L.L. Diamond's Blog, page 24

Edinburgh

Me at St. Anthony’s Chapel

We arrived at Edinburgh after driving through the rain all day on a Friday. The weather had cleared by the time we arrived in Edinburgh, so we walked down to the town centre for a look around and dinner.

The next morning, we visited the Georgian House, which is a National Trust property in Charlotte Square. It was disappointing that I was not allowed to take photos inside the house, but it was interesting to walk through. They have a great medicine box with labelled bottles of old remedies with a legend explaining what each cures. The kitchen was great as well. The guide explained how everything worked, which fascinated my children.

After lunch, we went to Holyrood Park for a walk and to catch a glimpse of Arthur’s Seat. I didn’t realise we would be so close, so one of my daughters and I were not wearing the proper shoes for a climb. We ended up climbing the neighbouring hill to look at St. Anthony’s Chapel. The climb is a bit steep in a couple of spots, but not a difficult one or a long one. The view is definitely worth the effort!

That evening, we returned to the town centre so my children could ride the ferris wheel and for dinner. Since we were in Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival, it was rather difficult to find a table for six, but a nice couple and their friend were kind enough to save us their table when they were ready to leave.

On Sunday, we spent the day at Edinburgh Castle, which has a lot of great places to see–the Great Hall, the Crown Jewels, and various war memorials. Then there are the views of Edinburgh, which vary depending upon where you are in the castle. It was an interesting place to visit and we enjoyed each of the different exhibits and views!

Some other things to do are The Royal Mile – we did walk down the Royal Mile while we were there. I enjoyed Rose Street, which is a pedestrian road with a multitude of pubs (We had a laugh at one named Dirty Dicks–especially because people would pose for pictures outside of it) and shops. Princes Street also has a view of the castle as well as a lot of shops and touristy things.

I wish I could’ve seen more of Edinburgh, but we left first thing Monday morning to visit a friend in Durham and to visit Yorkshire–which are up next!

 

Winner of the Lory Lilian Giveaway!

Thanks so much for everyone’s participation this month! I’m so glad everyone enjoys the Ask the Author segment as much as I do. It’s so much fun to be able to ask each author for their experiences and their books on an individual basis and based on their body of work. Thank you for helping me make this segment a success!

 

Anyway, we could only have so many winners and Lory has been very generous this month by offering two books for the giveaway.

Winner of the Sketching Mr. Darcy paperback is 

Debbie Fortin!

Winner of the Sketching Mr. Darcy e-book is

Michelle Hall!
Congratulations to Debbie and Michelle!

 

I look forward to hearing from y’all next month when our victim will be Kara Louise! In the mean time get your questions ready!

Lory Lilian Interview is in!

Lory Lilian, author of the wonderful Rainy Days, Remembrance of the Past, His Uncle’s Favorite, The Perfect Match and  Sketching Mr. Darcy    

has answered your questions! 

Grab a cup of tea and some biscuits

because you don’t want to miss this!

 

What will be your favourite character from Pride and Prejudice if I do not let you choose Elizabeth or Darcy? and why?

(anadarcy)

Mr. Bennet – I just love his wit! But I admit to be partial, as he reminds me very much of my own father.

 

Apart from Darcy, which of Jane Austen´s gentleman do you prefer? and why?(anadarcy)

Mr. Knightley – because he had the strength to love Emma somehow hopelessly, and despite her sometimes spoiled and annoying behaviour, remained close to her, helped her and even censured her when needed.

 

Of all of Jane Austen’s characters, who would your closest friends say you are most like?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Probably Emma –- with a tendency to get involved in other’s lives sometimes too much, and getting burdened with everyone’s problems. lol.

 

Which Pride and Prejudice character would you most like to have over for tea?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Oh come on, do I need to say it? I would walk all way to Derbyshire to have ten minutes tea with Mr. Darcy!

 

What is your second favorite Jane Austen story?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Sense and Sensibility.

 

 

I know JAFF writers prefer to write stories based on the characters or themes of Pride and Prejudice from the plethora of new books published every month. Have you thought of writing books based on other Jane Austen’s novels like Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility or Emma?

