COMING OUT APRIL 2012!

Wrestling With The Devil

Written by: Antonio Russo and Tonya Russo Hamilton

Hardback

ISBN: 978-0-9821023-9-9

www.figsandfamiglia.com

Plucked from his beloved Italian countryside, severed from his family, and placed on an ocean liner in the Bay of Naples, a ten-year-old child, Antonio Russo, embarks on the journey of his life.

As he steps foot onto New York soil with not a word of English, wearing a pair of shoes for the occasion, and his pockets stuffed with salami and provolone cheese, Antonio recalls the promise from his mother that he would find trees blossoming with gold, and have family members to take care of him. Eight months later, this young Italian boy finds himself hit with a hard dose of reality – obstacles presenting themselves at every turn.

These obstacles would become the demons in which Antonio finds himself doing constant battle, but as fate would have it, he comes to realize one day that he is good at something. He finds by chance, that he has a natural instinct and ability in the sport of wrestling.

As this story unfolds, it would be the sport of wrestling that ignites a passion, and guides him to the realization of his true potential, giving meaning to the struggle he and his family would endure in their journey from Italy to create a better way of life.

Here is what is being said…

“Wrestling with the Devil is an entrancing tale of perseverance, hard work and the pursuit of the American Dream, all wrapped in an exciting, dream-like story that tracks one of Oregon’s wrestling legends from the hills of his native Italy, to bustling New York, and finally Portland. My reverie was broken only by surges of inspiration to make the best out of my life, like Russo has stressed throughout his Hall of Fame coaching career. But this is not so much about takedowns and pins as much as it is about the importance of family, pursuing goals, and never quitting. Wrestling fan or not, I bet you can’t put it down.” –Jason Quick, The Oregonian

“Wrestling with the Devil” written by Tonya Russo Hamilton, in the voice of her father Antonio Russo, is a true labor of love by a talented daughter on behalf of her fathers’ amazing story. With roots in the old world that flowered in the new, this wonderful book captures the whole of the emigrant experience in America, the bravado, the ingenuity, the struggle for survival and, most of all, the grace and strength of the Italian-American family. Oral history at its most thrilling.”–Merridawn Duckler, Senior Fellow at the Attic Institute in Portland Oregon

“This is a warmly affectionate autobiography (as told to his daughter) of the life and times of Tony Russo, the Italian-born wrestler from the small town of Roccarainola, near Naples.  It depicts a fascinating account of his life—from Southern Italy to Portland, Oregon, to Arizona State University—highlighting both the triumphs and tragedies on the road to becoming a finalist in the Olympic trials at the World’s Fair in 1964 and culminating with his induction into the Oregon chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Tony’s story is a compelling look at the everyday wins and losses that accompany the pathway to being one of the best in collegiate and freestyle wrestling.  This work also shares his career move into coaching with its many rewards in preparing future wrestlers.  Written in an easy-to-read narrative style, this work is an important contribution to the world of wrestling and a must-read for enthusiasts of the sport.”–Curley Culp, Professional Football Player, NCAA Wrestling Champion, 1967, Arizona State University

Written by: Jan Vallone
Paperback
202 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9821023-5-0
Published: January 4, 2010
Author’s website: www.janvallone.com

At the age of forty-four, Jan Vallone is everything her Italian-American parents brought her up to be—a lawyer, wife and mother who owns a vintage home and takes European vacations. But instead of feeling happy and successful, she’s consumed by frustration and anxiety that have dimmed her faith and threaten to shatter her marriage. Discarding prosperity and prestige, she takes a job teaching English at a yeshiva—an Orthodox Jewish high school—though she was raised Catholic. There, she opens her heart to her students, who bloom under her tutelage and teach her the real meaning of faith and fulfillment.

Set in New York, Seattle and Italy, this memoir portrays how one woman fuses the facets of her life—family, career, ethnicity, spirituality and dreams—into a cohesive picture as luminous as stained glass.

Pieces of Someday may be purchased online at the following locations:

In Etna’s Shadow: Culinary Adventures from Eastern Sicily will delight foodies and armchair-travelers alike. It is a travel journal with a culinary bent. Evocative, full-color photographs transport you from the slopes of Europe’s tallest volcano, Mount Etna, to the fertile la Piana di Catania (Plain of Catania) below. The author takes you along on culinary adventures detailing everything from gelsi to gelato and carciofi to cassata while also presenting practical information on market days and sagre listings within the Province of Catania.

In Etna’s Shadow may be purchased online at the following locations:

Illustrated by: Steven Kernen
Softcover
24 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9821023-2-9
Published: March 30, 2010
Author’s site: www.giulianasica.com

This is the first in Gemelli Press’ Arcobaleno series dedicated to bringing the Italian language into the lives of English speaking children. It is perfect for both the classroom and for parents and children to learn the basics of Italian at home. The carefully researched choice of vocabulary rhymes and illustrations stimulate interest and promote effortless language absorption. The constant presence of the friendly Papà Ditino character guides them and offers a helping hand along with simultaneous translation references and colorful easy learning games of vocabulary association. The book’s dual objective is to educate parents and children at the beginner’s level blending educational elements with entertaining games.

