Yvonne
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week.
Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Mailbox Monday, is currently ‘on tour’ and being hosted by a different blogger each month.
Your host for December 2013, is Gilion over at ‘Rose City Reader’
So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for Gilion, after all, we all like to receive them!
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
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I first met the author of this week’s Mailbox Monday and New Titles feature, when she contacted me some time ago to request a review of her debut novel ‘Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees’. It was therefore great to speak with her again just a couple of weeks ago, now that the next episode in the lives of the Greco family has hit the presses, although Grace reliably informs me that ‘Discovery Of An Eagle’ can be read comfortably as a stand alone novel.
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‘DISCOVERY OF AN EAGLE’
After his job lays him off, Cosmo Greco takes his sister, Silvia, up on her offer to drive to Portland.
At the beginning of the trip, a Mack truck wipes them off the road, nearly killing them. This near-death experience is a wake-up call for Cosmo, and he begins to question the life he’s been leading. He realizes that he is not happy with his current life and wants to make a change.
A number of encounters along the way reinforce this desire, but he’s afraid to leave the familiarity of his humdrum existence for the unknown.
Cosmo’s journey is set against the backdrop of the American road with vivid and soulful descriptions and a cast of colorful characters. So come along on a journey of adventure and awakening.
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GRACE MATTIOLI
Originally from New Jersey, Grace currently works as a librarian in San Francisco, where she lives with her husband and two cats.
She started writing from an early age and recalls that one of the first stories she wrote was called “The Magic Pen.” In this story, the main character had a pen that, when used, would create stories as if by magic.
In college, she studied English literature, and gravitated towards contemporary fiction. Some of her favourite and most influential authors include: Flannery O’Connor, Ernest Hemingway, Edward Abbey and Douglas Adams.
She loves beautifully written prose and humorous fiction. She has also taken several writing workshops, including some in fiction writing and screenwriting, and has written several short stories and some flash fiction which can be found on The Short Humour site: https://www.short-humour.org.uk/.
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I can’t wait to discover all your own great new finds this week … so please stop by and share your link, so that I can visit your post.
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I hope you enjoy Discovery Of An Eagle, I do remember your posting about the authors debut novel. This second book sounds like an adventure!
Hi Naida,
Indeed it does sound as though Cosmo and Silvia are set to have a few adventures on their cross country drive and it will be interesting to see whether they both eventually settle to their new lives in Portland, or not.
Silvia is probably the more forceful of the Greco siblings and Cosmo the most laid back, so the dynamics between the two of them on the trip will surely be interesting.
Hope that all is well with you in the run up to Christmas and thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Thank you so much for your kind words Yvonne. I know you will enjoy the read:)
Hi Grace,
With the sheer volume of review copy I have in my in tray right now, it may be some time before ‘Discovery Of An Eagle’ gets to the top of the pile, however I am certainly looking forward to getting involved with this voyage of discovery and the potential impact it may have on Cosmo and Silvia’s lives
Looking forward to receiving your guest post in due course.
I can always count on visiting your blog to discover books I’ve not come across before. I hope you enjoy reading it 🙂
Hi Nikki,
Through Fiction Books, I have been introduced to some fantastic new books and authors, which might otherwise have remained unknown to me. Some books I have enjoyed more than others, but then I think that is also true of many of the mainstream authors I have read.
It is always good when an author appears on the radar more than once and you can watch their popularity and confidence as an emerging new name on the scene grow. Grace Mattioli is one such name and with her first book ‘Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees’, setting the scene for the series, she is now hopefully adding some flesh to a couple of the stronger characters, as they continue their journey.
Thanks for stopping by, your comments are always appreciated and I hope that you are well.
Your books are new to me. Enjoy them all.
Thanks for the visit Mystica.
‘Discovery Of An Eagle’ is this author’s second novel and having reviewed and enjoyed its predecessor, I am looking forward to reading this one also.
Have a great week.
I enjoy “on the road” books – travel and new people. Looks like a good one.
Harvee
Book Dilettante
Hi Harvee,
Coming as I do, from the UK which is a relatively small island, following this particularly epic road journey across the US, from New York to Portland, is sure to introduce me to many new places and people, which is part of the appeal for me.
If I think about the variety of scenery and diversity of the people I would meet, just by travelling the length and breadth of my own Country and multiply that tenfold, then I can begin to anticipate the challenges and pleasures I am going to encounter reading ‘Discovery Of An Eagle’ ….. I can’t wait!
