Serendipity strikes again: Winter Olympics in the Dolomites
F1 and Romance intersect in Italy
During this long winter break, when Formula 1 fans pine for racing, we’ve got the Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy, to tide us over! What makes me even more excited about the locale of this year’s Olympics is that my upcoming Christmas romance is set in the Dolomites. So all of the great visual storytelling in the Olympic b-roll coverage, those scenic shots that establish the emotional and atmospheric setting, will be incredibly valuable as I create a similar vibe and backdrop for my story.
You may be asking what the Italian Alps have to do with F1 racing. Fair question! My story begins with the final Grand Prix of the year, in the desert heat of Abu Dhabi. In an abrupt shift, the offseason starts in the snowy Italian Alps, where a whirlwind romance blossoms between an Italian driver who needs a holiday plus-one and a New York financier with a vendetta that could ruin Christmas for everyone. Even as love grows while celebrating the holidays Italian-style, the upcoming racing season looms. He still needs to secure a seat… but it’s on a team she is negotiating to buy.
As always, my inspiration comes from the drivers themselves. If summer break is full of social media images of yachting in the Mediterranean, winter break pictures are all about skiing in the Alps. I’ve seen Lando and his buddies, George and Carmen, and Pierre Gasly and his girlfriend Kika on the slopes. And best of all - because the dogs of F1 are dearest to my heart - scroll through and click on the last image below for video footage of Leo Leclerc in his wee little dog boots. I can’t even.
So, while I get back to writing Plus-One to an Italian Christmas - enjoy Leo in the snow, and the Olympic promo video below - it really sets the stage!