CHRISTMAS CHEER!

Usually, my husband, John, and I do Christmas at our house for our family. But this year, we're going to my folks' house instead. I'll admit I'm looking forward to not having to prepare the Christmas feast, since at the moment, I'm suffering from a badly impinged shoulder, which has made a lot of things, like cooking, difficult for me. So, now that all the shopping's finished, all we have to do is load the presents in our car and go.

In the meantime, I'm watching George C. Scott in A Christmas Carol --- my favorite version of the movie and an early Christmas gift from my son, Shane.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

THE CRYSTAL ROSE!

My new novel, The Crystal Rose, goes on sale today! I hope you'll all pick up a copy and enjoy reading it!

About the book:

A stranger presses a letter into her hand...and unlocks the past she thought had been destroyed. England, 1850: As she makes her way through London's crowded streets, Rose Windermere is nearly knocked to the ground by a man who whispers a dire warning...and presses a letter into her hands before fleeing. The letter seems innocuous enough --- merely plans for a gentleman to meet his lover. But for Rose, the mark with which it is sealed recalls her idyllic childhood in India and a world that was destroyed one terrible night, when an uprising left her dearest friend, Hugo Drayton, dead. Amidst a city enthralled by its Great Exhibition, Rose is pulled back into the exotic land of her youth, as the past comes unimaginably alive. Caught in a web of deceit and intrigue, she must unravel the strange machinations of a man whose lust for power will threaten a monarchy --- and her own heart!

Publishers Weekly Review:

In romance veteran Brandewyne's latest entry, idyllic days in India in the 1830s are cut short for young Rose Windermere when her best friend, Hugo Drayton, is murdered, along with his parents. Fearing for their own safety, Rose's family moves back to England. Fifteen years later, Rose is shopping at the market when a strange man thrusts a letter into her basket and, before fleeing, cautions her to guard it with her life. Seeing the seal of Hugo's family on the letter, Rose surmises that it must concern the business of Hugo's cousin, and the veiled message inside indicates a lovers' rendezvous. Soon, however, Rose suspects she's being followed, and with a little investigation finds that her pursuer is Raj Khanna, a handsome Indian businessman, who's after the letter for reasons far graver than romance; amid rising suspense, Rose uncovers a plot to assassinate Queen Victoria and the truth about what happened to her beloved Hugo. Fast-paced, rooted in solid period details and supported by a fine cast of secondary characters --- especially the scrappy street urchins who come to Rose's aid --- Brandewyne's latest is another winning romp. (Dec.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

The Crystal Rose has also been selected by the Rhapsody Book Club as a "hot book," and it is being offered as an ebook by Mira Books, as well.