Bringing my Story to Life

 

I’m writing a short story for a Christmas box set. My story is The Duke’s Lost Love. It is a cross-over story to my series, The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea. The venue for these stories is in the village of Sommer-by-the-Sea not far from Newcastle.

I wanted my hero and heroine isolated and forced to work together. Christmas. Snow. Snowstorm. Avalanche. I was definitely on to something. Now all I had to do was find mountains. I was in luck. I found Pennine Way.  Steeped in history and traversing spectacular landscapes, the iconic Pennine Way stretches for 268 miles (435km) across England’s wild northern uplands.

The route follows England’s rocky spine from the hills of the Derbyshire Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, through the stunning Swaledale Valley, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland to the Cheviot Hills, ending in the Scottish Borders in Kirk Yetholm.

The path was the idea of the journalist and rambler Tom Stephenson. He was inspired by similar trails in the United States, particularly the Appalachian Trail. Stephenson proposed the concept in an article for the Daily Herald in 1935, and lobbied Parliament for the creation of an official trail. The final section was declared open in a ceremony held on Malham Moor on 24 April 1965.

I closed my computer for the day knowing I found the mountain range I needed for my story.

In the morning, before setting out for the gym, I went through the news on my phone and saw the word Pennine in passing. I scrolled back. It was an article about a virtual hike along the Pennine Way. Here is what it said...

Follow the first National Trail in England which takes in 3 National Parks – the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland, as well as the North Pennines AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Our Pennine Way virtual challenge stretches for 268 miles of breathtaking landscape, all the way from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, to Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border.

A unique experience where each participant will log their mileage-based activity and advance along the innovative interactive map.

This extraordinary journey allows participants to keep motivated and active, set and achieve physical goals and stimulate mental and physical being whilst in their own local surroundings.

Unlock Digital Postcards

Unlock a range of carefully researched, motivating postcards and interesting landmarks to keep you entertained and motivated during your journey. Each postcard reveals interesting information about points along the route. Download them to keep or share on your social media.

Track yourself and others!

After completing your mileage-based activity you can upload it to your interactive map and instantly move along the route, zoom in to street view to see your surroundings virtually as if you were really there and check where others are around you from the leaderboard.

Check the mileage log for all your activity and see how far you’ve come!

This is sure to keep you motivated to achieve those fitness goals!

I put the information aside and went to the gym. I haven’t been there for two years and decided to start small, on the treadmill. As I watched the steps accumulate, I thought about the Pennine Way and the virtual walk.

When I returned home, I signed up. Within minutes I got my Bib number and all the information on what to do and how to submit your miles.

Here are the results of Sunday and Monday…

Here is my place after 5.05 miles on the trail.

I turned on the 3D view to see what is actually around me.

I have 5 months to finish this challenge and I'm taking you with me all the way! I need a cheering team. At the moment, my heroine, Nanette, cannot wait to see what is on the other side of the hill.

 

A Duke in Winter: A Historical Romance Collection Pre-Order is Live!

 So excited to be a part of another Dragonblade Publishing Anthology…

A Duke in Winter: A Historical Romance Collection 

Here is the blurb for the collection releasing December 29, 2022:

“It was a dark and snowy night…”

Winter has come and the holiday seasons have arrived. ‘Tis the season to be jolly for most, but beneath the joyous celebrations lurks moody, dark, and seductive dukes that make England’s most famous bard’s brooding lords look like charm boys. But this isn’t a tortured Danish prince or a tormented king with three conniving daughters. This is…

A Duke in Winter.

Ten of your favorite historical romance authors have come together for this wintery collection to set your pulse racing. Melt the snow a little with this collection of sexy tales of moody dukes and the women hot enough to warm them.

Indulge in the most unexpected of winter romantic tales!

