Music Mondays – Page 3

Music Monday: This I Promise You (Ronan Keating)

Published to YouTube by ronankeatingofficial

Today’s song choice is being paired with an excerpt from Her Heart’s Choice where Anne finally realizes what Alex has been promising her all along, and she can see her forever right there in front of her. However, will it be a realization which is just a little too late?

Her Heart’s Choice, Chapter 9 Excerpt

Mary stood between Rycroft and Kitty, waiting to welcome her new cousin and friend. “I am so happy to see you, Anne. I have wished for a visit from you, but Lady Sophia tells me you have been very busy with interviews.”

“I have,” Anne leaned close to Mary, “but it has not been enjoyable. They are all rather dull. I would much rather spend time with you and your sisters.”

Mary smiled and pulled Anne into an embrace. “Tomorrow, you must join us at the museum.”

“I would like that.” Anne felt a sigh of relief pass through her that she would not be subjected to yet another round of dull interviews.

Kitty took Anne’s hand. “You have not yet met our sister Lydia. I can assure you that our visit will be anything but dull with her along.”

Mary chuckled. “She has improved in the last month, but she is still Lydia.” A rather loud giggle was heard from the drawing room. “That is she. Lydia is rarely quiet. Come.” She wrapped her arm around Anne’s, ignoring the look of displeasure from her husband at being displaced by his cousin. “I will introduce you. Everyone else is here, so we are just beginning with some wine in the drawing room while we wait for our meal to be ready.”

“Georgiana was allowed to come,” said Kitty, “since we did not wish the men to outnumber the ladies.”

“Samuel invited some friends.” There was a hint of concern in Mary’s voice. “There was one he did not wish to invite, but things have changed, and it really could not be helped.”

Anne stopped walking. They were just outside the door to the drawing room, and she could clearly hear Alex’s voice. “And who might these guests be?” she asked, turning toward Rycroft.

Music Monday: My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose (Arr. Ešenvalds)

Happy New Year!

I am making a few changes to the Music Monday posts (which will cause some other changes on the blog). I’ll explain all that below.

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY VOCES8-TOPIC ON JANUARY 17, 2019

Every year as one year changes to the next, I evaluate what I am doing and look for ways to try to improve. Sometimes, I try new things. Sometimes, those new things work. Sometimes, they don’t. 🙂

Last year, I made a change to the blog and added Sweet Tuesdays. They have been going well, although, honestly, adding that third story to work on consistently with two others has been challenging. But it is a good challenge and has been worth the effort, I think. I plan to continue it.

This year, I am going to try shifting my writing news out of the Music Monday post and give it its own post called The Saturday Broadsheet. I’ve been typing up my weekly writing news for my mailing list for a couple of months now. I’ve been doing it on Thursdays, but the week isn’t over yet. There’s still one day of writing to be done. So, I think I will move writing those emails until Friday and then send them on Saturdays. If I am doing that for my mailing list, I should be able to easily copy out the information I want to post here on the blog on Saturdays at the same time.

This should (hopefully) streamline some things for me, and it should make my Monday posts focused more on the writing inspiration I find in music.

I figure it’s at least worth a try. If it doesn’t work, I can revert back to the way Monday posts have been, right?

I really don’t have a lot of writing news this Monday. I took a good bit of time off over the holidays — way more than I had intended to, but it was so good that I can’t really feel sorry I did it. 🙂 The only real writing-related thing that got done was my final proofread of Her Secret Beau. I’ll share details about the preorder and release and all that later this week. I would say Saturday — but…there will be a Friday Feature this week which is related to Her Secret Beau. 🙂

So, I’m not making any huge changes to the blog. Just a few small ones. You can let me know if you like them or loathe them in a month or so. 🙂 We have to try them for a while before we can say if we like them or not. That’s the rule. 🙂

Ok, so Mondays… I hope to bring you videos of music that inspires me while I am writing or which sparks writing ideas. I also want to highlight some of my already published works over the course of the year. (Did you know that Her Secret Beau will be the 43rd book I have published? I just need 9 more to cover a year of Mondays. Maybe by next year? LOL)

The video I shared today has a direct connection with one of the books I have written because Robert Burns’ poem “My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose” is a poem Darcy is reading in Netherfield’s library when a scheme is put into play to force him to marry Elizabeth.

