Everyone has heard of "Bluebeard" and what happened to his wives. "Strands of Bronze and Gold" is a gothic, retelling of the famous fairy tale. Sophia thinks her prayers have been answered when her godfather, Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, offers her a home. Her father has died and left her and her siblings practically destitute. When she arrives at Wyndrivven Abbey in Mississippi, she immediately surrounded by luxury she has never known. At first she is attracted and charmed by her godfather, but soon begins to see that things aren't what they seem. Monsieur de Cressac wants to make Sophia wife number six. Sophia wants to know what happened to de Cressac's five wives. As she gets closer to the truth, she realizes she might be trapped forever. This book has all the elements of a great southern Gothic novel: romance, mystery, horror, and suspense.