Tell us a little about yourself:
I’m a typical Italian mother and grandmother who dotes on her family and protects them fiercely. I’m half Sicilian and have a devilish temper, which no one in the writing community knows about or has seen. There’s always a charge there, and I believe it’s the reason my heroes are terribly stubborn, ornery and downright irascible. But they all have a good heart. My heroines are fairly high strung and temperamental as well.
If you’d like to read more about me, my bio can be found on my website: www.jcortipetska.com.
What do like the most and the least about writing?
I’d have to say I like the aloneness. I like being home, working on a book, playing with my three Rat Terriers, puttering around in my garden. The solitude helps me concentrate better.
What I don’t like is the aloneness. Dogs can’t hold a conversation. I can only do so much in the garden. And when I hit a road block in my current book, I can take just so much of losing myself in housework or something else that might stimulate my brain. Usually, I’ll go window-shopping for a change of scenery. I’ll grab a Starbucks now and then.
Give us a peek into your latest published work?
THE LILY
When Cristiano de' Medici asks for Bianca degli Albizzi's hand in marriage, she is outraged. Cristiano's family has long been a sworn enemy, and her father's blessing confuses her. Wed only to end the war between Florence's two powerful families, headstrong Bianca vows she will teach her handsome husband her loyalty cannot be bought...even by someone so seductive.
Cristiano, a well-known warrior with the wealth of a king, could have any woman he desires. But for the sake of peace, he ends up with a defiant bride who awakens his deepest passion. Her vengeful scheming puts them both in peril, but is he willing to sacrifice his life to safeguard the woman he loves?
What’s next on the writing horizon for you?
I’m researching book 4 of my Italian medieval series, after which I’ll research and write book 3 of my medieval psychic sisters trilogy. After that, I haven’t decided yet. There is a notebook filled with notes on over 20 different stories I’d like to write. And I have a shelf of plastic file bins with about 7 other stories I had started researching and abandoned. Then there’s the 8 or so manuscripts I’d like to rewrite. So there’s no shortage of work. However, after I’m finished with my medieval trilogy next year, I will then decide whether or not I want to continue writing. It’s a tough decision to make, but at this point in my life, it’s something that must be considered.
Is there anything you want to tell readers?
I’d love to hear from you. My contact information is on my website.
Excerpt from The Lilly and the Falcon
This short scene is from an outing Cristiano de’ Medici and his betrothed, Bianca degli Albizzi, take. Prior, their conversation had drifted to his previous lovers.
“May I see your hand?”
When he hesitated, she took it anyway and turned it palm up.
“What fetish is this?” he demanded, uncertain of the puzzling grooves that suddenly invaded her features.
“I am reading your lines.” He tried to take his hand away, but she held fast. “You are mischievous by nature, a knave and a thief.”
“I am not a thief,” he objected.
She gave him a coy look. “Mayhap not of property or belongings, but of hearts, I propose.”
He scowled. “Are we back to my lovers again?”
“No, my sensitive lord.” She brushed the underside of his fingers, causing a shiver to race recklessly up and down his spine. “Your long fingers and broad palm reveal much of your character.”
“Explain this witchery,” he commanded, taking back his hand.
“Reading the palm is a science,” she told him with a slight frown. “Many Florentines seek the advice of seers and palm readers, though none would readily admit to it. Know this, my lord. Were I a witch, I would cast a spell on you.”
Then witch she was. What other explanation had he for his obsession with Bianca degli Albizzi?
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Thanks for being here today Jannine.
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