GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY: with Megan Johns - Alternative-Read.com

GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY: with Megan Johns

Romantic Places

Having recently blogged about the importance of settings in creative writing, I would like to share one of my personally favourite romantic places.

As a lover of mountains and open spaces, Austria with its cable cars and rack and pinion railways, its musical associations with the Sound of Music and Mozart, is a firm favourite. However, a lesser-known gem is its southernmost province, Carinthia, offering a more tranquil setting with the added benefit of plenty of sunshine.

This is a province of over a thousand lakes, of which the largest is Lake Worthersee at 17 km long. The water here is reputedly so clean that you can drink it and, at summer temperatures of 25 C, as warm as a tepid bath. To simply find a shady spot and sit gazing over the expanse of water glistening like a blue-green diamond is so mentally restoring. Every now and then, a splash will confirm a body plunging into the water for a cooling swim, an occasional water-skier might flash past, or a rowing boat drift languidly by, and above it all the horn of the lake steamer intermittently cuts though the air like a trumpet fanfare. A feeling of serenity lifts you to a different plane as you absorb the atmosphere and sense all your cares tangibly ebb away.

The lake became a favoured summer retreat for Austria’s aristocracy in the 19th century and it still attracts the rich and famous with some exclusive hotels and romantic lake villas. However, my preference is to stay in a landhaus in a slightly elevated position which affords beautiful views over the landscape on balmy summer evenings. Eating out on a flower-bedecked terrace, gazing across the lake towards the floodlit Gothic church at Maria Worth nestling on its peninsula, is a magical sight renowned for inspiring many composers by virtue of its sheer beauty. Small wonder that couples from all over the world travel here to get married. The distant backdrop of mountains form a spectral outline and, to the north, the resorts of Velden and Portschach glitter like jewels, although their promise of night life holds little temptation when there are such riches here. 

The continental climate translates into a Mediterranean atmosphere - very friendly, welcoming people and excellent cuisine, essentially rich and flavoursome, yet also mild. A typical meal in the landhaus might be mushroom soup with cream and herbs followed by melt-in-the-mouth roast veal with a side buffet and then perhaps a bilberry dessert. Pleasantly replete, guests sip after-dinner coffees on the terrace and the gentle hum of their voices melts into the soft background sounds of a folk music CD . A few children might play on the grass then, as night falls, disappear indoors to play a board game. Some couples might drift away, perhaps to bed, or maybe to take a boat to a night club or the casino. Others, like us, remain to sit beneath the stars and drink in the intoxicating alpine air. There is an almost ethereal quality which is perfect for the melding of souls.

All around the province are mountains offering a dramatic contrast, notably Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain, and the old city of Klagenfurt offers many cultural attractions, with its beautifully restored Renaissance buildings and their charming arcaded courtyards that provide an esoteric setting in which to enjoy the mandatory kaffee und kuchen.

It is a truly magical region which, mercifully, has escaped the clutches of mass tourism. Hopefully, it will remain one of Austria’s hidden gems for many years to come.

Photo of the church at Maria Worth can be found here. 

Question : What are your favourite places and why?

THE PATH OF INNOCENCE
Innocence invites protection, yet we might be smarter to protect ourselves against it...
BEWARE The Path of Innocence
Format: ebook
Length: 270 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher:  Devine Destinies   
Author: MEGAN JOHNS
www.megan-johns.com

EuroReviews 5 stars Superb characterization, grammatically refreshing, well written, emotionally charged and quite insightful on what drives a man or woman to be what they are and who they are, Megan Johns' "Path of Innocence" restored my faith in Romance novels like no one else could. Without a doubt, it's a MUST read!

Read more about Megan  at her interview :  



A CHANCE TO WIN ONE COPY OF THE PATH OF INNOCENCE
Open to ALL entrants. Closes MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 15th JULY 2010 - 
Winner announced THE FOLLOWING DAY!



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GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY: with Megan Johns GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY: with Megan Johns Reviewed by Sassy Brit @ Alternative-Read.com on 10:14 am Rating: 5

9 comments:

  1. I am from a small town with population less than a 1000 people and as such I have always loved small town setting in book, where you have nosey neighbours and nothing is private. I love the litle diner that gets all the weekly traffic and the sense of community that you get from stories with these set up...

    Toss in a mountain range or a local woods and and I am general hooked into a story...

    If I had to say however the Blue Mountain Ranges of Jamica or the Cotswolds (UK) are some of the most beautiful places for me..

    Love the post and thanks you for the chance to win this book..

    E.H>

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to read this, it sounds amazing.

    hewella1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Forgot the email..

    erotichorizon@gmail.com

    E.H>>

    ReplyDelete
  4. I want to read it!! =D

    sandymanga@hotmail.es

    ReplyDelete
  5. I unfortunately don't get to travel much. So far my favorite places would be Kentucky and Memphis Tennessee, I hope to get a lot farther then that some day. Both places were just so beautiful.

    The book sounds intriguing.

    kakuchouakisame_19@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, I would say my favorite place is anywhere my family is....

    brandyzbooks@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favorite vacation spot home when everyone else is on vacation.

    loretta
    lbcanton@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great comments.
    I think we all have our own special favourite places, often with an emotional attachment as a result of our unique experiences.
    It could be anywhere, but it is special to us. As a writer, I find settings very helpful in stimulating my creative processes.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for taking the time to be here on AR Megan, it's been a pleasure. :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave a sassy comment. It's truly appreciated. I aim to get back to you as soon as possible -- Sassy :)

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