If you are interested in this book for a group or classes please contact us for wholesale options.

Purchase Impariamo l’Italiano con l’Aiuto della Mano! online from the following locations:

Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills, and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program. He would travel to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family for a month.

His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams—he learned to cook from the grandmother, or nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in the bustling, busy household, as the nonne before her had done for generations. Her daughter Alessandra taught him the language with patience and precision. But besides culinary secrets and prepositions, they opened their lives to him and made him a real part of their extensive family.

Though the book contains delicious, authentic family recipes Nonna shared with Mark, Beyond The Pasta delves into food memoir subject matter not found in typical cookbooks. It was in the day-to-day living, befuddled social interactions, laughing and shopping with Nonna, and exploring the countryside and le gelaterie that he truly developed his language skills and a new, more joyful and uniquely Italian way of looking at the world.

To purchase Beyond the Pasta at an event directly from Mark click here:

To purchase this title online visit the following retail sites:

Written by: Giuliana Sica

445 pages     ISBN: 978-0-9821023-3-6

In this compelling and hauntingly vivid novel, Porzia Amard, an epicurean globetrotter, has left her French-Italian roots and her beloved wine making family behind in Tuscany to pursue her journalistic studies in the USA, eventually settling in Florida; Pensacola, to be exact, where hurricanes abound. And it is on the forceful tail end of one such hurricane that her life suddenly takes a mystical turn and the story begins.

When she unexpectedly inherits the legacy of unusual powers at her beloved grandmother’s deathbed, she embarks on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery. From the winding hills of Tuscany to the perilous landscape of South Australia and salt-scented beaches of western Florida, Porzia abandons the straightforward path after a past life regression introduces a distant soul mate, revealing a love so intense it has resisted the tarnishing of time.

Narrated in vibrant prose, infused with mouthwatering aromas of delicious recipes paired with inebriating wines Porzia’s life intertwines with mystical characters. She finds herself embroiled in a world of esoteric secrets and swept in a heated passion with famed off-road racer Gabe Miller. As they experience a love only few of us can imagine, let alone have ever savored, she finds herself believing Gabe to be her lost soul mate reincarnated. But complicating matters for the pair is Gabe’s elusive past and a promise, which lies at the heart of the book’s mystery.

This unique and extraordinary novel is an irresistible recipe for lovers of romance, wine, and the mystical realm. This book promises freedom from earthly boundaries; it blurs the lines between safety and the unconventional; between love and fear, between us and the gods.

Among the Cloud Dwellers is Book One of a trilogy, the Entrainment Series.

AMONG THE CLOUD DWELLERS REVIEWS/ ADVANCE PRAISE

” This is one helluva story– it resonates with a magic and mysticism that isn’t normally a feature of books that I opt to read, but even as the mystical parts confused my realism-craving reader’s soul, I still found myself pulled in. Sica clearly has a grip on sensual writing- from the tastes and smells described in deep detail to the tantalizing and passionate scenes of love, this is a most definitely a novel that employs one’s imagination along with all the senses. It calls for a suspension of disbelief, as well as perhaps a small inclination to entertain the previously unbelievable, in order to fully experience the ride. The ending left me wondering many things, so I’m happy to discover that this is simply the first book in a trilogy, and I look forward to finding where the journey leads to next!” –Dawn Mooney, Reviewer for Five Minutes for Books

“The writer , Giuliana Sica in the book” Among the Clouds Dwellers” will let your immagination fly  into a multicolored quilt of emotions.” –Benedetta Rosasco

“Absolutely inspiring! I want to quit my 9 to 5 cubicle job and leap into a more fulfilling life! This Bridget Jones is going mystical!”–Laura Gould-Zimmerman , Graphic Designer

“Bellissimo! Buonissimo! Fantastico! Magico! I’m hooked. Can’t wait for the sequel. Giuliana writes with a multicolored quill of passions! Food, wine, love and magic swirl in an intoxicating dance!”–Sabrina della Selva, Restaurateur & Sommelier, Toscana ,Italy

“Among the Clouds Dwellers is the start of something big. Giuliana Sica writes to the depths and heights of the human heart, and renders its yearnings with a magical, mystical, sophistication.” –Bradd Hopkins, Russell Dean and Company, writer, publisher, editor

“I was intrigued enough by the journey of love, discovery and travels for this young women to want to read it to end, only to discover that the journey for her was not over and wondering about the sequel (I want to find out).  The friendship with Benedetta and mentor Evalena reminded me of the wonderful women I know in my life. How Porzia could make wonderful dishes from very little in her fridge was great (I should be so smart and creative).  Her search for her soulmate, although at times frustrating, was again a reminder that we shouldn’t give up on finding happiness regardless of our past history.”          –Cheri Bricker-Burnett/Artist

“Thank you for inviting me into your adventure.  Manuscript in hand and I was off… what a ride! My eyes glued to the page constantly wondering, what happens next?  Congratulations on your accomplishment.  Waiting for more.”– Marta Huget, Voracious Reader.

“Dripping with desire, luscious language, plot propels…I want to live in this book. Please.” –Ilene Segalove,Author/Artist/Photographer