Tag: Leenie B Books

July 11, 2026

Summer is in full swing for us here in Nova Scotia. School is out. My husband and the rest of the caretaker team at his school are scrubbing desks, dusting vents, washing windows, doing floor care and the like to wash away the residue from the last school year and get the place ready for the next one.

My husband has also decided to try his hand (and mine) at gardening. This year is about learning. So overcrowding when planting or not knowing how to stake things properly and using make do items and solutions is part of the fun. It’s not supposed to be perfect. Mistakes are expected. And you know, so far, it has been fun. 

Here’s an image of the container garden he’s created as it stands right now. The bug netting is not yet secured and we need one more length of it, but the hoops to hold it are in place. And yes, the potatoes (bottom left corner of pic) are being grown in cardboard boxes this year because he saw it on a YouTube video. 😀

And his plans for future beds and more plants keep expanding. He’s definitely enjoying the activity. Personally, I’d love to see the grass in the backyard mostly replaced with various beds of flowers, vegetables, and even fruit. But for now, it’s just a WIP (work in progress). 

Speaking of works in progress…

I am still working on Lydia’s story and it’s not going any faster than it was – which is frustrating but I am attempting to not be uptight about it. (I’m not really succeeding at not being uptight about it, but I am attempting to be. LOL) So, that’s my update there. Now, let’s move on to the other book news and then, I’ll share the next portion of Harriet and the Colonel’s story. 

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

And I have started to add the Touches of Austen series to ElevenReader. This week, I added Her Secret Beau, which brings the number of stories I have on ElevenReader to 58, and drops the number left to upload to 11. 

There are three more books in this series to upload. So, that should be done by the end of July. 

On YOUTUBE, the epilogue for Discovering Mr. Darcy posted yesterday. I have the full audiobook video ready to proof and schedule. And I will be starting to get the book ready to distribute, first, to my Patreons and then, to Spotify and all the stores that will take it. It will be listed for an introductory price until sometime in August. 

I will be taking a week off from posting on YouTube once the full audiobook is posted – to give me time to get the audiobook distributed to all the places – and then on July 31, I hope to begin sharing Not an Heiress as an Audiobook by the Chapter story on YouTube. 

BOOK NEWS

Book Promotions: 

This month’s series highlight is the Darcy Family Holidays series. This is the series that my current WIP is part of. 

As you can see I’ve reduced prices across the series for the month of July. That’s on all retailers and all currencies have been reduced, although the $1 drop is referring to USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, NZD, as is the $0.99 for A Scandal in Springtime. 

And the free read at Patreon is Two Days Before Christmas, which is also one of the two downloads for Patreon subscribers. 

If you’re a subscription reader, Patreon is just one of the subscription places where you can read my books. In addition to Patreon, my books, are included in the Kobo Plus and Everand subscription programs. 

So, what exactly are the stories in my Darcy Family Holiday’s stories about? I’m so glad you asked. Here you go: 

The Smashword Summer/Winter Sale is happening this month. All my books are marked at 50% off for this sale. This means that the Darcy Family Holidays books will be 50% off the reduced price, except for A Scandal in Springtime, which is free. 

Remember that Mary: To Protect Her Heart is still FREE until July 15. (You may have already downloaded this during the JAFF Bonanza, but in case you missed it then, you still have a couple of days to get it.) 

SOMETHING NEW TO READ 

We’re continuing to set things up with our story this month. Harriet has been busy trying to discover the identity of the man Wickham fears.

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to. 

• On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options. 
• On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page. 
• On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab. 

Chapter 2 (Part 2)

For two days after their tete-a-tete in the garden, Harriet and Samantha made the trip to the village to see and be seen, but most importantly to talk and listen to those they met.

As far as the two ladies knew from these excursions, there were three men who were not at their country estates as would be their normal wont. One had gone to visit his brother who had suffered an accident while riding. Another had inherited a second small estate and was seeing to the setting up of things there. And the third was in London overseeing the remodeling of his townhouse.

All seemed perfectly reasonable reasons to stray from the normal pattern of things. However, that was the best way to cover one’s true intent when one did not wish for that intent to be discovered.

But was that not what she and Samantha had been doing, Harriet thought as the two of them settled into the drawing room at home for an afternoon of sewing. With any luck today would prove to be beneficial to ferret out which fellow was attempting to cover his nefarious business.

A carriage had been spotted in the driveway twenty minutes ago, so it was no surprise when guests were announced.

“Mrs. Cooper, Miss Cooper, it is lovely to see you. Did the ribbon you purchased match your dress as you wished it to do?” Harriet said in greeting as her guests took their seats.

