Hope Springs Eternal!

Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest: The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come. -Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733 The start of spring brings with it hope. After the winter we have endured, I am enjoying the warmth of the sun. It is what spring does...life begins anew, trees come back to life and flowers bloom. Once more the world is open to us. So it goes with life itself. Everyone needs that point to breath in and say let's go at it again. Every year, we deal with what life gives us. Every year, we need to rejuvenate to tackle life's obstacles. I suppose I'm reflecting a tad at the moment. It's the first year that my husband's family is dealing with his mother not being at family events. She has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home. She wasn't at our family gatherings for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. We do go to visit her and she's quite happy in the little world she lives in at the moment. It's her family that's hurting. My father-in-law told me that retirement isn't anything like he imagined. My in-laws had planned on enjoying their golden years. My in-laws loved to travel. They had a time-share down in Aruba for twelve years. Every May, they would go down for a couple of weeks. But as we talked, he began to remember. It put a smile on his face. Then the younger grandchildren...the ones that didn't get to know their real grandmother...started asking questions about her. My father-in-law sat with them and relived with them his memories. Sometimes its what we have is the memories. Passing them on means they will live on. And that gives us hope. Hope...we built our country on that belief. If you enjoy reading about spies, traitors, love and betrayal, try Winds of Betrayal Series. The first book in the series, The Cry For Freedom, is now only $.99! THE CRY FOR FREEDOM A rousing family saga for the fight for America's independence. Follow Hannah and Jonathan Corbett's path to Freedom! The winds of change brews over the colonies. Tension against the crown is mounting daily. In Williamsburg, the rebellion burns strong in the hearts of two siblings, Jonathan and Hannah Corbett. Spirited and headstrong, Hannah finds herself thrust in the middle of a conspiracy when her father receives a strange package from Philadelphia. Jonathan, a physician for the Continental Army, is torn between duty and family. With war looming on the horizon, the siblings soon discover there is a high price to be paid for the cry for freedom! The Saga continues.... Embrace of the Enemy, Winds of Betrayal Book Two Kiss of Deceit, Winds of Betrayal Book Three Coming 2014 The Heavens Shall Fall, Winds of Betrayal Book Four

WINTER WONDERLAND

Perspective. Life is about perspective. How do we look at the events in our lives? This was my life last week. Nemo slammed hard. We were without electricity for four and a half days. I thought that was bad until someone I know started talking about her experience with Sandy last year. She had me beat—nine and a half days.

AMAZON US  AMAZON UK   BARNES AND NOBLE   KOBO

I write historical romance. I love history. I find it fascinating how people lived in the past. One of the aspects of writing is using one's imagination to conjure up a believable tale of the past. I feel sometimes I'm transported back in time when I'm engrossed in one of my books. I'll give you an example.

Writing Broken Legacy was difficult for me. The Reign of Terror was a real event. So many thousands of innocent people lost their lives facing Madame Guillotine. I literally had to thrust my hero and heroine into the midst of this madness. For a moment in time, I found myself contemplating what it must have been like to face the threat of the guillotine. I have to admit the more I researched the French Revolution the more fascinated I became. Did you know that most victims of the guillotine faced their deaths with a quiet dignity? I think I would have been fighting and screaming going up the steps.

AMAZON US       AMAZON UK

Writing the Winds of Betrayal series, I dove into learning about spy networks during the American Revolution. Again, I was completely mesmerized by the circumstances of the war and the consequences brave men and women faced. Studying history gives one a better perception of the sacrifices made for us to be where we are today.

Moreover, in all my historical books my heroes and heroines accomplish all their feats without benefit of electricity! I have come to the conclusion I would never have survived. I need my electricity. I want my electricity. I confess I am a wimp. I have never been so miserable as I was last weekend. But hubbie, my doggies and I survived.

So am I amazed at the Winter Wonderland surrounding me? Can I for an instant appreciate the beauty of what it looks like when an ice bomb has gone off? I suppose I can if I was in the comfort of a warm house with internet, food, and hot water. Oh, did I tell you that we are expecting another snow storm tonight?

Busy week this week so I hope I don't lose electricity again. First Broken Legacy, Book Two Secret Lives Series was released on Valentine's Day. Don't forget that Seductive Secrets, Book One Secret Lives Series, is a free ebook!

Also this week, the newly published, The Cry For Freedom, Book One Winds of Betrayal, will be free February 20-22! Kindle Freebie! Get your copy and let me know what you think! Coming soon, Embrace of the Enemy, Book Two Winds of Betrayal, will be released. Also, I'm still hosting the book give away celebrating the release of Broken Legacy. Check it out on Colleen Connally's blog!