The perfect book to grab for a Valentine's gift! Head to south Georgia to Cupid's Bow and watch love work it's magic. Each of the nine stories is different but each provides a satisfying and short read that will make you wish for more. Check the reviews for the reason this is an Amazon Best Seller. 

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Loves-Magic-Melba-Moon/dp/1943095027/

https://goodreads.com/author /show/4909455.Mary_Marvella

https://www.facebook.com/ARomanceCaper

 www.MaryMarvella.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Marvella-Author /121044561311561

http://pinkfuzzyslippersauthors.wordpress.com

Follow Mary Marvella on Twitter @mmarvellab

http://www.GildedDragonflyBooks.com 
 http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Marvella/e/B008E1SJ32/

https://www.pinterest.com/marymarvella/

Diane Burton: Who's For Dinner with Linda NIghtingale: From the time I was a young girl, I’ve had an interest in the Abdication of Edward VIII, later Duke of York, to marry “the woman I love...

A soft spring day in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is scented with the sweetest blossoms. Many of our best loved flowers bloom in spring. Perhaps because they come after a long, cold winter, and are nature's reward. Or God's. Either way, I thought you might enjoy seeing some images my talented daughter Elise took of our garden(s) recently. I say gardens, plural, because we have many beds. Beyond the yard and gardens, we gaze down to the green meadow surrounding the pond like a gem from the Emerald Isles. And up above the glistening grass and green rye fields, are the wooded hills. Tender new leaves flushed with rose blend in with the many shades of green coloring the trees. Beyond the hills are the Allegheny Mountains. On a clear day, we can see the ridges tinged in green rising in the distance. Spring comes later in the mountains, but it comes in all its wealth and beauty. But back to the farm.

Below are some lovely quotes to accompany these images, with insightful commentary.

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." ~Ruth Stout

I totally agree with Ruth Stout, and have her gardening book. A real treasure.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ~Anne Bradstreet

Amen, Anne Bradstreet. 

"Our spring has come at last with the soft laughter of April suns and shadow of April showers." ~Byron Caldwell Smith, letter to Kate Stephens

What a beautiful romantic thing to write.

"The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hillside’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven -
All’s right with the world!"
~Robert Browning

Robert Browning is quite the optimist, which one can better aspire to be if one spends a great deal of time in a garden. The world has run mad, but love still shines brightly. And he was deeply in love with the talented poet who became his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

I do love the English Romantic Poets. Now, we must have some Keats.

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing." ~John Keats

Why did Keats value quiet breathing? Because he died young of consumption. But he knew love, and was in love with a wonderful woman. He also deeply loved nature and flowers.

"Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment." ~Ellis Peters

This is so true. I never weary of the delights of spring.


"The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun’s kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze."
~Julian Grenfell

I can't say it any better than this.

Flowers in order are bleeding heart, tulips in front of the old red barn, Virginia bluebells, violets arranged in an old bottle we found on the farm that turned lavender in the kitchen window, cherry blossoms, and a bouquet of lilac beside the large potted geraniums on our sunspace. Elise made the arrangements and took all of the images herself.

For more on me, please visit my blog at:  https://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/

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I'm thrilled to finally reveal the cover of my March release, Lady of the Flames!

I had great fun writing this book -- it's a Regency with romance, suspense, and MAGIC! I love magic, and I really let myself enjoy writing about it in this one.

Here's what it's about:

Magic is fraught with peril—but so is love.

Lord Fenimore Trent’s uncanny affinity for knives and other blades led to knife fights, duels, and murderous brawls. Five years ago, he faced a choice: marry Andromeda Gibbons, the woman he loved, or find a safe, peaceful use for his blades by opening a furniture shop—an unacceptable occupation for a man of noble birth. The choice made itself when Andromeda turned to another man. The furniture shop prospered, but now Fen’s partner is accused of treason. In order to root out the real traitor, he faces another unpalatable choice—to resort to the violent use of his blades once again.

Once upon a time, Andromeda Gibbons believed in magic. That belief faded after her mother’s death and vanished completely when Lord Fenimore, the man she loved, spurned her. Five years later, Andromeda has molded herself into a perfect—and perfectly unhappy—lady. When she overhears her haughty betrothed, the Earl of Slough, plotting treason, she flees into the London night—to Fen, the one man she knows she can trust. But taking refuge with Fen proves to mean far more than getting help—it means learning to believe in love, magic, and the real Andromeda once again.

~ * ~

It's up for pre-order now at a special introductory price of only 99 cents. (There's also a paperback at $11.95 for those who prefer.) Here are some links:

Amazon.com ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Flames-Most-Peculiar-Season-ebook/dp/B00T0JAWLO/

Amazon UK ebook: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Flames-Most-Peculiar-Season-ebook/dp/B00T0JAWLO/

Amazon Canada ebook: http://www.amazon.ca/Lady-Flames-Most-Peculiar-Season-ebook/dp/B00T0JAWLO/

Amazon Australia ebook: http://www.amazon.com.au/Lady-Flames-Most-Peculiar-Season-ebook/dp/B00T0JAWLO/

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lady-of-the-flames

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lady-of-the-flames/id970621206?ls=1&mt=11

 

~ * ~

Lady of the Flames is part of a multi-author series called A Most Peculiar Season, about a London Season  when some very strange happenings take place. So far, there are two other books out: A Viking for the Viscountess by Michelle Willingham and Scandal on His Doorstep by Deborah Hale.

Happy reading!

Thanks in advance to our local weatherman in the Charlotte, NC area for sharing the following tips:

According to the Mayo clinic, the optimal amount of humidity for a room is between 30-50 percent. A hygrometer measures the amount of humidity in a room. You can purchase them at Amazon.com for $9.99.




If you suffer from sore throats during the winter season, the culprit may be because your home is too dry. Many of our furnaces are running non-stop.

Here’s some ideas for home-made humidifiers:

1. Simply place a glass of water on your heater and let the water evaporate.




2. If you don’t have a flat top heater, soak a clean car-washing sponge in warm water. Squeeze to remove excess water and place in a punctured plastic freezer bag. Place in rooms as needed. When reusing, place sponge in microwave for 1 minute to rid of bacteria.

3. Keep your bathroom door open when showering with hot water. The steam will drift into the next room.

4. Purchase some inexpensive house plants. When you water the plants the water will evaporate through the leaves and back into the room.

5. Boil water on the stove, place in bowl and seal. Wait a few minutes for steam to gather, then bring to room that needs humidifying and unseal. Steam will instantly rise up into the air.

6. An open fish tank mixes business with pleasure and increases moisture in a soothing effective way.




Please note that it’s not recommended that you dry your clothes on radiators or heaters. Yes, moisture is being sent back into the air but the water may spread mold, bacteria, and viruses.