Let's Do It Again

Is this month ever going to end? It's been January for 84 years and I've had enough of it. I'm not doing any of the restrictions for this month. It's hard enough as it is without inflicting more misery on myself. I'm sticking with sugar - just reducing, although I made about a hundred pieces of salted caramel fudge yesterday and it's delightful! I have one meatless day a week - not doing it the whole month when I have so much bresaola that expires next month and I'm not paying for the gym when I'm saving for the two hundred holidays I'm taking this year. Yay me!

Anyways, given the longest month of time, I thought enough of that has passed for me to not spoil owt but clarify what songs go with which bit of Murano. I haven't done that for my previous books for fear of giving key things away. And I feel like we're at the stage where it's time for a second read and a second read with tunes as I maestro intended. Lol! Me going on like I'm Paris Hilton at a gig! You've known me long enough to understand my musical leanings, my love and adoration of Sir Hans Zimmer, that I'm so obviously an eighties baby judging by said musical leanings and that the strangest songs will make me emotional for no reason. If I told you the number of times I listened to I Know What I Do just staring at a wall crying, you wouldn't believe me. Routemaster to the rescue was born from being on the N44 streaking through London roads after far too many lychee martinis and praying the bus would go faster so I could throw up in peace. I don't travel anywhere without music, so Hans kept the need to projectile over my fellow passengers at bay. Now it's tied up with Bep being... well Bep. I maintain Radiohead should have been given the Spectre song which is why it's included so I can't listen to it without coupling it with sleek, silencer-ed weaponry. And I can't include Smack My Bitch Up unless a bitch is gonna get smacked up. Said bitch does get smacked up. And it just makes me love Mimi more.

So there we are. A glimpse behind the thought process of what goes into my tracks. There's a reason for the weirdness. Always. Gosh, really wish I could apologise to my English teacher. I was always convinced that she looked for meaning behind everything when it could be that the author just wanted something that way. Now look at me - giving parallels.

Nope! I take it back!

Murano on Spotify

An Old Man’s Path

• Progeny – Hans Zimmer

Giuseppe Nardiello

• Hey Mami – Sylvan Esso

Lost Boy/Wendy Darling

• You See All My Light – Jacques Greene
• Change Is Everything – Son Lux

Last Wedding

• The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38/Pt 2 Praise to the Holiest – Edward Elgar

I think I want to see

• It’s Magic – Dinah Washington

Goddamn Sheen

• Too Original – Major Lazer

Sweet Sixteen on Coke

• 212 - Azealia Banks

Come out with me

• Playinwitme – KYLE ft Kehlani

Date Musicals

• Suddenly, Seymour – Rich Moranis, Ellen Greene

Nonna’s Speakeasy

• Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman
• You Give A Little Love – Paul Williams

Mini Cab?

• Ultralight Beam – Kanye West  

Marseille! Marseille!

• Palm Trees ?Téoذ

I Have Never…

• Shadow & Light – Martin Luke Brown

Defiling The Inner Sanctum

• Surprise Yourself – Jack Garratt

Leisurely

• Waking Up – MJ Cole & Freya Ridings

Fractured Family

• Back To You – Benjamin Gordon

This Is Beppe

• I Am – Rock Mafia ft Wyclef Jean

Neighbours

• Breathe & Stop – Q-Tip  
• Tell Me That You Love Me – James Smith

The Sacrilege

• Oh Baby – LCD Soundsystem

Why Are You Still Here?

• Same Drugs – Chance The Rapper

Happy Easter

• Movement – Hozier

Dear Sg Nardiello

• The Gulag Orkestar – Beirut

Darjeeling Comfort

• Not Dark Yet – Bob Dylan

That’s Not My Name

• Lost Boy – Ruth B.

Tomasina’s Protection

• Lie – Halsey, Quavo

New Start

• Do You Remember Jarryd James ft Raury

Routemaster to the rescue

• Fear Will Find You – Hans Zimmer

34 Letters

• Hell To The Liars – London Grammar
• War Prayer – This Will Destroy You
• If I Go, I’m Goin – Gregory Alan Isakov
• Slide – James Bay  
• Cloudbusting – Kate Bush
• Don’t Forget About Me – Cloves

The Safe House

• On The Nature Of Daylight – Max Richter  

An Italian Kiss

• Decks Dark – Radiohead

Book Me A Table At Claridges

• Elephant – Tame Impala
• On Thin Ice – Hans Zimmer

It’s A Trap

• Set This House On Fire – Nick Vallee

On the Common

• I Know All What I Do – Jack Garratt

Casual As Fuck

• Overture – Michael Kamen
• Romantic Flight – John Powell

Solemn Stag Do

• Hard Place – H.E.R

Venezia To The Bone

• All For Us – Labrinth

I Know Who You Are

• Selah – Emeli Sandé

She’s Dead

• Strange Weather – Anna Calvi ft David Byrne

Chances in Zurich

• Alone In the Dark – Will Cookson

Brace Yourself, Wendy Darling

• Carry You – Novo Amor

The Night Before

• when the party’s over - Billie Eilish

The Weirdest Day

• Outro – M83
• God Only Knows – John Legend and Cynthia Erivo
• The Vow – RuthAnne  
• Etta James – Til There Was You

An Assassin’s Mistake

• Under Attack – Kin Palo ft Amy Stroup

My Lovely, Brand-New Wife Amelia

• Smack My Bitch Up – The Prodigy

He’s Got Two

• Mean Demeanour – Run The Jewels

Waiting

• Ruelle – Take It All

Nice Work

• Mount Everest – Labrinth

In Deep Water

• Why Do We Fall – Hans Zimmer

Checkmate

• Vasily – Martin Phipps

How was the wedding?