(Lúthien84)

I’ve thought about it many times … the problem is that I have been in love with Elizabeth and Darcy’s story since I was 13 (more than 30 years ago lol) and I simply cannot stop thinking of new situations, new stories, new dialogs regarding them. So it is not so much my choice but that I cannot help myself lol.

 

If you could pair a hero and heroine from any of Jane Austen’s books with Lizzy (other than Darcy), who would it be?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Oh please, please do not ask me that – it is torture to think of this …. I love P&P precisely because I cannot imagine Elizabeth and Darcy with anyone else but each other. BUT, if you insist on torturing me, I would say Mr. Knightley again.

 

If you could ask Jane Austen one question, what would it be?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

“Dearest Jane, have you been truly happy?”

 

If you could travel back in time to the Regency period with a small suitcase, what would you take with you?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Ohhhh …. Jane Austen’s books, my daughter’s pictures and my laptop to write.

 

Hi Lory, it’s Michelle, your UK stalker!! Have you ever been to England and visited where Jane Austen used to live or visited any of the locations where P&P was filmed? If not and you could only visit one location in England, where and what would it be?

(Michelle Hall)

I have only been to London twice – one visit was business related and the second visit was two years ago when I met Ellen, my editor. I would love (and it is my plan for next year!) to visit locations where P&P 1995 was filmed!!! I am dying to see “Pemberley” from where you send me some awesome pictures !!!

 

Since I have a blank mind… what is your favorite color?

(tgruy)

Ha ha – purple ! I will even have my Christmas decorated with purple this year.

 

You’re one of the longest standing JAFF writers. How has the genre changed over the years? Name one really good thing and one thing that makes you sad about the changes.

(Suzan Lauder)

Yes, I am 11 years old in JAFF … One good thing is that lots and lots of new readers and writers joined the genre in the last years and it seemed an ongoing process. It makes me sad to see some offensive arguments, reactions, tendency to “sabotage” others and some very nasty reviews from people who obviously did not read the specific book but only intended to hurt the author. I am not sure where this came from and why. I remember about 10 years ago when the only huge argument (sometimes very heated) in the JAFF community was Colin versus Mathew and P&P 1995 vs P&P 2005. Miss those days.

 

How do you come up with such wonderful ideas? I have read all your books numerous times including Sketching Mr Darcy and can’t decide which is my favourite – usually whichever one I am reading.

(Glynis)

As I said, I so much love Elizabeth and Darcy as a couple that they are always with me. lol (hmm, I wonder if this sounds normal lol). The ideas just keep popping into my mind and start developing, growing. If I only had time to write them all down…

 

What do you do to help your muse (walking, jogging, gardening, listening to music, etc.) when writing a story?

(Debbie Fortin)

Re-reading Pride and Prejudice (always back to the masterpiece), listening music but mostly the ideas came to me when I am driving long distances, hours and hours …

 

What is your native language?

(Debbie Fortin)

Romanian – born and lived in Bucharest all my life.

 

Because English is not your native tongue, you must work twice as hard to write. Are there areas where it’s harder to express yourself? Are there words in English that just make you laugh because they are so strange?

(Suzan Lauder)

Ha ha – there are no words that make me laugh, but my editors!!! lol. Now things are better, but in the beginning I used to use lots of expressions which sound so good in Romanian and so strange in English!!! The funny thing is that I CANNOT think and even less write my books in Romanian! I always wrote them directly in English, because I also read Pride and Prejudice and watched all the adaptations only in English. I cannot imagine Elizabeth and Darcy speaking in other language but English.

 

Do you write from an outline?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Not exactly. Usually, when an idea comes to my mind, it keeps growing and developing and in a couple of days I know pretty clearly how it will end. I do write down ideas, dialogs, situations – in fact, I used to dictate them to my phone as soon as they came to me. Before doing that, I used to lose lots of good stuff because I could not remember them well enough once I returned to my laptop.

 

Do you have a specific time each day when you are most creative?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Unfortunately – when I am at work and I have to do other things rather than write lol.

