Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-10-27T09:24:00.000+10:00

Today I am 47 years old and I'm so grateful for the wonderful life and family I have! It doesn't seem that long ago that I would have thought 47 was old, but the truth is I feel healthy and strong and fitter than I have in years.

This past year was a huge one and so much has happened, some not so good and some wonderful that I didn't know I'd ever experience. Last year my daughter (above) wrote on my card that this time next year we would have just returned from our UK trip and here we are. The trip with her and the memories that only the 2 of us share are among the most special moments of my life. We've always been close but since our trip we are even closer, more like best friends than mother and daughter. She is the one who listens to me each and every day. We've travelled together, studied together, laughed together and cried together and I am so grateful to have her in my life and to share such a close and unique bond with her. Thanks honey for everything you've done for me this past year, I really appreciate you and never take you for granted, I know how lucky I am to have you supporting me, without you I wouldn't have lived the dream of a lifetime and I wouldn't be studying and you more than anyone know how important that is to me!

In this past year my relationship with my beautiful sister has become the relationship we've always wanted it to be. I won't go into details but the obstruction that existed before has gone and we will never be separated by lies again. I love my sister dearly and am so grateful for the relationship we have.

My Dad came all the way down from Cairns to spend the week with me just for my birthday. My adopted Dad died 4 years ago and today I think of him and miss him very much but I can't help thinking that he sent my birth father to me. I met my birth Dad a year after my Dad passed away and we've developed a lovely relationship that I treasure. I told him he didn't have to come all this way just for my birthday but he said he'd missed enough of my birthdays. I know that I'm one of the lucky ones, I've had two wonderful Dad's in my life and yes, I'm grateful!

This year my beautiful daughter Kylie fell pregnant and we are expecting our second Grandchild and we are very excited! I believe it will be a granddaughter, which is fantastic as we have our wonderful grandson. I've already started knitting pretty blankets for her. I'm also taking care of my grandson 2 days a week while his Mum works full time, just so he doesn't have to spend every day at day care and also to save them some money. He is so clever, and I just love spending time with him!

My husband as always remains the foundation on which my life is built, he raises me up so I can walk on mountains and I love and adore him. We've had a great year together and are looking forward to going on our first cruise in 2012. My boys have grown bigger and stronger this past year and are doing well in school. They are happy and healthy, have good friends and the older one, who turned 16 yesterday has a wonderful girlfriend and is truly happy.

Birthdays are a great time to count your blessings and I have an abundance of them. So thank you to my wonderful family and friends, you make my life worth living and bring me so much joy and happiness. Today, I feel like the luckiest woman alive!

Angel Falls, The Wild Hunt & The Lady of the Rivers - mini reviews

2011-10-18T17:00:00.006+10:00

Synopsis: When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell him not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at her bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! It is such a beautifully written story that had me completely lost in it's pages. This book is predominately told through the eyes of Liam, Mikaela's husband and I found that to give it a unique insight into a man's need for love and how they feel and accept love. This is not a gushy romance story, rather it is a moving tale of a family struggling to get through the most challenging time of their lives. It is about self discovery and realisations of what is truly important in life. The characters where easy to relate to and I found a little of my own life story in the pages of this book, having been raised by a man who was not my biological father but loving him just the same.
I came across this book on audio and will definitely read more books by Kristin Hannah as I loved her style and the way in which she told this story. It is beautifully written! I honestly can't recommend this story highly enough if you are after a story about hope and love and family. This book will leave you feeling hopeful and positive about your own life.

Synopsis: Book 1 - The Wild Hunt Trilogy

During the 12th-century Welsh March Wars, King William Rufus orders Guyon, 28, to marry nearly 16-year-old Judith in order to secure lands from Judith's despised uncle, Lord Robert de Belleme. As the marriage begins, Guyon is angry and Judith is terrified. He is experienced in both love and war, and is hostile about marrying this child and surrounding himself with such a nest of political vipers. Judith, having watched her father abuse her mother, expects her own marriage to include rape, beatings, and humiliation. What gradually develops between them is a trust and respect that eventually blooms into a passionate love. Their story is tightly interwoven with a tenuous political situation as brothers battle for the kingdom and the barons divide themselves between the factions.

Review: I'm a little late in becoming a fan of Elizabeth Chadwick, but better late than never. Sheree @ The Eclectic Reader recommended this one to me when she read it in early 2009, and then when she bought me book 3 in the series for Christmas 2010 I had no choice but to read the first one. So I finally started it while on holidays and was so glad I did.

The Wild Hunt is the enthralling story of Judith and her husband Guyon. Their love story evolves along with the story of what is happening within the kingdom. Knowing very little about the trouble between Wales and England and the border raiding I found that aspect of the story fascinating. This medieval book begins in 1098 so it's prior to the war of the roses. But it is a tumultuous time in English history with men still fighting over who would hold the crown. This book is a wonderful blend of medieval history and a tender love story. Another one that I recommend to historical readers and also fans of historical romance.

Synopsis: Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

Review: Sometimes I think that enjoying a book is as much about the timing of reading it as the book itself. Certainly that was the case with The Lady of the Rivers, the 3rd book in the Cousins trilogy. Whilst in York, England, my daughter and I were lucky enough to hear Philippa Gregory speak. She was such a brilliant speaker and so passionate about her topic that I was very excited about reading her latest book.

I'm so glad I did, as I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now, I am a fan of Philippa Gregory but I hadn't read The White Queen or The Red Queen, mostly because they'd had average reviews. However, I'm glad it worked out that way as I prefer to read books in order of the story. So this would be the first book thus far, as it's about Jacquetta, Elizabeth Woodville's mother. I am now reading The White Queen about Elizabeth Woodville and will read The Red Queen after that.

I admit that these historical books aren't for everyone but if you are interested in the story of the war of the roses then it's a must read. Philippa Gregory is an accredited historian so the historical accuracy in her books is excellent. That's what I love about reading her books, you get a history lesson told in a fascinating way.

I haven't reviewed books for a while and definitely won't be going back to reviewing ARC's, however, I still wanted to share the books I've read and enjoyed. So this is what I'll do every week or two, a mini review of my recent reads. Depending on how much reading time I have available.

