Music Monday: Christmas in the County (Thomas Rhett)

I just added this song to my ‘Tis the Season playlist either last week or the week before. I’ve been doing a lot of listening to Christmas music while working lately, and this song is just so happy. It makes me want to sing along (which is only possible if doing things that don’t require concentration. I have a ‘Tis the Season instrumental playlist for that.) 🙂

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY THOMAS RHETT ON NOVEMBER 19, 2019

This past week, I was busy getting First Blooms and Second Chances ready to send out and to publish, so there were several tasks that did not require the kind of concentration that writing does. Therefore, I did sing along with this song and many others.

(Waiting for the print previewer to open in Kindle Direct Publishing takes forever — usually more than one song and often long enough to switch over laundry 😉 )

Most of the publishing details for both the print and ebook versions of First Blooms have been completed. The print version just went live today (I am writing this on Saturday) I just need to submit a request to have the two versions linked on Amazon and to have a series page created since there are now two books in my Nature’s Fury and Delights series.

If you subscribe to my mailing list, make sure you check your inbox. You should have an email containing a link to download a free copy of First Blooms and Second Chances. If you are not on my mailing list, you can subscribe between now and January 2, 2020, and receive this book as part of your welcome gift.

Things are winding down on the frantic get-these-projects published front. I just have Her Secret Beau to work on soon. That book will publish in the new year.

I have not, however, gotten the next book in that series (Mr. Norman’s story) started as I had hoped. Maybe this week? Maybe next? Sometime soon that book needs to be started as I hope to begin posting chapters on Tuesdays shortly after the new year. (However, I also need to do some Christmas stuff. 🙂 So, my workdays will be fewer in number.)

I did get one more chapter of Kitty’s story written this week, which puts me at eight completed chapters and probably in a safe place to start giving some of my writing time to Mr. Norman’s story.

The only other writing-related note for this week is that it is my turn to post at Austen Authors this week, and I am sharing some samples from a few books — First Blooms and the three books I have on sale. (In case you missed it, I shared chapter one of Two Days before Christmas here on the blog on Friday.

Today, I think I will share chapter one from the second book in the Darcy Family Holidays series, One Winter’s Eve. (And the song choice kind of goes with the story — in a squint your eyes and don’t look too closely kind of way — since Caroline does find herself in the country for Christmas. 🙂 )

CHAPTER 1

Continue reading Music Monday: Christmas in the County (Thomas Rhett)

Music Monday: Emma – Better Together (Jack Johnson)

Roger flopped back onto the grass and placed his hat over his eyes. “You will keep me safe from marauding females if I fall asleep, will you not?”

“Perhaps,” Victoria replied.

Roger lifted his hat and looked at her. She smiled in return, and he once again put his hat over his eyes. She would not let anyone accost him – at least, not anyone he did not wish to have accost him. The thought of him finally choosing someone to be his wife pricked her heart.

“You would not consider a parson, would you, Miss Hamilton?” Mr. Clayton asked.

“No, she would not,” Roger said from beneath his hat.

“I think I can speak for myself,” Victoria retorted.

[From tomorrow’s chapter of His Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella]

Published to YouTube by Val on September 24, 2007

I really do not have a tie in between song and stories this week. I just happened to like this video. 🙂 So, let’s just get right into my writing news.

 

First, and absolutely most importantly…

Today is release day for Tom: To Secure His Legacy!

It is available in the Kindle store and in Kindle Unlimited. Currently, the price is reduced ($2.99 USD) and will remain that way until the end of the week, when it will go up ($4.99 USD). [All currencies are reduced and all currencies will be going up. I just could not list them all.]

Tomorrow, I will have a post about Tom’s story on Austen Authors. I hope you will drop by and maybe discover a few facts about coffeehouses, the London stock market, and how the two things go together.

Of course, don’t forget to also stop by and read Roger and Victoria’s story here tomorrow. 🙂 I managed to get caught up on this story this week! (But, I fell a week behind on Lydia’s story. 🙂 Eventually, it will all get caught up.)

Aside from writing two chapters of Roger’s story and getting my Austen Author’s post written. I started a new story! It has no title, and I have only written 1000 words or so. BUT… it is started! The plan so far has Kitty Bennet as the heroine and possibly Mr. Waller as the hero.

If you have read or when you read Tom’s story, there is a scene where Tom and Faith meet the Darcy’s (from Two Days Before Christmas) at a ball, and they have Mrs. Darcy’s sister Kitty with them because Kitty is visiting the Gardiners. The story I have just started will be set during this visit. The book will (probably) be the third in the Darcy Family Holidays series even though it stars a character from the Other Pens, Mansfield Park series. I am really enjoying having these two story worlds merging in places. I just love thinking of all these characters living in one big world.

I have removed Oxford Cottage, For Peace of Mind, Listen To Your Heart, Through Every Storm, and With the Colonel’s Help from all vendors except Amazon in preparation for the publication of Darcy and… A Pride and Prejudice Variations Anthology later this week. This anthology will be available in Kindle Unlimited for a minimum of three month. I have not committed to a definite plan on this yet as this is the first Pride and Prejudice work I have offered ever in Kindle Unlimited. Depending on how it does. If page reads stay high or sales are good, I might extend the Kindle Unlimited enrollment for a second three-month period. This is all a grand experiment at this point. But I know that just as there are some readers who only read in Kindle Unlimited, there are also parts of the world where buying books from Amazon is not a possibility. Therefore, I would love to figure out some way of rotating books through the Kindle Unlimited library and then back out to other distributors. I’ll do my best to keep you up-to-date on that here as well as in my newsletter.

And, that, I believe, is all my writing news for this week. I am still not far enough along in that new story to share from it. So, once again, here is an excerpt from a previously published story, and I think this excerpt might sort of go with the theme presented by today’s music choice of “Better Together” — even if not all the participants in this scene are terribly willing to cooperate 😀 and work together.

AN EXCERPT FROM One Winter’s Eve [Book Two of the Darcy Family Holiday’s Series]:  Continue reading Music Monday: Emma – Better Together (Jack Johnson)


Music Monday: Start of Something Good (Daughtry)

Richard rode in silence for a full two minutes before deciding that it was best just to lay out the whole sorry business before his cousin and endure whatever teasing might come. “I am considering selling my commission and applying to my father for the land he has promised me.”

“Have you had your fill of military life or is it more than that?”

Richard rolled his eyes both at the question and the way his cousin was tipping his head and studying him. That look always said that Darcy already knew the answer.  “I do not wish to ask a wife to either follow the drum or wait for whatever remains of me to be returned to her, nor do I wish to leave fatherless children if there should be any such blessings to come our way.”

Richard cast a wary sidelong glance at Darcy, expecting his cousin to have some comment, but Darcy did not. Instead, Darcy just rode on, looking forward with an occasional glance in Richard’s direction.

Richard blew out a breath. “It was likely three or four o’clock this morning when I came to the realization that following a lady around and studying her finer qualities to assure her of her worth was not a good way to keep one’s heart from becoming attached to that lady.”

A lifted brow? That was all the response he was going to get? He sighed. Very well, he would continue as Darcy expected him to do. “In battle, it is good to scout out the enemy, study their tactics, and make notes of their strengths and weaknesses. It is not the same with ladies.”

[from One Winter’s Eve]

Published to YouTube by Daughtry on September 28, 2012.

Well, today I have three excepts for you that contain gentlemen at that moment when they are about to admit that their lives need a lady — a particular lady — in them. The first one is from a book that is already published (above the video), the second (just below this paragraph) is from my new release, and the third is from a current work in progress (at the end of this post) which is currently posting on Patreon.

“Congratulations,” Darcy replied, and then after a moment to ponder Bingley’s words, during which he considered his friend married to the sister of the only lady who had, to this point in his life, captured his attention as none other had ever done, he added, “Do not play with her emotions.”

