Melissa Rea - Author

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Maestro’s romantic and historical plot by Melissa Rea

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Maestro book title Maestro's romantic and historical plot by Melissa Rea

How would you feel if you were scheduled to be hung on the gallows a day before you turned nineteen in 1718? In Melissa Rea’s book Maestro, we get the rare opportunity of seeing through the eyes of someone (Gabriella) who experiences just that. Prepare to be pulled into the classical world of 18th-century Venice, Italy, with Maestro’s romantic and historical plot.

Maestro by Rea offers a unique take on romantic and historical fiction by having Gabriella (the main character) tell her story of innocence in front of a growing crowd as she awaits her execution. As you read through this brilliant publication’s pages, it’ll feel like you are a part of the crowd Gabriella is addressing. Thanks to the author’s impressive storytelling prowess, you will undoubtedly be invested in her story.

With that said, join me as I introduce more parts of the book to catch your attention enough that you’ll read it. I promise I will not spoil too many details!

What is Maestro’s Premise All About?

The story of Maestro is set in 1718 at the special convent school of Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, Italy. It revolves around the main character, Maria Gabriella Constanzi, also known as “Gabriella” for short. At the very start, you’ll find her standing on top of a “stage” that people don’t usually use to tell their life’s story — that stage being the gallows. Gabriella is scheduled to be hanged a day before her nineteenth birthday.

Ultimately, she finds herself recalling her life in front of an unconventional audience who came to witness a macabre show. And as she spills her heart out to strangers, she wonders how differently everything could have turned out. If she hadn’t been impregnated and exiled to the convent school she was now in, if she hadn’t listened to and allowed her carnal desires to possess her, would her feet be standing on the rough and splinter-riddled surface of the gallows?

Gabriella’s “what ifs” can’t honestly be answered, but readers can see how things could’ve been as they read her words. One can even argue that if she realized or someone told her, “All you need is love!” Then she wouldn’t have let her sensual takeover.

What Readers Can Expect in Maestro‘s Romantic and Historical Plot

Maestro by Rea (that’s me!) is a novel that readers will find unique. Through dialogue, people will be led by the hand and taken on a fantastic journey through Gabriella’s life. Growing up in a dignified life, being the daughter of the Count and Countess of Pompeii, it’s normal to think that she would’ve led a straight and narrow life.

However, as a teenager who is curious about the burning desire rising from the pit of her stomach as her senses are flooded by pleasure, she is bound to make foolish choices. Gabriella eventually disgraced herself and her family because she got pregnant by another man, even though her hand had already been given to an arranged marriage. Throughout the book, you might be critical of Gabriella and her actions.

But your harsh opinions could change as you continue to read and listen to her story. You’ll start to sympathize with her and see that she’s had a rough relationship with bad luck for several years, even at a young age. Also, the other characters have been developed properly, helping to tell the story of Gabriella.

Is it Worth a Read?

Of course, the final say if Maestro‘s romantic and historical plot is worth a read would be up to the individual readers. But many people have given their reviews and said some nice things. One even said, “‘Maestro‘ is a sensual feast and gets 4.8 stars from me.”

And even though historical romance might not be your cup of tea, the storytelling I incorporated in the book will keep you engaged. I urge everybody to try it and be the personal judge if it is worth a read or not.

I am proud and happy of Maestro and the story of Gabriella — a woman burdened by heavy consequences from her actions. Maestro by Rea (that’s me, again!) is an excellent combination of history, mystery, suspense, and romance for readers. And before I leave you, I’d like to ask one thing:

How would you feel if you were scheduled to be hung on the gallows a day before you turned nineteen in 1718?

Why Write Novels?

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I write novels for the same reason I read…to escape. As a woman running a business during a pandemic, I need to escape now more than ever. Most women read for the same reason. As women, we bear so much stress on our shoulders, escaping for a little while into the pages of a book makes life a bit more enjoyable. We can’t all go to Venice during carnival, sail the ocean on a pirate ship, or experience ancient Rome. When we open a book we’re transported to as many places as there are talented authors to write about them. I am not discounting men as needing book escapes, but the data shows the majority of fiction readers are women. 

