Danny Wynn Shares His Memories About Majorca, the Spanish Island #Literary #Drama

My novella “Man from the Sky” takes place entirely on the Spanish island of Majorca.  I first became aware of Majorca in 1987 when I was living in London.  A the time, in the U.K., Majorca was perceived as a vacation spot predominantly for a tacky, low-brow crowd, and there was a famous Heineken TV advertisement in which people recited, in a very low-class English accent, the line, “The water in Majorca doesn’t taste what it ought to” (I think from “My Fair Lady”).  Thus, I had never considered it as a vacation destination for myself.

However, I acquired a Dutch girlfriend, whose mother had renovated an old farmhouse on the island to use as a second home, and my girlfriend essentially said to me, “Look before you laugh.”  She explained to me that it is a large island, and yes, there are some tacky enclaves, but they’re very contained, and the rest of the island is very beautiful and has a lot to offer.  We went to a spot on the mountainous western coast, and I immediately fell in love with the place.  (It was a shame she was so unpleasant on the trip because she had turned me on to one of my favorite places in the world, and that should been a big plus for our relationship.)  There is a certain kind of beauty that is specific to the Mediterranean – a dry green, reddish-tan, and textured rustic beauty – and I saw that Majorca was the finest example of it I had ever seen.  I couldn’t stop looking at the place.  Since then, I’ve been back about two dozen times, the longest stay being six weeks, and have explored much more of the island.  Also, now a close friend of mine lives there with his family, further increasing the enjoyment I get from being there, and making it more fun to go solo.

The main city is Palma – about 250,000 residents, I think – and when I first went to the island, it was quite seedy and run-down.  I tended to stay away from it.  But over the years, as the Majorcan economy has done very well, the city has been cleaned up and re-vitalized.  Today, it is a vibrant, attractive city, with a fair amount of culture and very mild winters (on some days, you can dine outside during the winter).  As I say in my novella, the sun and the sea don’t hurt.

Also, over the years, the cuisine has gone from simple country fare to some of the finest in the world.  There are exceptional restaurants everywhere, not to mention about 100 gorgeous, luxury hotels scattered over the island, mostly in beautiful converted old structures like monasteries and large manor houses.

The best beaches are on the southern and eastern coasts, and the greatest visual beauty is found on the western coast where a 100-mile long mountain range descends to the sea, with villages halfway up the mountains scattered along the way.  The car-rides along that coast are one of those things that belong on a list of things to do before you die.

It not only proved to be the perfect setting for my novella, but it also partly inspired the novella, which is consistent with the fact there is a mountain there said to inspire creativity in people. The island became virtually a character in the story.

I’m headed there again at least once this year, and maybe a second time to promote my book there.  I can’t wait.

How far would you go to add excitement to a life you felt was boring and meaningless?

For seventy-three-year-old Jaime, the answer takes him by surprise. Accustomed to a lonely life high up in the mountains on the western coast of Mallorca, his dull routine is suddenly shattered when a man parachutes from a plane and lands nearby. The plane crashes; the man lives.

It’s a drug smuggling operation gone bad. But Stefan, the man from the sky, has escaped with eight kilos of cocaine in a gym bag. Jaime brings Stefan home and is soon entangled in Stefan’s attempts to sell the cocaine and start a new life.

As they dodge Parisian drug dealers and corrupt Mallorcan police, Jaime’s search for excitement and Stefan’s resolve to find stability lead them both down dangerous paths.

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Genre – Literary Fiction, Adventure

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://www.dannywynn.net/

Since You've Been Gone .... #Excerpt from Olga Soaje's TWELVE HOUSES #Fiction #Women #TBR

Since You’ve Been Gone

Stay with me.

Don’t fall asleep too soon.

The angels can wait for a moment.

—Westlife, “Written in the Stars”

You promised you would never leave me. Thirty-five years ago, I looked you directly in the eye and heard, “I will never leave you,” as we stood next to the ocean. And now, like a thief in the night, you go. No last words, no promises, no tears.

As I look back at that moment, I can still feel your hand intertwined with mine, each finger between mine, like an oyster shut tight against the sea, protecting the treasure it carries inside. But the treasure was in my belly, full of love and expectations.

We walked like tourists along Pier 59, a place we came to think of as home. Wind in our faces and a carefree spirit in our hearts. Gently you stopped and pulled my hand so I would follow suit as you turned; I could see your eyes full of love and complete devotion. I felt I could stay in that moment forever. It was this feeling, this sublime happiness, that I did not want changed or challenged. That’s when I turned to you and looked into those blue eyes as I said aloud, “I don’t want this to change.”

Your face distorted into a concerned expression as you tried to reassure me. “It will be different when the baby arrives; it will be even better.”

“It’s not that. I’m excited about meeting the baby and having it with us.”

So you poked at the subject with concern on your face, as you asked, “Then what is it? What don’t you want to change?”

“Us,” I answered blithely, taking in a large whiff of air through my nose as a source of strength for what I was about to request of you. As I looked out to the sea right in front of us, I said, “I don’t want to forget this feeling. I want to always feel this love and peace between us.”

You gave me that dimply smile. “We will always have it. And when we don’t, we will have the direction in which we want to go.”

As a sea gull passed close to us, landing in the water with a tiny splash, I looked at you and finally said what had been on my mind, the deep seed of this conversation. “I don’t want to lose you.” Once again, your easy laugh, followed by an enveloping hug, while you gave me the grin I’d come to realize meant, You’re hormonal. “I’m serious. Just promise me…”

Can anything good follow the best thing that ever happened to you?

Amelia Weiss loved her husband of thirty-five years very much, but now he’s left her a widow. Without him, she is unable to work in her sculpture studio without crying. She no longer has a bridge to her estranged daughter. And she can’t seem to keep her mind in the present.

But when her daughter reaches out asking for her help and her agent threatens a lawsuit if Amelia doesn’t deliver for an upcoming exhibit, she’s forced to make a choice. Will she reengage with her life and the people in it—allowing room for things to be different than they were before? Or, will she remain stuck in the past, choosing her memories over real-life relationships?

Thrust fully into the present, Amelia stumbles into a surprising journey of self-discovery.

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Genre – Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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