Thursday, June 25, 2015

Guest Blog: Carly Carson: Weddings Are Wonderful!



Weddings are wonderful, and June is a popular month in which to hold them. Regardless of the season, however, most weddings run into one problem - money. Often, there just doesn't seem to be enough of it. And that is precisely the problem in my novel, Duke of Devonwood, a contemporary romance set in modern-day England. 

In this story, it is the step-mother who is trying to marry, and the step-daughter who is determined to find the money to give her beloved step-mom a posh wedding. It's kind of a reversal of the natural order. The two women travel to England, and plenty of problems and complications ensue.








If they are successful in getting the funds for a wedding, the marriage can take place in Westminster Abbey because the groom-to-be is a member of the Order of the Bath and those members can marry at the Abbey. Not many people can marry at Westminster, although Prince William and Kate Middleton did, by virtue of, ahem, his membership in the Royal Family. (They can do things that most of us cannot.) A wedding at Westminster would be a fancy wedding, no doubt, but, alas, would cost more than a bit of cold cash. It's not a venue for small, informal weddings.

The Brits have a lot of traditions, one of which is that you can always get married in your local church. Often, even members of the mobility do get married in the village church near their home. This is what the Duke of Devonwood would do.

If he were to get married.

Which he has no intention of doing.

Here are some British wedding cakes. The first one is kind of fanciful - a fairy tale cake.










The next two are more elegant.

Which do you like best? Which would you think appropriate for a Duke and Duchess?










My contemporary romance, the Duke of Devonwood is also available in the Summer Lovin' Anthology for a limited time for only 99 cents! It's a great deal with 14 contemporary romance stories.
BLURB:
Miranda's father left her inheritance under the trusteeship of a Duke of England? Did he not realize this is the twenty-first century? She is certainly capable of managing her money. More importantly, she needs that money to start her business, and to keep her family together.

She is not about to sit around while some arrogant Duke tells her what she can do with her own money. Luckily, she's determined, hard-working, and a touch devious. She vows to do whatever it takes to foil the Duke...

The Duke of Devonwood doesn't want more dependents. With an entire dukedom to run, plus his father's second family to manage, he has too many people hanging on his coattails. But this headstrong American, Miranda, won't take 'no' for an answer. In fact, she soon has his other dependents conniving with her—and against him.

He could handle the problem...if only she weren't so enticing.

BIO
Carly will probably never marry into the British nobility, as she is already happily married to Traveling Man. But there's nothing wrong with a little fantasy in one's life, right? She has three children, who provide a daily dose of reality, even though they are almost perfect (just ask them!).  Carly loves traveling, outdoor sports, reading, and visiting with friends and her large extended family.
Carly Carson Website: http://www.carlycarson.com
Carly's Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/zcLJL
Buy Duke of Devonwood:
Buy Summer Lovin' Anthology:
and elsewhere. Please check my website: http://www.carlycarson.com
Thanks for joining me!

8 comments:

  1. Wow! The cakes are fabulous! And I love your turnaround on the marriage theme. I think the cake with the lovely satin ribbon is my favorite.

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  2. Thanks for hosting me today, Marianne!

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  3. Fran, isn't that cake beautiful? I saw it at Fortnum and Mason where everything in the store is just as perfect and elegant, even the vegetables.

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  4. The cakes are so beautiful! I love the elegance of the cakes. What a great looking cover and the book sounds amazing.

    All the best.

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  5. Thanks, Melissa. I love the cover, but a lot of people think the story is historical when it's not so I may change it later.

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  6. Sounds like a really fun story and it's on my Kindle to be read. Amazing cakes!

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  7. Wow, those cakes are stunners! Sounds like a great idea to have it set in modern day England. Lots of luck with you release...

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  8. Thanks Stanalei, I hope you love it!

    Thank you Jean. I write contemporary so it worked for me, but for some reason, a lot of people are expecting historical.

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