Love Is The Answer

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Today, let’s face it, most reported news is negative. Casanova would say, he lived for love. Granted he never distinguished physical love from any other type, but imagine. It seems to me that today, too many people seem to live to hate. Because I disagree with someone, doesn’t make me hate them. “Never let a man lay you so low that you hate him.”

HUGE Honor…Forward Reviews Book of the Year Finalist.

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portraitAuthor Melissa ReaPeople often say when nominated for an award, “It’s an honor just to be nominated.” Sometimes it’s true. Forward Reviews is a such a well respected and long standing publication, I extremely honored to be a finalist . Conjuring Casanova is a finalist in the Romance genre in the Forward Reviews Book of the Year competition. The competition is extremely stiff so don’t expect an “I won” post, but I just needed to share this with you.

Here is the link to the finalist. Check it out and wish them all well as I do. If you would like to wish a little extra hard for me to win, I wouldn’t mind. Good Luck everyone and thank you Forward Reviews for this honor. https://awards.forewordreviews.com/finalists/2016/

Research As Fun As The Book

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How could research be fun? When you are researching Giacomo Casanova, I think it anything else would be impossible. I began by googling “Women’s underwear in the 18th century” for another book. Voila! Up came this Response: “No where else can the intimate details of eighteenth century life be found than in the Memoir of Giacomo.” I bought and read all 3700 pages. Not only did I learn all about the underwear from his exploits, I fell in love.  Here is a man who loved women like modern men love football, NASCAR, and corporate take-overs. From his words I learned he was funny, brilliant and irresistible. I just could not help but wonder what he would think of modern women. My book brings the infamous libertine from 1774 to 2016 where he meets Lizzy an ER doc wary of love.

This story took me to Paris to see Histoire de Ma Vie, Casanova’s handwritten memoir, on display for the first time in over two hundred years. The exhibit’s security team might tell you of the strange American who should up every morning for three days and once stood with her hands on the glass case and tears streaming.

I felt the need feel Casanova’s presence in Venice, the city of his birth and his home when he wasn’t exiled.  Ca Bragadin Is now a hotel but Senore Casanova lived there for nine years. I found so much inspiration in those rooms and on those lovely streets and bridges. Who says research has to be tedious? Mine was a blast and I think it is reflected in the tone of Conjuring Casanova.

CasanovaSt Marksbook jacket (2)

More of Casanova’s Secrets

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Few of history’s men are more fascinating than eighteenth century libertine, Giacomo Casanova.portrait Though he was a soldier, a gambler, a factory owner, French lottery official, and even a spy; it is his romantic exploits that enthrall us. He would have admitted that the pursuit of love was his life’s work. In his memoir Histoire de Ma Vie, Casanova details his amorous activities in all the vivid detail the eighteenth century would allow. He writes not to brag but to share his life’s rich experiences.  In his words he tells of loving well over a hundred women by the age of forty-nine. There is indeed a reason to call someone a Casanova is to deem him a womanizer.

Not considered handsome, he had little trouble conquering the objects of his affection. How exactly did he do this? Casanova used words as cupids arrows.  When he found a woman beautiful, he told her. Modern men could use this technique to their advantage. If your lady love is gorgeous, make sure you voice this to her…often.

Womankind, for all our strengths can be so fragile and insecure about our looks. Why are their so many industries that exist to only help us improve our appearance? So tell us you find us lovely, beautiful, and sexy. I am not a fan of the term hot describing a person, but if your lady likes it, go for it. It doesn’t matter if you said it yesterday and feel it should be so obvious to this gorgeous creature. Tell her again and again. You need to be honest or we will see through you, but tell her.

In my novel Conjuring Casanova I use quotes from his memoir to portray a Casanova brought from 1774 to modern time. ER doc Elizabeth Hilman cannot resist his descriptions of why he and anyone should love her. “The stuff of angels wings,” is how he describes the soft but jiggly flesh of her Lizzy’s inner arms. Now that’s a good line and I confess I made that one up. Who could resist this? It worked because he meant it, so no fatuous pick up lines please. Just tell us honestly how wonderful we are.

The perfect beach read...frothy yet satisfying like a good ice cream soda
The perfect beach read…frothy yet satisfying like a good ice cream soda