A lovely post for readers this week as Angela M Sims author of The Rose of Florence tells us more about the real Angela behind her books …
Hello Morton and thank you for hosting me once more on your blog. I love this topic, and I think it’s a valuable one to share. That sounds very self-important, doesn’t it? What I mean is that most authors aren’t the typical scatty old women with beads, scarves and cats…although I do have a nice selection of beads…and quite a few scarves…and a couple of cats! Many people may want to write but feel they don’t fit the “type”, and I fell into that trap for a long time. My message to anyone with an urge to get words on paper is to just do it. There is no author “type”. Let me tell you why.
I’ve been in clinical work for over forty years, and it has given me the most wonderful career I could hope for. I never wanted to be a nurse or a doctor, but loved working with patients, science and diagnostics. I worked in the cardiology dept of our local University Hospital for 25+yrs. I eventually joined the University of South Wales as a senior lecturer, and I now teach chiropractic students, as well as leading a bone density scanning service. So, I see patients and students – best of both worlds.
Like many people, my professional role has been a big part of who I am for most of my life. It’s a far cry from fiction writing, which finds me immersed in the intricacies of Renaissance Florence…art, history, intrigue and so many stories!
It must be said – my family is the most important thing to me. My husband and I have two grown-up daughters, a beautiful granddaughter and (in the last six weeks!) a gorgeous grandson. As everyone knows, at home, we take on yet another role, that of carer, cleaner, cook and counsellor, and it’s a role that I feel very privileged to be given. It’s not all one-way traffic, though. I’m very lucky to have a very supportive family. They encouraged my writing, gave me time and space, and cheered me on to publication.
But where did that come from? As our girls grew up and became more independent, my husband and I started to travel, and I began as an interested tourist, nothing more. If you’ve been to Florence, or indeed any part of Italy, you’ll know how captivating it can be, and I soon became a collector of books…guidebooks, history books, art books. It seems that the “real me” had an undiscovered passion, and as I gradually reduced my work hours to create a better work-life balance, this passion was given the space and air to ignite. I started to write, and Angela M Sims was born! (I had to include the middle initial, not to be pretentious, but because there is an American actress called Angela Sims and I didn’t want us to be confused with each other.) It still feels very formal to me.
So, I’m used to being called Angela, Ang, Mam or Nani, and each one of those individuals is a big part of the real me…but as I learn more about the craft of writing and work towards my second novel, I’m beginning to feel that Angela M Sims, who lay undiscovered for a very long time, is actually an important part of the real me too, and she is very welcome.
Thank you again, Morton. This has been fascinating blog to think about and to write. I wonder how many of us think about who we really are. Do you have an undiscovered part of the real you?
About Angela M Sims
The Rose of Florence was borne of a love for the history, art and city of Florence, which grew over many years and frequent visits to this beautiful city. It’s what inspired me to start writing.
My background is in healthcare, having worked in the field of cardiology for many years. I have been a University lecturer since 2010, and I still have a clinical role. I live in Cardiff, South Wales, with my husband. I have two grown-up daughters and two wonderful grandchildren. At every opportunity, I travel to Italy to eat, drink and absorb the wonderful atmosphere. I like to call that research!
To keep in touch with Angela you can use the following links:
Facebook: Angela M Sims – Author (@angelamsimsauthor)
Instagram: @angelamsims1
Website: https://angelamsims.co.uk
About The Rose of Florence
1478: Gianetta and Matteo have a happy life, working in service to the wealthy Rosini family. They are used to entertaining rich and powerful members of Florentine society in Palazzo Rosini, where Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici and Botticelli are regular visitors. Even when the Medici brothers narrowly escape the Palazzo with their lives (an accident, surely?), Gianetta and Matteo can’t imagine that the growing unrest in the streets of Florence would ever spoil their happiness.
When a bloody conspiracy erupts in the heart of Florence, in the city’s beloved Duomo, nobody is left unaffected by the aftermath. When the family hear that Matteo is among the conspirators, Gianetta knows that her life will never be the same…
You can get your copy of The Rose of Florence here:
https://angelamsims.co.uk/order-here/
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Lovely blog about a lovely woman – we’ve not met yet but I do love her enthusiasm for Italy and Florence in particular, where I spent my twentieth year – falling in love with many things!
Thanks you for sharing.
Angela Petch
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