Leenie Brown

TSB: Coming soon and KU ins and outs

I hope you are all safe and well. We are still doing well here in Nova Scotia. A few lockdown regulations are loosening — for instance, parks are open but we’re still being encouraged to stay in our own communities. My husband will be returning to a more normal schedule of work next week. I’m going to miss seeing him so frequently and having his help doing the laundry and cooking the supper. He’s a pretty awesome guy. 🙂 But enough about my home life. Let’s get on with my writing life details. Here are a few highlights of what you will find below. I have a free book from now until May 12. This week, I will begin posting a new story on Tuesdays on my blog. And, the books available in Kindle Unlimited will change up this week.

Writing News

I’ll keep this short since I don’t have any story excerpt that I want to share this week. I did write two chapters of Protecting Miss Darcy. However, I think if I share from either of them, it might give a spoiler, and I don’t want to do that. They are part of a pivotal moment in the story for our main characters as they have decisions to make about moving forward or retreating. I am probably going to have to write at least one more chapter of that story before my brain will let go of it long enough to focus on other things that need to be written.

I did not write anything else this week because I spent a lot of time rereading His Irreplaceable Belle so that I could get that sent to my first reader. (She’s the one that checks the manuscript for any story issues or things that don’t make sense to her but might to me.) I have some publishing news about this book below.

And I think that is all the writing-related news. So let’s move on to the publishing news.

Publishing News

Thank you to all who have purchased *Cherishing Kitty* already, and a special thank you to those who have already left reviews. I used a few snippets to make a short video, which I will share below. You can find the book at your favourite retailer at this link.

Coming Soon!

I have His Irreplaceable Belle scheduled to release during the final week of May. I hoping for May 26 but might have to push that out to May 29. I should have a definite date for both the preorder and release day next Saturday.

I shared a sneak peek of the cover for His Irreplaceable Belle in my Leenie’s Sweeties Facebook group and in this week’s newsletter to my email subscribers. I’ll be sharing it here on the blog soon.

Book Promotion

This book, along with the other books in A Dash of Darcy and Companions Cottage Collection 2, will be leaving the Kindle Unlimited program as of May 13, 2020.

Before they do leave, I have set this book to free for a few days. In this book, Elizabeth has a brother of sorts. He’s actually her cousin who came to live with them when he was ten and has become more like a protective older brother than a cousin. He (William Collins) and Elizabeth are especially close, and he is more protective of her than any of his other sisters. Unfortunately, he’s not always wise in how he makes his decisions, and his judgment will be clouded by some stories he has heard from a particular scoundrel who doesn’t like Darcy. (Did you guess Wickham? If so, you get a gold star.)

You can download a FREE copy of this book at this link.

Book Review

Thank you, David and ForeverHis reading and reviewing Cherishing Kitty and for providing such lovely comments in your reviews that I could use to make this video.

Kindle Unlimited Comings and Goings

LEAVING KINDLE UNLIMITED ON MAY 13, 2020

A Dash of Darcy and Companions Cottage Collection 2 omnibus
Unravelling Mr. Darcy
Becoming Entangled
Enticing Miss Darcy
Mr. Darcy’s Comfort
Master of Longbourn
Assessing Mr. Darcy

ENTERING KINDLE UNLIMITED ON MAY 11, 2020

Darcy Family Holidays, Volume 1 ominbus
Two Days before Christmas
One Winter’s Eve
Scandal
Thunder, Mist, and Frost
First Blooms and Second Chances

See my Books Currently in KU page on my blog for links to all the books currently available to read with your KU subscription.

Something Interesting

In my writing, I often use the term wedding breakfast. However, did you know that the term was not in common usage until probably the 1830s and did not get entered into the Oxford dictionary until quite a bit later than that?

So, why would I use a term that may not have been common in the year in which my story is set? Simply put for clarity. The term conveys the meaning of what is happening very clearly and is not a modern term. Add to that the fact that terms such as wedding day and wedding clothes are used in Jane Austen’s work. I figure it is not too far a stretch to use wedding as an adjective to describe the type of breakfast one might have after a wedding ceremony on a wedding day while wearing wedding clothes. 🙂 Therefore, I choose to use it.

Below is a clip of some information you can find about Regency weddings on Sharon Lathan’s blog. She has an abundance of information there for those who are looking for something interesting to read.

You can find the information shown below at this link.

One more little detail about wedding breakfasts — it was at Mary and Wes’s wedding breakfast where all the trouble started for Kitty and Lorcan when the two of them were caught in a compromising position. Do you remember that?

Have a good weekend! Be safe and well. I’ll see you on Monday.

MAILING LIST | PATREON | SOCIETY6

Watercolor Flowers

Images sourced through Depositphotos. Video created using Animoto.

While Georgiana’s book contains only sketches, I couldn’t resist sharing these pretty watercolor flowers I found. I put them in a video so that you, like Lily (Alfred’s niece), could “page” through them. 🙂

~*~*~

“I have it in this book with several other flowers, but I think you will know which one it is.” She sat down next to Lily and, opening her sketchbook, began paging through it.

