Time to connect

Hello friends,

It’s been a while since I wrote on this blog. Apologies for the long absence. I’ve paused my writing and blogging due to career challenges, but I’m trying to juggle these demanding obligations in order to come back gradually over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, it’s been 5 years since COVID-19. Where has time passed? In these 5 years, the world was turned upside down with global challenges. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza were certainly unexpected, but what wars aren’t?

More recently, the US Executive Order began with a 90-day stop to humanitarian aid funding, which was in the past few days converted to a termination of all USAID awards.

Moreover, we’ve seen that the US government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has pulled the rug from under the US population. In addition, US offices around the world are under scrutiny and may risk being abolished should DOGE find them not necessary.

All these situations will have economic repercussions globally. Have you checked your utility bills lately? Have the costs gone up? We’ve all been there and now it’s happening again due to high ranking officials making decisions that change the lives of many people around the world. 

How are the younger generations influenced by these important events? What are their thoughts?

Italians are holding their breath to know what will be reported in the news each day. I can certainly say that nothing surprises me anymore. 

Stay safe no matter where you are in the world.

Don’t put off what you can do today…

Ciao

Grace

COVID-19 The Italian Reading Space - Week 7 of lockdown

Dear friends,

We're coming to the end of week 7 of lockdown in Italy and it's been another week of juggling teleworking with the household chores and family complaints. How was your week?

My week started in a good way. I was happy to be at home which has given me the possibility to continue with my writing while I'm doing my full-time job at home. I've been able to find time during the day to get some writing done and I really like this new way of working.

I schedule my day starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. with work, writing, breaks, exercise and leisure. It's important to take the time to break away from what we're doing in order to keep the mind and body healthy.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, we invested in an elliptical machine which I use ever second day. I like to exercise in the morning and I've found a good balance of alternating my days with the elliptical machine and postural exercises. This has kept my body and mind fit while staying at home.

It's not easy being at home with the family when we're not used to it. We're normally out most of the day at work or university, so it was a real challenge when we needed to stay home without going outside. Our daughters stay in their own rooms and study, listen to lessons online, and video chat with friends. Is this our future?

We're not sure how long this lifestyle will continue but it's important to find a happy lifestyle. Work is important but so is spending quality time with the family. This pandemic has slowed us down and given us the possibility to sit around a table and talk, play games or watch a film together. When was the last time we did this? We live such a fast paced life that we forget to slow down and enjoy the moments with our family, create memories that will last a lifetime.

Well, we're about to start week 8 of the shutdown and I wonder how far we are from the sci-fi films we watch at the movies. We're already wearing masks. There are three things we need to protect in order to live well. Air, water, and earth. Let's be thoughtful of our choices in life so that we live a good life and we give future generations a chance to survive.

If you haven't read my previous posts, all my #ebooks (pen names included) are #FREE during the COVID-19 pandemic with the #authorsgiveback campaign. You will find the links below to download my ebooks.

Stay home - stay healthy - stay safe!
#noistiamoacasa

Buona domenica ragazzi.
Grace

Author Grace Kagni (adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GraceKagni

Author Rita Gracie (adult romance novellas):  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ritagracie

Author K. Gracie (young adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kgracie

COVID-19 The Italian Reading Space - #NOISTIAMOACASA

COVID-19 The Italian Reading Space #FREE #ebooks

Dear friends,

Italy's has started week 6 of its lockdown and Easter has come and gone in a way we never dreamed would be possible. It was the first time in history that we were in our own homes and not gathered around the table with family and friends.

To help everyone stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the #AUTHORSGIVEBACK campaign in March by placing ALL my #ebook novels for #FREE for a short period. The campaign has now been extended until May 20th, 2020. I am pleased to announce that ALL my ebooks will continue to be FREE until May 20th, 2020.

Join my Italian Reading Space by downloading my FREE ebooks, pen names included, on the links below. Learn about the Italian culture and our lifestyle, and understand what #MADEINITALY is all about.

DID YOU KNOW how Italians have truly stood out during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Two engineers and a doctor from Brescia, Italy, transformed a scuba diving mask into a mask for respirators.

The Beretta weapons' factory made the valves needed for the modified scuba diving masks.

The largest hospital camp in Europe was built by the Alpine Brigade of the Italian army.

Giorgio Armani and Calzedonia make doctors' single use sterile gowns.

Ferrari of Maranello, Italy design respirators.

Gucci and Prada make masks for the public.

Bulgari and Ramazzotti make hand sanitisers.

