with the island. It may become the location for one of my next novels!

View from my niece’s home. Across is La Gomera, another island of the Canary Islands.

Every evening, we were able to watch another amazing sunset. Here are a few more!

 

 

 

 

My niece and her husband lived in Switzerland but had been visiting Tenerife for many years and loved it so much they decided to eventually live here permanently. They sold their business (a vegan restaurant and store) and apartment in Switzerland and bought property here. Now, they harvest olives and produce olive oil. It was a bold retirement step, but they enjoy it very much and so far, it’s worked out for them. Here are a few pictures of their home and property.

 

 

 

 

 

The olive harvest was plentiful. In fact, they didn’t have enough pickers yet. Family, friends, and colleagues helped but a few of the olives were left on the trees. I’m sure some critters enjoyed them!

 

 

In December, it was still warm enough for a swim in the ocean.

 

And for breakfast outside, a nice change from cold Switzerland!

 

 

Stay tuned for more. Tenerife sports a famous volcano, El Teide. With its 3,715 meters (12,188 feet), in height, it is also the highest point in Spain.

 

The best rewards for authors are readers who love their work. It makes all the effort of writing a book worthwhile. I’m so excited about the lovely review of my new novel, Letter from a Cave, from Sally G. Cronin, UK author of many books and host of the wonderful Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:

“This is a delightful book with several elements that add interest and colour, along with stunning descriptions of the majestic mountains and lakes of Italy and Switzerland.

The characters in this story have appeared over the years in the author’s other books, but there is enough back story for the book to be a standalone read. It was the first time I had met them, but they are so well rounded and engaging that you feel you have known them for years.

A tragedy towards the end of the war prompts a journey through Italy and Switzerland to unravel the mystery, but it is also a journey of discovery for the main characters as they come to terms with the past, loss and uncertainty about love and the future.

With two romances developing for the younger and older generation there is plenty of light-hearted chapters as well as the unfolding discoveries about the letter in the cave to keep the reader engaged. The fact there is a cute dog in the mix will also make readers very happy and entertained.

There are reminders of a darker past and that there are still those who bear grudges and guilt about their own actions during a time of repression and fear. There are also wonderful moments where there is an opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of others.

I highly recommend this lovely and well-written book to romance and mystery fans of any age.”

– Sally Cronin, Author and Host of Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, UK

Finally! This book took me forever to write, at least it seems that way, but here it is now. I’m very happy and grateful for the wonderful reviews it has garnered so far. Here is the blurb:

With a captivating mystery at its core, Letter from a Cave is a suspenseful journey through Switzerland and Italy that will make readers feel a gamut of powerful emotions. Fans of Christa Polkinhorn’s other novels will be delighted to meet a few familiar characters. Don’t miss your chance to get lost in this unforgettable story!

Andreas, a Swiss sculptor and stonemason, grieving the loss of his wife from three years ago, discovers an old, abandoned backpack in a cave during his hike in the Swiss mountains. What he finds within the backpack—a letter written by a young Jewish refugee during the Second World War to his pregnant wife in Italy—sets him on a quest with his friend, Luisa, to find out what happened to the man, to his wife, Bella, and her family in Italy. During their search, they meet both helpful people and those who try to prevent them, even by force, from digging into a past filled with heroism but also with cruelty and betrayal. Will the outcome of the quest bring closure and peace, or will it cause turmoil and heartache?

Review by Lisette Brodey:

I’ve read several of this author’s books over the years, and I was very happy to learn she had a new release, one that gives new adventures to established characters. It’s always great to see old friends. That said, this wonderful book doesn’t rely on past novels to be enjoyed.

Sculptor Andreas, who has been lonely and depressed since his wife’s death three years prior, often hikes into the mountains. One day, while with his dog in a cave, he is surprised when the dog unearths a backpack from years ago. Looking inside, Andreas finds a letter from an Italian man named Joshua to his pregnant wife, Bella during World War II. He realizes Joshua never made it home and his family most likely never knew what happened to him or that he had tried to make contact.