This set includes USA Today and Bestselling authors:
Elizabeth Johns
Emily Royal
Anna St. Claire
Elizabeth Keysian
Caroline Warfield
Elizabeth Ellen Carter
Ruth A. Casie
C.H. Admirand
Charlotte Wren
Sandra Sookoo
Veronica Crowe
Anna Markland
Chantry Dawes

Stay tune for more information…

The Lady and the Spy is in the Running!!

They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, The Lady and the Spy (The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea Book 2), please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

I’m getting closer to clinch the "Cover of the Month" contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here: 

Click to Vote!

   

Click to Vote!

The Lady and the Spy – CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE?

Release Day for The Lady and the Spy

                                            

No matter how many books an author has, a release of their 20th book is as exciting as the release of their 1st. I am no different.

This book was almost finished when I realized I had overlooked a major piece of the story. Take a look at the cover and you will find a beautiful diamond and ruby brooch. You really can’t miss it. I got so involved in writing the spy story that I neglected to add in the brooch’s significance. The pin was worth more than a simple mention. It was an important part of the story. I tossed out half of what I had written (*sigh*) and went to work.

The results are wonderful. The story is available on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/TLATSpy

Research led me to secret codes and for my readers a chance to CRACK THE CODE in the story.

Solve the Puzzle

Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

The secret is in your hands! Break the code and find the key for a chance to win

Learn more and enter to crack the code here. 

The Lady and the Spy

 

Introducing Book Two of my Regency Series, The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea.

The Lady and the Spy

With each encounter her heartbeat quickened.

With each encounter his need for her grew stronger.

Lady Patrice Montgomery Edgemont always did what was expected of her and look where that got her, married off by her father into a loveless relationship. She solved the puzzle that was prospective husband number two, another of her father’s choices and quickly made him a distant memory. Lady Patrice is not playing games. She is through with men.

Nikolai Baranov is the son of a Russian grand duke and spy for Tzar Alexander I. When his father and associates are killed, Nikolai doesn’t play games. The only thing worth winning is revenge for his family.

When a blizzard blankets Sommer-by-the-Sea, Lady Patrice is the only one who can help the mysterious wounded Russian she finds in her hunting lodge. It will take Nikolai’s skill as a spy and Lady Patrice’s expertise at solving puzzles to play through and win the game, a happily ever after.

Buy Link https://amzn.to/3L527y6      

Chapter One is available for you to read here.

The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea

Welcome to Sommer-by-the-Sea, a vibrant village nestled on the rugged northeast coast of England, 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Here, the world is centered on the country village and the lives of the landowning and professional families. Sommer-by-the-Sea is populated with aristocrats, gentry, self-made men, shop owners, local workers, and servants, a cross-section of the people of the time. Steeped in history dating back as far as the Vikings, the villagers are proud and celebrate their heritage.

Everyone from the elite summer residents to the year-round residence keep businesses flourishing and gossip thriving. As with any small town, there are challenges and successes, secrets, disagreements, and feuds. There is no shortage of romance, mystery, drama, and even a murder or two.

Graduates of the Sommer-by-the-Sea Female Seminary have a unique education. Along with the usual studies available, the head mistress has nurtured each woman’s innate ability and helped them develop into the women they are today. This shared unique experience has kept the graduates close.

Each lady has her own story to tell as she is called to action and must demonstrate she is smart, strong and sensible and must challenge the accepted definition of a “woman’s place.” For these women, arranged or political marriages will not do. If she chooses a husband, it will be for love, on her own terms, and with a man who will accept her as a partner. 

It is with pleasure I introduce you to The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea, and their stories.

December - You’re amazing! Happy Birthday.

 

As promised, on the 23^rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.

 

• 09 Dec 1608 – John Milton, author of Paradise Lost
• 12 Dec 1821 – Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary
• 16 Dec 1775 – Jane Austen, author of Pride & Prejudice
• 30 Dec 1865 – Rudyard Kipling, author of Jungle Book

 

December Facts:

• The first day of Winter, the Winter Solstice, is December 21 or 22 and is the shortest day and the longest night.
• In 700 BCE, December was shortened to 29 days. It was changed to 31 days with the advent of the Julian calendar.
• December’s full moon is known as the Cold Moon, a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year.
• Folklore: December changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child.