Chef Cracco cooks at the Milan hospital.

There was a flash appeal of 300 voluntary doctors for a task force. Over 1,500 doctors responded.

Then there was a flash appeal for 500 voluntary nurses and 8,000 responded.

THIS IS WHAT TRULY MAKE ITALIANS UNIQUE IN THE WORLD!

Stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy.
#NOISTIAMOACASA

Grace

* * * * *

If one of my books has touched you in any way, then please be kind and leave a review on your favourite platform. A writer ceases to exist when he is incapable of touching the reader's heart.

Download #FREE #EBOOKS under the gender you desire until MAY 20th, 2020:

Author Grace Kagni (adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GraceKagni

Author Rita Gracie (adult romance novellas): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ritagracie

Author K. Gracie (young adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kgracie

COVID-19 - The Italian Reading Space - #FREE #ebooks

Dear friends,

Italy's at the end of week 3 of its lockdown and it's taken a little adjusting to be confined to a 100sqm flat with my husband, two young adult daughters and dog. It was a challenge in the beginning, but we've finally found a happy routine that balances our lifestyles.

I remember thinking not too long ago how great it would be to work shorter weeks and have longer weekends. Never would I have thought that we would be confined to our homes with serious restrictions with heavy fines to go outdoors. I've always been a nature lover and not being allowed to go further than 200m from my home for essential groceries or medicine has made me think about life in a huge way.

I've always taken for granted the simple things in life, such as taking a walk when it's a beautiful sunny day. I miss my walks and I miss going hiking.

Since I've had to stay indoors, it's given me the possibility to do the things that I've always said I'd do when I retire. I have a daily routine that is flexible depending on how I feel, but I've been really good at keeping to the routine.

To start, I wake up in the morning when the sun shines through my window. It's great not having to wake up to an alarm. I have a leisure breakfast and then read my work emails. I might read a little or watch a little of a Netflix series for about an hour until I feel the need to exercise. We bought an elliptical machine that has been our lifeline. It keeps our body and mind fit while we're confined to our home. I'm not a sporty person and yet, after a week with the machine, I'm doing a 40-minute workout while watching Netflix. It's great and I'll be sorry when it'll be time to go back to work :(

Then I'll check my emails again before having a quick shower. If there's nothing urgent on the emails, I'll take my time and relax in a hot bath with scented oils or salts. It's something I've never really had time to do so I'm starting to enjoy the time at home.

Once I've had lunch, I sit down at my computer and work during the afternoon. If I'm not disturbed by anyone, I'll be able to write quite a bit but being at home with the family (and beautiful dog) there are always interruptions.

I'm sort of juggling two novels at the moment. Finishing the third novel in an adult series while writing a stand alone young adult novel.  It's amazing how much we can do when we have all the time in the world while we're stuck indoors. Don't look at it as being stuck. Look at it as the possibility to do what you never have time for before.

After writing, my afternoon finishes with making bread, purifying water (less plastic bottles), and deciding what to make for dinner.

My day goes smoothly because my family is with me but it makes me mindful of those that are alone. Reach out to friends and family who live alone. Call or video chat with them because it makes a huge difference to keep the connection with the outside world.

My heart goes out to those who don't have a happy family life. Domestic violence increases in this environment so if there is anyone who you know who may be having a difficult time at home, reach out just to say hello.

If you haven't already downloaded my free ebooks (pen names included), below are the links to my free novels to help you get through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy.

Grace

* * * * *

Download FREE novels under the gender you desire:

Author Grace Kagni (adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GraceKagni

Author Rita Gracie (adult romance novellas): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ritagracie

Author K. Gracie (young adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kgracie

The Italian Reading Space - FREE ebooks

Dear Friends,

I've just joined the "Authors Give Back" Sale from 20 March to 20 April 2020 to give everyone something to do while staying safely indoors. This means that all my ebook novels (pen names included) are FREE on all platforms with the exception of Amazon. If you cannot find my FREE novels, please go to the links below where you will find them all listed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached an astounding number of positive cases and deaths in Italy and due to this, we have been locked up in our homes the past month with our loved ones. There are severe restrictions that don't permit us to move further than 200m from our homes for grocery shopping, pharmacy for medicines and doctor appointments.

We must fill out two self-certification forms every time we leave our home to justify the reason we are outside and these are given to the police when we are stopped on the street. One indicates our home address when we leave and the address to where we are going, for example grocery shopping so name and address of store must be indicated. The second form is when we are returning to our home so for example it would indicate the name and address of the store going to our home address.

