“It’s that time of year
When the world falls in love;”
For me, that’s all year. 🙂 My world — of fictional characters, that is — always has someone falling in love. And today, the title of this song has something to do with the Christmas in July giveaway book which, of course, has someone falling in love.
Published on YouTube, December 19, 2012, by halfpint
Which book has a special dance in it that leads to a happily ever after? Here are the remaining books on my giveaway list:
A Very Mary Christmas
No Other Choice
One Winter’s Eve
Two Days Before Christmas
The book contains one of my favourite (original) characters…he’s a bit of a troublesome character for the heroine but totally sigh-worthy.
The answer and the link to claim one of five free copies of that book can be found after my writing news and just before this week’s story excerpt. (Go ahead, scroll down and see if you are a lucky reader, but please come back to read the stuff you skipped in the scrolling process 🙂 )
Here’s my news:
I’m still working on Delighting Mrs. Bennet. A proposal has been made and accepted, and our hero and heroine have learned some interesting information regarding Mrs. Bennet before she became Mrs. Bennet. Of course, it’s going to be the last part of September before we get to any of that because my last writing session will be edited today and scheduled for October 4! And no, the end of the tale has still not fully appeared. This one looks like it might cross that magical line between novella and novel — 40,000 words. Time will tell as I do not write stories to reach word counts, I write them to tell stories no matter how long or short that might be. 🙂
I have posted up to chapter 5 of Charles: To Prove Himself Worthy on Patreon. Chapter 6 is ready to edit and post, and chapter 7 is partially written. Charles is beginning to get a tiny bit caught in his own game — total snaring is yet to come.
I am still working on redoing covers and doing a bit of reorganizing of how the Dash of Darcy and Companion Stories are listed on vendors. Those tweaks will roll out over this month and be complete (finger’s crossed) by the end of the month.
I think that’s it for my writing news. Now, let me drop that link for the giveaway book and then add an excerpt from Charles’s story.
CLICK HERE TO CLAIM ONE OF THE 5 COPIES OF No Other Choice.
The copies are available on a first come, first serve basis until all five have been claimed or the link expires on Friday, July 13, 2018.
[Update: All 5 copies have been claimed!]
And now for…
AN EXCERPT FROM Charles: To Discover His Purpose:
“She will see you.”
Charles rose from his seat and made his way to the door which stood open.
“I shall be in the chair, miss,” the butler said as Charles entered.
Either Miss Barrett did not trust him and had instructed the butler to sit outside the door, or the butler had sized Charles up and decided that he might be needed.
“Thank you, Mr. Gibbs.”
Apparently, whether the idea originated with Miss Barrett or her butler, there was going to be a chaperone of sorts at the ready to toss him from the house if he were not well behaved.
“Good morning, Miss Barrett,” Charles said as he entered.
“You are punctual,” she said snapping the lid of a timepiece closed. “I must say I am impressed.”
He accepted the compliment with a nod of his head. “I do attempt to keep my appointments.”
Her lovely lips twitched. “Even at such early hours?”
“Early or late,” he replied with an easy smile. If she was going to tease him, then he was going to push the bounds of propriety and allow his suggestive tone to cause her to blush that pretty shade of pink she was now wearing.
She rose from her desk. “I believe you requested a tour. As soon as Mrs. Alford arrives, we shall begin.”
He chuckled. “Mrs. Alford is to be our chaperone?”
“She always accompanies me on tours since she knows the intricacies of the establishment even better than I do, but yes, it is only proper that we do not tour alone.” She came out from behind the small desk she had been sitting behind. “As you can see, this is our main reception room and place of business. We greet all our new residents and prospective employers here. There are sitting rooms in which those who are seeking a maid, footman, or the like may interview several candidates for the position.”
She clasped her hands in front of her and leaned on the edge of the desk. “No money exchanges hands.”
He blinked. How had she known he was wondering about fees?
“Everyone asks,” she answered his unspoken question. “We are a charity, Mr. Edwards. One that is not opposed to accepting donations.”
“And what might I get in return for a donation?”
Her lips pursed for a moment as her brows rose and amusement sparkled in her eyes. “The satisfaction of knowing you have improved the life of another.”
“Naught else?”
She shook her head.
He shrugged. “One cannot fault a gentleman for the attempt.”
“One could,” she replied. “Ah, I hear Mrs. Alford. Shall we join her in the hall?” She motioned toward the door.
“How old are you?” Dressed as she was in a printed blue dress with a fischu that covered her from neckline to neck and with her hair pulled back as it was and under a small cap, and acting as she was, she did not appear to be the debutante he knew her to be.
“That does not matter.”
“I am curious. Linton’s sister is…” His face scrunched as he thought, “eighteen? So you must be similar in age, are you not?”
She tipped her head and studied him for a moment. Her lips pursed and relaxed. Her brows furrowed. Then, she sighed as if resigning herself to something. “I am eighteen. Do you have any other questions, Mr. Edwards?”
He nodded. “How does a young, gently-bred lady such as yourself establish a facility such as this?” He waved his hand to indicate their surroundings.
She shrugged. “How does a gentleman of,” her eyes narrowed, “thirty not establish a facility such as this?”
“Twenty-seven. I am twenty-seven.”
She smiled and looked at him expectantly.
He shook his head as a woman dressed in a drab grey dress and frilly cap entered. “You have not answered my question.”
“Yes, I have,” she replied. “Mrs. Alford, this is Mr. Edwards. He would like to have a tour of our home as he is considering making a donation to our cause.”
Mrs. Alford gave him an assessing look. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Edwards.”
“Likewise,” he replied.
“If you would follow me.”
“Of course.” He fell in behind the woman as she marched out of the room. “You cannot answer a question with a question,” he whispered to Evelyn.
“And yet I did,” she replied with an impertinent smile and a bat of her lashes. “And I believe the answer to both questions might be very similar if one is to think about it long enough. Let me know when you have devised the answer.”
He scowled. She was a cunning chit for being so proper.
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Oh, what a cute excerpt. I am intrigued. I already have your books so I will leave the drawing for the others who do not. Thanks for this excerpt. I want to read more. Blessings on all the hard work you are doing. I look forward to seeing what is next in the line up.
Thanks and I am happy the excerpt peeked your interest 🙂 I am enjoying writing this story.
Thanks for delighting me with one of my very favorite songs. I needed to have my day brightened!
Oh, I am so glad it was able to brighten your day! 🙂