Mrs. Cooper was known for her dedication to all things newsworthy, and so, Samantha, being the excellent sister that she was, had made certain to let the lady know that Harriet would soon be returning to town to finalize wedding preparations.

“Oh, it is perfection!” said Mrs. Cooper. “I dare say Audrey is going to be very sought after in town this season, for she will be well turned out.”

“That is excellent news,” Harriet replied, though she really was not interested in what sort of fashionable clothing Miss Cooper had procured for her wardrobe – or that is to say, she was not overly interested. She was a lady, after all, and did enjoy beautiful clothing. However, she had a mission to complete, and information that would aid her in the completion of her task was of more interest. Therefore, these mundane topics of conversation were necessary.

“I do hope she will be as successful as you have been,” Mrs. Cooper added with a smile before turning to Samantha, who was embellishing a baby bonnet. “I see the lace you purchased is being put to good use.”  

Harriet made use of this turn in the conversation to request that lemonade and seed cakes be brought in.

“Yes, it is,” her sister replied. “And I do think that my husband will not mind it even if this child is a boy.” Samantha chuckled softly. “Julian loves a fine piece of lace on one of my dresses, but he has little tolerance for any such adornments on little boys’ gowns. He is the youngest of four you see, and his older siblings were all girls. He is just as handsome then as he is now, and resembles his sisters so greatly, that if you were to take away his mature features and build and replace it with something softer – as a young boy usually is – and allow his hair to grow and curl as it is most naturally wishes to do, you can likely understand his misgivings about his son being mistaken for a daughter.”

“Did that happen to him often when he was young?” Miss Cooper asked.

“Until he was breeched, and even after that, he often heard comments about how he was just as pretty as his sisters – who, by the by, are beautiful.”

“Well, then, it is very understandable that he would stress that there is a difference in some fashion, whether it be colour or the number of ruffles and amount of lace,” Mrs. Cooper said. “My husband has never concerned himself with anything our children wear. He leaves that entirely up to me. Indeed, I am often asked to recommend colours to him when he is ordering a suit of clothes.” She smiled softly. “He does not see colour as we do.”

“Oh, indeed!” her daughter cried. “But then, my brother is the same. At one time, I thought all boys saw things wrong when I was a girl, but that is not true. I know that now.” She paused as the refreshments were brought in. “You know, Mother, it was a maid who first heard me say that boys do not see things right and corrected me.”

“No, you never mentioned that to me. Was it one of our maids?”

Miss Cooper nodded. “Her name was Muriel.”

Mrs. Cooper gasped. “I remember her.” She looked at Harriet and Samantha and lowered her voice. “She was not with us long. She was a little too friendly with some of my son Ambrose’s friends.” She shook her head. “She was quite pretty so her attentions were not easily turned away by some young men.”

“Did you dismiss her?” Samantha whispered.

“We did. I will not tolerate such things in my home.”

“That is understandable.” And commendable, Harriet added to herself. “Do you know if she found another position?” She asked this as she made certain that everyone had both lemonade and a seed cake.

Mrs. Cooper sighed. “I heard she eventually went to London with the (family name). Why they would hire a maid who was known to cavort with the gentlemen of the house, I do not know. But then, their son and that one friend of Ambrose’s were known philanderers, so I should not be surprised. Oh, what was his name?”  

That was interesting as Mr. (name) was the fellow who was, presently, in town and not at his estate. But that could be a coincidence.

“Was it the dangerously charming fellow?” her daughter asked.

“It was indeed,” her mother replied.

“I was only twelve at the time,” she explained to her hosts. “But even at that age, I could tell that he was far too charming, but my, he was handsome. I dare say I have never seen any other gentleman who was as handsome as he was.” She sighed. “He was quite the dandy. A dandy named George something or other. I remember thinking his name was rather regal and fit him as the king of the charmers.” She laughed lightly.

“You do not remember his surname?” Harriet pressed.

She shook her head. “I do not. I think it started with a W or V maybe? I really could not say with any certainty, however. I just remember scribbling his initials on a scrap of paper and the last letter was one of the pointy ones. I never liked how I formed them, you see.”

And with that, Harriet knew she had found the piece of information she needed, but she could not let on to that fact, now, could she? So instead of smiling broadly and looking pointedly at her sister as she wished to do, she said, “It is not really important what his name is. I do not need to worry about whether or not to accept a dance from him this season, and you would know him to see him, so you are safe as well.”

“Oh, indeed, I would avoid him if I saw him,” Miss Cooper assured Harriet.

