Author: Leenie Brown

Leenie Brown fell in love with Jane Austen's works when she first read Sense and Sensibility followed immediately by Pride and Prejudice in her early teens. As the second of five daughters and an avid reader, she has always loved to see where her imagination takes her and to play with and write about the characters she meets along the way. In 2013, these two loves collided when she stumbled upon the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction. A year later, in 2014, she began writing her own Austen-inspired stories and began publishing them in 2015. Leenie lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two teenage boys and her very own Mr. Brown (a wonderful mix of all the best of Darcy, Bingley and Edmund with healthy dose of the teasing Mr. Tillney and just a dash of the scolding Mr. Knightley).

The Serpentine, Hyde Park (George Sidney Shepherd)

The bit of conversation below takes place while Colonel Fitzwilliam, Lydia, Lord Westonbury, and Mary are out for a drive in the park.

~*~*~

“I am certain my sister and your brother did not agree to come on this drive so that you could spend the whole time flattering me for who knows what purpose.”

“I do not mind,” Lydia interrupted. “I would find it delightful to hear what Lord Westonbury finds pleasing about you.”

“No, you would not.” Mary gave her sister a pointed look. Lydia was wearing that secret smile of hers which never led to anything good. She might be maturing, but her desire to poke her nose in where it did not belong seemed to be unchanged.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON

Music Monday: So Happy Together (Northanger Abbey) + a Free Book Day

Mrs. King tilted her head and smiled at him as a proud mother might gaze upon a child who had done something of merit. “Now, see, Miss Grace, this is why I thought you should set your cap at him instead of Mr. Norman.” She shrugged. “But, it seems you were correct, and he is not free.”

No, he was not free. His heart was irrevocably gone both now and forever.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by AnneDarcy on January 8, 2008.

We’re stepping back a few decades for today’s song. I remember hearing this when I was young, but even then, it was not a new song. 🙂 However, it is a fun and uplifting song, perfect for a Monday morning.

I’m just going to jump right into my writing news as there is a good bit of it. Continue reading Music Monday: So Happy Together (Northanger Abbey) + a Free Book Day

The Sackville Children (John Hoppner)

Portrait of Lady Mary Sackville (1792–1864), later Countess Amherst and of Plymouth; George Sackville, Earl of Middlesex (1793–1815), later Duke of Dorset and Lady Elizabeth Sackville (1795–1870), later Countess De La Warr and Baroness Buckhurst. The picture was shown at the Royal Academy in 1797 under the title “Portraits of a nobleman’s children.” John Hoppner [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.

I sharing this adorable picture of children for this week's post since I think a good title for this week's chapter of Persuading Miss Mary would be an "Impish Lord and a Gaggle of Children." This week, Lord Westonbury invites himself along to the Gardiners for tea and meets the four Gardiner children. I also think it is interesting that the Mary in the portrait above becomes a countess. That seems fitting for our story, too. Doesn't it? :)

~*~*~

A maid stepped into the room. “The table is laid, ma’am.”

“Very good. We will be in straightaway.” She turned back to her guests. “We are taking tea with my children, and I never do that in here.” She rose. “They are just learning their manner, my lord,” she cautioned.

“I will do my best to remember mine,” he assured her as he followed her out of the room and down the hall to a modest-sized dining room.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON

Music Monday: Safe in Your Embrace (Kevin Kern) + a Free Book Day

On the list of all the people who were not to know about Mr. Blakesley, her sister sat at the top.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by Luisa Moreta Pérez on November 16, 2014

Today, I am only sharing one line from tomorrow’s story — but I think it is a good tantalizing line. 🙂 What do you think?

I’m also just plucking a song off my Music to Write By playlist because I listened to it several times this week while writing. And I did get a good bit of writing done this week.

I have reached the end of Addie’s story, but this one is going to need more work in the editing department than most of my stories do. I talk a bit more about why that is in tomorrow’s Austen Authors post. So, for the curious, you can find out there. 😉

To get to the end of Addie’s story and then figure out why it didn’t feel right meant that Addie’s was the only story I wrote on last week, so I am going to have to focus on my Tuesday and Thursday stories this week or next week there might not be anything to post. Yikes! 🙂

In other book-related news, I have two promotions happening this week. Continue reading Music Monday: Safe in Your Embrace (Kevin Kern) + a Free Book Day

Breakfast, Lordly House Museum

A table laid out for a meal in the kitchen at Lordly House (c. 1806) Museum, Chester, NS. Photographed by Leenie Brown.

Ok, so Wes and Mary would not be eating in the kitchen, and this table might not be set for breakfast. But there are eggs in that bowl, and I love the dishes. :)

~*~*~

“Good morning, my lord.”

Wes turned his attention away from the window and, glancing toward Mary, gave a nod in greeting. He was only halfway through his cup of coffee and too caught up in his thoughts to speak. It was only early, but he had already been about some business and was contemplating his departure from Matlock House.

“Did you sleep well?”

Wes nodded as she poured milk into her tea and moved her spoon backward and forward.

“My apologies,” she said with a small grimace as her spoon clinked against the side of her cup.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON