Leenie Brown

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

Music Monday: Home (Phillip Phillips)

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY PHILLIP PHILLIPS ON AUGUST 2, 2012.

This song is one I often listen to as an instrumental cover by The Piano Guys while writing, but I thought that today, I would share the vocal version, which is on my Whatever for Whenever Spotify playlist. (This song on Spotify can be found here.)

The lyrics are what has me pairing this song with Master of Longbourn today. The Mr. Collins in this book is searching for a home. He has demons that fill him with fear. However, he finds himself surrounded by those who are willing to help make Longbourn his home.

Master of Longbourn, Ch. 8

Using the candle he held in his hand, Collins lit a second one that was in the lamp on the table next to where Mr. Bennet had been sitting earlier that day. He looked around the room.

Mr. Bennet had told him he was to make this room his second refuge. His first was his bedchamber, of course. There he could lock himself away without there being much chance of being disturbed, but here, he was more accessible, and here is where Bingley had very firmly insisted he should read each evening.

Truth be told, Bingley had wished for him to sit with the others in the sitting room, but Darcy had pled his case and convinced Bingley that the study would be better for reviewing what needed to be learned.

Collins tipped his head and eyed the book on the desk. He wanted to go over it again. He was positive he could remember nearly everything Mr. Bennet had told him about the tenants listed in it. He glanced at the door. No one was with him; he could peek at it.

He crossed to the desk, placed his hand on the book, and just as he was about to lift the cover, shook his head and retreated to the chair near the lamp without the book. He did not want to have to tell Bingley or Darcy tomorrow afternoon that he had spent another evening studying, for both gentlemen had thought it best if he spent one evening consuming the novel he had promised Kitty he would read.

He sighed as he settled into his chair, and taking up his book, he placed it unopened in his lap while he pondered the lovely Miss Kitty Bennet and watched the shadows chase each other in the flickering dance of the candles’ flames. Perhaps in the new year when Bingley had his ball, he would dance two sets with her. Perhaps by then, she would even be accepting of his addresses, or at least, by then, he would have learned enough from Darcy and Bingley to be able to present them. By spring, he might even find himself in a position to make her his wife. That thought could not be made without a smile finding its way to his lips.

“May I enter?”

Evelina clattered to the floor as Collins started at the sweet voice that called to him from the door.

The Saturday Broadsheet for April 25, 2020

I hope you are staying safe and well. I and my family are safe and well, which, this week, means more than we have not contracted a virus because last weekend our province was the site of the worst mass shooting in Canada. To say it has been a challenging week is an understatement.

Be that as it may, I still went to work and did the things, and, below, you will find information about what I accomplished in my writing life this week, as well as publishing information and book sale news.

Writing News

Here’s an update on my writing I have with a short excerpt from two of them.

Her Convenient Forever: I wrote chapter three this week. So, I am on track to start posting that story on my blog on May 12 as I had hoped I would be. Here is an excerpt from chapter 3.