Buon pommerigio a tutti, benvenuti.. Mi chiamo.. Dianah Chorlton
Good afternoon everyone, welcome! My name is Dianah Chorlton
Wow! Ladies you look BELLISSIMO!
You have certainly warmed the mood for all to hear my tale of the mysterious city of VENETZIA. A city which according to my book and predictions could sadly simply-just disappear! My ECLECTIC thriller, “The Vanishing of Venice,” is an easy read, a gem of a book with a fast-paced flow as the story is set over 3 days in Venice, keeping the reader spellbound by the magic of the Ancient City, as well as intrigued by the characters who step upon its shores. Yet amidst the beauty, VENICE HIDES A DARK SIDE.
Now there are thousands of reasons why someone is compelled to write a book so may I enlighten you to what spurred me on to create, “The Vanishing of Venice.”
Many years ago, my husband Roberto and I spent 2 weeks in Tuscany. We then drove up to Venice, where we spent 3 memorable days admiring the historic city. BUT there was one deterrent that spoilt the island’s ambiance. “There were TOO many TOURISTS” ……. They BUZZED around the island like a swarm of BEES. Coming to terms that we also were a party to that hive; Roberto and I went off and did the Tourist Trek into the iconic church of Saint Mark’s Basilica……. While we meandered in awe at the religious artifacts, statues and architecture surrounding us, our eyes were drawn over to a bulky bodied, man sitting slumped in a slovenly manner in an antique, high backed chair. Our eyes met where within a split second in time his glare upon us screamed HATRED, HE DETESTED US, for violating his SANCTUARY with our presence. Shocked by the Padre’s contempt for us my husband and I fled the Basilica. With this bizarre event deeply instilled in our minds on our return flight to Australia, here the story of “The Vanishing of Venice” was born……
A synopsis of the Vanishing of Venice
For centuries, the island of Venice has charmed the inquisitive to its shores. In the past, intruders may have wanted to indulge in the island’s taste for debauchery or to gloat upon its wealth, to steal its riches or simply be a party to its famous carnivals. Whatever, the reasons, to this very day people still step in their droves upon the historic landmark. Their now called, Tourists. Here, in the twenty first century tourism is regarded as big business as tourism is what keeps Venice’s economy afloat. And while most Tourists believe they are welcome, under the mask which many of the pure blood, Venetians wear, there is a silent sense of disapproval to the way their island is turning into a stomping ground for foreigners with their disregard for cleanliness. And disrespect, when visiting the holy sanctuaries and basilicas, particularly when visiting Saint Mark’s Basilica. One such Venetian is Father Rodero who is the overseer of Saint Mark’s Basilica. He’s developed an intense vendetta against the foreigners and the Tourists who have invaded his precious island. Spurred on by the insistent voices in his head, the demonic spirits who’ve arisen from the bows of the city’s prison who haunt him and taunt him, to eradicate the vermin and to cleanse Venice of the filthy rodents, once and for all. Seen by his Priests as bordering on insane, this doesn’t deter his faithful peers from harvesting new blood into the ‘Brotherhood’. Master minded, by their Holy Father, the Priests assist Father Rodero with his initiation of young men into the sect, youths who are willing to abide by the code, each of them proud to join ranks in the quest for the Tourists elimination. Yet, unbeknown to anyone, Mother Nature has already ignited the course of destruction with the release of a rouge ice-burg from Iceland, it swirling and spinning its path towards Venice. A force of devastating consequences which unites with the demon spirits floating within a mysterious mist in Saint Mark’s Basilica to create the Apocalypse of terror, where nobody is spared.
Main characters: A family: Father- Reginald, mother-Carol, daughter- Crystal. Reginald is once again in Venice for a business conference with the Council to employ his company to assist with the project on building a dam to restrain the rising waters around the island. Global warming or weather change whatever one labels the situation, is a major problem. Reg’s wife and daughter have come with him, but they are easily bored and very spoilt and soon tease each other for the affections of a young, good looking, Italian, boat driver, named Michello. Who takes the two women on a picnic to one of the remote outer islands and cleverly has his way with both? Realising his two girls have been up to no good, Reginald despises Michello when he’s introduced to him as his daughter’s new boyfriend. He secretly envious of the young man for his Latin handsomeness and magnetism. Reg was a closet homosexual with his business partner, Mitch, his long-time lover. Mitch, wanting to get a bit of the action and to get back at Reg for refusing once again to leave his wife, lures Reg to a meeting with a sect of homosexuals, ‘The Brotherhood’ in disguise. Reg survives the sect, but his best mate Mitch is never to be seen alive again.