Psychology II

2011-10-17T10:00:00.002+10:00

First day of Uni, session 3 today! This semester I'm only doing 2 subjects but the psychology subject is a really big one and will require a lot of study time. There is nothing like that feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you read over your subject material for a subject and you're just so excited by it. That's what I love about studying! Psychology is a particular area of interest and I've already decided to do further studies in this area when I'm finished this degree. Whilst I've already started this subject I can't do anymore until the end of the week when my textbook should arrives.

After our trip to the UK we decided we needed to get out and enjoy our weekends rather than spending them all at home when soccer isn't on through the summer. So yesterday we took a trip to the beach and it was just a perfect day. The water was crystal clear, the sky was a rich blue and the weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold. Below is a picture of our grandson and our dog (white one) and Bella (Sheree's dog) whom we were doggy sitting for the weekend.

Above is a picture of me standing in front of the Roman Baths. Bath was one of our favourite cities, as it was so rich in history and it was just beautiful.

Above is Lacock, a lovely little town where we had lunch and also a couple of Harry Potter films had scenes filmed here. I have so many beautiful photos of our trip that I'll just keep uploading a few each week as I come across favourites. I've scrapped a couple of pages for my album which I'll put up on flickr and hopefully I'll get a couple more done this week if time permits.

Starting tomorrow I'll be babysitting my grandson at his home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is going to make my weeks a lot busier with uni as well but I'm looking forward to spending the time with him and helping out my daughter. As with many families these days she had to go back to work but child care was costing half her wage and Daxtyn wasn't coping very well with going every day. I'm only home for another 2 years while I'm studying before I go back to full time work myself so my husband and I decided that it's important to help out while we can. It's a big commitment but it will also be worth every precious moment that I get to spend with Dax. I'm not alone, as I won't be home until around 5.30-6pm on those nights my husband will pick up our son from primary school and cook dinner, he's in fact offered to do most of the cooking now as I'm studying again which is a huge help to me. Last week I was so incredibly bored as I always get when I'm not studying and this week I'm back to being flat out, which is just the way I like it! Have a great week.

Home & Getting Back to my Routine

2011-10-12T07:23:00.001+10:00

It was the holiday of a lifetime and every moment is etched into my memory with a grateful heart. Being lucky enough to experience such an incredible time with my beautiful and amazing daughter was a gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. We really did have an amazing time!

This photo was taken at Stourhead Gardens which was also the scene of the 1st rejected proposal by Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. As you can see the weather was naturally recreated and very reminiscent of the film when Lizzie ran across this bridge after discovering that Darcy separated her sister and Mr Bingham. I couldn't believe it rained as much as it did, we walked a couple of kilometres just to get to the place the movie was filmed in the pouring rain and freezing cold, but it was worth it! It is the most beautiful place and I hope to go back there with my husband in a few years time.

It was lovely to see one of my favourite authors books, Sharon Lathan on the shelves at Waterstone book store in a beautiful city called Bath. After I've finished my current read I'll be picking up one of Sharon's books just to revisit my favourite couple!

This is the scene of the proposal and the almost kiss between Darcy and Elizabeth. If you go to England I highly recommend a visit to Stourhead Gardens.

I'll continue to put up some of my favourite photos over the next few weeks. I took over 3000 so selecting favourites is very difficult. The flight from Australia to England and back again was brutal and so was the jet lag. We are just starting to get back to normal now but have also picked up a virus. Uni starts next week and I'm keen to get my holiday album done. Must mention that we had the wonderful experience of attending a talk and book signing by Phillipa Gregory, so more on that later. Have a great week!

England

2011-09-21T17:04:00.000+10:00

Well we've been in the UK for 13 days now and I've been wanting to do an update but cant load any photos. I've tried a couple of times and failed so I'll just tell you about it and upload some photos when I get home.

We spent the 1st 7 days in London which was amazing. London is such a beautiful city that I fell in love with it. We didntget to do everything we wanted because there was just no time. We are hoping to get back there before we leave and see a couple more places but I'm not sure if we will. Whilst in London we did day trips out to Stonehenge, Bath and Lacock which were just beautiful. Stonehenge was everything I expected it to be, Bath exceeded my expectations and is still my favorite place and Lacock was a beautiful little village where some of the Harry Potter movies were filmed, we had lunch there in a 650 year old pub. Another day trip included the white cliffs of Dover, Leeds Castle (which is my favourite castle to date) and Canterbury Cathedral where we got blessed and even bought some rosary beads. It was another wonderful day that we both loved. The 3rd day trip was to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birth place and family home of William Shakespeare, the Cotswolds and Warwick castle which we also loved. Each trip was very different and very relaxing and we loved them all. The first trip was with Premier tours and the 2nd 2 with Evans Evans and they were all very professional and informative, although we loved the tour guide and bus driver from Premier as they were very entertaining.

Whilst in London, we also went to Harrods, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Madame Tussauds, the Tower of London, Primark and other places that I'm sure I can't remember right at this moment. We really did have an amazing time, the hotel, the Lancaster Gate was nice and the food was great. Definitely want to go back for a day before we leave to see Westminster Abbey as we ran out of time and missed seeing it.

After picking up the hire car and leaving London we went to Hever Castle, the family home of Anne Boleyn, another beautiful place with the most amazing grounds. Then we spent the night at the best B & B, with the most luxurious room and a delicious breakfast. Richard and Richard were wonderful hosts and we had a lovely time at Sedgehill Guest House. We then spent the next night at Anton Guest House and Louise was lovely and served me my favorite breakfast of the trip so far, two deliciously poached eggs and a piece of bacon, all cooked to perfection. We then decided to head to York and stopped at the Days Inn motel on the way and now we've just woken up after our 1st night in York. We are staying at the Ibis and in Australia it's quite a nice hotel, here, not so much. We are in a disabled room and the beds are only about 80cm wide so you can't roll over, which is a problem for me as I toss and turn a lot. Philippa Gregory has just released her 3rd book in the Cousins series and is appearing here tomorrow night so we are hoping to get in to see her. If not then we might move on in the morning to Scotland but we are still undecided.

