Pamela Allegretto's Blog

“WORLD BOOK DAY”

There’s no better way for me to celebrate “WORLD BOOK DAY” than to share this recent Amazon UK Bridge of Sighs and Dreams5-star review from award winning author, Alison Morton.

“Stoic is the word which springs to mind when you consider the protagonist, Angelina, yet she is courageous, warm-hearted and a survivor. But the author is particularly clever in developing Angelina’s nemesis, Lidia, whose bitter, obsessive character descends into her own private hell with horrendous outcomes for anybody she encounters.

The author doesn’t take the easy way out for her characters, but shows us the twists of fate, the blank ends, and opportunities that human beings face. And this is set in a harsh time of brutal occupation with its everyday difficulties engendered by shortages, injustice, an irrationality.

The period detail is vivid and precise. I found myself shivering on several occasions at the reality of it, and I read a fair number of stories set in the Second World War. There are tender moments, ice-cold fear, triumph, despair, crushed ideals, helplessness, and redemption. But Angelina is the shining spirit in this well-written novel. Highly recommended.”
Reviewed in the United Kingdom.

Many thanks to Alison Morton for taking the time to write such a lovely review. I am grateful for your consideration.
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Identit...


BRIDGE OF SIGHS AND DREAMS is available for purchase in paperback and eBook at: AMAZON worldwide and multiple online book sellers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015...

“I found myself wanting to return as often as possible to Pamela Allegretto's farcical mystery Ashes to Ashes, Diamonds to Dust. The slimy or sympathetic or comical characters came to life with their quirks and smells and distinct voices. What a bunch of oddballs! It was hard to know who was for real and who was in disguise, which provided much of the suspense and fun. I thought I had figured out parts of the mystery, but Allegretto kept me on my toes. This was an enjoyable, entertaining, and original read, highly recommended if you need an infusion of Venice and some laughs.”



Thank you Kathleen Gonzales so very much for taking the time to write such a lovely review. I appreciate your generosity and am thrilled that you enjoyed the read. Best wishes. https://www.amazon.com/Venice-Rising-...


ASHES TO ASHES, DIAMONDS TO DUST is available in ebook and paperback at: Amazon worldwide, https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Diamonds... BookLocker, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, etc.

In celebration of EARTH DAY, I thought I would post my painting of FALL IN NEW ENGLAND. I know it’s Springtime now, but my feeble attempts at landscape painting are limited, and I wanted to post something appropriate to celebrate EARTH DAY.

Cheers to Mother Earth for bestowing us with this awesome vista. I hope I did it a semblance of justice. Mother Earth provided us with clean water to drink, pure air to breathe, and non-polluted crops to eat. All She asks in return is that we take care of these gifts and keep them that way.

We are one, all Mother Earth’s children. I still have hope that in my lifetime I will see everyone, despite their race, ethnicity, religion, lack of religion, economic situation, sexual orientation, etc., treated with dignity. How hard is it, really, just to treat people the way you want to be treated?
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

The original acrylic on canvas has been sold, but quality Giclee prints are available at:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/f...

Bridge of Sighs and Dreams
"Bridge of Sighs and Dreams is a stirring and evocative portrait of Italy under the Fascists and the Nazi occupation. I've visited Italy several times, and the elegant descriptions made me feel as if I had returned. This book left me breathless. It drew me in from the first page and didn't let go. It's a testament to the human spirit of survival.”
Thank you so much to the unnamed Amazon reader for this lovely review. If the author of this review is reading this, please let me know who you are so I can thank you personally. Best wishes.
BRIDGE OF SIGHS AND DREAMS is available for purchase in paperback and eBook at: AMAZON worldwide:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015...
BARNES & NOBLE:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bridg...…

BOOKLOCKER:
http://booklocker.com/books/8228.html

ITUNES:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brid...

KOBO:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/brid...

Hunger won’t wait for the pandemic to end. There is no justification for children to go hungry in this country. But it’s happening every day, in every community. The USDA states that more than 11 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes.

Since this poor excuse for a president is unwilling to share even the meager crumbs from his Big Mac, it’s up to all of us to keep our food banks supplied. Let’s treat each other the way we would like to be treated. Don’t think it could never happen to you. But this is not the only reason to contribute food, do it because it’s the moral thing to do.

Best wishes for happier days ahead.

Read about WORLD FOOD DAY and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations at: http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/the...

Quality Giclee prints of this painting: “TROPICAL HARVEST” are available at: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/t...