 

Do you have background music or complete quiet to write?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

I prefer silence – me and Darcy’s voice in my mind (darn, again, this does not sound well …)

 

I know from talking to you that you’re among those of us who enjoy mild erotic romantic scenes. If you were giving advice to new authors, what would you say regarding writing steamy scenes? Similarly, you have some stories with high angst. What would your advice be in that area?

(Suzan Lauder)

Oh, I hate writing angst! I am an angst wimp and I can hardly bear to read it – even less to write it. But it is needed, I know. I could hardly give advice in this – there are some brilliant stories with huge angst in them. My own rule for myself is to solve any angsty situation as soon as possible – mostly in the next chapter.

But I do love writing hot mush! Again, I would not dare advise anyone but I write steamy scenes based on feelings, sensations, thoughts of both characters. I am trying to show not what they are “doing” but how they feel while doing it. Lol And I always use hot scenes for the development of the story. Those of you who read my book, I hope you noticed that each scene is different – usually showing Elizabeth’s increasing trust in her husband and in herself as his wife.

 

All your books published so far are based on Jane Austen’s time. How comfortable are you on writing modern stories? Have you attempted to begin writing them but found that it not to your liking?

(Lúthien84)

Yes – I have one in progress but it is not going too well. As I said, I am so much in love with Elizabeth and Darcy as Jane Austen wrote them, that I found it difficult to change the settings, their behaviour, the rules of their relationship, the restraint in speaking to each other and so on … I admire very much the authors who do a wonderful job with modern stories.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed each of your books with Remembrance of the Past as the top of the list. Which of the books you have written is your favorite?

(Debbie Fortin)

I really cannot have a favorite – they are so very different from each other and I put a piece of my heart into each of them. Most readers preferred Rainy Days – it is low angst and all about Elizabeth and Darcy and their romance. I am so happy that your favorite is Remembrance – I really loved writing Lady Cassandra! People had mixed feelings about her – half loved her, half hated her because they thought she stole the “air time” from Elizabeth. Now, Sketching Mr. Darcy has seemed to become my readers’ new favorite.

 

Who is your favorite character in the stories you have written and who is your least favorite?

(Debbie Fortin)

My favorite is Lady Cassandra, because I developed her story in-depth. But I am also very proud of Becky, Lady Matlock, Lord Matlock in His Uncle’s Favorite … The least favorite – Lord Markham in Remembrance. He was a horrible character, truly… it pained me to describe Caroline’s suffering.

 

Who is the easiest character to write – Darcy or Lizzy?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Lizzy; I understand her better than Darcy and I can put myself in her shoes easier.

 

Do you have a specific actor in mind when you write your main characters? (Firth/Macfadyen or Ehle/Knightley)

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

P&P 1995 is the reason why I started writing jaff … So – Colin and Jennifer. I liked M/K pair, too, but I had some major issues with the script and dialog in P&P 2005.

 

Hi, Lori! Now that you are a veteran author…. which of your books was the easiest to write? The most difficult to write?

(junewilliams7)

The easiest – Rainy Days ! 390 pages in less than three months !!! The hardest – Sketching Mr. Darcy, because it was written during a very, very difficult time of my life and also had more angst.

 

After reading that blurb, I really want to read what happens for them to getting married, what bond is that??

(anadarcy)

I would say it is a very sweet one – Elizabeth met Lady Anne Darcy and Georgiana 10 years before – and also Darcy, but this secret will be revealed later in the story. I always love to have a touch of originality in my stories – something that was not done before

 

His Uncle’s Favorite is one of my fav Austenesque books of all time. I was always curious though if the title referred to Wickham, Elizabeth or both? Was the side plot of the Earl and Mrs. Gardiner originally part of the plan for that book or did it come about as you were writing?

(Shannon)

So happy to know you liked His Uncle’s Favorite so much ! Well, it was meant from the beginning to be a “words game”: the favorite was Elizabeth, Wickham and also Darcy – who is the favorite nephew. Yes, the Earl and Mrs. Gardiner plot was part of the story from the very beginning.

 

I read from the back cover of your last release, The Perfect Match, you will be releasing a book titled My Husband, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. Has the title been changed into Sketching Mr. Darcy or is it still in progress?(Lúthien84)

Indeed, the first title was “My husband, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.” I changed it after a short brainstorming with my editors. Mostly because it was too long for the cover LOL

 

Does your family know you write Jane Austen fiction and are a globally famous author?

