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Research As Fun As The Book

May 22, 2017 by Melissa Rea Leave a Comment

How could research be fun? When you are researching Giacomo Casanova, I think it anything else would be impossible. I began by googling “Women’s underwear in the 18th century” for another book. Voila! Up came this Response: “No where else can the intimate details of eighteenth century life be found than in the Memoir of Giacomo.” I bought and read all 3700 pages. Not only did I learn all about the underwear from his exploits, I fell in love.  Here is a man who loved women like modern men love football, NASCAR, and corporate take-overs. From his words I learned he was funny, brilliant and irresistible. I just could not help but wonder what he would think of modern women. My book brings the infamous libertine from 1774 to 2016 where he meets Lizzy an ER doc wary of love.

This story took me to Paris to see Histoire de Ma Vie, Casanova’s handwritten memoir, on display for the first time in over two hundred years. The exhibit’s security team might tell you of the strange American who should up every morning for three days and once stood with her hands on the glass case and tears streaming.

I felt the need feel Casanova’s presence in Venice, the city of his birth and his home when he wasn’t exiled.  Ca Bragadin Is now a hotel but Senore Casanova lived there for nine years. I found so much inspiration in those rooms and on those lovely streets and bridges. Who says research has to be tedious? Mine was a blast and I think it is reflected in the tone of Conjuring Casanova.

CasanovaSt Marksbook jacket (2)

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Casanova, writer's inspiration

More of Casanova’s Secrets

May 18, 2017 by Melissa Rea 10 Comments

Few of history’s men are more fascinating than eighteenth century libertine, Giacomo Casanova.portrait Though he was a soldier, a gambler, a factory owner, French lottery official, and even a spy; it is his romantic exploits that enthrall us. He would have admitted that the pursuit of love was his life’s work. In his memoir Histoire de Ma Vie, Casanova details his amorous activities in all the vivid detail the eighteenth century would allow. He writes not to brag but to share his life’s rich experiences.  In his words he tells of loving well over a hundred women by the age of forty-nine. There is indeed a reason to call someone a Casanova is to deem him a womanizer.

Not considered handsome, he had little trouble conquering the objects of his affection. How exactly did he do this? Casanova used words as cupids arrows.  When he found a woman beautiful, he told her. Modern men could use this technique to their advantage. If your lady love is gorgeous, make sure you voice this to her…often.

Womankind, for all our strengths can be so fragile and insecure about our looks. Why are their so many industries that exist to only help us improve our appearance? So tell us you find us lovely, beautiful, and sexy. I am not a fan of the term hot describing a person, but if your lady likes it, go for it. It doesn’t matter if you said it yesterday and feel it should be so obvious to this gorgeous creature. Tell her again and again. You need to be honest or we will see through you, but tell her.

In my novel Conjuring Casanova I use quotes from his memoir to portray a Casanova brought from 1774 to modern time. ER doc Elizabeth Hilman cannot resist his descriptions of why he and anyone should love her. “The stuff of angels wings,” is how he describes the soft but jiggly flesh of her Lizzy’s inner arms. Now that’s a good line and I confess I made that one up. Who could resist this? It worked because he meant it, so no fatuous pick up lines please. Just tell us honestly how wonderful we are.

The perfect beach read...frothy yet satisfying like a good ice cream soda
The perfect beach read…frothy yet satisfying like a good ice cream soda

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: art of love, Casanova, Casanova's secrets, seduction

All You Need Is Love

May 3, 2017 by Melissa Rea 7 Comments

I’m sorry to steal from oldies music but The Beatles were so right. There are few things more important to us as human beings that love. Our first emotion is most likely the love for the mother who nurtures us. We grow to love others and always seek to get others to love us. All of this other-centered love sadly misses the point. The most important love of all is to love ones self. Without self love, other loves are pointless.

Giacomo Casanova spent his adult life in search of love. Perhaps, because as a child he got very little. His mother was a beautiful actress that left him with his grandmother when he was just a baby. His grandmother sent him off to school at nine. Senore Casanova spent his life searching for the love he never received. To him love was very specifically the physical love he found in the arms of a woman. Never experiencing much love as a child, I think he was entitled to define love anyway he chose.  We modern lovers have many definitions of the word. There is the romantic love, platonic love of friendship, love of one’s family, and even love of ice cream. I propose that just maybe, we need to place more value on self love. How can we love another if we don’t love ourselves?

I have read Casanova’s memoir, Histoire de Ma Vie, many times and am always struck by the sadness of the man through his words. I think because his family thought so little of him, he never learned to love himself and so searched eternally. This search made him immortal. After all, when you call someone a Casanova, everyone know what you mean.

Let’s stop our searching in vain, look in the mirror and love ourselves just a little more. We are thin enough, rich enough, smart enough, pretty enough, successful enough to deserve our own love.  Let’s give it a try.