“That is excellent to know. When will you be making the trip to town?” Samantha said, deftly steering the conversation in a less exciting and more mundane direction.

---

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend! 

<3 Leenie

June 13, 2026

What have I been up to in the past month? 

Well, delivering Uber Eats orders, producing audiobook chapters, and trying to get my creativity unstuck so that I can write what needs writing. If you’d like more information about those things, including some research tidbits that I found interesting during my attempt to get unstuck, then, I would suggest that you pop over to the Sigh-worthy Romance Tearoom and read the post I made there on June 1 (which can be found here) .

Since that post was made, I’ve managed to write the next story installment for Harriet and the Colonel, which you will find at the end of this newsletter, and I’ve gotten a half chapter of Lydia’s story done. I know that’s not much, but it’s a start in the right direction, and I’m hopefully optimistic that the worst of being stuck is behind me. In fact, I hope to get that half chapter turned into a full chapter before you read this on Saturday. (I’m writing this on Thursday.) [Friday evening update: I did it! That chapter is complete!]

Continue reading The June 2026 Saturday Broadsheet

May 9, 2026

Last month, I was hoping that snow was a thing of the past for us here in Nova Scotia. It seems to be gone and has been replaced with a good amount of rain. 🙂 But then, it’s spring. 

The garden centres are setting up and opening/getting ready to open. Neighbours are out doing yard work or have bags of mulch laid out in their garden for easy distribution. Our lawn still lies ignored (maybe this weekend I’ll go pick up branches that have fallen off trees over the winter). The trees are ready to burst into full leaf mode. Right now they’re covered with buds. And my hostas are starting to poke up through the ground. 

My husband has some seedlings waiting to go into containers once things get a bit warmer. He’s starting a container garden this year. I’m leaving it to him because I’m much better at killing plants than keeping them alive. (Except my hostas – they thrive very well while being ignored.) Hopefully, his thumbs are greener than mine. LOL

Spring is definitely in the air (and puddles) at my house. It’s one of my favourite seasons. 

Despite the excitement of spring, things are ticking away as normal here. I’m still adjusting to doing more Uber Eats hours and refining how to balance that with writing and other life things. I’m still trying to catch up on things I’ve fallen behind on and, for the most part, failing to make as much progress as I hoped to have made. (But then, I always think I can do more than is reasonable. Just ask my husband. 😉 )

 But… I have managed to write another portion of Harriet and the Colonel’s story so there is that to look forward to at the end of this newsletter. So, let’s get on with all the book news things. 

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

This week, I gave the Dash of Darcy and Companions collection a la carte prices at ElevenReader. That was the last already uploaded series of books I need to do that for. So one thing has been crossed off the project list! WooHoo! 

Now, I can focus my attention there on getting new books added. Currently, I have 49 titles listed with ElevenReader. 

Frosted Windowpanes is now available at several stores and library catalogues as well as on Spotify. The introductory price is 50% off what the regular price will be after May 31. 

On YouTube, I have begun to share Discovering Mr. Darcy by the chapter as I work my way through getting that book ready to release as a full audiobook. 

BOOK NEWS

Book Promotions: 

As you can see, my Willow Hall series is on special this month. 

This series begins with a prequel to Pride and Prejudice (in book one) before jumping ahead in the P&P timeline to the summer after Darcy’s Hunsford proposal to take events in a new direction (in book two). 

Book three, So Very Unexpected, is the $0.99 book of the month. 

Fleeing the potential of a forced marriage, Lydia Bennet escapes into the night. Lost in the woods, she finds refuge in a cottage—and its heir, Marcus Dobney. Discover an unexpected Lydia in a variation where love is the most astonishing discovery of all.

Earlier this week, I submitted Lydia’s story for a promotion spot in a paid promotions newsletter, and I needed a short (270 characters or less) blurb about the book. The above is what I came up with. 

If you haven’t read this book yet, the bulk of the story is about Lydia finding refuge in Marcus. How he and others see her is not how her family has always seen her. Here, in Derbyshire, these strangers get a glimpse of the real Lydia that has always hidden behind her often brash and silly facade. I’m not saying she’s not still silly at times and prone to brashness. I’m just saying there’s more to her than meets the eye. 

I hope, if you haven’t given this story a try yet, that you’ll consider doing so, but please be aware that in this story, we see the other Bennets through Lydia’s eyes, and she is JEALOUS of Lizzy – particularly Lizzy’s relationship with their father. So if you struggle to abide someone thinking of Lizzy as less than a paragon, gird your loins if you chose to read this story. 😀 

Book one, And Then Love, is the free read at Patreon for May, and it and Lydia’s story are the two downloads available to my paid subscribers. 

