Honeymoon in NewOrleans

I wrote this romance novel and included all the fun places and experiences my husband & I have had in New Orleans and Louisiana.

Honeymoon in New Orleans

eBook available at most online bookstores for $1.99

#Savannah

My husband and I have been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling in the United States and Europe through the years, but we both agree that our favorite city in the United States is Savannah, Georgia (with New Orleans coming in as a close second).  What is it about this Southern city that has captivated us so much that we've traveled from our home in California four times to visit it?  What we love is its beauty; its people; and its history.  It is that quintessential southern town that reminds me of where Scarlett O'Hara might have gone to see her elderly aunt. It's the old South, with its beautiful moss-draped trees, sweet smelling tea olive bushes, red azaleas, and creepy yet beautiful cemeteries.  It's so different from Atlanta, which was mostly burned to the ground in the Civil War.  When Sherman marched to the sea to plunder and burn everything in sight at the end of the war, he was met at the gates in Savannah and told that the city would surrender, as long as Sherman's army left it unspoiled.  Thank goodness it was spared.

Here is a list of some of my favorite things to see and do, starting with our favorite hotel there, The Ballastone Inn.  For fans of the wonderful book: "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," this is the hotel where Kevin Stacy stayed when he was starring in the film version. If you'd like to see "where the scene of the crime" took place, be sure to visit  the Mercer Williams House. There are guided tours of the interior.   For a tour of the places mentioned in the book, try "All About Savannah Tours".

If you'd like to see one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world (outside of Pere Lachaise in Paris) be sure to visit Bonaventure Cemetery.  It's more like a park than a cemetery.  If you'd like to eat at someplace besides Paula Deen's, try Elizabeth's at 37th.  It's our favorite.  Definitely see a Home and Garden Tour during the Spring when the kind residents of Savannah open their doors and allow us to peek inside their homes and get a taste of what we're missing. I hope you will like it as much as we have.

England in the Footsteps of its Literary Giants

 I have a Master’s Degree in English Literature and after I graduated, I was lucky enough to go on a pilgrimage to England and walk in the footsteps of its famous writers.  One of the places I wanted to visit was the Lake District where my favorite English poet, William Wordsworth, lived.  I had heard that the Lake District is one of the favorite vacation spots of the British and I could see why: it is a magical, bucolic wonderland of peace and tranquility.  “Ramblers” are welcome to walk through the properties of many different farmlands, as long as they remember to shut the gates so the sheep won’t get out.
  

 We had a lovely view from our hotel room window of Lake Windermere.  The shores of the lake had sheep grazing on rolling green hills that were carpeted with daffodils, and a lone cottage on a hilltop had a welcoming fire coming out of its chimney.  I grabbed our video camera to capture its beauty and asked my husband to read Wordsworth’s poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” that spoke of the “jocund company” of the “dancing daffodils”.  He’s a good sport and read it with a lot of enthusiasm.

 We have a history of bumping into famous people on our travels and were very pleased to meet Wordsworth’s great-great grandson in the gift shop of Wordsworth’s home.  He signed a book I’d just bought that was written by the famous poet’s sister, Dorothy.  Standing close to a relative of this mighty literary figure was very exciting, to say the least; not to mention, a dream come true for this English Major.

See photos and read more our authors' pilgrimage to England in our eBook.

Available at your favorite online bookstores for $0.99.