This is the holiday of a lifetime and I'm so grateful to my wonderful daughter for bringing me here. We are having a wonderful time together and if possible are even closer than we were before. I miss my husband and family desperately and so wish they were here with me. I'm counting the hours until we are home but I'm also going to make the most of every moment I have left. Scotland is next and I can't wait to get there!

It's finally here!

2011-09-08T19:38:00.000+10:00

The time has finally come. In a few hours we will be leaving for the airport. It still seems to be very unreal and honestly I just can't believe I will actually be getting on the plane! We are catching a 2.30am flight so I'm going to try and get an hour or two of sleep and then get ready and leave at 11.30. It's been a busy couple of days but I wouldn't be sitting here now relaxing with my husband if it wasn't for the help that Sheree gave me today. I'm going to miss everyone so very much.

Well hopefully the next post I'll put up will be from London! WOW, that is so amazing! PS the picture above is in Bath and we will be there on Sunday.

We Leave in 10 Days

2011-08-29T10:40:00.001+10:00

It's so hard to believe that after 2 years of dreaming, our trip is only 10 days away! It's going to be a very busy 10 days though as I still have 4 Uni assignments to complete and submit and a mountain of other jobs I want to get done for my husband and sons before I go. I just want to make life as easy for them as I can while I'm away. It's not that my husband can't do it all, he can, but he gets up at 3am and leaves at 4am and rarely gets home before 3pm. So he works long hours and is tired, having said that he still cooks for me at least once a week. However there will be a lot for him to do with washing and cooking and then whatever cleaning he does! So I want to freeze a few meals and some home baked treats.

Last week, I had that realisation that I'm actually going to be half a world away from them and I felt a little overwhelmed. This week however, I feel better, I guess I know I've spent lots of quality time with not only my husband and sons but also my daughter and grandson this past week. Still, after 27 years of marriage we are not used to being apart so I know this will be a big challenge for us. This of course, inspired me to do lots of scrapping which was nice and relaxing. I've put two of them below but there are lots more on my flickr page if you'd like to check them out!

Well that's it from me, hope you all have a great week!

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology by Shawn Achor

2011-08-24T07:00:00.001+10:00

Genre: Non Fiction

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 272
Rating: 10

Synopsis: Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe.

Review: I haven't done a book review for months but this book made such an impression on me that I wanted to share it. This is not your typical self-help book, rather it is a well researched book written by a university professor who is a positive psychologist professor at Harvard University. It is just brilliant and such a huge benefit for anyone to read.

This book is like reading a peer reviewed journal article with all statements and claims being supported by research. For me that made reading and understanding it that much easier! If you wonder why you find it hard to stick to goals or you have trouble getting through your 'to do' list then this book may give you some insight. It covers a lot of psychological and scientific data and research that is very interesting and presented in an fascinating way. Once I got started on this book I couldn't stop. I listened to the audio version which is read by the author but I've also pre-ordered the paper back version which is being released soon as it is a book I'll read over and over. By the end of this book you'll have an in depth understanding of who our brains work to process and perform tasks. A highly recommended read!

Scrapbook Retreat

2011-08-22T10:02:00.000+10:00

Another awesome weekend spent with wonderful friends!

Sheree and I did this layout together

Scraplift from Sheree

Iggydodie style scraplift

Our New Toy...

2011-08-15T20:08:00.001+10:00

Hi everyone, Annie here just hijacking Mum's blog to play with Youtube videos for our upcoming trip. I bought a Kodak Playsport to capture moments from our trip. We can't wait to share them with you and our family and friends!

Not long for us now...post in the comments. If someone gave you plane ticket tomorrow, where would you travel to?

Annie

Lovely Weekend

2011-08-07T17:58:00.000+10:00

I had such a lovely weekend, I relaxed, had some fun, read a book and got my house and yard done from top to bottom so that I'm ready for a big study week. On Friday night my son had a soccer game and I wasn't feeling great so I stayed home. Unfortunately things didn't go well, they had a terrible referee and my husband/coach was sent away and not allowed to coach the team and then the President of the club was sent from the club. So, I wish I'd been there but, I'm kind of glad I wasn't. Despite the challenges they won 2-0 so they were happy that they faced the adversity and came out on top.

Saturday began with my hubby and I having a really nice and rare sleep in and then I just chilled out and relaxed the day away reading a brilliant Anna Campbell historical romance novel, My Reckless Surrender. WOW, what a brilliant book! Saturday afternoon I made Melting Moment biscuits which lasted all of 10 minutes. In all fairness the recipe only made 10 so we each got 2 and they were really delicious! Saturday night I went with the whole family to Hog's Breath for dinner and then we went and saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes at the movies. We had a great night out with plenty of fun and laughter and the movie was actually really good. I loved the TV show when I was a kid so it was interesting to see what they came up with.

Today, started with another sleep in and then my wonderful husband cooked us and bacon and eggs, with mushrooms, onions and tomatoes for breakfast (a treat we haven't had for months). Then I read some more of my book and relaxed. Around 11.30am I decided I'd get all my weeks cleaning done so I scrubbed the house from top to bottom, washed all the linen, scrubbed bathrooms, dusted, vacuumed, mopped all the floors, washed, and folded. Whilst Annie helped me inside by doing all the floors, Ian and Rory did the yard and gardening. So it's Sunday night and Annie is cooking dinner and I've got a wonderfully clean house which means I have no excuses for not hitting the books hard this week!

I'm still doing my 5k's but have missed a couple of days due to problems with my back. So this coming week I'm going to be walking in the mornings after school drop off because if I wait until the afternoon often my back is so sore, I don't feel like going and it's a much bigger effort. So this week an early walk and then hot water bottle on my back while I study should see things sorted out.

Hope you all have a great week! Only 4 weeks and 4 days to go until our holiday!

Sociology is driving me crazy!

2011-07-31T07:50:00.009+10:00

This is my family (the kids that are stilling living at home) acting relatively normal!

This is us doing what my husband suggested and called the human caterpillar and we are in height order, that's my 15 year old son at the back!