If you’re a subscription reader, Patreon is just one of the subscription places where you can read my books. In addition to Patreon, my books, including the full Willow Hall series, are included in the Kobo Plus and Everand subscription programs. 

Bookish Fun: 

In case you missed my email/post last week, I created two Willow Hall online jigsaw puzzles to add to my collection of Bookish Fun items. I see that they’ve been played a few times and that someone has even beat my time on one of them. 🙂 

Find links to those puzzles in that original post here. 

SOMETHING NEW TO READ 

We’re continuing to set things up with our story this month. Hopefully, this section will help you settle into what could possibly be happening in this story. 

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to. 

• On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options. 
• On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page. 
• On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab. 

Chapter 1 (Part 2)

“How so?” Edmund asked with no little amount of interest. Indeed, at the moment, her brother looked to be as interested as Harriet felt. It was quite the change from his normal feigned look of nonchalance in the face of something of interest. Perhaps the country was beginning to bore him just as it was her.

“As you know, we have not caught the traitor we seek, and Wickham believes he can succeed where we have failed. He has told me in confidence that he has information that could be helpful, but he is unwilling to reveal what he knows without some guarantee of protection.” Samuels leaned back in his chair. “For how many months have we circled around and around with what we know? We have visited places and spoken to people but with little progress.” He blew out a breath and shook his head. “I have begun to think we may be doing more harm than good.”

“Are you concerned that your activity may drive the person we seek into deeper hiding,” Harriet said.

Samuels nodded. “We have been careful, but it is anyone’s guess whether the care we have taken is enough or not.”

“It should be,” Edmund said.

“But there is a chance that it is not – especially recently,” Samuels said. “Wickham has been with us on several occasions, and he is not unknown in many of the places we have visited.”

One of Harriet’s eyebrows arched of its own accord at that. Samuels had every reason to be concerned if that were the case for it begged the question of if they were truly searching for some unknown agent, or if they were leading the villain around and around on some merry chase that would never end. Simply because he was the one helping create the chase.

“How do we know that Wickham is not the traitor?” she asked.

Both her brother and Samuels turned to her in surprise.

“He did help procure some of the maids who ended up carrying information across the channel, did he not?” she added.

“He did,” her brother agreed, “And I suppose we do not know that he is not the traitor.” He shook his head. “But it is unlikely since he was not disposed of when he was first captured.”

Harriet pressed her lips together. She was not as convinced by that fact as her brother sounded to be.

“That is a good sign,” Samuels said as he held Harriet’s gaze as if he knew she was questioning exactly what she was questioning. “But not conclusive.”

Perhaps he did know what she had been thinking.

“Wickham is not a stupid fellow,” he continued, “but I do not think he has the skill to be the person for whom we are looking.”

“Then, why is he just now offering information?” There was something not right with this situation. Harriet could not put her finger on what it was, but there was small battalion of butterflies dancing in her stomach.  And that was a sure sign that something was off.

A smile curled Samuels lips, and his eyes danced as if where chuckling to himself. “He claims that he pieced the information together after our last card game at a particular tavern. It was something he had suspected for a while, but he did not want to say anything until he could have more than a feeling on which to base his conclusions.” Samuels shrugged. “I know he is a questionable informant, but he is the one we have been saddled with.”

“What does the colonel say –?”

“I came to you first.” Samuels answered before Edmund could finish his question. “He will be back in London in three days. You will not be unless your plans change.”

Edmund’s eyebrows rose. “Will you be back in London soon?”

“If we follow the lead Wickham has, it appears we will be. But then, we knew that, eventually, we might end up there or further south. The paths we have traversed up here all seem to point to town – just as we expected them to do.”

“Then, you do not think that whomever we are looking for is in the country for the summer?” Harriet asked.

Samuels shook his head. “Not any longer.”

“He is not at his estate?” Edmund asked.

“Who is not at his estate?” Harriet asked.

Her brother laughed. “Do you mean to tell me that there is something about this case that you have not yet deduced?”

Harriet’s head tipped as a thought struck her. “You were canvassing Derbyshire because Wickham is from there. There was no other reason for it. That is the piece of information that directed you north this summer.”

Samuels inclined his head indicating that her reasoning was correct. “Very few know that. In fact, Wickham has no idea that we are attempting to follow all his connections.”

“Which is why he is known everywhere you go! And that makes it more difficult to keep secrets.”

“And it is why the colonel could not be included in our activities,” Samuels added. “We could not have him and Wickham seen together.”

