IN THE GARDEN, AFTER THE RAIN

For after all the best thing one can do when 
it is raining, is to let it rain.
 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

But once it stops pull on your boots, grab your camera, and head out to the garden. Because this is what you might find . . .

 I hope you all have a moment today to spend time in a garden.

THE DARK LADY

Isn't this one of the loveliest covers ever?

And to show my thanks to Máire for sharing her cover with me, I'm asking you to tweet the link to this cover to all of your followers. 

Why am I showing my appreciation?

Because it's been a long, dark winter.  

I know it's a strange thing to say since the weather has been so mild and my garden is in full bloom a week before Mother's Day.  

But as many of you already know in February my CP and best friend Karen Johnston was diagnosed with brain cancer,

and for months I've blocked out the world and stayed silent.

Then yesterday something amazing happened to draw me back to blogs, loops, and all things Social Media. One of my Golden Heart sisters and fellow Duchess, Maire Claremont, sent me a link to the cover of her dark Victorian debut novel The Dark Lady. It is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a long, long time, and it reminded me of why I spend so much time at my desk writing stories.

A cover like this makes all the rejections worth it. 

This cover proves that if you don't give up amazing things can happen. Unpublished authors can achieve their dreams and sometimes friends can recover from cancer.

The bonus is that Máire's fabulous cover is only eclipsed by the story itself:

The Dark Lady

Childhood affection leads to adult romance in this haunting love story and captivating debut that shifts from the wretched hell of a cruel insane asylum to the lavish ballrooms of London’s high society. 

Lord Ian Blake failed to keep the oath he made to his childhood friend Eva that he would bring her husband Hamilton back from India. Though his heart longs for her forgiveness, he knows he doesn’t deserve it, as he is responsible for Hamilton’s death. And not only has Ian failed Eva, he has returned to England too late. Eva’s brother-in-law has locked her away in a madhouse. Nothing will stop Ian from saving the beautiful, independent girl he’s always loved and claiming her—at long last—as his wife.

Lady Eva Carin doesn’t think she deserves to return to society, not after the death of both her husband and young son. When her childhood friend appears in the dismal asylum for women to save her, she cannot ignore the hope that sparks in her heart. Against all odds, fate has reunited her with the one man she has ever loved, but he turned his back on her once before. How will she be able to trust him again?

And for those of us with little patience, Pocket Books has put up a sample chapter for The Dark Lady, and the sexy, lyrical writing (yes, those two words do work well together) will pull you in and not let go. 

Like I mentioned above I have a huge favor to ask. Please send The Dark Lady link to your favorite Social Media sites. Twitter, Facebook, and anything else you can think of. I know Máire will appreciate it as much as I do.

And, I humbly ask again, please keep Karen and her three children in your prayers. They mean more than you can know.