The emotional weight of the letter hits Andreas hard, and with the encouragement of his daughter, Emilia, and his son, Tonio, he sets off to Italy to see if he can do the impossible and track down Bella (if she’s still alive) or other family members. Tonio takes his sister and father to a vineyard in Tuscany where he has a friend, Julietta. Readers of the author’s previous book will remember Julietta and her mother, Luisa, from The Italian Sister.

From this point on, the story really takes off. I don’t want to summarize the plot, but rather offer a short commentary on why I found this book to be so special. Author Polkinhorn has several wonderful and heartfelt sub-plots flowing through the main story. All of them are skillfully woven together, beautifully emulating life and its twisty, unpredictable ways. I genuinely cared about every character.

Letter from a Cave offers suspense, romance, emotion, surprises, nostalgia, and so much more. The author’s gorgeous descriptions made it easy to visualize the scenes in Switzerland and Italy—not to mention making me hungry for Italian food.

This was truly a feel-good read, and I hope the author will continue to write more stories with her delightful characters. Already, I’m wondering how they’re all doing.

Thank you so much, Lisette!

Letter from a Cave, eBook

Letter from a Cave, paperback

Happy Reading!

I’m a writer but also an avid reader and I love to share books and authors I like. Murder in Tuscany (An Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery, Book 1) by T A Williams is a novel which I thoroughly enjoyed and which takes place in one of my favorite parts of the world. Tuscany is also the locale of my own series The Wine Lover’s Daughter.

Here is my review on Amazon:

Newly retired DCI Dan Armstrong was given a retirement present by his colleagues at the force in England—the opportunity to attend a writing retreat at a stunning villa in beautiful Tuscany. While he is grateful for their generosity and the opportunity to finish writing his novel and leave his personal problems, among them a failing marriage, as well as rainy England behind him for a while, he is less enthusiastic about the genre of the literature taught at the retreat—erotica of all things. The somewhat strait-laced former policeman decides, however, to make the best of his time and try to fit in with the group of the other probably crazy writers.

If Dan thinks he left police work behind, he has a rude awakening a few days into the retreat when one of the people is found dead and it looks very much like murder. Together with his friend, the Italian detective, and his sidekick, Oscar, the enthusiastic and exuberant Labrador pup of the owner of the villa, he tries to shed light on the happenings and begins to uncover some very dark secrets among the attendees of the retreat and the hosts.

This is a fun and suspenseful mystery with interesting and quirky characters and vivid descriptions of Florence and the Tuscan landscape, the excellent food and wines. It kept me engaged from beginning to end and I look forward to part two of the series. Highly recommended!

 

I began writing my latest novel, Letter from a Cave, back in 2019 before the pandemic. The action takes place in Italy and in Switzerland in an area near the Italian/Swiss border I was unfamiliar with and which I intended to visit. Well, Covid and the related travel restrictions upended those plans.

Fortunately, I have a good friend in Switzerland, Silvia Delorenzi, who was familiar with that part of the canton Grisons, the so-called Hinterrhein Valley. Thanks to her invaluable comments and corrections, I managed to finish the manuscript from afar.

In September 2022, together with Silvia and her husband, Curzio, I was finally able to visit the villages of Andeer and Splügen, the Splügenpass and the San Bernardino Pass. We spent some time walking through the quaint villages, exploring the beautiful landscape, and having a delicious lunch at the restaurant Weisses Kreuz (White Cross), which also appears in my novel. Our visit confirmed most of the information and fortunately, I had to make just a few adjustments. Thank you again, Silvia and Curzio, for your help!

