The Romance of Castles

 Windsor Castle in England

Have you ever  dreamed of living in a castle?  I certainly have many times; especially since many of the romance novels that I have read took place during the middle ages.  Medieval castles to me are intimidating, yet romantic at the same time.  I think it would be fun to own one.  I would not want anything as big as Windsor castle though.  That is just way over the top too large for me.  A castle about half the size of Windsor castle would be fine for me

I like the size of this castle for myself.  This is Bodiam castle in England.  I would have more windows installed in it though.  The lack of windows probably means it is very dark inside.  Besides, what is the sense in living in such beautiful surroundings if you can't see it from inside your home.

This is another view of Bodiam castle.

Butron castle in Spain.  I like this size castle too.  I don't like the lack of windows on the lower portion of it.

Castle of Chambord in the Loire Valley, France.  This castle is gorgeous but there is no way I could live in a house that huge.  I would be scared to walk the halls of it at night.  

Balmoral castle, Scotland.
 

Leeds castle in England.

Alcazar de Segovia in Spain.
 

Bonaguil castle in France.

Castle of Teutonic Order in Poland.
 

Catheau de Chillon, Lake Geneva Switzerland.  
 

Eilean Donan castle, Scotland.
 

Eltz castle in Germany.

Gothic Mudejar castle, Segovia Spain.
 

Neuschwanstein Allgau Germany.
 

San Marino
 

Inverness castle, Scotland.
 

Himeji castle, Japan.
 

Himeji castle, Japan
 

Ozakajo Osaka castle in Japan.

Matsumoto castle in Japan.

All photos via The Big Foto.

The Spinster & The Beast

I really dislike this cheesy looking book cover

 I had to give this romance novella 4 stars even though there are a few spelling errors and other things I did not like.  It is almost the perfect romance story.  The premise is really great and so it could have happily been a longer book.  I think the letter writing back and forth between the hero and the heroine could have been stretched out.  I also did not care for the use of the word "snot" or the scene with Nan and the ear wax.  OMG!  Those things took away from the quality of the writing and were gross. 

Never the less, I was not distracted away from the beauty and message of this story.   Some people reviewing this book on amazon gave it low ratings because they focused on historical accuracy and the fact that the book is so short.  I think that when you spend time over analyzing things what happens is that you miss what is really important.  This story is a tale of two people making a soul to soul connection that defies convention and is the true nature of love.  It is the same type of connection that John Thornton had for Margaret Hale and that Mr. Darcy had for Elizabeth Bennett.

This is the second book by this author that I read and both were extremely enjoyable.  Some may be put off by the name of the book, but it really is a novella of substance.  I LOVED IT!!!  I will definitely read it again

4 Stars

    

Cinderella's Wedding Wish

This book was very sweet.  It was predictable and cliche but I enjoyed it never the less.  I really liked the hero and heroine.  It was a bit of a breathe of fresh that the heroine was not your cliche perfect drop dead gorgeous female that are in most romance books.  Romance writers tend to convey the message that a handsome man with all the best qualities could never fall deeply in love with a women who is not a "perfect" physical specimen.  I remember once reading a romance novel where the hero fell in love with the heroine who was attractive and full figured.  Women of all shapes, sizes and beauty is worthy to be loved.  Jessica Hart writes very nice romance stories that are easy and quick to read.

3 Stars

Newlyweds of Convenience

A lovely romance story that I could not put down until I finished reading it.  The fact that it included a castle in the Scottish Highlands made it all the more romantic.  I loved the hero Torr McIver.  As much as he tried to hide the depth of his love for the heroine you could still sense it.  I loved the businessman side of him as well as the part of him that could find happiness in the Scottish countryside.  I find that quite a sexy combination.

   I found Mallory the heroine quite frustrating.  Her former fiance was a con-man yet she continued to pine after him for quite some time after he walked out on her leaving her in huge debt and her career shattered.  Mallory was also constantly arguing with Torr for no good reason.  After what Torr did for Mallory she should have been more respectful to him.  Granted their marriage was approached as a business arrangement, but Mallory had to be totally self absorbed to not, at least, suspect that Torr had real feelings for her.   

The ending is precious and I wanted it to be a little longer.  This book is a cute and fast read.

