Assessment:
In Schisler’s unaffectedly sweet inspirational romance, an unexpected inheritance from an elderly immigrant mentor, Isabella Fonticelli, leaves innocent young American Alexandra O’Donnell the co-owner of an Italian villa and vineyard with the handsome Italian Nicolas Giordano. While Alex is at times implausibly perfect and the barriers to romance somewhat artificial, the predictability of the plot is cleverly mitigated by Schisler’s incorporation of Isa’s wartime diary and Alex's troubled family history. The well-integrated resolution of the mysteries of Isa’s past and the developing romance will engage and fully satisfy readers.
Date Submitted: June 13, 2016
This story captivated me from the cover alone, and from page one I was not disappointed. Schisler's writing is a verbal masterpiece of art. Her words painted a beautiful world which I could close my eyes and be swept away to. She weaves together the lives of two women, generations apart, in a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of love and loss. The details she brings to the page make me ache to see the lands that she describes for myself, as she describes them so spectacularly. The characters bring life to the book, and each of them are so perfectly suited to bring personality and charm to the page. It's heartbreaking, lovely, romantic, sweet, endearing, and charming. This is a book to get lost in.
Whispering Vines is a captivating story written by Amy Schisler, an award-winning author who has already published three novels and one children's book. She also has a professional blog that has a large number of readers from all across the globe. Before venturing into the writing industry, she used to work as a librarian and a teacher. Currently, she lives with her husband and three daughters in the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Alex O Donnell is faced with a series of challenges that force her to relocate from her Baltimore apartment to a villa in Italy. It is in this new home that she discovers that there is a vineyard under her name. This realization brings back to life her aspirations, hopes, and dreams. She decides to visit the vineyard only to be welcomed by a stern co-owner of the vineyard, Nicolas Giordano. However, their interaction changes his personality completely. Nicholas starts to fall in love with Alex. He has to regain his control over the business and at the same time ensure he does now reveal his true feelings for Alex. All that changes when they come across a journal from World War II that encourages them to work together to grow the business and trace their roots.
Whispering Vines is a well-written story whose characters have unique personalities. They both overcome every challenge that they come across to not only establish a family but also to understand their origin. More importantly, the characters perfectly suit the story and the message that the author wants to convey to the world. The heartbreaking, endearing, charming, and romantic scenes will surely inveigle you to keep reading. The author also went an extra mile to create fast-paced scenes that allows one to follow the main character, Alex, as she relocates to Italy and meets her lover.
Amy Schisler releases next book Whispering Vines
Talbot County Resident, Amy Schisler, announces that her next book, Whispering Vines, will be released on June 15. Ms. Schisler resides in Bozman, Maryland and is the author of several books. Her previous book, Picture Me, received the 2016 Illumination Book Award that recognized the best Christian themed books published both in the traditional book form as well as the growing ebook industry. Medals were awarded in 23 categories including fiction. Her novel was one of the 77 books chosen and received the Bronze Award for ebook fiction.
Her new release, Whispering Vines, begins in Baltimore where Alex O’Donnell learns she has inherited a vineyard in the beautiful Valpolicella region of Italy. Ready to begin a new phase in her life, Alex travels to Italy, and her whole life begins anew. Learning to appreciate the running of a vineyard, the intricacies of growing the perfect grape for the perfect wine, and enjoying the wonderful food, only adds to her growing interest in Italian culture. Her new “family” also has to adapt to this “Americano” as their lives change with Alex’s arrival at the vineyard. Of course, what romance novel could be complete without a hero, and Alex finds one in the co-owner of the vineyard, Nicolas.
Whispering Vines will transport the reader from present day to World War II through the finding of a long lost journal of the original vineyard owner. While learning about the lives of the owners, prior to and during the War, Alex uncovers a secret hidden for over 75 years. Together, she and Nicolas find, not only a secret shared by his grandparents, but love among the vines.
Author, Schisler, also delights the reader’s senses while reading the novel, described by one reviewer as “a verbal masterpiece of art.” One will not only learn the art of drinking wine, but also the meals mentioned in Whispering Vines, for which some recipes are included. Whispering Vines may be pre-ordered now on Amazon.
A reception to introduce Whispering Vines to the public will take place on Tuesday evening, June 14, at Scossa in Easton. The public is invited to come and meet Schisler from 6:00-8:00pm. Books will be available for sale and signed. Whispering Vines is published by Chesapeake Sunrise Publishing and is available in local book stores. It may be pre-ordered through Amazon and will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
Schisler began writing as a child and spent fifteen years pursuing a career as a librarian in Calvert, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s Counties. Her first novel, A Place to Call Home, was published in 2014 by Sarah Book Publishing and is now available in ebook form as well as paperback. Her weekly blog at http://amyschisler.wordpress.com currently has over 1,200 subscribers, and topics vary from current events to her home life with her husband, Ken, and their three daughters, Rebecca, Katie, and Morgan. Schisler delights in speaking to groups, and may be contacted through her website: http://www.amyschislerauthor.com.
