Operatic Divas and Naked Irishmen: An Innkeepers Tale

(Paperback)

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In 1994, at the age of 64 with no business experience and very little start-up money, Nancy Hinchliff buys a turn-of-the-century mansion in Louisville, Kentucky and turns it into a charming Victorian Inn. Through sheer tenacity, she learns the business while successfully coping with one mishap after another. An admittedly asocial retired school teacher, she reinvents herself as an Inn keeper. The reader is drawn into this humorous and engaging tale as the author wields her way around cantankerous contractors, harrowing housekeepers, and no shortage of strange and interesting guests and events. Through her collected stories, Hinchliff gives readers a personal, in-depth, and honest look at what its like to be an inn keeper as she candidly describes her twenty-year journey of self discovery.

Reviews

a witty and moving story which truly captures the sense of wonder, self-discovery, and adventure that unfolds when one throws caution to the wind and ventures out into the world alone. D. Cameron, Stone Head Press engaging, interesting, and admirable. Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press "For anyone who has ever thought about running a Bed & Breakfast, Operatic Divas and Naked Irishman offers a hilarious birds-eye view behind the Victorian curtains... with mouth-watering recipes woven through-out, the author shows us just how much you can do with a little daring tenacity in the face of a lonely retirement." Katharine Hollister, editor, Beatdom Magazine Vivid storytelling with a great purposes . . . youll love this! Chris Brogan, author and CEO owner of Media Group Inc. When Nancy Hinchliff opens a bed and breakfast in Old Louisville, Kentucky, she soon discovers the Victorian neighborhood she will call home comes with an assortment of curious residents, including quirky locals and unsavory characters. Her memoir is an all-around enjoyable and amusing read. David Domin, author of Voodoo Days at La Casa Fabulous A light and fun read, often heartwarming and inspiring . . . and [gives the reader] a look into what it is like to be a strong, independent woman facing lifes challenges one guest at a time. Wonderful, historical information about Old Louisville, with an honest, behind-the-scenes look at an often glorified business. Nina Burns, owner of Hoosier Doggy Pet Sitting Operatic Divas and Naked Irishmen is brave, funny, entertaining, and educational. I loved [Hinchliffs] wit, marveled at her courage and tenacity, and rooted her on throughout. Teresa Rhyne, author of The Dog Lived (and so will I) "Moving into the hotel trade at any time is quite a feat, but at the age of 64 and in an unfamiliar city, Nancy Hinchliff regales the reader with the hilarious ups and dramatic downs as she turns a rundown period house into a Victorian inn to be proud of. Nancy provides us with an honest, and undeniably charming, account of the struggles and triumphs of her time as an innkeeper. It is a revealingly personal account of what it took to get her business and her new home off the ground, and ultimately how it enriched her life. Each chapter recounts a different experience in her journeyhiring/firing/more hiring of staff, the demands of eccentric guests, and the occasional naked Irishman to spice up the mixalong with a delicious, related recipe. Ill definitely be trying the Grand Marnier French Toast. Operatic Divas and Naked Irishmenis an engrossing, warm and delightful read that I was reluctant to put down. An excellent book to lose yourself in." Fiona Phillips, writer, editor

Author Bio

Nancy Hinchliff holds undergraduate degrees in music and education and graduate degrees in music, science of education, and special education. She is certified to teach English, music, geography and history. She taught in the Chicago public school system for twenty-five years, and in the school of education at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She has been writing all of her adult lifemostly journal articles, essays, and creative non-fictionand has been published in newsletters, local magazines, and as a guest on several blogs. In 2008 she coauthored Room at the Table, a cookbook written for the Bed and Breakfast Association of Kentucky, for which she won their president's award. Hinchliff is now a member of the Burlington, VT Writers Workshops and is working on her second memoir.