Holiday Studentessa Matta Gift Give Away! Win a little bit of Florence!

holiday-gift-give-away-win-ceramic-hand-painted-florentine-tile-dreaming-sophia-novel-italy — Melissa e Ambra nel negozio di Ambra a Firenze.

Sono felice di annuciare che la mia amica Ambra Pampaloni ed io ci uniamo questa settimana perportarvi un regalo per Natale! Un Gift Give Away.

I am happy to announce that my friend Ambra Pampaloni
and I are joining forces this week to bring you
a Holiday Gift Give Away!

Ambra vive a Firenze ed è una ceramista e la proprietaria di un piccolo negozio chimato “Le mie ceramiche” in via Giuseppe Verdi, numero 8. È proprio dietro l’angolo di Santa Croce, vicino al centro. Ambra fa tante cose belle da piatti e ciotole a vasi e brocche per l’olio e il vino. Lei dipinge a mano ognuno di questi oggetti preziosi, avendo imparato come di farlo da suo padre. Ora porta avanti la tradizione di famiglia. Alcuni dei disegni di Ambra sono di origine fiorentina: girasoli e limoni. Ma una delle cose che io amo di più del suo lavoro sono le scene originali che lei dipinge che trattano di Firenze: la piazza di Santa Croce, il Duomo,persino il Ponte Vecchio!

Ambra lives in Florence and is a ceramist and owns a little store called “Le mie ceramiche” in via Giuseppe Verdi, numero 8. It is just around the corner from Santa Croce, near the city center. Ambra makes a wide range of things from dishes and bowls to vases and jugs to hold wine and olive oil. She hand paints each of these lovely items, having learned how from her father. Now she carries on the family tradition. Some of Ambra’s designs are Florentine in origin—sunflowers, and lemons. But one of the things I love most about her work is that she paints original scenes she paints of Florence—the piazza of Santa Croce, the Duomo, even the Ponte Vecchio!

L’altro giorno io e Ambra ci scambiavamo messaggi, e abbiamo avuto questa bellissima idea di unirci per offrire ai lettori del Blog la possibilità di partecipare ad unevento natalizio per vincere una delle ceramiche fiorentine di Ambra, così come il mio romanzo ambientato a Firenze!

The other day Ambra and I were exchanging messages, and we came up with this great idea to join forces and offer readers of the Studentessa Matta Blog a chance to participate in a Holiday Event to win one of Ambra’s Florentine ceramics, as well as my novel set in Florence!

Tutto quello che dovreste fare per vincere è partecipare al concorso della lotteria su Rafflecopter Contest qui sotto. Un vincitore verrà selezionato il dicembre, 21, 2018. Dovreste dare l’indirizzio postale e premi saranno spediti dall’Italia e gli Stati Uniti in pacchi separati.

All you need to do to win is enter the Rafflecopter Contest below. A random winner will be selected on December 21, 2018. You will need to supply your mailing address and gifts will be mailed separately from Italy and the States.

Ci saranno 2 premi: / There will be 2 prizes :

#1 of Ambra’s“mattonella” — a tile painted with a scene of Florence signed by the artist

#2 My novel “Dreaming Sophia — because there is an art to dreaming” set in Florence.

Winner of the 2018 Reader View Best Adult FictionNovel Award

Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy and art history as seen through the eyes of a young American artist. Sophia is the daughter of a beautiful free-spirited artist who studied in Italy in the 1960s, during a time when the Mud Angels saved Florence. She is brought up in the Sonoma Valley in California, in a home full of love, laughter, art, and Italian dreams. When tragedy strikes, she finds herself alone in the world with only her Italian muses for company. Through dream-like encounters, she meets Renaissance artists, Medici princes,sixteenth-century duchesses, Risorgimento generals, and Cinecitta movie stars, each who gives her advice and a gift to help her put her life back together. DreamingSophia is the story of a young woman’s love for Italy and how she turns her fantasies into reality as she follows her muses back to Florence.

Sheri Hoyte for Blog Critics: AuthorMelissa Muldoon presents spellbinding artistic expression in her delightful story, Dreaming Sophia. Not your typical Italian romantic adventure, DreamingSophia is a wonderful multifaceted story that pushes through several genres, with layers and layers of exquisite entertainment. The development of her characters is flawless and effortless, as is her ability to draw readers into her world.

Dianne Hales, author of “La BellaLingua”: In Dreaming Sophia, Melissa Muldoon weaves many strands of Italian culture into a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, art, and history. With an artist’s keen eye and deft touch, she brings to life the titans of Italian culture in a touching tale of a young woman reeling from loss who discovers that “Italy is the answer.” The many Italophiles who share her belief will revel in the adventures of this kindred spirit.

Also available on Amazon in Soft and Hard Copy, as well as Digital