Los Angeles author and "Oprah" aspirant, Maria Veloso's novel,
Midwinter Turns to Spring,
which comeswith its own music soundtrack,
has drawn reader comparisons to the Oprah-championed Robert James
Waller megasellerThe Bridges of Madison County.
Thus far, Veloso has garnered lots
of plaudits.
"Your book left me speechless and in tears," one fan
gushed. "Magnifico! Oprah Winfrey would love this book!" Another
wrote, "AMAZING!!! I give you a standing ovation! You need to send
this novel to Oprah for her book club."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Novel That Sings!
Once
in a great while, a book comes along which has a profound and
indelible
effect on you, for reasons beyond your comprehension. Midwinter Turns to Spring
by Maria Veloso is such a book.
"Midwinter Turns to Spring is one of the most
beautiful, moving and emotionally satisfyingnovels I've read in a long time. The message that comes through shines with so much hope, grace, redemption -- and stands as such a powerful picture of true, faithful love, that I can only weep and hope that it will reach and heal many people. This novel humbles me and challenges me to deeper definitions of love." -- Diane Eble,
author of 11 books including Abundant Gifts and MotherStyles
“Midwinter
Turns to Spring is a
phenomenally important work
that represents the synergistic fusion of prose and music. Maria Veloso is
pioneering a next-generation
genre in fiction that incorporates
profound insights,
a message of transcendence
and extraordinary
songwriting.”
-- Tony Trupiano, host of nationally syndicated "Tony Trupiano
Show"
Read more glowing reviews
How good will you
feel when you immerse yourself in the
multi-media experience that is Midwinter Turns to Spring?
Click here
↓↓↓
to find out for yourself
The story begins when Cassidy Hamilton, a San
Francisco woman, moves into a Victorian apartment, and discovers a
hidden drawer tucked behind the baseboard of a built-in china cabinet.
Inside the drawer is the journal of Savannah Curtis, a woman who lived
in the same Victorian apartment twenty-six years earlier.
The journal reveals the story of Alfonso Madrigál, a Spanish
flamenco guitarist, who meets Savannah, an artist and art
appraiser, when he seeks to authenticate a painting that is
thought to be the work of Pablo Picasso--a painting that has a
mysterious pentimento that's just beginning to
resurface. Neither of them is looking for the other, and yet
when Alfonso Madrigál finds himself attending Savannah's art
lecture one Indian summer in 1977, events from that day
forward conspire to irretrievably change both their lives--and
the lives of those who knew them.
The premise incites much
curiosity and interest, but it isn't until you read the Prologue
that you realize this is no ordinary book...
... and it isn't until you've read through page 9 that the
story grips your heart and keeps you glued
to each new page.
But the eleventh chapter is the defining point of no return. You
may even find, as the character of Savannah Curtis did, wanting the
moments to go on without end, "clutching them to your heart ...
never wanting them to be over."
Here's what people are saying about
Midwinter Turns to Spring:
THIS BOOK IS LIFE-CHANGING
"Amazing!
This is the best book I've ever read! I
did not want it to end! I loved listening to the
music soundtrack while reading the book -- what an
unforgettable experience. This is life-changing --
it certainly changed my views on life. The
messages, emotions, and definitions of love given in
this book should be shared with the world."
-- Dominique Daniel, Diamond Bar, California
ONE OF THE BEST LOVE STORIES
I'VE EVER READ
"Wow! I just finished
reading Midwinter Turns to Spring and I can't
say enough good things about this novel and
accompanying CD. What a literary piece of work! This
novel is one of the best love stories I've ever
read.
The accompanying CD really took me to a
whole new level while reading the story! I hope that
the author plans to write another piece of work like
this one. The author has such a gift for writing. I
can honestly say I just became so engrossed in the
story I felt like I was watching a movie as I
proceeded through the book. What a wonderful idea and
interesting concept to incorporate music into the
story...I definitely had a deeper understanding and
relationship with the characters while listening to
the CD.
The music is just beautiful. I've played the
CD so often my
3-year-old now walks around humming the songs." -- Heather Arcuri, Cary, North Carolina
"MIDWINTER TURNS TO SPRING" ENTHRALLED ME ...
