Travel with Mona to Argentina

I went to Argentina twice and enjoyed it tremendously. Often described as the Paris of Latin America, Buenos Aires owes its reputation to its wealth of beautiful Belle Epoque buildings. Many of Buenos Aires’s architectural landmarks were built in the early decades of the 20th century when the city exploded from colonial outpost to one of the wealthiest metropolises in the world. 

I loved this lively city so much that I described it in my most recent book, LAST CHANCE PLANS. Although the novel is set in Fort Lauderdale, one chapter takes place in Buenos Aires. Madison Howell, a flight attendant, is flying there on an assignment, and billionaire, Rick Lambert, joins her for a business trip that soon brings a lot of fun.

Plaza de Mayo

The Plaza de Mayo is a city square and main foundational site of Buenos Aires. It was formed in 1884 and became the political center of the country. Surrounded by the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the city’s main cathedral, Plaza de Mayo is the place where Argentineans gather in vehement protest or jubilant celebration.

Casa Rosada — from which Eva Peron addressed adoring crowds of workers.

The Plaza de Mayo is decorated by the Pyramid de Mayo (built in 1811 to commemorate the May Revolution a year earlier) and a grand statue of independence hero General Belgrano as well as towering palm trees and soothing fountains.

<<From time to time, Rick caressed her palm with the pad of his thumb as he glanced out of the window and listened to their driver, Mario, who took them to the famous Plaza de Mayo. “Tomorrow, you should walk in the square and take pictures,” Mario said as he waved at the May Pyramid, their oldest national monument.

“We will,” Madison promised.

Next, Mario drove along the Rio de la Plata waterfront at Puerto Madero, explaining that all streets in the district were named after women. They passed in front of the Museo Nacional de Belles Artes and the Teatro Colon. As he continued along 9 de Julio Avenue, he pointed at the obelisk that was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city, and he insisted they should have lunch or dinner at the famous Café Tortoni.

“Tonight we’re just getting an overview. Tomorrow we’ll walk and visit all these places and more,” Madison declared.

Rick smiled at her enthusiasm, determined to spice up their visit with his own brand of excitement.>>

The Monument to the Carta Magna and Four Regions of Argentina is located in the intersection of Del Libertador and Sarmiento Avenues, a landmark site in the Palermo, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is commonly referred to as the Monument of the Spanish. 
The Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano is a landmark of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located at Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada. It depicts General Manuel Belgrano holding the Flag of Argentina, and it is made of bronze over a pedestal of granite.
The Pyramid de Mayo, located in front of the Casa Rosada, or Pink House, in the Plaza de Mayo, location of many historic and political events.
El Obelisco
Built by Alberto Prebisch in 1936 to commemorate Buenos Aires’s 400th anniversary, this pointed needle is the city’s unofficial center, and a useful landmark for getting one’s bearings. Standing 222 feet tall, the obelisk has four sides on its shaft that represent moments in the city’s history, from its founding in 1536 to being named as Argentina’s capital in 1880

La Recoleta Cemetery

La Recoleta Cemetery
Argentine aristocrats were known to sell all their worldly possessions to pay for a spot in the country’s most exclusive cemetery. A maze of splendid mausoleums and dramatic crypts, it’s where the country’s most controversial figures (including, most famously, Eva Perón) sleep. 

The Abasto Mall

The Abasto shopping center was built in 1930s in the Art Deco architecture.
In 1999, Abasto was reborn into a shopping center as it was refurbished completely on the inside, and with additional structures at the back and side, but keeping the original beautiful Art Deco façade.

Café Tortoni:

You’ll know you have reached this legendary fin de siècle café located halfway along Avenida de Mayo from the lines that snake out the door. Modeled on the Parisian coffeehouses of the 19th century, it’s been a meeting point for artists and intellectuals since it opened in 1858 and still hosts regular jazz and tango nights. 825 Avenida de Mayo.

<<Around seven, just after sunset, Mario dropped them at the tango restaurant. “I’ll be back for you at 10:00 p.m. You have time for dinner, the show, and a tango lesson.” Apparently, the dancers taught the patrons a few steps after their show.

