 Simon Dinard, Lord Farleigh
CW: Mention of fertility struggles of the duchess. This lovely gentleman (as played by a younger Robbie Amell, in my head) is often at odds—with himself. Simon was born near where Clairvoir Castle stands today, at a hunting lodge owned by the family. When he came into the world, the first child born to the Duke and Duchess of Montfort, the castle itself was undergoing major renovations. Thus he spent his nursery years mostly at the family home in London, doted on by his paternal and maternal grandparents, with access to the best governesses and tutors available. Simon was an only child for six years. His mother had two pregnancies, neither of which produced a living child. Because of this long period of time without siblings, and to soothe his mother’s heart, Simon was as often in her care as she could have him by her side. This created a very strong bond between them. These years also proved formative in two other important ways. (1) Simon was also in his father’s company frequently, and soon held his father up as the very sort of man he wished to be. (2) Though young, Simon sensed his mother’s sorrow and took it upon himself to cheer her through his antics, smiles, and with his company. (Children can be very intuitive.) This matured him quickly, and by the time he was old enough for school, he left home with a head start in academics and understanding of the world. Thankfully, he had younger siblings by then, too. His sister Josephine, six years younger than Simon, was his favorite person in the world. He doted on her at every opportunity. Five years later, when Isabelle came along, he took on more of a protective older brother role. Then came Rosalind, tiny and often ill until she was out of leading strings. During her early years, Simon anxiously awaited the post every time he learned she was unwell, with hopes of learning that she had overcome her baby-fevers. When Simon’s brother, James, was born, Simon was seventeen and on his way to Cambridge. But every time he came home, once again, he was the very best of older brothers. James, as he grew, came to view Simon as his hero and wanted to be just like him. Outside of his family, Simon formed friendships through his education. Early on in his boarding school days, he met Andrew Wycomb, whose father was friends with Simon’s father. That was reason enough to associate with one another, but when Andrew dragged Simon into his pranks and misadventures, the two soon found a mutual enjoyment of the ridiculous. And each other. They became inseparable, to the extend that Andrew lived with the ducal family when his father passed away. The boys were more like brothers than friends, and looked out for one another. Andrew soon proved to be one of the few friends Simon could count on. Through painful experience, Simon learned that there were many who wanted near him for no reason other than his high position in society. Who wouldn’t want a future duke as an associate? What lady wouldn’t throw herself at a man soon to be one of the most powerful people in the country? This made him mistrustful of others’ motivations. Simon’s 24th year, after his grand tour and a year of tutoring from his father, saw him sent to Ireland to manage the family’s Irish holdings near Dublin. It was there he briefly met Lord Dunmore, an Irish baron. Though they were no more than acquaintances until the summer of 1819. During Simon’s time in Ireland, the weight of his future responsibilities became more evident than before. He found himself constantly wondering what his father would do in certain situations. How his father would act, what he would say, when confronted with difficulties regarding the land or people who lived upon it. The spring of 1819, Simon’s father entrusted him with the safety of the family (read all about it in Sir Andrew and the Authoress). More and more often, Simon dreaded the day he would lose his father. Not only because he loved the duke with his whole heart, but because he saw all the wisdom and respect his father had cultivated throughout his time as duke. Could Simon ever measure up to such a man? How would he even begin to fill his father’s shoes? Thankfully, the duke’s good health continued, even as the weight on Simon’s shoulders increased. Shortly after Simon’s 26th birthday, Dunmore’s family was invited by the Duke to visit Castle Clairvoir for Christmas. And this is where the story of Lord Farleigh and Miss Frost begins…
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 Writing A Lady's Heart of Gold has been an incredible experience. I hope you enjoy these characters. Original illustrations in the book, including two full page illustrations AND the "chapter end" illustrations were created by Melanie Bateman, of MAB Illustrations. Spoilers Ahead. CHARACTER INSPIRATION: MOLLY MCKINNEY