Harriet chuckled. “That would be like lighting a beacon on a hill.”

“Indeed,” Edmund muttered before standing and pacing to the window and back. “If he is not in the country, then, there has to be a reason for him to be in town.”

“Who?” Harriet asked again.

Edmund only shook his head. “It is best if you do not know just yet.”

Harriet pressed her lips together once again. This time to keep an indignant retort to herself.

“We cannot ruin a man’s reputation without sufficient proof,” her brother added. “Therefore, the fewer who know his name…” He let the rest of the thought explain itself in Harriet’s mind.

Tarnishing the name of an innocent man had to be considered carefully. Harriet could not fault her brother for taking care with that. A reputation that was damaged – whether with cause or not – was a very hard thing to restore.

“I will meet the colonel on the road, so that he will know he is needed at Lillesley house,” Edmund said. “I know the inns he stops at along the way from Matlock to town.”

“How soon are we leaving?” Harriet asked as she rose from her chair.

“We are not leaving,” her brother said with some force. “I am leaving. You will not leave any earlier than planned. It is not unusual for a gentleman to go to town while the ladies stay in the country, but if we all up sticks and leave before expected, it would be noticed.”

Harriet sighed. He was right. And she hated that he was. It was enough to make her scowl and shake her head.

“If things can be arranged with our sister’s husband,” Edmund added in a gentler tone, “then, you may return to town a week early to see to some wedding preparations – at least, that will be the story.”

---

Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend! 

<3 Leenie

April 11, 2026

Guess what? 

I started a new Harriet and the Colonel story. (Chapter 1, part 1 is at the bottom of this newsletter.) That’s an accomplishment that I’m sure you’ll all be interested in. 

The start of that story is not my only accomplishment since the last Saturday Broadsheet. 

I have also “graduated” from physiotherapy. Okay, so the physio said I was released, but graduated sounds better. 🙂 That means that I will still keep doing my exercises and increasing my activity, but I don’t have to return for an appointment unless I have questions. I now have the skills necessary to keep progressing. 

Also…

I think (fingers crossed) that snow is basically a thing of the past here in Nova Scotia. (Although we did have a dusting just this past Tuesday night.) Yay! For springy feeling spring weather!

And…

 I am continuing to work on balancing my writing time with my Uber Eats delivery time. I’ve actually been able to add a bit of time to those delivery dates without too many symptoms flaring – and the symptoms after a bit of pushing to add more time and activity seem to be decreasing rather than increasing. However, it does take purposeful balancing of rest and recovery time after a longer session. But, truly, it’s a hopeful sign and a welcome addition for my finances. 

Progress! A good bit of progress going in the up and to the left direction as is desired (which feels like spring, too). 

And speaking of progress, below are updates on my books and audiobooks, as well as info about some promotions and book fun that I’ve got on the go.  

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

Yesterday, I posted the complete audiobook video for Frosted Windowpanes on YouTube, and I have shared a download link for it with my $2 and above patrons on Patreon. 

Next week, I will get that audiobook listed on Spotify and InAudio. It will be discounted by 50% until the end of the month. 

I have not gotten any new books added to ElevenReader in the past month, and I am still working on marking books already on that platform with an a la carte price. The most recent set of books to be priced is my Teatime Tales collection. Each of those titles are now available for $2.99 to those who would prefer to pay per book rather than subscribe. 

BOOK NEWS

Writing News: 

I don’t have much to share here. Lydia’s story is slowly progressing, and I’m getting to know the characters better. But it is taking longer to get written than I had planned. I’m hoping with the way my body is adjusting better and better to the longer Uber hours, that writing will start to become a bit easier again. 

Book Promotions: 

I have a new book promotion to tell you about that was not in the post/email I shared with you all last week. Just this week, I was informed that Listen to Your Heart was selected to be part of Kobo’s Spring/Autumn Reading Campaign in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand (and Canada, since I had to input a sales price for Canada when submitting info). 

Since this is not a coupon sale, I have marked the book down to $0.99 in Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand at all my retailers. 

This promotion runs from April 10-26. 

As a reminder these ^^ are the book promotions, which I’ve already shared with you, and can be found on my book promotions page. 

Besides being available to purchase at the usual places (and at the current promotional prices), there are some budget friendly ways to enjoy the Touches of Austen Series.

It is available to read as part of your Everand, Kobo Plus, or Patreon subscription (Patreon subscriptions are pay what you want, starting at $2 USD). 

It can also be read in the form of two box sets via Hoopla. (They have four of the single titles on Hoopla but not all of them. I seriously don’t know how Hoopla decides which books they publish. All my books have been submitted to them for a looooong time now.) 

