"I resisted, but she drew me back. I stayed away, but she beckoned me. I distanced myself, but she haunted me. I even rejected her but she did not abandon me..." She Seduced Me is that rare book in which the reader becomes part of a magical world in which places, monuments and artists come alive through their stories. In this case, however, that world is Rome and the reader becomes a participant in the ebb and flow of the city and gains insight into why so many have fallen in love with Rome despite its faults. This work of nonfiction is divided into chapters in which the reader experiences aspects of art, culture, history and the present through the eyes of the writer and of the inhabitants of Rome, past and present. The journey commences with the reader accompanying the author who, standing in front of Michelangelo's Moses statue, mouth agape, almost hears the artist scream at his creation: "Speak!" From this an odyssey of wonder begins: what is the story behind the Trevi fountain, behind that rock in the middle of the Roman Forum, behind all those priests and nuns everywhere, behind everything one stumbles upon, wonders about and takes selfies in front of? The quest is to uncover those stories. Author and reader continue to explore the life in the piazzas, experience camaraderie with street performers, see history through all the senses, get lost in Rome, observe Americans and foreigners, discover unique places to eat, speak with Romans, explore the houses of Nero, Augustus and Livia, encounter Caravaggio and chats with expats. This work is a virtual tour through a magical city that educates and enthralls.

Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy captures some of the spirit of a region that is becoming more known as its history, beauty, and culture casts its spell on visitors and locals. This work of non-fiction is divided into chapters in which the reader experiences stories of culture and history both through the eyes of the writer and the inhabitants of Puglia. The adventure commences with a drive south, from Rome and continuing through the olive groves of Puglia. "Olives everywhere," the Californians complain until a local Pugliese, Bruno, begins to unveil the stories that give meaning to the groves. From biblical anointings to Greek immigration 3,000 years ago, the story of the olive tree in Puglia is the first step into a land that begins to reveal its secrets. The reader is a fellow traveller and adventure seeker as the Californians explore St. Nicholas in Bari, the mysterious symbols in Alberobello, what expats seek and find, a revolutionary in Otranto, dancing in Nardo' and sex, the cathedral, and the homeless man in Trani. The reader is along for the ride through a magical region that breaks one's stereotypes, enchants one's senses, and captures one's heart. AUTHOR: Mark Tedesco is a writer and educator residing in both California and Italy. Mark enjoys weaving stories connecting the present to the past and exploring longings expressed in relationships, events, culture, and history. Mark has written in the genres of travel, historical fiction, memoir, self-help, and children's fiction. His titles include: That Undeniable Longing, I am John I am Paul, Lessons and Beliefs: Learning to Love, The Dog on the Acropolis, The Words of My Father, Loving Hoping Believing, and She Seduced Me: A Love Affair with Rome. Mark's newest Dixi Books title, Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy, transports the reader to southern Italy to explore that region known for its history, olives, hospitality, and rich culture. Puglia comes alive as two cultures, Californian and Pugliese, interact, intermingle, sometimes misunderstand but always enrich one another.

Beginning with beliefs and ending with lessons learned, Mark Tedesco's latest journey takes the reader on a quest for healthy love. Sometimes a roller coaster and other times a gentle ride, this work speaks to every person, man and woman, who has ever sought out another as the object of affection. Though the author writes from the perspective of a gay man, the insights gained are universal. Lessons and Beliefs: Learning To Love is self-help, relationship analysis and memoir. The book gives a riveting account of healthy and unhealthy love, interdependence, and co-dependency. The reader eventually discovers the fundamental foundations of an authentic, healthy and lasting relationship. This is the second edition of the book previously published with the title Lessons and Beliefs: Searching for Love in the Gay World (9780578147550).

This is a remarkably timely and fascinating personal story of a young man who became a priest and then discovered he was gay. He slowly comes to the realization that the flesh and the spirit need not be at war with each other, and he ultimately decides to leave the priesthood.

"Adventure, intrigue, faith, commitment, love and hate and everything between Mark Tedesco has done it again, fashioning what is arguably his best work yet He entices you on a phenomenal journey into the fascinating lives of two 4th century Roman soldiers, John and Paul, in a tale of loyalty and love that grabs you by the throat from the very first sentence and holds you spellbound, gasping for air as you're swept from chapter to chapter with barely a moment to breathe. An unbelievable marriage of fact and fiction that will leave you applauding or appalled but never bored or indifferent. A must read " -Tony McEwing, Fox News

"Adventure, intrigue, faith, commitment, love and hate and everything between Mark Tedesco has done it again, fashioning what is arguably his best work yet He entices you on a phenomenal journey into the fascinating lives of two 4th century Roman soldiers, John and Paul, in a tale of loyalty and love that grabs you by the throat from the very first sentence and holds you spellbound, gasping for air as you're swept from chapter to chapter with barely a moment to breathe. An unbelievable marriage of fact and fiction that will leave you applauding or appalled but never bored or indifferent. A must read " -Tony McEwing, Fox News

Poetry expressing passion, love, hope and faith. Intense yet simple verses which reach within the human spirit and hint at the greatness of the human heart. Tedesco's poetry is captivating because it emanates from his humanity as he grapples with those questions that are at the very core of human experience. "In the rhythm of rhymes, simple and caressing like a tender folksong that now and again opens on to a boundless horizon, Mark Tedesco looks not for adjectives or metaphors but for the direct meaning of love, love that embraces life in memories and in the present moment, bursting forth into a longing for the other, a search for the Other." - Alessandro Tenaglia, Ph.D "Mark Tedesco's poems are so much more than beautifully penned poetry. They reveal the deepest and often most elusive expressions of the heart " -Tony McEwing, Fox News

Poetry expressing passion, love, hope and faith. Intense yet simple verses which reach within the human spirit and hint at the greatness of the human heart. Tedesco's poetry is captivating because it emanates from his humanity as he grapples with those questions that are at the very core of human experience. "In the rhythm of rhymes, simple and caressing like a tender folksong that now and again opens on to a boundless horizon, Mark Tedesco looks not for adjectives or metaphors but for the direct meaning of love, love that embraces life in memories and in the present moment, bursting forth into a longing for the other, a search for the Other." - Alessandro Tenaglia, Ph.D "Mark Tedesco's poems are so much more than beautifully penned poetry. They reveal the deepest and often most elusive expressions of the heart!" -Tony McEwing, Fox News