Bingley scowled at him. “I would not.”

“No, I do not think you would, but you must appear to be above such since if you are found wanting, then I shall also be found wanting, seeing as I am your friend. That is, of course, if we can prove to the younger Mr. Bennet that I am not as reprehensible as my actions have accused me of being.”

Bingley grinned. “You do not wish to be found wanting?”

Darcy shook his head. “I think your advice is excellent. I believe I must marry Miss Elizabeth.”

[from Assessing Mr. Darcy]

So that ^^ is my big news for this week. Assessing Mr. Darcy has been published! Thank you to those who have purchased the book and to who have left reviews.

Now that Assessing Mr. Darcy is published, I must turn my mind toward the next release. Mary: To Protect Her Heart has a “Release Day?” sticky note in my planner for next month. I am working diligently toward that goal, but I  still do not have the first draft completed. Therefore, that sticky note might have to shift a bit. I hope it doesn’t but that is why it is on a sticky note so it can. 🙂

I am also working on my third short story in the Nature’s Fury and Delights collection. I hope that once I have this third story done, I can start releasing them individually and perhaps in a bundle for those who like bundles.

This third story has been more challenging than the others because I am taking elements of Persuasion and inserting them into a new plot with original characters who live in the vicinity of Willow Hall.  It’s the combination of trying to let my imagination run but with a few boundaries that has created the challenge.

New (original) characters and plots take a different sort of effort compared to writing a story with familiar characters (such as Darcy and Elizabeth) because you have to establish who these new characters are and why a reader should care for them.  There is also the need to create the source of trouble for the hero and heroine. In a Pride and Prejudice inspired story starring Darcy and Elizabeth, there are some handy villains one can always call up on to stir things up. Not so in an original work. 🙂 And honestly, that’s the part that had me thinking hard this week. I think I have it sorted out, however. This week’s writing sessions will test the veracity of that statement. 🙂

I want to say thanks to pedmisson, who left a comment on last week’s Music Monday, because the characters and the estate in this short story now have names. 🙂 Yay! (I can now stop calling the hero Mr. Bob because he’s Patrick Mullins.]

The next project that is written in my planner is to start the next Thursday’s Three Hundred story. I have two titles I am kicking around at present. They are Loving Lydia and Improving Miss Lydia. It will depend on the direction of the goals and motivations in the story and what the end result should be, and I won’t know that until I get elbow deep into it. But, I’d love to know which title you would pick. Just drop your choice in the comments. [To clarify, this story will be like Confounding Caroline and Delighting Mrs. Bennet. It will feature our dear couple as they move along the path to wedded bliss, but Lydia will be involved in some fashion as part of whatever it is that has to be overcome << that’s vague, huh? purposefully vague]

That’s all the writing news I have for you today, so now, that third excerpt I mentioned above.

AN EXCERPT FROM Mary: To Protect Her Heart  Continue reading Music Monday: Start of Something Good (Daughtry)


Music Monday: Winter, Blackmore’s Night

Can you tell by the title of this instrumental selection which book might be today’s giveaway book? Below the video is the list of remaining book choices.

Published on YouTube, October 30, 2010, by kirelafonos.

A Very Mary Christmas

One Winter’s Eve

Two Days Before Christmas

You can find out if you have the right book by scrolling down to just before the story excerpt, but please come back and read my news and the excerpt after you take your chances at getting a copy of today’s Christmas in July giveaway book.

BOOK NEWS: 

Delighting Mrs. Bennet has reached an interesting (and slightly dangerous) place in its plot. I think I can see the end coming soon, but I’m not exactly certain how long it will take to get to that ending I can see. There are still a few things to take care of. (Not the least of which is making sure that all the characters are safe. 😉 ) I will have all of October filled with scheduled Thursday posts before the week is out!

