Books by Diana Baur

True Vines (novel)

After the sudden death of her Italian winemaker husband, Meryl Michelli flees to her small hometown in Pennsylvania, looking to slam the door on heartache and trudge forward. But it’s never that simple, especially when old family ties have been strained by years of geographic and emotional distance. A chance encounter with a childhood friend brings back betrayal she could never put to rest, and readjusting to life in the States in upper mid-life wears her thin in ways she never could have imagined. Just when Meryl feels she can’t go on, Providence steps in and gives her permission to completely fall apart. Only then can she finally manage to grieve both her magnanimous, flawed Francesco and the unforgettable country she left behind. True Vines traverses the manicured rows of northern Italy’s majestic wine country and the winding path of the Pennsylvania’s Delaware River as Meryl seeks to reconcile her past and her present. Several people on each side of the Atlantic guide her as she relives her own stories: a spirited sister-in-law, a petulant physician, a strong-willed landlady, a good-guy boss, a determined mother-in-law, an amazing flood surviver, a Senegalese English student, a young co-worker. Each recollection and encounter deepens Meryl’s insight into how to make peace with her new reality. Saying goodbye to one existence allows Meryl to swing the door open to another as she weaves a new, uniquely beautiful tapestry that transports her to exactly the place in this short sacred life she is meant to be.

“Beware, this is not your romantic ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ move to Italy. Meryl’s journey to Italy and back is a difficult one, full of emotional twists and unexpected satisfactions.True Vines is about both a physical and emotional itinerary in the life of the main character and the intertwinement of these keep you reading from start to finish. The author’s personal experiences as an expat in the Italian wine region of Piedmont help create an extremely credible backdrop for the storyline. The story, which recounts almost 15 years of Meryl’s life, is not about the ‘Bella Vita’ in Italy- one that many expat or aspiring expats tend to center on- but rather about understanding, appreciating and getting the best out of what you create in your life, wherever that may be. Besides being a lovely story, this book gave me much to think about regarding my own expectations and actions on a day to day basis- that life is what you make of it and that happiness is always a possibility.” Amazon Review

“I finished reading True Vines a couple weeks ago, but the characters are still with me. I miss the vineyard in Italy, and the coffee shop in Pennsylvania. This book is a page turner, but also the novel that you don’t want to end. I wonder if there will be a sequel? Your emotions will be pulled in several directions, but never abused. The balance between tension and sorrow, and just-what-you-hope-will-happen is delicate, but Diana Baur has mastered that balance in her novel. If you love Italy, or Northeastern Pennsylvania – if you love romance or adventure – if you have ever known love after betrayal, or love after heartbreak, or if you just want to read a really good story – True Vines needs to be on your night stand.” Amazon Review

True Vines is published by Gemelli Press and is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble Online, and independent bookstores everywhere.  If your local bookstore does not carry it, please ask them to order it from Ingram.

Your Truth  (ebook)

Your Truth – Changing the Path Back To Yourself  is a guidebook for life change. It’s about harnessing your individuality and self-acceptance to the point that writing your own story, and making the changes necessary to be able to do that, become not only possible but a gleaming, bright realistic choice. Quelling the voices of self doubt first takes looking at what makes them so loud in the first place. When we give our own voice the same volume in our souls as we do those around us, we can see that we not only have the right to change our lives, but the responsibility to live in accordance with who we really are.

You can reach whatever you want… self-determination through financial freedom, the ability to say no when you want to, the freedom to be who you are to everyone you come in contact with, time to dedicate to causes that move you. These goals are both simple and haughty, because while we can see them clearly, it might very well take everything we’ve got in our arsenal to manifest them. But your arsenal is big. Much, much bigger than you think. If change has taught me one thing, it’s that we underestimate what we’re capable of. Our abilities far outweigh our concept of ourselves. We can draw from the huge pool of common good that we have at our disposal, every minute of the day.

“You know those moments when we think of our dreams, the things we’ve always wanted to do and we start the sentence with ‘Yes, but….’ You know the times we disagree with someone but we don’t open our mouths and instead find excuses for not speaking up for the things we believe in… You know the ever-growing discomfort we feel deep down inside because our lives aren’t actually how we want them to be..I just finished a book where every sentence is a gem, written by a woman who writes so authentically that you can almost hear her talking to you. It is called Your Truth, by Diana Strinati Baur. She talks about moments such as above and she talks about our own truth, which is our foundation, our true self and our only ground. She teaches us how to find our own truth and the amazing things that will follow when we do. She takes us by the hand and guides us, calmly, lovingly, like the wise teachers of old, generously giving very valuable information derived from years of experience and thought.  Amazon Review

“This book is for everyone going through change in their lives, as well as everyone who has ever heard a tiny voice coming from inside saying “no, that’s not me” and would like to change some things. Diana Baur’s book does not only talk about the spiritual aspects of change and “how change will change us” but she also gives lots of valuable practical advice that we can start using immediately.” Amazon Review

 ”Read it and apply it, I promise you that you will take a big leap towards who you actually are.”Amazon Review