Hello. I hope your summer (or winter, depending on location) is going well and that you are all staying safe and well. My husband and I have started taking some Saturday drives to various places as we like to do during the summer. The photo is of him walking down one of the boardwalks at Lawrencetown beach last weekend. You’ll notice he’s not wearing very summery clothing. 🙂
We had some nice cool days, and it was actually almost cold at the beach that evening. Today, however, has been a very different sort of day. It was HOT. A trip to the beach would have been refreshing, but sadly it was a workday for us.
But enough of that. Let’s get on with all the writing, publishing, and book news you have opened this blog post to find. 🙂
Writing News
Since I the last time I updated you on my writing, I have written a couple more chapters of Her Convenient Forever, and I have done a bit of planning and plotting on a new Sweet Possibilities story while contemplating how the short story sequel to Matching Mr. Darcy is going to go. Both of these stories will be set at Christmas time.
Here’s how the prologue Sweet Possibilities 2, which sets up why Elizabeth and Mary are at the Gardiners for this story, begins:
I’m trying some changes. Here’s what they are and why.
Have you ever been so tired that you put the jar of protein powder in the fridge instead of in the cupboard next to the fridge? I have been. Several times lately.
The lockdown is taking its toll. Later this month, I will get to return for an appointment with my osteopath. I have not seen her or any of the health care team at her clinic for more than 6 months now. This, coupled with just the stresses we all face during our current world situation, has not done my health any favours. Much of the progress we had been making on correcting some sleep issues while still keeping me relatively free from pain (I have some disc issues) has been lost.
I know that getting in to see my healthcare team will be even trickier now as appointments per day for the clinic are being restricted due to health measures that are in place. This means it will be a while before a regular pattern of treatments will resume for me.
With this in mind, I am looking at ways to adjust, rearrange, and/or lessen my workload, thereby easing some of the stress on my body at least for the summer months and possibly longer if I find the changes work well. Rest assured that creating stories for you to read will remain my priority.
Trust me. Cutting back is not something I find easy to do (I am a bit of a workaholic), but I know it is necessary. Here are the changes I have planned at this time:
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY PIANO TIME ON MARCH 23, 2020.
I find it mesmerizing to watch the lights dropping down, showing the notes. That is why I chose this video to share today. The reason I chose the song is for the title, for today, I am sharing a chapter from my very first published book, Oxford Cottage, which is where the dark part of the tale begins.
Darcy looked across the assembly hall and watched the dancers as they wound their way through the steps of a country dance. His eyes followed Elizabeth for a few moments before he pulled his attention back to the rest of the people standing around him.
Just to his left, Mrs. Bennet fidgeted and fussed with Kitty’s dress. “Stand up straight, Kitty,” she scolded. “No man wants a woman who is all bent and crumpled.”
“Yes, Mama,” said Kitty.
Darcy suppressed a chuckle as he watched Kitty roll her eyes before she pulled herself up, squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. It reminded him of Georgiana. How often had he, when watching Miss Kitty, noticed similarities between the two young ladies? Both shared an exuberance for life that was infectious, and neither appreciated the reminder to carry themselves in what society deemed a ladylike fashion. Miss Kitty was a bit silly, but she was a sweet and caring young lady. She was the sort of young lady with whom Darcy did not mind having his sister associate.
Having seen to her daughter’s lack of posture, Mrs. Bennet had moved on to discussing with several local ladies her very good fortune of having “three daughters so agreeably attached.” Mr. Bennet was attempting to calm his wife’s happy nerves in order to keep her voice at an acceptable volume. Darcy shook his head slightly and smiled. How a man as intelligent as Mr. Bennet could abide such a fluttering wife was beyond his comprehension.
But he knew it to be true that Mr. Bennet did not just abide his wife, he loved her and showed it through his solicitous attentions and patience. Although some might only see the man who teased and laughed at his wife’s silliness, Darcy had observed the soft glow of his eyes and an occasional touch that accompanied such teasing. Mrs. Bennet often responded in a huff of emotions but there was always a twinkle in her eye, a little wink, or a slight upturn of her mouth which let him know she was not truly put out by her husband’s comments. It was a dance of words and actions, a game they played, a game he was just beginning to learn to play with his beloved Elizabeth. He allowed himself the pleasure of once again watching her dance.
Before we get into the writing news for this week, I wanted to say that I know the past nearly two weeks have been fraught with strife for my American readers, relations, and friends. You have and will continue to be in my prayers, and I want you to know that I will continue to strive, as I always have, to demonstrate through my actions and words my love and respect for you all.
Writing News
So far this week, I have written one chapter of Protecting Miss Darcy. That’s it. That’s all I wrote. 🙂 I hope to have time later today (Friday) to write another chapter of something.
My reason for such a low amount of writing this week was editing. I finished my first round read-through of Matching Mr. Darcy and have sent that off to my sister for her critique.
Publishing News
Sneak peek time!
By this time next week, I expect to have preorder information for Matching Mr. Darcy to share with you. If you’d like to see the book cover and read the first (unfinalized) chapter of this book, you can find both of those things at this link.
Can you believe this is the final Saturday of May? That means we have almost survived another month of 2020. 🙂 At times, it feels like time is dragging, but then, I immerse myself into my work, and, when I look up, I’m surprised at how much time has passed. I hope you are finding ways to make 2020 enjoyable and find the beauty in life despite any restrictions which still remain where you are. Below, is an update on the enjoyable, writing-related things that take up a large portion of each of my days. 🙂 And at the end, as my something extra, I have included one way I am attempting to add beauty to my life on social media.
Writing News
I don’t have any excerpts of writing to share with you this week because I don’t want to give anything away in either story that I am writing. So, this will be a short and kind of boring 🙂 update on how my works in progress are progressing.
In my writing time, so far, I have written one chapter each of Protecting Miss Darcy and Her Convenient Forever. I’m actually planning to get one more chapter of Protecting Miss Darcy before the week is over.
