Blog Tour: Viva Violetta & Verdi by Howard Jay Smith

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Viva Violetta & Verdi

by Howard Jay Smith

March 24th - 28th, 2025

Publication Date: January 28th, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 303

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction

A Love Affair Inspiring the World’s Most Unforgettable Operas

Experience the intense, lifelong love affair between Giuseppe Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi, the brilliant and seductive soprano who shaped his legacy. As his muse, lover, and wife, Strepponi was the inspiration behind Verdi's most iconic works, including La Traviata and Aida. Her influence was pivotal, as she became the architect of his creative triumphs and the heart of his operatic genius.

Set against the backdrop of Italy's Risorgimento, this sweeping novel intertwines their turbulent relationship with the nation's fierce struggle for independence. Through the heartbreak of three brutal wars, Verdi and Strepponi's passion, betrayal, and artistic ambition come alive, mirroring the era's fiery spirit.

Rich with themes of love, power, food, wine, and unrelenting passion, Viva Violetta & Verdi is an unforgettable exploration of art, resilience, and the enduring bond that transformed both an artist and a nation.

Praise for Viva Violetta & Verdi:

"A stunning, significant book...that is rich, lush and drenched in knowledge. It is nothing less than a gift."
~ Sheila Weller

"Smith's historic drama embraces universal themes of class and religious persecution, and weaves gorgeous language with an intimate knowledge of Italian food, music, and political hypocrisy that contemporary readers will find irresistible."
~ ​Jessica Keener

"Viva Violetta & Verdi is a well-researched love letter to Verdi; fans are sure to love."
~ Leslie Zemeckis

"Perfection. You are right there, inhaling and breathing in the words, the smell, and each piece of music. Bravo. It is both a love song and a love letter to the irrefutable power of Verdi's muse, Violetta."
~ Amy Ferris

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Howard Jay Smith

Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Santa Barbara, California. 

Viva Violetta & Verdi is his third novel in his series on great composers, including Beethoven in Love, Opus 139, and Meeting Mozart: From the Secret Diaries of Lorenzo da Ponte. His other books include Opening the Doors to Hollywood (Random House) and John Gardner: An Interview (New London Press).

He was recently awarded a Profant Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Excellence in Writing. Smith is a former two-time Bread Loaf Scholar and three time Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, who taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program and has lectured nationally. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, American Heritage Magazine, the Beethoven Journal, Horizon Magazine, Fig Tree Press, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous trade publications. 

While an executive at the ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment he worked on numerous film, television, radio and commercial projects. He serves on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.

Author Links:

Publisher’s Website • Facebook

Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

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