Oh how I love the diversity of books. So far in my Thursday chats we have had a variety of genres. What it shows me is there’s a story to suit everyone.

And oh how I love the city of Florence. I lived here for over one year at the ripe old age of twenty and fell in love, not only with a handsome young Florentine (as you do), but with the rich history and atmosphere of this place, known as “the cradle of civilisation”. So, it is my absolute privilege and honour to introduce you to a fellow Florentine lover (no – not him…). Meet Angela Sims and her adorable smile. Let’s read an excerpt from her book, The Rose of Florence

“The noise hit him first and dragged him from his sleep. Screams of hysterical women…and men; shouts of panic from those trying to escape; clashing of metal on metal, as blades continued to fight. As he looked around, he saw blood, so much blood. One man sat next to him, deathly pale and still, while the red pool around him spread across the paving stones, the gash on his thigh still bleeding but slowly now. A young boy, no more than six years old, stood in the middle of the piazza, crying and looking around for his parents. Sitting on the steps of the Duomo, he saw a woman sitting still, her hair escaping from its net, her sleeves and skirt torn and bloody. She held a young man in her arms. He was clearly dead. The emptiness in the woman’s eyes would haunt his dreams forever.”

I’m fascinated by Angela’s reasons for choosing this excerpt. It’s so hard to convey much in a few words, but this extract is very powerful and intense. Yes, it’s bloody, but history is not easy and especially not the history of renaissance Florence – a jewel worth fighting for.

This may be a strange excerpt to choose, as it tells nothing of the characters or storyline, but I chose it because this is what inspired The Rose of Florence – The Pazzi Conspiracy, a deadly assassination plot in Florence’s Cathedral, the Duomo. I read about the historical events that happened in 1478, but I wondered what happened to the people whose stories were not recorded? This is how the story of The Rose was born.

I haven’t read this book yet but it is definitely on my wish list. I love Angela’s posts and photographs sent from her beloved Florence. It’s too long since I popped to visit and as I only live two hours away, I am going to remedy this shameful lapse and hop on a train this summer to wander round the sights and alleyways. And the experience will be all the better after reading Angela’s book, I’m sure.

Author Bio

Angela’s background is in healthcare, working in the NHS for many years, and she has been a University lecturer since 2010. Her writing experience was limited to a Masters dissertation, purely academic, but the research skills learned during that process were soon put to use in researching her favourite topic, the Italian Renaissance. It didn’t take long before the seeds of a story began to germinate, and The Rose of Florence blossomed.

She joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) and the New Writers’ Scheme (NWS) in 2020 and found the encouragement and resources available taught her so much about the process and skills needed to write fiction. Her debut novel, The Rose of Florence, was published in January 2023 by Romaunce Books Ltd, and she is currently working on her second novel, Hiding the Flame.

On a personal level, Angela lives in Cardiff, South Wales, with her husband and two cats. She has two grown-up daughters and a gorgeous granddaughter. When not working, reading or writing, she loves to cook, spend time in the garden, and at every opportunity, travel to Italy to eat, drink and absorb the wonderful atmosphere. She likes to call that research!

You can find out more about Angela by clicking on these links:

Facebook: http://Angela M Sims – Author (@angelamsimsauthor)

X: http://: @AngelaMSims1

Instagram: http://: angelamsims1

Website: https://angelamsims.co.uk

Grazie mille, a thousand thanks, Angela, for visiting my blog and sharing the inspiration for your books. And in bocca al lupo (good luck: go in the mouth of the wolf) for your next Florentine work of art too. As we say: crepi: (may the wolf die first).