What kind of love is this story going to have? What is it going to look like? How is it going to develop and be realized? How is it going to be demonstrated? Those are questions I and my characters often wrestle with I’m writing — such as we were this past week and will continue to do this next week. To be honest, my current work in progress, One Winter’s Eve, is pushing me a little more in this area than some do because this is not an easy couple. They shouldn’t really like each other, but they seem to. I really do wonder at this point in the story, what kind of love this one is going to be (which is what led me to share the song below 🙂 )
DallasSmithVEVO. “Dallas Smith – What Kinda Love.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=csE5oAoDjow.
I’m going to share a little bit of Richard and Caroline’s relationship in the excerpt at the end of this post, but first I have some other writing news to share.
First and most importantly — This book goes “live” tomorrow!
Becoming Entangled can be preordered today and ordered tomorrow HERE.
The release day of any book is rather exciting because finally, the story gets to be enjoyed by others. Hopefully, Anne and Alistair will find many readers to enjoy their fun journey to happily ever after. I know I loved writing their story and wanted to just stay there with them at the end of the book.
Next in excitement level on the writing list is the fact that Two Days before Christmas is out of my hands and into the hands of my first editor. That book will be out in December — and I have a kind of exciting plan for it, which I can’t tell you about yet. 🙂 Keeping exciting secrets is so hard! 🙂
I think that’s all the news I have, which means, we can now get to that story excerpt I told you I would share.
We are stepping back into the early Eighties for today’s musical selection, which someone has used to create a great period drama video with loads of dramas represented. There is a”story” reason I selected this song today. However, before I get to that reason, let me give you an update on a couple of upcoming books.
Sossery. “Period Drama – Love Is A Battlefield.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Oct. 2012, youtu.be/fT67IfffM1w.
Becoming Entangled:
I have gotten the files uploaded to various digital retailers and one by one, they are putting the book on preorder as I am working on creating the print copy. Release day is scheduled for November 28, 2017. Yes, I did decide to push the date out instead of trying to rush to keep my original date.
One of the things I had to do this week to get this ready was finish writing the “blurb,” aka the book description. Here is how that turned out:
Click image to find Becoming Entangled at your favourite store.
Can she scheme her way out of one betrothal and into another?
Anne de Bourgh wishes to dance until she is dizzy, walk until she is tired, and marry a particular gentleman who causes her heart to skitter and skip and flutter. There is, however, one thing that stands between Anne and her aspirations — her mother.
Nevertheless, when a young lady is determined, things such as a mother’s restraints and a long-standing betrothal are merely impediments to be circumvented.
Practical and cautious, Alistair Pratt is smitten with Anne and has been patiently biding his time until he can make his intentions known. However, with his mother’s desire to see him married increasing, Alistair, when presented with a scandalous plan, throws caution to the wind to secure his love.
But, the course of true love never did run smooth.
When a gentleman with a grudge discovers the lover’s plans, things become tangled and twisted. Will a love that was meant to be find its happy conclusion, or will it end up as only a tale of what could have been?
One more thing about Becoming Entangled — It will be featured in my Austen Authors post this Tuesday (as in tomorrow). I have created some graphics about some of the research I did for this project, and I am including an excerpt and a giveaway with my post.
Two Days before Christmas: I have reached “the end” of the first draft and have begun working my way through it checking the story and catching a few typos and errors along the way before I send it to my story editor and then start the real detailed editing work. I am still hopeful that this book will be out by December 19th. It’s going to be a busy month!