I have a husband, two young adult daughters studying at university, who have online courses due to the pandemic, and a beautiful cocker who is happy that the family is all at home. We live in a 100m apartment and I must say that it is not easy living happily in the confined space. We've ordered many  things online, like an elliptical bike to keep us fit, lots of toilet paper in the event it runs out in the stores, N99 masks and enough hand sanitisers to last us until the summer. We try to keep busy and out of each other's way during the day but it's not easy.

This situation is surreal. It makes us think of science fiction movies such as 'the day after' and realise that these movies are not far off from today's reality. It's incredible how the COVID-19 has quickly spread globally.

Anyhow, I hope you stay safe and healthy. Stay indoors as much as you can and read books that will keep your mind occupied. I hope at least one of my books will entertain you and make you smile for even the shortest of moments, to distract you from this difficult life that we are now living. I truly hope we'll be able to go out again sometime soon. On a positive note, this situation has cleaned up the air dramatically.

My best wishes for you and your family no matter where you are in the world.

Buona serata carissimi amici e che Dio vi benedica.
Baci

Grace

* * * * *


Download FREE novels under the gender you desire:

Author Grace Kagni (adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GraceKagni

Author Rita Gracie (adult romance novellas): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ritagracie

Author K. Gracie (young adult romance novels): https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kgracie

90-day healthy diet challenge -- Day 1

Hi everyone,

I've started a 90-day healthy food diet and would love to hear what you eat. Today for lunch I had a cold spelt salad with corn, black olives, prawns, lettuce, and tomatoes. It was delicious and filled me up for quite a while. Below is a picture of the salad. Then I had a green tea with ginger and orange.
For dinner, I had chicken breast with spinach and a sprinkle of grated cheese. To finish off the evening, I'm having a green tea with turmeric and cinnamon.

Day one is over. Have a great evening.
Grace

It's nearly Saint Valentine's Day!

Dear friends,

It's nearly Saint Valentine's and I'm so excited to announce that the holiday novella "Kindling Flavors by Rita Gracie" will be out in time for the holiday. It'll keep you warm on a lonely night if you don't have anybody to snuggle up to and if you're not alone, it's a quick read to end your perfect Saint Valentine's Day.

~*~

Synopsis:

Arianna Volto travels to New York City to attend a dinner with her college friends at an exclusive restaurant and when she finds out the gorgeous and single three-star Michelin chef is her childhood sweetheart, Massimo Lupo—the guy she lost her verginity—she is suddenly taken back to her teenage years and remembers the way he made her feel.

When Chef Max realizes the woman who stole his heart is sitting in his restaurant, he suddenly wants to rekindle what he lost and pulls out all his culinary skills to win her heart over.

~*~

Once "Kindling Flavors" is out, it'll be time to start planning my Easter novella. I can't believe how the time goes by quickly and I need to focus on my writing so I don't fall behind.

While writing the holiday novellas, I'll be revising the first two books of the Miller Family series which I hope to have copyedited and ready for download by this summer. Lastly, I'll be working on the last book "Tessa's Flame" of the Miller Family series, taking you to different regions in Italy. It is focused on the avalanche that hit the Hotel Rigopiano in the Abruzzo region and changed the lives of many people.

If you would like to keep up to date with upcoming novels and novellas, sign up for my mailing lists which are indicated below.

All the best,
Grace

~ ~ ~

Subscribe to my Rita Gracie mailing list if you’d like to be informed when a new novella is published.

Join my Grace Kagni mailing list here for announcements about upcoming novels.

Read me romance - loving it!

Dear friends,

I just wanted to write about a great podcast I've been listening to since it started in 2018. It's called Read Me Romance and what I love most about it are the writers that host the podcast. They chat before and after the FREE hot and spicy romance novella daily instalment, which is what I love most about the podcast. The FREE romance stories are great, but the three writers make it much more interesting. They talk about everything that is under the sun. It's so relatable to our lives that it makes me go back every day to continue listening.

If you haven't listened to the podcast, subscribe and spice up your day with their daily instalments.  On that topic, I've started writing erotic holiday novellas under a pen name, Rita Gracie. These novellas will never be over 0.99 cents so if you're looking for something to warm up your lonely nights, go to my Rita Gracie website and download the latest copy. A new novella will be published for St. Valentine's Day. A teaser will be coming out in the coming days.

Have a great weekend.

