
by Sandra Murphy
Mia Carina was living in Florida when her husband disappeared. His adulterous ways, the lack of a body, and her mob connections (dad), made her a person of interest. It was time for a major change. She’s back in Astoria, Noo Yawk, living with her cat and Nonna (Italian grandmother). Her new job is technically the event planner at her father’s newly acquired banquet hall. In reality, it’s trying to keep him on the straight and narrow while running the business. The “newly acquired” means there was a guy who couldn’t pay his gambling debts and the mob was involved, and now there’s the banquet hall to run, totally legit, of course.

by Maria Ruiz
Traveling around the world was a lot of fun. But not every experience was. Sometimes a glimpse into another life leaves one feeling sad and helpless. Some of the things we saw were funny, some outrageous, and some shocking. But never boring. And each one opened another little window into another culture.

by Maria Ruiz
Another holiday season, and the shops were full of gifts and magnificent candies or cookies. We were driving in southern Italy and crossed to Sicily on a ferry, two days before Christmas.

by Maria Ruiz
My husband and I were visiting Venice, Italy with our little dog, Sherman, and a friend from the USA, Joyce. Hunger drove us to explore some side streets in search of a light lunch which wouldn’t require a bank loan to pay.

by Maria Ruiz
Bang! Crunch! “What did we hit?” my husband yelled as he brought the motor home to a stop.
“It’s a kid!” I yelled back. Looking out the passenger window, I saw a pair of little legs and a bicycle wheel sticking out from under the side.