About "Secrets"

Paris of 1755 is bloated with opportunity. That's the way Jacques Casanova, an unredeemed adventurer with an ever-surging appetite for pleasure, needs it. But times, men and gods are changing—and Jacques' luck is fading.

Soon he and his lover are thrust to the center of a beguiling mystery. Attempting to unravel the Nautilus Secret, the pair scours the Vatican's "forbidden books," the catacombs of Jerusalem, and Lisbon's Christianized synagogues. At every turn Muslim renegadoes, the Church of Rome and nameless assassins threaten. It's clear that the treasure they seek is monumental.

What the lovers experience will forever change Jacques' mind, heart, and soul.

A short passage from the

book...

"...I make sure that my masculinity is covered by soap bubbles or a cloth so as not to cause undue consternation on Gabriella's part. It's true I wanted love's reward from her but more importantly, I wanted her love. Without love this seduction business is a vile thing." (READ MORE...)

He intrigued me. . .

Did you know Casanova was a minor celebrity in the eighteenth century? And probably not for the reason you think!

His notoriety was built on a unique accomplishment. (More on that later).

For most of us Casanova's name is synonymous with seduction. His legendary reputation gave my imagination a starting point; soon the man himself inspired me.

He was a mathematician, a musician, a gambler, an author, a duelist, a spy, a charlatan, an entrepreneur. He trained in the priesthood, had a degree in law, and managed to mix with the well-bred as well as the lowborn. The man was passionately inquisitive!

Casanova's dying words also intrigued me: "I have lived as a philosopher and die as a Christian." Did he mean what he said?

The colorful time period—the Enlightenment— attracted me. A time when budding Science was asking extraordinary questions. A time when Excess, Reason and. . .well, you get the picture.

Finally, Casanova's character—or lack of it, on occasion - excited me, and then compelled me to write: The Secrets of Casanova.

With my pen I've sent this brilliant adventurer on an epic journey, hoping to bottle a bit of his contradictions and spirit.

Oh, I almost forgot. What unique accomplishment made Casanova a celebrity throughout the courts of Europe? It was his fascinating escape from an inescapable prison.

Quite a guy, this Casanova!