Spreading some good news...

We are bombarded with hideous stories in the newspapers and it can be difficult to remember that most people are good and kind. Also that the little bits of romance we experience in our daily lives help to lift those lives out of the ordinary. I guess that is why romance fiction is so popular. Unfortunately the good stuff rarely makes the front pages. So, here is my attempt to re-balance the scales a bit, and to explain the significance behind the two tiny flowers above. One of the wonderful things about living in London, is there is always something going on. Last week hubby and I went up to Covent Garden. We were celebrating the anniversary of our first date and going back to the same restaurant. In Trafalgar Square we came upon the Hare Krishna festival of chariots. A lady explained to us that people worship many versions of God and this sect of Hinduism recognises that. From the chariots, they handed out fruit and flowers. Giving gifts away to strangers and holding your hand out to be given gifts whether they are material, or something more abstract such as love is symbolic of how communities and relationships work. People need things and sometimes you are a provider and sometimes people provide what you need. My husband and I were handed two small chrysanthemum flowers and told to keep them in the house until they faded but then return them to nature by throwing them into the garden. When I went up to bed that night, my husband had placed them on the counterpane - he is an incurable romantic and they became a reminder of a lovely day. I have not yet had the heart to throw them out.... My latest novel with Astraea Press, The Sanctuary, a love story, can be purchased by clicking this link. "City lawyer Kimberley is forced to take over an animal sanctuary left to her in a will. The Sanctuary, a Victorian house overlooking the sea, draws Kimberley under its spell. The same cannot be said for her husband Scott, whose dedication to his work threatens their relationship. When Kimberley comes to the aid of handsome, brooding widower Zach Coen and his troubled daughter, she could possibly help them. But will she risk endangering her marriage in the process?"