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Author, Author Edith Pazefall, Blog, Edith Parzefall, Holly Michael, International Day of Peace, Strays of Rio, www.writingstraight.com
In honor of International Day of Peace, I’m so thrilled to introduce one of my favorite authors: From Nuremberg, Germany, Edith Parzefall! Her latest novel STRAYS OF RIO is released today. Today, Edith is here to guest blog about her time in Rio de Janeiro, the setting of her latest release, STRAYS OF RIO! Welcome Edith!
Today, on the International Day of Peace, my novel Strays of Rio is published. The thriller genre I chose for Strays of Rio made it difficult to show much of the kind, fun-loving, life-embracing and caring nature of Brazilians.
Now I want to thank the wonderful people, who watched out and cared for me and my companion. A stall owner on the beach ran after us when I accidentally paid double the price for our food and walked away. A man on the street made sure we got on the right bus. A boy chased us down when my friend forgot her shoes in the sand of a beach restaurant. He didn’t even wait long enough for us to give him some money.
When I booked a Rio city tour in advance, the lady who organized it asked where to pick us up. I gave her the name and address of the hostel. A few days later she sent me an e-mail telling me she’d taken a detour on her way to work to check out the place, but the hostel looked abandoned. I tried to call them to no avail. My e-mails went unanswered.
Just in time, we were able to book a lovely quaint hotel in Bairro Peixoto. If this lady hadn’t cared so much, we’d have ended up hauling our suitcases through Rio de Janeiro in search of accommodation. This might have provided some interesting experiences for the novel, but one shouldn’t be too greedy. Come to think of it, Cariocas would likely have immediately taken the two lost gringas under their protective wings.
People never tried to rip us off, quite the contrary. They cared for our well-being and safety. At the hotel, my friend lost fifty Reais in the lounge area of the small lobby. Five minutes after we’d retreated to our room, the concierge called because he’d found the bills on the sofa where we’d been sitting.
As it turned out, the most striking experience for me was how amazingly helpful Brazilians are and how happy to talk to interested strangers, particularly our guide, who took us through favela Rocinha, with the approval of the local drug gang. He showed us the community school and introduced us to the headmistress and an American living and teaching English in the favela. Thank you all!
I hope the International Day of Peace will not only bring me joy over the
release of Strays of Rio, but create cease-fires all over the world and foster
sustainable peace on many levels. My heart and mind are in Rio de Janeiro
today, where the war over drugs and power still rages.
US link to purchase STRAYS OF RIO
blog: edith-parzefall.de
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/edith.parzefall
Twitter: EParzefall
Co-author of Wind Over Troubled Waters * http://tinyurl.com/co347j9
Author of Strays of Rio * http://tinyurl.com/7sokbu9
Thanks so much for hosting me today, Holly. No better place to say thanks to all the people who made my trip to Brazil a wonderful experience.
Thank you, Edith!
Edith, thank you for your post on Rio. I have never been south of Mexico but hope to fix that some day. In any case, I look forward to reading Strays of Rio soon.
Thank you, Bob! I hope you’ll enjoy the novel. If you make it to Rio, go up on the Sugar Loaf and shout Ola for me, please. π
I haven’t even been south of MickeyLand, but it is nice to hear of positive experiences in other countries. Best of luck with the book.
I can’t wait to read it, Edith. And the tour sounds like a lovely adventure in Rio!
Sounds like a wonderful adventure in Rio, Edith. Can’t wait to read the book!
Thanks so much, Lynne and Rick! π
No need to take the trip, gang. Just read the book. You’ll experience everything the country offers a tourist and a little bit more in the fiction: Strays of Rio. How many of us knew about the darker side? Gangsters treat children like vermin. It takes a strong woman to stand up to the authorities and sort things out. A woman driven by the memory of a similar experience.
We should get down on our knees and thank God we’ve been born in a free country.
The ever-generous Edith saw the best in people when she visited. Yet, we must remain aware that in any society hidden injustice could rise to blast away our complacency.
The more people pray for peace, the greater the effect.
How fitting that your novel, Strays of Rio, is released on the International Day of Peace, since Peace is what your novel stives to bring about. The book is a credit to you Edith. Congratulations. Your post is a lovely tribute to the people of Rio. Your book is a lovely trubute to the street kids.
Nice blog Holly.
Holly, I know you already have it, but… I decided to still nominated you for the Reader Appreciation Award because I love reading your blog π We’ll consider this an honorary mention and link, so more people could read your wonderful blog – http://ladaray.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/award-party-on-lada-ray-blog-beautiful-new-photos-of-russia/ Check it out (includes great new pics of Russia)!
Cheers,
Lada
Aw, Lada, you are so sweet!
Great post Holly, Congratulations Edith, interesting to hear another side of Rio, a less threatening and dangerous side than is depicted in Strays of Rio.
As others have said, I haven’t travelled to Brazil, but after reading your novel I feel as though I would recognise parts of Rio.
Thanks so much, everyone, for dropping by and enjoying the brighter side of Brazil with me.
What a wonderful post about the kindness of strangers. There is so much good in this world but people seem to dwell on the bad stuff. I have done some travelling and have always been amazed at the kindness of people everywhere. I just returned from a trip to Europe and visited your home of Nuremberg, Edith. I loved it and the people were so nice, the cab driver , the hotel staff, our fabulous tour guide and the lovely young woman I who sold me a great pair of shoes at the Hauptmarket. Good luck with your book!
Thanks for stopping by, Darlene!
Thank you, Darlene! Great to hear that you had a wonderful time in Nuremberg and that people were nice to you. As a local one notices these things far less. May the new shoes take you to many more exciting places.
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