I’m trying some changes. Here’s what they are and why.
Have you ever been so tired that you put the jar of protein powder in the fridge instead of in the cupboard next to the fridge? I have been. Several times lately.
The lockdown is taking its toll. Later this month, I will get to return for an appointment with my osteopath. I have not seen her or any of the health care team at her clinic for more than 6 months now. This, coupled with just the stresses we all face during our current world situation, has not done my health any favours. Much of the progress we had been making on correcting some sleep issues while still keeping me relatively free from pain (I have some disc issues) has been lost.
I know that getting in to see my healthcare team will be even trickier now as appointments per day for the clinic are being restricted due to health measures that are in place. This means it will be a while before a regular pattern of treatments will resume for me.
With this in mind, I am looking at ways to adjust, rearrange, and/or lessen my workload, thereby easing some of the stress on my body at least for the summer months and possibly longer if I find the changes work well. Rest assured that creating stories for you to read will remain my priority.
Trust me. Cutting back is not something I find easy to do (I am a bit of a workaholic), but I know it is necessary. Here are the changes I have planned at this time:
Before we get into the writing news for this week, I wanted to say that I know the past nearly two weeks have been fraught with strife for my American readers, relations, and friends. You have and will continue to be in my prayers, and I want you to know that I will continue to strive, as I always have, to demonstrate through my actions and words my love and respect for you all.
Writing News
So far this week, I have written one chapter of Protecting Miss Darcy. That’s it. That’s all I wrote. 🙂 I hope to have time later today (Friday) to write another chapter of something.
My reason for such a low amount of writing this week was editing. I finished my first round read-through of Matching Mr. Darcy and have sent that off to my sister for her critique.
Publishing News
Sneak peek time!
By this time next week, I expect to have preorder information for Matching Mr. Darcy to share with you. If you’d like to see the book cover and read the first (unfinalized) chapter of this book, you can find both of those things at this link.
Can you believe this is the final Saturday of May? That means we have almost survived another month of 2020. 🙂 At times, it feels like time is dragging, but then, I immerse myself into my work, and, when I look up, I’m surprised at how much time has passed. I hope you are finding ways to make 2020 enjoyable and find the beauty in life despite any restrictions which still remain where you are. Below, is an update on the enjoyable, writing-related things that take up a large portion of each of my days. 🙂 And at the end, as my something extra, I have included one way I am attempting to add beauty to my life on social media.
Writing News
I don’t have any excerpts of writing to share with you this week because I don’t want to give anything away in either story that I am writing. So, this will be a short and kind of boring 🙂 update on how my works in progress are progressing.
In my writing time, so far, I have written one chapter each of Protecting Miss Darcy and Her Convenient Forever. I’m actually planning to get one more chapter of Protecting Miss Darcy before the week is over.
I selected this video to pair with a chapter of His Irreplaceable Belle, which publishes tomorrow, because that Touches of Austen story contains touches of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
The late afternoon sun felt wonderful and warming as Fritz turned his face towards it. The brightness that filtered through his eyelids was restorative. It had always drawn him forward from his often deep ponderings with a cheerfulness that was unparalleled by anything else, save for the smile of a particular lady.
However, he was not sitting in the garden to think about Belle. He was here to clear his mind and turn it towards the task at hand – finding a wife who was not Belle.
He drew a deep breath and released it. But neither the freshness of the spring air nor the intensity of the sun could chase away the dark shadow of sadness that passed across his heart at the thought.
“Mr. Norman.”
Fritz straightened himself and opened his eyes. “Mrs. Blakesley.” He stood.
“Please call me Grace. I think we will be good enough friends for such familiarity.” Grace Blakesley took a seat on the bench next to where Fritz had been leaning backward and enjoying the sunshine. “My husband does not mind if you call me by my Christian name, do you, Walter?”
Walter Blakesley chuckled as he shook his head. Was there a happier man in all of Bath? Fritz was certain he had not seen one – not even Mr. Clayton and Mr. Shelton, who were each, without a doubt, happily and contentedly married and awaiting the arrival of a child, shone quite like Blakesley did. Joy effused every part of Blakesley’s person.
“You may call my wife whatever she wishes for you to call her.”
“I hate to disappoint your wife, but I may have to insist upon Mrs. Blakesley,” Fritz said. “I assume you will not be discharging me as your physician, Blakesley, will you be?”
Blakesley guffawed. “And give up the best physician in Bath? I think not!”
A rather grumbly part of Fritz’s mind wished that people would stop referring to him as the best physician.
“Then, I assume you will also call on me if Mrs. Blakesley should ever be in need of care?”
“Of course.” The answer was given without a moment’s pause.
“In that case, Mrs. Blakesley, I will have to insist upon calling you Mrs. Blakesley. It would be too improper for us to be on friendlier terms.”
Mrs. Blakesley scowled. “I do not see why it should be considered improper.”
“There are many strictures which might seem ridiculous and yet we must abide by them. I would not wish to be thought of as unprofessional or lacking in decorum in any fashion.”
Mrs. Blakesley’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, yes, right. I completely understand.” She paused to peek at her husband who had finally taken a seat next to her rather than standing and surveying their surroundings.
The man was incurably curious.
“Mrs. Blakesley is a lovely name,” his friend’s wife said happily. “I quite like it.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Blakesley said.
“As am I,” Fritz inserted before the two with him forgot he was there.
Oh, my! This has been a busy, busy week. Not much writing got done, but a lot of other tasks did. I’ll tell you more about that below, as well as about the books I have on sale, the book I have on preorder, and a little bit about a piece of exercise equipment that is mentioned in His Irreplaceable Belle. Ready to find out about all that? Here we go…
Writing News
This week, I wrote one chapter of Her Convenient Forever. That’s all I have gotten written so far this week. I hope to maybe have time to at least start a chapter of Protecting Miss Darcy later today, but we’ll see if there is time for that or not. Below is an excerpt from near the end of the chapter I wrote. The Loves have just arrived at Grenwood Hall to take a tour, and Mrs. Love is quite excited for the opportunity. (Little does she know just how eventful this tour will be — but I haven’t written that part yet, nor am I going to share that little secret.)
“I thought that we could start our tour in the drawing room with a glass of lemonade and a biscuit if youwish.”
“I just ate something on the way here,” Felicity admitted softly. It was not something she would have admitted to just anyone, but Mr. Hedrington had not judged her harshly for being with child. Therefore, she suspected he would not care one bit if she had consumed a full meal while travelling the few miles from their cottage to his home. “However, I would not turn down a glass of lemonade.”
“Then, we shall have lemonade and save the biscuits for later.” He paused before he reached the door. “Did you get a good look at the façade? It is quite grand is it not?”
“It is lovely, simply lovely,” Felicity’s mother cried. “Mrs. Adams – do you know her?”
“I do,” Mr. Hedrington said.
“Mrs. Adams told me that the house and grounds were well proportioned, and she was right. Oh!” One of her hands rested just above her heart. “It is delightfully proportioned. Even spacing on the windows and each matching the other. The symmetry is exactly as it should be.”