Here are a few pictures and a blurb of Letter from a Cave:

Andreas, a Swiss sculptor and stonemason, lost his wife in an accident three years ago. Still grieving, he seeks solace on long hikes in the Swiss mountains. Overcome by a thunderstorm one evening, he takes shelter in a cave where he finds an old, abandoned backpack underneath rocks and stones. Hidden in it are an Italian passport, a photo of a young woman, an envelope with a letter inside dated December 1943, written by a Jewish refugee during the Second World War to his young, pregnant wife in Italy.

Overwhelmed and inspired by the longing and love expressed in the letter, Andreas is determined to find out what happened to the man, why he hadn’t sent the letter, and whether his wife, Bella, and her family in Italy are still alive after all these years. Together with Luisa, his friend and owner of a vineyard in Tuscany, he sets out on a quest through Italy to find any signs of Bella or her family. During their search, they meet both helpful people and those who try to prevent them, even by force, from digging into a past filled with heroism but also with cruelty and betrayal.

Will the quest to find Bella and her family bring closure for them as well as for Andreas, or will it cause more turmoil and heartache?

The village of Splügen and the surrounding area. Splügenpass is the name of the mountain and the road across it.

 

 

Typical houses of the area, lovingly decorated with art works and lots of flowers

 

History in action: Via Spluga, now a beloved hiking path, was the main link between the canton Grisons in Switzerland and towns and villages in Italy for many centuries. It was used by pack drivers and tradesmen who crossed the Alps to transport their goods (and ideas) from North to South. It begins in the town of Thusis and leads through the breathtaking Viamala Gorge, the Roffla Gorge, the villages of Andeer and Splügen among others all the way to the top of the Spügenpass and down to Isola and Chiavenna in Italy.

Via Spluga is also the favorite hiking path for Andreas, the protagonist in Letter from a Cave, where he finds the mysterious letter that changes his life.

And here we are in the village of Andeer, the residence of Andreas and Emilia, his youngest daughter, who is a veterinarian.

 

 

The decorations in the photo above and below are typical carvings on many of the houses in the canton Grisons (or Graubünden in German). The technique is called Sgraffito. The name comes from the Italian word sgraffiare or graffiare, meaning “scratch” or “scratching,” a form of decoration made by scratching through a surface to reveal a lower layer of a contrasting color. It’s typically done in plaster or stucco on walls or on ceramics before firing.

 

An old wooden bridge over the Rhein river; this part of the river is called the “Hinterrhein.”

 

Andeer is also home to a well-known mineral bath, a perfect place to soothe sore muscles after a long hike in the beautiful surrounding mountains.

Below is the restaurant Weisses Kreuz (White Cross), which also features in the novel. It’s a favorite hang-out for Andreas and his family.

 

And of course, my friends and I had to try their excellent cuisine and wines!

 

 

I ordered one of Andreas’ favorites–Cordon Bleu with French Fries and Salad.

 

It was excellent!

This journey through the landscape and villages featured in my new novel was both instructive and enjoyable. Thank you Silvia and Curzio for your support.

The novel just came back from my fabulous and meticulous editor, Linda Cassidy Lewis. That means back to work for me, so that Letter from a Cave can finally be finished and, eventually, published. I’ll keep you posted!

After enjoying the spectacular view of the Grand Canyon, it was time to head back on the train. On the way to the Grand Canyon the host in our car gave us a lot of interesting details about the history of the train. On the ride back, however, we got a touch of the old and wild West!

All of a sudden, our host told us that we were being attacked by train robbers. Sure enough, two men on horseback, shooting their pistols, overtook the train. You can spot one of them through the train window on the next picture!

 

 

And before we “terrified” passengers knew it, they were inside the train, “forcing” us to hand over one dollar or ??! Well, we didn’t wait for the “or.”

Here they are, those railway robbers!

 

 

 

 

Finally, the Sheriff shows up–too late as usual.

 

They escaped with our dollars–but the whole excitement was worth it.

Back in Williams, we admired one more time the loyal old train engine. It was a wonderful experience!

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This promises to be a jam-packed, exciting day for us. I visited the Grand Canyon in the seventies, but for Diane, it was a first. I remember, walking to the rim of this amazing gorge and stopping in awe, completely overwhelmed with what I saw.

