I have recently completed the work of updating all the files and covers for Her Father’s Choice (Choices, book 1). In the process of updating things, I decided to make a larger print version of the book. I have never had large print editions of these books. I will continue to include a new large print edition for the books in this series as I move forward with the Choices Refresh Project.
Speaking of that project, I just started re-reading/re-editing book 2. I plan to begin sharing that story here on the blog, beginning on October 7, 2021.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you purchase the book on Amazon whether in print or ebook format, I will earn a tiny commission for referring a sale to Amazon. This commission does not impact what you pay for the book at all.
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY JJHELLERMUSIC ON AUGUST 7, 2015.
I thought we should have a happy, catchy, upbeat tune today to go with a happy chapter of Her Father’s Choice. 🙂
In Her Father’s Choice, Darcy and Elizabeth’s freedom to choose each other is taken from them as they are forced together through a planned compromise. However, as you will see in the chapter below, Darcy is quick to realize that even if he had not been forced to offer to marry Elizabeth, he still would have chosen her — they were meant to be. (Elizabeth will figure it out later.) And that’s the reason I picked this song.
Lady Sophia tapped her toe as she waited in the sitting room with Georgiana at Darcy House. “He should expect me to be early. I always am.” She straightened her sleeve. “I am curious to meet the lady who has finally captured your brother.”
“Captured would be the proper word for it,” said Richard, entering the room and giving first his aunt a kiss and then Georgiana. “I did not realize you were coming today, Georgiana.”
Georgiana pursed her lips and looked at her aunt. “I was not supposed to come.”
“An omission made in error, I am sure.”
Georgiana looked at her aunt doubtfully. “My brother does not make errors of omission. He is the most fastidious correspondent.”
“Ah, well, your brother does not get married every day, either.” She smiled and raised her brows, which combined with the twinkle in her eye, made her look very impertinent. “He will see his error as soon as I have explained it to him.” She patted Georgiana’s hand reassuringly before turning to Richard. “Now, tell me why captured is the proper word.”
“It seems –” began Richard.
“That I am the topic of gossip within my own home,” finished Darcy as he entered the room and gave Richard a stern look. “Georgiana! It is a surprise to see you.” He placed a kiss on his sister’s cheek while giving a questioning look to his aunt.
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.
I am making a few changes to the Music Monday posts (which will cause some other changes on the blog). I’ll explain all that below.
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY VOCES8-TOPIC ON JANUARY 17, 2019
Every year as one year changes to the next, I evaluate what I am doing and look for ways to try to improve. Sometimes, I try new things. Sometimes, those new things work. Sometimes, they don’t. 🙂
Last year, I made a change to the blog and added Sweet Tuesdays. They have been going well, although, honestly, adding that third story to work on consistently with two others has been challenging. But it is a good challenge and has been worth the effort, I think. I plan to continue it.
This year, I am going to try shifting my writing news out of the Music Monday post and give it its own post called The Saturday Broadsheet. I’ve been typing up my weekly writing news for my mailing list for a couple of months now. I’ve been doing it on Thursdays, but the week isn’t over yet. There’s still one day of writing to be done. So, I think I will move writing those emails until Friday and then send them on Saturdays. If I am doing that for my mailing list, I should be able to easily copy out the information I want to post here on the blog on Saturdays at the same time.
This should (hopefully) streamline some things for me, and it should make my Monday posts focused more on the writing inspiration I find in music.
I figure it’s at least worth a try. If it doesn’t work, I can revert back to the way Monday posts have been, right?
I really don’t have a lot of writing news this Monday. I took a good bit of time off over the holidays — way more than I had intended to, but it was so good that I can’t really feel sorry I did it. 🙂 The only real writing-related thing that got done was my final proofread of Her Secret Beau. I’ll share details about the preorder and release and all that later this week. I would say Saturday — but…there will be a Friday Feature this week which is related to Her Secret Beau. 🙂
So, I’m not making any huge changes to the blog. Just a few small ones. You can let me know if you like them or loathe them in a month or so. 🙂 We have to try them for a while before we can say if we like them or not. That’s the rule. 🙂
Ok, so Mondays… I hope to bring you videos of music that inspires me while I am writing or which sparks writing ideas. I also want to highlight some of my already published works over the course of the year. (Did you know that Her Secret Beau will be the 43rd book I have published? I just need 9 more to cover a year of Mondays. Maybe by next year? LOL)
The video I shared today has a direct connection with one of the books I have written because Robert Burns’ poem “My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose” is a poem Darcy is reading in Netherfield’s library when a scheme is put into play to force him to marry Elizabeth.
Here’s how that scene goes. This lengthy excerpt is from Her Father’s Choice, Chapter 1.
“Gareth J. Rubery ✪ Finding You ✪ Piano, String Quartet, Brass and Choir ✪ Garethjrubery.com.” YouTube. YouTube, 31 Dec. 2015.
CONNECTION BETWEEN STORY AND SONG:
On this Music Monday, I am replaying a song that I have used previously on a Music Monday. Why? Because the title is just so perfect for the books I am highlighting this week in my sale and the one that is now posting at darcyandlizzy.com. All three books have to do with people who are known to each other but who do not find each other until circumstances force each of them to view the other person differently.
Let’s take a look at an excerpt from each book that shows a small bit of that moment of realization.
EXCERPT FROM Her Father’s Choice:
~ Available for a reduced price beginning tomorrow ~
[This is the part where Elizabeth finally realizes that she not only finds Mr. Darcy to be a different man than she imagined him to be…she realized that several pages ago…but he is also the man that she loves.]
“Who are your fine feathered friends?” Mary asked Elizabeth.
A small burst of laughter escaped Lady Sophia. “They do rather look like a couple of preening parrots, do they not?” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Miss Ivison is in the green, and Miss Pearce is in the blue. They are two of the ton’s best gossips.”
“And apparently friends of Miss Bingley,” said Elizabeth. “They have had news from her.”
Mary rolled her eyes.
“You do not like Miss Bingley?” asked Georgiana.
“I do not like her behaviour,” Mary said very primly. “She is always trying to elevate herself by lowering others. It is not right. ”
“No,” agreed Lady Sophia, “putting another down to raise yourself up is not right and often ends in embarrassment and disappointment. But, it is, unfortunately, a common trait within the ton, and a disappointed lady with such a fault in character can be very cunning and cruel.”
