Happy October to you all! It is usually one of the prettiest months here in Nova Scotia with all the leave changing colours. It is also going to be a rather busy month in my writing life as I have one book to publish and a couple of others to get ready for publishing soon. I’ll give you all those details below along with information regarding the end of my Kindle Unlimited experiment which I started in March 2019.
Writing News
Currently, I am working on three different stories:
- Christmas in Gracechurch Street: Yes! I am still working on this one. For some unknown reason, this story just wants to take its time being written, which is frustrating because I would rather it stay on schedule. LOL With a little luck and a good deal of effort on my part, I should have pre-order and release day information for you in November’s Saturday Broadsheet.
- His Sensible Heart: This is the next Sweet Tuesday story which will focus on Miles Chapman’s journey to happily ever after. It took me a bit longer to get settled into this story than I had expected since I decided it is going to be set in a new-to-me location. That meant additional research. The first chapter is scheduled to post on October 13, 2020. If you are wondering who Miles Chapman is, he is the brother of Belle, the heroine in His Irreplaceable Belle. He is the youngest son of Sir Allen and has always gotten his way and not had anything more expected of him than to make his father look good. However, he and his father are not on friendly terms at present which means young Miles must now take life more seriously.
- Mr. Bingley Plans a Ball: This will be the next Thursday’s Three Hundred story, and the second Teatime Tale which will be extended. The original story was just over 1100 words long, and the goal is to develop it into a story that is at least 10,000 words. The first chapter of this story will post on October 22, 2020.
Publishing News
Her Convenient Forever, Touches of Austen book 5 and the most recent Sweet Tuesday’s story, will be on pre-order VERY soon, which means I will also be making some advance reader copies available soon. So, be watching for information about those things. The scheduled release date for this book is October 20, 2020. Her Convenient Forever will be available exclusively on Amazon for now. However, as you will read below, it will eventually be available at other retailers.
In November, I have two releases tentatively written on my calendar. Those two releases are Christmas in Gracechurch Street (Sweet Possibilities book 2) and Moonlight, Mistletoe, and Mary (Sweet Extra #1). Sweet Extra stories will be novelette-length sequels to the Sweet Possibilities books.
Kindle Unlimited: The End of an Experiment
Back in February 2019, I introduced a Kindle Unlimited experiment in which I was going to rotate my books through Kindle Unlimited. I took on this experiment to see if perhaps by rotating my books through KU, I would be able to work on a few projects, which I knew would take time and limit my ability to publish books in the same way as I was before the experiment, and still be able to meet my financial obligations for my business.
For the first couple of rotations, it was successful. However, since the beginning of this year, it has been an exercise in diminishing returns. Therefore, it seems that the books I write (or the majority of them) might not be the sort that do well in Kindle Unlimited, and since I would like to try another experiment, I am going to be phasing all my books out of Kindle Unlimited.
Darcy Family Holidays, books 1-3, as well as the omnibus, will be exiting Kindle Unlimited on November 7, 2020. Because this series ties in with my Other Pens Series, that series will also be exiting KU soon. The first one to come out will be Addie: To Wager on Her Future on October 15. Then, Henry’s and Charles’s stories will exit on November 20 with Mary’s story following on November 28 and Tom’s on November 29.
That will leave just my Touches of Austen series in KU. These books will start moving out of KU in January 2021, and I will remind you of that change as we get closer to it.
I know that some use KU as a budget-friendly way to read lots and lots of books. I understand having tight finances. It was this knowledge that made this decision difficult to make. I will continue to have frequent $0.99 sales and other discount promotions. I already have two first-in-series books which I am going to leave priced at $0 for a while longer, and I plan to have a few more first-book-in-series books marked down over time to either free or $0.99. Hopefully, these things will be somewhat helpful to those who, like me, have limited book budgets.
Personally, I love using my library’s ebook branch for feeding my reading habit. What is really great about my ebooks not being in KU any longer is that they will all be available for libraries to purchase. I know some libraries have some of my ebooks already, but if yours does not, you can always ask your library to acquire them.
Book Promotion
He was supposed to be helping her catch the eye of his brother. He wasn’t supposed to be falling in love.
Book Review
Let me start by saying that is one sweet looking pup in your profile picture, Texas Bookworm. 🙂 Then, let me thank you not only for reading and reviewing His Beautiful Bea but updating with your thoughts once you had read the rest of the series. I’m delighted that you enjoyed not only His Beautiful Bea but also the rest of the series.
And looking forward — Felicity Love, the heroine of the next book, Her Convenient Forever, is first introduced in the first book, so this first short novella will provide some good background info for her which will (I hope) heighten the reading experience for book five.
Something Extra
I’ve used or referenced portions of poems, play, and stories that were available in the Regency Era in my stories. I like how it adds a layer of “realness” to the characters for me because I know what they might have read or heard.
In Christmas in Gracechurch Street (one of my current works in progress), it is a play of sorts from a children’s book that becomes part of the “fun” that Darcy and Elizabeth partake in one evening in at the Gardiners.
Here’s a little snippet from my work in progress, and then below that, I have a screenshot of the play, “The Landlord’s Visit” which I found in Evenings at Home; Or, The Juvenile Budget Opened: Consisting of a Variety of Miscellaneous Pieces, for the Instruction and Amusement of Young Persons by John Aikin so that you can see how what I used what I read in the play in my story.
“And now for a story!” Mr. Gardiner cried once Nora’s slipper had been returned to her foot and all had claimed a seat on the furniture instead of the floor. “What story shall it be, Nora?”
Nora clapped her hands. “I get to choose?”
“You do, indeed,” her father replied.
“The one about the landlord and Fanny.”
“She always picks that one,” Martin grumbled.
“Not always,” Nora retorted.
“Almost,” Martin replied.
“Children,” their father interrupted, “go sit by your mother.” He waited until he saw that both his children had obeyed before turning back to his guests. “This story will require some help for it is a bit of a play.”
Elizabeth pressed her lips together so that she would not laugh at the look of sheer horror that washed over Mr. Darcy’s face before it could be hidden.
“Who reads the best among you?” Mr. Gardiner continued. “Elizabeth and Mary are both excellent readers.”
“I will be Betty,” Mary offered eagerly, “and Elizabeth can be Fanny.”
“Gentlemen, do you read?” Mr. Gardiner posed the question to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.
“Darcy is the better reader,” Mr. Bingley answered.
“You are more expressive,” Mr. Darcy said with a shake of his head.
Mr. Gardiner chuckled. “Reluctant performers, are we? Then, I shall play the landlord, and,” he scanned the story he held, “Mr. Bingley can be John – he is the farmer – and Mr. Darcy will play Thomas – the farmer’s son. The parts are nearly the same length. Will that suit?”
“Yes,” Mary answered with alacrity and a smile for Elizabeth.
Dread settled in Elizabeth’s stomach as her uncle gave instructions for Mary and Elizabeth to share one copy of the story while Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley shared the other.
[From Christmas in Gracechurch Street]
Can you tell from this clip of the play why Elizabeth might be feeling dread at having to play the part of Fanny while Darcy plays Thomas? If you guess that they are playing the part of betrothed lovers, you would be right. 🙂
Oh, and Mary is utterly delighted because she would like Darcy and Elizabeth to get together. (Mary is changed in this story, and she gives her reasons. However, I cannot give away too many secrets.)
Patrons, Christmas in Gracechurch Street will begin posting next Friday.
Have a good weekend! Be safe and well. (And maybe read a book 🙂 )
~*~*~
The next Saturday Broadsheet that you will receive will be on November 7, 2020.
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I look forward to reading this book!
I’m happy to hear that 🙂