To Dad—who took care of Mom with steady dedication after she became ill and somehow managed to teach me to drive without shouting back.

The dedication for The Sun-Nymph Bride.

The Sun-Nymph Bride is dedicated to my dad, who was the inspiration for Edouard’s father. Like Lord Blaine, he is a quiet man with great patience and steady dedication, who deeply loves his family and friends. Always willing to lend a hand or provide advice, he carefully thinks through things but is still a secret romantic. And his lifelong prudence made it possible for him to maintain care of my mom after she became ill, which was a huge blessing.

My dad’s relationship with his family is very similar to Lord Blaine’s to his. Lord Blaine took care of his sick wife for years with love and grace. He was also close to his children, who are very like him (particularly Edouard, who’s a lot like me, lol.) And when Edouard and Elise were little, Lord Blaine would answer their questions about anything in thorough detail and taught them how to live their lives with love, devotion, and wisdom.

However, Lord Blaine isn’t an exact replica of my dad. For one, he was a computer programmer, not a wealthy count. (A shocker, I know.) And he’s passionate about politics rather than art. (Do not get him started…) Plus, he and mom didn’t have a romantic tradition like dancing together in an art room. (They both hated dancing, lol.) Finally, I can’t see him ever letting a girl his children’s age beguile him into marriage like Kit did with Lord Blaine, although I could see his kindness toward her afterward.

---

The image for this book extra is the route for Bikecentennial, the cross-country bicycle trip where my parents met. Truth can be stranger than fiction!