Melissa Muldoon

Begin an enchanting journey of language discovery with "Sofia, la Piccola Matta Teaches Italian." Melissa Muldoon brings this vibrantly illustrated narrative to life, paving a colorful path for children and those new to language learning straight to the heart of Italian basics. Follow the story of "La Piccola Matta" Sofia, a spirited 8-year-old Italian girl, and her playful beagle, Moka, as they introduce their new friend Ty, a young English speaker, to the wonders of their native tongue. The adventures of Sofia and her friends guide readers through Italy's rich language and culture. The book streamlines learning with a focus on numbers, colors, adjectives, personal pronouns, basic verbs, and the foundations of verb conjugation. This interactive, educational book makes the first steps into Italian learning delightful and approachable for "big and small kids" alike.

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the "peculiar feeling" she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie's previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family--a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts--she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie's relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi--an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that--Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the "thing" we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city's antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de' Medici--the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband--Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces--all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.