Dec 15, 2022 | Book Updates
I’m looking for arc readers to join my team for my new Romcom series that I will be releasing throughout 2023. You will get a free preview copy of a book about every 4-6 weeks. All I need in return is for you to write an honest review. Requirements of arc readers: Enjoy reading contemporary women’s fiction and having a laugh, can read a book within a two week period, happy to write a review. The books are aimed to be a light read with humour and some mild sex scenes–nothing too heavy! The prequel to the series is coming out end of December and the second book will be out on the 7th February. If you would like to give it a go then email me on: rosie@rosiemeleady.com
About Rosie’s Hero-scopes Book Series:
Twenty-five years have passed since the astrology loving Cosmo Club was formed. Now as the seven women enter their forties, with a litany of messy relationships and failed careers following them like a stream of toilet paper stuck on a shoe, the death of Linda brings the remaining six friends together again.
A weekend in their old seaside clubhouse resurfaces memories and a promise they once made. Linda’s last wish makes that promise unbreakable; they must let their life choices be fully dictated by their horoscopes in Cosmo magazine and find love within six months … If they don’t stick to Linda’s plan, they risk losing something they all need; a lot of money.
Follow what happens in this seasoned and spiced romantic comedy series to; Aquarius Laura and her Leo Lion, Cancerian Bell and her search for her Taurus Bull, Scorpio Fanny and her Piscean Fish, Gemini Wendy and her Libra Wolf and Sagittarian Ruby and her Aries Ram.
Dec 6, 2022 | Book Updates
It’s Izzy’s birthday today, so to mark my 27th anniversary of being a mother it’s time to introduce you to my newest baby…
A Rosie Life In Italy 4: Potatoes, Pizza and Poteen.
It’s available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle for ebook and free to borrow on Kindle Unlimited.
Looking forward to hearing your reviews on this one!
xx
Dec 2, 2022 | Book Updates
I have a couple of surprises for you this month leading to Christmas! Here is the first: The official launch date of ‘A Rosie Life In Italy 4: Potatoes, Pizza & Poteen’ has been moved forward four months to 6th December so if you have pre-ordered the ebook you will get it in four days time! Here’s the second: I know some of you prefer a solid paperback and would like it for your Christmas stocking… SOOOO I have made the paperback available through Amazon from today. Click here or go to your online Amazon store. If you have preordered the ebook (thank you!) it will be on your device waiting for you to wake up on the 6th December. I’m excited to hear your feedback, and I am looking forward to reading your reviews of this one! Hopefully you like it as much as the other books in the series.
Nov 11, 2022 | Book Updates
Having three generations of her family living under the same roof was once part of the Italian dream for Rosie. But when her party-loving, whiskey-drinking, poker-playing 85-year-old mother moves over from Ireland to Italy, Rosie’s longed for dolce vita in Umbria is anything but sweet.
With a preference for bland boiled potatoes to her daughter’s Italian cooking and an aversion towards housework, Rosie’s mother’s requirements to feel at home in the Sighing House–including a smelly deep fat-frier, lots of clutter, parties and a new pup–are very different to Rosie’s vision.
However, the most urgent thing on Rosie’s to-do list is not dealing with the needs of her artist mother, nor the ongoing renovation ‘what now?’ moments—such as electric wires in the chimney. Rosie has the more pressing issue of a backlog of twenty summer weddings to be planned now that Covid restrictions are lifted. But with vendors going bust, and demands of couples going extreme, Rosie needs to find a way to get through the hottest Italian summer on record without burning out or having a gelato-mountain sized melt down.
Includes 10 delicious and simple recipes including Strangled Priest and White Walnut Pasta.
“I love the Rosie series!… entertaining and funny!” – Jenny Marrs, Host of HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous
‘Under The Tuscan Sun’ meets ‘Escape To The Chateau’ with a dash of ‘Eat Pray Love’ in this hilarious Italian villa renovation memoir.
Nov 9, 2022 | Book Updates
I’ve been quiet as I have had a lot going on during the summer and autumn, which you will read ALL about in A Rosie Life In Italy 4! I have been writing like crazy and I’m happy to tell you that Book 4 will be out in the next few weeks!
