Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the blog series where I share snippets from new and past releases, and works-in-progress, except on the days when writing buddies come along to play.

Today I’m delighted to welcome Vanessa Carnevale to the blog. Late last year I had the great pleasure of being interviewed on Vanessa’s podcast and had a wonderful chat about writing and publishing. If you have any interest in either of those subjects, or just enjoy hearing authors talk about their craft and business, then I can highly recommend Vanessa’s Your Creative Life podcast and it’s 60 episodes. That’ll keep you going!

But we’re not here to talk about podcasts. We’re here to talk BOOKS! And Vanessa has just released her debut novel – applause all round, please – and it’s gorgeous. The Florentine Bridge is a luminous story of love, travel, and making the most of life’s second chances.

This one’s on my to-be-read pile. It should be on yours too.

Please welcome Vanessa to tell you a little about The Florentine Bridge and share a teaser from it.

Thanks for having me Cathryn! I’m so pleased to be here sharing a snippet of my debut novel, THE FLORENTINE BRIDGE! The story follows the journey of a young Australian woman and aspiring artist by the name of Mia, who has been cancer free for nine months. Even though she’s been given the all clear, her perspective on life has changed and she’s lost the motivation to paint. So when the opportunity to travel to Tuscany presents itself, she takes it in the hope that her travels might help her find a way to overcome some of the challenges she’s been facing. I never intended to write a love story–that was a total accident! Mia meets a handsome Italian mechanic by the name of Luca, that sweeps her off her feet and shows her what it means to trust in life again.

The excerpt I’m sharing here is when Mia meets Luca for the first time.

I’m sure he’s been watching me. He’s wearing a pair of denim jeans and a light-blue polo with the collar popped, not perfectly straight but with one side slightly higher than the other. His messy dark-brown hair could do with a trim. He’s wearing a pair of loafers without socks and I can’t tell what colour his eyes are because he’s wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. He’s probably in his early twenties. My eyes trace the form of his clean-shaven face and my heart skips a beat when I reach the definition of his jawline. This guy is beautiful. My eyes travel down to his perfectly formed biceps, and I have to look away. I glance down at my old pair of jeans and ballet flats and wish I’d taken the time to at least iron my shirt and make a half-decent effort. I look so … Australian.

I stand up and try to smooth out the creases in my shirt. I may have just showered, but my hair is in a messy ponytail and my face is bare of makeup. He lifts up his sunglasses, and now he’s squinting to get a better look at the girl who has come to stay here—the girl from Australia, with no fashion sense whatsoever.

‘Buongiorno, signorina!’ he calls.

I manage a small wave in response, and by the time I reach him, I seem to have lost my voice. I don’t know whether to speak in English or to try out my limited Italian. ‘Hi there! Ciao!’ I blurt.

Oh my God, he’s so incredibly handsome.

‘Ciao, sono Luca, Luca Bonnici.’

‘Nice to meet you, I’m Mia.’

He steps towards me, towering over me slightly, and I can smell his aftershave. It’s subtle, but I recognise it from my brief stint at Myer’s cosmetic counter; I know I’ll never forget the scent of Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme again. 

Tuscany, a handsome Italian mechanic, love… totally sighworthy. Which means you’ll want to grab a copy right now. Try Booktopia, Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Fishpond.com.au, Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play or your favourite book retailer. Go on, everyone deserves a vicariously lived Tuscan holiday!

To learn more about Vanessa, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using @v_carnevale.