And that brings me to One Winter’s Eve, the story that has slipped into my writing block of time which was left open by the completion of Two Days before Christmas (TDBC).TDBC hinted at a sequel as I was writing it, and I have decided to explore that idea and see where it takes me. So far, it looks like I have a fight or is that battle on my hands. 😉 Do you see the song title connection? If not, I am pretty sure you will by the end of the last paragraph of this —
Today, I thought I would share one of the videos on my Music Meets Movies playlist since the song seems to go with a particular part of the story excerpt. I am drawing close to the end of my current WIP — or at least the conclusion of the conflict I had wished to resolve — and am now considering if the story ends here or not, as in, there might be a conflict which could arise as I move past this happy for now place in which two of my main characters find themselves.
wantingyounear. “Pride and Prejudice – When I See You Smile.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Feb. 2007, youtu.be/-B0Po7-3rdE.
That’s about as clear as stagnant pond water, isn’t it? Well, you see, I don’t want to give too much away about my current story, but as you will see in today’s excerpt below, Georgiana is planning to go to Netherfield for Christmas, and Wickham will be there. There is this niggling in my mind prodding me to explore what might happen in Hertfordshire. However, I don’t think that doing so in my current story would be appropriate for a couple of reasons: my main characters would almost certainly shift and the initial intent of the story I have been writing has been met so adding another conflict would lend itself to a wandering storyline (something of which I am not fond). So, it appears I will have some serious thinking/plotting/story structure analysis to do this week.
In other story news, I have received Becoming Entangled back from my final editor and have begun the last pass re-read of that story, and now I must decide if my original publication date of November 21 is best or if pushing it out and adding a short preorder might be better for getting everything accomplished without losing my mind from the stress of making sure everything meets the rather exacting standards I strive to uphold at Leenie B Books. (I find myself excessively demanding at times.) 🙂
It seems I have a few decisions to make this week as I edit and write. While I open my calendar and being to ponder these things, I will leave you with this —
Did you know that Beethoven wrote Fur Elise in 1810 but that it was not published until 1867 — forty years after he died and definitely not in time for Georgiana Darcy to be playing it in my current work in progress? I didn’t until I read it this week while searching for some music I could mention in a conversation between Georgiana and her brother, which is in today’s excerpt, by the way.
Classical Vault 1. “Sviatoslav Richter – Bach – Keyboard Concerto No 3 in D Major, BWV 1054.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 May 2013, youtu.be/h8mMJfC99m8.
I settled on a concerto by Bach — Number 3 in D major, to be precise, although I was not that precise in the story. 🙂 If you would like, you may click the play button above and listen to what Georgiana was going to be practising while you read a few lines about what I was doing during my writing time this week and a sample from the words I have written since last Monday. 🙂
As I mentioned last week, Becoming Entangled is working its way through the editing process, so my editing slots were going to be open for extra writing of some sort. Well, I got notes back on Becoming Entangled on Tuesday from my first reader, so I did have some editing to do on a couple of days. 🙂 Becoming Entangled is now in the hands of my second reader to be scoured for all the commas, lies instead of lays, misspelled words, incorrect usages, typos, and all that good detailed stuff. This means I will have another week of extra writing slots.
I decided this past week to double up on my writing of my current work in progress currently called Two Days before Christmas (that title might be changing because of how the story has gone, but I am waiting to see how it ends first). Thanks to those extra hours of writing time, I managed a personal best word count of over 13,000 words — and I only shed a few tears during one writing session. 🙂 I even took a writing block of time this week to do some research to get past a sticking point in the story — that one evening of digging and reading articles is what opened the floodgate of words because, during it, I found the setting for an important scene. I have to say that for me as a writer when the story just starts to spill out and wake me from sleep with conversations and events; it is thrilling — tiring and cranky-making — but thrilling.
Below is a portion of the story from the beginning part of what I wrote this week. I couldn’t share anything of what I wrote later in the week because I don’t want to give that interesting plot twist away. It would be like wrapping a gift in clear cellophane — sweet to get the gift but kind of a let down since there would be little joy of anticipation. 🙂 Hopefully, you will be satisfied with this part that at least lets us know how Darcy is changing in his opinion of Elizabeth.
AN EXCERPT FROM Two Days before Christmas:
“You were out late last night,” Georgiana said as she took a place at the breakfast table next to her brother.
