Tuscan Rose (61 page)

Professor Alessandro Fantechi of the University of Florence for so generously helping me with some tricky historical and cultural questions about the city.

Gianluca Alimeni, Associate Lecturer in Italian Studies at Macquarie University and President of the Tuscan Association of NSW, for reading the manuscript to check the Italian references. This was of invaluable help to me.

To Melinda Gallo who so kindly helped me check facts about Florence and Florentine culture.

Pauline O’Kane of Ku-ring-gai Library who helped me find even the most obscure books for my research and managed to obtain all of them on inter-library loan.

To my brother, Paul, for his excellent explanations of military tactics and Second World War history. His illustration of how to correctly storm an enemy stronghold—using oranges, avocados and a banana on the kitchen counter to demonstrate—is a memory that will always make me laugh.

I’d also like to thank my wonderful agent, Selwa Anthony, whose story advice was invaluable and much appreciated. (Selwa and I have a simple gauge of whether a scene is moving or not by whether it makes her cry.
Are you crying, Selwa? No? All right, let me go back and rewrite that again.
)

Thank you again to my lovely and gracious publisher, Linda Funnell, for her tremendous support for me and her enthusiasm for
Tuscan Rose
. I’d also like to express my appreciation to my talented editor, Nicola O’Shea. Nicola has worked with me since my first book,
White Gardenia
, and I always know my story and characters are in safe hands with her.

I’d like to thank Kate O’Donnell, Senior Editor at HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia, for her expert coordination of the editing process. She is always courteous and accommodating and her efforts are very much appreciated.

Thank you to the wonderful team at HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia who greet each new book with enthusiasm and verve. I’d especially like to thank Michael Moynahan, CEO; Shona Martyn, Publishing Director; Karen-Maree Griffiths and Jim Demetriou; and the dynamic sales, publicity and administrative departments.

Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful family and friends for all their support. I’d especially like to thank my lovely husband, Mauro, and my wonderful father, Stan, for all the legwork they do for me when I am writing—especially collecting books from libraries near and far. I’m very blessed to have them.

I’d also like to thank my father-in-law, Johnny (Giovanni Battista), for translating and writing correspondence for me. And last but definitely not least, I’d like to thank my friends whose support and enthusiasm make the work of writing a book all the more enjoyable. I’d like to make special mention here of Melinda Hutchings, Lyn McPherson, Tracey Russell and Fiona Workman.

Thank you to you all.

Belinda Alexandra has been published to wide acclaim in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Poland, Norway and Russia and soon in Spain. She is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father and has been an intrepid traveller since her youth. Her love of other cultures is matched by her passion for her home country, Australia, where she is a volunteer carer for the New South Wales Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES).

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