“Smelling Daisies” by Elysia Stevens with Mark Stevens

Elysia Stevens is a big fan of rom-coms, which will not be a surprise after you read Smelling Daisies. Most would describe her as eccentric in her personality, which really stands out in her choice of attire. She loves to wear fun socks, and every Friday she celebrates "Fabio Friday" by wearing a Fabio T-shirt for all to enjoy (she loves Fabio!).💛

Thankfully, her husband, Mark Stevens, has a lot of patience because she can't sit still for more than five minutes at a time and always has her head in the clouds. He has been her partner in life for over eighteen years, and there is nothing they can't and don't tackle together. Her husband's taste generally ranges from Stephen King to classic literature, but being the great guy he is, he not only read her rom-com novel but also co-authored it with her! Unfortunately, he still doesn't understand the appeal of a good naughty scene in a book, but she won't hold that against him.

You can learn more about Elysia, Mark and their work at https://elysiamarkstevensbooks.ca 

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

• About "Smelling Daisies" and the inspiration for the story.
• Co-authoring a book with your spouse
• Discussion about Daisy and some other key characters
• Exploring different themes in time travel/romance/historical fiction and more
• What about the kilts?
• What's next for Elysia and Mark Stevens?

SMELLING DAISIES

Whenever things seem to fall apart around Daisy, romance novels are her way of escaping. When
immersed in a novel, she can imagine herself in the story as the lead female character. Still, the difference between her and the typical female character in her novels is that she is not your average damsel in distress.

Daisy was raised by a military father who ensured his daughter knew survival skills and how to protect herself. Following in her beloved father's footsteps, Daisy joined the army and met Justin. Eventually, Daisy's dreams would come true. While on a decompression stop after a deployment overseas, she finds herself at the Lachlan Castle in Scotland. There, she is thrown back in time to the era she loves to read about, but things are nothing like she imagined.

When Daisy befriends a bonnie Scottish lass, she finds herself in a haven under the roof of the girl's brother, a laird named Alick. It becomes clear that the laird is constantly challenged by the many nuances of Daisy's status as a modern-day female soldier as she attempts to navigate the dangerous life in medieval Scotland. While trying her best to fit in, Daisy stumbles upon a psychotic baron named Thomas, who loves to torture women and is fascinated with her.

Both Laird Alick and Baron Thomas want to tame the lioness in Daisy but for different reasons. But Daisy is ill-prepared for medieval love or warfare and must train her heart and head to face what's coming next.