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 Butterfly by John Henry Dolph [Public domain] via Wikimedia
~*~*~
Darcy shook his head and took a proper sip of tea instead of attempting to inhale the liquid. “No, I was just wondering if Mrs. Bennet ever reads the paper.” He pulled back from the table in surprise when Oliver landed near his plate.
“You are not allowed on the table,” Bingley scolded, scooping up the kitten before it could scamper away.
[from Loving Lydia, book 3 of the Marrying Elizabeth Series]
As the last note faded, the room remained solemnly silent for three heartbeats before Edward stood and began applauding. Others soon followed his example.
Hazel graced him with a dazzling smile and made her way back to her seat.
“Magnificent,” Edward said as Hazel once again took her seat. “You were correct, Parkes,” he said to Harold. “I enjoyed that thoroughly.”
“There is not another with her talent,” boasted Harold.
“I would readily agree.” Edward enjoyed how Hazel’s cheeks grew rosy and how she attempted to hide a pleased smile.
There were yet three unfortunate ladies to sing. They were unfortunate because they had to follow Hazel’s performance, and Edward was certain there was not another lady in all of England, whether on stage or beside a hearth, who could have followed Hazel and not suffered for it.
He attempted to pay attention to each performance and greet its ending with enthusiasm, but he could not.
He had been to many such soirees as this at his grandmother’s request. At each one, he would smile and bow as required. He would congratulate and commend young ladies to earn a giggle or a blush. And each time he would return home to give a report to his grandmother about the number in attendance and which lady had piqued his interest. It was normally some young debutante that had seemed the prettiest and most amusing, but never had one of them caused him to feel so distracted as the lady beside him. It was a most unusual but not wholly unpleasant feeling – unsettling, perhaps, disquieting, most assuredly, but not distressing. In fact, it was in a way, extremely alluring.
[From “Reclaiming Her Heart”, a Short Story Sequel to Enticing Miss Darcy]
Uploaded to YouTube by Brian Crain on October 15, 2013.
The above excerpt follows a few paragraphs that speak of how Hazel Parkes is singing a sad song that relates to her love story up to this point in her life. If you’re wondering who Edward is, he is Lord Matlock’s third son and the cousin who told Anne about ladies being allowed at Angelo’s (that was in Becoming Entangled). Hazel’s happy ending is included at the end of Enticing Miss Darcy.
I’m sure you can see the connection between the excerpt from “Reclaiming Her Heart” and the video, but the actual reason why I chose this piece of music to share today is that I have listened to it often.
Music, such as the piece above, is what I use to switch my brain from busy and stressed by so many things to a calmer state conducive to writing. 🙂 (This will not be new news to those who have read my Monday posts.) Brian Crain’s music is among my favourites for this switch over during very busy, stressful times — such as a week when I have a book release, I’m just settling into homeschooling, and I’m struggling to complete all the challenges I have laid out for myself in my new writing schedule for 2019. In other words, I turned to Brian Crain’s music many times this week. (I also listened to another favourite for this Peder B Helland a lot this week.)
So, what was I working on this past week?
Apple Blossoms (A Nature’s Fury and Delights Short Story/Novelette): This is an original sweet Regency romance which should be somewhere around 10,000 words when I am done. This week I dictated about 1500 words and several planning notes. I am amazed at how well dictation works for helping me figure out plot things. I could walk around my house talking or type out notes or cover sticky notes with ideas and it would not get me to where I want to be as quickly as talking to my computer and watching those words flow onto the page does. It’s strange but in an awesome way.
Roger’s Story (A Touches of Austen Story): I’ve managed to complete the first chapter. This week, I plan on scheduling that chapter to post on the blog in February. Then, I will attempt to get the second chapter written. Maybe I will even come up with a title so I can put that on the post I hope to schedule. Finger’s crossed on that – maybe I just need to talk it out with my computer. 🙂
Loving Lydia (The current Thursday’s Three Hundred Story): Another chapter has been scheduled on the blog, and one was written to be scheduled when I work on that story this Thursday. I reread/edit the previous week’s words before writing the new section of words. I’m certain I am biased, but the chapter I wrote this past Thursday was the cutest Lady Catherine puts up a stink scene! (Thanks, of course, to Dash.) It will be February before you get to read it. I am attempting to keep a few weeks ahead.
