CLAY GHOSTS IN SICILY by Angie Voluti

SYNOPSIS

Sicilian teenager and talented sculptress Rosalia Muggifalco, made homeless and an orphan after an Allied bombing raid in 1943, meets Andreas Khuklakis, a wounded Cypriot RAF bomber pilot who seems unwilling to reciprocate her love. 

After Andreas dies in action, Rosalia spends the next twelve years obsessed and haunted by memories. Are miracles possible? When Rosalia finds a photo of Andreas, apparently alive and well, pinned to the wall of Saint Rosalia's sanctuary in post-war Palermo, she wonders whether her longing for the dead pilot might have brought him back to life.

Ancient wrongs become very much alive under the rubble, the mafia influence, and the dilapidated palaces of old bourbon-governed Palermo. During a terrifying journey down Palermo's deepest secret underground tunnels, Rosalia faces old and new evil, her father's secret and Andreas' very own.

Against an accurate historical background, and inspired by a true story, Clay Ghosts in Sicily is about the collective anguish of Mediterranean people, their religion and culture, during a time of conflict.

FROM SICILY, WITH LOVE (AND WAR) 

Independent publishing house Bank House Media Ltd launches an unusual debut novel, Clay Ghosts in Sicily, this summer. 

A creative yet flexible approach to contemporary publishing, Bank House Media selects its titles on the strength of valuable voices being heard: from literature connected with music, film and TV production to the not-readily classifiable novel by a Sicilian author writing in English, her second language. 

Clay Ghosts in Sicily, written by Angie Voluti, is about life, love, intrigue and death in Sicily during the Second World War; the intangible but real secret powers of sanctioned political regimes and the legitimate, real force of hidden strengths. It has a whiff of mafia about it, as well as romance and thriller. A noticeable absence of sex is counterbalanced by an underlying current of sensuality, which makes up the very fabric of the plot itself. 

Bank House Media’s network of distribution channels for this latest novel includes main UK websites such as WHSmith and Amazon, as well as facilities covering the rest of the world. 

For more information, log on www.angievoluti.wordpress.com or contact       

Angie Voluti PR                             Dave Randle

The Studio                                   Bank House Books

Forest Road                                 PO Box 3

Hartwell, nr Northampton  New Romney, Kent

NN7 2HE  TN29 9WJ 

angie@angievoluti.co.uk  info@bankhousebooks.com

Tel. +44 (0) 1604 863 044             Website:www.bankhousebook.com

Mob. +44 (0) 7584 306 014

Website: www.angievoluti.co.uk

FIRST BMW HANDED TO LOCOG FOR LONDON 2012 IS A BICYCLE

BMW Group has today handed over the first vehicle to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to support the 2012 Games - and it's a bicycle. Global Sales and Marketing Director for BMW Group, Ian Robertson, handed the bike to David Stubbs, Head of Sustainability for LOCOG in central London, as the one-year-to-go point approaches on 27 July.

A total of 400 BMW bicycles will be used by LOCOG in the run-up to and during the Games and will be part of a wide range of vehicles supplied by BMW Group, as a vital element of the company's Tier One sponsorship of London 2012. These different models have been chosen by LOCOG to meet the diverse operational needs of the Games.

"Everybody will be travelling to the Games by foot, bicycle or public transport where ever possible," said Stubbs, "and the LOCOG team will be no exception to this. It is rather fitting therefore that the first vehicle we accept for the 2012 fleet is a bike. However, cars and motorcycles remain a vital part of the transport arrangements to ensure the smooth-running and full operational support of the Games."

Robertson explained, "The majority of the fleet will be made up of highly efficient diesel-powered cars, featuring the company's award-winning and industry-leading EfficientDynamics technologies. This has allowed us to meet LOCOG's extremely challenging target of 120g/km of CO2, as an average across the fleet. Our success in the field of sustainable mobility has been recognised by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which has named BMW Group the world's most sustainable automotive company six years in a row."

The BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon will make up at least a third of the fleet, with its exceptional fuel efficiency (68.9mpg combined cycle) and low CO2 figure of just 109g/km. A new model, the BMW 520d EfficientDynamics Saloon will make its global debut later today and will also feature significantly in the 2012 fleet. This mid-size car returns fuel consumption and CO2 figures which put many superminis to shame - 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and a CO2 figure of just 119g/km.

Shaun McCarthy, Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 said "As a major sponsor of the Games and a Sustainability Partner, we have been impressed with the dedication BMW has shown to tackling the twin problems of air quality and carbon emissions. We welcome their contribution to the inclusion agenda by adapting a proportion of their Games-time vehicle fleet to enable them to be driven by disabled people. We understand this to be a first for the Olympic Games. We look forward to their contribution to a sustainable Games next year."

Electric vehicles will play an important role and the fleet will include 200 MINI Es and BMW 1 Series Active Es. In addition, BMW Hybrid cars will make their first appearance on British roads and an innovative electrically-assisted bicycle, the Pedelec, will debut on the Olympic and Paralympic fleet.

Speaking from City Hall, Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London's Environment Director, said, "The Mayor is championing the rapid uptake of zero and low emission transport in London before, during and after the 2012 Games. This is a vital part of his vision to improve quality of life for millions of Londoners by cutting pollution and cleaning up the city's air."