Our gorgeous grandson has learned to smile when you take a photograph of him. This is so cute and I can't wait to scrapbook this photo! It was a very busy week this week and an exciting one. Dax's Mum found out that she was expecting her 2nd baby, which was a big surprise to her and her husband as they were using birth control. She felt better after she went for the scan and saw that tiny little heartbeat on the screen. I was lucky enough to go with her and of course I cried when I saw it, just like I did when I first saw Dax's little heartbeat. I also got to spend a day with my sister while she is on holidays. I've been trying to get out there for 2 weeks but something kept coming up. This week I finally made it and we had a lovely day together.

I also had a very big Uni assignment to do for one of my Sociology subjects and I have to say that I find Sociology challenging. It requires a great deal of reading and thinking and this week I ended up being very short on time. Consequently I don't feel my assignment is anywhere near as good as it should be and honestly, I'm not even sure it will pass. I was doing it right up until the last minute, which I hate, it really wasn't my best work. I absolutely hate to be still working on assignments the day they are due, I prefer to have them finished the day before. My Grief, Crisis and Trauma assignment was finished a week early which is just the way I like it. In hindsight (always a good thing), I should have persisted with it when I started it 3 weeks ago, instead I put it aside because it was so challenging and then started on my Grief assignment, this was not a good idea as going back to it was so difficult. But it's done now and I'll just have to wait and see my results. It does mean though that I will have to work much harder to get a decent grade for this subject with the next assignment, it's worth 60% of my overall grade!

I'm still doing my walking everyday but actually had to miss Friday as I was trying to get my assignment done. I really didn't like missing a day so I may do an extra walk one day this week to make up for it but we'll see. It's only 5 weeks and 3 days until we leave for our trip and I have 5 big uni assignments or exams to do before I leave. I have worked out a schedule to get them done but it's going to take some discipline to do it, especially as a couple of them are huge and worth more than half my grades for the entire subject.

This week apart from Uni I'm spending a day with Sheree which I'm really looking forward to as I didn't get to see her last week. I'll also be remembering my Dad as it would have been his 65th birthday on Wednesday and he would have been retiring. I still miss him and think of him every single day. I've also got a few extra things to do around the house. I'm trying to make everything as easy as possible for Ian while I'm away. He can do the shopping and tidy the house easily but it's the little things I do that I know they all take for granted. Then I'm hoping to start doing a few things to get ready for scrapbook camp which is only 3 weeks away. As next week I have a huge and very challenging assignment to do, I know I won't have much time for anything else so I want to do some extras this week.

This weekend I went to the boys soccer games as usual and my sister and her husband came to watch my oldest son play as they watched the younger one 2 weeks ago. They live an hour away and so it makes it difficult for them. We have watched their son play Rugby League quite a lot this year but he plays 5 minutes away from us so it's nice and easy. Unfortunately I missed his game Friday night because I was working on that assignment but my sister told me he scored the best try he's ever scored and she lost her voice she was screaming so loudly from excitement, wish I'd seen it! I went shoe shopping again with Annie to find a decent pair of walking shoes for the UK and buy a few more tops, shopping is always fun. It feels like we've been looking for weeks, actually we have been looking for weeks! Then Saturday night I had a lovely night out with my beautiful daughters for dinner and a movie. We saw Bad Teacher which was a very weird and inappropriate movie, I certainly can't say I liked it. I think that I would never want my sons to see it as it seems to promote smoking marijuana and alcohol abuse. Don't get me wrong, it was funny, but in a OMG that is so bad you have to laugh kind of way. Please, please, why aren't they putting out any descent movies at the moment? Fingers crossed for the next one!

Well another busy week ahead but I am grateful for being so busy. Annie and I are just so excited that being busy is a good distraction, I don't think I could stand it otherwise! PS no reading last week, hopefully I'll get two finished this week!

Getting Closer

2011-07-24T09:00:00.002+10:00

This was another busy week, I've completed one of the assignments I have due next Friday and the other one is around one third complete, which I'm pretty happy with.

My son's school soccer team got into the district finals and they lost sadly on a sudden death penalty shoot out. For those of you that don't know about soccer, it means they were 2 all at full time and then they did 5 minutes of extra time each way and there was no score, then 5 penalty shot outs and they were 5 all and then it went to sudden death of which they had lost after 4 shoots. It was so sad and even though these boys are in year 7 most of them burst into tears which of course meant that I cried too. Then on Thursday Kenzie wanted to try out for a soccer excellence program at the high school he's attending. Then Saturday his club soccer team lost their first game of the season. So not a good week for Kenzie! But all I was able to do was reassure him that he did his best and that is all that matters in the end!

I had a lovely breakfast with a scrapping friend on Wednesday after a quick visit to Sheree in hospital. I don't get to see Lisa very often so it was really nice to catch up. Then on Thursday I scrapbooked the 2 layouts above. It was lovely to be able to do something creative after working so hard on assignments.

Next week I'm going to spend a day with my sister who is on holidays and I've been trying to get out to see her (she lives an hour away) for two weeks and something just keeps coming up. I'm dying to just sit and chat with her and I'm going to make her some gluten free treats as she is has celiac's disease and I'm always trying to adapt normal recipes for her to enjoy with the rest of us.

This week I finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockard and I truly loved this book. I have to spend time with Uni analysing papers and journals and I would love to do this one. If you haven't read it then do yourself a favour and read it because I think it is very relevant today with racism being just as dangerous now as it was in the 60's. I was amazed to think that so much of this happened around the year I was born.

Well I'm still exercising and I'm on day 29 of my 5km walks. This is a huge achievement for me and something I'm very proud of. Also went to the doctors this week and my cholesterol has come down a far bit which the doctor was very pleased about! So everything I'm doing is working towards a healthier and stronger me. I really do feel the healthiest, fittest and strongest I've felt in years.

We are now down to 6 weeks and 4 days until our big trip. Excitement continues to rise and not sure how we'll make it through to the end without dying of excitement. Well keeping busy with Uni seems to really help because I don't have time to think about it!

Feeling Great!

2011-07-18T10:30:00.000+10:00

This is my beautiful daughter Kristianne

My poor Grandson fell over and hit his end and got this dreadful egg on his head!