 

book jacket (2)portraitthe card game painting

Filed Under: Blog, Uncategorized Tagged With: art of love, Casanova, Conjuring Casanova

Happy Birthday Giacomo Casanova

April 2, 2017 by Melissa Rea 2 Comments

Today is my friend’s birthday. Though he has been dead for 290 years, Giacomo Casanova is one of my dearest friends. I didn’t meet him in one of the Venice Casino’s he loved so much. I didn’t have the pleasure of hearing him entertain all gathered at a Paris salon with his sharp wit and irresistible charm. I fell in love with history’s most famous libertine by reading his memoir, Histoire de Ma Vie.

portraitHe wrote about his singular life with such exuberance and honesty, I somehow felt he was speaking only to me across the years. Now that’s good writing.  This work, all thirty-seven hundred pages, inspired me to set the record straight about my friend. He is thought of today as a notorious womanizer, the ultimate love-them-and-leave- them sort of guy. He certainly was that. But for all his conquests, most of the time, he loved them with all his heart.

Casanova searched continually for the one woman who could make him constant. He found her when he was twenty-eight in the love he called Henriette in his writing. She was his perfect love. It ended after a few months and his heart was never quite the same. He did, however, live to love again well over one hundred times.

In my book Conjuring Casanova, I speculate what he would be like if he were here today. His imagined discovery of our technology is a guess based on his curious and brilliant mind. His love of the female characters I have created for him, well that’s just some fictional fun. I have a feeling he would approve.

So I wish my friend the happiest of birthday posthumously and will celebrate with a glass of prosecco and a few pages of his work and mine.

Good profile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Conjuring Casanova, Giacomo Casanova

Listen Please, Mr. President

February 17, 2017 by Melissa Rea Leave a Comment

You can claim all you want that Donald J. Trump is not your president, but as long as you claim American citizenship, he is. The fact that you may have voted otherwise changes nothing. Sulking, raging, and yes protesting doesn’t change a thing. I respect your right to a differing opinion. A peaceful demonstration of such ideas is your right. Peaceful demonstrations do not destroy property, and should not inconvenience or offend those who disagree.

I will not pretend to be completely happy about the result of this election. The time has come to stop our hand wringing and begin to work to solve the serious issues facing our country. The POTUS does have some good ideas. More things should be made in this country. There should be more good paying jobs. Our failing infrastructure should be fixed. The tax code needs to be simplified and our nation needs to be secure. I just seriously doubt it can be done by utilizing the talents of one like-minded group of people. These are serious problems and everyone needs to work together to solve them. I am addressing this plea to President Donald Trump.

Please address issues that matter to all of us. We care about human rights. We care about the air we breathe and the water we drink. We care about our children’s ability to afford secondary education. Your news conferences and rallies entertain those who support you, but how about having a “listening ” tour  for those with different views, rather than just another victory lap. Please listen to our concerns too. If you really want to be our president, our voicesbook jacket (2) should matter.

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: our president, our voices matter, POTUS

Positively Powerful.

January 28, 2017 by Melissa Rea 5 Comments

march

The Women’s March held on January 21st, was one of the most moving moments of my life. The overwhelmingly positive nature of the crowd was incredible to behold. I stood there in Washington D.C., the seat of our democracy feeling awash in love and sisterhood.

All around me were women representing  the strength of our differences. I proudly stood next to women of all ages, colors, sexual orientations and religions. The Muslim women with their heads covered, made me feel proud to welcome them. The crowd was huge, but if someone needed to get through, we squished together and made room somehow. When standing in the endless Porta Potty lines, someone would invariably offer a wet wipe or a protein bar. The chants I heard were positive too. “This is what democracy looks like,” and “Our bodies, our choice,” rang out over and over. The number of men present, perhaps 1 out of 20 people, made me smile too. They stood there within sight of the capitol, supporting their daughters, their wives, and all the women they care about. For me it was transformational.

The sign my group carried, as you can see from the picture above (I’m in the back row in the pick coat) had a purely positive message. There were of course the anti-Trump signs, many  humorous, but negative none the less. I do regret that a very important part of our female population did not feel welcome. Those women who voted for President Trump and are more conservative in their politics, could not be with us to bath in the positive waves of girl power. This saddens me. The March should have been for all women.

In my mind it was a demonstration of support for sisterhood and not a protest against anyone. I realize by reading differing viewpoints and talking to conservative friends, the timing was offensive to them. President Trump had just taken the oath of office. I saw it as our voices needed to be heard ASAP and I did not intend to offend. Mine was not the only view I realize. If it was in my power I would organize a unity march. A dear and intelligent friend pointed out to me, unfortunately no one would attend.

We need to realize now that we are not just liberals and conservatives. We are all Americans.  I don’t expect  rainbows and puppies from this administration. Constructive criticism is different that attacks and can be positive in its result. The problems facing our nation are our shared problems. I propose we work together to attack problems not people. From this day forward my posts and suggestions will be positive. It is in the power of our diversity we are the strongest. Let’s use our talents and ideas to harness the power positivity for the good of all Americans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Power of positivity, Women's March

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Rabbithole - Wins The Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award (Gold)

Maestro - Wins The Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award (Silver)


Conjuring Casanova - Wins 2016 Beverly Hills International Book Award for Romantic Comedy


About Melissa Rea

Melissa Rea - Rabbithole Nights of Alice Book | Author

As a little girl, Melissa Rea fell asleep whispering stories to herself in the dark.  In elementary school, she got in trouble for embellishing when the truth … Read More

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