My
novella “Man from the Sky” takes place entirely on the Spanish island
of Majorca. I first became aware of Majorca in 1987 when I was living
in London. A the time, in the U.K., Majorca was perceived as a vacation
spot predominantly for a tacky, low-brow crowd, and there was a famous
Heineken TV advertisement in which people recited, in a very low-class
English accent, the line, “The water in Majorca doesn’t taste what it
ought to” (I think from “My Fair Lady”). Thus, I had never considered
it as a vacation destination for myself.
However,
I acquired a Dutch girlfriend, whose mother had renovated an old
farmhouse on the island to use as a second home, and my girlfriend
essentially said to me, “Look before you laugh.” She explained to me
that it is a large island, and yes, there are some tacky enclaves, but
they’re very contained, and the rest of the island is very beautiful and
has a lot to offer. We went to a spot on the mountainous western
coast, and I immediately fell in love with the place. (It was a shame
she was so unpleasant on the trip because she had turned me on to one of
my favorite places in the world, and that should been a big plus for
our relationship.) There is a certain kind of beauty that is specific
to the Mediterranean – a dry green, reddish-tan, and textured rustic
beauty – and I saw that Majorca was the finest example of it I had ever
seen. I couldn’t stop looking at the place. Since then, I’ve been back
about two dozen times, the longest stay being six weeks, and have
explored much more of the island. Also, now a close friend of mine
lives there with his family, further increasing the enjoyment I get from
being there, and making it more fun to go solo.
The
main city is Palma – about 250,000 residents, I think – and when I
first went to the island, it was quite seedy and run-down. I tended to
stay away from it. But over the years, as the Majorcan economy has done
very well, the city has been cleaned up and re-vitalized. Today, it is
a vibrant, attractive city, with a fair amount of culture and very mild
winters (on some days, you can dine outside during the winter). As I
say in my novella, the sun and the sea don’t hurt.
Also,
over the years, the cuisine has gone from simple country fare to some
of the finest in the world. There are exceptional restaurants
everywhere, not to mention about 100 gorgeous, luxury hotels scattered
over the island, mostly in beautiful converted old structures like
monasteries and large manor houses.
The
best beaches are on the southern and eastern coasts, and the greatest
visual beauty is found on the western coast where a 100-mile long
mountain range descends to the sea, with villages halfway up the
mountains scattered along the way. The car-rides along that coast are
one of those things that belong on a list of things to do before you
die.
It
not only proved to be the perfect setting for my novella, but it also
partly inspired the novella, which is consistent with the fact there is a
mountain there said to inspire creativity in people. The island became
virtually a character in the story.
I’m headed there again at least once this year, and maybe a second time to promote my book there. I can’t wait.
How far would you go to add excitement to a life you felt was boring and meaningless?
For
seventy-three-year-old Jaime, the answer takes him by surprise.
Accustomed to a lonely life high up in the mountains on the western
coast of Mallorca, his dull routine is suddenly shattered when a man
parachutes from a plane and lands nearby. The plane crashes; the man
lives.
It’s
a drug smuggling operation gone bad. But Stefan, the man from the sky,
has escaped with eight kilos of cocaine in a gym bag. Jaime brings
Stefan home and is soon entangled in Stefan’s attempts to sell the
cocaine and start a new life.
As
they dodge Parisian drug dealers and corrupt Mallorcan police, Jaime’s
search for excitement and Stefan’s resolve to find stability lead them
both down dangerous paths.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Literary Fiction, Adventure
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Danny Wynn on Facebook
Website http://www.dannywynn.net/
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