Bridge of Sighs and Dreams was published five years ago this week. My goal was to entertain and inform. Sales, interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, and lovely reviews have exceeded any expectations I might have had. An unforeseen benefit has been reconnecting with wonderful old friends and establishing so many amazing new friendships with readers and authors around the world. I am genuinely grateful to every reader, reviewer, and interviewer. La vita e` veramente bella.
While growing up, I always hated listening to jokes about the Italians going into World War 2 with their hands raised. This was not at all the case, and I wanted to point out the bravery of the Italian population during this horrific time. Although Bridge of Sighs and Dreams is fiction, It is based on real events. I felt compelled to write a war novel in which the women don’t play the role of wallpaper or objects of amusement to soldiers and politicians. The women in Bridge of Sighs and Dreams take center stage in a behind-the-lines battle between good and evil.
BRIDGE OF SIGHS AND DREAMS is available for purchase in paperback and eBook at:
AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01... and all Amazon sites worldwide
BARNES & NOBLE:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bridg...…
BOOKLOCKER:
http://booklocker.com/books/8228.html
ITUNES:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brid...
KOBO:
https://store.kobobooks.com/…/eb…/bri...
AMAZON.IT:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B015JRFQE8

Bridge of Sighs and Dreams

“I have always been infatuated with WWII History and the Holocaust. I was so impressed with the details and the character's determination for survival and dreams of the future. Pamela Allegretto did an amazing job capturing the history, the fear, tension, and intimidation of the times. I couldn't put the book down!”

My most heartfelt thanks to Barbie Kerin Gallagher for this lovely review.

BRIDGE OF SIGHS AND DREAMS is available for purchase in paperback and eBook at:
AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01... and all Amazon sites worldwide
BARNES & NOBLE:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bridg...…
BOOKLOCKER:
http://booklocker.com/books/8228.html
ITUNES:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brid...
KOBO:
https://store.kobobooks.com/…/eb…/bri...
AMAZON.IT:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B015JRFQE8

None of us the US are allowed inside the EU right now, but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming of better days to come.

For those adventurous artists who have squeezed the last drop from your yellow ochre and burnt sienna while painting Tuscan sunrises and sunsets, head south. I’m not talking Rome or Naples or Salerno, I mean the Deep South that Carlo Levi wrote about in Christ Stopped at Eboli.

In 1935, The Fascists exiled Levi to this region as a political prisoner. For persons unfamiliar with this book, it has nothing to do with religion or of Christ making a weekend get-away to the Basilicata region. It refers to the idea that if Christ was traveling south in Italy and doing his Godly thing along the way, then he stopped when he reached Eboli. Levi wrote: “upon my arrival, the peasants said, ‘we are not Christians, Christ stopped short of here, at Eboli.’ Christian, in their way of speaking meant human being.” This “God-forsaken" region remains today a land outside time.

So, what do I like about this earthy and primeval region? Just that. It’s earthy and primitive. In addition, the architecture is fun and challenging to paint. And the citizenry are as warm as the Southern Italian sun.

The original watercolor has been sold, but giclee prints from greeting cards to posters, tote bags to pillows, yes, even masks, are available at:

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/m...

The Festa del Redentore, one of the most important traditional events in Venice, commemorates the end of the plague of the 16th century. The annual celebration takes place during the weekend of the third Sunday of July.
Between 1575 and 1577, the plague struck Venice. The bacterium was thought to have been brought into the city on one of the commercial vessels. The plague killed 50,000 people, almost one third of the total population. The most famous victim was the painter Tiziano (Titian), who died in 1576. Although, since he died at age 88, it is not definite whether he died from the plague or from another disease.
In 1576, Doge Alvise Mocenigo made a promise to God to build a church in exchange for an end to the plague. When the plague ended in July 1577, the new Doge Sebastiano Venier honored this promise and built a temporary wooden church. The Redentore Church, named after the Redeemer, later replaced the wooden church.
The Santa Maria della Salute Church was built for a similar reason. This church remembers the 1630 plague in Venice.
So I guess the take away is that the next time a plague hits Venice, that means God wants a new church. Maybe our current "plague" means God wants a new president. I sure do!!!

“If you have had to cancel your long awaited vacation to Venice, Italy and still wish to get away, no problem. Pamela Allegretto's newest offering: "Ashes to Ashes, Diamonds to Dust" can take you there. This clever caper done in the style of, say, a Blake Edward's '60's caper, will transpose you. You will walk the streets of Venice and ride its gondolas along the canals with heroine, Carla, as she avoids a cast of truly odious characters while trying to honor the last wishes of her best friend. Cozy up on your beach chair and leave your cares behind and try not to salivate over the food and scenery described as you plot out your future trip.”

Mille grazie to Denis Gessing, author/voice actor/ professional storyteller/dear friend, for this lovely review. Your approval is especially meaningful. Cheers!

ASHES TO ASHES, DIAMONDS TO DUST is available in ebook and paperback at: Amazon worldwide, https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Diamonds... BookLocker, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo