Please, do not ask me who I am, where I come from and where my home is. Unless you're ready for a night full of stories, escapades and adventures. I have lived all around the world, I have many homes away from home, my family is spread all over the planet, and I have friends on every continent. I have spent a great deal of my years at airports, on planes and boats, in cars and on horseback. My little red suitcase is always packed and ready to go, and so is my soul.When you open my new book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, you can see a heartfelt dedication that means so much to me: "This book is dedicated to my parents who raised me to love faraway journeys, gave me an open mind to discover new worlds, and taught me to respect the people that these worlds are created by." And so it is.
Traveling helps you see the world through different, much more open-minded eyes. You learn to understand and respect different cultures, religions and political systems. You become less judgmental and more humble. You also learn to be independent, self-sufficient and resourceful. You become stronger and more decisive in moments of crisis, you learn to look for joy in details and little everyday things, and you become a keen observer. You open up to strangers and become a sponge that absorbs other people's life stories with excited interest and curiosity.
My Chique Books are nothing but collections of impressions, moments, laughs, smiles, tears, hugs and emotions that become a part of you forever. I believe that this is the reason why my readers say they feel my books are a magic carpet that takes them to the places I write about. Through the pages of my books, they can feel the energy of the place, they can see the colors, enjoy the smells and the scents, talk to the people and hear their voices. That's why I don't really consider myself a travel writer. I'm a traveler who takes thousands of women with her and lets them experience what she is experiencing, feel what she is feeling.
I am a big believer in experiences. I do not care about things, although I love surrounding myself with beauty. I have no emotional attachment to things but I couldn't live without experiences, without the thrill of travel, without the curiosity and the exploration. Sitting at home and making things up doesn't do it for me: I'm a woman who's been there, done it, and is not afraid to write about it, that's what makes my life Chique.
Barb learned to read and write at the age of four, and a year later, she wrote her first bestselling book that became a big hit in local kindergartens. She turned into an overnight success that lasted for twelve exciting hours. Since then, she has never separated from her writing endeavors. Barb writes even in her sleep and she can often be seen sitting on her bed at three a.m. with a flashlight frantically processing her somnambulant ideas. A born nomad and adventurer, she’s been there, she’s done it, and she’s not afraid to write about it.
An entertaining storyteller, Barb has a unique ability to capture the magical atmosphere of the places she writes about. Through the pages of her books, Barb takes your hand and guides you through the irresistible beauty, captivating secrets, unrepeatable spell and fugitive moments of Italy. She makes them come alive easily and spontaneously, and her writing is like a magic carpet that carries you to Italy and back in the blink of an eye. She introduces you to fascinating women who have created the face of Italy, lifts the shroud of their mysteries, and reveals adorable places off the beaten track where the authentic Italian heart hasn’t stopped beating.
As a naturally curious person who loves traveling, meeting new people and discovering their life stories, Barbara founded Chique Show, an entertaining radio show for women and about women. On Chique Show, Barbara shares her Dolce Vita adventures and interviews inspiring women authors and experts who show listeners how to live their sweet life with gusto.
Barb lives between New York and Milan, and as a real globetrotter, she is always on the move; accompanied by her adorable and very spoiled beagle. To her, writing is like breathing, and she is currently working on her new book.
Her latest book is Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, a narrative travel nonfiction book full of charming, poetic, delightful and humorous travel and life stories about extraordinary Milanese women, men who have succumbed to their temptation and the art of living your own dolce vita no matter where in the world you are.
You can visit her website at www.barbaraconelli.com or connect with her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbaraconelli or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/barbaraconelli.
Visit the author's tour page at Pump Up Your Book!
Purchase the book at Amazon!
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