 

This is the end of the year. It’s been fun. Have a wonderful New Year!

 

Sources:

http://projectbritain.com/year/march.htm

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore

https://www.ducksters.com/history/decemberinhistory.php

November - Today’s your birthday–time to celebrate!

 

As promised, on the 23^rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.

 

• 08 Nov 1847 - Bram Stoker, author of Dracula
• 11 Nov 1821 - Fyodor Dostoyevsky, author of Crime and Punishment
• 13 Nov 1850 - Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island
• 29 Nov 1898 - C. S. Lewis, creator of Narnia
• 30 Nov 1835 - Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

 

November Facts:

• Most, if not all, of the leaves have fallen off the trees in the Northern Hemisphere by the end of November.
• Throughout much of history, November has often been thought of as a somber month because it signaled the start of winter. People would spend the month storing up their harvest and preparing their food and homes in order to survive the winter.
• Folklore: If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, there’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck.

 

See you next month!

Sources:

http://projectbritain.com/year/march.htm

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore

https://www.ducksters.com/history/decemberinhistory.php

October - Happy, happy birthday! Time to blow out the candles and make a wish.

 

As promised, on the 23^rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.

 

• 04 Oct 1884 – Damon Runyon, author of Little Miss Marker
• 16 Oct 1854 – Oscar Wilde, author of The Happy Prince and Other Tales
• 27 Oct 1914 – Dylan Thomas, the stormy Welsh poet

October Facts: 

• In the Northern Hemisphere, the leaves on trees begin to change color.
• The Saxons called October Wintirfylith because it had the first full moon of the winter season.
• Halloween, celebrated on the last day of the month originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and beginning winter.
• Folklore: A warm October means a cold February.

 

See you next month!

Sources:

http://projectbritain.com/year/march.htm

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore

https://www.ducksters.com/history/decemberinhistory.php

September - Time to enjoy a birthday cake and the company of loved ones. Happy Birthday!

 

As promised, on the 23^rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.

 

• 09 Sept 1828 - Leo Tolstoy, author of War & Peace
• 13 Sept 1916 - Roald Dahl, author of Matilda
• 21 Sept 1947 - Stephen King, The Master of Horror
• 21 Sept 1866 - H. G. Wells, author of The War of the Worlds
• 24 Sept 1896 - F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby
• 25 Sept 1897 - William Faulkner, author of The Big Sleep
• 26 Sept 1888 - T. S. Eliot, author of The Cocktail Party

 

September Facts:

It is the first month of Autumn.

• Many children begin the school year in September.
• September is often associated with fire because it was associated with Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and the forge.
• In 1752, the British changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The change required an adjustment to some days because the seasons were off. To fix it, they moved 11 days from September. They went from September 3 to the 14^th. To the Britain in 1752 the days between September 3 and 13 just never happened.
• Folklore: Married in September’s golden glow, smooth and serene your life will go.

 

See you next month!

Sources:

http://projectbritain.com/year/march.htm

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore

https://www.ducksters.com/history/decemberinhistory.php

August - Wishing you the happiest of birthdays and a fantastic year ahead!

 

As promised, on the 23^rd of every month I will post a list of literary author birthdays. I came across the list on Book Lover Gifts website. Feel free to add your favorite authors special day. Put it in the comments section, just wait for their birth month.

 

• 01 Aug 1819 – Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick
• 22 Aug 1920 – Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451
• 24 Aug 1899 – Jorge Luis Borges, author of The Library of Babel

 

August Facts:

• It is the last month of summer.
• It is the month of summer vacations and holiday for many around the world.
• Many cultures call August the harvest month.
• Folklore: If the first week of August is unusually warm, The winter will be white and long.

 

 See you next month!

Sources:

http://projectbritain.com/year/march.htm

https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore

https://www.ducksters.com/history/decemberinhistory.php