I DEVOURED IT IN ONE EVENING!
"The story of Midwinter Turns
to Spring was riveting. It enthralled me -- I
couldn't put it down, and devoured it in one evening,
ending with tears rolling down my face. The art and music
references intrigued me. The characters are richly depicted,
and the thoughts and inferences appealing. I highly recommend
this book." --
Gisela Dalrymple,
Bellingham, Washington
A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
DRIVEN BY LOVE "Fusing
prose and music, Maria Veloso’s
Midwinter Turns to Spring starts off a
little too lovey-dovey but ends up taking you on a
spiritual journey driven by love. Set in 1977 San
Francisco and bringing you back to present day
Mendocino, it tells the painful story of a famous
Flamenco musician who falls in love with an artist -- a
love so complex, they must sacrifice being together
in order to avoid the drama and pain betraying their
significant others will cause. Veloso, who
identifies strongly with her Spanish roots (she’s
Filipino), wrote the music for the accompanying CD
(performed by Zendrik), and
succeeds at weaving romantic flamenco riffs into her
novel to intensify the reading experience
much the way a movie soundtrack does. So
grab a tissue
because it’s bound to conjure memories of some of your own
battles with love."
-- Tu Ciudad Los Angeles Weekly 09-14-06
I TREASURE THE RELATIONSHIP INSIGHTS
“I loved the
story told in the novel, but what I enjoyed even more were the
relationship insights I derived from the story. While
reading the novel, I would come upon passages that had so
much
relationship wisdom that they made me jump up from my reading,
find my husband, read the passages to him and tell him
this
is the way love should be. This novel dispelled many
myths I used to believe about love. It taught me more about how to build a lasting relationship with my husband than
most relationship books I’ve read. This book ought to be
on Oprah's Book Club.” -- Lori Jensen,
Eclectic Book Club, Los Angeles, California
How good will you
feel when you immerse yourself in the
multi-media experience that is Midwinter Turns to Spring?
Click here
↓↓↓
to find out for yourself
A Word of Mouth Phenomenon
Midwinter
Turns to Springis the kind of book that has gained
thousands of devoted readers purely by word of mouth. The way
most readers have found out about this "jewel of a
book" is a friend puts an arm around them, hands the book to them and says, "This book is
amazing. Just trust me -- you're going to love it!"
As a result, readers have spread the word to various corners of the
world -- from the shores of the U.S. and Canada, across the pond to the
United Kingdom -- and even to Spain, Italy, India, Mexico, New
Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the
Philippines.
THIS
IS A MUST-READ BOOK ...
A TOUCHING, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN LOVE STORY!
"I love Midwinter Turns to Spring!!!
I can't remember the last time I cried reading a
novel. It made it more special listening to the
music -- and I cried even more listening to Zendrik
sing, especially La Ultima Vez. The book
has given me a renewed sense of hope about love.
It is such a touching, beautifully written love story
and a feel-good type of book. I fell in love
with Alfonso right from the start -- so passionate,
caring and loved life so much. Savannah is what every
girl can relate to. We have a little bit of
Savannah in all of us. And the way the author
described every place and thing and feeling was as if
I was there. I've been telling everyone that
this is a
must-read book!! This certainly
deserves to be on Oprah's Book Club and I've written
an e-mail to Oprah telling her so.
This book
rocks!" --
Marilen Ojeda, San
Francisco, California
I'M IN SURREAL
AWE...
"When I started
reading Midwinter Turns to Spring, I
immediately fell in love with it and became an instant
fan of Maria Veloso. The music that comes with the
novel is so soothing, relaxing and enchanting -- I
really, really love it. I'm in surreal awe of Maria's
words and I savor her words as one would savor rich
chocolate truffles. I've read and enjoyed novels
like Bridges of Madison County, but this work
reaches emotional heights seldom reached by other
novels. It certainly deserves to be on Oprah's
Book Club." -- Celine Hamel,
Walnut Creek, California
How good will you feel when you
immerse yourself in the
multi-media experience that is Midwinter Turns to Spring?