Scraplift from Sheree of a book signing that we went to when Richelle Mead came to Australia

Have been amazing myself with the amount I seem to be able to accomplish in a day at the moment. I am a list maker and I'm easily getting through my daily and weekly lists. Last Tuesday I managed a scrap day with Sheree and did the 3 layouts above in 3 hours which must be a record for me!

Last week I walked my 5km's every day and did an extra 5km's on two days with my husband. However, it really wore me out a little too much so I've swapped my morning walk to the afternoon this week and we'll see how I go. He likes me to go with him as it helps him find the motivation after a long day of being on his feet all day and getting up at 3am every morning for work. The only days he can't walk in the afternoon are soccer training days, Monday and Wednesday so Cindy (my little dog) and I will go alone on those days. I'm feeling so fit and healthy at the moment and I really think that's why I'm getting so much done.
Also last week despite the fact that I spent over 10 hours in 3 days at the hospital visiting a very sick friend (lots of love to her) I still managed to stay on top of my studies and housework etc. I'm currently working on 2 big assignments that are both essays. One is on Grief, Trauma and Crisis and the other is Community Studies. They are both due at the end of next week and I'm still in the research stage with them both although I'm just waiting on some info from the lecturer and I'll be ready to start writing the grief counselling essay. I absolutely love my studies and am learning so much. Studying fills my mind with so many challenging thoughts and ideas and stimulates my brain in a way that nothing else does. In fact, I love it so much I've already chosen my next 2 degrees, I want to get my masters in Social Work and then do a history degree for fun, although I'm planning this for my retirement!

Well another busy week for me of studying and assignment writing, housework, visiting my friend, a day with my sister, soccer games, cooking and if I work hard I'll have time to do another scrapbook page for relaxation. I'm currently listening to and loving The Help by Katheryn Stockett and last night I started reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stehanie Perkins.

Only 7 weeks and 4 days until we fly out to the UK. Getting so excited!

What a week!

2011-07-10T08:20:00.000+10:00

Photo was taken at Wellington Point on Saturday night. I have a new camera for my trip to the UK and was playing with the panorama setting. The camera has lots of different settings and I want to learn how to use it properly before we leave so that I can make the most of it.

Another beautiful sunset with my husband! We went down to Wellington Point on Saturday night for a friend's daughter's memorial, it would have been her 21st birthday and she wanted to commemorate it by making some special memories. It ended up being such a lovely night and we got some gorgeous photos. It was so nice to laugh and enjoy each others company, I needed it so much!

It's been a busy and interesting week this week and at times I've felt completely overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about Uni! So when it all got to much, what did I do? Went for a walk! Yes, I've walked every day this week and I just love it. In fact, when the boys go back to school this week I have to change to walking in the mornings after I've dropped them off but my husband has been walking with me and he gets up a 3am, a little too early to go walking. So I've decided that on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday when he doesn't have to take soccer training (he's our son's soccer coach) that I'm going to walk again in the afternoon with him. I figured that when I'm in the UK that I'll be doing a lot more than 5km a day so it will be good for me and I certainly feel fit enough to do it now! That will bring my weekly total up to 50km a week, which I think is pretty good.

Well as I said Uni has been really stressful very early on, which is unusual. I'm usually not feeling like this until around Week 6. But I'm just working through it day by day, which is all I can do. I know that the pay off for all the hard work this semester is getting on a plane! Today I've got an Ethics assignment to finish and then this week I've got to do an Intro to Community Studies assignment and get started on my Grief, Trauma & Crisis assignment, so another busy week for me, although I have got a scrapbooking day planned with Sheree which I can't wait for! It's the little things you make plans for that get you through the tough days.

Now I just wanted to say how lucky I've been to watch someone I love, fall head over heals in love. You know it's happening, and then one day you see it on their face and it makes you feel all happy and gooey inside! She (who shall remain nameless) has had more than her share of heartache, has fallen in love with the most wonderful man who simply adores her and whose only regret is that he didn't find her sooner. I just can't tell you how relieved I am because it's all I ever wanted her to have and now I see she has it and with such a top bloke! So welcome to our crazy family, I have a feeling you'll fit right in!

Well that's it from me this week. Hopefully I'll have some scrapping to show you next week and I won't have had such a stressful week. My to do lists have been written up for the week and I have my routine sorted in my head with the boys going back to school on Tuesday so all I need now is for it all to run smoothly! Have a great week!

Lots of Scrapbooking

2011-07-04T11:30:00.001+10:00

Been working really hard to get Daxtyn's (my Grandson) scrapbook album up-to-date. Below are 3 layouts I did on Sunday when I needed some down time. I have 3 more photos to do this week plus Dax's 1st birthday party but I've misplaced the photos and have to keep looking for them. Once these are done then Dax's album will be all done and then I'll just do photos as I take them here and there.

Apart from Scrapbooking, University is really full on and I'm feeling the pressure. My first assignment is due next Monday and then they just keep on coming until I leave for my UK trip on September 9th. I'm doing my best to stay on top of it but I'm still feeling overwhelmed at times. This week will be especially busy and I've replied to a request for a study partner and I'm meeting her on Thursday so hopefully that will help.

As well as Uni, scrapbooking and my sons being on school holidays I've been walking 5 km a day and have done this for 8 days straight so far. It started out because I wanted to be fit and healthy for my UK trip but now I really like the way my body feels. I feel so much fitter and all my leg and butt muscles are feeling much firmer and stronger and that's always a good thing. My legs still feel the burn but I'm not aching all day like I was for the 1st 5 days. I feel very committed and am loving it, really clears the head and also gives you some quality time with whomever accompanies you. I've had a different partner each day with the whole family joining me on Sunday.

I finished listening to Beautiful Darkness on Sunday and absolutely loved it. It was such a great 2nd book. So often 2nd books leave such big cliff hangers and while this left some loose ends it was still very satisfying and I don't feel as though I've been left hanging. Definitely a 5 star read!

Well that's my catch up. Hope you are all doing well and feeling happy!

