Stefania Hartley

Very Large Print edition "To Be Loved" is a charming collection of short stories that warms the heart and tickles the funny bone. Stefania's writing is truly a delight, making it a perfect gift for those in need of a smile. -- Shady Sabet on Goodreads Amanda's name means "to be loved" and she's taken it as her duty to make herself lovable, but it's hard work. Has Tanino really abandoned Melina to freeze at home? Mark hasn't seen Nora for thirty years and, since then, he's lost a leg and all his hair. If he wasn't enough for her then, how can he be now? What happens if the dating app's algorithms go haywire? Ten humorous and heart-warming short stories about love-found, kept, reconquered-at all ages. The perfect winter warmer for your coffee break or as a bedtime read. Available also in ebook, paperbackand and audiobook narrated by the author. Another coffee break treasure from Stefania Hartley Each story is uplifting, often in surprising ways, with a splash of wry humour. My heart was touched by each tale.-- Sandy Salisbury I love all your writing, Stefania. Everything you write is a delight and leaves one smiling. -- Mary Jasper on X

"La convivenza penitenza" dice il proverbio, e dopo pi di cinquant'anni di vita coniugale, Tanino e Melina ne sanno qualcosa.Leggi le loro avventure mentre fanno a gara per dare alla nipotina il regalo di compleanno pi gradito, faticano a perdere peso in pi e si arrabattano per arrivare in tempo al battesimo della loro figlioccia in questa raccolta di dodici racconti dedicati interamente all'amatissima coppia siciliana. Disponibile anche in Stampa Grande/Caratteri GrandiInclude: Il regalo migliore. il compleanno della nipote. Chi le far il regalo migliore?Una piccola tentazione. Come pu Tanino perdere peso se Melina continua a cucinare i suoi piatti preferiti?Ogni scarafaggio bello per la sua mamma. Il caldo ha i suoi inconvenienti. Melina pu fare affidamento su Tanino perch la liberi dai suoi nemici a sei zampe?Portami in chiesa in tempo. Tanino li far arrivare in ritardo ai loro doveri di padrini?Sabbie mobili. Melina ha organizzato una gita al mare per l'onomastico di Tanino, ma lui preferirebbe essere altrove.Mi fai impazzire. Quando si tratta di scendere a compromessi sul parcheggio all'aeroporto, Tanino sulla strada sbagliata?Un villino in campagna. Mentre Melina d una festa di inaugurazione per una casa che non la sua, il vero proprietario si presenta come uno degli invitati.Il sangue non acqua. Melina non vede l'ora che arrivi il nipote scozzese. Se solo Tanino provasse lo stesso sentimento il pensiero che conta. Quando Tanino dice che non ha senso comprargli un regalo di compleanno con i suoi soldi, Melina si trova un lavoro. Ma a Tanino piacer il nuovo m nage domestico?Il lavello. Il lavello della cucina otturato e Tanino non sembra avere fretta di ripararlo. Potrebbe essere il momento per Melina di prendere in mano la situazione?La gonna stretta. Tanino si pente profondamente del suo commento incauto sulla gonna di Melina quando lei li mette a dieta e si iscrive in palestra.Un'umile richiesta. Nonostante tutti i suoi tentativi, Tanino sembra incapace di rendere felice Melina. Ma sta provando le cose sbagliate?Tanino e Melina dovrebbero davvero avere la loro sit-com. - Alan Spink, redattore della rivista The People's Friend Le storie della Hartley sono un tonico: piene di personaggi deliziosi e alla mano, di dilemmi riconoscibili e di colpi di scena inaspettati. Soprattutto, ogni storia ci ricorda che la semplice bont umana pu ancora essere trovata e condivisa. - Sandy Salisbury La Hartley non ci regala solo storie, ma una fetta di vita italiana servita con un pizzico di fascino e di arguzia. Consigliatissimo - Ella Hayes

