Thursday, April 26, 2012

MARGARET TANNER'S ROSE GARDEN

Housekeeping and tidying up. Not my favourite topic or occupation, unless we are talking about tidying up my garden. In particular my rose garden, which I tend with loving care, because roses truly deserve special treatment. No chore to tidy up here. I banish any weed the moment it rears its ugly head near one of my “lovelies.”

Roses are my favourite flower. My husband thinks I am obsessed with them.  I always wear rose perfume, Bush Rose, Musk Rose. The Yardley (English company) Rose has a lovely perfume, as sweet and fragrant as its namesake. How many wonderful people have you met who are called Rose, Rosy, Rosemarie, Rosemary?

I have to confess that my garden is full of roses. Hubby hates them with a passion because he thinks they deliberately jump out and stick their prickles into him.

I love the old fashioned roses the best. They may not be quite as colourful as the modern day varieties, but they always have a gorgeous perfume.  Just Joey, a beautiful large bloomed orange rose with a delightful scent is one of my favourites.  Another favourite is a blood red rose named Oklahoma, the perfume is as heady as wine. My garden has recently acquired a rose called. The Chocolate Rose. I have to say that although the bloom is pretty, it isn’t stunning, but it certainly has a chocolate perfume, and you can take that observation from a chocoholic. If there is one thing I know, it is the smell of chocolate.

It amazes me how often I seem to put a flower in the title of my romance novels, or give my characters a floral name. It must have been an instinctive thing because I don’t recall actively trying to do this.

One of my published novels was titled The English Rose. It had rather a tragic publishing history, but I did a re-write, and it has now been released by The Wild Rose Press (TWRP) as Frontier Wife. Holly And The Millionaire is another novel from TWRP. The heroine, Holly has a daughter called Lilly. Daphne is the name of my heroine in The Trouble With Playboys from TWRP. I have also written a short story with the title Call Of The Apple Blossom.  Can you see a pattern here?
                                
Whiskey Creek Press, previously published my novels, Savage Utopia and its sequel Stolen Birthright, singularly, but have recently re-released them in a 2 for 1 e-book, which is available from Whiskey Creek Press and Amazon Kindle.  No flower scenes in these two stories, though.

But my breaking news is that The Wild Rose Press has just contracted a new novel from me. And it has a working title of A Rose In No-Man’s Land.

So, there you have it. I wonder if there is such a thing as a roseaholic?


11 comments:

Paty Jager said...

Margaret, I love roses but don't ask me to grow them! I have a brown thumb. When my Mother-in-law went on a three week vacation she brought all her precious plants to my house to water. When she came back I think she had only a couple hearty plants left. The next time she went on a trip, she made the comment, "I want the pots back."

I can raise kids and animals they tell me when they are hungry but if a plant doesn't squeal it needs water, I forget to tend it.

Fun post!

Judith Ashley said...

Yes, Margaret, there is such a thing as a 'roseaholic'!

I've never smelled a chocolate rose and that may be a good thing. I've a small chest I've kept my chocolate in for years and now when I open the lid the aroma of chocolate surrounds me. It's to the point where I no longer have to keep chocolate in it if I want to breathe in the scent of chocolate.

Is the pattern of your heroine's names and titles something you'd thought up ahead of time or something you've seen over time?

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Paty,
Thanks for dropping by. You sound a little like my husband, he isn't a rose fan either.

Cheers

Margaret

Margaret Tanner said...

Ooh Paty,

Sorry, I didn't mean that you didn't like roses, it was just that you said you are not able to grow them. My hubby not only can't grow them, he hates them with a passion as well.

Regards

Margaret

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Judith,
A chest just for chocolate. Love the idea, but I would have to have a padlock on it.
I have never purposely named my heroines after flowers, didn't realize that I had until I was thinking about stuff for this blog.

cheers

Margaret

Tam Linsey said...

I'd love to see your garden, Margaret. I'm always envious of those who can grow roses. And sniff that chocolate rose! Do you ever make potpourri?

Anonymous said...
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Sarah Raplee said...

Congratulations on your new contract, Margaret! Your garden sounds amazing!

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Tam,
Thanks for dropping by. No, I have never made pot pourri, but I love having a vase of roses inside.

Regards

Margaret

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Sarah,
Thank you. My garden isn't as good as it should be. The weather has not been very kind to me of late.

Yes, I was quite chuffed at getting the new contract. Haven't submitted anything for a while. Seem to get bogged down with other stuff.

Regards

Margaret

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for dropping by, I appreciate it.

Regards

Margaret