Life's Been Busy

2011-06-19T18:38:00.002+10:00

Life is about to get crazy busy. Tomorrow I start my next trimester of University and after spending a few hours today organising my study plan and timetable I'm really excited and can't wait to get started. I will be studying Introduction to Community Studies, Ethics in Society and Grief, Trauma and Crisis Counselling, all interesting and fascinating subjects that are going to challenge me.

I've been slowly working my way through a back log of scrapping. Whenever I go to scrapbook camp I prepare paper packs to match my photos and I always do too many. So I've just finished a half dozen that I didn't get done at May camp but I also have another pile of 16 that I've done for camps that go back as far as 5 years. The layouts above are such packs, one is a close family friends birthday and directly above is Daxtyn when he was 8 months (he's now 16 months old). So I'm hoping to get them all done in the next few weeks. I also want to have this year up-to-date before Annie and I fly out to the UK in 11 weeks. That's my goal so we'll see how it all goes.

I'm very much a list person and just don't seem to get as much done and feel very out of whack when I don't have my lists to follow. As I've grown older I seem to do even more lists but I also achieve a lot. So my lists have been done for this week and whilst they're long I'm not feeling overwhelmed like I was before I did them.

The only books I've read in the last few weeks are Personality books written by Florence Littauer and they are fantastic. They've helped me enormously in understanding my husband and children's personalities much better than I ever have before. I am planning on reviewing them very soon. But if you have time then check them out, they are very inexpensive, at least from Book Depository.

Well I hope you all have a fantastic week, I'm sure I will!

Update

2011-06-05T21:07:00.000+10:00

After much thought and consideration I've made the difficult decision to stop reviewing ARC's. I will still do book reviews from time to time but at the moment I'm just not reading much. Most of my spare time is spent knitting, I've already completed one beautiful blanket and I'm working on another (pictured above) that is much more involved. University starts again in a few weeks and this will take up most of my time so I'll probably need reading to relax again then. My health has improved and I'm hoping to get the all clear from the surgeon in a few weeks.

So, my blog will continue with some book reviews, knitting projects and scrapbooking pages and in 3 months it will be full of my trip to the UK. I'll still be around, my blog will just have a different focus.

To all the publishers and authors who have allowed me the pleasure of reviewing their books, I thank you. I've read some amazing books over the last 3 years that I wouldn't have read otherwise. It's now time for me to read some of the books I've been wanting to get to but didn't have time. There are dozens of books on my book shelves and on my Kindle that are just screaming out to be read. Thanks to all my readers for your continuing support.

Taking a Break

2011-05-06T06:53:00.000+10:00

Due to some complications of my recent surgery I have decided that I need to take a temporary break from blogging. I can't say how long it will be before I'm back, but I can say I'll definitely be back as soon as I feel up to it.

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day in Australia so I'd like to say Happy Mother's Day to all the Aussie Mum's out there. I hope you have a wonderful day and get very spoiled.

A Race To Splendor by Ciji Ware

2011-04-21T17:00:00.017+10:00

Genre: Historical Fiction
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 544
Rating: 8
Book Source: ARC courtesy of Source Books

Synopsis:

Inspired by female architect Julia Morgan, this is the riveting tale of a race against time to rebuild two luxury hotels after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed 400 city blocks and left 250,000 homeless.

Morgan's fictional protegee Amelia Bradshaw and client J.D. Thayer will sacrifice anything to see the city they love rise from the ashes; in the process, they can't help but lose their hearts.

Review:

This was such a fascinating story, delving into the devastating history of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, the aftermath and recovery. A blend of history and artistic licence laced with suspense, drama, romance, and political corruption giving readers a captivating and moving account.

I knew of the existence of architect Julia Morgan but little else and whilst she didn't inspire my affection in Race to Splendor, Ciji Ware certainly inspired me to read a little more about this historical figure. Quite the opposite of the very likeable Amelia Bradshaw, Ware's fictional creation and Morgan's protegee and eventual competitor in the race to open the Fairmont hotel and JD Thayer's Bay View hotel by the 1st anniversary of the quake.

The Fairmont 1906 - after earthquake & fire

The Fairmont 1907

The chemistry between JD and Amelia is obvious early on but their working and personal relationship is rocky to say the least. Suffice to say there is more to the inscrutable JD than first meets the eye. I enjoyed the architectural details and the challenges facing women proving themselves in a male dominated field. I wasn't aware of the plight of the Chinese at this time, their appalling living and working conditions, and the unaccounted loss of life. Being Australian, Race To Splendor filled in a substantial gap in my knowledge of this particular time in American history and gave me a thirst for more.

My first Ciji Ware novel but definitely not my last; the pages literally turn themselves!

Visit Ciji Ware's website to find out more about this author and her work.

Review by Teddyree The Eclectic Reader

This month on Queen of Happy Endings you could win a wonderful books. Check this blog post for all the details.

Guest Post by Gloria Schumann

2011-04-20T17:00:00.033+10:00

Synopsis: Emma Benson's view of life was crafted by the death of her brother as a child, abandonment by her father and later, the man she trusted she would marry, until David Schlosser-back in town after years in New York writing best-selling novels-threatens her neatly tended life. Romance blooms. Emma and David eventually persevere in the face of tragedy, refusing to leave their dreams behind.

Thanks to Gloria for joining me today. I asked Gloria to tell us what inspired her to write contemporary romance and who was her favourite character in the story.

The past. Our story. The handful of pieces that help form the person we are today.

Is it good? Is it bad? Is it somewhere in between? Has is turned you optimistic? Or pessimistic? Has it opened doors or slammed them in your face? Would you change it or not? How much a part of you is it today? How much do you let it drive the direction you go?

Emma Benson, the heroine in "Called Home – Two Hearts Answer", is a creature carrying around her past like a Plexiglas shield. Any attempts at closeness from the opossite sex, especially David Schlosser, are deftly deflected and kept a safe distance away, where they can't penetrate her tough exterior and hurt her, yet again.

She snips, she snaps, she shuns, and still, David persists in his friendliness. She makes fun, she turns the smart aleck phrase, she avoids, but David sees right through the protective shield to her true nature—the loyalty to her family, her bouts of civility toward him, her care and concern of others. Emma is sweet, smart, self-sufficient woman forging through life with the wounds of her past leading the way.