Ryder and Tanya: a couple of Australians on a second honeymoon, who are trying to patch up their fragmented marriage. When Tanya was trying to conceive, she under IVF treatments, Ryder couldn’t cope with the pressure, he had an affair. They have come to Venice to start again, to prove that they still are in love with each other, but Tanya finds it hard to trust her husband.
Jason: is an Irishman who lives in California with his beautiful wife and two children. He is in Venice for the Council Conference to assist them as a long distance, Meteorologist. He has a chance meeting with a stunning lady named Simone, who he has an instant attraction for. Her enchanting personality causes him to fight back his sexual urges and to do the right thing by his wife and children. Even though, the temptation to stray was almost unbearable……… Simone was every man’s dream woman.
Simone: is a Mexican born woman who moved to California to work as a housekeeper for a grieving Congressman, whose wife had tragically died. Before long she’d spun a spell upon him, and he’d asked her to marry him. As his wife, she was set financially for life, but she was young and vivacious, and still craved male attention. One steamy, hot day, while her husband was away working Simone’s loveliness caused her to make the worst mistake ever. Wracked with guilt, Simone went in search of forgiveness. She, praying and begging for purification in every holy church she could find in Italy, her ultimate destination, Venice.
Stefano: is a gondola skipper. A pure bred, Venetian, who thrives for his job and relies on the Tourists for his monetary welfare as he has a wife, who has her own mask stall in the market and two children to support. He hates it when the weather causes havoc and he can’t go out onto the canal to work, but his worst nightmare happens, when he witnesses a dead body fall onto the bow of his boat, while taking a couple on a romantic gondola ride. An even worst nightmare would thankfully never be divulged to him, his son Lucca having been initiated into the ‘Brotherhood.’
Every day, like the pigeons it’s famous for, Saint Mark’s square is flocked by Tourists. Visitors from every corner of the world all desperate to indulge in the ancient city of Venice’s flamboyant history with its enchanting maze of cobbled stone, alleyways, and romantic, winding canals dappled with shiny gondolas. Its awe inspiring, treasure chest of religious artifacts and vibrant architecture and immortal cathedrals. The Jewel of them all, Saint Mark’s Basilica, a monumental icon at the edge of the square. A Tourist’s Mecca. A place of pilgrimage made by so many as each queue before the Basilica and gaze upon its façade with a sigh of spiritual wonder, before stepping through its majestic doors. Naïve Tourists, oblivious their days were numbered as Venice floated on a path to destruction. The Apocalypse was nigh. Only 3 days to go. Natural Forces- had been unleashed. A rogue icecap broken away from Iceland spun violently towards the island. Gathering momentum, it destined to cause a climatic catastrophe. Already, the weather had changed dramatically. The humidity was oppressive and the venomous storms in store had never been foreseen.
Dark Forces- hidden behind the walls of Saint Mark’s Basilica. A ‘Brotherhood’ of Priests driven by the insane demands of their Holy Father, he possessed by the evil spirits of the condemned, who’d arisen to take revenge upon the invasion of Tourists. “Eradicate the Vermin,” the spirits hounded. Then, the culling began.
A body mysteriously fell from the Basilica Loggio into the square. Dead. A body tragically fell onto a passing gondola. Dead. A body with a mask upon its face floated in the canal. Dead. As the skies opened to razorblade lightning the rain fell with torrential force. Statues once admired, came alive with cruel intentions. Demons within a swirling mist, spun chaos as the unbelievable reigned…… The sacrificed cried………O Lord save our Souls…….
Intertwined, the lives of these characters with their problems, desires, guilt, secrets, and personal reasons for being in Venice have no perspective or consequence when the rising forces of Nature, Spirit and Man come together for the Apocalypse.