Meet the Author: Catherine Carabine

I never once dreamt that my book ‘A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany’ would be published, in fact it began as a diary, a record of events leading up to my marriage and beyond, that I could look back on in years to come. What emerged from what should have been a relatively mundane exercise was just too earth shattering and life changing to keep to myself. Being published was as much a surprise to me as it was to my family. I wanted them to experience my journey with its beauty and idiosyncrasies, its hardships and its happiness. I recorded the changes that were taking place around me and within me as they happened in my new surroundings; my little piece of Italy. Nature was now just too wonderful to ignore as I had done, never really taking the time to appreciate it when I was living in England; always too busy to stop, and marvel. I logged the beautiful places I visited, detailed the breathtaking Piazza’s, the lunches that went on for hours and merely laughed in the face of the daily hurdles of living in a foreign country; sometimes cropping up so unexpectedly, simply because my Italian language skills were in no way ‘fluent’. My diary soon evolved into something readable and the ideal foundation on which to build a story that may be of interest to others who dreamt of changing their lives. The diary also kept me occupied through the final stages of a winter which had enshrouded the ‘Chestnut Barn’, the ancient chestnut groves that had fed the local population for centuries and the dramatic mountains which had a history all of their own, with deep inescapable drifts of snow. Hours and hours were spent working late into the evenings, re-reading, editing and spell checking, the days and months passed so quickly when working on the land during the day and writing at night. The words and sentences flowed, luckily time was plentiful and no longer of any consequence, there were no deadlines, no office meetings, no squeezing the shopping into an already congested schedule. I was in Italy, where I was meant to be, where for some reason yet to be discovered my heart was leading me. Here I was seated under our Loggia in the warm spring sunshine, exhausted from the physical exertion of splitting wood into logs but happy. It was a far cry from the tedium of long thankless hours spent in Financial Services which greedy bankers were deemed to have destroyed, it was a joy to be free! Slowly ‘A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany’ came together and after having the misfortune of encountering ‘Vanity Press/Self Publishing’, I came across the website www.Autharium.com. This was a new concept in ebook Publishing. A Company that would happily publish my work providing it met certain discerning requirements; it had to be well written and it had to be creative. My book was finally complete and the day had come for me to upload my manuscript onto Autharium’s computer system. Because this was in draft form it allowed other members of the ‘Autharium community’ the opportunity to comment and add their feedback, it also allowed me time to amend or correct anything before it was submitted for publishing. Amazingly I received a 4 star review within a matter of days, I am told a first, by my new publishers. I was absolutely thrilled especially as the review was from an accomplished Author. Last week my book went through the quality control checks and has now been published as an ebook. ‘A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany’ is a true story which begins with an unexpected love affair with all things Italian.

An innocent evening stroll whilst on holiday through the narrow ancient stone paved streets of a medieval Italian hill town, leads to a proposal and a heart rending revelation being uncovered once back in England. The discovery subsequently steers a course to a very different way of life. A Tuscan wedding follows together with a glimpse into the everyday life of the local Italians encountered along the way. An unfortunate accident causes a life threatening illness but the warmth, generosity and kindness shown by the Italian people comes to the fore. All this is combined with an insight into some of the highs and lows of purchasing renovating and living in an old ruin nestled deep in the forest of the Northern Tuscan hills.

About the Author After accidentally finding out that Catherine was of Italian origin, her undeniable love of all things Italian turned into an even deeper passion. With that came the need and desire to share her experiences of the country, people and culture. Catherine grew up in the South West of England and now lives in Tuscany with her husband Nick. ‘A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany’ is her Debut book and she hopes the first of many. Life at the Chestnut Barn is still evolving and everyday brings a new dimension to a complete change of lifestyle. Catherine’s book is available in the following formats: eBooks – mobi, epub, pdf and on the following devices: iPad, Sony Readers(all), Kindle Editions, BeBooks, Nook, PC, Laptop, Mac, iphone Currently available at Autharium.com and Amazon.com and will soon be available on Kobo, Waterstones.com and other online retailers. You can follow Catherine on her blog, catherinecarabine@blogger.com Facebook and http://www.autharium.com/Profile/Catherine+Carabine