Grace

#readmeromance #free #romance #99cents

New year's resolutions

Dear friends,

Here we are at the end of January and I find myself thinking about my new year's resolutions. Every year I decide on things that are sometimes harder to keep than what I originally believe. Well, this year I've decided to keep up my writing with my family members. We all live around the world so we never see each other and sometimes we get caught up in the busy work and family schedule, making it difficult to find the time to sit down and write to those we don't see often.

Well, I'm happy to say that I've reached out to more than one cousin and have received feedback, which is great. I'm definitely going to keep up with this resolution longer than my past ones!

I'd love to hear from you and know if you've been able to keep your resolutions.

Happy 2019!

Hugs to all
Grace
#family #resolutions #giving #love

Destressing

Dear friends,

With the busy lives we live, I wonder how many of you actually take the time to do something for yourself. It’s important to take a breather from the busy workday and focus on something that destresses us.

My writing destresses me and when I can’t write, I read Twitter posts, pages of a novel, listen to music or take a walk. What do you do?

Happy Monday!

Grace

Welcome back from Rome, Italy 🇮🇹

Hello friends,

I’ve been away from my blog this summer, working hard on the revision and copyediting of my previously published novels. It’s hard work, and yet it has made me fall in love with my characters all over again.

I have lots of new scenes popping into my head with the most recent disasters that occurred in Italy this summer. The fall of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa has been a major heartbreak for many Italians as it happened when the population was leaving or returning from summer vacation. This heartfelt disaster really touched many Italians and it put things into perspective for many of us. We often complain about insignificant things in life and then we realize that our lives could change from one moment to the next.

I hope your summer was pleasant and that the return to school or work has been positive. Living a frustrating lifestyle in Rome, I’m often asked what makes me happy and what I do to destress. I love to read and my writing gives me something to celebrate. Reading and writing allow me to disappear into a world of fantasy where my problems and stress disappear. It is a wonderful feeling, knowing I can go to it anytime I feel the need. It’s like an escape valve which is there ready whenever I need it.

I’d love to hear how you destress.

Happy weekend 😎

Grace

Environmental cleanup at Torre Flavia (Ladispoli, Italy)

Dear friends,

Yesterday my husband and I participated in the cleanup of Torre Flavia arranged by WWF Italia and I can safely say that we were pleased to have done our part cleaning up the shoreline. I was amazed by the filth we found and would like to appeal to the public to do its part when out. The beach was littered with plastic bottles and other plastic items such as bags, fishing lines and nets, but what we found most annoying were the lollipop sticks that were left in the sand.

Next time you go out, whether it be to the beach, mountains or the city, please pick up after yourself and if trash bins aren’t nearby, then take it with you to dispose probably when the occasion arises.

Thanks
Grace :)

Trail - Monte Cavo (Castelli Romani)

Dear friends,

We went for a hike in the hills outside Rome, Italy over the weekend. The weather was beautiful and the trees created the perfect shade needed on such a hot day.

The trail starts off in Rocca di Papa and as soon as we started, we saw the path was made up of the old Roman stones from the Roman Empire, known as “La Via Sacra”.

Absolutely gorgeous spot to destress. We stopped at the lookout from where the two Castelli Romani lakes could be seen (Lake Albano and Lake Nemi) and decided to stop for lunch while enjoying the view.

After our hike, we stopped in the town, Nemi, well known for its strawberries 🍓 to taste the juicy red fruit which was delicious 😋.

If you are interested in visiting the trail, below is the link for more information (sorry, only in Italian).

http://www.parcocastelliromani.it/i-sentieri-del-parco

Meghan’s dogs 🐶

Dear friends,

I’m a huge fan of the British Royal family and I watched the movie of Prince Harry and Meghan - how could I not, being such a romantic at heart. The story showed how the couple came together in a modern life fairytale - as it truly is. I loved it and believe there is a greater love between them than anybody can comprehend. Love isn’t only about saying the words “I love you”, but it goes much deeper when a person finds the one that he/she was meant to be with - the person that can tame your deepest demons and help you overcome whatever sadness/fear you may have inside by a simple touch or glance.

I'm a romance writer and I write about rich and influential men who are constantly in the public eye, who don't have a perfect life, who have the same fears and demons inside as all of us. I've always believed it to be the most romantic occurrence in life to find the person who understands your soul, but up until now, it was a fairytale in my head for the purpose of writing romance novels to give people a little solace in time of need. The revelation that this kind of love really exists and is found in the British Royal family has knocked me over because it is truly worth celebrating. I wish the couple all the happiness in the world because they really deserve it.

