Cover Upgrade

I just upgraded the cover of my novella Just A Dream Away, from the first one which represented the arrival of Prince Daliant's ship, to the second which portrays Princess Selana. I admit I prefer it by a million miles!😊

         

If you haven't read it yet, here's the synopsis:

Princess Selana of Damaria has recently been married by proxy to Prince Daliant of the neighboring state of Admavaria, uniting their two nations as one and ending centuries of feuding over territory. The negotiations seemed endless, and now the time has finally come to meet the man who will rule at her side. But Princess Selana is worried. Will the notoriously handsome and experienced prince be happy with her, a young woman who is pale, not dusky like the women of his land, and more used to trampling around her lands in riding boots than attending balls or flirting? The peace of their nations depends upon their ability to work together. Will he be a kind co-ruler of their two newly joined nations? Or arrogant, spoiled and degenerate?

Prince Daliant of Admavaria is renowned for his love of women, a reputation he fully earned. But the new alliance and terms of the proxy marriage forbids him to share intimacies with anyone but his princess bride for the rest of his days. Can he keep to the treaty? The two have never met. Will his princess be a joy to behold, and a playful bed companion? Or an ice queen as the pale glacial blue eyes of her portrait suggests?

But only days after their marriage, Selana awakens in another world, one that is not her own. Or is it? Was Prince Daliant real? Which world is the dream world and which the reality?

In the US Find Just A Dream Away here

In the UK Find Just A Dream Away here

In Canada Find Just a Dream Away here

In Australia  Find Just A Dream Away here

Inside beautiful Shanklin Chine, Isle of Wight

Inside beautiful Shanklin Chine, you will find a hidden oasis of beauty, streams, waterfalls, wooden walkways and old stone bridges, and also...PLUTO. The pipeline that carried fuel across the English Channel for the Normandy Invasion, scroll down for details.
The Chine is starting to bloom as we head into spring and soon will be a vibrant green oasis.

A beautiful day on the Isle of Wight

Old Fashioned Shelter By The Sea

This lovely old fashioned shelter is by the sea on the Shanklin Esplanade, Isle of Wight. I'm not sure if it was once a bus shelter or simply a place to rest and shelter from the wind, but it adds to the character of the lovely sea front.

Spring is here at last!

No matter what the calendar says, Mother Nature has her own timetable. But today it finally feels like spring! Happy Spring everyone!

Nature Photography

A black dot in the sky, then he swoops down to land almost at your feet, yes it's the humble but often noisy crow! They are quite funny characters and obviously used to tourists, they stomp about looking for, and expecting a handout! Then off they go to soar over the ocean. Sleek black feathers and a characteristic call. They're fun to watch. I'm enjoying my new camera as I'm sure you can see!

The Jewel Thief. A Ghostly Regency Romance

My latest book! I love this cover, it is a perfect depiction of the heroine in my mind's eye! This is a playful, fun and romantic ghost story.

The Jewel Thief

A Ghostly Regency Romance

Book Description

Griffin Blackstone, the Earl of Blakenheath, is resting in his room after a long journey to attend a house party at Tallander Castle with his younger sister Lissy. While she is out exploring the castle grounds with her long-time nanny, Griffin hears a strange sound in the room adjoining his own and hurries to investigate, but instead of a maid he discovers a shimmering apparition wearing his sister Lissy’s jewels.

Upon discovery, the spirit immediately disappears. Shocked but curious, he tamps down his initial alarmed instinct to dash out of there and waits for her to reappear. After all, even if he left she’d still be there and he can hardly have his sister return to a room bearing a ghost. But the playful and curious young specter is not easily deterred from her goal of acquiring the shimmering jewels, and Griffin finds himself in the strange predicament of trying to understand the ghost—that he discovers is known historically as the White Silhouette—and her motives.

He nicknames her Magpie as she is attracted to shiny objects. But his research shows her to be a young woman named Melissande DeMesurier Tallander who died of influenza a hundred years earlier.

Tallander Castle is up for sale, and not only is their hostess, the current Miss Tallander, hoping for a buyer, but she has also attracted many of the guests to the party by informing them that they are welcome to search the castle for the long missing Tallander jewels, though Griffin suspects he knows exactly who has stolen them.

A mischievous ghost, a bewildered and fascinated earl, a masquerade ball and some ghostly surprises feature in this lighthearted Regency romance.