(Edizione a caratteri molto grandi per chi soffre con la vista) "La convivenza penitenza" dice il proverbio, e dopo pi di cinquant'anni di vita coniugale, Tanino e Melina ne sanno qualcosa.Leggi le loro avventure mentre fanno a gara per dare alla nipotina il regalo di compleanno pi gradito, faticano a perdere peso in pi e si arrabattano per arrivare in tempo al battesimo del loro figlioccio in questa raccolta di dodici racconti dedicati interamente all'amatissima coppia siciliana."La convivenza penitenza" dice il proverbio, e dopo pi di cinquant'anni di vita coniugale, Tanino e Melina ne sanno qualcosa.Leggi le loro avventure mentre fanno a gara per dare alla nipotina il regalo di compleanno pi gradito, faticano a perdere peso in pi e si arrabattano per arrivare in tempo al battesimo della loro figlioccia in questa raccolta di dodici racconti dedicati interamente all'amatissima coppia siciliana. Include: Il regalo migliore. il compleanno della nipote. Chi le far il regalo migliore?Una piccola tentazione. Come pu Tanino perdere peso se Melina continua a cucinare i suoi piatti preferiti?Ogni scarafaggio bello per la sua mamma. Il caldo ha i suoi inconvenienti. Melina pu fare affidamento su Tanino perch la liberi dai suoi nemici a sei zampe?Portami in chiesa in tempo. Tanino li far arrivare in ritardo ai loro doveri di padrini?Sabbie mobili. Melina ha organizzato una gita al mare per l'onomastico di Tanino, ma lui preferirebbe essere altrove.Mi fai impazzire. Quando si tratta di scendere a compromessi sul parcheggio all'aeroporto, Tanino sulla strada sbagliata?Un villino in campagna. Mentre Melina d una festa di inaugurazione per una casa che non la sua, il vero proprietario si presenta come uno degli invitati.Il sangue non acqua. Melina non vede l'ora che arrivi il nipote scozzese. Se solo Tanino provasse lo stesso sentimento il pensiero che conta. Quando Tanino dice che non ha senso comprargli un regalo di compleanno con i suoi soldi, Melina si trova un lavoro. Ma a Tanino piacer il nuovo m nage domestico?Il lavello. Il lavello della cucina otturato e Tanino non sembra avere fretta di ripararlo. Potrebbe essere il momento per Melina di prendere in mano la situazione?La gonna stretta. Tanino si pente profondamente del suo commento incauto sulla gonna di Melina quando lei li mette a dieta e si iscrive in palestra.Un'umile richiesta. Nonostante tutti i suoi tentativi, Tanino sembra incapace di rendere felice Melina. Ma sta provando le cose sbagliate?Tanino e Melina dovrebbero davvero avere la loro sit-com. - Alan Spink, redattore della rivista The People's Friend Le storie della Hartley sono un tonico: piene di personaggi deliziosi e alla mano, di dilemmi riconoscibili e di colpi di scena inaspettati. Soprattutto, ogni storia ci ricorda che la semplice bont umana pu ancora essere trovata e condivisa. - Sandy Salisbury La Hartley non ci regala solo storie, ma una fetta di vita italiana servita con un pizzico di fascino e di arguzia. Consigliatissimo - Ella Hayes

Easy-on-the-eye very large print. How far should Viviana's family go to avoid being thirteen at the table? Should Melina and Tanino attend a New Year's party hosted by Melina's old flame? Why do Don Pericle's clients want a Christmas wedding at all costs?Ten humorous and heart-warming short stories shining with the Sicilian sunshine, fragrant with red wine and ringing with Christmas bells, perfect for the festive season. Also available in ebook and smaller print paperback Hartley's stories are a tonic: full of delightful, down-to-earth characters and recognisable life dilemmas, as well as unexpected twists. Above all, each story reminds us that simple human goodness can still be found and shared. -Sandy Salisbury

How far should Viviana's family go to avoid being thirteen at the table? Should Melina and Tanino attend a New Year's party hosted by Melina's old flame? Why do Don Pericle's clients want a Christmas wedding at all costs?Ten humorous and heart-warming short stories shining with the Sicilian sunshine, fragrant with red wine and ringing with Christmas bells, perfect for the festive season. Also available in Large Print Hartley's stories are a tonic: full of delightful, down-to-earth characters and recognisable life dilemmas, as well as unexpected twists. Above all, each story reminds us that simple human goodness can still be found and shared. -Sandy Salisbury

