Caterina Novelliere's Blog

I had the pleasure of speaking with Neal Steele this morning about House of Arsceneaux and the writing process in general. I am linking it below for those of you who would like to listen to it.

When drafting War Rising, I wanted to be able to conjure positive memories for Rayne since he has to face so many dark ones. Rayne is a character who refuses to talk about his past, so I had to find various ways to motivate him to start telling his story. I figured using dinners featuring foods he could have eaten with his human family would create a relaxed environment and a strong sense of nostalgia for a character who values family and really needs to feel comfortable to open up, even to ...

I am delighted to be one of The Writers Guild of Virginia authors participating in this new initiative featuring local authors in the Williamsburg area. You can now purchase signed copies of Tale of Rouen and Mark of The Night from the Book Warehouse location in the Prime Outlet Malls.

Lynn Underwood – a local author, Jeanne Johansen – President of High Tide Publications, Inc and The Writers Guild of Virginia, and Ralph Tedeschi – Manager of the Williamsburg Book Warehouse location, came...

One of my favorite holidays is Mardi Gras. Or as other parts of the world call it, Carnival or in Italy- Carnevale! I enjoy participating in all of the various festivities the holiday brings. It has also been a research topic for me as an undergraduate and graduate student.

The holiday most likely got its start in Antiquity. Carnevale developed from the Greek and Roman festivals of Bacchanalia, (honoring the god Bacchus aka Dionysus, the god of wine and debauchery), Lupercalia, (honoring ...

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and National Crêpe Day was last week. Both had me thinking of romantic breakfasts in bed. One of the most sensual and romantic breakfasts I think one can prepare is blackberry crêpes. A man that makes these for me (or fresh summer peach crêpes) will own my heart forever.

The blackberry is often overshadowed by its brightly red-colored peer, the strawberry, on romantic holidays. This is such a tragedy. One should not underestimate the ability of the blackb...

Wait! What?! This statement made by a reviewer took me aback. I write historical fantasy, time travel, romance, and historical fiction. Academically and professionally, I am a public historian and cultural heritage consultant. Had I botched incorporating aspects of history and heritage that badly?

Perplexed, the first things I asked myself after hearing this remark were:

Here I sit, contemplating the end of another semester abroad. As usual, the semester flew by way too fast once courses got into full swing and thesis research commenced. I didn’t regularly blog. I didn’t get half the things done I planned, nor did I write as much on the thesis as I anticipated. I learned that advanced field research is exceptionally challenging and rewarding if you find items overseas. Stil...

Contrary to the patriarchal beliefs of the most well known group to rule her, Rome is a woman. There is no fatherland; only a mother who nurtured western civilization. The ruins decorating her green and beige landscape display her courage. The changes from Antiquity to the Modern Age across her expanses share the lessons evolving her over the centuries.

She rises with wisdom and power. At other times, broken and beaten she falls from the mistakes of the men who once ruled her. She refuses to ...

Our journey to Pompeii from Parma turned into a comedy of errors. There is nothing quite like navigating the train system in a foreign country. After accidentally buying tickets for a slower train that left at the same time as the faster one we initially wanted, we climbed on board to discover the AC and power outlets in our assigned car didn’t work. All eight of us had to be relocated to another car. Things seemed to work smoothly in our new seats. People napped, worked on homework, and enjoyed...

Urbino Historic Center Photo Credit: Caterina Novelliere Sept 2016

I had not realized how emotional it would be for me to return to Italy. Seeing familiar sights and hearing a language that hasn’t so completely filled my ears for almost three years now moved me to the point of tears several times. Awake for over 24 hours, I managed to communicate effectively with several Italians in their beautiful native tongue my first day on the ground. It is amazing how quickly a language can emerge from the...