The history of this natural wonder is described here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park

This time around, we decided to take the train, in other words, we returned to the “Old West via the Grand Canyon Railway.” It was a blast, a true time travel experience. If you ever decide to forego the car and parking problems and embark on a true adventure, here is the information:

https://www.thecanyon.com/grand-canyon-railway

We started the journey from the town of Williams in Arizona.

 

 

 

 

The ride to the Grand Canyon was an adventure in itself with all kinds of entertainment and interesting information about the history of the train.

 

After an almost three hour ride, we arrived at Grand Canyon Village where we hiked a small path to the rim of the canyon. I still remember the first impression of this miraculous gorge back in 1971. I was simply overwhelmed and couldn’t believe my eyes. When I saw it again on this trip, the breathtaking view was as powerful as the first time. The photos give an idea of the vastness and beauty of the canyon but they can’t convey the full impact of standing there in person.

 

 

 

For those interested in the formation and history of the Grand Canyon, this article about a new groundbreaking discovery by the geologist Allan Krill is fascinating. Enjoy the amazing photos:

A Big Boulder Holds a Grand Canyon Secret – Past Chronicles

Since we had to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the train, I was ready for a cup of coffee and so were a lot of other people, which meant standing in line for a while. We were lucky though to secure a pleasant spot in a restaurant for lunch. After walking along the rim, taking pictures, and browsing through the souvenir shops, it was time to catch the train back. We had three hours to explore this wonderful place. It would be great to spend the night in one of the few lodges and experience the rising and setting sun. Perhaps next time!

If the train ride to the Canyon had been interesting, the ride back was a  true “Wild West adventure”! Stay tuned for the next blog post!

If you want to stay in touch with me, sign up for my mailing list. I send out occasional emails about my writing and other fun stuff. Just click on the Monkey icon in the right panel and fill out a short form. Don’t worry, I won’t overwhelm you with mail. And you can always unsubscribe.

My friend Diane in Arizona had an important birthday coming up and so we decided to celebrate with a visit to the Chihuly in the Desert exhibition and a ride on the old train to the breathtaking Grand Canyon. Both were overwhelming experiences.

Chihuly in the Desert is an exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden near Phoenix, Arizona. The exhibition combines native desert plants with art works by the artist Dale Patrick Chihuly. Dale Chihuly – Wikipedia

We got there just before the sun set and were able to see the great variety of desert plants and the sculptures by daylight. After sunset, the art works lit up and created a magical atmosphere. Here are a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

After sunset, the sculptures lit up and illuminated the desert plants.

 

 

When you drive through the desert in summer when it’s hot and dusty, you can barely imagine that there is anything else but flat, dried-out landscape. In Spring, however, after some rainfall (unfortunately rare these days of climate change), the desert can burst with color from a blanket of wildflowers. Even in the hot summer months, you can enjoy many desert plants, above all a great variety of cacti.

Walking through the desert garden after sunset, admiring the illuminated plants and works of glass art, we realized how magical the desert can be.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures on our train ride from Williams, Arizona, to the Great Canyon.

If you want to stay in touch with me, sign up for my mailing list. I send out occasional emails about my writing and other fun stuff. Just click on the Monkey icon in the right panel and fill out a short form. Don’t worry, I won’t overwhelm you with mail. And you can always unsubscribe.

Here is a book I really enjoyed and wanted to share with you:

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

 

One of the funniest books I have read in a while. It’s a special kind of humor that not everybody may like. I found it hilarious and while you laugh you get a great overview of world history and a tongue-in-cheek vivid portrayal of some of the world’s most famous politicians and rulers. There is an underlying roguish criticism of the weaknesses of social and political systems and their perpetrators.

I read the German version: Der Hundertjährige, der aus dem Fenster stieg und verschwand.

Happy Reading, my Fellow Bookworms!