And this series is also available in several eBook library catalogues, including OverDrive.

So, lots of options for accessing my books. 

Bookish Fun: 

This is a new thing that I’m trying. 

This month, my planned book promotions highlight my Touches of Austen series. The stories in that series are original sweet Regency romances which have been touched with inspiration by Jane Austen’s work. 

It’s honestly not my highest selling series – so it has plenty of room for new readers. 🙂 But, it’s one that I love. In fact, I just reread Her Secret Beau this week. It had me laughing and tearing up as I read. 

I mean, that scene where Walter suggests that his friend could be a murderer and Grace’s reaction to that – I dare you not to chuckle at least once during it. I know I wrote it, but I still enjoy it. And it had been a while since I had visited Bath with Grace and Walter.

This is one of the things I like about highlighting a series of books each month – it brings me back to stories I might not have thought about in a while. 

I still want to add more books to that series, but… that has to wait a while. I have other series to complete first. 

With all that said, here are two bits of fun that I created from a list of words from my Touches of Austen books. The first one you probably already know about. It’s a heart-shaped wordsearch that you can print out or complete online (a free account is needed to save your progress). 

The second one is a crossword puzzle that I made using many of the same words from the wordsearch. (So the answers can be found in that word list) 

I thought making a crossword would help put those words into context as it applies to my Touches of Austen series, and it might even spark some interest in the stories if you haven’t read them. 

SOMETHING NEW TO READ 

As I mentioned at the start of this newsletter, I have actually started a new Harriet and the Colonel story. I have absolutely no idea where this story is going or how it will get there. Like none. Zero. But it’s started. 

(Okay, so I do know that eventually, there will be a wedding, but that’s it.) 

I hope you enjoy this beginning, but please know that the answer to “what happens next”  in reply to the somewhat cliffhanger-y ending is unknown to me, too, at this moment. But I’m sure it will be good… right? 

Please remember that there are sections where previous chapters from all the Harriet and the Colonel stories can be read on whichever platform you subscribe to. 

• On my blog, look for Harriet and the Colonel in the menu options. 
• On Substack, look for the Harriet and the Colonel section on the home page. 
• On Patreon, look for On the Way to a Wedding in the collections tab. 

(PS I couldn’t remember if I gave Samantha’s husband a name in previous stories and have not had time to go back to check. Therefore, I’ve used [name] to hold the place where I need to put his name.)

Chapter 1 (part 1)

“Life is very dull in the country,” Harriet complained to her sister, three-weeks after she had been allowed to help find a missing maid.

Samantha laughed. “But the air in the country is so much better than in town during the summer.” She rested a hand on her ever-growing abdomen. “And I am allowed to put my feet up without a pair of stockings in sight.” She wiggled her toes where her feet rested on a tufted footstool.

“I am quite certain that you could do that in town as well,” Harriet grumbled. “However, I will allow that the air in the country is better.” She rose and walked to the open window that faced south – the exact direction in which they would need to travel to return to town in two-week’s time or so.

“I am very glad that you were able to come to Papa’s estate for a time. Your being here does make things a trifle less dull.” She shot a mischievous smile over her shoulder at her sister. “But you truly can do so little now that you have decided to be a mother.”

Samantha clucked her tongue. “Just you wait, Miss Everything Should Be an Adventure, your time of feeling quite miserable and motherly are not so far off.”

“Is it truly dreadful?”

“It is just so hot – or I am, at least,” her sister replied.

There was a breeze blowing through the window, but it was a warm summer day. Not overly hot, but undoubtedly warm. 

“I declare this child is going to be just like his or her father.” Samantha continued. “(Name) is always warm – even in the depths of winter. I am certain that is what is making me overly warm. I am carrying a human furnace.”

Harriet chuckled at that. “Do you wish to go for a walk in the grass? Or perhaps we could procure a large basin of water and sit in the shade with our feet in it?” She held up a finger to keep her sister from answering as she leaned forward to better see the rider who was approaching.

“What is it?” Samantha whispered as she placed her feet on the ground and pushed up from her chair.

“A rider.”

“Is it the Colonel, returned from his visit to Hertfordshire?”

Harriet shook her head. “He will be returning from there to town.” And that was likely why she was finding it difficult to entertain herself for this past week. She missed Richard – more than she missed any sort of adventure.

“Perhaps it is a letter,” her sister offered.

“It could be that.” It was a hopeful thought that one of them might have something of interest to read and perhaps a bit of news to share with the other. “I think…” she leaned a bit further forward. “I think that is Samuels.”

