The path of true love never runs straight. Alonso and Luisa love each other. However there are a few obstacles to their happiness: the husband she was forced to marry; her uncle, the Regent of Spain; and Alonso’s heritage as a Jew.

Mix in the meddlesome Natale, whose loyalty is always to the highest bidder, and you have a story of a courageous couple determined to be happy together, despite the cards being stacked against them. Using the tumultuous period of Spain immediately following the deaths of Ferdinand and Isabella as her canvas, Erika Rummel paints a portrait of the era where Cardinals hold all the power, Jews are forcibly converted to Christianity yet still are not accepted in society, and spies are around every corner in every palace. Check it out at Amazon.com

“Argentina 1979. Life has gone stale for Jim, an expat working in Catamarca. Everything is predictable until he meets Lisa. She has the starry eyes, the sensuous lips, and the tango steps that make all rational assumptions go away.  Jim gives her top marks for animation but there is a warning at the end of his tip sheet: Danger. Lisa is a little too intense, a little too crazy, a woman with too many scenes playing in her head.  Her antics don’t faze Santos, a spiritualist who is looking for a medium to channel the dead and attract his lost sister. He lures Lisa to his compound in northern Argentina, where she becomes a pawn in a deadly family feud.  Jim goes in search of Lisa. Tracking her down turns into a double mission – freeing Lisa from her captors and himself from the monotony of his life. It takes a fantastic journey through rugged country for Jim to realize that he loves Lisa just the way she is: unpredictable.  The story unfolds against the background of a country under military rule.  It is a place where kidnapping, violence, and death no longer make headlines, a place where you learn survival skills.”

“A fast-paced page turner. A suspenseful, thrilling roller coaster ride with lots of twisty, loopy sections”

“I recommend HEAD GAMES to literary thriller lovers.”

“Unique and entertaining adventure with heart”

Liz is waiting for her big break in Hollywood, when a different offer comes her way. The wealthy Naomi Baum, a bestselling author, asks Liz to impersonate her on the Ted Hillman Show. The reclusive Naomi cannot bear public appearances but is desperate to make contact with another guest on the show: Miro Bogdan, the son she abandoned as a baby. On the set, Liz gives a convincing performance as Naomi Baum and attracts the passions meant for the author. Miro, now a successful installation artist, harbours a deadly hatred for his mother and is plotting her murder. Ted Hillman, the host of the show, is fascinated with Naomi Baum and romances her stand-in. Liz gives a superb performance as Ted's love interest. But is it a performance, or is Liz beginning to live Naomi's life?

* Excerpts from the book, Playing Naomi

REVIEWS:

"Erika Rummel's meta-textual legerdemain, strange characters and twisted plot make for a bracing read."

Playing Naomi is a wry comedy whose self-knowing irony is reminiscent of the corrosive but jovial cynicism of such comic media satire as The Larry Sanders Show and The Newsroom."

Reviews of the book posted on Amazon.com & Amazon.ca

"Consummate writing skill...well-drawn characters...witty, thought-provoking...suspenseful."

"well-drafted characters...sharp and animated dialogue...compelling read...up to the surprise ending."

* Listen to a review and an excerpt from PLAYING NAOMI on Carole Giangrande's podcast.