I listened to several things while writing this week — my birdsongs cd, silence, and my Music to Write By YouTube playlist. Obviously, today’s selection is from that playlist. 🙂 I kept randomly selecting a place to begin the list and hit shuffle. This song (and The Assassination of Jessie James OST ) popped up in just about every shuffle. Both songs helped set the correct mood for part of what I was writing — and boy, did I do a lot of writing this week!
ThePianoGuys. “Berlin – Original Song for 12 Cellos (and a Kick Drum) – The Piano Guys.”YouTube. YouTube, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 May 2017.
In fact, it was a record-setting week for word count, I believe. (Seeing as I have just started keeping records, it seems safe to say that. LOL).
How record-setting was it?
Well, Caroline’s story started the week with about 5,000 words and ended the week with just over 17,000 words! Specifically, I wrote 12,961 words! (And that does not include the few hundred I wrote for this Tuesday’s AustenAuthors.net post. :)) But, I had some goals I wanted to reach, and I pushed hard to achieve them. And, having hit them, I felt very accomplished at the end of the week. (I had to use that word since it was a Caroline story I was working on. 😉 )
What were those goals?
- Finish the first draft of Caroline’s story — which by the way now has a title (and as of Sunday afternoon an ebook cover)
- Finish the final edits for At All Costs.
- Write and schedule my post for Austen Authors, which includes an excerpt from At All Costs and an excerpt from Caro’s story that I have not shared here.
All three can be crossed off the to-do list!
So, looking forward to the week ahead, I will now need to start first round edits on Caro’s story and keep plugging away at getting At All Costs ready for publication. And, then, well, I guess I have to pick a new writing project to start so I have something to share with you next Monday. Hmmm….I wonder what it will be?
One quick reminder before I get to the excerpt — With the Colonel’s Help will begin posting this Thursday. 🙂 I am looking forward to it!
And a little story note: I took the name suggestions of Franklin and Rhett but flipped them (because I wanted to call the hero by his last name and enjoyed calling him Rhett instead of Franklin when I was typing 🙂 ) Thank you, Patty and Julie, for your help with that! 🙂
I think the story excerpt below gives a good indication of Mr. Rhett’s personality — although, it is a teaser and ends with a question unanswered. 🙂
EXCERPT FROM Better Than She Deserved:
Caroline realized they had stopped walking and looked about. “Where are we? Where is Hurst?”
“We are in the garden, and I am fairly certain, Hurst is also somewhere in the garden. He is a man of his word, you know, and he did say he was going to take a walk in the garden.” Rhett faced her, and as he expected, Caroline took a step backward. “Do not worry about Hurst. I have his full approbation.” He stepped closer to her and ran a hand up her arm. “I think we would suit very well.”
“You cannot know that,” Caroline said, stepping backward again and bumping into a column of stone.
“I can,” he said. “I am very good at deciphering things and am an excellent judge of character most times. In fact, there have been so few times I have been incorrect about a person that you would only need one set of fingers to count them.” He ran his other hand up her other arm so that soon he had both her shoulders in his grip.
“We have only just met.” Caroline attempted to shrug out of his grasp, although even to herself she had to admit it was a weak attempt. There was something very compelling about his eyes and his touch.
He shook his head and chuckled. “No, we met years ago, and I have seen you several times since, and I have heard about you from both your sister and Hurst.”
“But we have never spoken.”
“We are speaking now, are we not?”
“No, not exactly. You are holding me in place and telling me things, but that is not speaking. Perhaps after a half hour of canvassing various topics, you will find me dull, and I will find you a bore. And then neither of us will wish to ever speak to the other again.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The way his thumbs were brushing back and forth on her shoulders where he held her was sending delightful little shivers down her spine.
He chuckled and released his hold on her. “I am never a bore,” he said as he moved across the small pavilion floor to lean against the pillar opposite her. “And I rarely change my mind once I have made it.”
“You seem very sure of yourself.”
He inclined his head. “I am, but not without just cause.” He tipped his head. “First topic. The weather. I prefer sunshine or a light shower to fog and you?”
“Fog is rather dreary and rain is a bother, so sunshine is my favourite weather.”
He smiled. “I thought so.”
“You did not. You are just saying that now that you know my answer.”
“No,” he shook his head. “You prize your appearance and neither rain nor fog aides a lady in presenting herself to best advantage.”
“A fortunate guess.”
“Town or country?” he asked, ignoring her rebuttal.
Caroline lifted a brow. “You tell me. Which do I prefer, Mr. Rhett?”
He shrugged. “That is easy. Town. For you do sparkle at a soiree. However, as the mistress of your own estate with the means to host dinners and balls, you would soon learn to enjoy the country nearly as much as the town, though not entirely as much since there is less chance of a crush in the country and every good hostess lusts after a crush. It is the making of her, they say.” He shrugged. “I prefer the town but am not opposed to taking an estate within a day’s drive of London. Country air can be refreshing and a good hunt is not to be missed.”
Caroline snapped her lips closed. His reply was accurate. She smiled. “Happiness in marriage,” she said, supplying the next topic of discourse. “Can it be predicted?”
“Do you wish for me to answer for myself or for you?”
Her brows furrowed as she considered his question. She would like to know his thoughts on the matter, but she also wondered if he truly knew her own. “Both,” she finally replied.
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST
Well it looks like Caroline may have met her match! I would say he seems capable of keeping her under control AND making her happy if that is possible.
She is not my favourite character by any means bur we will see.
She definitely has met her match. 🙂 She’s not my favourite character either, but this story was fun to write, so I hope you will enjoy it. 🙂
Oh I am so glad you liked the name I suggested and are using at least part of it, I don’t mind sharing 🙂 I like the back and forth banter so far. I am all anticipation !!!!
Julie R
It’s a great name and seemed to fit the character quite well, I thought as he does put Caroline in her place. 🙂