Future books
... they're on their way!
Along with 'The Glassblower of Murano', Marina has the following titles in development...
The Madonna of the Almonds
The year is 1525. A gifted young artist, Bernardino Luini of the Da Vinci school, is commissioned to paint a religious fresco in the hills of Lombardy. His eye is caught by the beautiful Simonetta di Saronno, recently widowed by the Italian Wars.
Captivated by her beauty and her sadness Bernardino paints her likeness, immortalizing her as the Madonna in his famous work which can still be seen in the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazia in Saronno.
As the sittings progress artist and model fall in love, and Simonetta reciprocates Luini's genius by creating a work of art of her own. She makes a drink for her lover from the juice of almonds – still enjoyed to this day as Amaretto di Saronno.
But as the fresco and the liqueur near their completion the couple's affair distils into a heady brew of religious scandal which threatens their love; and ultimately their lives.
A moving story of love and art, The Madonna of the Almonds is out now in Germany, published by Rowohlt, and will be available in the UK in 2008-9.
The Botticelli Secret
In the heart of Medici Florence, part-time model and full-time prostitute Luciana Vetra stumbles across a deadly secret.
Asked by one of her most exalted clients to pose as a favour for a painter friend, she finds herself the model for the central figure of Flora in Sandro Botticelli's famous Primavera. During her time in Botticelli's studiolo, Luciana makes a startling discovery.
She enlists the help of the one man who has never wanted her – novice librarian Brother Guido of Santa Croce, in an effort to explain what she has found.
Monk and Courtesan find themselves in mortal danger as they are pursued through nine cities of Renaissance Italy in an attempt to decode the painting's secrets.
The pair soon realize that the Primavera's hidden message reveals a political conspiracy that reaches all the way up to Lorenzo de Medici himself.
The Secrets of Spring is a breathless historical thriller aka The Botticelli Code!
Marina has only just typed the last full-stop, so watch this space for release dates.