4 Stars

 

Hidden in Paris

I enjoyed reading this book.  It was wonderful reading about these three women and how their lives changed within 6 months of living together under the same roof in France. I was most proud of Lola.  Underneath her fears and insecurities she still was able to dig deep and find her true self again.   I loved Lucas.  Imagine loving someone so much that you patiently wait for them to realize that you both belong together.  I loved how supportive Lucas was of Annie even when he did not agree with the things she wanted to do.  Lucas was always there for her through the thick and the thin.  I do wish that the author gave a better description of Annie.  I was trying to imagine what she looked like in my mind but it was a challenge with such limited description of her.

I love any book that includes food and the preparation of it.  I loved that Annie enjoyed cooking and prepared meals with careful attention.  She reminded me a little bit of Susan Herman Loomis.  Annie is a firebrand and I enjoyed her lively take charge personality.   She certainly is passionate.  

 The descriptions of Paris and Anne's house and garden are exhilarating.  Even though I enjoyed reading this book I did not find it to be a great book.  It is a nice chick-lit book to curl up with on a rainy day.

3 Stars 

Persuasion

Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel.

The first thing that I love about Persuasion is that the heroine is not a very young seventeen year old girl being pursued by a man much older man which is usually the case with romance novels taking place during this time period.  Anne Eliot is the heroine and she is eight and twenty years old.  The hero is naval officer Captain Frederick Wentworth and he is thirty one years old.

 Amanda Root plays Anne Eliot in the 1995 version of Persuasion

  Ciaran Hinds plays Captain Wentworth

Amanda and Ciaran represent their characters well.

The happy couple actually met when Anne was 19 and Frederick was 23.  They fell in very deeply in love and Anne excepted Frederick's marriage proposal.  However, on advice from family friend Lady Russell, Anne changed her mind.  Lady Russell convinced Anne that it was not a suitable match because at the time Frederick had no money and was considered of inferior birth.

 Frederick was devastated and sailed off to fight in the Napoleonic war.  Anne soon afterwards regrets turning away the man she loves.

Persuasion begins eight years later when the war is over.  Captain Wentworth returns as a decorated war hero and much richer. Captain Wentworth's love for Anne remained constant all those years that he was away and he still loves her but is also still feeling the sting of her rejection.

You will have to read the book to find out how The Captain makes his way back into Anne's life and writes her the most beautiful love letter known to man.

Anne is a very lucky gal

5 Stars 

Proposal Scene - Extended Version From The Movie

This video contains the full extended version of the proposal scene in the BBC North & South.  I wish the BBC had not cut out so much of it.

 

Richard Armitage Reading The Proposal Scene from The Actual Book

Richard Armitage is reading just a small part from the book North and South but it is so beautiful.  I wish he was reading the entire book.  The proposal scene is actuall;y longer in the book and even better than the movie...IMHO.  This is shirt but very sweet.

A Kiss is Just A Kiss?

I love this You Tube video.  I don't think that a kiss is just a kiss.  Not everyone knows how to kiss you and make your toes curl up.

Writing Romance?

I first started reading romance novels when I was 19.  I think that I already mentioned that in a previous post.  I literally read hundreds of them because I love them.  It is a great way to escape into fantasy and believe it or not helped relieve stress.  I read romance novels for years.  Some time in my early thirties I found myself not going to read them so much .  I started reading a lot more new age spiritual books that really helped to empower me to create my best life.  

Several years later African American romance novels were being published by Harlequin Arabesque.   I was delighted because now I could read romance novels where the heroine looked like me.  Amen!  Hallelujah!  

For years I always fancied myself writing a romance novel.  I still want to write a romance novel but I don't want it to be cheesy.  I would like to write at least one romance story that is timeless just as Jane Austen's novels are timeless.  I wish that I could take 6 months off just to write it.  I know that I could do it if I had a few months to devote to it.  I have the title of my romance story already.  I chose it about 10 years ago and I know who the hero and heroine is.  I see them in my mind's eye all the time.  What I am not too sure about is what their story is going to be.  

I decided to go for it and dig into writing.  I put it all out into the Universe.  And so It IS.

     

 

British Actor - Richard Armitage

It has been a while since I posted anything on my blog.  I have been very busy nurturing other areas of my life.  My spiritual life must always be tended to for example.  I love giving attention to the spiritual side of life.  I am forever grateful to my Mighty I AM Presence, the Light of God and all of the Ascended Masters.

