Scolapasta Press, Inc. Barbara Oliverio

I know???

Reading one of my books has been streamlined even more.

“Passports and Plum Blossoms” is now available on Audio wherever you get your audiobooks.

Make an audiobook, they said. It’s a snap, they said.

Well. Maybe not a snap…but a whole new world. I was involved in “casting” the voice and giving her a list of character traits to use for everyone in the book. Editing the work consisted of listening to the book and finding the small anomalies where the narrator didn’t quite hit the sentences as I would have or mispronounced names. It was a challenge for her since I had so many characters with diverse nationalities and accents! She was superb, however, and my edits were few. It’s a whole new marketing world as well because book listeners aren’t necessarily the same as book readers.

I’m looking forward to converting the rest of my books! In the meantime, download a copy of “Passports and Plum Blossoms”, plug in your earbuds and enjoy.

 

So much media, so little time.

It was a dream when I wrote my first book that someday a Hollywood producer would call and want to make it into a movie. Well, it kind of happened like that. I got a call, and boom…my book was a movie.

Ok. It took a few more steps than that.

Discussions of who would represent my interests (an expert entertainment attorney) followed by discussions back and forth when funding fell through and came back and negotiations of who, what, when, where and how the book would be represented, and, oh, yeah, how much I would get paid.

Finally. Love on the Lido Deck was produced on the Hallmark Channel as Love at Sea starring Carlos and Alexa PenaVega.

It debuted as the number one cable program on the Saturday it was shown, and it is in rotation in the Hallmark line-up.

Look for it. It is different than the book but it is a charming representation of my story nonetheless.

 

It was only inevitable that I would write a book that revolved around sports in some way. I mean — come on — I am a diehard football, hockey, and baseball fanatic, and if you don’t know who my favorite teams are by now, you just ain’t been paying attention. (Ahem, Pittsburgh, ahem). The idea of following a young lady on her journey in the male-dominated area of sports broadcasting was entirely intriguing, and the story just wrote itself. Here’s hoping that all of you that appreciate a clean story with a modern, witty heroine enjoy the book. Stay tuned for my next book. I’m not sure what that will be about, but I guarantee you the main character will be just as sassy as all the ones have been so far!

If you would have asked me when I sat down to scribble Love on the Back Burner that I would be talking about my third novel, I would have told you that you were crazy. But, here I am publishing my third novel. Not only that…I have  folks asking when the fourth one will come out. Yikes! Let’s just think about this one! I have learned so much about the craft of writing in pursuing these novels. In addition, I have met so many wonderful people at book events and visiting book clubs. Thanks to all who continue to be a part of my journey!

I am so excited to have been invited as featured writer at the author’s forum during the annual WV Italian Heritage Festival during Labor Day. The Festival celebrates the best of Italian culture for those of us who immigrated or are descendants of immigrants from Italy. My late immigrant parents would be thrilled to see their little girl honored for my scribbling efforts. I’m happy to share my currently published works — and preview my upcoming release Passports and Plum Blossoms: An International Romantic Comedy. If you are in Clarksburg, WV on Labor Day, stop by the historic Waldamore on Sunday at 2:15 for a visit!

Last year when I released my debut novel Love on the Back Burner and began a series of book signings and book club appearances I noticed a pattern of questions. Some examples:

The one that came up that pleasantly surprised me yet scared me a little at the same time was “When will the next book be out?”

Eek!

While I humbly appreciated the fact that people liked the book, I felt the pressure that – omigosh, they wanted ANOTHER one.

I took a deep breath and realized that this was no fluke. People identify me as an author.

I sat at my desk (and on my deck, and at the coffee shop…) and completed the outline for the sequel. I did all the things I did for the first one and prepared to follow the same pattern and dug in, then had a tiny setback.

Omentitis? Whoever heard of omentitis? Well I’m an expert in it now! One surgery to remove my omentum, two weeks in the hospital, four weeks confined to bed, but not in any shape to write.

Ok…back to the book.

Oh. Another setback. On a follow-up CT scan, the doctor found a spot on my lung.

Surgery, hospital…you get the drift.

Finally…back to the book.

Fast forward.

June 2014.

Love on the Lido Deck: A Nautical Romantic Comedy (Scolapasta Press) is now available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, iTunes.com, Smashwords. Your local bookstore can also order it for you through Ingram.

To all who waited for it. Thanks for believing in me. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 

(Oh…and before you ask. I’m already researching and writing a new one with new characters and a new storyline.)