“I was,” he replied, filling his cup once again with tea.
After receiving his uncle’s approval to marry where he thought best, Darcy had spend another two hours with his uncle and cousin talking and playing cards. Lord Matlock had waxed eloquent a time or two on felicity in marriage and seeing that an estate had an heir. He seemed most anxious to have a grand niece or nephew whom he could bounce on his knee and tell tales ─ he had mentioned that more than once as well. The conversation had not all be about marriage or the best way to grovel ones way into the good graces of an offended lady; they had also discussed more mundane topics including the new upholstery Lady Matlock planned to order for their travelling coach once the weather turned warm enough to gad about town in the barouche.
“You were not dressed for a soiree when you left.”
Darcy chuckled at his sister’s attempt to not ask where he had been while still expressing her wish to know the answer to that very question.
“No, I was not.” His plate was empty, so he rested against the back of the chair and cradled his teacup.
Her brows furrowed, and she applied herself to cutting her toast into points before topping each with a different jam — raspberry on one, strawberry on the second, apricot on the third, and what Darcy knew to be her favourite, black currant, on the fourth. With that task completed, she filled her teacup and added just a splash of cream.
“I was at Matlock House,” Darcy finally said upon hearing her small frustrated huff as she stirred her tea. “Richard was at home, as strange as that may be.”
“Indeed? Is he well?” Georgiana asked with a laugh.
“He appeared to be, yes.”
“Did you have a good time, then?”
“We did. Uncle Henry insisted on playing Casino.” Cards of any sort were a favourite pastime for Lord Matlock. However, he was not one to frequent gaming tables for any length of time at soirees or his club since he desired for most of his money to stay in his accounts. A small wager was acceptable to lose, but one must always know his limits. Darcy had heard these words from his uncle many times over the years.
“And did he win?”
Darcy shook his head. “Once or twice. He was far more interested in talking than attending to his cards.”
Lord Matlock was not known for being subdued. Richard often said that his father could strike up a conversation with a horse and convince the animal to vote with him on the next bill that entered the house. It was a skill that Richard had inherited, and one that Darcy, at times, wished he possessed.
“Were there any stories of particular interest that might be suitable to relate to me?” she asked as she began eating her toast — strawberry first as was her usual fashion.
Darcy chuckled. “No.”
Georgiana’s brows rose. “Indeed?” she said with no small amount of curiosity.
“Indeed,” Darcy assured her. There was no way he was going to share with his sister about the duties of a husband to his wife, nor was he ready at this moment to admit to her that he was indeed looking for a wife — a very particular wife — Elizabeth.
Georgiana sighed and returned to her toast. “Are you going out today?”
“I have not decided.” He was considering calling on Elizabeth and possibly inviting her to go for a drive or perhaps an evening at the theatre or on a trip to the museum. They were all things that he suspected she would enjoy.
“Mrs. Annesley and I are planning to finish a few projects.”
He could tell by the way she was smiling that those projects included a gift for him. “Will you be working on them the whole day?”
“No,” she replied before washing down her third toast point with her tea. “Mr. Martin comes for a dance lesson this afternoon, and I have not yet mastered that Bach concerto. ”
Darcy placed his empty cup on the table and, leaning back, watched her as she finished her breakfast. She had not looked so happy as she did this morning in a very long time.
“What?” she asked when she noticed his observation. “Do I have jam on my chin?” she whispered.
“No,” he replied with a chuckle. “You have a smile on your face and an energy about you that has been absent for some time.”
“I assure you, Fitzwilliam. My heart is healing.”
“So you have said, and I am beginning to believe.”
She smiled at him. “I will be finished soon. Will you wait for me and escort me to my sitting room before you lock yourself away with your books and whatnot?”
“I would like that,” he replied.