<<Inside the restaurant, where long tables faced a stage, they were seated next to each other with other patrons. After sampling various bits of meat from a tray a waitress passed around, they ordered the local steak and a bottle of wine. They toasted, chatted, laughed with the other guests at their table, and enjoyed their meal.>>

Caminito

Caminito is a well-known pedestrian-only street in Buenos Aires, famed for its brightly colored houses built from scrap metal and painted with leftovers from the shipyards. The street is also known for being the birthplace of tango, which originated here in the late 19th century. Nothing beats the tour of the old city and the lunch in restaurant offering Tango shows.

 The Best Tango Shows In Buenos Aires: The authentic tango that you’ll see in these Buenos Aires tango shows is very different than what you’ve seen in the movies. It tells a passionate story. The movements are complex. The man signals to his partner with subtle cues that they’ve practiced religiously.

<<The music filled the air and the lights dimmed. Bright spotlights focused on the stage where a couple glided in, the man in a black, silk shirt and satin pants, the woman wearing a sexy, short, tight, sparkling dress that molded to her figure. The loud tempo of the music focused their attention as the man splayed a hand on the woman’s back and held her other hand in a tight grip.

The dance started with sharp, staccato movements, the male dancer bringing his partner against him, pulling her in with a passionate attitude. The music’s frenzy escalated, prompting more sensual steps in the dance while the dancers maintained their sober expressions.

Lips parted, Madison seemed totally mesmerized by the dance. Rick wrapped an arm around her waist, slowly pulling her back against his chest, needing to share the dramatic dance with her. She melted against him, her fingers clenched on his arm.>>

A tango show
My husband posing for the picture.

<<The server entered, set the tray on the desk, accepted his tip, and left with an “Enjoy your drinks.”

“All that?” Madison stared at the two giant ceramic mugs, miniature replicas of the famous Obelisco adorning the center of town.

“Here, they say that Buenos Aires is the city that never sleeps. The Buenos Aires Zombie is the perfect drink for a night meant to go on until dawn.”>>

Last Chance Plans, Love Plans Series, book 10

Today is the Release Day. 99 cents to celebrate its release.

At twenty, Rick Lambert ran away from the US to escape the accusations hurled at him. Fifteen years later, he returns to settle in Fort Lauderdale. His mother agrees to live with him and take care of his two sons who have been raised by nannies and boarding schools.

Flight attendant, Madison Howell loves nothing more than her job. During a flight from Dubai to Miami, she meets the authoritative businessman and his mother. The sweet old lady befriends her, and Rick doesn’t hide his attraction. When his children come home, Madison finds herself entangled with the Lamberts way too often. As she helps the young boys adapt to their new life, she falls in love with their gorgeous father, but she’s not sure she really knows Rick, her charming lover. A loving son and dedicated father but also a womanizer and tough businessman with a hidden past.

When people from long-ago cross his path, secrets are revealed, threatening to ruin their romance. Now mature and powerful, Rick confronts his enemies to clear his name, but will it cost him the woman he loves?

Love Plans Series #1

To celebrate the release of LOVE PLANS SERIES, book 10, Last Chance Plans, the Love Plans Series #1 will be half-price during February.

Heal My Heart

To celebrate the release of Last Chance Plans, Heal My Heart will be FREE on February 7, 8, 9 and February 21 and 22

Travel to Kiev, and pray for the Ukrainians

As we follow the terrible news on TV and pray for the Ukrainians, I pulled my picture album and reminisced about my business trip to Ukraine in April 1997.

Located on the Dnieper River. Kiev (or Kyiv) is the capital and largest city in Ukraine with a population of three million inhabitants. It dates back to 560 AD and enjoys an authentic Eastern European culture.

Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) is on the historical boulevard Khreschatyky. It is the focal point of the Independence Day celebrations every August to celebrate Ukraine’s breakaway from the former Soviet Republic but it is also remembered for the Orange Revolution of 1994.
The Dnieper  is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea.

As the program manager for a contract in Ukraine, I flew to Kiev with three people from our lab in Ohio, and met with our Belarusian driver, Sergei, who had driven from Minsk, Belarus, with two chemists we previously trained on analytical equipment.

We spent our first evening in Kiev, strolling through the main avenues, discovering the city, and admiring the beauty of the colorful cathedrals with golden domes, churches, statues and monuments.

