Meet the Author – An Interview with Jennifer Martin

I am always thrilled when another blogger or writer publishes a book. So today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Jennifer Martin, an Italian wine specialist and blogger, who can now add author to her name. Jennifer is the author of the recently published book, Planning Your Dream Wedding in Tuscany.

Jennifer is a Boston based Italian wine blogger who also writes about the Italian culture and cuisine including tidbits of her travels throughout Italy. She fell in love with Italy when she studied abroad in college in Florence many years ago. “It always kept a piece of my heart so I had to return time and time again for years to follow. My family is of Italian heritage as well so I take much pride in sharing articles on my website about all elements of the Italian culture.”

Congratulations, Jennifer on publishing your first book! It is quite an accomplishment!

When did you first realize you wanted to write this book and what was the time frame from idea to publication?
To be honest I didn’t even consider myself a writer. I started my blog in April of 2013 as a way to encourage and motivate myself to research and study Italian wine and a commitment to write about it weekly so I could increase my knowledge and it took off from there. I’ve met so many folks along the way, including an Australian mentor in the beginning, Darby Higgs of Vino Diversity, who thought writing a book about planning your wedding in Italy as I did myself would be a great thing to share with my readers. And so the project began.

Tell us something about planning a wedding in Italy that surprised you
I surprised myself to be honest and it was a great feeling of self accomplishment to put time into the research as I did and getting every ounce of every document that was necessary all while being based here in Boston.

What misconceptions do people have about planning a wedding it Italy?
I think most folks automatically think they need a wedding planner to get married abroad. It just takes time, persistence and organization to be able to pull it all off. If you’re looking for the easy road then a wedding planner is the way to go, but it’s going to cost you. To be honest I wouldn’t say planning it yourself was very strenuous on me. It created a little anxiety at times hoping I had all the right documents and second guessing that at times, but if you put trust and confidence in yourself and use your resources it can be accomplished.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
I think the hardest part of writing the book was the editing. I’m such a perfectionist and I read this book over and over hoping I covered everything my future brides would need as information to plan their dream wedding in Tuscany. I even offered my contact information in the book in case they wanted to bounce anything off of me. I want to make sure I’m a resource to them and can help along the way.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Since it was my first book the whole experience was a learning process. Every step of the process was something new to me and I always love a good challenge.

When you are not writing or traveling to Italy, what do you enjoy doing?
Other than working a fulltime job I love the outdoors and I’m a fitness nut. My husband and I earlier this summer purchased a home in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire surrounded by mountains and lakes and amazing wildlife. There is nothing like the peace and quiet.

What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers/authors?
If I can write my first book you can too. As I mentioned before I don’t really consider myself a writer believe it or not and if it’s your passion don’t let anything get in your way. Stay true to yourself and your dreams and aspirations and proceed ahead. Be proud of the work you do and the rest will follow.

I know you travel to Italy very often. Do you have a favorite place? I know that is a tough question.
A very tough question! Maybe I’m a little biased as I lived in Florence, but I’ve been all over Italy from north to south and to this day it still remains my favorite place throughout all of Italy. I’m definitely one for the countryside and I love the small towns as well as opposed to cities, but there is something so special about Florence that’s not like other cities. I will say the Duomo in Florence also brings a tear to my eye and joy in my heart every single time I see it to this day. Such an amazing piece of architecture.

Do you have any new projects on the horizon, related either to writing or to wine? Please tell us a little about it.
My book, Planning Your Dream Wedding in Tuscany, was my latest biggest project. Now I plan on getting back to all the other small projects I have planned for myself including building relationships with other bloggers and Italy and wine lovers throughout the world. I’m working on redesigning my site as well.

How difficult is it to become a certified Italian Wine Specialist?
I got certified earlier this year as an Italian Wine Specialist and my book had to be put on hold for at least 6 months as my head was in the books daily. It’s the only way to be able to try and comprehend the world of Italian wine. I always knew wine can be complicated, especially Italian wine with the amount of native grapes there are within Italy, but you must know everything from the grapes, to the laws, including percentages of grapes in each wine and their aging period, alcohol levels, etc. I was amazed how much information there is to know and this is just Italian wines. I give amazing credit to the folks that study the whole world.

Follow Jennifer on her blog, Vino Travels and on social media
Twitter – https://twitter.com/VinoTravels21
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/VinoTravels
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/Vinotravels/vino-travels/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/vinotravels21/
Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-martin-51b8131