Please note that this ghostly tale is much sweeter than my other books which are often quite spicy. My other titles, In Devlin’s Arms and The Third Dance are sensual. An Aspiring Courtesan and Simply Adored are erotic. But all are lighthearted nonetheless

Here's the Amazon links:

The Jewel Thief US

The Jewel Thief UK

The Jewel Thief Australia 

The Jewel Thief Canada

Only a few traces of snow remain on the island

Freshwater, Isle of Wight

I tried to catch the sun on the water after a few days of rain and snow. 

This is a view I could never tire of.

Lovely Isle of Wight Views

Some lovely views of the coastline now that the storm is gone

I love to see the colors in the ocean, a lovely mix of varying shades of blue and green. Hearing the waves crash on shore and watching the first signs of spring arrive as the sun makes an occasional appearance. There are daffodils all over the island at the moment.

The cliff path runs very close to the edge here. I tried to capture the sun glinting on the water, what a welcome sight it was after the rain and snow in the past couple of weeks.

A Real 'Book Man'

This clever 'book man' was on display at a visit to Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, during the holiday season.
It took me a moment to realize what I was actually looking at!

Inside beautiful Ely Cathedral

Inside the beautiful Cathedral at Ely, Cambridgeshire.
We only took pictures inside as it was raining hard that day, but we hope to go back soon. If you'd like to know more about the Cathedral here is the link.
http://www.elycathedral.org/visit 

Chatsworth

The Beautiful House

The Cascading Waterfall

The Orangery

The Bridge

The Beautiful Stone Lions on Display at Chatsworth

The Magnificent Reading Room at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

 The Exquisite reading room at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, 

a place those of us who love books would all adore!

Close-up views of the beautiful ceiling art, something to ponder in between chapters of a book!

The Jewel Thief: A Ghostly Regency Romance

My latest book! I love this cover, it is a perfect depiction of the heroine in my mind's eye! This is a playful, fun and romantic ghost story.

The Jewel Thief

A Ghostly Regency Romance

Book Description

Griffin Blackstone, the Earl of Blakenheath, is resting in his room after a long journey to attend a house party at Tallander Castle with his younger sister Lissy. While she is out exploring the castle grounds with her long-time nanny, Griffin hears a strange sound in the room adjoining his own and hurries to investigate, but instead of a maid he discovers a shimmering apparition wearing his sister Lissy’s jewels.

Upon discovery, the spirit immediately disappears. Shocked but curious, he tamps down his initial alarmed instinct to dash out of there and waits for her to reappear. After all, even if he left she’d still be there and he can hardly have his sister return to a room bearing a ghost. But the playful and curious young specter is not easily deterred from her goal of acquiring the shimmering jewels, and Griffin finds himself in the strange predicament of trying to understand the ghost—that he discovers is known historically as the White Silhouette—and her motives.

He nicknames her Magpie as she is attracted to shiny objects. But his research shows her to be a young woman named Melissande DeMesurier Tallander who died of influenza a hundred years earlier.

Tallander Castle is up for sale, and not only is their hostess, the current Miss Tallander, hoping for a buyer, but she has also attracted many of the guests to the party by informing them that they are welcome to search the castle for the long missing Tallander jewels, though Griffin suspects he knows exactly who has stolen them.

A mischievous ghost, a bewildered and fascinated earl, a masquerade ball and some ghostly surprises feature in this lighthearted Regency romance.

Please note that this ghostly tale is much sweeter than my other books which are often quite spicy. My other titles, In Devlin’s Arms and The Third Dance are sensual. An Aspiring Courtesan and Simply Adored are erotic. But all are lighthearted nonetheless

Here's the Amazon links:

The Jewel Thief US

The Jewel Thief UK

The Jewel Thief Australia 

The Jewel Thief Canada

HMS Victory, Horatio Nelson's Flagship

HMS Victory, Nelson's Flagship at Portsmouth Dockyards

This is where Nelson slept, next to the guns that made this ship so powerful

Just one of the many gun decks

Side view of the ship and gun portals

Entrance and gun portals

The Brading Roman Villa, Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is home to many wonderful sights and a lot of history. The Brading Roman Villa was excavated to reveal beautiful mosaic floors from the Roman occupation, it's a lovely place to visit.
http://www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk/

Wandering Free at the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm