~*~*~
Meet Dash. He’s joining us for our Thursday story tomorrow.
How could such a cute little fellow cause such a big problem?
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Tag: Delighting Mrs. Bennet
Music Monday: The One, Northanger Abbey
Good Monday to you!
It’s time for a writing news update, a lovely music video, and a story excerpt.
Twirish246. “Catherine & Henry Tilney || The One || Northanger Abbey.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 June 2015, youtu.be/l4dFFK3vt64.
Writing News:
I have finished the last edits on Confounding Caroline and will be working on setting up a pre-order. I’m hoping to have that completed by Thursday.
Tomorrow is my day at Austen Authors, and I will be sharing an excerpt from Confounding Caroline as well as an interesting anecdote I found while doing some research for that story.
This Thursday, Delighting Mrs. Bennet will begin posting! I have four posts for this story written and scheduled. I hope that I will have time to get the fifth post written before it is needed. However, I must put writing that story on pause for a while since…
Master of Longbourn MUST be published in June, and I am still not done writing it. Yikes! It is getting very close to finished. I can feel the excitement of the ending coming soon. I’m hopeful that it will be complete by the fifteenth. With the end coming so soon, there will likely only be this week’s excerpt and maybe one that leaves you wondering next week, but that’s it. Then, there maybe a little gap of excerpt-free Mondays, or I might share bits of Delighting Mrs. Bennet as I plan to work on that after Master of Longbourn is finished. I have been finding it challenging to keep up with two stories during the week, especially when they are alike. (Both Delighting Mrs. Bennet and Master of Longbourn are sequels to Darcy and Elizabeth stories, and quite frankly, I struggle to keep those Darcy and Elizabeth stories straight. 🙂 ) Due to finding working on two stories simultaneously to be tricky, I am going to try shifting how I do the stories. I’m also going through a period of evaluation as I look at how I am doing things and trying to see what needs to stay and what could maybe be changed up. Why? Because 1) I like to shake things up now and again to prevent boredom and 2) I think I am finally reaching that point of must slow down before it is too late 🙂 (I’m so bad at that LOL)
I think that is all the writing news, so now for that…
EXCERPT FROM Master of Longbourn: Continue reading Music Monday: The One, Northanger Abbey
Music Monday: Edward/Elinor – Come Home (One Republic)
Sense and Sensibility was the first Austen novel I ever read many years ago, and I do like revisiting it now and again whether it’s in the form of the book, a movie, or a fan video like the one I am sharing.
CoolCatKerr. “Edward/Elinor – Come Home.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Dec. 2008, youtu.be/u52sW9sh5NY.
I will also admit that I have been considering this story a bit more lately. One of these days, I am going to write another Touches of Austen book, and it might be one based on Sense and Sensibility. However, writing such interesting and enjoyable things has to wait until there is a cushion in the bank to cover a hit since honestly, they are not yet great sellers. (Notice I said yet — I’m a bit stubborn and have no plans of giving up these sorts of projects. Eventually, they just might catch on. 🙂 )
But that is a future plan.
Currently, I have a couple other new writing projects underway, and two books making their way to publication. So, I’m busy enough without adding another thing (even if I am sorely tempted to do so). Here’s what is happening in my writing life at the moment:
Mr. Darcy’s Comfort is in the hands of my final editor, and by this time next week, I will have preorder information for you. I am sharing an excerpt from this book in my Austen Author post tomorrow. Oh, and I will be revealing the cover.
I have begun writing the Sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort, which is still title-less. In fact, I shared the first chapter with my patrons on Patreon on Friday and included that in the manuscript I sent to my editor since I hope to put it in the back of Mr. Darcy’s Comfort. It’s not about a well-loved character and, even though Mr. Darcy will likely play an important role in the story, I am hoping that having the excerpt there will help readers not just pass over the book. [Yes, I do worry a lot. 🙂 Sometimes with justification, sometimes without. Only time will prove which it is this time. 🙂 ]
Confounding Caroline has only two more Thursday posts! Can you believe that? It is just waiting to be sent off to my last editor after she finishes with Mr. Darcy’s Comfort and should be published in May shortly after it’s sequel, Delighting Mrs. Bennet begins posting on Thursdays.
I have scheduled the first post of Delighting Mrs. Bennet for May 10, and I wrote the second post on Friday. That post will get a reread and be scheduled next Friday before I begin working on post three.
And those are my four reasons why any other temptingly interesting plot bunnies must stay in their hutch. 🙂
As mentioned last week, since I am in the beginning phases of writing, I am not comfortable publically sharing any excerpts so early on. I like to have several thousand words in place before sharing. Maybe if writing time goes well this week, I will have something next Monday, but I make no promises.
Until then…
I hope you have a good week!
~*~*~
KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST PATREON SOCIETY6
Music Monday: Easter Parade, Judy Garland
I found a clip on YouTube of a song that I thought was appropriate for this particular Monday morning. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it — and don’t forget to scroll on down and read my updates and a story excerpt (if you dare 😉 since it may contain spoilers).