Easy-on-the-eye very large print. Father Okoli dreams of owning a flock of hens and studying for a PhD, when his bishop saddles him with yet another parish to look after.But as Father moves to Moreton-on-the-Edge, a farming village in the English Cotswolds, he's plugged into a community of warm-hearted characters, from the motherly parish secretary to her septuagenarian neighbour who's become a cycling champion, and from teenagers requiring driving lessons to atheist publicans who believe in miracles.Between a wacky race and a scarecrow competition, a village f te and a mop fair, Father foils cattle rustlers, fends off foxes and goes viral on the internet. As the community pulls together to reopen the village's Electric Picture House, dreams are fulfilled, teen love blossoms and Father Okoli feels that Moreton-on-the-Edge is now home. Divided into thirty-one short self-contained small chapters, this popular series from The People's Friend includes one brand-new story never published before.(Also available in smaller print and ebook) Hartley has once again produced a collection of heart-warming, uplifting stories, this time set in that mythical English village we all wished we lived in.- Sandy Salisbury I love all your writing, Stefania. Everything you write is a delight, and leaves one smiling.- Mary Jasper on Twitter

Easy-on-the-eye Very Large Print. Is it too late for Melina to learn to drive? Is Don Pericle's vow never to fall in love again still valid after fifty years? Will a falling piano squash Filomena or just shake up her heart? Why does the mother of the bride ask Don Pericle to cancel the wedding?Ten humorous and heart-warming short stories, glowing with Sicilian sunshine, fragrant with home-made tomato sauce, and thrumming with mandolins' serenades. Ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read.Written by Stefania Hartley, The Sicilian Mama. Praise for Stars Are Silver and other short stories: Hartley's stories are a tonic: full of delightful, down-to-earth characters and recognisable life dilemmas, as well as unexpected twists. Above all, each story reminds us that simple human goodness can still be found and shared. -Sandy Salisbury, author of Prairie Gold Super, observant writing. Tanino and Melina] really should have their own sit-com.- Alan Spink, Editor of The People's Friend Magazine, on the Tanino and Melina stories Hartley doesn't just give us stories, she gives us a slice of Italian life served with lashings of charm and wit. Highly recommended - Ella Hayes, author of Italian Summer with the Single Dad

Ten emotional uplifting short stories ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read. For Don Pericle, wedding organising is a calling, not just a career. Deep in the Sicilian countryside, between rose gardens and trellised balconies, up marble staircases and across damasked ballrooms, these charming stories unfold: stories of star-crossed love, of comedic misunderstandings and of deep friendships, of love triumphing in the face of adversity. To these brides and grooms-to-be, Don Pericle becomes a guru, a mentor, even a friend, solving problems, untangling knots, rearranging menus and transforming lives. Fishmongers and Ferrari drivers, dressmakers and divorcees, gardeners and grandmothers: within the walls of Villa Lingualarga, all are offered a new chance at understanding each other - and maybe even finding true love.Also available in Large Print. Praises for Confetti and Lemon Blossom: A super read, and we all enjoyed the quirky, insightful style of storytelling-The People's Friend editorial team What a lovely story - so sweet and funny. Don Pericle is such an interesting character - we all need someone like that in our lives -Ewan Smith, author of pocket novels, short stories and poems While there may be ups and downs, mishaps and misplacements in each wedding scenario, the basis of the entire book are love and relationships, which makes this a sweet and heartwarming book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a relationship story, or collection of relationship stories from a slightly different perspective."-LoveReading Ambassador

Will Gn Peppina give her customers what they need, even if it's more than food? What pleasures can a man indulge in after his wife has put him on a draconian diet? Who will be able to cook dinner for the family with five euros? Five humorous short stories ablaze with the Sicilian sunshine, vibrating with the singsongs of the street-sellers, fragrant with the scent of the sea, ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read. Written by Stefania Hartley, The Sicilian Mama.Also available in Large Print. Praise for Fresh from the Sea and other short stories: Full of atmosphere, fun and warmth. It's an absolutely charming read. - Shirley Blair, Senior Editor of The People's Friend magazine, on the short story Cooking with Franca "I don't just give them food ...] I give them what they need " So says Gn Peppina in Stefania Hartley's utterly delightful short story collection, Fresh from the Sea and other stories. The unifying theme is food, but Italian family life is at the heart of this collection and what a vibrant depiction of family life it is In "Five Euro Challenge", a husband and wife compete to buy the ingredients for a family meal for under five euros, whilst in "Gn Peppina", the story of widow Gn Peppina is cleverly served over five courses with an extra sweet ending. In "Forbidden Pleasures" Marta suspects that giving up sugar has led her husband into other, more worrying temptations...There is a freshness and candour about Hartley's writing. Her tongue is as sharp as a Sabatier knife but there's always a twinkle in her eye. The imagery is deft and evocative, whether we're encountering "belligerent lobsters" at the fish market, or Amanda the bimbo with her red Ferrari lips at Carla and Massimo's party. Hartley's characters come alive from the very first line and hold your attention right to the end. Hartley doesn't just give us stories, she gives us a slice of Italian life served with lashings of charm and wit. Highly recommended - Ella Hayes, author of Her Brooding Scottish Heir In these short stories Stefania Hartley skewers universal foibles with humour. With sharp and at the same time gentle irony she invites us to laugh not only at the characters but, with them, at ourselves. The sunny quality of the tales owes as much to their Sicilian setting as to a warm perspective on human beings - Valeria Vescina, author of That Summer in Puglia

