May Flowers in a Teacup

Aaahhh! The scent of lilacs. They truly signal May. Over the years I've planted several colors in our yard. This white bush is the first to blossom this year.

Mid-May in Downeast May. Spring comes late, but one day you look out and everything is transformed into green. Here is a lovely sight outside my writing window. The daffs have just passed but others, a pale yellow, are going to blossom soon. The bluets and violets are carpeting many areas.
Slugs are attacking the pansies I put out. Every morning I have to do a slug search and destroy. Also on the young flower seedlings my daughter just planted out back in the flower bed bordering our deck.

My new book hits the shelves today!

Just a reminder that my latest regency romance, A Bride of Honor, is released today. It is the sequel to last year's The Making of a Gentleman. But never fear, you don't have to read the first to enjoy the second. Both stories stand alone.

If your bookstore doesn't carry A Bride of Honor, make sure you request it. Only when bookstore managers see interest in a title will they begin to stock it on a regular basis.

A Must Read!

I finished reading The Shack a few weeks ago and have only now gotten around to posting some comments about it.
Now, I understand what all the hype is about. An awesome story, one that will appeal to Christians and non-Christians--and non-traditional Christians alike. No wonder it's selling like hotcakes. It's the kind of book that hooks you from the beginning and wrings your emotions. As soon as you finish you want to share it with friends and strangers.
I'm not going to summarize it b/c that's been done enough already. Just want to encourage you to read it!

MY NEXT BOOK

I just found the cover for my next book on Amazon. It's always exciting to see the cover of one's story--to see what an artist has come up with for one's characters. Are they anything like one imagined? Usually, the artist doesn't read the book, but they get detailed descriptions of the characters, as well as the story line, from the author and editorial team.

I have to say I like this one. It has a pretty lavender color scheme, and the placement of the hero and heroine matches that of its sister book: The Making of a Gentleman, my Aug. '08 book. For those who read that story about Florence, this is her brother, Damien, the parson's story. The costume (the white "preaching bands" collar) is historically accurate for the regency period). I just wish they'd made the waistline of the heroine's gown a trifle higher to be more in line with the empire waists of the regency period. The same goes for Florence's gown on the cover of The Making of a Gentleman; it should have been a little higher. Waistlines didn't start dropping until almost 1820 as the fashion styles transitioned into the romantic period of the 1830's.
But other than that, I really like this cover. I kind of like the "headless covers," so a reader can imagine the hero & heroine's face themselves. Usually, the artist's models are not exactly the people I've envisioned.

Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book b/c my 15 yr. old daughter gave it high marks, as well as a respected Christian writer, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about.

It lived up to expectations, since I put aside my current reading to finish it in about 2 days. Let me also mention, I'm not into vampires or any paranormal romance. So, I thought this book would be an effort for me to get into.

In analyzing why it works, I would have to say personally (and my 15 yr. old agrees), is that unlike so many romances, this one has A LOT of interaction--mainly dialogue--between the hero & heroine, once they meet. He is also the quintessential hero, both dark, dangerous & brooding--to humorous, warm & caring. And good (as in a basically decent human being. But I think Meyer's strength in developing him is that combination of dark & funny to make an irresistible hero.

It also has good pacing, beginning with the heroine's curiosity about this strange young man, the personal hurdles they face to any kind of personal relationship, and then escalating to a gripping climax when the heroine faces personal danger.


View all my reviews.

Indian Summer Downeast Maine

This is downeast Maine at its finest. No fog, crystal blue sky and water. I spent yesterday hiking Western Head, a large parcel of land bordering some spectacular coastline. I lay on a cliff half-dozing in the sun for a while. The horizon was so clear I could see some miles out to Seal Island and just make out its lighthouse.

My October Love Inspired release is in stores now. A Man Most Worthy is a Victorian tale set in London. What happens when a woman meets the young man she had a crush on as a teenager?