(J “Joy” Dawn King)

Ha – thanks for the compliment, Joy, you are very sweet. Yes, they know and so are my colleagues.

 

I am wondering whether your next book will be a continuation of P&P or another re-imagining? I must admit I love it when we get to see life after the wedding.

(Lynn Bischoff)

My next very close project is a sequel to Rainy Days – which was requested by readers for ten years now lol. It will be also a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, as it will show our dear couple’s life after their marriage.

 

Finally, do you already have another book in progress?

(Shannon)

I have all of your books and read them often. I have 2 questions: What will the next book be about? When will it be published?

(klb0823)

I have three new books in progress! One is the sequel to RD – which will be published next month – hopefully – the other one is a sweet love story from Elizabeth’s point of view which might be out around the new year, and the third one is a much more difficult one … more complex and more angst…

 

Lory–Please give us a preview of your next book. Are you working on sequel to Rainy Days?

(Barbara)

How is the sequel to Rainy Days coming along? Any ideas on a release date yet?(Glynis)

I already answered that but it is my pleasure to do so again – the sequel will be out hopefully next month – to celebrate ten years since I finished Rainy Days.

 

 

 

Thanks so much Lory for stopping by

and being so generous with your time!

We all appreciate it!

 

**Before you go don’t forget to leave a comment because Lory is offering one paperback of Sketching Mr. Darcy and one e-book as a giveaway and the giveaway is open internationally! Everyone who has left a question or more gets their name put into the pot once, but if you leave a question and give a comment on the final interview, you get two chances to win!

Final date for comments to be entered into the drawing Wednesday, 16 September.

Winner will be announced Friday, 18 September! 

Leave Lory your comments below!

Good luck everyone!!

 

September – Lory Lilian

It’s Ask the Author time!

The children are back in school once again, and while I’ll miss them during the day, I can now get my nose back to the grindstone!

So, how should we celebrate?

I think with a new Ask the Author!

And I’m super-excited this month to say that

Lory Lilian

is our Ask the Author victim!

Lory, author of the wonderful Rainy Days, Remembrance of the Past, His Uncle’s Favorite, and The Perfect Match has just released her newest JAFF novel Sketching Mr. Darcy!

 

Blurb for Sketching Mr. Darcy–

The morning after the Netherfield Ball, Fitzwilliam Darcy is ready to leave Hertfordshire, taking his friend Bingley away from the lady of his choice and distancing himself from her sister, who has disturbed his tranquility for weeks.

The path, meant to lead him away, unexpectedly brings him close to the person he most wants to avoid, and saving Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s life becomes not only his immediate goal but also a decision that affects his future.

A strong and powerful yet forgotten bond from their past—combined with startling events in the present—brings Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy into a marriage not planned but accepted by both, forcing them to break the barriers between them in order to build their future happiness.

The book includes mature content.

 

 

Remembrance of the Past is one of my favourite fics, so I am so excited to have Lory here to answer questions!

 

**Before you go don’t forget to leave that question because Lory is offering one paperback of Sketching Mr. Darcy and one e-book as a giveaway and the giveaway is open internationally! Everyone who leaves a question or more gets their name put into the pot once, but if you leave a question and give a comment on the final interview, you get two chances to win!

I hope everyone has a query or two for Lory!

All questions must be submitted by Friday, 11 September.

The final interview will be posted Monday, 14 September.

Final date for comments to be entered into the drawing Wednesday, 16 September.

Winner will be announced Friday, 18 September! 

Leave Lory your questions in the comments below!

Good luck everyone!!

 

September – Lory Lillian

It’s Ask the Author time!

The children are back in school once again, and while I’ll miss them during the day, I can now get my nose back to the grindstone!

So, how should we celebrate?

I think with a new Ask the Author!

And I’m super-excited this month to say that

Lory Lillian

is our Ask the Author victim!

Lory, author of the wonderful Rainy Days, Remembrance of the Past, His Uncle’s Favorite, and The Perfect Match has just released her newest JAFF novel Sketching Mr. Darcy!

