Mansfield Park – Page 4

Music Monday: Tears of Joy (Joe Bongiorno)

It was lovely to be off the road again, and this inn was a touch nicer than yesterday’s, but none of that truly soothed her as it would have on her trip to Bath. Several days on the road when anticipating adventure were much easier to endure than the same number of days spent travelling while one’s heart was breaking.

She closed her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek, and she brushed it away quickly.

“Are you still so disappointed?” her mother asked from where she sat at a table with her needlework spread out. Felicity was flopped across the bed, and their father was below stairs, likely talking with some gentlemen at the bar.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by Piano Haven – Sedona on June 16, 2011.

I chose to share this song from my Spotify Music to Write By playlist because of the title. Tears and joy will be present in this week’s story offerings on both Tuesday and Thursday. 🙂 We only have three chapters left of each story, so the happy conclusion is upon us. Continue reading Music Monday: Tears of Joy (Joe Bongiorno)

Music Monday: Beauty of Grace, Thad Fiscella + a Free Book Day

He would have to present himself empty-handed to Grace, and that fact did not sit well with him. He had promised to discover what he could, and he had done exactly that. Yet, the fact that all he could discover was nothing did not seem a fitting way to keep such a promise. Grace would want to know more. She was a curious, caring sort. In his opinion, she owed her sister little, but Grace’s heart would not see it that way. No matter how much she disagreed or disapproved of her sister, Grace would do what she could to protect her sister from harm.

He chuckled, causing his horse’s ears to twitch in his direction.

“I was just thinking about your new mistress,” he said to his horse. “She is a unique lady.”

The horse blew a breath through its lips.

“I tell you she is. You will understand once you meet her.”

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by Thad Fiscella – Topic on October 19, 2015.

The song selection this week is a bit of a play on words as I have read the story behind the writing of this song by the composer, and he was thinking of the beauty of God’s grace when he wrote it. Obviously, in the excerpt from tomorrow’s story above, Mr. Blakesley is thinking about the things which make Grace beautiful to him — not as it refers to her outer physical beauty but as it refers to her unique character — those things which make her, her. In that reflection, there is a hint of unmerited favour (aka grace) that makes up who Walter’s Grace is. So, being a teacher and a pastor’s daughter, I could likely draw that out into some sort of lesson, but I won’t. I’ll just let you ponder it and listen to this beautiful piece of music which has played nearly every day during my writing time this week.

During my writing time this week, my writing was focused on finishing Grace’s story. I’m almost there. I think one more chapter will do it (but then I thought that when I sat down to write the last chapter, so… LOL) It looks like both Mary’s and Grace’s stories will conclude during the first week of November. Continue reading Music Monday: Beauty of Grace, Thad Fiscella + a Free Book Day

Music Monday: Arwen’s Vigil, Original Tune (The Piano Guys)

…Grace sat up. Her heart was racing. “Why? What has happened? Tell me what has happened.”

Mrs. Love wrung her hands together – which Grace noticed were not gloved. Her mother never left her house without a pair of gloves on her hands. Something was most certainly wrong…

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by ThePianoGuys on November 12, 2013.

I’m going to leave these here just in case anyone needs one or two of them this week when reading story updates. We’ve come to that part of each story. The good news is that it’s always darkest before the dawn — so the happy ending is coming… soon… ish. 😉

That is also why I picked a song with a melancholy tone for this week. It seems to fit the feel of the stories.

Now, for my writing news, which isn’t all that much this week. That does not mean I did not write A LOT this past week. I did. It just all happened to be for the same story. Continue reading Music Monday: Arwen’s Vigil, Original Tune (The Piano Guys)

Music Monday: So Happy Together (Northanger Abbey) + a Free Book Day

Mrs. King tilted her head and smiled at him as a proud mother might gaze upon a child who had done something of merit. “Now, see, Miss Grace, this is why I thought you should set your cap at him instead of Mr. Norman.” She shrugged. “But, it seems you were correct, and he is not free.”

No, he was not free. His heart was irrevocably gone both now and forever.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by AnneDarcy on January 8, 2008.

We’re stepping back a few decades for today’s song. I remember hearing this when I was young, but even then, it was not a new song. 🙂 However, it is a fun and uplifting song, perfect for a Monday morning.

I’m just going to jump right into my writing news as there is a good bit of it. Continue reading Music Monday: So Happy Together (Northanger Abbey) + a Free Book Day

Music Monday: Safe in Your Embrace (Kevin Kern) + a Free Book Day

On the list of all the people who were not to know about Mr. Blakesley, her sister sat at the top.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by Luisa Moreta Pérez on November 16, 2014

Today, I am only sharing one line from tomorrow’s story — but I think it is a good tantalizing line. 🙂 What do you think?

I’m also just plucking a song off my Music to Write By playlist because I listened to it several times this week while writing. And I did get a good bit of writing done this week.

I have reached the end of Addie’s story, but this one is going to need more work in the editing department than most of my stories do. I talk a bit more about why that is in tomorrow’s Austen Authors post. So, for the curious, you can find out there. 😉

To get to the end of Addie’s story and then figure out why it didn’t feel right meant that Addie’s was the only story I wrote on last week, so I am going to have to focus on my Tuesday and Thursday stories this week or next week there might not be anything to post. Yikes! 🙂

In other book-related news, I have two promotions happening this week. Continue reading Music Monday: Safe in Your Embrace (Kevin Kern) + a Free Book Day