Do you have a book club that’s interested in one of our books?
Each book has its own discussion guide that’s available on the book’s page.
We love engaging with our readers and have joined many groups at their meetings— both in person and over Zoom. We’re also happy to join your group for questions.
Readers Ask…
Many people find it difficult to write together. How did you manage to collaborate on three books?
Well, we don’t write together. We have different writing styles as well as perspectives. So we each write our own chapters and we alternate them in the final manuscript. Readers often comment on how much they enjoy “hearing” from both of us, our different voices and observations. And it keeps our marriage in tact
What inspired you to start writing about your experiences?
We had no intention of writing a book. But when we returned from our year, we found ourselves sharing many observations with friends who would say, “You should write a book.” So we found a writers’ group at our local library where the participants helped us hone our style. Not in a Tuscan Villa was birthed in that group. To our great surprise, it became a bestseller in its category on Amazon. People enjoy the authentic experience we share—both the good and challenging—and can live vicariously through our two voices.
How do you choose your book subjects?
They really choose us. The first book, Not in a Tuscan Villa, was just an outpouring of memory and love of Italy. Our next two books started with a purpose. Giuseppe Garibaldi was omnipresent during our year—in every city, town and village we’d see him. We were curious to know more about his life and travels in Europe and South America. Looking for Garibaldi, took us to a multitude of countries, including the USA. Without Provenance began after we’d seen news reports of multi-millions paid for unauthenticated paintings attributed to Caravaggio—now one of the hottest targets for collectors. It made us wonder if some of them could be fakes and that led us to see how it could be done.
Travel writing often involves a balance between personal anecdotes and providing valuable information for travelers. How do you strike this balance in your writing?
Our books really are about what happens to us wherever we are. Many of our stories include the challenges we face with logistics, bureaucracy, misunderstanding, and bad timing. But they also include serendipitous discoveries and encounters with locals who became friends. It’s the honest experience that our readers say they love about our books.
Are there authors you particularly admire?
Bill Bryson is our favorite travel writer. He’s curious, insightful, and hilarious. Three things we try to emulate.