Marinskyi Palace that serves as the official ceremonial residence of the President. The palace lies on the right bank of the Dnieper River in Kyiv.

Some of you may remember the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Two explosions resulted in radioactive dust spread around the area, mainly to Belarus which is at 20 km north of Chernobyl and to Kiev at about 130km south of Chernobyl.

In 1997, my company was contracted by the DOD to equip and deliver a mobile laboratory to a military base in Uman, in Central Ukraine, about five hours away from Kiev. The two GC/MS—gas chromatogram/mass spectrometer—and other smaller instruments we installed would allow the detection and analysis of toxic substances in hazardous waste samples.

After a week of work installing and testing the equipment, I left the staff to continue the training and returned to Kiev to fly back to Munich, and then to New York. For my bad luck it was May 1st or Labor Day in Ukraine and Europe. Little did I know that the big avenues were blocked for a military parade with the President heading it. Sergei and I had to use the backroads. I had the chance to visit St. Sophia Cathedral and a fabulous monastery, but I almost missed my plane.

Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra, is a monastery’s cluster of gold-domed Orthodox churches built on top of a labyrinth of ancient caves. 
Closer view of the green dome church in the monastery.
Motherland Monument on the Dnieper River. We could see it from far away.
Saint Sophia Cathedral is a unique monument of
architecture and monumental art of the early 11th century having the biggest preserved collection of mosaics and frescoes of that period.

Kiev is such a beautiful city. The pastry is delicious and the amber jewelry out of this world. I bought amber necklaces, brooches, bracelets.

Pray for the Ukrainians’ safety and for peace.

HEAL MY HEART is set in Belarus. In a far away country, a baby girl, four little boys, and a handsome doctor may teach Dr. Jillian the true meaning of Christmas.

AMAZON

On Shutdown

As of today Florida is on shutdown. The police is enforcing the order, Beaches Are Closed. An order that the young population on Springbreak looked at with incredulous snorts and simply ignored. Well today, police cars are bloking all accesses to the beach and the high rises locked their doors leading to the beach. Under a glorious sun, a gentle breeze and a perfect weather, the beaches look like deserted islands now.

Spring break in Fort Lauderdale

In the supermarkets, people amble around empty shelves, wondering if they could find something more to stock. Most of the restaurants are closed. Today Florida churches received the order to close too. We were advised not to ride the elevator wih other people!

So what do we do? We watch TV, read, and try to keep busy. I have been editing two books and I am plotting a new one. I am sure you will be thrilled to know we can offer you several boxes of books to keep you entertained.

DOCTORS IN LOVE-Passionate and Dedicated

DOCTORS IN LOVE- Sexy and Determined
CUTE BUT CRAZY
SWEET AND SASSY DADDIES

Games and Kids by Mona Risk

Homework was done but Nine-year-old couldn’t watch her usual funny shows as Grandpa was monopolizing the TV with boring news. So what could a nine-year-old do when she had nothing to do and it was not bedtime yet?

Play, of course. Except that Grandma didn’t know many games. One wondered how Grandma graduated from school and college without learning simple games like Money-Money and Master Brain. So be it. Nine-year-old decided to take a few minutes and teach Grandma, not thoroughly mind you, so Nine-year-old could beat Grandma.

Later we played Monopoly. Now that was annoying because Grandma knew this game and started winning. Honestly, the game became boring. How could you enjoy a game when you were losing to your Grandma?

So Nine-year-old took a break to put her pj’s and to eat an ice cream, but Grandma kept winning. Very frustrating! That was when Nine-year-old decided she was tired and ended the game before Grandma could win again.

Now you know why I love writing about children and babies, and where I find my inspiration. Next week I hope to publish the following two books.

A Complete Family

This book is part of
Unforgettable Christmas Dreams

Nurse Melody is continuously late at work. Determined to find out the reason for her tardiness, Dr. Aidan visits her house, unintentionally scares her little daughter, and is attacked by her German shepherd. But attraction sizzles…

The Captain’s Christmas Leave

This book is part of
CHRISTMAS SHORTS

The wounded captain is resigned for the worst. But his soon-to-be ex-wife has some ideas to cheer him up.