Here’s how that scene goes. This lengthy excerpt is from Her Father’s Choice, Chapter 1.

Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)

“Do you know,” Walter continued as Grace took a seat on the bench, “that this was my favourite place when I was just a lad and came to visit my grandparents.”

“Was it really?” Grace smiled and ran a hand over the bit of slab next to her where he was about to sit. “It is a lovely bench, and the aspect from here is delightful.” She leaned toward him when he finally took a seat. “I am particularly fond of arched garden gates, and you can see the gate between the hedges quite perfectly from here. I imagine that the gate is even more delightful when all the flowers are in bloom.”

“It is,” Walter agreed. “And when the tree behind us is laden with leaves, there is something very cozy feeling about this place, almost as if one could hide here, which I must say, I have.”

“You have hidden here?”

Walter nodded. “When I was just a boy of about six, I used to curl into a ball under this very bench when playing hide-and-go-seek. Every time.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I would not advise using the same hiding place over and over if one has been found in it. It is the surest way to lose a game.”

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

Published to YouTube by Simply Three on February 27, 2014

Published to YouTube by SaraBethie on January 16, 2014

The top video is an instrumental piece and has been on my Music to Write By playlist for a long time — it was the first song added to that list. 🙂 The bottom video includes lyrics and is one of the videos on my Music Meets Movies playlist.

I thought the song was good for tomorrow’s chapter of Walter and Grace’s story as they are in the garden alone and in a special place in that garden. Hopefully, you will get a chance to read that chapter tomorrow — it’s a good one. (But then, aren’t they all? Well, not all of them include almost-kisses.)

There is also an Austen Authors post of mine you can read tomorrow. It’s more pictures than words 🙂 I’m sharing pictures from some of my summer fun, and I am hosting a giveaway as well.

Do you remember how I said last week that I should be able to have enough written of Addie’s story to start sharing from it? Well, things did not go as planned. LOL Continue reading Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)

Music Monday: Humble and Kind, Tim McGraw

TimMcGrawVEVO. “Tim McGraw – Humble And Kind (Official Video).”YouTube. YouTube, 21 Jan. 2016.

LINK BETWEEN MUSIC AND STORY:

It’s a rather short link between music and story this week. I am finishing the first stage of the editing process on a short novella, Finally Mrs. Darcy, that should be available in July. Part of the story revolves around a situation that requires forgiveness. There are a couple of lines that came out of my characters’ mouths that made me think of this song.

At one point near the end of the story when the person, who has wronged the hero and heroine, has finally realized the extent of the pain he has caused, he says that he would beg for forgiveness, but he is certain he does not deserve it. To which, the hero responds…

“You do not, but is forgiveness ever deserved?” asked Darcy. “Or is it a gift bestowed, and not easily so, by the one wronged?”

Then, a short while later, after more of the sad tale of what has happened in the past. The heroine gives this person some advice and shows him kindness. Again, he says that he does not deserve it. To which, Elizabeth, echoing Darcy’s sentiment says…

“Perhaps you do not, but does anyone ever deserve kindness, or is it a gift bestowed by the giver?”

Forgiveness, kindness…they are gifts. Things that we possess and can chose to give or withhold. And on the other side of the equation…things that we can chose to accept or reject. The choice to give or receive is ours.

~*~*~

If you would like a sneak peek at Finally Mrs. Darcy‘s first two chapters, they are available to read to those who have signed up for my newsletter. So, if you are on the list, check your email for the newsletter that gives you the link and password to the chapters. However, if you haven’t signed up, the link is over there <– under the menu.