I have also spent a great deal of time streaming so many wonderful movies from Netflix and Amazon.  I posted about the BBC mini series North & South already, but I cannot say enough about how wonderful that movie is.  I love how John Thornton falls very deeply  in love with Margaret Hale without taking her to bed first.  Mr. Thornton's passion and love for Margaret is based on something much deeper.  It is the kind of love that comes from the soul.  Love like that can sustain itself and when the two people do finally decide to make love it is icing on the cake.  I am so grateful to Elizabeth Gaskill for writing North & South and for the BBC for making it into a movie.

It is kind of hard to believe that North & South came out in 2004 and I am just now learning about it.  Richard Armitage as John Thornton, I think, will always be the role that this great actor will be most famous for.  Daniela Denby-Ashe was perfect as Margaret Hale.  I would so love to see both of them in a sequel to North & South, or just any other project working together.  The chemistry between both of them is so amazing.  I admit that I have quite the crush on Mr. Armitage after watching him as Mr. Thornton.  Since then I have watched him in Robin Hood, Spooks, The Vicar of Dibley, Cold Feet, The Impressionsts and Moving On.  I loved Richard Armitage in the Vicar of Dibley.  It was nice to see the Vicar who was overweight get the handsome guy.  Dawn French was amazing as the Vicar of Dibley.  What a funny woman she is.

     

BBC North & South Miniseries

 

  

I watched this British mini series twice over the weekend and I LOVED it!  It is a great love story and the British, in my humble opinion, translates love stories to films the best.   I loved this movie so much that now it is my favorite movie of all time.

  

North & South is the love story of Margaret Hale and John Thornton that unfolds in four part episodes.  Margaret is from the south and Mr. Thornton is from Milton,  a dirty smokey industrial city in the north.  Margaret finds Milton cold and depressing.  It doesn't help that her mother's health is failing.  Mr. Thornton is in love with  Margaret, but she misjudges his true character which causes her to dislike him immensely.  Mr. Thornton's mother cannot stand Margaret.

Sandy Welch did a great job writing the screenplay, however, I do wish that she did not add the scene in the beginning where Mr. Thornton beats up on a worker.  In Elizabeth Gaskell's book Mr. Thornton is not violent.  Adding that scene puts an unpleasant spin to Mr. Thornton's personality that I think does an injustice to Mr. Thornton of the book.

There are subplots to the story which helps to bring the movie along.  The workers strike against all of the mill owners.  Margaret has much compassion for them which causes friction between herself,  Mr. Thornton and his mother Hannah Thornton. 

The musical score is by Martin Phipps and it is one of the best things about this miniseries.  The music is quite haunting, yet beautiful and stays with you after the movie is over.  For some reason a CD for the music was not released even after this miniseries exploded on BBC television.    

 John Thornton is played by actor Richard Armitage and he is PERFECT in the role.  

Mr. Thornton usually has a scowl on his face.

No matter what their differences, Mr. Thornton's love for Margaret is constant.

 Margaret begins to soften towards Mr. Thornton as she gets know him.

 Mr. Thornton's mother (played by Sinead Cusack) tries to comfort her son after Margaret rejects him.

Hannah Thornton played by Sinead Cusack.

Brendan Coyle of Downton Abbey plays Nicholas Higgins.

 North and South starts out a little slow, but it quickly picks up speed and you get drawn into the story.  A huge part of that is the chemistry between Daniela Denby-Ashe who plays Margaret and Richard Armitage as Mr. Thornton.  The chemistry between Daniela and Richard can be seen and felt profoundly.    

The ending in this miniseries is not the same as in the book.  I love the ending in the miniseries much better than the ending in the book.  Richard Armitage gives one of the best onscreen kisses in history.

Fans of the BBC North and South miniseries would now love to see a sequel.

Taj Mahal

Imagine that your husband loves you so much that he builds this structure to honor you.  In 1631 Shah Jahan was so grief stricken over the passing of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, that he built the Taj Mahal to honor her.   Mumtaz Mahal passed away while giving birth to their 14th child.  Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632.  The building is an incorporation of Persian architecture.

This is a magnificent building and India is a place that I have always wanted to visit despite the warnings of extreme poverty in that country.  I believe that even in India you can find hope, love and inspiration for life.