And I am VERY EXCITED to tell you that books 1-3 in The Rosie Life series are now available for book shops and libraries to order internationally!
So the next time you are in your library ask them for my books and they will order them for you! Also if you want to give the books as Christmas gifts you can now ask your local book shop to order them for you. They are already available through Walmart and Barns and Noble which makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. If I ever see my books in an airport shop you will find me on the floor weeping a puddle with joy!
Jan 3, 2022 | Book Updates, Living In Italy
According to folklore we are currently in the most magical time of the year – the twelve days between Christmas and the Epiphany. It was believed witches were most present at this time especially on the twelfth night (remember your Shakespeare?) – The eve of the Epiphany – it, the 5th January, was considered the most magical night of the year, when wishes could be made and the future could be predicted through ‘signs’ and games.
In some parts of Italy an olive tree leaf, thrown into the fire could tell you if your wish would come through or not. If it took long to burn your wish would be fulfilled. However if instead it burned too quickly, it was hard luck try again next year and a sign to adjust your wishes.
It was the night girls would place three broad beans in various stages of being peeled, under their pillow and believed they would see their future husbands in their dreams.
In the morning they would reach under their pillow and pull out a bean. If it was the the fully peeled one then it meant the groom would be rich, if it was the unpeeled one he would be poor and the half-peeled one indicated he’d be something in the middle.
Christmas spirit starts later in Italy than other parts of the western world but lasts longer and it is much less commercialised.
They tend to wait until the 6th December to turn on the Christmas lights and the celebrations go on until the 6th January with the night of the 5th January, being the favourite for kids as it is the night the Befana comes.
I was first told about La Befana a few years ago by a baker.
“What the hell is that?” I said pointing at the pile of dark grey lumps piled in the basket on the counter of the bakery.
“It is Carbone, made from sugar,” the baker smiles as he packs up my cream cakes. “If you are bad, La Befana leaves them for you.”
“La Befana?”
“I think you call her a witch?”
He points to the smiling puppet witch sitting on her broomstick hanging from the shelf.
It turns out that La Befana is a happy smiling old lady, who rides around on her broomstick comes down the chimney and leaves candy and presents for good children and a lump of coal if they are bad. A glass of wine and some food is left out for the Befana. It all sounds familiar doesn’t it? As with so many pagan traditions and idols, when Christian gaslighting became all the rage, La Befana’s action were absorbed into Santa and the lady herself absorbed into a biblical story.
The legend now stands that the three wise men stopped at her home over night on their way to finding the infant Jesus. She was known to be the best housekeeper in the village so the choice of house was natural. They all got on so well that the lads invited her along on their adventure but naturally after having three men stay in her house she felt had too much housework to do.
But later in the day she said “feck it, life is too short to miss out on such an invitation”, so she jumped on her broomstick and tried to catch up with them and see the baby they were so excited about. To this day, La Befana is searching for the lads and the baby. While searching she leaves all the good children toys and sweets, while the bad children get coal (‘carbone’), onions or garlic.
Anyone who sees La Befana will receive a thump from her broomstick – a rumour created to keep children in their beds. This scare tactic was not absorbed by Santa Claus, which is unfortunate as it’s one of my favourites.
The ancient Italians seemed keen to scare their kids into sleeping, as this ‘lullaby’ translated to english would indicate:
Ninnaò, ninnaò,
Who will I give this child to?
If I give it to the Befana
she will keep him one whole week.
If I give it to the Bogey Man
he will keep him one whole year.
But if the child goes to slee
then his mother will him keep.”
Of course the Italian christians tried to get rid of the idea of a loved ‘witch’. On the morning of 6th January, sacristans would go from house to house leaving the ‘Bboffe water’, which was to be sprinkled around the house to keep witches away. Which was a bit late on their part since La Befana would have been and gone the night before.
So get your beans, coal and olive leaves ready for the last Christmas celebration Italian style, but forget the Bboffe water, the world could do with the help of a few good witches now.