“Who is Samuels?” Samantha asked.

“He frequents the little library at Lillesley house.” She tipped her head. “But why is he alone? I thought he was supposed to be watching that Wickham fellow.”

“The horrible kidnapper?” Samantha whispered. These were things her sister was not supposed to know but did. It was for her own safety that Harriet had shared a few details of what had happened in London before they had left. Edmund might carry around secrets that posed dangerous to his sisters, but Harriet would not. This was Samantha after all. The woman was capable of keeping a few names and details to herself.

“Yes.” Harriet moved toward the door to the sitting room. “We will require some refreshment for ourselves and our guest,” she said to the butler. “And please see that my brother is made aware that his presence is required in the drawing room. His office is far too stuffy at this time of day.”

“Why am I needed in the drawing room?” the very brother, of whom she spoke, said from the grand staircase.

“Did you not hear that we are to have a guest? And I am afraid there is no little library here.”

He frowned at her. “A guest?”

She nodded. “Do come down here so that we can speak more privately.” She could see him sigh. It was not a dramatic lifting and lowering of his shoulders, but they had risen and fallen.

“You do know that I am still the master of this house and my professional domain, do you not?” he grumbled when he had reached her.

“Of course, I do, but I am not about to make Samuels sit in your stuffy study when he has had to ride in the sun for who knows how long to get here.”

“Samuels is here?” Edmund hurried across the room to the window.

Harriet allowed him to verify her words without saying anything. It was an impressive feat, if she did say so herself.

“We cannot speak freely here,” Edmund said to her as he darted a look towards Samantha.

“I can keep a secret,” Samantha said. “But if you prefer, I can take myself to my room. Truly, I would not mind at all as I am not required to remain dressed there.” She wiggled the neckline of her gown as if trying to cool herself with it. “Yes,” she said very decidedly. “That is just what I need. I will go to my room and have a rest with a cool cloth and a tray of my very own refreshments.”

She gave her brother’s cheek a kiss and left the room.

“Mr. Wickham is not with him,” Harriet said as they stood watching Samuels dismount his horse.

“I noticed that. I am not blind, nor have I forgotten that he was assigned to Samuels.” He turned toward the door to the drawing room and waited for it to open. “I am sure he will explain himself.”

“Good day, Lord Lillesley, Miss Phillips,” Samuels said with a bow upon entering the room.

“Please, make yourself comfortable. We will have some refreshments soon.” Harriet took herself back to the chair she had abandoned out of boredom not so very long ago. “Edmund.” She motioned to the chair Samantha had been sitting in.

“I am rather dusty,” Samuels said.

“Well, that is a problem, but not one without a solution.” Harriet rose, retrieved a blanket from a sideboard, and handed it to the man. “This will be easier to clean than the chair.”

“Why do you have blankets in that cupboard?” Edmund asked.

“Because there is no little library,” Harriet replied. “And your study is stuffy at times.” She turned back to Samuels who was arranging the blanket on the chair before taking a seat. “Your companion did not join you?”

“You mean Wickham?” he asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

Samuels chuckled. “I was not about to bring him here. You and your brother might not mind it, but the colonel would be livid. Do not worry, I did not leave him unattended. However…” He was seated, and leaning forward lowered his voice. “He is the reason I am here.” 

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Thank you so much for being my readers! Have a lovely weekend! 

<3 Leenie

March 14, 2026

Do you remember playing on a merry-go-round playground toy like this? 

I do. Except the bottom of the toy I played on was metal like the bars in this image. 

I remember trying to hang on as the thing spun faster and faster. 

I remember trying to walk a straight line after getting off and not succeeding. 

I even remember spinning children on it during recess when I was a brand new teacher – and not releasing my grip on the bar before stopping my run and injuring my shoulder. (Actually, I injured both shoulders since I hurt one side and then used the other arm to spin it again and did the same thing. I have special talents when it comes to doing dumb things LOL) 

Well… currently, I feel like life is spinning like one of these toys and I am desperately trying to hang on while my fingers are slipping. There’s just a lot going on. Writing and audiobook projects that need attention, business admin stuff that must be done, including tax prep stuff, March break changes to schedules, royalties that keep sliding into the abyss and requiring more time spent attempting to earn more doing Uber Eats deliveries… and so on, and so on. 

The question is how do I exit the ride without injury? I’m not sure I have the complete answer to that just yet, but one thing that I have reluctantly decided to do is allow myself some time to contemplate the new portion of Harriet and the Colonel’s story rather than just diving straight in. So, there isn’t a new installment of that story this month. In fact, I don’t have any new story at the end of this email. Sorry. 

