I hope you are all safe and well. Below you will find information about what I got done in my writing life this week and a link to a book that is on sale from now until next Wednesday (April 15). I have finished reducing the prices of my novels and novellas. I’ll mention that below as well.
Writing Life
Here’s an update on my writing I have with a short excerpt from two of them. Her Convenient Forever: Guess what? I started the next Touches of Austen book. Here is the very first peek at how that story starts.
Waves lapped at the sand below her. A group of gulls dipped and soared before landing just out of reach of the rolling waves. A breeze steady, but gentle, pulled at her skirts and tugged at her bonnet. The sun peeked out from behind a light grey cloud. If only her heart felt as perfectly lovely as the weather.
Felicity Love opened the small box she held but quickly closed it again. This must be done, but… she turned away from the edge of where the land dropped from where she stood to the beach far below. Perhaps tomorrow she would feel more prepared.
Turning around, she walked in the direction of the road which would take her to the small cottage her father had rented.
This place and this time away from home was her reprieve – her place to grieve and her place of solace where her heart was supposed to mend enough to face the future. But how could a heart, which had been shattered as hers was, repair itself in just two months?
Matching Mr. Darcy: I’m up to chapter 11. Here is how chapter 11 begins:
English Garden in the Csáky Castle at Hotkóc, János Rombauer / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Alfred’s aunt, Meredith Langley, loves gardens and is always having improvements made to hers. I wonder which of these garden elements she might have in the garden at Ravencot?
~*~*~
“The garden is best enjoyed from outside.”
“I was just out there,” Alfred replied. “What brings you to this room, Aunt?”
Meredith Langley crossed to stand next to her nephew. “You.”
“Me?”
His aunt nodded. “We have not yet had a good discussion about my son and his future bride.” Mrs. Langley sat down on the window seat so that she could also look out the window. “There is a pleasant breeze today, is there not?”
[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY THE PIANO GUYS ON OCTOBER 29, 2015
I love, love, love this song — the piano, the cello, the drums, and even the bagpipes. (Bagpipes sound like home to me. 🙂 They are a familiar sound here in Nova Scotia.) And then, how the two songs are merged together so neatly! It’s simply wonderful.
Today, I am choosing to pair this today with a chapter from Becoming Entangled because 1) Anne is on her way to Scotland and 2) she’s on her way to Scotland because she’s taking control of her life. If you’ve ever heard the lyrics to “Fight Song” (by Rachel Platten) they include these lines:
This is my fight song,
Take back my life song,
I think that fits very well with Miss de Bourgh’s attitude in her story. Unfortunately, her plans do not go as she thinks they will.
Becoming Entangled, Chapter 4
The next day as Alistair was dozing off while reading poetry shortly after they had stopped to change horses, Clifton Conrad was approaching the village of Westerham. His horse was fresh. He had changed mounts at Bromley and was determined to make an appearance in Hunsford. With any luck, he would find out something about what he needed to know.
Last evening, after Alistair had left White’s, Conrad and his friends had set to finding out all they could about one Miss de Bourgh. It had required them to spend an extraordinary amount of time at the home of one of his friends instead of playing cards as they had intended. However, it had been well worth the effort, for they had discovered that the young lady was likely of no small fortune, being the only heir to her late father. The estate, it seemed, had not been entailed away from the females in the family, and as such, she was to come into ownership of it either when she came of age or married. In addition to her sizable fortune, she was also well connected, being the niece of Lord Matlock and cousin to Fitzwilliam Darcy, who, though not titled, was among the most respected gentlemen of the ton.
Conrad chuckled. It was amazing what information was held by some of the wags of the ton. A simple — “Pratt mentioned a Miss de Bourgh, who is friends with his mother, Lady Metcalfe. I cannot say I recall the name de Bourgh.” — had been enough to unveil all he needed to know.
According to his friend’s mother, Conrad had discovered that Miss de Bourgh was a novice when it came to social matters in town, for she had never had a proper come out. However, his friend’s mother was almost completely certain that Miss de Bourgh, who was nearly twenty, would make her debut on the arm of her cousin, Mr. Darcy, next season. After all, theirs was a long-standing arrangement, and since everyone knew that Darcy was not the sort to shirk his duty, Miss de Bourgh would soon be wed. To prove her point, she had pointed out how Darcy had been in town for several seasons and had not once singled out any lady in particular.
Conrad patted the side of his mount’s neck. “To think Pratt was going to step between Darcy and duty.” He chuckled again. “Pratt! Of all people! I should very much like to see that. He’d not have stood a chance.” He chuckled again at the thought of the much smaller Pratt being called out and handily dispatched by the larger and more capable Darcy. “Perhaps that is how I should have allowed him to find his fate,” he said as he patted his horse again. “Ah, but Pratt is no fool. He would not set himself up against such odds even if this Miss de Bourgh was Venus herself. Therefore, my four-legged friend, there must be some scheme afoot, and I intend to discover it.”
And discover it he did by happy chance as he entered Hunsford.
I hope you are safe and well. Below you will find information about what I got done in my writing life this week and links to a book that is on sale from now until next Wednesday (April 8). I also have news about a set of books that will be leaving other sales platforms and moving to Kindle Unlimited soon.
Writing News
Here’s an update on my writing projects with a short excerpt from a couple of them.
His Irreplaceable Belle: I wrote the final chapter (chapter 15) this week! Yes, this one is done, and now, I must begin thinking about Felicity’s story. (Or, at least, I think I’m doing hers next. However, there is a character in these final chapters who might need his story told as well.)
Matching Mr. Darcy: I just finished chapter 10 of this story a few minutes ago. It’s beginning to feel as if the story is picking up pace as it moves towards its conclusion. Here is how chapter 10 begins:
Flower Sketches purchased at DepositPhotos, collage created on Canva
~*~*~
“That is a very good likeness,” Alfred said as he took the seat next to her which Kitty had vacated.
“Thank you. Flowers are my specialty.” She smiled at him sheepishly. “To be honest, they are the only thing I can draw that comes close to looking as it should.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
[from Protecting Miss Darcy, Marrying Elizabeth book 6]
