The Claybourne Trilogy Series by Mary Christian Payne

Synopsis The White Feather is a poignant, romantic, and sometimes tragic novel set in both the battlefields of World War I France, and in a small, Cotswold village named Claybourne-on-Coln. This engaging novel presents the reader with unforgettable characters, courageous and cowardly, generous and self-serving... moreSynopsis The White Feather is a poignant, romantic, and sometimes tragic novel set in both the battlefields of World War I France, and in a small, Cotswold village named Claybourne-on-Coln. This engaging novel presents the reader with unforgettable characters, courageous and cowardly, generous and self-serving. Mary Christian Payne once again takes you to a quaint, English village, where Lord Christopher Claybourne lives, with his newlywed American wife, Eleanor, and his mother, the Dowager Lady Cynthia, in his opulent family estate. At the other end of the village lives Lily Barton, in a charming cottage, with her widowed mother, Elisabeth. Their worlds meet at the beginning of World War I. This first novel in the Claybourne Trilogy takes the reader on an adventurous journey, fraught with peril, both at home and abroad. A story of selfishness, devotion and loyalty, culminating in a perplexing mystery, The White Feather will leave you wanting more of the Claybourne family. This novel is a stand-alone book, to be enjoyed by itself, or followed up with books two and three in the trilogy. About the Author Mary Christian Payne is an accomplished business woman, who has held high ranking, management positions with Fortune 500 companies, in New York City, St. Louis, Missouri, Orlando, Florida, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is a recipient of the Mayor’s Pinnacle Award in Tulsa, for directing a highly successful program at The Women’s Resource Center at the University of Tulsa. All of these positions involved significant amounts of writing. She has also acted as a speech writer for high profile political figures, and for executives of major corporations. She is now a retired Career Psychologist. She was the founder and President of Transitions Counseling Center, in partnership with her father, the retired CEO of a four billion dollar retail organization. She has taught seminars throughout Oklahoma. Mary Christian is a world traveler, and has spent extensive time in England, thus creating an excellent foundation for writing novels set in Great Britain. The era of World War II has always held tremendous appeal for her, and she is a committed Anglophile. The daughter of an Army Major during World War II, she grew up hearing countless stories of that tumultuous and romantic time. She lives with her husband, Jim, who is a Pharmacist, and their two beloved Maltese Terriers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She is also the mother of two, adult children, and three grandchildren. less

Butterflies symbolize hope to Lady Lily Claybourne. They also symbolize transformation from one stage of life to another - a more beautiful one. “The White Butterfly” is a fast-paced romantic novel set in Post-World War I. England. It is the story of one woman’s struggle to find herself and to become self-fulfilled in a society that very rarely recognizes women as equals to men. Lily Barton Claybourne has a deep-seated need to be the best she can be in life... moreButterflies symbolize hope to Lady Lily Claybourne. They also symbolize transformation from one stage of life to another - a more beautiful one. “The White Butterfly” is a fast-paced romantic novel set in Post-World War I. England. It is the story of one woman’s struggle to find herself and to become self-fulfilled in a society that very rarely recognizes women as equals to men. Lily Barton Claybourne has a deep-seated need to be the best she can be in life. Her compassion and ability to forgive are strong components of her personality. But, the aristocracy isn’t interested in her dreams of a better society and more equality for women. She has married into a family where the old, tried and true traditions are held on to very tightly. Lily thinks it is all foolishness. Her husband, the Earl of Gloucester, Kit Claybourne is a wonderful man, but he too is mired in the past traditions of his heritage. He was raised by an iron fisted mother, who appears on the surface to be a sweet and charming woman, but who still makes the rules that are adhered to at Claybourne Court. Lily loves Kit, but it is very hard to live with him. In nearly every facet of their lives together there is a dichotomy. Over and over Lily is told that what she wants to do is not ‘the done thing’. She feel she is nothing but an ornament on Kit’s arm. After two very grave illnesses, Lily emerges as a different person. She is tired of being told that nothing she does is right. The primary concern in the Claybourne family is that nothing ever be done to mar the image of that great and ancient name. Yet, Lily discovers that there was one, significant mistake made in 1903, that has now returned to haunt them. With strength and determination, she makes the decision to let go of the ties that bind her to aristocracy’s strict rules, and to follow her own path. With the support of a sixteen year old, she gathers her courage and makes a radical change in her life. This engaging novel presents the reader with characters who are neither all good nor all bad. They are real human beings facing the struggle that often comes after a war has torn the foundations from the world they once knew. less

This is the final book in the Claybourne Trilogy. Spanning the years from 1925 through 1945, Lily Claybourne, the Countess of Gloucester, forges her path following the post-World War I era. Despite difficulties with her marriage, her dreams remain intact, and she strives to make them a reality. She enters into a tumultuous time in her life, filled with great achievement and heartbreaking loss. Through it all, Lily continues to grow, and refuses to let misfortune block her way... moreThis is the final book in the Claybourne Trilogy. Spanning the years from 1925 through 1945, Lily Claybourne, the Countess of Gloucester, forges her path following the post-World War I era. Despite difficulties with her marriage, her dreams remain intact, and she strives to make them a reality. She enters into a tumultuous time in her life, filled with great achievement and heartbreaking loss. Through it all, Lily continues to grow, and refuses to let misfortune block her way. This is an engaging finale to the much loved trilogy which began in 1914, at the beginning of the Great War. Lily moves through the 1930’s and 40’s with renewed purpose and strength. In the end, the reader learns what becomes of each character with whom they have become intimately acquainted in this engrossing chronicle of a British family’s life in the first half of the Twentieth Century. About the Author Mary Christian Payne is an accomplished business woman, who has held high ranking, management positions with Fortune 500 companies, in New York City, St. Louis, Missouri, Orlando, Florida, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is a recipient of the Mayor’s Pinnacle Award in Tulsa, for directing a highly successful program at The Women’s Resource Center at the University of Tulsa. All of these positions involved significant amounts of writing. She has also acted as a speech writer for high profile political figures, and for executives of major corporations. She is now a retired Career Psychologist. She was the founder and President of Transitions Counseling Center, in partnership with her father, the retired CEO of a four billion dollar retail organization. She has taught seminars throughout Oklahoma. Mary Christian is a world traveler, and has spent extensive time in England, thus creating an excellent foundation for writing novels set in Great Britain. The era of World War II has always held tremendous appeal for her, and she is a committed Anglophile. The daughter of an Army Major during World War II, she grew up hearing countless stories of that tumultuous and romantic time. She lives with her husband, Jim, who is a Pharmacist, and their two beloved Maltese Terriers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She is also the mother of two, adult children, and three grandchildren. less