• We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow – Soko  

Epilogue

• What You Won’t Do For Love – Luke Burr 

Murano on Amazon

Venice Bitch

We're here babies! It's taken a long time and if you read my blog regularly, you'll know that it's been a struggle. But we have arrived, Mother! I feel the message I can offer through this book, is that love will pierce through the darkest of nights.

I'm so excited for you all to dive deep into this and link all the little teasers I've provided, see where everyone connects to one another throughout the Italian Knights and fall in love with Beppe and Mimi as much as I did.

Murano on Amazon

Il retro

“How do you accidentally fall on a seven inch knife?”

And so began Mimi Johnson’s first argument with the man, the myth, the walking migraine that is Giuseppe Nardiello. If she had a pound for every time she thought about having him sectioned, she wouldn’t need to work at the Da Canaveze’s state of the art private hospital. She wouldn’t need to work at all.

With their two best friend’s falling in love and getting married, eyes fell to them to do the same and sharpish. Mimi couldn’t truly appreciate the convenience of someone as gorgeous and ripped and borderline unbalanced as Beppe landing in her surgical lap just like that. What else could be wrong with him?

Beppe is the last man standing among his be-ringed mates, a status he feels rather content with until he catches Mimi’s cheeky little grin and gets firm confirmation which end she’s had her piercings; plural… He’s ready to give his all to her, but he’s missing the familial piece of his own puzzle that will make him feel whole. Adopted as a baby after the gruesome murder of his birth mother, he’s never truly known himself, until a letter arrives from a lawyer in Venice, finally telling him that the island of Murano holds all the answers key to even his very name.

Borderline or not, Beppe is the perfect man and Mimi couldn’t bear for anything to happen to him. If she has to use all her skills and piercings to convince him to protect himself from the obvious danger on that island, they’re all on the operating table.

From London to Marseille to Venice and the island itself, Murano drags Beppe and Mimi on a dangerous journey of discovery. Love truly saves all, but will it be enough to save them both from the terror behind the truth?

This is book seven in the Italian Knights Series, to be taken all at once, preferably with something stronger than water coz it’s about to get a bit mad… 

Estratto

Beppe moved into the seat next to Mimi. “Nice toast. How’d you like my speech?” he asked.

Mimi laughed. “It was genuinely sweet and ridiculous. You know he’s going to kill you, don’t you?”

Beppe pooh-poohed the very idea. “He’s not doing shit but checking out his wife’s underwear.”

She tilted her head. “I can honestly say he’s going to have the best night tonight as long as he doesn’t drink too much. Her underwear is fire!”

He waited a beat. “You’re not going to excuse this as a girl crush or a momentary bi leaning?”

“My friend is insanely sexy. I can say that without any latent homophobia.” Mimi shrugged and picked up her champagne glass. “What the fuck is a ‘girl crush’ anyway? If you think someone’s attractive, male or female, why does it need to be excused? It’s not like I’m going to try and get her into bed. Let me feel my friend’s oats!”

He paused again. “You don’t want to try to get her into bed?”

“No. Don’t get a hard-on about it.”

Beppe opened his mouth to protest, when Anna’s father tapped Beppe on the shoulder. “Son, we need to have a chat about your language. Anna’s ninety-year-old grandmother is here.”

He blinked. “But did she hear?”

Anna’s father frowned briefly. “I’m… Maybe not.”

Beppe spread his palms. “Sorted.”

Immediately, he looked for Mimi who was talking to Lydia as she had emerged from under the table. Fuck! His disappointment at being interrupted was only slightly assuaged by the mild bollocking he received from his friends and the hugs he enjoyed from Rocco’s sister and Nonna. The tables were cleared for Rocco and Anna to have their first dance. As truly befit them, Dinah Washington crooned to them, Rocco swinging them across the floor like a professional.

“He’s missing a number on his back,” Mimi said into his ear.

“What would he get if he was on tv?” he asked, barely looking away.

“Len Goodman’s a traditionalist,” Mimi replied, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Maybe an eight if he threw in a fleckle.”

The guests were encouraged to join in as Etta Jones sang softly and dreamily to them all. “Come on. Let me see if I can throw one in. Get myself an imaginary nine.”

“You seriously watch Strictly?”

He frowned at her. “Were you not just giving me a lecture about latent homophobia?”

She nodded and accepted his hand to lead them onto the floor. He gently lifted her arm for her to circle him in a pretty little round before he curved her into his body. “Foxtrot,” he advised. “Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.”

“How?” Her mouth parted on a huge smile of surprise.

“My mother taught me.” He said it casually enough to hopefully not lead Mimi into further questions. “She said it was important for me to know how to lead on a dance floor and how to handle a woman respectfully.”

Mimi gazed at him. “I’m impressed. Am I doing a heel lead?”

“Can’t see your feet, Amelia, but I’m assuming you’re not turning on your toes, or else you’d be bobbing up and down. There’s no rise and fall in the foxtrot.”

Mimi took a deep breath. “I’m not going to lie; this is turning me on a bit.”

He looked down at her, mouth parted and breasts heaving inside her pink embroidered dress. “Let’s go somewhere a little quieter.”

Leading her out of the main ballroom, he could sense a tangible anticipation in the air. He’d never been so grateful to his foster mother.