I’m nearly convinced that just giving myself room to breathe on this will help reset things at a more manageable pace. Or it will, at least (hopefully), give me some space to step back and gather my thoughts before jumping back in with a plan. 

Pauses and plans often bring me peace, and I think that’s what I need this month. I need to reset my peace. It’s probably something I need to do more often. It’s not something that comes naturally to me, at least not yet. 🙂 

I am still only two chapters into Lydia’s story, and I’ve fallen behind on my audiobook production schedule. Those two things need fixing first since they are my priority goals (one chapter of each per week) for this year. 

That’s where I am this month. It doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t have some book news for you below, which will include an excerpt from Lydia’s story so you can meet our hero – Mr. Waller. So, let’s dive in beginning with…

THIS MONTH IN THE SWR TEAROOM

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

Two Days Before Christmas is now available at several retailers, and it has been submitted to several library catalogues. I have not been notified of publication in those catalogues just yet. 

As you can see, I have listed the audiobook for purchase at a discount until the end of March. Those prices are about 50% off what the regular price will be in April. 

As of yesterday, I have a new by-the-chapter story posting on YouTube. That story is Frosted Windowpanes, one of my Nature’s Fury and Delights novelettes that is set in my Willow Hall world and has been touched with some inspiration from Persuasion. 

I have also added two new titles to ElevenReader (Matching Mr. Darcy and Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary), though they may or may not have passed the approval phase by the time you read this. I waited a while to do that because they combined the ElevenReader for Authors site with the Elevenlabs platform, and I wanted to give a few weeks to allow for bugs to get worked out before trying to publish any books there. 

In case you’re wondering, ElevenReader is an audiobook platform/app where I upload my eBooks, and subscribers can listen to them using a digital voice of their choosing. My books are not offered on there as produced audiobooks. It’s simply a way for me to make my books available more quickly in an audio format for those who prefer or need it. 

When I uploaded these two new titles, I did discover that I can offer my books both as part of their subscription and at a set price for those who don’t want to subscribe but would rather just purchase the book for their library (aka a la carte). 

I will be going back through the books already uploaded to set up the a la carte purchasing option. This will mean that whatever books I am working on will be unavailable for a couple of days while I republish them with the new purchase price. 

BOOK NEWS

As always I have a few book promotions happening. This month, my book promotions are all focused on my Darcy And… collection of stand alone Pride and Prejudice variations. 

This month With the Colonel’s Help is reduced in price to $0.99 USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP, EUR, with all other currencies also reduced. Or download it as part of your paid Patreon membership. 

Through Every Storm, which is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice and focuses on (a swoony, reformed) Wickham and Lydia (who is still in need of reform), is the free read on Patreon this month for free followers, or if you upgrade to paid, it is also available as a download as part of your membership. 

I do have one special freebie that is not related to my Darcy And… collection, but you’ll have to scroll to the bottom of the page to hear about that. 

SOMETHING NEW TO READ

Last month, I shared with you the character paragraph that Chat GPT gave me. This paragraph organized my scattered thoughts about the hero into a cohesive piece of writing that I can read before I begin writing to reset in my mind who I want him to be. (Again, while this paragraph was generated by Chat, it contains only items that came from my mind. Chat was just used as an organizational assistant for this.) 

Here’s what Chat wrote based on the information I fed it. 

One thing to remember about him is that he’s not a new character. 

Benjamin Waller is a side character in three of my already published books: A Scandal in Springtime (Darcy Family Holidays, book 3), Tom: To Secure His Legacy (Other Pens, book 4), and Mary: To Protect Her Heart (Other Pens, book 3). 

However, in Lydia’s story (yes, it still needs a title) we’ll get to know him much better. 

And here, just like last month, is an excerpt from my work in progress, showing how that paragraph description of Mr. Waller begins to play out on the page from his point of view in chapter two. 

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Because Ben is first introduced to us in Mary: To Protect Her Heart, I have created a special private coupon to make it free until March 18 on Smashwords. This coupon code is not public, so you will need to copy it to the checkout page.

Your code to get Mary: To Protect Her Heart free is DQFT2

Please note: While it is a private (non-public) coupon, feel free to share it with friends if you would like. 

HOW TO USE YOUR COUPON CODE: 

• Go  to the book page here. 

• Click “Buy Book” (yellow button).

• Add coupon code to the white box on the Shopping Cart page.

• Click “Update Cart” 

• Price should now show as $0.00 so you can complete your purchase. 

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And that’s it for this month! Thank you for being my readers, and have a great weekend.

<3 Leenie