BASIC BOOK INFORMATION
Title: TRAVELS WITH MY LOVERS
Product Details
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Authorhouse (December 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1403317658
ISBN-13: 978-1403317650
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.20 ounces
Average Customer Review: ***** based on 8 reviews
BOOK EXCERPT
Then I found out that Gérard had saved the best Château for last: Azay-le-Rideau, an exquisite, almost miniaturized gem on an intimate bend in the River Loire, with a cobalt blue roof and perfectly symmetrical turrets to match. The sight of it took my breath away.
We admired it from all outside angles, then entered and followed the crowds through the unadorned but magnificent hallways and up the imposing stone stairways. Unlike some of the other castles, the interior was bathed with light, an effect emphasized by the near-whiteness of its stone walls and staircases.
When we had gotten to the upper limit allowed to the public, I spied a rope blocking off the upper top floor and began to descend the staircase. Gérard, however, stopped me.
"Hang the rope," he said. "Let’s see what’s up there."
"But it’s not allowed," I argued. "That’s obvious - from the rope suspended over the stairway."
"Who’s to know?"
He glanced around quickly to see if anyone was looking. Then, seizing the opportunity, he grabbed me and headed up the stairs.
It soon became evident why the uppermost regions of the castle were off-limits. The floors were in disrepair, as were the walls. This did not bother Gérard. Seeing a closed door, he immediately tried to unfasten it, and after a considerable amount of effort he managed to pry it open. Pulling me inside, he then closed the door behind us.
We had entered an otherworldly atmosphere: a cavernous attic with uncharacteristically high ceilings, where assorted antique items were stored that hadn’t yet found homes. In spite of its lack of decor, the room had a vibration of ancient times and events oozing from every nook and cranny. We looked around, awed, at this quiet, magical place, then Gérard pulled me to him.
"I want to make love to you here," he whispered.
I panicked. "What? Here? What if someone… catches us?"
"No one will." He kissed my neck hotly. "It’s off-limits, after all. Oh, I’m so turned on by you."
My mind raced as I considered the consequences of such an audacious act. What could happen if we were caught? We’d be thrown out of the castle, for sure, but would we be arrested? Would I be thrown out of the country?
Ancient voices seemed to whistle around my ears as I pondered my fate. The atmosphere was so intimate, so steeped in antiquity. It would be like joining a guild of spirits, former lords and ladies who had themselves stolen behind the ancient wooden door and indulged in their private fantasies.
Thus I threw caution to the winds as I let myself be carried away by the passion and desire of my companion, one of the descendants of these voices from the past. We made love quickly and urgently, at once excited and frightened by the threat of being discovered. And for a few brief moments, I had become a denizen of that ancient Château of the Loire.
AUTHOR BIO
Violinist turned author Erica Miner has had a multi-faceted career as an award-winning screenwriter, author, lecturer and poet. A native of Detroit, she studied music at Boston University and the New England Conservatory of Music. After experiencing a variety of highs and lows in her quest to forge a career in New York City, Erica won the coveted position of violinist with the Metropolitan Opera Company, a high-pressured milieu but the pinnacle of her field.
Her life became even more challenging, however, when injuries from a car accident spelled the end of her musical career. Searching for a new creative outlet, she drew upon her lifelong love of writing for inspiration and studied poetry and screenwriting, winning a number of awards in both categories. After moving to Southern California, Erica honed her screenwriting skills with author and script guru Linda Seger of "Making a Good Script Great" fame and with Ken Rotcop, the author of “Perfect Pitch.” Erica’s seven screenplays, one of which is based on her award-winning debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, have won awards and/or placed in such competitions as WinFemme, Santa Fe and the Writer’s Digest. Her essays and articles have appeared in print and online in numerous e-zines.
Inspired by her journals written during her travel adventures in Europe with and without her children, Erica penned Travels With My Lovers with a dual goal: first, to entertain; and second, to speak to all generations of women and encourage them to express their emotional freedom. Currently, Erica is at work on both the novel and screenplay of her suspense thriller, Murder In The Pit, which takes place at the Met. She is also writing a novel series chronicling a young girl’s coming of age in the volatile 60s and 70s, a nostalgia trip for ‘baby boomers.’
In addition Erica has developed a number of writing lectures and seminars on writing, which she has presented at various venues across the West Coast and on the High Seas. Topics range from "The Art of Self Re- Invention" to "Opera Meets Hollywood" and "Journaling for Writers: Mining the Gold of Your Own Experiences.” Her writings have appeared in Vision Magazine, WORD San Diego and numerous E-zines.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Erica Miner
emwriter@earthlink.net
www.ericaminer.com
Mailing Address:
1764 Blackbird Circle, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Tel: 760-431-1713
Fax: 760-431-8972
DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE’S Self-Discovery Chronicled in Debut Book, Travels With My Lovers
ABC’s #1 comedy breakout smash, ‘Desperate Housewives,’ has struck a chord with women across America, garnering no less than two-thirds of the entire US Sunday night TV audience during its debut year.
The main character is a single mother who is looking for love, a theme that resonates deeply throughout the country: how do you avoid becoming just another “Desperate Housewife?” With upwards of 13 million single moms - not to mention countless single “Bridget Jones” sympathizers - residing in the US, author and former Metropolitan Opera violinist Erica Miner offers hope to women who are wishing to escape the doldrums and find personal fulfillment, through her award-winning novel, Travels With My Lovers.
Drawing on her journals written while traveling in Europe both solo and with her children, Miner penned her novel with a dual goal: first, to entertain; and second, to speak to all generations of women, past, present, and future, and encourage them to express their emotional freedom.
Miner has taken her expertise on the road, lecturing to audiences from California to the East Coast to the High Seas on such subjects as “Journaling to Empower Your Life,” “Relationships and the Single Mom” and “The Journey of Self-Reinvention.” She is currently available for media interviews – a former “Desperate Housewife” who survived to tell the tale.
“Travels With My Lovers is a sensual and involving saga, adroitly presented and skillfully narrated.”
James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review
“...From funny to frustrating and everything in between...chronicles a woman’s sexual awakening with humor and wisdom.”
Amy Brozio-Andrews, Absolute.Write.com
“Loved your book! Can’t wait to read more of them.”
Debbie Allen, award-winning author of Confessions of Shameless Dating
Copyright 2005-2007 Erica Miner. All Rights Reserved