"We therefore welcome this first glimpse of some of the cleaner, greener vehicles which BMW will be fielding as part of their Olympic and Paralympic fleet, including electric vehicles and bicycles. As cycling sits at the heart of City Hall, we are particularly pleased to see that BMW's exciting new electric bicycle will debut in London next year."

Motorcycles will feature significantly on the fleet too and their uses will include operational support of road and mountain biking events. BMW will supply a number of different models- R1200RT, R1200GS and F650GS.

"It is a tremendous honour to extend BMW Group's long term commitment to the UK to this support for London 2012," said Robertson. "The variety of different BMW Group vehicles in the London 2012 fleet, shows the depth of our dedication to provide sustainable individual transport to meet a broad swathe of different needs. We will supply almost 4,000 vehicles, in addition to the 400 bicycles, from diesels to electric cars, hybrids to motorcycles, as well as innovative new products like the Pedelec. I am also personally delighted that we are able to adapt a number of our vehicles for disabled drivers so that volunteers of different physical abilities can drive our cars."

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, member of the House of Lords and the most successful British Paralympic athlete of all time, was also present at the hand-over and commented, "I am particularly delighted that BMW has taken such an inclusive approach to the vehicles they are providing for 2012. This will be the best Paralympic Games ever and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all involved."

Baroness Grey-Thompson is the newest member of the BMW London 2012 Performance Team and joins the 23 national sponsored athletes and 74 regional athletes, all receiving support from BMW Group.

To find out more about the BMW Performance Team visit www.bmw.co.uk/London2012

BHAM ST MARYS HOSPICE 2011 STARLIGHT STROLL

BHAM ST MARYS HOSPICE 2011 STARLIGHT STROLL, a set on Flickr.

Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice biggest fundraising event of the year, Starlight Stroll, took place on Saturday, July 2.

Supported by Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Len Gregory and formally opened by Deputy Lady Mayoress, Gillian Gregory who both took part in the 8 mile Starlight Stroll.

More than 400 women and girls signed up for the sponsored walk, which began at the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston.

Before they all set off, though, there was a huge thank you to each and every one of them from Birmingham St Mary's Hospice.

The tremendous efforts of everyone involved makes an enormous difference to local people living with life-limiting illnesses such as Cancer, Aids, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease and helps their families come to terms with the illness and loss.

TRANSFORMERS 3 UK PREMIERE

TRANSFORMERS 3 UK PREMIERE, a set on Flickr.

The latest film in the Transformers series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (certifcate 12A), hits cinema screens in the UK on June 29, 2011 in 3D, 2D and IMAX.

At the UK Premiere on Sunday 26 June celebrities walked the ‘Red’ Blue Carpet at the London BFI IMAX.


Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. Shia LaBeouf is joined by a standout cast including John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.


Visit the Transformers: Dark of the Moon official movie site and view the trailer.


The evening performance was presented by Alex Zane and introduced by Movie Director Michael Bay together with his leading lady Rosie Huntington-Whitley. Guests were treated to supporting music from Linkin Park at the Global Launch of Transformers 3.


Rosie Huntington-Whitley was joined on the red (blue) carpet at the IMAX cinema in London's Waterloo by a host of the cast of The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE).

Other stars at the premiere included chat show host Jeremy Kyle, Golden Compass star Dakota Blue Richards, fashion desinger Christopher Kane, and reality TV stars Calum Best and girlfriend Georgia Salpa. 


In preparation for the release, readers are being offered the chance to win five a pair of Cineworld cinema tickets as well as an exclusive, Transformers: Dark of the Moon themed goody bag, plus a box of Enduracoat - a TurtleWax advanced paintwork protection system which provides year-round protection for vehicle paintwork.


In celebration of the current Transformers: Dark of the Moon promotion hosted by Paramount Pictures UK friends at Turtle Wax and Halfords have a Fantastic car cleaning kit along with some extra Turtle Wax goodies to give away in this fabulous competition.


The prize will include:


- Turtle Wax ICE™ Transformers: Dark of Moon Promotional pack
- Turtle Wax Enduracoat System
- Turtle Wax Branded Clothing: Outdoor Waterproof coat (with detachable hood and inner coat with grey fleece lining)

BIRMINGHAM JEWELLERY QUARTER GOES RETRO WITH VINTAGE FAIR

BIRMINGHAM VINTAGE FAIR, a set on Flickr.

The Jewellery Quarter went retro on Saturday 25 June when it hosted the very popular Birmingham Vintage Fair.

Whether shopping for clothes, pre-loved accessories, shabby chic furnishings or handmade art, there was plenty to browse through and buy on the stalls.

The nostalgic mood was enhanced with live music, delicious coffee and cakes and even very popular make up sessions by American Expat Kadian, and her Company www.aceyourface.co.uk   Twitter @kadianpow

The fair took place between at AE Harris in Northwood Street.

More information at www.birminghamvintage.co.uk or by emailing fantastic Event Organiser Rickie Josen on rickie@birminghamvintage.co.uk  Twitter @RickieWrites