Welcome to The Rock & the Rose

Stories of Love, Life, Passion, Resilience, Resistance & Recovery in Northern Italy.

The Infinite Passion of Life paperback is available through these distributors.
The Ebook is available through Amazon Kindle now—through iTunes, Kobo, and more Feb 28.

THE ROCK & THE ROSE BOOK 1

D. J. P A O L I N I

Published November, 2020

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Reviews

“The Infinite Passion Of Life is a compelling story, set in real locations in Northern Italy, where life is accurately portrayed in language, idioms, places and historical events. The author, D.J. Paolini, lays bare the passions, theatrics and dramas that members of Italian families experience on a near daily basis…” – Anne Frandi-Coory, author of Whatever Happened to Ishtar? Read her full review here.

About The Infinite Passion of Life

Despite the trauma and drama in her life, Angelina has persevered, relying on the support of her multi-talented and over-protective godmother, Valentina—best friend of her late mother. After the murder of her abusive husband, Angelina has resigned herself to spending her life alone in her hometown of Rimini, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, just like her godmother.

Then Angelina meets Benjamin, a divorced American man relocating to Rimini. Through a series of coincidences, Angelina begins to believe she might experience love and happiness with Benjamin. Her godmother is not so sure. Benjamin finds himself navigating the strong personalities of the two women as he struggles to put down roots in his new hometown.

But did Valentina really mean it when she said she would kill him?

The Infinite Passion of Life is the first book in the The Rock & the Rose series. It is a contemporary meta-historical adventure romance. It is set in Northern Italy in 2017, but its characters are connected to real world events in Italy from just before World War II until the present. Each of the three main characters confronts changes in their respective lives and worldviews, and they evolve because of and in spite of events as they intersect and interact with each other.

The majority of the story takes place in Rimini, a city on the Adriatic coast of Italy. There are scenes in other northern Italian cities such as Como and Milano, as well as northern New Jersey. The story is Italian culture-centric, especially traditions and events from the Emilia-Romagna region. There are Italian phrases, terms, and idioms embedded to capture the communications challenges of people with different primary languages, and—just as importantly—to provide the flavor of another culture. Or, as Fellini has said…

A different language is a different vision of life.
Federico Fellini

The Characters

Angelina

Angelina Regina Roselli Fabrizzi is a widowed Italian woman insecure about her appearance and herself after decades of emotional abuse in a male-dominated society. The unsolved murder of her husband has left her with financial complications, with only her godfather in Como and her ever-present godmother to provide support and guidance. She has convinced herself that the world will need to find its romance somewhere else. The last thing she needs is an obnoxiously self-centered American taking her seat on the train, even if he wasn’t. But for once in her life, she is going to speak up for herself.

Benjamin

Ben LaRocca is a middle-aged American who relocated to Europe after divorce to pursue a career as a writer. He is moving to Rimini from Milano because he fell in love with the town. While responsible and altruistic, he makes decisions based on his desires. He has lacked empathy for the feelings of others—notably the women in his life. He has thought about love, but hasn’t really experienced it. While romantic, he isn’t looking for romance, especially from a woman he met when she began scolding him in Italian on a train.

Monument to the Sailors' Wives — Monument to the Sailors’ Wives

Valentina

Valentina Marchese is the common thread woven into all books in the series. She has retired from a career that included service in the Polizi di Stato, the Carabinieri, and the Italian central intelligence service. She speaks several languages fluently, adores Cervantes, knows multiple ways to kill someone, and loves and protects her goddaughter as if she was her own daughter.

Unbeknownst to her goddaughter, Valentina was her mother’s lover. She has spent her adult life being comfortably alone and detached from others—even her loved ones. She doesn’t want to be over-protective; she cannot help it. She is used to getting her way—and always being right—but now this American has entered her comfortable life.

Rimini

Rimini is a central character in the story. As Fellini said, it is a town divided by the seasons. It is steeped in three millennia of history and a century of going its own way, recovering from the tremendous destruction of WWII and dealing with enormous pressures: economic, cultural, religious, and political.

Comments from Readers

I loved this book! The characters have been tested by life in interesting, and even fascinating, ways. The author skillfully blends the weight that history and culture places on the characters’ choices, while also imbuing hope, change, and freshness in the resolution of the age-old issues that surround love and life for all of us. A romantic novel set in a wonderfully romantic place. I look forward to reading more about how these characters evolve as their lives unfold. — Barbara Bunkle

Two people deeply in love who don’t even realize it and an overprotective godmother. What could go wrong? A very entertaining story with great character development. Highly recommended! — Tina Pastor

The author has filled the story with engaging characters and a beautifully descriptive narrative that makes me want to visit Italy (and learn the language). — Debbie P.

Great read… Paolini introduces Rimini, Italy in a way that engages the reader to feel as if they are actually taking a journey along the cobblestone streets in the quaint town. Equally engaging are the main characters and the journey of emotional growth that is portrayed for each. It celebrates self-awareness and self-acceptance and keeps the reader cheering for their happiness and success. — Jessica C.

The Rock & the Rose Series

Love	Life	Passion

November 2020	April 2021	February 2022

Resilience	Resistance	Recovery

July 2023	July 2024	January 2025

The Rock & the Rose Novellas

eBook only	eBook only	eBook only	eBook & Paperback

December 2022	March 2023	June 2023	September 2023

About the author, D.J. Paolini

D.J. Paolini is a debut fiction author. The Infinite Passion of Life is his first novel. His non-fiction work includes technical editor of three award-winning database programming books. He was the contributing editor with a monthly column for a database industry magazine. He was selected to co-author a database programming book in the popular “Teach Yourself…” series. Paolini was on the team that won an award for best technical documentation for a software program. He has delivered several dozen technical papers in more than one hundred sessions at conferences in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Paolini has had three poems published. He also writes music and has had several pieces performed in the United States and France. He wrote a column for his college newspaper and he received a creative writing award in high school. He has traveled extensively and infuses that experience into his writing. The Infinite Passion of Life is his first novel and the first book in a planned six-book series set in Northern Italy.

In his spare time over the last four decades he has played in weekend rock bands and served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency squad member, including six years as fire chief. He is a licensed soccer referee and serves as the administrator for youth soccer referees in his home state of New Jersey.

He doesn’t know what he wants to be if he grows up, other than romantic. In the meantime, he enjoys traveling with his wife Patty and spending time with their children and granddaughter.

The Rock & the Rose Series