A note from author Tess Woods;

When we pulled our children out of school for an extended holiday in Italy, my friends thought I was crazy that my greatest joy while there was cooking. Nothing beat going to the local markets, buying fresh produce and cooking delicious meals while looking out at the stunning Italian scenery.

So when it came to writing my novel, The Venice Hotel, of course the star of the show was the food! My story is set inside a bustling family run restaurant, where the matriarch, Signora Bianchi, cooks centuries old dishes, each with its own history.

As I wrote, I dreamed about hosting a long table lunch where I’d cook the dishes found within the pages of the book. And last weekend that’s just what I did for fourteen Perth booksellers.

We sat outside in the warm autumn sunshine and I wore a custom gifted apron. We feasted as we shared stories of Venice, of the food, the culture, and the environmental disaster unfolding in my favourite city in the world.

It was a logistically huge undertaking for my amazing publishing team including publicist, Hannah, marketing manager, Bek, and especially Perth regional sales manager, Jane. Bookshop managers had to organise a busy Saturday shift off work. And it was labour intensive for me – I cooked for thirteen hours the day before and then woke up at the crack of dawn to keep cooking on the day. But that quality time with local indie booksellers, to be able to share so much of my heart with them, made it absolutely worth the effort.

I wish I could replicate the experience in my leafy back garden for every reader of The Venice Hotel.

Tess x

You can preorder The Venice Hotel now!