“Oooh,” Lily cooed, “they are very pretty.”

“Thank you. I like drawing flowers.”

“Grandmama likes drawing trees.”

“Yes, she does. She told me that.”

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

MAILING LIST PATREON

Music Monday: Siúil a Rúin (Ella Roberts)

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY ELLA ROBERTS ON FEBRUARY 25, 2020.

“Siúil a Rún” is a traditional Irish song, sung from the point of view of a woman lamenting a lover who has embarked on a military career, and indicating her willingness to support him. The song has English language verses and an Irish language chorus, a style known as macaronic. (source: Wikipedia)

The same Wikipedia article later said that some say the lover in this song was given a choice to either choose a military career or permanent exile, and he chose exile.

No matter what the reason, this song is about separated lovers and is a beautiful (though sad) piece of music.

I have chosen to pair this song with a story that might be very familiar to you if you read my Sweet Tuesday stories or read this story as a Thursday’s Three Hundred when I first began doing those stories.

In “Hope at Dawn”, the hero (Nicholas) and heroine (Kathleen) have been separated for a year. His suit was refused by her father and brother, and she was taken to Ireland, along with the match her father hoped she would settle on, while the hero remained behind in England.

I would imagine Kathleen’s heart cry during her separation from Nicholas sounded something like this song — beautiful and sad. However, Kathleen and Nicholas’s story does not remain sad — I write happily ever afters, you know. 😉

Hope at Dawn, Ch. 1

Hope at Dawn is one of four novelettes included in my *First Blooms and Second Chances* anthology.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, leaving its fiery glow resting upon the gently rolling black waters, Nicholas Sidemore spotted the boat for which he had been waiting, bobbing just on the edge of the sea ─ where the water dropped away and could be seen no longer. His heart raced at the sight of her, and he swallowed the fear that rose inside him as the vessel drew closer. It would not be long now ─ a few hours or perhaps a day ─ until he knew his fate.

Using the glow of his lantern to light the way, he carefully picked his way around the rocks lining the shore. Choosing a large one with a smooth top, he sat down. From this vantage point, he could easily see the entrance to the harbour and past it to the sea beyond.

The Saturday Broadsheet: Announcing the Arrival of Cherishing Kitty

Can you believe it is already May? In some ways, time seems to be clicking along really quickly for me, and in other ways, it is dragging its feet. Personally, I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures and new life that May brings to my part of the world, and I am hopeful that soon, we will all be allowed to go out and enjoy the loveliness that is May by taking drives and visiting parks and beaches.

Writing News

There’s not much to say here this week, although I think what I have to say is pretty exciting.

I put all my writing projects on pause except for Matching Mr. Darcy because I knew I was close to the end of that story, and I wanted to get it finished. I have. Matching Mr. Darcy is complete and is now in line behind His Irreplaceable Belle, waiting to be reread and then sent on through the getting-ready-for-publication process.

Since Cherishing Kitty has been published, I plan to begin working on rereading His Irreplaceable Belle this coming week. (I’d like to have it ready to publish by the end of the month.)

Publishing News

Cherishing Kitty

is now available for purchase in ebook and print.

Thank you to those who pre-ordered and have already purchased this book.

Purchase Cherishing Kitty at your favourite retailer

Book Promotions

These two books will become exclusively available on Amazon on May 11, 2020. To highlight this move, I have put these books on sale.

There are seven novelettes between the two books. Thunder, Mist, and Frost contains three Austen-inspired novelettes while First Blooms and Second Chances contains four sweet Regency novelettes.

You can find out more about these books and links for were they are available to purchase by visiting the landing page at this link.

Book Review

This review is for First Blooms and Second Chances.

Thank you, f4ewso45, for reading and reviewing both First Blooms and Second Chances and Thunder, Mist, and Frost. I’m pleased to know you enjoyed them both.

I really like that last line about the stories being engaging and using an economy of words. 🙂

Kindle Unlimited Changes in May

A Dash of Darcy and Companions Cottage Collection 2 will be leaving Kindle Unlimited on May 13, 2020. The following books will be moving to Kindle Unlimited. See my Books Currently in KU page on my blog for links to all the books currently available to read with your KU subscription.

Something Extra

I thought I would share a video with you this week. As you can see from the image below. I shared it on Tuesday on my Facebook page. There is information both about food and an interesting Georgian Era character in the video. The video is about 23 minutes long.

Have a good weekend! Be safe and well. I’ll see you on Monday.

MAILING LIST | PATREON | SOCIETY6

Letter Rack (Edward Collier)

I love all the items that are in this painting. It gives one much to look at, doesn’t it? In chapter 6 of Protecting Miss Darcy, Georgiana is adding to the letter she is writing to her aunt.

~*~*~

You do remember Mr. C from my last page of writing, do you not? I can now say that I not only suppose you would not approve of him but, with confidence, I can declare you would not. I must also say that his handsomeness fades with his forward actions. Upon arriving, he seemed relieved to see that we had not yet departed and wasted no time in dismounting from his horse and coming to my side.

[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]

~*~*~

Marrying Elizabeth, books 1-5

MAILING LIST PATREON