Tom: To Protect His Legacy (Other Pens, Mansfield Park, book 4): I started posting this one on Patreon this week. There are two chapters there for my patrons to read. I have made the first chapter of that story free to read by anyone who wants to read it over there. Writing wise, I only managed to write two chapters for that story this week. My goal was three so that’s why I say only two chapters. 🙂 I’m still hopeful that I will get this book done and published by the end of February, but I’m also thinking that, realistically, it might end up being early March.
Other things that got written: I have an Austen Author’s post tomorrow, January 15, 2019, and there will be a Friday Feature here on the blog this week. I dusted off an Austen Author’s post for that, and the book featured will be on sale everywhere for the weekend.
I think that’s it. 😀 Yes, I was exhausted by the end of the week, but it was a good “I feel accomplished” exhausted (even if it did sound a bit cranky around here by Saturday LOL). Of course, part of that tiredness on Saturday was due to staying up too late to reread a book I found when attempting to organize the Kindle app on my tablet.
Alfred Stevens [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons
~*~*~
“Does Charlotte know of your betrothal?” She (Lady Lucas) looked at Mrs. Bennet without waiting for Elizabeth’s reply. “I am sending a letter tomorrow. I do it twice a month you know. It is dreadful and yet not so very much to have one’s daughter so far removed, although she is not so far away as some will be.” She paused only long enough to take a quick breath. “Will you be remaining at Netherfield, Mr. Bingley?”
“Has Miss Linton told you about Eiddwen House?” He picked up his cup and saucer and rose from the table.
“Only that Miss Barrett helps match servants and positions.”
Charles stood at the window which overlooked the street. “It is a remarkable place.” He turned and faced Henry. “She took me on a tour of it today. It is all very organized and efficient – not that I would expect less from a proper chit like Miss Barrett.” He tipped his head. “She is very demanding.”
“Much like her mother?”
“Precisely,” he punctuated the word with his lifted cup. “But far more kissable.”
“Yet, you did not kiss her hand.”
“Strange thing that.” He shook his head. He still was not entirely certain why he had foregone such an opportunity. He had never hesitated to press his admiration of a lady in such a way. He shook his head again. She was different. He did not know why or how, but Miss Barrett was different. The same scheme as he always played would not work with her, nor – his brows rose – did he wish it to.
“As I was saying,” he began again, “I have promised to alert her if I hear of any quality positions for valets or groomsmen, and I am asking you to tell me if you hear of any. It is a good thing she is doing there at that house.” He turned back to the window. “Not a piece of money exchanges hands,” he added. “I am considering making a donation.”
There was a spitting and sputtering behind him.
“Yes, a donation,” he answered the shocked question that was drowning in Henry’s incorrectly swallowed tea. “I know I do not offer up my funds on anything easily, except a lark of a bet, but…” He turned toward Henry. “I believe I might actually be able to do some good. Me. How is that for a shocker? Charles Edwards, philanthropist.” He shrugged. “And it might well earn me that kiss I desire.”
[from Charles: To Discover His Purpose]
Published to YouTube by Home Free on April 26, 2016
I’ve decided that for the Monday’s in January, I am going to try to share motivational sorts of songs since it is the start of a new year and where I live, it’s often cold and grey, so a little light might be nice. 🙂 I’ll try to see if I can come up with story tie-ins for them, but I’m not promising I can. (If I can, they might be a bit of a stretch.)
Today’s tie-in is the fact that Charles is willing to try just about anything to get a kiss from Evelyn, and it is this willingness, by the way, that brings about his discovery and change. Trying new things can lead to some wonderful results. (Or devastating disasters as might just happen in the above story before the wonderful results.)
I have some plans to try some new things this year. One of those things is that I hope to begin posting a second story on Tuesdays. My goal for the first post is February 5. I’ll share a bit more about that right before the story excerpt today since I made an attempt at starting that Tuesday story and am going to share it with you.
As I did last week with the poll I included, I am planning to be more “interactive” in my Monday posts from time to time. I do not have any survey questions for you to answer today, but I do have the results from last week’s poll, which I closed on Saturday morning so that I could get this post ready on Saturday night. 🙂
The chart images are a little small, so let me copy the summary here:
Q1. Mr. Darcy’s Comfort is the most read book, but every book has been read at least once. Yay!