 

Blurb for Sketching Mr. Darcy–

The morning after the Netherfield Ball, Fitzwilliam Darcy is ready to leave Hertfordshire, taking his friend Bingley away from the lady of his choice and distancing himself from her sister, who has disturbed his tranquility for weeks.

The path, meant to lead him away, unexpectedly brings him close to the person he most wants to avoid, and saving Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s life becomes not only his immediate goal but also a decision that affects his future.

A strong and powerful yet forgotten bond from their past—combined with startling events in the present—brings Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy into a marriage not planned but accepted by both, forcing them to break the barriers between them in order to build their future happiness.

The book includes mature content.

 

 

Remembrance of the Past is one of my favourite fics, so I am so excited to have Lory here to answer questions!

 

**Before you go don’t forget to leave that question because Lory is offering one paperback of Sketching Mr. Darcy and one e-book as a giveaway and the giveaway is open internationally! Everyone who leaves a question or more gets their name put into the pot once, but if you leave a question and give a comment on the final interview, you get two chances to win!

I hope everyone has a query or two for Lory!

All questions must be submitted by Friday, 11 September.

The final interview will be posted Monday, 14 September.

Final date for comments to be entered into the drawing Wednesday, 16 September.

Winner will be announced Friday, 18 September! 

Leave Lory your questions in the comments below!

Good luck everyone!!

 

Chatsworth

Chatsworth was first built in the 16th century, but the home we are all so familiar with was when Chatsworth was re-built by William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1696. Over time, the original structures were added to, and the North Face of the structure was altered by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in the 19th Century. All of the little renovations and additions over the centuries have culminated in one of the grandest homes in England.

The drive alone to reach Chatsworth is a scenic one since the property is in Peak District National Park. The countryside is beautiful, and the villages and towns are all old and quaint. As you enter the grounds, there are several old stone bridges which are one way, either you must watch and wait or there is a traffic light indicating when you have your turn; however, once you reach Chatsworth from the other side of the River Derwent, it cannot do anything but hold your eye.

Since I am exceedingly cheap and did not want to pay for parking, I purchased our tickets online a few weeks prior to our trip. There is a large car park to the left of the house, but we were ushered into the overflow parking in a large field between the front of the house and the river.

One thing I will say about Chatsworth is that the employees were some of the nicest people! When we began to approach the house, a woman at the gate gave us detailed information about the different places for us to get the children a snack and then after, she was in a different position, but directed us to the correct counter once we entered. It was preferable to waiting in the queue!

From the entry point, the house is roped off in such a way that you follow the path through the house for the tour. After passing through a corridor, you are taken to the Painted Room–the entrance hall in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. In my opinion, while it is amazing in the movie, it is more incredible in person. The marble floors and the paintings covering the walls and the ceiling are breathtaking. There are also diagrams that tell you the identity of all the Greek deities on the ceiling. There are painted ceilings in quite a few rooms, when you tour this house, so always look up when you enter a room! You don’t want to miss any of the artwork!

After the Painted Room, the tour progresses through rooms built in the event of a royal visit. All have painted ceilings and ornate furniture with dark panelled walls. These rooms were interesting, but I did not enjoy them as much as the remainder of the house. The rooms that had authentic Georgian era chinese wall fabrics and were more likely family bedchambers and rooms intrigued me more.

 

The library is huge, and unfortunately, roped off, but the door is left open for the public to see inside.

And then there is the artwork!!! Portraits by Gainsborough and portraits of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, George IV as well as others line the walls. Then there are the sculptures. My favourite was the “A Veiled Vestal Virgin” (Raffaelle Monti, 1847) who is near the library as you’re walking through. I heard people asking the guides posted throughout if the entire sculpture is marble and even had someone who looked at me amazed when they commented, “It’s all stone!” It is a marvel that the artist managed to give the detail of her face through her veil, and my favourite part of the piece.

The sculpture gallery is the last room of the tour and incredible on its own. I was already familiar with Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova, who has several sculptures in this room, as well as replicas of his work sculpted by the master’s students (the lions). The room is beautiful, and I have to say that I spent a good twenty minutes to half-hour going through the room piece by piece, taking photos and studying the works.