Click here
↓↓↓
to find out for yourself
"The
Music Gives a Whole New Dimension to Novel Reading"
It comes as
an unexpected surprise to most readers when they find that
Midwinter Turns to Spring comes
with its
own music soundtrack of songs also written by its author,
Maria Veloso.
While
many are perfectly happy reading the novel without the benefit of
listening to the music soundtrack, even more are thrilled by the
fusion
of prose and music -- and claim that its unlike any other
literary or entertainment format they've ever experienced before.
What makes
Midwinter
Turns to Spring different from
other books with companion music CDs is that
the themes of the
novel are interwoven with the songs on the music soundtrack --
and the song lyrics are sprinkled throughout the book. This
enhances your enjoyment of the novel in the context of
the music -- and enhances your enjoyment of the music
soundtrack in the context of the novel.
The songs intensify the emotional involvement of the reader
much like a film score intensifies the emotional appeal of a
movie.
Some have described the songs as "heavenly"
and others have said "the
songs are so achingly beautiful that they
make you want to
weep." The vocals and the musical arrangements on the
Flamenco-flavored pop ballads, replete
with romantic Spanish guitars, gives readers a vivid picture of the
characters and the settings.
"The music soundtrack that came with Midwinter Turns to
Spring gave a whole new
dimension to novel reading. This novel/CD combo is
something no book or music lover should be without. It’s an extraordinary tour de force for
Maria Veloso to have been able to excel in both the
literary and music aspects equally well."
-- Cindy Bennett, Folsom, New Jersey
THE SONGS TOOK MY BREATH AWAY "I loved the novel but the songs on the music CD took my breath away.
Romantic strains of Flamenco guitar were woven throughout, tugging at my
heartstrings and giving me a taste of what Alfonso's sentiments must have
been like, and how Savannah must've felt. Not only is the music tantalizing,
but the vocalists, Zendrik and Seana
Fisher, obviously are world-class singers."
--
Georgia Phillips,
Montpelier, Vermont
THE SONGS SHOULD BE HEARD ON THE
AIRWAVES
"I applaud Midwinter
Turns to Spring and the brave, new genre Maria Veloso
is pioneering. This is sure to become a bestseller! Give this book to Oprah Winfrey!The novel is moving, and the songs on the CD
soundtrack are so beautiful that they should be
enjoyed not only in the context of novel reading, but
be heard on the airwaves as well." -- Jackie Silva, Valparaiso, Indiana
THE MUSIC IS SO BEAUTIFUL ... I HAVE THIS CD
ON MY TOP 10!
"The first time I listened to it, I danced with my wife.
Our hearts melted in a calm valley covered with snow
flakes. I am from Spain and can recognize the
essence of my beautiful country in this music. The music
is so beautiful I have this CD on my top 10!"
-- Sergi Mora, Barcelona, Spain
How good will you
feel when you immerse yourself in the
multi-media experience that is Midwinter Turns to Spring?
Click here
↓↓↓
to find out for yourself
"This is not an ordinary book with a
companion music CD -- it's an
unforgettable experience you can't afford to miss"
Here's an EXCERPT from the Prologue of Midwinter Turns to Spring:
↓
"If you've never been moved by a song so deep that it touched places in your heart you didn't know existed ... if you've never heard a guitar weep, or lost yourself in its tears ... if you've never been swept up in the delirium of a love that defies all odds ... the story of Savannah Curtis and Alfonso Madrigál will open your eyes to what's possible when one dares to love."
A
percentage of the net proceeds from Midwinter Turns
to Spring and its companion music CD is donated to
non-profit organizations dedicated to world hunger
relief and poverty reduction.
While
many are perfectly happy reading the novel without the benefit of
listening to the music soundtrack, even more are thrilled by the
fusion
of prose and music -- and claim that its unlike any other
literary or entertainment format they've ever experienced before.
Los Angeles author and "Oprah" aspirant, Maria Veloso's novel,
Midwinter Turns to Spring,
which comes with its own music soundtrack,
has drawn reader comparisons to the Oprah-championed Robert James
Waller megaseller The Bridges of Madison County.