Q2. This one was fun! Master of Longbourn (Mr. Collins) wins as favourite. 🙂 (Sorry, Darcy. 😀 but it could have been worse. Poor Charles, Mary, and Georgiana were nobody’s favourites in this group.)
Q3. There seems to be the most interest in reading Assessing Mr. Darcy, but none of the books look like they will be sitting on the side like an unloved wallflower. 😉
I found looking at the results to be great fun. I hope you enjoyed being part of that fun.
Now, before we get to the story excerpt, I have some publishing news. I wish it was better publishing news, to be honest, but it is what it is. I have submitted my files of Delighting Mrs. Bennet to Amazon for a preorder. At the time of my writing this post on Saturday night, those files were still not published. However, the print copy of Delighting Mrs. Bennet, which I submitted after the ebook, has been published. In addition to that, I had a question at one of my uploading platforms which I sent to their help desk on Thursday, and I am still waiting for a reply from them.
However, on a brighter note, I had not one issue with uploading to Kobo, so here is the only link I have at present for pre-ordering Delighting Mrs. Bennet (it is a Canadian link since that is where that site directs me, but you should be able to switch between stores easily): https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/delighting-mrs-bennet
You will notice that the cover for Confounding Caroline has changed (or is changing — Amazon has not yet put the new cover up, and I have no idea why). This cover change was made out of necessity. I need the cover images to be similar for this series, and I had selected a few images of the same couple used in the first Confounding Caroline cover for use in the future series books. However, when I returned to the site to purchase those images, I learned that the site has closed its doors. I was so saddened by this, but feeling bad was not going to change things. So, I developed a plan B — and made a new cover. 🙂 These stories have Darcy at their center. Therefore, I have gone with a Darcy image on them.
Finally, we can get to that excerpt. (My, this is a long post!)
Sometimes, as I am in the beginning stages of brainstorming a story, I find it helpful to just jump in and write an opening scene. That is what I did this past Tuesday, and the excerpt below is that initial partial scene I wrote. I am nearly 100% certain this is where I want this story to start, but there is a small chance that it could change.
The story has no title yet. It will star Roger Shelton, who was Graeme Clayton’s friend in His Beautiful Bea, and will be the second story in my Touches of Austen collection.
These stories are original sweet Regency romances with intentional nods to Jane Austen’s novels. His Beautiful Bea nodded to Mansfield Park but was in NO WAY a variation or a retelling. It has an original cast of characters as well as an original plot line.
Roger’s story will give a nod or two to Jane Austen’s Emma. As you read the excerpt below, see if you can see anything which might make you think of something from Emma. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
(one note: I don’t have it woven into the story yet that this is taking place at the house party Bea’s cousins were planning to attend. It is a very first draft so it’s likely missing a few things. 🙂 )
John Henry Dolph [Public domain]; via Wikimedia Commons
~*~*~
“Did I tell you I acquired a kitten for Miss Bennet?”
Darcy blinked and looked at Bingley. “You did what?”
“Before I left town, Miss Bennet was telling me about a cat she once had but that had run away during a storm. She seemed to miss it a great deal, so when I arrived, I sought out Sir William and inquired if he knew where I might find a grey tabby cat. As luck would have it, he knew precisely where I might find one.” Bingley lifted the drapes out of the way and scooped up a kitten. “This is Oliver. He has yet to learn not to push vases off tables.”
Now, before we get to the story excerpt, I have some publishing news. I wish it was better publishing news, to be honest, but it is what it is. I have submitted my files of Delighting Mrs. Bennet to Amazon for a preorder. At the time of my writing this post on Saturday night, those files were still not published. However, the print copy of Delighting Mrs. Bennet, which I submitted after the ebook, has been published. In addition to that, I had a question at one of my uploading platforms which I sent to their help desk on Thursday, and I am still waiting for a reply from them.
You will notice that the cover for Confounding Caroline has changed (or is changing — Amazon has not yet put the new cover up, and I have no idea why). This cover change was made out of necessity. I need the cover images to be similar for this series, and I had selected a few images of the same couple used in the first Confounding Caroline cover for use in the future series books. However, when I returned to the site to purchase those images, I learned that the site has closed its doors. I was so saddened by this, but feeling bad was not going to change things. So, I developed a plan B — and made a new cover. 🙂 These stories have Darcy at their center. Therefore, I have gone with a Darcy image on them.