Georgiana popped the last bit of black currant covered toast into her mouth and took up her cup. Leaning back in her chair to enjoy the last of her tea, she watched her brother for a full two minutes before he began to squirm under her scrutiny.
“Do I have jam on my cravat?” he asked in a whisper.
She shook her head, and then, swallowed the last warm drops of tea before returning her cup to its saucer and standing in preparation to leave. “No, just a smile on your face and a relaxed air that I feared was lost.”
“It would seem,” he said as Georgiana wrapped her arm around his, “that my heart has found its hope.”
Last week, I mentioned that I have begun working on a story called Two Days before Christmas. Because this is a Christmas story, I have been listening to some “inspirational” music to get me thinking Christmasy thoughts. The song below is one of those songs that makes me want to get out the decorations or bake some Christmas cake. But, I don’t want to talk about that story in this post — although I will share an excerpt. No, today, I want to ask you a question.
JohnnyReidVEVO. “Johnny Reid – Waiting For Christmas To Come.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Dec. 2009, youtu.be/wT9mJTYq-P8.
Do you ever judge a book by its title? This is a question I have been thinking about this past week. You see, I have a book coming out this Thursday. You’re probably familiar with the story if you have been reading my blog because the book’s title is With the Colonel’s Help, the story that just finished posting on Thursday’s a few weeks ago. We’ve now begun a new story titled Confounding Caroline.
Here’s why that book coming out and the new story that has started posting has me wondering if people judge a book by its title. My first reader, who happens to be my sister and the Jane to my Lizzy, asked me during our conference call where she told me about things she thought needed some attention — “Do you think people will pass over this story because of the title? Will they think it is a story about Colonel Fitzwilliam and not Darcy?”
She knows, from what I have told her about my sales figures, that Darcy and Elizabeth stories usually sell much better than any of my other stories. Darcy’s a favourite — which is understandable. He’s Darcy, after all. So, she has a point — she usually does. (She tends to be the annoyingly correct older sister at times 🙂 )
Adding to worry her question created, I read a comment somewhere from someone who saw a post about With the Colonel’s Help that said the person doesn’t normally read stories about the colonel. Hmmm… My worry may be well-founded. 🙂
There is a trend to give stories titles with Darcy in them, or so it appears from the number of titles that show up with that name in them when you do a quick search. Again, titles with Darcy in them tend to sell better from what I have observed and been told. (He’s a favourite. 🙂 )
It’s not my practice to include Darcy in a title unless that book is one of my Dash of Darcy book. For those books, I require myself to include Mr. or Mrs. Darcy in the title because I want the connection between book and collection to be clear.
But normally, I choose a title that contains a theme of some sort or highlights something important to the story. For example, the title With the Colonel’s Help lets the reader know that Colonel Fitzwilliam is instrumental in the story. He is actually the hero — not the romantic hero, that role is filled by Darcy, but the person who brings about the happy conclusion for Darcy and Elizabeth. Likewise, the title Confounding Caroline should let the readers know that Caroline is a problem that needs solving.
It might be of interest to note that even with my Dash of Darcy titles, I still have a theme referenced in them such as unravelling a character’s uptight manner or waking up to who someone is.
It’s important to me, as a writer, that my titles have a meaning, which is why I have chosen to keep With the Colonel’s Help as a title. Hopefully, when the book comes out, I will find out that I have worried for absolutely no reason. 🙂
Those are a few of my thoughts on why I name stories as I do. What I would now like to know is what you think about titles. Just drop your opinion in the comment section.
But, before we get to that, I suppose you would like an excerpt from what I wrote this past week? In fact, I am going to share everything I wrote this week because I only managed to get in one writing session — yes, one! It was a very low writing week for me! I was editing With the Colonel’s Help and getting that ready to publish, and I had an Austen Author’s post to get ready as well. My day on Austen Authors is tomorrow! I’ve got a different sort of giveaway going on, so drop by to see what that’s about. But thankfully, I still have the excerpt below to share with you.