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment, I appreciate it and I hope that you have a good week.
Discovery of an Eagle sounds pretty true to life. Isn’t it funny how an event like that can change your whole perspective? I hope you love it!
Hi Kathy,
Having read the first book in the Greco family saga, ‘Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees’, then I can truthfully say, that the storyline so far, is totally true to life. I could just imagine myself in a home with the same family issues and emotions occuring on an almost daily basis.
Now that two of the siblings have decided to branch out on their own, it will be interesting to see just how the dynamics of their relationship shift and change during the course of the journey, when they have hitherto led relatively separate lives and are now forced into relying on each other for mutual support and confidence in starting a new life so far away.
For Silvia, this life change is just the latest in a long line of new beginnings, however for Cosmo, it has taken a drastic change in circumstances to bring about his decision to spread his wings a little and move such a long way out of his comfort zone.
Thanks for such an interesting comment and the active part you always take in any discusssion. As always, I appreciate and value your time.
Enjoy your new book!
Hi Pat,
After reading Grace’s first book, I am sure this sequel will be dealing with some equally challenging personal and family issues, always great storyline material as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, I always appreciate your visits and have a good week.
ENJOY…you have such a nice blog. Love visitiing.
Have a GREAT week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
Hi Elizabeth,
You are too kind and I thank you sincerely for your lovely comments and visits, I always appreciate them.
I hope that you too, have some lovely new books to enjoy and that you have a good week.
Life is hectic here in the run up to Christmas, but at least the weather is behaving and it is dry and very mild.
Vivid and soulful descriptions and a cast of colourful characters? I’m liking the sound of this.
Hi Tracy,
The first book in the series sets the scene as to what family life has hitherto been like for the four Greco siblings, who seem to have spent almost all their teenage years arguing amongst themselves and standing between their feuding parents.
I am hoping that the next chapter in the lives of Silvia and Cosmo will see their own personalities and characters come to the fore, as they are forced to make decisions by the circumstances and people, they meet on their journey.
I am sure that crossing a country the size of the US, isn’t going to happen without the pair meeting a vast array of disparate people and cultures, which coming as they do from the City of New York, is in itself going to be a challenge for them. Should be a roller coaster of a journey!
Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate and value your contribution to the discussion. I hope that your Christmas preparations are well underway.
Thank you so much for your interest Tracy. I know you’ll enjoy Discovery of an Eagle:) Happy reading to you! Grace
Have a great reading week.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/12/mailbox-monday_9.html
Thanks Mary Ann and I appreciate you stopping by. It is good to touch base with you each Monday and check out your new book ‘finds’.
I hope that you are well and getting into the Christmas spirit.
Have a great week
Sounds like my kind of book! I’m adding it to my list along with Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees.
Hi Vicki,
I love a good family saga, especially when it is based in part, on the experiences of the author and involves plenty of emotion and feuding, as each character vies for supremacy and getting their own way in disputes!
Grace says that the books can be read as stand alone’s, however I really think you should read ‘Olive Branches …’ first, as it sets the scene so well and offers a great insight into the characters of Silvia and Cosmo, enabling you to hopefully track just how their personalities change and grow, as the journey progresses in ‘Discovery Of An Eagle’.
I hope that you consider the books a good investment should you decide to acquire them and have a good week.
Hi Vicki, I’m the author of both books and want to thank you so much for your interest. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the books:) Happy reading to you! Grace
Hi Yvonne, I’m curious as to the age of Cosmo and Silvia. I’ve taken a few long road trips and know that interesting conversations are a certainty 🙂 I hope you enjoy the book!
Hi Mary,
To be honest, I can’t quite remember the ages of Cosmo and Silvia, but they are the two middle siblings of a group of four, so from details gleaned about the eldest and youngest offspring, I would judge them to be in their mid to late twenties.
Cosmo is the loner of the family though and Silvia is probably the most in your face and vocal, so the dynamics of a prolonged close relationship are going to be quite interesting.
Thanks for taking such an interest in this week’s post, I always value your time and the comments you are so generous with.
Hi Mary, I’m the author of Discovery of an Eagle and want to thank you for your interest. Cosmo is 28 (soon to be 29) and Silvia is 23 (soon to be 24). Happy reading to you:) Grace