The Earl’s Mistletoe Match by Ashtyn Newbold is the third book in the Belles of Christmas collection. However, it seemed to me the most powerful. It must have been the characters; their attitudes and motives are very real. They are not perfect, and they know it. They make decisions they regret. They struggle. It starts … Continue reading Review: The Earl’s Mistletoe Match
Tag: reading
Goodwill for the Gentleman: Emma & the Beast
The second novel in the Belles of Christmas collection, Goodwill for the Gentleman by Martha Keyes was a delight. It tugged at my heart in all the right ways; it was a balance of sadness and romance that kept me hooked. I love to read about tormented characters, and this book had just that. Lieutenant … Continue reading Goodwill for the Gentleman: Emma & the Beast
Review: Unmasking Lady Caroline
Hoping to feel the Christmas spirit early this year while easing into my genre, I've been looking for Christmas-themed regency books. Imagine my delight when I found a collection exists of Christmas stories which bring to mind the smell of pinecones and the splendor of Downton Abbey! It's called Belles of Christmas, and I have to say … Continue reading Review: Unmasking Lady Caroline
Discovering The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
This week, I am reading The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. It is another book I found at the thrift store, and I found to my delight that the writing is bold as the woman’s red hair on the cover. Kearsley paints pictures so perfectly in my imagination that I am disconcerted when I need … Continue reading Discovering The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
The Empty House & Discovering Rosamunde Pilcher
If a story is good, if it has the author's heart in it, the reader will never forget the day the book was read.
The Written World by Martin Puchner
On the surface, The Written World looks to be a history book on the topic of literature. I discovered it was something deeper, far more delightful. Author Martin Puchner has a love for books much like my own; this book is his journey to find the soul of literature, the source of her power, the … Continue reading The Written World by Martin Puchner
The Charles Dickens Museum
I have a confession to make: I almost did not leave England. I can’t tell you what I would have done should I have stayed, being utterly unprepared for a move to a different country. Still, I cried on the night before we were to fly out. It had been lovely to walk the streets, … Continue reading The Charles Dickens Museum
Walking the Unpaved Road
I know few people can travel for the sake of creativity. It isn’t the only way to overcome Writer’s Block, but it does work. I am blessed to have been able to visit lovely places and have new experiences. It’s true that adventure, exploring the world, will do your creativity a wealth of good. Here … Continue reading Walking the Unpaved Road
Thoughts on the Louvre
I mourn that I was unable to see all the works in the Louvre and appreciate them. It would require a lifetime studying each piece from every possible angle. I would have to make my home in the halls of the museum: each piece of art offers hours of contemplation. I cannot live in the … Continue reading Thoughts on the Louvre
My Own Account of London
When I first started reading books, I discovered their ability to transport the reader to different places. Between covers I have been to many locations, a good percentage of which are not real…but many that do exist somewhere on this planet. Of these I have enjoyed glimpsing between the lines. How strange to think I … Continue reading My Own Account of London
Dwelling-Place of Storm
I am a poet, Keeper of flowers Dwelling-place of storm. My emotions Manifest in Terrifying form. I can destroy you With my words, Feeling no remorse, Or I can calm you, Fighting battles For you at the source. I’ve learned there is No middle ground: Believe me, I tried. I am a dwelling-place Of storm; … Continue reading Dwelling-Place of Storm
Hundred-Acre Grave
Yesterday, the blue and gray Skies rolling overhead, Sighing, seemed to me to say The rivers had turned red. Treading gentle on the grass, I sought peace but found none. April, she had come to pass, Her faithful weeping done. Musical, the ancient trees Groaned with the bluegray sky. Their duet, a mournful sound, Spoke … Continue reading Hundred-Acre Grave