Today, we are going to start with just a small snippet from tomorrow’s Sweet Tuesday story.
“Pull the bell, please, Victoria,” Diana said as she took a seat at the desk near the window. “This message must get sent to Mrs. Love straightaway. We would not wish for her to worry that her daughter has gone missing.”
Victoria moved to do as requested while Grace set forth on an explanation of how her mother rarely worried about her. It was Felicity, it seemed, who was the cause for concern.
“And she was found in the garden – alone with Mr. Everett Clayton. She is fortunate that Mother was not there or the scolding that she would have had to endure!” Grace leaned forward and whispered. “She was not wearing her bonnet, and her cheeks were very rosy when she returned to the house. She will not tell me what she was doing, but I am not so stupid as she thinks. I have heard what happens in dark corners of gardens.”
To Victoria, it looked as if the young lady was quite interested in what happened in dark corners of gardens.
“Proper young ladies do not find themselves alone in gardens with gentlemen.” Diana’s tone was firm but gentle.
“Oh, no, of course not.” A smile tipped the right side of Grace’s mouth. “Unless she wishes to marry the gentleman.”
[from My Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella]
Published to YouTube by Rosie McCann on December 27, 2015.
Jazz is not often a style of music I listen to, but when I heard this song, it just seemed to be a very Miss Grace Love sort of song. 🙂 So, naturally, I had to share it with the excerpt above.
Before I get to my news, I thought I would share the results from last week’s “How Do You Read” survey. There were not a great number of responses, but this is how the replies I received broke down.
I must also say that I enjoyed reading the comments left on the survey.
How would I answer these questions?
Well, I purchase through both Kindle and Kobo, but I also read on OverDrive as that one connects with my local libraries ebook catalog.
I do not have a Kindle Unlimited membership as I tend to be a slow reader and a re-reader so I would not save any money by having that membership. And I am about saving money! I remember reading one response that mentioned loving a book sale, and I couldn’t agree more! I love a good sale.
I am not a paperback reader. I prefer ebooks.
Well, enough of that survey. Thank you to all who took the 2 minutes or so to take it. I found it enjoyable to see your answers.
As far as writing news goes:
I am still slowly working on adding chapters to both Loving Lydia and His Darling Friend. Unfortunately, I have fallen behind where I would like to be, which is causing me some stress. But, it really cannot be helped. There is just a lot of none-writing writer stuff that needs doing.
I am also slowly working through final edits for Tom’s story, which is currently on pre-order! Yay! So, now, I must get the final manuscript ready to upload to Kindle by March 7 — four days before the release day, March 11, 2019.
One thing that is very important to note about this pre-order is that Tom’s story is listed at $2.99 USD* which is a special introductory price that will go up to $4.99 USD after the pre-order ends. (*Other currencies also reduced based on USD price.)
I have the new bundle I wish to put in Kindle Unlimited nearly formatted. I still need to get a cover made for it, write a blurb, and remove the books that will be in it from other vendors. But, it is coming along. I would like to have it ready to put in Kindle Unlimited by March 18th or so to mark my four-year publication anniversary.
I think that is all for my writing new for this week, so let me leave you with a longer excerpt from one of my published books.
I chose this excerpt because it features a young lady one might think would be as willing to compromise a fellow to get him to marry her as Miss Grace appears to be. However, this young lady is rather surprising and likely not at all as you might think.
I also chose to feature her because she made me get teary-eyed when I was writing this week. (And so far, in every story in which she has played a major role she has tugged at my heart and caused me to keep my tissue box close.)
AN EXCERPT FROM So Very Unexpected:
Aunt Tess chuckled. “You are very much like your father,” she said to Marcus. “You are not afraid of working hard for what you have, nor are you afraid of offending with your opinion.”
“Because he always thinks his opinion is right,” said Mary Ellen with a smile.
“Oh, it very often is right,” said Aunt Tess, patting Mary Ellen’s knee. “Much like yours is. Where the struggle comes is in admitting when you are in error.” She sighed as she gave Marcus a sympathetic look and Mary Ellen’s knee another pat. “That is where your mother worked her wonders with your father. Her views often thwarted convention, but they were not wrong — which was something your father understood.”
“What was she like?” asked Lydia.
“Beautiful,” said Marcus softly.
“Kind,” said Mary Ellen.
“And stubborn as a mule,” added Aunt Tess, “and as lively and unfocused as a yearling.” She smiled broadly. “And wonderful. She was just wonderful. Such a mixture of beauty and vivacity coupled with intelligence and caring!”
“She sounds lovely,” said Lydia.
“She was,” said Marcus.
Lydia heard the sadness in his tone. He must have been close to his mother. “I know I shall miss my mother.” She sighed heavily. “I was to marry well and see to her comfort, you know. Now, it shall fall to one of my sisters to do so. I suppose it will be Jane as she is so very beautiful and always does what is right.”
Mary Ellen chuckled. “Or it might be Elizabeth.”
Lydia shook her head. “Oh, Lizzy would not know a fine gentleman if she saw one. She is so critical. I should not say it, but I was certain that Mr. Darcy was all but in love with her, and all she could do was speak poorly of him.”
Mary Ellen burst into laughter. “She seems to find him acceptable now. Did you not see them sitting closer than is acceptable at church yesterday?”
Lydia shook her head. “I did not attend. My father thought it best that I not make any appearance in public until he has sorted out my predicament.” She turned to Marcus. “Does she really like him now? I knew he liked her — not that she would hear of it, of course.”
Marcus looked at her in surprise. “Has she not told you? They are betrothed. Darcy asked her in front of a large crowd at the parsonage, and she liked him well enough to accept him and allow him to kiss her.”
Lydia’s eyes grew wide, and she looked to Mary Ellen and Aunt Tess for confirmation of these facts. “He kissed her? But that…that is so…improper!”
~*~*~
Lots of things going on in this music post I haven’t listened to Jazz in forever. What a nice revisit. Their featuring Emma in those video clips was so cute. I hope your writings plans and the problems you are having clear up. I loved that look back with Lydia saying something was improper. I laughed out loud. Lydia saying improper, as though it was scandalous, is just hilarious. Thank you for all your hard work.
I loved Lydia in that story. She was such a unique mix of opposites — creating scandal, yet being scandalized; being smart about some things and clueless about others. She was full of potential but that potential had not been properly tapped. My writing things will get straightened out soon enough. I have been attempting a new way of approaching things and not driving myself into the ground to get things done. (I kind of did that in December and January, so February needs to be a step back, slow down, try to maintain sanity sort of reset month. LOL I can be entirely too driven at times 😉 )