I love Emma because, in the beginning, she is strong and uses it to hinder her growth, her fulfillment, her happiness, but through very real and impressive events, the strength she wields is, instead of cutting off the world, used to enhance her chunk of it. Her outlook on life has turned the corner. She is now open to the vast and glorious wonders life can offer. If, like Emma, you're aware of them, if you allow them into your reality, the possibilities of joy, love and hope are endless. They're sublime.

Emma is an excellent example of perseverence through the storms of life, eventually learning to cope with the past, without giving into her insecurities. One, I myself, would like to emulate. In the end, the choices she makes puts her exactly where she belongs—in control of her life making healthy decisions toward her dreams, instead of out of fear. We should all be lucky enough to be in such a beautiful place in our lives.

Find out how Emma does it in "Called Home – Two Hearts Answer" and may you lead your life in hope and joy of the future.

Thanks to Gloria for answering my questions and visiting my blog, I really enjoyed Gloria's book and you can read my review tomorrow. If you'd like to win a copy of Called Home, leave your email address and be a follower. US/Canada only and winner announced in 2 weeks!

Interview & Giveaway with Sharon Lathan, author of The Trouble with Mr Darcy

2011-04-18T19:16:00.000+10:00

Synopsis: Even charmed lives will encounter troubles along the way....

After a time of happiness and strife, Darcy and Elizabeth gather with family and friends in Hertfordshire to celebrate the wedding of Kitty Bennet. Georgiana Darcy returns from a lengthy tour of the Continent with happy secrets to share, accompanied by the newlywed Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Simone, who may have secrets of their own. The stage is set for joy until the party is upset by the arrival of the long absent Mr. and Mrs. Wickham.

Wickham's jealousy and resentment of Darcy has grown steadily throughout the years and Darcy rightly suspects that Wickham is up to no good. Darcy enlists the aid of Colonel Fitzwilliam to keep an eye on Wickham's activity, but neither anticipate the extreme measures taken to exact his revenge. Nor do they fathom the layers of deception and persons involved in the scheme.

George Wickham returns to Hertfordshire bent on creating trouble, and Elizabeth and her son are thrown into danger. Knowing that Wickham has nothing left to lose, Darcy and Fitzwilliam rush to the rescue in a race against time. This lushly romantic story takes a turn for the swashbuckling when Mr. Darcy has to confront the villainous Wickham and his own demons at the same time... devoted as he is, what battles within will Mr. Darcy have to face?

1. What was the inspiration for this book?
In a general sense my inspiration for this book was the same as it has been for all of my novels, that being the characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and my love for continuing their story. I ended my fourth volume of the Darcy Saga - In the Arms of Mr. Darcy - with Elizabeth pregnant, Kitty Bennet meeting an interesting man, Colonel Fitzwilliam newly married, Mr. Darcy planning a trip abroad, and several other story threads that needed to play out. Like every storyteller in history knows, when ideas are planted the writer must see them grow. Specifically I felt the tug to tackle the long absent Mr. and Mrs. Wickham.

2. What do you think will make your Pride & Prejudice stories different or unique to others in the market?
Every author who writes Austen fiction is unique in some way. My saga is unique from all other continuations, I believe, in that it presents the Darcys as happily married, deeply in love, growing in their commitment and marital accord, and romantic and sensual within their relationship. The Darcy Saga is thematically a story of life as it moves along through time rather than a single conflict/resolution plotline. I wanted to take the reader down through the months and years with all the beloved characters, giving each of them the opportunity to fulfill their destinies and live their stories.

3. How many more books are planned for the series?
At the present the saga of the Darcys is on hiatus while I turn to secondary characters I love. Miss Darcy Falls in Love is my upcoming novel due for release in November and focuses on Georgiana Darcy as she finds love in Paris. Currently I am writing the story arc of Dr. George Darcy, a character of my own creation who is Mr. Darcy’s uncle.

4. How long did it take you to research and write this book?
Research is an ongoing process as I write so it is impossible to say how long that portion took. The novel itself was written in spits and spurts over eight months or so, I am guessing although it is difficult to be precise about it after all this time!

5. What does a typical writing day include for you?

I honestly have no such thing as a “typical” writing day! I mix it in with family life, my job as an RN, and the various tasks that are required as a published author. All of it keeps me very busy, to say the least. Nevertheless, I do manage to write whenever I can. It is an uncontrollable impulse!

6. Do you plan your books out or do you let inspiration take you were it will?

I am a largely a panster. I have a general idea of what is going to happen and specific scenes or conversations will be very clear. But how they will fall together or the details that occur in between are left up to inspiration.

7. If you could be a character in this book, who would you be and why?

I have always answered this question with “Elizabeth Darcy” and I do lean that direction since, let’s face it, she is an amazing character in a host of ways and who would not want to be married to Mr. Darcy, right? Yes, I would lift my hand and say “Lizzy” as most lovers of Austen do. However, I have grown very fond of Georgiana Darcy as I have written her. She is quite remarkable, if I say so myself.

8. Would you still use the same actors as your characters if this book were made into a movie?

If I had any say in the matter, absolutely! Matthew Macfadyen is the perfect Mr. Darcy as far as I am concerned, and Keira Knightley is beautiful, spunky, strong, and everything else I imagine my mature Elizabeth to be.

9. Do you plan on writing any other genres in the future?

I have no immediate plans to break out with a western or sci-fi anywhere in the near future! Probably never, in fact. I love writing historical novels with strong romantic elements. I love the Regency Era also, although Dr. Darcy’s novel, for instance, will largely take place in India during the decades prior to the Regency years so in many respects is quite different.

10. If you had a $50 Amazon voucher, what books would you buy with it?

Sadly $50 does not buy as much as it once did! I’d hit up the Kindle sales to get as much as possible. First I would check out what is new with some of my favorite fantasy authors and then the romance novelists I adore. Those are the two main genres I love so I am sure that $50 would go quickly.

Thanks for the wonderful questions! I love interviews and this was very fun.

