I hope you are safe and well. Below you will find information about what I got done in my writing life this week and links to a book that is on sale from now until next Wednesday (April 8). I also have news about a set of books that will be leaving other sales platforms and moving to Kindle Unlimited soon.
Writing News
Here’s an update on my writing projects with a short excerpt from a couple of them.
His Irreplaceable Belle: I wrote the final chapter (chapter 15) this week! Yes, this one is done, and now, I must begin thinking about Felicity’s story. (Or, at least, I think I’m doing hers next. However, there is a character in these final chapters who might need his story told as well.)
Matching Mr. Darcy: I just finished chapter 10 of this story a few minutes ago. It’s beginning to feel as if the story is picking up pace as it moves towards its conclusion. Here is how chapter 10 begins:
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY RONANKEATINGOFFICIAL ON FEB 26, 2020.
It is the chorus of this song that made me think of the story from which I am sharing today. This story is a short novella that starts with an accepted offer of marriage that has been years waiting to be given. The reason for those five long years of separation for our dear couple…well, read the first chapter and you’ll find out. 😉
Elizabeth took in the splendor of the ballroom. It was far grander than she had ever experienced. The walls were decorated with portraits and landscapes, one standing alongside the next with others over and below them. Four large chandeliers twinkled, their brilliance reflected in several mirrors that hung amongst the paintings. Down the length of the room to her left, doors opened into the house, while on her right were grand doors framed by pillars and heavy drapes leading into the garden. At the far end of the room, a small group of musicians was pausing between dances, and on the floor, only a few chalk flowers remained distinguishable. She no longer felt overdressed, though, she did still feel strange wearing colour after so long in mourning clothes.
“Come, my dear.” Her uncle, Gareth Amberly, took her elbow. “There are people to meet.”
Elizabeth put a smile on her face and nodded. At one time, she had enjoyed meeting people. It had been amusing to watch their interactions and make judgments about their character, but that was before she had discovered how very little she knew about judging character.
They had stopped about halfway down the length of the left side of the ballroom. Her uncle lifted onto his toes, stretching his neck this way and that as if searching for someone in particular. Inwardly, Elizabeth sighed and turned to admire a painting of a young woman with a small child on her lap and another standing just behind her shoulder.
Uncle Gareth had been eagerly talking about this ball for a fortnight. He was worse than Lydia for excitement and equaled her mother for chatter about this or that gentleman. She tilted her head and wistfully examined the face of the young child. No matter how she might long for a family of her own, Uncle Gareth was far more eager to see her remarried than she was.
Although her time in town had helped her spirits to lift enough to allow a small glimmer of hope that happiness might be possible, she truly had no desire to marry again…unless… She shook her head. That was hopeless. She had had her chance and squandered it. She was certain that Mr. Darcy had married long ago and to someone more acceptable than she.
Grace Love was not the sort of lady who sat on the side during dances. She was not the sort of lady who stayed at home when there was an outing to the park. She was not the sort of lady who avoided any sort of fun. Or, at least, she had not been such a lady until now. And all it had taken for Grace’s world to change had been one house party.
With eyes narrowed, she watched the progress of her sister’s hat as the carriage Felicity was perched in made its way down the street.
“Grace, dear, do not spill your tea on that chair.”
“Of course, Mama.” Grace pulled her attention back to the sitting room in the house they were renting for the season and away from her treacherous sister.
[from Her Secret Bea, Touches of Austen Book 3]
Provided to YouTube by CDBaby. Published on YouTube on July 5, 2015.
I had considered attempting to find songs with either the word secret or whisper in the title for each week that this story posts. However, I do not know how many weeks that will be, and I thought I might get bored of that. 😀 So, I might toss in a few secretively titled songs over the weeks but not every week. This week, I have selected a song that is on my Music to Write By playlist on Spotify that has a title which reflects what must happen as a story is being written. The imagination must dance! 🙂
And my imagination has been dancing. I am not sure how many conversations Mary and Wes have had in my mind this week. It all has to do with future possibilities, however, and not the portion of the story I am currently writing. They are even making it a bit of a challenge to focus on any other story but theirs. But then, we should expect Lord Westonbury to be a bit troublesome, shouldn’t we? LOL Continue reading Music Monday: Dance of the Imagination (Greg Maroney)
What will you find in this week’s Music Monday post? Well, today, I have a musical selection from my Music to Write By playlist, news of a “new” book, and an excerpt (half of what is currently the first chapter) from a just started story. So, click play and while this beautiful song swells, read on to find out more.
ThePianoGuys. “The Cello Song – (Bach Is Back with 7 More Cellos) – The Piano Guys.”YouTube. YouTube, 14 June 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.
<– This happened this week. 🙂 I have compiled three of my stand-alone books into an anthology of stories focused on the theme of second chances. Included in this collection are For Peace of Mind, Through Every Storm, and Finally Mrs. Darcy. New Beginnings is available both in ebook (at a nearly 50% savings off the individual titles) and paperback. You can find it at this link: New Beginnings
In addition to publishing this anthology, I also began writing a new story this week. The plan is for this story to be a Dash of Darcy story, which means it should be about 20,000 words and will focus on a new way for Darcy and Elizabeth to get together. I have preliminary plot notes and a few thousand words written. I hope to have the first draft completed by the end of February so that this short novella will be available in March — perhaps in time for some March Break (Spring Break) reading! 😉
Here is a longish excerpt from the beginning of this story:
“Fitzwilliam,” Lady Catherine called to Colonel Fitzwilliam as he passed the door to her sitting room. “Your ride can wait,” she said in answer to the reply she knew was coming.
Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed and turned in to the room.
“Just Fitzwilliam.” Lady Catherine looked down her nose and made a brushing motion with her hand indicating that her other nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, should leave the room. “Close the door,” she called after him. She waited until it was latched, and she heard footsteps moving away from the room. Then, she took Colonel Fitzwilliam by the arm and pulled him further into the room.
“Sit.” She motioned to a chair in a grouping in front of a window that looked out onto the front garden of the house.
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes and did as instructed. It was pointless to do otherwise. Lady Catherine always had her way or there was a price to pay. It was far cheaper and easier to just listen. “To what might I ascribe the honor of this private conference?”
Lady Catherine’s eyes narrowed at his cheeky tone, but she did not reprimand him for it. He was always attempting to stir her ire, but today, she would allow no such distractions. She stood near the window. She tilted her head to peer out and around toward the door where Darcy was just exiting. “It is time he marries,” she said.
“Darcy?” Richard’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
She nodded and took a seat across from her nephew. “Yes, Darcy. Georgiana is not getting any younger and will need someone besides just her brother to guide her through her first season.”
“But Anne –“
“Not Anne. They would not suit.”
“But?” Richard was at a loss for words. His aunt had always insisted that Darcy would marry Anne. In fact, it was a supposed engagement that had kept Darcy from feeling a need to begin looking in earnest for a lady to help him secure his estate for future generations.
Lady Catherine picked at a small flower on the arm of her chair. “He was not ready to begin a family. I had to keep him from rushing forward into his duty somehow.”
Richard’s mouth dropped open and then snapped shut. There were still no coherent thoughts forming in his mind. What his aunt was currently saying was clashing with what she had always said previously. Had she not taunted Darcy about doing his duty by marrying Anne?
She shook her head as if reading his thoughts. “Darcy was never going to marry Anne, and Anne knew it.”
Richard’s brows furrowed, and his lips pursed into a perplexed scowl. “You will need to explain.”
Lady Catherine rose and walked to the window. Darcy was still pacing in the front garden. “I promised his mother that I would see him marry well and for love.” She raised a brow at Richard, causing his mouth to snap shut. “When his father died, he was not ready to take on the responsibilities of an estate and make a proper decision about a wife. He would have rushed pell-mell into an untenable marriage that would have perhaps resulted in a family, but not a happy one. He would have used some supposed list of qualifications of a proper wife and never thought once about the misery he would have faced as a result.” She tipped her head and gave Richard a firm look. “Do not tell me he would not have done so. You know as well as I that he puts duty before everything.” She shook her head. “I still think he has no idea what sort of wife he requires.”
Richard laughed. “And you do?”
Lady Catherine returned to her chair. “I do, and I have found her.” She chuckled at the way Richard’s mouth dropped open again. “A simple county miss with a keen mind.”
“And you found her?”
Lady Catherine raised one shoulder and let it drop slightly. “I believe, I have.” She leaned forward as she prepared to tell him how she had done it. “My parson is the heir to an estate that is entailed — a distant cousin or some such thing. It is difficult at times to follow his meandering.”
Richard raised a brow and smirked, earning a rap on the knee.
“I am not meandering.”
Richard inclined his head in acceptance although the smirk did not fade from his lips.
“Anyway, this cousin has five daughters — three of a good marriageable age and two just reaching it.” She smiled as the smirk dropped from Richard’s face and was replaced with amazement. “I sent him to find a wife from among them because I reasoned that if he could marry one, then the others might be asked to visit on occasion, and I might be able to select one for Darcy.”
Richard shook his head. “How did you know these ladies would be simple country misses with intelligence?”
