Jane Austen Week: Emma

Quote for the Day

"I declare there is no enjoyment like reading." 

                              ~Jane Austen~ 

Jane Austen Week: Sense and Sensibility

Happy Birthday!

This month is my birthday month!!  So with the knowledge of turning a year older comes the need to reflect on the past year.  Of course, my birthday is a day for celebrating--so who wants to get that serious?  :)  Yet, I still find myself remembering little moments as they sneak into my brain.  Moments from my childhood, days in college, friends I once knew, times of heartache and pain, along with joyous occasions--all of these times make up the pieces of my life.  These events make me the person I am today. 

What does your life story say about you?  Have you learned from mistakes and regrets?  Or do you let them hover over your life like a burden that never lets go?  I know I find myself doing the latter too many times.  It is important to learn from our mistakes and then move on, but for some reason it becomes easier to continually ponder over these issues.  And we allow these moments to rule our lives while making us feel worse and worse about our present circumstances.

Have you ever been going one direction in your life only to stop and realize that suddenly you are on a completely different path?  A path that you never saw or intended to be on?  This is what I have realized about my life so many times.  However, I have also come to understand that finding out this revelation is ok.  Perhaps my original path would not have made me happy or been the best for my life.  Only the Lord knows the answers to those questions.  My advice--do not feel bad when things do not work out as you would like them to.  Instead, learn from various events and take that knowledge to your next adventure.

With each passing year, we are supposed to gain more wisdom about life and ourselves, and as I get older, I hope that is true of me.  I don't want to view the world in an immature manner or act like I did when I was a teenager.  I would rather grow and mature into the person the Lord is making me out to be.

With this birthday, another year has passed.  And I pray that I have lived in the best way possible this past year.  I hope that I made a difference in someone's life.  I hope that someone was encouraged by my story, and I pray that each choice I made was prosperous.

Not every moment in life is good or filled with happiness, but we can choose our mood and how we want to view our present circumstance.  So for my next year, I want to choose my feelings.  I don't want to live on my emotions, but I want to choose to be happy.  I want to choose to do the right thing always.  I want to choose to serve others.  I want to be more disciplined in my daily routine and at the end of this year I hope to have accomplished more than the last.  So, with one step at a time, I will make this my best year yet!  

Jane Austen Week: Check This Out!

The Duke's Marriage Mission - My Review

Leah Shaw is a spunky governess who has entered the doors of Renforth Hall.  Unknown to the Duke, she has come to care for his sick child, Christopher Latimer, Lord Renforth—Master Kit to Miss Shaw.  Almost immediately, Leah and Master Kit become friends and soon thereafter she longs to widen his world.  At present, all he has ever known are the four walls of his nursery.  Of course, Leah Shaw is in for a big surprise when she meets Hayden Latimer, Duke of Northam.

Upon first acquaintance, the Duke does not know who Leah Shaw is or why she is here talking to his son.  He did not send word for a governess to come and take of Kit.  He fears that Kit could get seriously hurt, and Kit does not need to be disillusioned by this young woman.  His son must understand that his life is and always will be very different than other children his age.

Of course, Leah does not agree with these statements.  She wants to build a bridge for Kit, so that he can explore the world and Renforth Hall.  She also hopes to bring the Duke and his son closer together.  The tension that resides in Renforth Hall has held the Duke for too long.

Can Leah succeed in helping Kit while also helping his father?  Will the Duke relent and allow the young governess to teach his son?

Deborah Hale’s novel, The Duke’s Marriage Mission, proves to be an excellent read—especially for those who love period pieces.

This text is set in Somerset, England during the Regency era.

About The Book 

*What governess would refuse a duke? Exuberant, opinionated, irrepressible Leah Shaw, that's who. Since her arrival at Renforth Hall, the Duke of Northam's young son has thrived. Leah, intent on traveling abroad, insists she will stay for one year only. Marriage would change everything—if only Hayden Latimer, the duke, knew how to woo a woman who wants nothing to do with matrimony.

All the duke's wealth could not buy Leah the one thing she cherishes most: her independence. But if an overprotective father can give his son room to grow, can she learn to put down roots? For it's every woman's prerogative to change her mind…when her heart is guiding her toward love.  

 *Synopsis is from the back cover of the novel.

About The Author

Deborah Hale spent a decade tracing her Canadian family to their origins in Georgian-era Britain. In the process, she learned a great deal about that period and uncovered enough fascinating true stories to fuel her romance plots for years to come. At the urging of a friend, Deborah completed her first historical romance novel and went on to publish over fifteen more. Deborah lives in Nova Scotia, a province steeped in history and romance! Visit her website at:  www.deborahhale.com

Quote for the Day

“In writing. Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please, will you do my job for me.”   

                                                                      ~C.S. Lewis~