Music Monday: White Horse, Tenille Townes

I’m sharing something a little different from my usual Monday Music selections. However, it is a song that I have been enjoying lately and it has a connection to my writing life at this moment in time.

Published to YouTube by Tenille Townes on March 18, 2019.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about Persuading Miss Mary this week because I’m struggling a bit with finding the answer to what I think is the major question of the story. How is Wes going to persuade Mary to love him when he represents something of which she very strongly disapproves? Continue reading Music Monday: White Horse, Tenille Townes


Music Monday: Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms

Today, I am reaching into Georgiana’s Music Folder and am including both a beautiful instrumental version of this song that has a wonderful storytelling video with it and a lovely vocal version so that you can hear the lyrics.

The instrumental version has this bit of information about the song as part of the introduction. I typed it out here so that it would be easier to read. It’s a beautiful story.

“Thomas Moore, the Irish Poet, upon his return home from war, found his wife to be unwilling to let him see her. During his tour abroad, she had contracted smallpox, disfiguring enough to hide her face from him. Ever devoted to her and their love, Thomas penned a song that he sang softly to her through the bedroom door. He was hoping to woo her back into his graces and to once again see her face.”

Published to YouTube by Jenny Oaks Baker on February 9, 2015.

Published to YouTube by JamesPigBandit on November 28, 2010.

There is a story connection that goes with this song, but I am not revealing that today. I’ll let you discover it on Thursday in the last chapter of Loving Lydia. 🙂 If you’re the sentimental softy sort like I am, you might want to have a tissue handy for that last chapter, just in case your eyes get misty. 😉 At least, I hope I’m not the only one who needed a tissue as I did when writing it and then every time I have read the chapter since. But then, sentimental sweetness (I had read his story about Thomas Moore so that was in my mind) mixed with the end of a story always tugs on my heartstrings.

Because of the story about Thomas Moore which accompanies these videos today, I have chosen not to include a snippet from tomorrow’s Sweet Tuesday story,  but I will include an excerpt from a previously published book below so that you are not left without a bit of an interesting tale to start the week off.

My writing news is not very elaborate this week. There are just a few items to mention.  Continue reading Music Monday: Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms


Music Monday: Only You – Sinéad O’Connor (The Young Victoria)

“An assembly?” Clara questioned as if uncertain that such a thing was a good idea.

“It will be two years next month,” Mr. Watson said softly. “I think it is time.”

Clara drew and released a small breath. “You are likely correct.”

Her eyes dropped to study her hands. It was the first time since meeting her that Thomas had seen Mrs. Clara Watson look anything less than assured of herself.

[From Apple Blossoms, an original sweet Regency romance short story, and the current Sweet Tuesdays story]

Published to YouTube by Edelweiss on December 31, 2017.

Happy Victoria Day!

I just could not let this day pass without a holiday-appropriate music video, 🙂 and I think the bittersweet tone of the song goes with the above snippet from Apple Blossoms, as well as the tone of tomorrows story excerpt.

Now, I do not have an excerpt from any new story to share in today’s post because I am ‘between stories,’ but I will share a bit from a previously published story. However, that will come after I update you on my writing news.


If you saw the Friday Feature post last week, you will know that I have several books on sale from now until May 27, 2019. You can find the details about that sale here.

Continue reading Music Monday: Only You – Sinéad O’Connor (The Young Victoria)


Music Monday: Mayapple Road (Thad Fiscella)

“More, Mama! More!”

Thomas Prescott heard the small child’s squeal of delight before he rounded the bend in the path and saw her, a small bundle of excitement, dancing with her hands in the air attempting to catch the white petals falling from the apple tree above.

Thomas stopped where he was. He would eventually have to continue on his way, but he did not wish to disturb the child’s fun just yet. He would let her twirl and giggle for a few moments longer before intruding on her play.

“More, Mama!” the child pleaded when the shower of petals slowed.

“One last shake,” the lady, who must be the child’s mother, said from her perch on a bench beneath the apple tree. “But we must save some flowers so that we can make apple pies for Christmas.” Rising up on her toes, she grasped a branch and gave it a gentle shake. The flurry of white petals caused by the action was met with clapping hands, bouncing curls, and happy laughter.

[From Apple Blossoms, an original sweet Regency romance short story, and the Sweet Tuesdays story for the next four weeks]

Provided to YouTube by CDBaby, October 19, 2015.

The excerpt above is how the new Sweet Tuesdays story, Apple Blossoms, begins — with Mr. Prescott, a bachelor, meeting his new neighbours, Miss Abigail Watson and her mother the widow Watson. This short story will be shared in four parts, starting tomorrow.

Apple Blossoms is a short story of about six thousand words. It has a complete story arc (beginning, middle, end sort of thing). It has characters that are developed, and the main character does grow (learns something new to him). There is a desire that the main character has, as well as obstacles (of his own creation) to overcome. In other words, it is a complete story.

However, because of the short length, the plot of a short story has to be kept tight so there are no side plots, and the number of characters is limited as is the time frame and the number of problems. It should be a sweet little tidbit which will (hopefully) leave you with a smile and a sigh. I hope you will join me for this story starting tomorrow.

Apple Blossoms will be one of the stories eventually included in my next Nature’s Fury and Delights collection whenever I get the rest of the stories written. 😀 I have really fallen down on that goal for this year. I have an inspirational image selected for the next story for the collection, but that is as far as I have gotten with that project. There have just been so many other things needing attention.

Let me tell you about some of those other things which have claimed my time this past week:  Continue reading Music Monday: Mayapple Road (Thad Fiscella)


Music Monday: I Will Never Stop Trying (Emma and Knightley)

“Diana,” he called to his sister before he followed the Uptons into the library.

She turned toward him.

“I’m sorry.”

She stood looking expectantly at him.

“For making a mess of things.”

She smiled at him.

“You will tell Victoria that?

[from His Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella, and the current Sweet Tuesdays story]

Published to YouTube by xxnumber27xx on February 10, 2013.

Tomorrow’s chapter of His Darling Friend is the final chapter. The book will be going on pre-order tomorrow, and so, ahead of that, I have password protected most of the chapter posts so that Amazon will hopefully not flag the story as being available elsewhere and refuse to list it until the story is removed. The password for all protected chapters of His Darling Friend is ROGER2019.

In other writing news: Continue reading Music Monday: I Will Never Stop Trying (Emma and Knightley)