What a treat to have Shelley Munro visiting today. I live in Oregon and I didn’t know this labyrinth was in Cottage Grove. She’s talking about labyrinths today. I have a horrid sense of direction so unless the maze is very short, I’d be sure to get lost!
Welcome, Shelley!
During a visit to the US a few years ago, I took this photo of a labyrinth at The Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove, Oregon. It’s a simple turf labyrinth and is a replica of one from 9th century Aachen in Germany.
At the time I didn’t realize there was a difference between a maze and a labyrinth, but I learned differently during my visit.
A labyrinth has one entrance and one exit. It doesn’t have any dead ends and is all spirals and circles. From my research, it seems labyrinths have been around longer than mazes. Caves in Sardinia have labyrinths painted on the walls that date back to 2500BC. Very old Aboriginal art in Australia also depicts labyrinths.
The Romans made mosaic labyrinths. These were too small to walk, but were found near doorways. It’s thought they were used to ward off evil spirits.
Labyrinths are used as a compliment to meditation or prayer. I walked this one in the photo and found it very soothing. I think it would make a good spot for a writer wanting to plot a book or to ponder plot problems.
A maze has high hedges (corn or sometimes wooden walls in modern mazes) and is actually a puzzle, because it contains lots of twists and turns and dead ends. It’s thought the trend for garden mazes started during the Italian Renaissance. Mazes are used for entertainment such as the one at Hampton Court near London. The Hampton Court maze was commissioned by William III around 1700. It was originally planted with hornbeam, but was replanted with yew and it covers one-third of an acre. This maze is the oldest surviving hedge one in Britain.
I’ve explored the Hampton Court maze and managed to get lost, since I have a dreadful sense of direction. Luckily my husband isn’t challenged in this respect, and we made it to the center and back out to tell the tale.
In my recent release Mistress of Merrivale, Leo Sherbourne’s property has a maze. Leo’s father designed it when Leo was a child, and he and his brothers used to dress in ghost costumes and jump out to scare guests during house parties.
More recently—we’re talking 18th century recent—a local woman’s body was discovered in the middle of the maze, and the local gossip says Leo is the murderer.
The maze also features later in the story when Jocelyn, my heroine, has a run in with the villain. Luckily my intrepid heroine has a much better sense of direction than me, and in the way of a good romance, there’s a happy ever after!
Have you explored a maze before or walked a labyrinth? Do you have a good sense of direction?
CONTEST: Win an e-copy of The Spurned Viscountess by Shelley Munro. To go into the draw to win answer the question above in the blog comments.
Mistress of Merrivale
Jocelyn Townsend’s life as a courtesan bears no resemblance to the life she envisioned in girlish dreams. But it allows her and her eccentric mother to live in relative security—until her protector marries and no longer requires her services.
Desperate to find a new benefactor, one kind enough to accept her mother’s increasingly mad flights of fancy, Jocelyn is nearly overwhelmed with uncertainty when a lifeline comes from an unexpected source.
Leo Sherbourne’s requirements for a wife are few. She must mother his young daughter, run his household, and warm his bed. All in a calm, dignified manner with a full measure of common sense. After his late wife’s histrionics and infidelity, he craves a simpler, quieter life.
As they embark on their arrangement, Leo and Jocelyn discover an attraction that heats their bedroom and a mutual admiration that warms their days. But it isn’t long before gossip regarding the fate of Leo’s first wife, and his frequent, unexplained absences, make Jocelyn wonder if the secrets of Merrivale Manor are rooted in murder…
Warning: Contains mysterious incidents, a mad mother who screeches without provocation, scheming relatives, and a captivating husband who blows scorching hot and suspiciously cold. All is not as it seems…and isn’t that delicious?
Purchase: Samhain Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her own hero in New Zealand. She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at her website, and you might even find her lurking at Facebook or Twitter.
Here are my links:
WEBSITE: http://www.shelleymunro.com
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ShelleyMunro
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Munro/e/B001JOWGNK
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