By Gwyneth Gibby, guest blog.
Spring has sprung! Allyson’s daffodils, ready to burst into bloom a week ago, now bob gently in the breeze with all their sunny yellow glory.
Mine, on the other hand, although right next door and planted on the same weekend, are still just thinking about it. Flowers have minds of their own, just like cats do, and there’s no point trying to rush them. My mom, whose favorite flowers were daffodils, used to go out to her garden and tell them, “It is your duty to grow!” And they did.
I just hint to them from time to time, “My, aren’t those nice yellow daffs next door lovely!” To which mine mumble, “We’re pink, so back off.” The creative process must take its course…
Which it has here at WMG. We think spring means romance. Magical fragrant evenings, sweet birdsong, softness in the air with the bite of winter gone like a half-remembered dream. April in Paris may not be on the agenda for everyone, but we have the next-best thing: Kristine Grayson’s new omnibus from the Fates Universe, The Charming Trilogy, Vol.1.
Sit yourself down in your favorite reading chair, next to an open window perhaps, settle in and read three romantic novels, back to back, from the fairy-tale land of charming princes, sleeping beauties, and the bumpy and sometimes hilarious road to happily-ever-after endings. Utterly Charming, Thoroughly Kissed, and Completely Smitten will thoroughly and completely charm you with hours of reading bliss.
Critics and readers love these books. Here’s a sample of their comments:
“Grayson uses smooth prose and humorous, human characters to create a delightful, breezy tale perfect for anyone who truly enjoys happy endings.”
Publishers Weekly
“A snappy, fast-paced read that is indeed utterly charming.”
Debbie Macomber
“A sweet love story makes this a perfect beach read for hopeless romantics.”
Publisher’s Weekly
“Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, Snow White, and Grumpy all populate this magical tale. I was thoroughly charmed by Ms. Grayson’s imaginative story.”
Rendezvous Magazine
“Thoroughly Kissed is a thoroughly charming fairy tale. So suspend disbelief and enjoy. This book is fun!”
The Romance Reader
This is the first of four omnibuses of Grayson’s work coming up this spring, one each month. Keep particular lookout for a brand new Grayson novel in the Fates Universe, Hidden Charm, coming in June.
For those with a taste for more intrigue, also out this week is Fiction River Special Edition: Spies. The award-winning editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch chose these fifteen stories that range from satire to brutal realism, all from the secret world of espionage.
In her introduction to the volume, Kris writes:
What links these stories, besides their wide variety of spies and spying, is their willingness to look at the world in all its messiness. The stories don’t flinch from the effect that secrets have on those keeping them (or those who are victims of them).
The other thing that links the stories is their entertainment value. Even as I reread them, I couldn’t put them down. Even when I knew what was going to happen. The writing is compelling, the characters more so, and the situations memorable.
The writers in this volume outdid themselves.
Happy reading, but remember to come up for air and stroll through the sweet flowery air of spring.