Winter Wonderland (Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit)

One Royal Holiday was a cute movie. While I do enjoy Hallmark movies, I’m not a big lover of their standard royalty trope ones, but this one veered off the standard path enough to make it interesting to me. I suppose that holds true for all their movies for me, I tend to like the non-standard formula ones better than the “more of the same” movies. However, we’re not talking about all Hallmark movies today. We’re just talking about this one in passing since it is the music video choice for today.

Now, why would I pick a Christmas song in April? No, it is not because snow has fallen in some places last week. Nor is it because we are one day less than eight months away from Christmas. 😀 It is because I have a book on sale (it’s on for 99cents) and wanted to feature it today in this post.

And I picked this particular video because it is Hallmark, and the story I have a few lines from today is written in Hallmark-Christmas-movie style. It has a sweet romance, a hero and heroine who slowly come to love each other, Christmas activities such as family traditions and shopping, and a couple of sisters who meddle in their sibling’s love lives.

Have you read it yet? If not, now’s a great time to pick up a copy.


Christmas in Gracechurch Street is part of the multi-author $0.99 clean romance promotion below. Please click the image below to see the stories that are on offer (including Christmas in Gracechurch Street). Maybe you’ll find some early Christmas treats in the process. (And, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone if you indulge in them months before Christmas. 😉 )

Have a lovely Monday! See you on Wednesday for some visual story inspiration.

Click the image to be taken to the promotion page.

View of Piccadilly c. 1809

 Rudolph Ackermann. View of Piccadilly from Hyde Park Corner Turnpike. The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics, 1809.
Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

He (Henry) whistled a jolly tune as he mounted his horse and made his way toward the park. A bit of fresh air, a good breakfast, and then one call. He pulled in a deep breath. His happiness was very close; he could almost feel it now. Constance had smiled at his admission of wanting to marry her. His chances were very good if he could get her brother to agree with him.

“Crawford!”

Henry turned toward the barouche that was coming toward him. “St. James,” he greeted with a tip of his hat.

The rather portly gentleman waved Henry over.

“How can I be of service, my lord?”

“You can learn to be discreet,” the man answered, scooting to the side of the carriage closest to Henry…

from Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy


Henry’s story is available both as a single title and as part of the Other Pens, Vol. 1: Henry, Charles, and Mary compilation.


Lavender’s Blue Dilly Dilly (Cinderella 2015)

I thought we would start this week with a lovely song from a screen version of my favourite fairytale and a few lines from a story where a lady with little by way of fortune finds an unlikely “fairy godmother” who provides her with the opportunity to marry her very own prince, I mean, colonel. 😉



Not an Heiress is part of my Dash of Darcy and Companions collection and is a sequel to Discovering Mr. Darcy. This novella is available as a single title and also as part of Cottage Collection 1.

I would say Not an Heiress falls in the realm of being rom-com and pushes at the upper end of my PG-13 rating since an actual compromise does happen. (Not on the page, but it does happen.)

Currently, you can get Cottage Collection 1 for the same price as Not an Heiress by itself. Cottage Collection 2 is on sale for 40% off at Kobo, so I decided to lower the price of Collection 1 at the same time. More info and links can be found on the Current Book Promotions page.



Phaeton with Canopy (c. 1755)

[Description: “Phaeton with canopy”, draft by Johann Michael Hoppenhaupt der Ältere (the elder), 1745.] Johann Wilhelm Meil (1733-1805), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I know the image above is a phaeton and the vehicle below is a curricle, but when I saw this drawing, I couldn’t help but think that it was the very sort of carriage the scheming Miss de Bourgh from Becoming Entangled would drive. 🙂


“You are Alistair’s friend, are you not?”

He nodded.

“And you do know the counties of England, do you not?”

Again, he nodded.

She stood. “Then you will be perfect.” She paused, furrowed her brows, and pursed her lips as if uncertain about something. “Unless, of course, it is not something you are brave enough to do.”

His brows flew halfway to his hairline. “Is it dangerous?”

A small smile played on her lips. “Not if we do it correctly. Now, if you would be so kind as to help me back into my curricle, I must be on my way to the parsonage. I do not wish to be late. Mrs. Collins will be waiting.”

[from Becoming Entangled]


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Austenland – Only You (Emmy the Great)

Have you seen this movie? I, actually, have. It’s cute.

Today, I have paired this video with a couple of lines from a book where, because he is choosing Kitty against his father’s wishes, Colonel Fitzwilliam is left with not a lot.

I think the song and quote pair pretty well, don’t you?



I do adore this book. The colonel and Kitty are so sweet that they kind of are a #relationshipgoals sort of couple. LOL

His Inconvenient Choice is book three in my Choices series. And that heart in the graphic above and, currently, on the cover of the book is my visual inspiration for a pair of necklaces that play an important role in the series. Look for the necklace to be mentioned in book 1, book 3, and the epilogue at the end of book 4.


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