Guest Blogger - Jannine Corti-Petska

In honor of Women's History Month, I thought I'd shine the spotlight on an Italian woman who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1926. She is Grazia (Madesani) Deledda, born in Nuoro, a small, isolated village in Sardinia in 1871. She was a gifted writer who published her first work at the age of thirteen. Grazia wove stories about real places and people with real emotions. She painted a picture of reality interspersed with her vivid imagination based on the people and natural surroundings of her village.

She attended elementary school but completed her education under a private tutor. He gave her themed writing assignments and encouraged her to publish her stories in a newspaper. It was the start of an illustrious writing career for Grazia. She sold her first submission, Sangue Sardo (Sardinian Blood) a tragic short story, to a magazine. In 1892, she wrote and sold her first novel. Grazia's talent didn't stop with novels. She also wrote a three-act play and poems. Her novel Cenere was turned into a movie for a famous Italian actress.

In Grazia's time, as well as history in general, women were supposed to concern themselves with domestic duties only. She wasn't supposed to depict in writing what was regarded as a matter for men. Her work was not well-received by her village. But Grazia was a nonconformist. After she married and moved to Rome, she continued to write about Sardinia. Her writing was described as "eloquent and unpretentious." A famous Italian critic said, "Her style is that of the great masters of the narrative; it has the characteristic marks of all great novelists. No one in Italy today writes novels which have the vigor of style, the power of craftsmanship, the structure, or the social relevance which I found in some........works of Grazia Deledda........"

On December 10, 1927, Grazia Deledda was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his speech, Archbishop Nathan Soderblom (of the Swedish Academy) said, "Dear Madame. The proverb says, 'All roads lead to Rome.' In your literary work, all roads lead to the human heart........."

Grazia continued to write until her death in 1936. Only those who study Italian literature may know of her, but women of her determination have made strides in a world considered owned by men. And because I am an author, I admire her strength and talent.

I don't write Nobel Prize-worthy literature, but I do write stories from the heart. Stories of real life interwoven with the imagination in my mind and characters with emotion. My favorite backdrop is Medieval Italy where two of my books are set. My latest release is CARINA AND THE NOBLEMAN, the first book in my medieval psychic sisters trilogy. It takes place in Northern Italy and available in ebook and print.

The last thing Count Luciano Ruggero expected was to fall in love with a commoner. But Carina Gallo is the only woman to capture his interest and his heart. When he discovers she has psychic abilities, he is torn between keeping her secret and using her gift to locate his missing brother. Neither the count nor Carina know that her life is in danger until it's almost too late.

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rERylu_39XA

Also available is my ebook short story KNIGHT'S DESIRE, set in 14th century Piemonte, Italy.

Mariella Rizzoli seeks employment in Baron Romano DeSanto's castle, hoping to obtain the rights to her dead father's keep. When he bids her to seduce him for the keep, she will do whatever it takes to retain her home. But can she seduce the handsome knight without losing her heart to him?

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49buJLXMQQ

And for a change of scenery, the following book, REBEL HEART, is a historical western romance set in Santa Fe in 1872.

When the woman he's sworn to protect finds herself in the middle of a range war, Beau Hamilton fights against losing his heart while defending Courtney Danning against the unscrupulous man fixing to run her out of town. But when their passion turns as hot as the Santa Fe sun, will their love in the untamed West prevail? Or will Beau's dark past tear them apart?

Information for purchasing Jannine's books:

CARINA AND THE NOBLEMAN, Available at www.eternalpress.caKNIGHT'S DESIRE, Available at http://www.thedarkcastlelords.com/reviews-knight's-desire.htmREBEL HEART, 2007 Aspen Gold Finalist, Available at
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rebel-Heart/Jannine-Corti-Petska/e/9780974624983/?itm=1
and http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Heart-Jannine-Corti-Petska/dp/0974624985/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237155686&sr=1-2

Please visit my website at www.jcortipetska.com
I can be reached by email at info@jcortipetska.com