About the Author Sharon Lathan is the author of the bestselling novels Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley, My Dearest Mr. Darcy and In The Arms of Mr. Darcy. Sharon also wrote a novella as part of an anthology with Amanda Grange and Carolyn Eberhart, A Darcy Christmas. In addition to her writing, she works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. For more information, please visit www.sharonlathan.net. Come to Austen Authors – http://www.austenauthors.com/ where Sharon and twenty other authors of Austen fiction blog together.

Thanks to Sharon for answering my questions and visiting my blog, I have loved all of Sharon's books. If you'd like to win a copy of The Trouble of Mr Darcy, then tell us what your favourite Austen book is. Don't forget to leave your email address and must be a follower. US/Canada only and winner announced in 2 weeks!

Sunday Post

2011-04-17T07:00:00.009+10:00

This week has seen me make really big improvements since my surgery. It was week three this week and I've become mobile again. I did some gentle exercise on the treadmill, went walking down at the park with Sheree and I've taken back some household chores, such as washing, making beds, cleaning toilets and bathrooms, I even managed to go grocery shopping with some help from Annie. I get tired very easily and I do still have a fair amount of pain, but I usually manage to get through the day without any pain relief and just take it at night when I need it. The exhaustion is difficult to manage but at the moment I just do as much as I can and then I rest and do some knitting.

My blanket is close to being finished, just waiting on my Mum to pick me up some more wool, so it will be completed this week. Well, then my Mum is going to sew it together for me. I'm also working on the vest in the picture, although mine is a pretty dusty pink. I did one side on the front and it was miles to big so now I've had to start again in a smaller size. I've lost a fair bit of weight (26lbs) and didn't realise how much smaller I was then before. So I'm now working it in 2 sizes smaller and hoping that will fit but I won't know until I've finished another side. If you're looking for beautiful free patterns then check out this fantastic site. The patterns are all US and I've had a little difficulty working them out as they are different to the Australian/European patterns I'm used to but once you get used to the different terminology then they are fine.

My boys are on school holidays now so that will make things easier for everyone around here. Next week I'm planning on cooking a couple of nights and also starting back at Uni. I'm very nervous about Uni as I'm now so far behind and have a lot of catching up to do but I will do as much as I can. I'm sure once I get my head in the right space it will seem easier. I'm not kidding myself, I know it will be difficult to catch up but I have to do my best. All I'm aiming to do is pass the four subjects so that I won't have lost this whole semester.

Well that's it from me for this week. I've got a couple of great ARC's that I'm currently reading and there's more giveaways going up this week. Have a great week everyone!

This month on Queen of Happy Endings you could win a wonderful books. Check this blog post for all the details.

The Trouble with Mr Darcy by Sharon Lathan

2011-04-15T17:00:00.008+10:00

Genre: Historical Romance
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 386
Rating: 9
Source: ARC Sourcebooks Landmark

Synopsis: In the fifth in Sharon Lathan's bestselling series, George Wickham returns to Hertfordshire bent on creating trouble, and Elizabeth and her newborn son are thrown into danger. Knowing that Wickham has nothing left to lose, Darcy and Fitzwilliam rush to the rescue in a race against time.

This lushly romantic story takes a turn for the swashbuckling when Mr. Darcy has to confront the villainous Wickham and his own demons at the same time... devoted as he is, what battles within will Mr. Darcy have to face?

Review: I have been a long time fan of Sharon Lathan's. Her version of what happens after Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourites and it is safe to say that I use the beautiful imagery that she has built up in my mind whenever I read any P & P variation. The passion between Elizabeth and Darcy has kept me captivated over 5 books and I can't imagine ever tiring of it. They are books I will read again and again.

In this book Wickham makes an entrance and it was good to see that Sharon stayed true to Austen's original character. Wickham is a character that I've always loved to hate and this book is no exception. Together Darcy and Elizabeth come to a greater level of understanding and trust and their wonderful romance and passion for each other continues.

If you love Pride and Prejudice then I urge you to try Sharon Lathan. Her characters are true to the original Austen characters with a very satisfying and modern love story that includes a very passionate and steamy love story. Order your copy of The Trouble with Mr Darcy at Amazon, Amazon Kindle or Book Depository.

Check back on Monday to read an interview and win a copy of this amazing book!

This month on Queen of Happy Endings you could win one of three books. Check this blog post for all the details. International entrants welcome.

To Be Queen by Christy English

2011-04-14T17:00:00.042+10:00

Genre: Historical
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 400
Rating: 10
Source: ARC - author

Synopsis:

The author of The Queen's Pawn delves into the early life of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine in her new historical novel.

After her father's sudden death, fifteen-year-old Eleanor is quickly crowned Duchess of Aquitaine and betrothed to King Louis VII. When her new husband cannot pronounce her given name, Alienor becomes Eleanor, Queen of France.

Although Louis is enamored of his bride, the newly crowned king is easily manipulated by the church and a God that Eleanor doesn't believe in. Now, if she can find the strength to fight for what she wants, Eleanor may finally find the passion she has longed for, and the means to fulfill her legacy as Queen.

Review: I read stories of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life a few years ago but this account is much more detailed. It is a well thought out, intriguing and fascinating account of Eleanor's life when she was 10 - 30 years old. It's hard to comprehend that a girl of 10 had the presence of mind and knowledge of the world that she did. But by 15 she was the Queen of France and found herself married to a man who put the church above all else. Although, this bothered her little as she thought he was someone who needed her 'guidance'. Over time Eleanor came to learn that France was not the place she wanted to spend the rest of her life. She fought valiantly to change the way things were but eventually she realised that she was married to a man that she didn't love or respect.

When you understand Eleanor as a child it's easy to comprehend that she is the same woman who left France and became Queen of England at the age of 30, considered old by the standards of the time and bore the Kind of England four sons. She was an extraordinary woman and this book gives an excellent account of her earlier life and struggles! But looking at her young life with her father and sister and the education he gave her it's not really surprising. She was certainly a woman who knew how to get things done and she used her beauty to her constant advantage.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had difficulty putting it down even though I knew how Eleanor's life goes. Christy writes in such a way that you just don't know what will happen to this woman next. Purchase it from Amazon (also available on Kindle) or Book Depository.

This month on Queen of Happy Endings you could win a wonderful books. Check this blog post for all the details.