Tag: Her Secret Beau

Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)

“Do you know,” Walter continued as Grace took a seat on the bench, “that this was my favourite place when I was just a lad and came to visit my grandparents.”

“Was it really?” Grace smiled and ran a hand over the bit of slab next to her where he was about to sit. “It is a lovely bench, and the aspect from here is delightful.” She leaned toward him when he finally took a seat. “I am particularly fond of arched garden gates, and you can see the gate between the hedges quite perfectly from here. I imagine that the gate is even more delightful when all the flowers are in bloom.”

“It is,” Walter agreed. “And when the tree behind us is laden with leaves, there is something very cozy feeling about this place, almost as if one could hide here, which I must say, I have.”

“You have hidden here?”

Walter nodded. “When I was just a boy of about six, I used to curl into a ball under this very bench when playing hide-and-go-seek. Every time.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I would not advise using the same hiding place over and over if one has been found in it. It is the surest way to lose a game.”

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]
Published to YouTube by Simply Three on February 27, 2014
Published to YouTube by SaraBethie on January 16, 2014

The top video is an instrumental piece and has been on my Music to Write By playlist for a long time — it was the first song added to that list. 🙂  The bottom video includes lyrics and is one of the videos on my Music Meets Movies playlist.

I thought the song was good for tomorrow’s chapter of Walter and Grace’s story as they are in the garden alone and in a special place in that garden. Hopefully, you will get a chance to read that chapter tomorrow — it’s a good one. (But then, aren’t they all? Well, not all of them include almost-kisses.)

There is also an Austen Authors post of mine you can read tomorrow. It’s more pictures than words 🙂 I’m sharing pictures from some of my summer fun, and I am hosting a giveaway as well.

Do you remember how I said last week that I should be able to have enough written of Addie’s story to start sharing from it? Well, things did not go as planned. LOL Continue reading Music Monday: Somewhere Only We Know (Two Ways)


Music Monday: Falling for You (Northanger Abbey)

“No, do not turn your head,” Mr. Blakesley scolded as he once again sat in the drawing room at Erondale two days later — this time without Mr. Norman and with a screen and drawing paper in front of him.

“But I wish to see what you are doing,” Grace replied.

“I am taking your likeness, and I am not very accomplished. Therefore, I beg of you, stay still, or I shall not be responsible for your face looking more like an apple that has been trampled by a herd of pigs than the pretty shape that it is.”

“Are you truly so bad?” Grace peeked around the screen.

Truth be told, she did not care what the drawing on the paper looked like. She was far more interested in seeing his face while he sketched, and if that screen was not in the way, she could also see how his mouth moved and eyes narrowed as he shifted his head while studying her. The thought of a gentleman such as Mr. Blakesley studying her likeness so intently was both unsettling in a nervous sort of fashion and exhilarating in a rapid heartbeat that made one smile and sigh sort of fashion.

“You have ruined it.” Mr. Blakesley favoured her with a scowl. She was certain she had never met a gentleman who looked so dashing when he scowled.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]
Published to YouTube by anickamilujefilm on February 18, 2012

I have used this video before on a Monday. However, it had been over a year since I did so I thought it would be fine to use it again. 🙂 I was writing a Dash of Darcy Companion story when I used it last time. Therefore, today, I will share an excerpt from that book at the end of this post as I am not quite far enough along in my current work in progress to share from it. Continue reading Music Monday: Falling for You (Northanger Abbey)


Music Monday: Northanger Abbey – Crush (David Archuleta) +Cover Reveals

A quarter of an hour and two days was a long enough wait to find out who the mysterious Grace Love was. Her secret smile had taunted and tantalized him since he first saw it in the park. He would be put off no longer. And so, he urged his horse to traverse the short distance between orchard and house as swiftly as possible.

“Why are you here?” Mr. Norman whispered to Walter when Walter took a seat next to him in the sitting room at Erondale.

“You were late.”

“It could not be helped,” Norman returned.

