Other Pens Collection – Page 2

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: The Ash Grove (The King’s Singers)

“I thought you enjoyed music,” Diana said.

“I do.”

“Then, you might wish to stop glaring as if you want to run through the next person to step up to the piano.”

Perhaps he did not wish to gravely injure the next person to perform, but there was Carlyle. Roger would not mind seeing that gentleman properly laid out on the lawn with some sort of wound.

“Mr. Carlyle has a lovely voice.” Diana had followed Roger’s glare and found the object of his discontent. “He is singing ‘The Ash Grove’ since Victoria is so familiar with that piece of music.”

Roger’s scowl deepened. That was the song he sang with Victoria.

[from His Darling Friend, a Touches of Austen novella]

Published to YouTube by oiznas on May 17, 2012

For today’s post, I reached into Georgiana’s Music Folder (a playlist I have on YouTube) and pulled out a song that makes an appearance in tomorrow’s chapter of His Darling Friend. As you can tell, Roger is not pleased to know that the song he usually sings with Victoria is going to be sung by Mr. Carlyle. 🙂 Make sure you stop by tomorrow see if Roger’s scowl continues to deepen or not. (I’m going with it continues to deepen. 😉 )

In writing news:

This week I got one more chapter of Loving Lydia written — one where Netherfield receives another surprise guest. 🙂 And I managed to write two more chapters of His Darling Friend so that I am almost as far ahead as I want to be. If I can write two more this week, I will be exactly where I want to be — four weeks ahead of posting.

Also this week, I finished final edits on Tom: To Secure His Legacy. Yay! That means I will be sending out Patreon and advance reader copies this week. My final files are due to be uploaded by Wednesday and the preorder will be over with in a week! That’s right! Tom’s story will be available to add to your bookshelf next Monday! It seems like it has been so long in coming. [I’ll also be working on the print version this week.]

For my upcoming Kindle Unlimited bundle project that I wish to have out on or before March 18, I pulled down my two previous book bundles (Despite the Circumstances and New Beginnings) from all vendors to make way for this new arrangement of previously published stories. I also purchased a picture so I can start working on the cover image. I still need to write the book description and then remove the individual books from all vendors save Amazon. As a reminder, the books in this bundle will be Oxford Cottage, For Peace of Mind, Through Every Storm, Listen To Your Heart, and With the Colonel’s Help.

This month was a bit lower on the writing new stories front. (Only 24,712 words written compared to the 43,088 words I wrote in January) My brain was tired. I tend to push until the well runs dry and needs refilling. 🙂

So, I have been doing some relaxing (sort of). I have been reading and watching movies and discovering new recipes to try. I have discovered that I can find recipes which fit with my many sensitivities in the realm of the paleo diet. 🙂 This has been truly exciting for me. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen several pictures of food.

This has been a very beneficial time. I am starting to feel that urge to push forward building again, and this morning (I am writing this on Friday), I actually found myself awake when I should have been sleeping because of a couple of new story ideas. 🙂 I might actually know what book I am going to be starting next. 🙂

Well, that’s all for my news, so let me leave you with a scene from one of my already published books that has two schemers making plans to see Darcy and Elizabeth come to an understanding.

AN EXCERPT FROM Discovering Mr. Darcy: Continue reading Music Monday: The Ash Grove (The King’s Singers)

Music Monday: Luck Be A Lady (Emma and Mr. Knightley)

Today, we are going to start with just a small snippet from tomorrow’s Sweet Tuesday story.

“Pull the bell, please, Victoria,” Diana said as she took a seat at the desk near the window. “This message must get sent to Mrs. Love straightaway. We would not wish for her to worry that her daughter has gone missing.”

Victoria moved to do as requested while Grace set forth on an explanation of how her mother rarely worried about her. It was Felicity, it seemed, who was the cause for concern.

“And she was found in the garden – alone with Mr. Everett Clayton. She is fortunate that Mother was not there or the scolding that she would have had to endure!” Grace leaned forward and whispered. “She was not wearing her bonnet, and her cheeks were very rosy when she returned to the house. She will not tell me what she was doing, but I am not so stupid as she thinks. I have heard what happens in dark corners of gardens.”

To Victoria, it looked as if the young lady was quite interested in what happened in dark corners of gardens.

“Proper young ladies do not find themselves alone in gardens with gentlemen.” Diana’s tone was firm but gentle.