I have somehow strayed from my post because I am a hopeless romantic and the reason I started this post was because I am an animal lover. I have a beautiful dog who is part of the family. She listens to my daughters when they study for an exam and we love her to bits. We couldn’t imagine life without  her.

When I watched the movie about the Royal couple, the one question I was left with at the end of the movie wasn't where will they go on their honeymoon or what designer dress will she wear at the next event, but what happened to Meghan’s two doggies?

I would love to know, if anybody out there finds out, if she was able to take them along with her to Britain. Can you imagine Maghan walking her doggies on the grounds of Kensignton Palace? It would be true happiness.

Ciao
Grace

Destressing weekend - hike in Promontory (San Felice Circeo)

Dear friends,

Here we are on the weekend and after a long and stressful week at work, we decided to go for a short hike about an hour’s drive south of Rome. The day was gorgeous and we took advantage of it so we headed off toward the Promontory of San Felice di Circeo. There are several trails for experienced and less experienced walkers. After the trail, we visited Torre Paola, seen below in the picture. It was a great way to relieve stress.

More info on the trail: http://www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.circeo/Eiti_dettaglio.php?id_iti=2247

What dreams are really made of ...

#RoyalWedding2018
Dear friends,

I just watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on live broadcast and it is without any doubt the most romantic event of the year. I watched the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana many years ago amd as I watched today, I felt sorry that Princess Diana couldn’t be at her son’s wedding. It was great to see Prince Charles walk the bride to the altar, demonstrating how royal protocol has changed over the years.

Happy weekend everyone!

Grace

Happy Friday ... stress and relaxation

Hello friends,

The weekend is nearly here and it’s time to think about what to do the next couple of days. Normally, I cram my weekends with many chores as I’m sure most of you do, but I want to do something different this time.

I’ve been looking at yoga/meditation retreats to destress from the work week and aside from being expensive, I realize that in order to feel relaxed, I think I need more than two days. I’d like to hear what you think about these yoga retreats and if you’ve gone to one.

In the meantime, I found these gorgeous places in Italy that cater to this sort of weekend getaway.

Retreat in Tuscany: https://www.pundarika.it/en/

Retreats in Italy at affordable prices: https://ecobnb.com/blog/2017/01/holistic-space-italy/

Happy weekend!

Grace

Happy Friday - Positano trail and more ...

Dear friends,

It's Friday and I think it's a good time to cheer! My week has been extremely long as I'm sure everyone else fells the same way. I don't know about you but I juggle more than one job being mom, wife, pet owner, full-time office worker and writer! Wow, sometimes I wonder how I do it but it's all about keeping the motion going.

As Friday comes around, I feel the stress of the week and need to unwind. How do I unwind? I read and write because it relaxes me. I know that writing doesn't really sound like relaxation but believe me when I say that I sit down and write, it's like reading a book for me.

Not everyone is able to find a passion or a hobby so another thing I do with my husband on weeknights and weekends is walking. We love to walk outdoors so we look for trails to discover and head off early to spend the day in the sunshine and fresh air. What a better way to spend our free time.

If you plan to visit Italy and love hiking, then click on the below link which will tell you all about the available trails. If you have any questions, just contact me for further information.

Happy Friday!

http://www.sentieriitaliani.it/


Below is a picture from our hike "Sentiero degli Dei" from Positano, Italy (http://www.positano.com/en/e/il-sentiero-degli-dei) - Gorgeous trail!

Friday’s summer pleasure

Dear readers,

Today it’s a beautiful day in Rome, Italy, and it seems that summer is finally here. Cars will be lining up on weekends toward beach destinations, making life more interesting with longer days thanks to daylight savings and great weather. Romans are out and about like ants when the weather is good - beach, mountains, picnics, visiting nearby towns and having a meal outside local restaurants. LA VITA È BELLA!

I’ll be posting weekend adventures with pictures on my blog soon so stay tuned for more.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Ciao
Grace

It's Monday morning

Good morning friends,

It's Monday morning and here we are hoping summer is on its way. After a wonderfully hot weekend, with highs of 25 degrees, we start the week in Rome, Italy, with rainy, gloomy weather but that’s okay.  We need a little rain to make sure the Italian countryside stays lush and beautiful, and before it gets extremely hot, let’s enjoy springtime because it’s an important passage to summer.

The next story in my Miller Family Series is going through the last editing changes so look for DALTON’S EMBRACE when it comes out at the end of April.
Happy Monday
Grace