Missed in the Holiday Gallery, my Regency novel which features not only a "purchased" husband, but dicey politics, and lengthy Christmas celebrations, so here it is—one of my favorites, heartily recommended for any time of the year.
Miss Aurelia Trevor has a problem. Until she reaches the age of twenty-five, she will have no control over her beloved Pevensey Park, and by that time her unscrupulous uncle will have run it into the ground. Marriage to someone other than her uncle's leering son is her only way out, but, one by one, she rejects the men on her list of suitors. In desperation, Aurelia does the unthinkable. She hires a solicitor to find her a husband strong enough to stand up to both her uncle and her cousin. And soon learns the truth of that old adage: Be careful what you wish for.
Thomas Lanning is a man of the City. Unlike Aurelia, who stands to inherit vast land and wealth, he has made his own place in the world. He is not at all tempted by the suggestion of marriage to an heiress, but other considerations, such as a power base for a seat in Parliament, tweak his interest. Plus an unexpected twinge of chivalry when he hears the full extent of Miss Trevor's difficulties with her uncle and his family.
Aurelia, who only wants to live in peace on her acres, finds she has acquired a ready-made family in Thomas's younger sister and brother, as well as a head-strong husband whose campaign for MP fills her household with a shockingly odd assortment of characters. It seems her marriage of convenience is fast becoming a marriage of inconvenience. Just how far will this strong-willed pair bend to accommodate each other? And will they do it before it's too late?
To round out the holiday, a gallery of pics I hope you'll enjoy.
The first is so spectacular that most will take one look and scream, "AI!" So I am posting all of the message that went with it. Hopefully, I'm not mistaken when I say I believe this photo is the real thing. Setting: Alaska
Photographer Adam Norlin was chasing a mysterious blue flash above the frigid sea, where winter bioluminescence painted shimmering threads on the
A tornado formed far above the sea
Two rainbows illuminated the scene
Lightning streaked across the sky above the mountain
A quick jump to the far side of the world - Australia
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| "Liquid Gold" - Gold Coast, Australia |
Now back to Seminole County, Florida, on December 30, 2025.
I have lived in Longwood for ten years and never seen such a sunset, even though my view was obscured by trees and a tall hedge. The sky, both west and south, was lit up with amazing red, rose, and pink striations. A few miles to the north, my daughter, however, managed to catch the pic below. (My view in Longwood was more pink than Susie's photo.)
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| Sunset, Seminole Cty, FL, 12/30/25 |
And, of course, we have to have Winter Solstice Sunrise at Stonehenge.
There are, of course, other items of interest in Florida other than sunsets . . .
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Myakka State Park, FL*
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And as a goodbye to the Holiday Season, my Christmas Tree from 2017:
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Featured Book of the Week:
I chose Rebel Princess, Book 1 of the Blue Moon Rising series, to lead us back to reality after "time out" to enjoy the holidays. Sometimes, as this SciFi Fantasy series illustrates, rebellion against tyranny is necessary. (Rebel Princess was intended to be a single novel of love and rebellion in a galaxy far, far away, but it refused to conform to my initial vision, taking four books to tell the tale, plus a spin-off that takes place a few years later.)
The Princess Royal of a pacifist planet, whose people have spent a
thousand years developing their powers of the mind, stages a personal
rebellion, joining the space academy of a planet that has spent a
millennium developing its military might. This odd pairing goes well
until her senior year when her new "friends" turn on her. Only the swift
action of an honorable huntership captain saves her from rape and
possible medical experimentation. As a very special prisoner of war, she
spends four years in solitary confinement, where she dreams of her
rescuer but has no idea she has inadvertently sparked a rebellion
against the military planet's vast Empire.
When the
princess-in-disguise is finally freed and tossed into the middle of the
Rebellion, she discovers there is a sharp contrast between her fantasy
version of the man who rescued her and the flesh and blood starship
captain leading the rebellion. She must also cope with his followers who
fear her psychic powers, a fey younger brother who speaks only through
illusions, royal parents with strict belief in non-violence, and a
fiancé who happens to be a sorcerer. It would appear the hope of
toppling the Empire is a dim light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Other books in the series: Sorcerer's Bride, The Bastard Prince, Royal Rebellion
The spin-off: The Crucible Kingdom
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