Maldonado, Gregory. “In Your Easter Bonnet – Judy Garland (Easter Parade).” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Apr. 2011, youtu.be/lYac9O3GYTM.
Writing News:
Confounding Caroline: THE scene posts this Thursday. You know — the one where Caroline falls into a betrothal. There are only two more posts after that one, and we will be ready for a new story to start posting after a short hiatus. Confounding Caroline is back from my first reader and just waiting for me to give it some attention before it goes off for the next round of edits. However, it has to wait since I must first attend to…
Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: I finished the first draft of this story on Thursday of this past week. I have begun to reread it and do a bit of polishing in preparation for sending it to my first reader. I hope to have it off to her by the end of tonight or maybe tomorrow. I will be posting the last chapter of the story on Patreon tonight. It took me a little longer to get this story written than expected, but I am still hoping to release it in April. However, it will probably toward the end of the month with a preorder up by April 17th or so.
That means both writing projects are now editing projects. Therefore, I have begun working on two new stories.
Delighting Mrs. Bennet: This will be the next Thursday story and will pick up Darcy and Elizabeth’s story from where it left off in Confounding Caroline. Plans for this story include some hopefully fun twists as well as a naughty little puppy. 🙂
The Sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: I have had some “conversations” with the characters, and I have some goals, conflict, and motivation sorts of ideas roughly sketched out. However, I have not written a word of this story yet. That will hopefully happen tonight, although my husband is off today, so it might be tomorrow before I get to begin. This story holds promise to be a fun story as well and will star another character that most readers do not particularly like. (Why do I feel compelled to work with the trying characters? :D) Hopefully, there will be a few readers willing to try it because it should be an entertaining read.
That’s it. A lot of transitioning from one project to another. Next week, there may not a story excerpt because I don’t think I will be far enough into either story to be comfortable with sharing from them. Today, the excerpt is from the end of the story, so read at your own risk.
AN EXCERPT FROM Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: Continue reading Music Monday: Easter Parade, Judy Garland
Music Monday: All About Her, Paul Brandt
Today, I’m sharing a song that I listened to for the first time this past week. Yes, YouTube notified me that it had been uploaded the week before, but I didn’t actually take the time to listen to it until now. 🙂 Life. That wonderful thing that we get to live and struggle with each day just kept me from taking the few minutes needed to listen. And then life crowded out any mental memo to listen later. I’m sure that never happens to anyone but me, right? 🙂
I’m glad I finally just pushed a few things aside and listened. It’s a lovely song.
At first, when I decided to share this video, it was just because I liked it and not for any story connected reason. But as I listened to it over and over this week (that’s what I do for a while when I find a song I like), I realized that this song really fits with what I try to write about in my stories — that love that turns your attention from your own wants and desires to the wants and desires of another, that makes you worry about the other person’s happiness even before your own. So, while I didn’t think this would have a story connection, it does — to all of my stories. 🙂
Now that you know all that about this song, let me update you on what I did this past week in my writing life. I finished my first round edits/read-through of Confounding Caroline and have sent that on to my first reader to have her check it over for story stuff. I am not sure at this time when I will be publishing that as Mr. Darcy’s Comfort is supposed to be published first according to my planner. I think I am closing in on the ending for that story, so soon, I will be doing first round edits/read-through of that.
[sidenote: I really appreciate all the comments you left on last week’s Monday post about length.]So one “finished” story and one almost finished story means I must be starting some new things, right?
Right.
I have started Delighting Mrs. Bennet which will be the next Thursday’s Three Hundred story (beginning May 10), and I am beginning to brainstorm some details for the story that will follow Mr. Darcy’s Comfort. I haven’t settled on a title for that one, but I can tell you it will start a less loved character and shine some new light on him.
In the world of selling books, New Beginnings which is an anthology of Finally Mrs. Darcy, For Peace of Mind, and Through Every Storm, can still be purchased for 40% off at Kobo if you use the 40DEAL promo code at check out. However, that sale ends today. You can read excerpts from those books in the last week’s Friday’s Feature.
There will be a Friday Feature this week as well. I have a book that will be included in a promotion on Kobo starting Thursday of this week. I am still waiting to get the promo code sent to me. I will, of course, send an email to my mailing list and post a graphic about it on social media as well as having an excerpt from the book here on the blog on Friday.
In the trying something new section of life, Zoe Burton, Rose Fairbanks, and I have been trying out doing live videos on our Longbourn Literary Society on Facebook, and I have figured out how to add those videos to my YouTube channel so I can share them with those who are not on Facebook. You can find the live video from Saturday HERE. [Zoe read a short excerpt from her upcoming release in this week’s live.]
I think that is all the writing/book news and that means it is time to share a bit of what I wrote last week. Remember, this is getting toward the end of the story, so there could be spoilers. Read at your own risk. 🙂
AN EXCERPT FROM Mr. Darcy’s Comfort: Continue reading Music Monday: All About Her, Paul Brandt