I'm excited as today I host again a great fellow author coming to us form U.K, Daisy Banks. She doesn't come empty handed. She brings us her latest release Christmas Carols, as part of a tour, as well as a recipe for Eau de Cologne. You can find more such interesting, useful recipes on Daisy's blog. I can hardly wait to try it. I love perfumes.
Christmas Carols Blog Tour.
Thank you, Carmen, for your kind offer to
help me celebrate the release of my new book Christmas Carols, published by
Liquid Silver Books on the 10th of August.
I know readers might think it a little odd
to be thinking about Christmas in August but in Victorian England, where my
story is set, people were used to starting their Christmas preparations early. One
gift that might be made is Eau de Cologne. The oils made from summer flowering
plants must be infused when the plants are ready so preparation begins much
earlier in the year. Cologne appears in Christmas Carols as Alice has scented
handkerchiefs and lavender water she uses on her hair.
This recipe for Eau de Cologne uses a range
of oils. If you buy the oils make sure you get them from a reliable source and
they are pure.
12 drops of oil of bergamot
12 drops of oil of lemon
20 drops of oil of orange
3 drops of neroli oil
3 drops of oil of rosemary
4 fluid ounce of Vodka
2 tablespoons of spring water
Add the oils to the vodka and stir well.
Cover and leave for 48 hours.
Add the spring water and stir again. Leave
for another 48 hours or up to 4 weeks if you can wait that long.
Stir and strain through filter paper.
Dilute with a little more water if the
scent is too strong.
Bottle and use or present as a gift to a
friend.
Excerpt
Alice washed her face. She peered into the mirror above her
washstand as she prepared to go out again after taking tea at home. She
scrubbed hard with a towel until her cheeks appeared rosy, but her ablutions
did nothing to calm her uncertainty. Should she attend the recital tonight?
Would people think it quite respectable for her to go unaccompanied? Perhaps
she shouldn’t have bought the ticket. The terrible worry people might stare or
think her an oddity remained ever present, but the lure of the music gnawed at
her soul.
As the vicar had said so many times on
his visits to encourage her to rejoin society in some small way, “You can’t
stay in for the rest of your days and never go anywhere or meet anyone.”
Surely, it couldn’t be wrong to want to
listen to such wonderful playing as that of Mr. Grafton?
She plaited another layered row into her
hair and pinned it up with the others, before placing her small black bonnet on
top. After she’d tweaked the bonnet to set right, she secured it with a jet hat
pin and sighed.
Black.
It might be
wicked to think it, but she had grown heartily tired of black. She’d worn
nothing else since Cyril’s death and some days it seemed such a long time. Using
the enamel topped buttonhook to help, she redid the six open buttons on her
bodice, put on the short swag-backed jacket, wrapped her black silk scarf
around her neck, and picked up her gloves. One last glance in the glass showed
a sober and tidy person. Sorrowful, apprehensive eyes stared back. All this
fretting must stop. There was no reason she shouldn’t attend a church recital.
After all, it wasn’t as if there would be dancing.
She picked up her cologne-scented, initialed handkerchief, and sniffed the lavender fragrance, before putting it
into her pocket and strolling through the house. At the door, she put on her
coat and gloves, took her umbrella from the stand and hooked the curved handle
over her arm. Ready, despite the butterflies in her tummy, for her first outing
in more months than she could remember, she glanced to the clock. Six
forty-five, and she had plenty of time.
Heels tapping on the blue brick pavement, she walked toward the church
that stood at the bottom of the hill from her home. Several carriages passed by
in the road, one or two bicycles too, and people on foot. She surmised they all
made their way in the same direction. The lure of the organ recitals at Holy
Trinity Church drew crowds, or they had done since Mr. Grafton took the post of
organist.
Blurb
Stephen Grafton, the blind organist
at Holy Trinity Church, is gaining a reputation for his fine playing and
compositions. Alice Broadbrace’s initial venture back into society after years
in deep mourning brings her to the notice of the talented organist, and he
offers her the opportunity to sing a solo carol to his accompaniment. His
courage convinces her to find her own, while her charm entices him into
thoughts of romance. A difficult walk in a snow storm is only the beginning of
Stephen and Alice’s journey to happiness. Enjoy this sweet Victorian tale of
talent and love blossoming.
Thanks for reading
Daisy Banks
Find Daisy Banks here
Buy Links
Daisy Banks is the author of
Christmas Carols
Marked for Magic
To Eternity
A Perfect Match
Timeless
Valentine Wishes
A Gentleman’s Folly
Your Heart My Soul
Fiona’s Wish
A Matter of Some
Scandal
Daisy’s books are
available here
Daisy Banks writes a
regular monthly story in the Sexy to Go compilations.