Easy-on-the-eye very large print. Ten short stories ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read.For Don Pericle, wedding organising is a calling, not just a career. Deep in the Sicilian countryside, between rose gardens and trellised balconies, up marble staircases and across damasked ballrooms, these charming stories unfold: stories of star-crossed love, of comedic misunderstandings and of deep friendships, of love triumphing in the face of adversity. To these brides and grooms-to-be, Don Pericle becomes a guru, a mentor, even a friend, solving problems, untangling knots, rearranging menus and transforming lives. Fishmongers and Ferrari drivers, dressmakers and divorcees, gardeners and grandmothers: within the walls of Villa Lingualarga, all are offered a new chance at understanding each other - and maybe even finding true love.Praises for Confetti and Lemon Blossom: A super read, and we all enjoyed the quirky, insightful style of storytelling-The People's Friend editorial team What a lovely story-so sweet and funny. Don Pericle is such an interesting character - we all need someone like that in our lives -Ewan Smith, author of pocket novels, short stories and poems While there may be ups and downs, mishaps and misplacements in each wedding scenario, the basis of the entire book are love and relationships, which makes this a sweet and heartwarming book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a relationship story, or collection of relationship stories from a slightly different perspective."-LoveReading Ambassador

Easy-on-the-eye very large print Will Gn Peppina give her customers what they need, even if it's more than food? What pleasures can a man indulge in after his wife has put him on a draconian diet? Who will be able to cook dinner for the family with five euros? Five humorous short stories ablaze with the Sicilian sunshine, vibrating with the singsongs of the street-sellers, fragrant with the scent of the sea, ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read. Written by Stefania Hartley, The Sicilian Mama. Praise for Fresh from the Sea and other short stories: Full of atmosphere, fun and warmth. It's an absolutely charming read. - Shirley Blair, Senior Editor of The People's Friend magazine, on the short story Cooking with Franca "I don't just give them food ...] I give them what they need " So says Gn Peppina in Stefania Hartley's utterly delightful short story collection, Fresh from the Sea and other stories. The unifying theme is food, but Italian family life is at the heart of this collection and what a vibrant depiction of family life it is In "Five Euro Challenge", a husband and wife compete to buy the ingredients for a family meal for under five euros, whilst in "Gn Peppina", the story of widow Gn Peppina is cleverly served over five courses with an extra sweet ending. In "Forbidden Pleasures" Marta suspects that giving up sugar has led her husband into other, more worrying temptations...There is a freshness and candour about Hartley's writing. Her tongue is as sharp as a Sabatier knife but there's always a twinkle in her eye. The imagery is deft and evocative, whether we're encountering "belligerent lobsters" at the fish market, or Amanda the bimbo with her red Ferrari lips at Carla and Massimo's party. Hartley's characters come alive from the very first line and hold your attention right to the end. Hartley doesn't just give us stories, she gives us a slice of Italian life served with lashings of charm and wit. Highly recommended - Ella Hayes, author of Her Brooding Scottish Heir In these short stories Stefania Hartley skewers universal foibles with humour. With sharp and at the same time gentle irony she invites us to laugh not only at the characters but, with them, at ourselves. The sunny quality of the tales owes as much to their Sicilian setting as to a warm perspective on human beings - Valeria Vescina, author of That Summer in Puglia