#charactersketch #characterinspiration #mollymckinney I looked long and hard for the right "Molly" face. I found one with Ella Hunt. Brown hair, brown eyes, with a look that honestly reminds me of so many girls I was friends with a long, long time ago. Honestly, she looks like a real person to me. Which I love. Molly Elizabeth McKinney is the heroine of my upcoming Hearts of Arizona novel, A Lady's Heart of Gold. She's the British half of our romantic couple, and our hero finds her ADORABLE. She's determined, stubborn, curious, and has an adventurous heart. Did I mention she's a newspaper reporter? In the late 1800's, women were starting to make a splash in the newspaper world. In London, a woman both owned and edited a large newspaper. Women's magazines were taking off. Nellie Bly was an established figure in the world of investigative reporting. So it stands to reason that a determined woman with literary skills would find a way into that profession. In this book, you'll learn all about Molly. For one thing, she publishes under her initials, M.E. McKinney. That keeps both her editor and her readers from assuming a woman doesn't know what she's talking about. I hope y'all enjoy this little sneak peek into what's ahead. (First posted on Sally Sweet Romance Fans Facebook Group)  Another random fact about me: I LOVE the Lord of the Rings. Aragorn is my fave.
He's one of my desk/office buddies. Lately, he's been hanging out on the shelf next to my friends from The Princess Bride, but he makes little appearances on the desk now and then. Isn't he a cutie? I LOVE Tolkien's worlds. I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy prior to seeing any films, unless you count the creepy Hobbit cartoon from the 70's. In fact, my senior literary thesis class was called "Tolkien and Friends." One of the two professors team-teaching (they both resembled hobbits, by the way) had actually MET Tolkien years previous. It was an incredible class. I learned so much about the interpretation of literature and film. So who's your favorite Tolkien character? Do you have one? Why is that one your fave? I love Aragorn - both book and movie version, which are quite different - for his honor and strength of character. He's a wonderful fictional hero. And my lil' Aragorn inspires me to write men of valor in my tales of romance! Get your own Funko Pop Aragorn for your desk/shelves HERE!  In case you missed it - I released something pretty about six months ago!
🌸What: A sweet, stand-alone, Regency novella 🌸When: It was FIRST released as part of the Timeless Romance collection, An Evening at Almack's, but I've since added content and thrown in some edits. 🌸How: Available on Amazon for purchase ONLY. It cannot be in KU because the earlier version is still in the collection. 🌸Why: Because I wanted to add some scenes! Add some depth, change around a few things. So it's still the same story (in case you've read it before), but with extra descriptions, longer scenes, and a more satisfactory conclusion. (Book summary in comments.) It may interest a few people to know that the plot for this book was partially inspired by the film Sabrina - but the one starring Audrey Hepburn, because I like that one better. 😉 Available as an eBook and a lovely little paperback! Official Summary: When an unsuitable gentleman appears to court a baron's daughter, it's an older sister's duty to stand in his way. And, of course, not fall in love with him herself. Matilda Rayment is determined to protect her sister's interest and her family from ruin, which means she must marry off her flirtatious younger sister before the Season ends. When the Rayments cross paths with Oliver Bolton, the nephew of their steward, his interest in Miss Beatrice threatens all Mattie's plans. For as long as he can remember, Oliver has dreamed of courting Miss Beatrice Rayment, but never dared reach above his station. He hasn't been a gentleman long, but owning his estate - however small in size - gives him access to new rungs on Society's ladder and finally, his chance has come. It is up to Mattie to steer Oliver away from making an unhappy match with her sister, but before long she finds herself losing her heart to the steward's nephew. Oliver finds he cares less and less about winning Beatrice the more time he spends in Mattie's company. Can such an unsuitable match take place, or will all their plans be ruined? |
AuthorI write clean and sweet Historical Romance Novels, I'm a mom of four, madly in love with my husband, and I love to read! Affiliate Links Used In PostsCategories
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