Leenie B Books – Page 7

Story Setting Collage: Bath, England

Her Secret Beau is the first of two stories in my Touches of Austen series that are set in Bath. So, I thought it’d be fun to gather a bunch of images from Deposit Photos (since I’ve never been to Bath, sadly) and make a setting collage.

I like having a few images in my mind when I am writing or reading a story, and these do relate to different scenes in the story as there are a few in gardens, one at the hero’s town home, and of course, the Assembly Rooms. There’s also a scene where the Abbey is mentioned. So, these all seemed to fit the theme.

I’ve selected to share chapter 10 in which you will find the scene where the Abbey is mentioned. We are about halfway through the story by this chapter, and the scheme that Grace is perpetrating is full swing. Here are the basics just so you’re not confused when you read the excerpt below.

Grace Love is secretly courting Mr. Blakesley (Walter). She is pretending to love Mr. Norman (of whom her mother does not really approve, though he’s a lovely fellow). the Claytons (Graeme and Bea) and the Sheltons (Roger and Victoria) know all about Grace’s scheme and why she deems it necessary. The reason behind the subterfuge: Felicity Love, Grace’s sister. I think that’s probably enough details to set you up to read what follows.

Enjoy!

Mr. Darcy with Him (Hugh Thomson)

Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As I mentioned in the Saturday Broadsheet, Mr. Bingley Plans a Ball is the May free read for Followers on Ream and Patreon. So, today, for this Story Connections post, I am sharing the first chapter of that novelette with the image above. If Bingley has his way, Mr. Darcy will be with him at Netherfield. However, as you can see below, Bingley has currently returned to Hertfordshire alone to do some scheming on his friends behalf — right after he secures his own happiness, that is.

Enjoy!

The May 2024 Saturday Broadsheet

With this edition of my monthly Broadsheet, I am going to start posting the full thing here rather than just sharing a link to read it on Substack, since it’s just a matter of copy and pasting it here. I do also post this on Substack, Patreon, and Ream Stories.

May 11, 2024

Has it been a month already since the last Saturday Broadsheet?

My! Time sure seems to fly sometimes.

I’ve been busy with life and writing things, so that’s probably why it seems like only a couple of weeks ago that I was writing my previous Broadsheet.

Unfortunately, not all the busyness was pleasant. My father-in-law was suddenly moved from home care to palliative care and then, died shortly after that. So, there was a lot of dreading the sound of a phone call and then, the proceedings that accompany a funeral. And now, there are some matters that must be sorted through as happens when someone dies. But he is no longer sick or in pain, and his funeral was lovely and as hope-filled as such a thing can be since he requested that it focus on Jesus and not on him.

In my writing life, I’m starting to get settled into a schedule that allows for me to write a bit on several projects at once. I used to work on multiple stories at one time, but then, I hit some burnout and then, I got long covid, which I still am struggling with. So, I’m so very happy to be able to take even small steps towards a return to a new form of normal. (I’m trying to keep things low and slow to avoid set backs or finding myself feeling burnt out again.)

As you will see below, the new schedule has helped me reach the point of being able to share my Sweet Possibilities work in progress with my members and patrons. That means I’m at least four chapters into the writing process. You’ll also notice below that a few chapters will be available as a preview to non-paying followers.

The funeral has me one week behind on getting into the Oxford Cottage refresh. I would really like to be able to start sharing the refreshed chapters on Thursdays on my blog, Patreon, and Ream by the end of June. Just like with the new stories I write and share, I also like to be a few chapters ahead when it comes to doing refresh projects. Honestly, refreshing a book can be more challenging than writing from scratch. But it’s so nice to have the stories get another polish, and the process is a good exercise for my writing muscles.

Because I am just opening up Oxford Cottage and getting ready to refresh it, this month’s story vignette goes with that novel. So look for that at the end of this newsletter.

NOW POSTING IN THE REPOSITORY AND ON PATREON

The April 2024 Saturday Broadsheet

This month’s Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link below.

In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:

a writing life update
all the books I have on promotion this month
books coming and going from Kindle Unlimited
an original sweet Regency romance vignette inspired by the snowy grey Nova Scotia weather we had a couple of days ago 🙂

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS MONTH’S SATURDAY BROADSHEET

Have a great weekend!

En Svinesti (Carl Bøgh)

Do these pigs look like their listening to a delightful tale of adventure to you? They do to me, and that is why I chose to pair this painting with the excerpt below.

The Beginning of Prudence is set in the springtime at Rosings and in one fun scene near the end of this novelette, a pig and Colonel Fitzwilliam take a stroll, and that is the scene that I have chosen to share below.

Now, I wonder which pig in the painting is Betsy? I think it might be the one lying down on the left side and looks to be talking. 😉

Enjoy!

P.S. The Beginning of Prudence is free to read for followers on both Ream and Patreon this month. Of course it is also available to purchase at your favourite ebook retailer.