Hi, Friend!
It seems like I just wrote, but my last newsletter was mid-October. Did the fall fly by for you as well? The weather here in Texas is still autumn-ish on most days, but our neighborhood is bedecked for the holidays, and I'm glad to see it. I think we could all use some of that holiday cheer. I've especially enjoyed walking around our neighborhood and seeing all the decorations. Our house is not exactly going to win a spot in the neighborhood contest, but we do have our inflatable Christmas penguin next to our door, so that's at least something! Plus, we have our tree up and have been using the Fireplace video on Netflix. I hope that no matter which holiday you celebrate, if any, that you stay safe and warm.
I've been working on a new book about a puppeteer who tells scary stories and a girl missing her grandmother. There's a lot more to it, but my favorite character is definitely the creepy puppeteer with her wooden marionettes. As a child, I was scared by just about everything, so I'm leaning into those feelings while writing this one. It will, like all my stories, have a happy ending for our main character, though.
Speaking of happy endings, this has been a hard year for a lot of us. If you are looking for gift ideas for some young people in your life, I'd like to suggest that books are a great way to help people travel to new places, see new things, and sigh over happy endings. Rome Reframed is up for pre-order, but if you'd like to put something in a stocking, Paris on Repeat is available for order now, as are my previous books. :)
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BOOK NEWS
Rome Reframed is still available for advanced review. Due to COVID, ARCs are only digital and are listed on NetGalley and Edelweiss. If you are someone who uses those services, please grab your copy today! Or send me an email!
As some of you might remember, Detours (sequel to Shortcuts) was supposed to come out this fall, but did not, due to COVID. I'm working on a plan to get that book out in 2021, through Snowy Wings Press. It might involve new covers for both! More news to come in the spring...
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Sneak Peek Preview, just for you!
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About ROME REFRAMED
Lucas Duran has been on the trip of a lifetime—six months traveling through Europe with his parents and two younger brothers. That is, the trip of a lifetime for someone else. Lucas wants nothing more than to be home in Austin, Texas, with his friends, and it shows in his schoolwork that he’s been emailing to his teachers. He can't wait to get out of Rome, the last stop on their trip.
When his teachers give him an ultimatum—either turn in a phenomenal last project or you’ll fail the eighth grade—Lucas is going to have to decide whether to give up or to give in to the mystery of Rome. And after a cryptic palm reader hands him a weird-looking coin to throw in the Trevi Fountain, Lucas finds himself transported to ancient Rome at each new tourist destination. As his hops back through time become more personal, it seems the magic of Rome is determined to help Lucas gain more than an A+ project, too. Can he fix his future before his time in the past is over?
First Pages:
Italy was shaped like a boot. No wonder it was kicking my butt.
Well, to be fair, it wasn’t just Italy. It was the whole six-months-on-the-road-as-a-family thing for my parents’ work. The rest of Europe was mostly a blur at this point, but the fountain in front of me now was crystal clear and hard to miss.
The Trevi Fountain hogged most of the street corner where three narrow ancient roads met, with lots of white marble and bright blue water. Some ancient sea god stood front and center. He had a hipster beard and was missing half his clothes, but there was no doubt that this dude was confident and in charge of his fate. Must be nice.
I snapped a photo and reminded myself to jot down the time and date in my school travel journal. The god was Neptune, maybe? Or Oceanus? Most ancient gods looked the same to me. Most big-deal fountains did, too.
Okay, none quite so impressive as this one, true. Rome won the trophy for the best fountain. Still, I’d take the waters of Lake Travis back in Austin anytime.
I wish I could be at home right now.
Just a few more days left of living out of my suitcase. I’d already lost the second half of my eighth-grade year to this trip, including my last soccer season in middle school. At least I’d have the summer to get back in shape before high school tryouts. I’d been waiting to be on the high school’s soccer team since I was nine. But first, I had to get through my last big assignment for my art, history, and English teachers and turn it in before we left.
Did I have any good photos for today yet? I forgot to pay attention half the time during our tours. I scrolled past the Trevi images, a few bronze statues, and eight selfies looking up my nose, before pausing on the close-up of the square toilet seat from yet another café. Yeah, that might be my best shot all week. Kei was going to love that one—for what we called our “European fine art collection.”
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Itinerary:
Trevi Fountain
Colosseum
The Sistine Chapel
St. Peter's
The Patheon
and a few special places not on the regular tourist map.
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Thanks for being a part of my newsletter list. To be sure you never miss an email, please whitelist me by adding my email to your email contact list. If you feel ready to unsubscribe, I will miss you but wish you the best-- the unsubscribe button is at the bottom. My goal is to send a quarterly email, much like this one, with news and exclusive content. I hope you'll stick around! Thanks for reading and subscribing!
May you and yours have a wonderful and safe holiday season!
Best wishes,
Amy
www.amybearce.com
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