Highlighting Historical Romance with Belle Ami, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Fioretta Gorini
The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci is a romance/suspense/historical/time-travel thriller. Whew, that’s a lot of categories, however it correctly covers the genres. It spans a time period of 500 years beginning in the Renaissance. Angela Renatus, my heroine who is an art historian, is experiencing dreams and visions, which she has no idea are from two of her past lives. The dreams are about Leonardo Da Vinci and his relationship to Fioretta Gorini. Taken from the threads of history, Fioretta was the lover of Giuliano Medici. I’ve taken historical license and created a scenario that Giuliano and Fioretta secretly married, completely plausible since Fioretta and Giuliano had a son together who became Pope Clement VII. Leonardo paints a wedding portrait that disappeared from the Uffizi Gallery, hence the search for the missing portrait is begun.
[Portrait of a Young Woman by Sandro Botticelli reputed to be Fioretta Gorini]
During WWII during the Nazis occupation of Florence a German officer/art historian, Gerhard Jaeger, and his paramour Sophia Caro discover a misattributed Leonardo wedding portrait that they believe was painted by the maestro himself, Leonardo da Vinci. Gerhard defects with a pregnant Sophia and they take the painting, in order to protect it, to her family’s vineyard in the Tuscan village of Montefioralle. Gerhard and the painting disappear.
In The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci I have thoroughly researched both Renaissance Florence and the Medici, and a war ravaged Florence during the German occupation. I take the reader on a journey back in time, giving them a window into the life and personality of the greatest painter of all time, Leonardo da Vinci.
About the Book
One painting, three lifetimes, will her visions lead her to the truth?
Art historian Angela Renatus is haunted by dreams of Leonardo da Vinci and a mysterious painting of Giuliano Medici and his mistress Fioretta Gorini. A painting that, as far as the world knows, doesn’t exist. Compelled by her visions, Angela is determined to find out the truth.
When Angela is contacted by art detective Alex Caine, she’s shocked to learn that he too is seeking the same painting. Alex’s client, a wealthy German financier, is determined to clear the name of his late uncle, Gerard Jaeger, an art historian, who went missing in Florence, during World War II. In letters written before his disappearance, the historian describes his love affair with a beautiful young Italian woman named Sophia Caro, and the discovery of an extraordinary painting by the great master himself—a painting depicting Giuliano and Fioretta.
Angela and art detective, Alex Caine journey to Florence in search of the priceless treasure. Is it a lost da Vinci, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, or a wild goose-chase that will only lead to a dead end? But someone else is searching for the elusive painting—Alberto Scordato is a powerful man in the art world and a sociopath who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even murder. Scordato knows something about Angela that even she doesn’t know, something that could threaten both Angela and Alex’s lives, forcing them into the crosshairs of fate.
About the Author
Belle Ami is an Amazon Bestselling author of romantic suspense, romantic thrillers and international mystery with a time-travel twist. Her first novel was a finalist for a major book award and launched her dynamic writing career. Belle is a 2018 RONE Award finalist in the romantic suspense category for her novel ESCAPE (Tip of the Spear Series Book 1). The second book VENGEANCE has been highly lauded. RANSOM, the third book in the Tip of the Spear Series just went up for pre-sale on Amazon.
Belle is also a Readers Favorite Book Award Finalist for her time Travel Romance THE GIRL WHO KNEW DA VINCI. (Book 1 Out of Time Series). When Belle isn’t working on her next book, she’s most likely in the kitchen whipping up something delicious for her family to enjoy. In addition to enjoying gourmet cook, Belle is also an accomplished pianist, skier, and world traveler. She lives in Calabasas, CA with her wonderful husband and two kids. She also lives with Cindy Crawford and Giorgio Armani (who just happen to be a horse and a chihuahua).