Of course, every house you tour has a gift shop, but what’s special in the Chatsworth gift shop? You can take your picture with the sculpture of Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen) from the 2005 movie. Did I take my picture with him? No. I did take a photo of him, and get a giggle over the sign asking ladies not to kiss Mr. Darcy.

I wish I could say that we were able to go through the entire gardens, but the day was one of those misty at times and drizzly days. Other than a few drops, we managed to avoid a lot of the rain as we looked, but my children wanted to go to the play area before everything closed, so after viewing Paxton’s rock garden (by the Paxton who designed the Crystal Palace), the maze (yes, there is a hedgerow maze), and a few of the conservatories and the cascade, we left the house for the playground.

At the end of the day we set up our picnic blanket at the edge of the River Derwent, but that was when the heavens opened and the rain began falling more steadily. My husband did pull over as we drove out so I could walk into a field and take one last picture.

 

Up next…Edinburgh!

Nine Ladies Stone Circle

First word of advice if you are looking to visit this site is to make certain your directions are good! I couldn’t get the sat nav/GPS on the car to find the site, and the Apple App found it first. We followed that to the Matlock town centre–not where this site is located!! The Google Map app found it, but took us to a narrow country road where it claimed it was at the bottom of a public footpath with a lay-by for parking. Fortunately, my husband asked someone passing, who told us where to go to find an easier trail.

The problem is that the site is not marked–at all! No street signage or anything until you reach the footpath at the top of the hill where there is minimal parking edged with stinging nettles. We had to all crawl across to the driver’s side to exit the car.  Then about 100 ft into the walk is a sign explaining the site where the trail splits in two with nothing to tell you where to go. We discovered later that both trails take you to the same place, but we did worry that we had taken the incorrect path at first.

Now, complaints aside! I must say that it is an interesting place! Watch for the presents left by the cattle and sheep along the footpaths, but the view along the walk is pretty. There is an old train nearby because we could hear the whistle and the chug as it moved along through the valley.

Nine Ladies Stone Circle is a Bronze Age stone circle, which means it dates back to between 3200-600 BCE according to the European Bronze Age. The site is in Stanton Moor, located in Derbyshire in Peak District National Park.

When you get closer to the stone circle, you walk through a bit of a wood with heather interspersed with the long grass and other wild flowers and weeds. The Nine Ladies, which are traditionally thought to represent nine ladies turned to stone for daring to dance on a Sunday, sit in a clearing surrounded by trees and heather. They don’t come far out of the ground, but do make a circle.

A nearby tree has various ribbons and homemade ornaments adorning it. We were fascinated by them, and while looking were informed by the mother of another family visiting the site that they were “wishes”. She offered us a bit of torn material or “ribbon” from a scarf she was wearing, and the children had a great time making their own wishes and tying them to the tree.

For those who find the stone circle, there isn’t much more than a short walk (if you find the trail at the top of the hill) and the circle. The stop would have taken us not more than a half-hour detour out of our way to Chatsworth from where we stayed in Ashbourne if we hadn’t taken the scenic route through Matlock ;) . I do have to say that it was fun driving through Matlock! Unfortunately, I was too busy navigating us around to take any photos! :(

 

Up next…CHATSWORTH!!

 

Hiking from Ilam Park through Dovedale

One can see a lot of beautiful scenery simply driving through Peak District National Park, but when you get the chance the ability to hike it is tiring but amazing. The National Trust site said the hike through Dovedale was easy, but once you pass Thorpe’s Cloud, the walk can be a bit more challenging. Climbing Thorpe’s Cloud is definitely difficult and I didn’t even go all the way up!

 

Ilam Park

The National Trust maintains Ilam Park, a 158 acre estate dating back to the 16th century. The grounds are still maintained around the house as part of the buildings house National Trust guide offices. The house itself is leased to a youth hostel.

The walk begins at the front of the estate and passes the church, through the town to a field across from the River Manifold.

 

 

 

After passing through several fields by gates and climbing stiles, you reach a car park near the River Dove where there is a small National Trust booth selling guide books and souvenirs.

From there, the walk proceeds down the River Dove which separates Derbyshire from Staffordshire until you reach the “Stepping Stones.” The stones have been reconstructed, but can be crossed to reach the opposite side of the river, depending upon whether you crossed the river by the bridge near the car park.