“So could not my arrival here.” He turned a smile on his hosts who were looking at the two gentlemen curiously. “I beg your indulgence of my poor manners. My friend is somewhat startled to see me as I was supposed to have been engaged elsewhere. However, plans change.”

“I hope it was not anything unpleasant which caused your change in plans.” Grace was looking at him with concern.

“A prodigious lack of patience,” Mr. Norman muttered.

Walter chuckled. “My friend is correct. I seem to be incapable of waiting very long for anything.” He looked pointedly at Grace. “Especially if the longed-for item is of great intrigue.”

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]
Published to YouTube by Austenita30 on January 9, 2009

Can you see the connection between the song title and the excerpt? Someone has a crush on Miss Grace. He finds her fascinating and tantalizing, which I believe is a bit like how Henry Tilney starts out with Catherine Morland. And that is why I chose this video to share with you today. Continue reading Music Monday: Northanger Abbey – Crush (David Archuleta) +Cover Reveals


Music Monday: The Dance (Doug Hammer)

“I saw you dancing.”

Grace pasted a smile on her lips. She had been doing her best to not meet up with her mother, for doing so would inevitably lead to having to speak with her sister. And, she was not wrong, for Felicity was at her mother’s side, looking all eagerness.

“He was very nice looking and exceptionally light on his feet,” said Mrs. Love.

“Oh, indeed!” Felicity cried. “He might be one of the best dancers here.”

“Even better than Mr. Ramsey?” Grace asked. Her sister should be thinking only of Mr. Ramsey, but, of course, she was not.

“Yes, I do believe so, though I would not for all the world tell him so,” her sister replied.

“What was his name?” her mother asked eagerly.

“Mr. Norman,” Grace replied. “He is a physician.”

Her mother gasped and blinked. “A physician? He has no estate?”

A wicked thought captured Grace’s imagination. “None of which I know, but he has a home here in Bath. Some rooms somewhere. I really do not know where. There is still so much to learn about Bath.”

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]
The Dance by Doug Hammer, Provided to YouTube by CDBaby on July 2, 2105.

I chose this song from my Music to Write By playlist because of the title and because of the playful tone. Tomorrow’s story begins with the clip above in which dancing is mentioned and where a dance all of Grace’s own making begins. 🙂  The question is — will the dance go as planned or will some stumbling and tripping happen along the way causing some ungraceful moments or worse, a catastrophe?

I’m also going to share a scene from a previously published book below. In this scene, there is also a game or dance set to begin, but first, let me update you on the progress of my current writing projects. Continue reading Music Monday: The Dance (Doug Hammer)


Music Monday: Catherine and Mr. Tilney, Your Hand in Mine

“Bea likes to be prepared for all eventualities,” Graeme offered.

“Different sides of the same coin, then,” Mr. Norman muttered.

“Quite,” Graeme agreed.

“It seemed to me that such is also true of Shelton and his wife.” Walter’s lips tipped up as he finally found for whom he was looking. Mr. Shelton was bending to hear what a very pretty young lady named Grace was saying. Miss Love was it? “Is that your guest with Mr. Shelton?” he asked Graeme.

“Yes, that is Miss Love. Would you care for an introduction?”

Yes, yes, he would very much like to meet the secretive Miss Love. “If it is not a bother,” he replied with an air of indifference before following Graeme across the room.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen Book 3]
Published to YouTube by AuburnAfterglow on January 8, 2018.

We will be at the Assembly Rooms in this week’s chapter of Her Secret Beau, so I thought a video featuring Northanger Abbey would be a good choice.

In writing news: 

I wrote nearly one chapter each of Her Secret Beau and Persuading Miss Mary. Persuading Miss Mary‘s chapter needs to be finished.

And…drumroll…

I finally started my third work in progress. Just barely, but it is started. Remember how I said it was going to be titled Robert: something to something? Well, I was wrong. It turns out that it is going to be called Addie: To Wager on Her Future (or something very much like that). 🙂 Continue reading Music Monday: Catherine and Mr. Tilney, Your Hand in Mine