Peonies (1915). CC Curran, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I think I’ve discovered another painter to add to my list of favourites! This gentleman’s work is beautiful! It’s full of life and movement.
This painting made me think of Master of Longbourn because peonies are mentioned in that story. In fact, I find the scene in which they are mentioned to be quite as lovely as the flowers in the painting above – but then, I’m partial. I’ll let you judge for yourself as I am including the full chapter below. (It’s chapter 8 which is about 3/4 of the way through the book.)
Master of Longbourn is a sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Comfort and is the tale of how Mr. Collins becomes the master of Longbourn and finds not just his happily ever after but who he is and where he belongs. I found myself growing to love this version of Mr. Collins as I wrote this story. I hope you will find him to your liking as well.
PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY PHILLIP PHILLIPS ON AUGUST 2, 2012.
This song is one I often listen to as an instrumental cover by The Piano Guys while writing, but I thought that today, I would share the vocal version, which is on my Whatever for Whenever Spotify playlist. (This song on Spotify can be found here.)
The lyrics are what has me pairing this song with Master of Longbourn today. The Mr. Collins in this book is searching for a home. He has demons that fill him with fear. However, he finds himself surrounded by those who are willing to help make Longbourn his home.
Using the candle he held in his hand, Collins lit a second one that was in the lamp on the table next to where Mr. Bennet had been sitting earlier that day. He looked around the room.
Mr. Bennet had told him he was to make this room his second refuge. His first was his bedchamber, of course. There he could lock himself away without there being much chance of being disturbed, but here, he was more accessible, and here is where Bingley had very firmly insisted he should read each evening.
Truth be told, Bingley had wished for him to sit with the others in the sitting room, but Darcy had pled his case and convinced Bingley that the study would be better for reviewing what needed to be learned.
Collins tipped his head and eyed the book on the desk. He wanted to go over it again. He was positive he could remember nearly everything Mr. Bennet had told him about the tenants listed in it. He glanced at the door. No one was with him; he could peek at it.
He crossed to the desk, placed his hand on the book, and just as he was about to lift the cover, shook his head and retreated to the chair near the lamp without the book. He did not want to have to tell Bingley or Darcy tomorrow afternoon that he had spent another evening studying, for both gentlemen had thought it best if he spent one evening consuming the novel he had promised Kitty he would read.
He sighed as he settled into his chair, and taking up his book, he placed it unopened in his lap while he pondered the lovely Miss Kitty Bennet and watched the shadows chase each other in the flickering dance of the candles’ flames. Perhaps in the new year when Bingley had his ball, he would dance two sets with her. Perhaps by then, she would even be accepting of his addresses, or at least, by then, he would have learned enough from Darcy and Bingley to be able to present them. By spring, he might even find himself in a position to make her his wife. That thought could not be made without a smile finding its way to his lips.
“May I enter?”
Evelina clattered to the floor as Collins started at the sweet voice that called to him from the door.
I hope you are staying safe and well. I and my family are safe and well, which, this week, means more than we have not contracted a virus because last weekend our province was the site of the worst mass shooting in Canada. To say it has been a challenging week is an understatement.
Be that as it may, I still went to work and did the things, and, below, you will find information about what I accomplished in my writing life this week, as well as publishing information and book sale news.
Writing News
Here’s an update on my writing I have with a short excerpt from two of them.
Her Convenient Forever: I wrote chapter three this week. So, I am on track to start posting that story on my blog on May 12 as I had hoped I would be. Here is an excerpt from chapter 3.
“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)
Welcome to Christmas in July. Each Music Monday this month will feature Christmas music and a giveaway. Scroll down below the video for a few details.
Published on YouTube Oct 26, 2009, by Atlantic Records
I have five books which are set around Christmas:
A Very Mary Christmas
For Peace of Mind
No Other Choice
Two Days Before Christmas
One Winter’s Eve
Each Monday, I will leave a link in my Music Monday post which will have 5 copies of one of those books at it. (Books will be given away in random order — not in the order listed above.)
There are five Monday’s in July.
That’s a total of 25 books being given away — just like the day on which Christmas falls 🙂
Two other pieces of information you might wish to know:
Each Monday post is scheduled for 8:05 am Atlantic time.
The link will be located just before my story excerpt each week because I would like you to read the post, but feel free to read after you have clicked to see if any books remain. 🙂 I get it — being quick on the click is important here.
Now, let me tell you about how I decided on the musical selection for today. I sent out an email to my mailing list to give them a heads up on this special month of Music Monday posts. I was, at that time, still undecided about what video I would share today. Well, before I had made my final selection, I received a reply to the email I sent out, and in that reply, there were two suggestions of groups with great Christmas music. One of those groups was Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the other one was Blackmore’s Night. I went to YouTube and looked them both up and listened to a few songs. The song above I had never heard before, and it was so beautiful that I just had to use it today. (In case you’re wondering, it’s quite likely that I might use one from the other group on another Monday.)
In other news…
Master of Longbourn has launched successfully and has several lovely reviews. 🙂
Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 3, 2018, on Austen Authors, I will be discussing part of the plot structure of Master of Longbourn as it pertains to Mr. Collins’s inner journey.
I managed one day of writing on two stories this past week. So, not exactly a great success for the new writing routine, but it’s a good start.
I have Thursday Three Hundred posts scheduled all the way through September now, and still, Delighting Mrs. Bennet has not reached its conclusion. That means the release date is still unknown and will likely not be any sooner than sometime in November.
The first three chapters of Charles’s story have been posted at Patreon, and I am beginning work on Chapter 4. I hope to get at least one more chapter completed and posted at Patreon this week.
Before I get to the excerpt from Charles’s story, here is the link where there are five copies of For Peace of Mind waiting to be claimed. The copies are available on a first come, first serve basis until all five have been claimed or the link expires on Friday, July 6, 2018.
