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).

Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)

“Do you know,” Walter continued as Grace took a seat on the bench, “that this was my favourite place when I was just a lad and came to visit my grandparents.”

“Was it really?” Grace smiled and ran a hand over the bit of slab next to her where he was about to sit. “It is a lovely bench, and the aspect from here is delightful.” She leaned toward him when he finally took a seat. “I am particularly fond of arched garden gates, and you can see the gate between the hedges quite perfectly from here. I imagine that the gate is even more delightful when all the flowers are in bloom.”

“It is,” Walter agreed. “And when the tree behind us is laden with leaves, there is something very cozy feeling about this place, almost as if one could hide here, which I must say, I have.”

“You have hidden here?”

Walter nodded. “When I was just a boy of about six, I used to curl into a ball under this very bench when playing hide-and-go-seek. Every time.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I would not advise using the same hiding place over and over if one has been found in it. It is the surest way to lose a game.”

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

Published to YouTube by Simply Three on February 27, 2014

Published to YouTube by SaraBethie on January 16, 2014

The top video is an instrumental piece and has been on my Music to Write By playlist for a long time — it was the first song added to that list. 🙂 The bottom video includes lyrics and is one of the videos on my Music Meets Movies playlist.

I thought the song was good for tomorrow’s chapter of Walter and Grace’s story as they are in the garden alone and in a special place in that garden. Hopefully, you will get a chance to read that chapter tomorrow — it’s a good one. (But then, aren’t they all? Well, not all of them include almost-kisses.)

There is also an Austen Authors post of mine you can read tomorrow. It’s more pictures than words 🙂 I’m sharing pictures from some of my summer fun, and I am hosting a giveaway as well.

Do you remember how I said last week that I should be able to have enough written of Addie’s story to start sharing from it? Well, things did not go as planned. LOL Continue reading Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)

Deux Soeurs (William-Adolphe Bouguereau)

Deux Soeurs (Two Sisters), William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1901. [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

The relationship between sisters sure does go through changes as they grow up. Mary and Lydia's relationship is shifting in this story -- especially in Chapter 7 from where the excerpt below is taken. It's a bit of a role reversal as the little sister is stepping up to care for the big sister.

~*~*~

Lydia threw her arms around Mary and pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh, Mary! Being alone in the middle must be dreadful! How you must suffer for it. I will not allow it to be any longer,” she said, and then, she did something she had not done since they were both very young. She kissed Mary’s cheek.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, book 4 in the Marrying Elizabeth Series]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6

Music Monday: Falling for You (Northanger Abbey)

“No, do not turn your head,” Mr. Blakesley scolded as he once again sat in the drawing room at Erondale two days later — this time without Mr. Norman and with a screen and drawing paper in front of him.

“But I wish to see what you are doing,” Grace replied.

“I am taking your likeness, and I am not very accomplished. Therefore, I beg of you, stay still, or I shall not be responsible for your face looking more like an apple that has been trampled by a herd of pigs than the pretty shape that it is.”

“Are you truly so bad?” Grace peeked around the screen.

Truth be told, she did not care what the drawing on the paper looked like. She was far more interested in seeing his face while he sketched, and if that screen was not in the way, she could also see how his mouth moved and eyes narrowed as he shifted his head while studying her. The thought of a gentleman such as Mr. Blakesley studying her likeness so intently was both unsettling in a nervous sort of fashion and exhilarating in a rapid heartbeat that made one smile and sigh sort of fashion.

“You have ruined it.” Mr. Blakesley favoured her with a scowl. She was certain she had never met a gentleman who looked so dashing when he scowled.

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

Published to YouTube by anickamilujefilm on February 18, 2012

I have used this video before on a Monday. However, it had been over a year since I did so I thought it would be fine to use it again. 🙂 I was writing a Dash of Darcy Companion story when I used it last time. Therefore, today, I will share an excerpt from that book at the end of this post as I am not quite far enough along in my current work in progress to share from it. Continue reading Music Monday: Falling for You (Northanger Abbey)

Cabriolet (Pearson Scott Foresman)

Pearson Scott Foresman [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.

Isn't this a smart looking carriage? I am certain there must be vehicles equal to this one in the park when Wes goes out for a ride and meets Darcy in chapter 6, from which the excerpt below is taken.

~*~*~

“I had not thought to see you out driving,” Wes said to Darcy.

“Ah, but I have sisters and a wife who must see and be seen.”

“It is not a very good day for it,” Wes commented, looking at the darkening clouds.

“But the canopy can be put into place quickly,” Darcy assured him. “You, on the other hand, will be fortunate to arrive home without being thoroughly soaked.”

“I think I can manage a bit of a drenching.”

[from Persuading Miss Mary, book 4 in the Marrying Elizabeth Series]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6

Music Monday: Northanger Abbey – Crush (David Archuleta) +Cover Reveals

A quarter of an hour and two days was a long enough wait to find out who the mysterious Grace Love was. Her secret smile had taunted and tantalized him since he first saw it in the park. He would be put off no longer. And so, he urged his horse to traverse the short distance between orchard and house as swiftly as possible.

“Why are you here?” Mr. Norman whispered to Walter when Walter took a seat next to him in the sitting room at Erondale.

“You were late.”

“It could not be helped,” Norman returned.

“So could not my arrival here.” He turned a smile on his hosts who were looking at the two gentlemen curiously. “I beg your indulgence of my poor manners. My friend is somewhat startled to see me as I was supposed to have been engaged elsewhere. However, plans change.”

“I hope it was not anything unpleasant which caused your change in plans.” Grace was looking at him with concern.

“A prodigious lack of patience,” Mr. Norman muttered.

Walter chuckled. “My friend is correct. I seem to be incapable of waiting very long for anything.” He looked pointedly at Grace. “Especially if the longed-for item is of great intrigue.”

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

Published to YouTube by Austenita30 on January 9, 2009

Can you see the connection between the song title and the excerpt? Someone has a crush on Miss Grace. He finds her fascinating and tantalizing, which I believe is a bit like how Henry Tilney starts out with Catherine Morland. And that is why I chose this video to share with you today. Continue reading Music Monday: Northanger Abbey – Crush (David Archuleta) +Cover Reveals