Today, I'm delighted to welcome Victoria Springfield to 'Armchair Travel' to tell us about her new novel, Invitation To Italy, and how that beautiful country has inspired her books.
Over to you, Victoria . . .
Invitation to Italy
by
Victoria Springfield
Invitation to Italy, my fourth book, is a tale of new beginnings and letting go set on the idyllic
sun-drenched island of Procida, the least known and smallest of the three islands just off the coast of Naples.
There are no big sights in Procida just colourful houses, vibrant harbours, volcanic dark sand beaches, sleepy piazzas, many churches of all shapes and sizes and fantastic fresh fish, seafood and pasta – plus the island produces its own wine and signature lemon-filled pastries.
It’s easy to visit on a day trip from Naples or Ischia, which is how I first discovered it, but it is definitely worth spending longer there and I have been back several times including for a stay in the picturesque Marina Corricella (shown in the photo below).
It was Dad who first gave me my love of Italy. When I was younger, we spent many family
holidays visiting the tiny Tuscan village of Gioviano and from there we got to know the
walled city of Lucca which I used as the setting for The Italian Fiancé. I wrote the story of
seventy-year-old Aunt Jane’s new love during the covid lockdowns as I was able to draw on
those memories and also read over my parents’ holiday diaries - which also came in very
handy for writing the story of riding centre owner Donna and her estranged husband
Giovanni in A Farmhouse in Tuscany.
My debut, The Italian Holiday was inspired by a different type of trip – our ‘elopement’ to
The Amalfi Coast. We stayed in the charming little town of Minori (just 3km from Amalfi)
and explored all the places Bluebell visits after taking her gran’s place on a tour of the area.
People ask if I am going to carry on setting my books in Italy and the answer is yes. The
sunshine, the scenery, the history and the sheer variety of places keep inspiring me. Of
course, there is also the food; I love the simple flavourful pasta dishes and fresh fish and have
a weakness for the regional cakes. Torta ricotta e pere was invented in Minori and I just
discovered the most amazing pistachio filled doughnuts in Venice!
Thank you for sharing your love of Italy with us, Victoria - your post made me want to visit the country again very soon. I very much look forward to travelling there with your new book.
Abi is distraught when her ex-husband Alex takes their twelve-year-old daughter, Chloe to spend the summer with his glamorous fiancée Marisa and her parents at their home on the beautiful Italian island of Procida. Persuaded by her best friend to book a holiday at the island’s Hotel Paradiso, Abi finally meets the woman she’s been avoiding for so long. Will the two women’s strained relationship survive the summer?
One-time teenage swimming sensation, Loretta, has run the Hotel Paradiso since leaving Capri broken-hearted. When childhood friend Salvo comes to stay, Loretta is forced to confront her past and the fears that have kept her away from the water for forty years. But just as she finds the courage to open her heart, she discovers all is not as it seems with Salvo...
To purchase Invitation to Italy, please click on the link below:
Amazon:Amazonuy link for Invitation to Italy takes you to Amazon:
WaterstonesBuy link takes you to Waterstone
About Victoria Springfield
Victoria Springfield writes contemporary women’s fiction immersed in the sights, sounds and flavours of Italy. Her feel-good stories follow unforgettable characters of all ages as they find adventure, friendship, and romance – with a few twists and turns along the way.
Victoria inherited a love of Italy from her father. After many years in London, she now lives in Kent with her husband in a house by the river. She likes to write in the garden with a neighbour’s cat by her feet or whilst drinking cappuccino in her favourite café. Then she types up her scribblings in silence whilst her mind drifts away to Italy.
Victoria’s new book, Invitation to Italy, was published by Orion on 14th March 2024. Her earlier books The Italian Holiday, A Farmhouse in Tuscany and The Italian Fiancé were published by Orion Dash.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaswrites