 It's been a while since I reviewed a book. The holidays kept me busy, even if celebrations were smaller, quieter. I didn't have a lot of time to read, much less review. I have to say -- it was SO HARD to not ignore everything and just enjoy Magnar by Mary Morgan. I love it!
What a great start to a new series! Mary Morgan’s unique style – magic, mysticism, and strong, noble characters whose emotions run deep -- lends itself beautifully to the paranormal, shifter romance. That’s to say nothing of the beautiful, Scottish scenery she describes, the sexy, sensitive love scenes, or the wonderful secondary characters who add so much to the story. Her characters are not sweet and simple. They’re complex, tormented individuals who ultimately find solace, love, and life in each other. I adore Magnar and Elspeth. They’re perfect for each other, which seems impossible at first. I spent a good portion of the book holding my breath, wondering how they would get past that which divided them. But the author made it work out beautifully, so sweetly. We can only wish that more such love and acceptance existed in this world. One of my favorite aspects of Mary Morgan’s writing – and there are many as she’s one of my favorite authors – is the way she weaves magic and mysticism into her stories. It’s captivating. Another is the true nobility of her characters. I’m sighing as I type this. It’s impossible not to love the characters or get caught up in the story. Mary Morgan is a master storyteller. Her stories read like legends of old. Don’t miss this romance, first in The Wolves of Clan Sutherland series -- historical, paranormal, spectacular.
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 I was hoping to share a beautiful poem about a winter rose. I couldn’t find one! I suppose I will have to keep looking. If the English romanticists couldn’t get over themselves, surely other cultures might offer up a few? The garden was not on my to-do list today, except that it’s always on my list. I spent a lovely hour in the sun spacing vegetable seedlings. I still have a few hours of that pleasant task ahead of me this week. As difficult as Texas gardening is in summer, it’s positively lovely in the cooler half of the year. It feels great to to work outside, concentrating on the task at hand, without having to deal to with bugs biting or sweat trickling down my face and neck. Cilantro, cabbages, lettuces, beets, carrots, parsnips, kale, chard and so much more – all popping up exuberantly. Last year, everything came up late and I didn't space the seedlings properly. This year, I hope to do better and enjoy an even bigger harvest. The roses, of course, have simply been waiting to show off.  Happy Medieval Monday! #MedMonFall20 comes to an end this week. I know that I have discovered some wonderful authors and romances to enjoy. I hope that you have, too. For more snippets, please visit the Medieval Romance Lovers FB page. We can also be found on Twitter #MedMonFall20.
For this week's snippet of Tremors, Deidre and Lachlann have finally made it to the Christmas tree farm. At the far end of the parking area was a horse and a deep green carriage. Parked a little way behind the carriage was a wagon filled with hay. Lachlann wasn’t sure which she was pointing at. “We’ll take one to transport our tree?” he guessed. She shook her head. “No. I thought it might be fun to take a carriage ride down to the trees. It’s a perfect day for it.” It was a perfect day for anything, cold but not uncomfortably so, and sunny. But it wasn’t the weather that made it perfect for him. He watched as Deidre drew their picnic basket from the back seat. Her long, fiery hair moved gently in the breeze and her green sweater, the same color as the trees, hugged her figure. She was all the perfection he’d ever want. Available at Amazon. Free with KU. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!  The day is cool and sunny – perfect gardening weather. But a few nights ago, we actually had a freeze. To my surprise, the tomato plants survived. But the usual suspects, the subtropical plants and the basil, have died to the ground. They should return in spring. For now, it’s time to trim and plant cool season annuals around them. Fortunately, I still have some snapdragons and pansies left from my last trip to the plant nursery in October. It seems impossible that I haven’t planted them yet, but November just zoomed by. I’m just glad that I don’t have to return to the plant nursery yet. My favorite nursery makes for a rather long drive and the closer, local nursery supplies mostly professional landscapers and doesn't have a particularly pleasant atmosphere. I’ll probably continue to try to propagate the seasonal annuals myself. So far, I haven’t had much success and don’t know why. But I don't have to give up. In the meantime, some plants are perfectly happy with the cooler temps and most of the cool season vegetables are coming up. I planted some early, some a little late, and a few in between. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes. Wishing everyone a wonderful December!  Not to feel exasperated, or defeated, or despondent because your days aren't packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human -- however imperfectly -- and fully embrace the pursuit that you've embarked on."
-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations We don't always see the good in ourselves. Too often, we focus on the negative. Granted, we're not always our best selves and that's where Marcus Aurelius' quote comes in. My favorite part, "to celebrate behaving like a human -- however imperfectly", is a call to both pride and humility. We are who we are, and we will make mistakes -- large and small -- but that doesn't mean we give up or give in. I noticed the egret on a short walk this morning. I did not see the reflection, so I was surprised when I looked at it a little later. The bird didn't seem to notice her reflection, either, and it crossed my mind that sometimes we don't see ourselves at all, even when we're looking. And that's when we need to embrace a little calm, take a breath -- recall our unique humanity -- then pick ourselves up and continue. No one can walk our journey but ourselves. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season! |
A Little of This, a Little of ThatKeep me away from the wisdom that does not cry, the philosophy that does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children. – Gibran Khalil Gibran Archives
January 2023
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