Charles: To Discover His Purpose is progressing well. I have passed the 20,000 word mark, and I have posted through chapter 7 on Patreon and should have chapter 8 posted there later today before I edit chapter 9 and then start on chapter 10. 🙂 I’m really enjoying writing this story. Charles is proving to be an interesting fellow to understand and help find his best self.

The Dash of Darcy and Companion Stories are getting a bit of a reorganization. Instead of being two separate collections, I am combining them into one and numbering them. This should make them easier for readers to find on Amazon. So, if you are looking at them over this month, you will likely see some have the new combined collection listed as the series and then a book number. These are being numbered mostly in the order they were published. The only exception to that is I am putting bundles in the line after the books which they contain rather than farther following their publication dates. All of the titles except perhaps the two Dash of Darcy Duos will be getting new covers and all of the older titles will be getting backmatter updates. The stories will stay the same. I am not redoing the books in order, so things will look odd for a while as I am working on completing this large project. I hope to be done by the end of July, but I am not certain that is a realistic goal. It might be early August before it is finished.


CHRISTMAS IN JULY GIVEAWAY:

Did you guess the right book? 😀

CLICK HERE TO CLAIM ONE OF THE 5 COPIES OF One Winter’s Eve.

The copies are available on a first come, first serve basis until all five have been claimed or the link expires on Friday, July 20, 2018.

[update: All five copies of this book have found homes. 🙂 ]

 


I was able to work with a couple of young boys, who helped me reveal some things about our hero in this…

EXCERPT FROM Charles: To Discover His Purpose: Continue reading Music Monday: Winter, Blackmore’s Night


Music Monday: The Only, High Valley

I had a different song in mind for today’s post until this one popped up on YouTube as a recommendation for me on Saturday morning. Well, I gave it a listen, and then hit repeat several times and added it to my “My Kinda Country” playlist on both YouTube and Spotify. 🙂 To say I like it is a bit of an understatement. LOL Added to the fact that I like the song (a lot) as a reason for posting it today, is the fact that it fits in tone and theme with what I have been writing this week.

You see, I typed the final word of the first draft of Enticing Miss Darcy on Friday night (or technically Saturday morning as it was after midnight)! And we all know how a romance ends, right? On a very happily ever after note, which I think this song has in spades. So, I shelved the other song to use another week, and instead, you get to listen to this one. 🙂

Frankly, between writing the ending of Enticing Miss Darcy (8000+words) and One Winter’s Eve releasing this past Thursday, not much else got done this week in my writing world. 😀 Of course, it’s not like that was a relaxed schedule of work! I sent out emails, posted about the book being available, created some graphics as well as another book excerpt video, kept an eye on how things were selling and watching for the print version to link with the ebook, and so on. It was busy. I even skipped writing more of Confounding Caroline this week because when I get to the certain point in a story, and I can see the end coming, I have to get it out in order to be able to relax. 🙂 And I just couldn’t fit adding to Confounding Caroline and concluding Enticing Miss Darcy in my available writing time.

Looking ahead to this coming week, I will be working on a short story that will be a bonus follow up sort of thing for a couple of original characters in Enticing Miss Darcy.  I will also begin my first pass edits on Enticing Miss Darcy so that by the end of this  week or the beginning of next week, I will be able to send it to my first reader and start the process of polishing for publication. The tentative publication date is March 6, 2018, with a short pre-order period before that.

Also this week, I will have to begin working on brainstorming what the next work in progress will be. I think it is going to be a Dash of Darcy story.

Since I am heading into a transition period between stories, there maybe be one or two Monday’s without a story excerpt as I want to keep this bonus short story to Enticing Miss Darcy secret, and I want to have the next work in progress well underway before I share from it. (I like to make certain I am happy with how a story is unfolding before I start sharing.) And honestly, I need a breather, which means I am going to not push too hard to get things written and planned this week. (or at least I am going to try not to push too hard LOL)

So, for the final time on a Music Monday, here is…

AN EXCERPT FROM Enticing Miss Darcy

[Remember, this is toward the end, so it could very likely contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.] Continue reading Music Monday: The Only, High Valley