The de Vere Family in the 17th Century

For information about the illustrious family of Lady Diana de Vere, female protagonist of A Pledge of Better Times, visit my blog post at English Historical Fiction Authors: The de Vere Family in the 17th Century.

Diana, 1694

Diana's father, Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford

Diana's mother, Countess of Oxford

Diana's grandfather, Robert, 19th Earl of Oxford

The New Year

So far, the best description of 2015 is ... cold! Extremely frigid temperatures and windchill in the -25F degree range overnight.  We've had ice, to coat the lavender (above) and front hedge (below)

 And snow has fallen, giving my 18th century lady a white cap, tucker, and apron.

 

Indoors, I've filled hyacinth glasses with chilled bulbs, which will soon lend fragrance and colour to the sitting room/library.

In our bedroom upstairs, the Rosa chinensis mutabilis is so content with its location in a sunny window that it has put forth a bud . . . I hope it will bloom!

We're not in the liturgical season of Epiphany . . .

Anticipation of my April book launch is rising, with the arrival of the bound galleys/Advanced Reading Copies!