Lady Catherine shrugged. “Collins had said their father eschewed town and spent the chief portion of his time in his study. I thought it likely that at least one daughter might have inherited her father’s love of books and learning.”
Richard nodded. That made sense. It was unlikely that all five daughters would be completely unlike their father. “Was he successful?”
Lady Catherine laughed. “No, he was not, and I really should have known he would go about it wrong. He tends to bungle things, but in his bungling, he has made my task of selection most easy.” She laughed again. “She refused him — soundly, and she is not taken with Darcy. Quite the contrary. She thinks him proud.” Her eyes fairly danced with mirth. “Collins did secure a wife, however, and Mrs. Collins happens to be Mrs. Darcy’s particular friend. That is how I know so much about my choice. Mrs. Collins is a lovely lady, very sensible — quite the opposite of her husband.”
Richard’s head tilted to the side. “Your parson has a guest.”
A smile split Lady Catherine’s face. “Upon my urging, he does.”
“The lady you have selected?”
Lady Catherine’s brows flicked up quickly. “Clever is it not?”
Brimenting. “Etta James ~ At Last (Dancing with the Stars).” YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2013.
CONNECTION BETWEEN MUSIC AND STORY:
A reader, after concluding her reading of Finally Mrs. Darcy, told me that the story made her think of this song. I think it is an excellent choice. In this story, Darcy and Elizabeth meet after having been separated for five years.
Here’s the description of the book:
After Lydia’s elopement, Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield, but sadly he is alone. His connections to Mr. Darcy are severed, crushing any hope Elizabeth Bennet had of finding happiness with the man to whom she has lost her heart.
As the years pass, grief turns into acceptance and Elizabeth marries. She is content to settle into her new life, but it is not to last. A fever claims the lives of both her husband and father, leaving her in the care of her new uncle, Gareth Amberly, who is determined to see her happy.
As this Pride and Prejudice Variation Novella opens, Elizabeth’s uncle introduces her to the man he suspects will make her happy ─ Fitzwilliam Darcy. It takes very little time for Darcy and Elizabeth to come to an understanding and for Elizabeth to discover the true reason for their separation. Is a complete restoration of relationships possible, or will their happily ever after always be tainted by separation?
The story moves quickly. By the end of the first chapter, Darcy and Elizabeth have come to an understanding. This story is about their short trip from reunion to wedding, but it is also about forgiveness and restoration.
The following excerpt is from the first chapter and is when Darcy finally knows for certain that Elizabeth loves him.
EXCERPT FROM Finally Mrs. Darcy:
“When you did not return with Bingley, I thought it was because you did not wish to be associated with a family tied to Mr. Wickham or such foolish girls as Lydia — and who could blame you?” She turned to face him. “It broke my heart. I refused to attend assemblies for nearly a year. Mama thought it was because I missed Jane, but it was you I missed.” She took one of his hands. “Eventually, I could no longer refuse to attend, and I met Jack. He was a pleasant man. He smiled much and spoke well of all he met. I believe he was constitutionally incapable of being disagreeable. He respected me, and I was happy, but he was not you.” She squeezed his hand. “I loved him, but not as I love you.”
“You love me?” Darcy stood perfectly still. His breath caught in his chest as he waited for her reply. The thought that his affections might be returned threatened to make him embarrass himself by either causing him to weep or shout or, heaven forbid, both.
“For these five long years, I have loved you. I have tried not to, but it is impossible. I fear I shall always love you.” A breeze tugged a wisp of hair free, and she brushed it away from her face. “It is why I have told my uncle I do not wish to marry again — not that he will hear of that, but it was not fair to Jack and would not be fair to another to give him only part of me.”
“You love me.” Thankfully, his delight only spread across his face and did not express itself with any more exuberance than that.
She nodded.
“Are you certain you will never marry again?” He stepped closer to her, looked into her eyes and brushed that wayward wisp of hair from her cheek.
“Never.” She drew the hand she held around her waist. “Unless it is you.”
“You will marry me?” Again, the happiness of his heart wished to be released in a cry of victory, but he would not allow it.
“If you will have me.” She smiled up at him as his arms pulled her close.
“You will marry me.” He bent his head to kiss her softly. “My feelings and wishes have never changed. I love you now as I loved you then, most ardently.”
Elizabeth drew his mouth back down to hers. These were the kisses for which she had longed. The kind of kiss that sent fire racing through her body from her lips all the way down to her toes. The kind of kiss that caused her to long for greater intimacy.
“Elizabeth,” he whispered near her ear as he pressed kisses along her neck. “When? When will you marry me?”
She sighed and held him tightly to her. “This very moment if it were possible.”
“I shall acquire a special license. One week,” he claimed her lips once again, “one week, and you shall be mine.”