At the Stepping Stones, Thorpe’s Cloud can be climbed and crossed to reach the town of Thorpe on the opposite side. I admit to climbing a portion where I stopped and let my husband take my children to the top. It can be rather steep and I wanted to walk more of the path which stretches to Milldale.

Once you pass Thorpe’s Cloud, the walk becomes a trail of natural sites, which you can trace in the guide-book, should you purchase one or a map printed from online. We passed Dovedale Castle, Lover’s Leap, Tissington Spires, and followed the path to Reynaud’s cave where we turned back.

I have seen maps online which suggest there is a path which circles back when you reach Milldale, but we were at Lover’s Leap when my children and mother-in-law were worn out. My husband and I were the ones who pushed further forward. Maybe next time we’ll finish the entire trail!

For those who enjoy hiking with your dogs, the trail is a common destination for people and their dogs. It was a great time watching those who enjoyed playing in the water. I have to say that the water was some of the clearest I’ve ever seen for a river. My children said that it was freezing when they waded in it! I’ve posted a map with this post to get an idea of the entire trail and the part we walked. I definitely recommend the experience. The scenery is breathtaking!

 

 

 

Next up…Nine Ladies Stone Circle

 

Lyme Park

We had a late start the morning we visited Lyme Park. My mother-in-law was flying into the Manchester Airport, and had planned Lyme Park for that day because it was less than 30 minutes away. Well, the best laid plans and all. My mother-in-law’s flight was an hour late getting in and a long line at customs delayed her. Fortunately, we hadn’t planned on picking her up right when her plane landed, so it wasn’t a big problem. Her not knowing what terminal she was in did, however! Then, traffic was a bear between the airport and the house.

First off, Lyme Park is huge! And I don’t just mean the house. There are outbuildings, which require a bit of a hike to visit, and that’s on top of the house–it took us over an hour to walk through the tour. Lyme Park is easily a days outing!

For those who know my Jane Austen obsession, a trip to Lyme Park was a necessity. I was eager to see the house that was the exterior of Pemberley in the 1995 BBC mini-series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and I enjoyed walking into the courtyard and down the paths that were featured in the movie.

Photographs are not allowed of the interior, which was a disappointment. Some of the furniture is on loan and privately owned, so they do not allow photography–much like featured shows in art museums and pieces on loan. There were some beautiful aspects of the house. It certainly shows its age with a few large cracks in a corridor where the house has settled.

Down in the servant’s area, near the butler’s pantry, they have a room of Edwardian clothing for people to dress up in, but my children showed no interest. One of my daughter’s mentioned later that the clothes smelled a bit funny and had pit stains.

I loved the orangery, which had an exhibition of Axel Scheffler, a german illustrator most famous here for his work on the Gruffalo. Once you walked through the plants on one side, there was a door that led back to the exhibition. The children present were thoroughly enjoying the pictures, which was nice to see.

Due to our later arrival, tea we had in the tearoom, and having to depart before closing to reach where we were staying for check-in, we did not get to explore a great deal of the gardens. We managed to view all of those around the house and some of the paths that circled the lake, so we could get the picture that is most commonly seen of Lyme Park.

I would love to go back to finish the walks around the grounds!

 

 

 

 

©L. L. Diamond 2015

Winners of the Linda Beutler Ask the Author Giveaway!

A huge thank you to everyone

who contributed questions and comments

for Ask the Author this month!

I’d like to give a special thanks to those repeat offenders out there who have been contributing questions or comments on every interview. Y’all are awesome! 

Without further ado…

from the paper my son picked the winner out of the pile this morning!

Winner of A Will of Iron signed book is

Vesper!

 

Congratulations, Vesper!
Also a huge thank you to Linda Beutler
for stopping by and answering your questions!!!

Don’t forget to stop by Linda’s Facebook page or her blog, http://lindabeutler.merytonpress.com .

 

 

 

Next month’s Author is Lory Lillian

so get reading her new book Sketching Mr. Darcy. We’ll need questions!

Call for questions posts is September 7th! Stay tuned!