“Oh, no, of course not.” A smile tipped the right side of Grace’s mouth. “Unless she wishes to marry the gentleman.”

[from My Darling Friend, A Touches of Austen Novella]

Published to YouTube by Rosie McCann on December 27, 2015.

Jazz is not often a style of music I listen to, but when I heard this song, it just seemed to be a very Miss Grace Love sort of song. 🙂 So, naturally, I had to share it with the excerpt above.

Before I get to my news, I thought I would share the results from last week’s “How Do You Read” survey. There were not a great number of responses, but this is how the replies I received broke down.

I must also say that I enjoyed reading the comments left on the survey.

How would I answer these questions?

Well, I purchase through both Kindle and Kobo, but I also read on OverDrive as that one connects with my local libraries ebook catalog.

I do not have a Kindle Unlimited membership as I tend to be a slow reader and a re-reader so I would not save any money by having that membership. And I am about saving money! I remember reading one response that mentioned loving a book sale, and I couldn’t agree more! I love a good sale.

I am not a paperback reader. I prefer ebooks.

Well, enough of that survey. Thank you to all who took the 2 minutes or so to take it. I found it enjoyable to see your answers.

As far as writing news goes:

I am still slowly working on adding chapters to both Loving Lydia and His Darling Friend. Unfortunately, I have fallen behind where I would like to be, which is causing me some stress. But, it really cannot be helped. There is just a lot of none-writing writer stuff that needs doing.

I am also slowly working through final edits for Tom’s story, which is currently on pre-order! Yay! So, now, I must get the final manuscript ready to upload to Kindle by March 7 — four days before the release day, March 11, 2019.

One thing that is very important to note about this pre-order is that Tom’s story is listed at $2.99 USD* which is a special introductory price that will go up to $4.99 USD after the pre-order ends. (*Other currencies also reduced based on USD price.)

I have the new bundle I wish to put in Kindle Unlimited nearly formatted. I still need to get a cover made for it, write a blurb, and remove the books that will be in it from other vendors. But, it is coming along. I would like to have it ready to put in Kindle Unlimited by March 18th or so to mark my four-year publication anniversary.

I think that is all for my writing new for this week, so let me leave you with a longer excerpt from one of my published books.

I chose this excerpt because it features a young lady one might think would be as willing to compromise a fellow to get him to marry her as Miss Grace appears to be. However, this young lady is rather surprising and likely not at all as you might think.

I also chose to feature her because she made me get teary-eyed when I was writing this week. (And so far, in every story in which she has played a major role she has tugged at my heart and caused me to keep my tissue box close.)

AN EXCERPT FROM So Very Unexpected:
Continue reading Music Monday: Luck Be A Lady (Emma and Mr. Knightley)

Music Monday: The Last Dance (Samuel Sim – Emma 2009)

I am keeping to the same format as I did last week and sharing an excerpt from something I was working on this past week, and then sharing a longer excerpt from a published book at the end of the post. Both excerpts take place at balls just as the video does.

This first excerpt is from near the end of Tom: To Secure His Legacy:

“I am glad to hear it,” she replied.

He tipped his head slightly to one side, his brow furrowed.

“Truly,” she assured him.

That returned his smile to his face just as the music began. For the duration of the set, they spoke in snatches about things of little significance – flowers, the weather, the crush of people, and so on. It was perhaps the longest and best conversation about the mundane things of the world in which Faith had ever taken part.

“I fear I will not be able to offer another set to you,” Mr. Bertram said as they made their way from the floor. “Unless, of course, you do not mind strolling in the garden rather than dancing during the set.”

He was limping more than usual. His leg must be hurting him most grievously. He had performed admirably while dancing, even if his hopping and skipping had been a trifle awkward at times when he began favouring one leg over the other.

“I am not a walking stick,” Faith whispered, “but you may lean on me if you wish.”

“I am certain I can make it to where I left my cane,” he assured her with a smile.

“Do you even think it wise to walk in the garden? Would your leg not do better if you were to rest it?”

“You sounded very much like Mrs. Durward just now,” he replied with a laugh.

“I promise not to instruct you to sit by the fire.”

“Very well, then, shall we adjourn to the card room?”

She shook her head. “My brother has made me promise to dance as often as I am asked. I fear he might not think I was doing as he requested if I disappear from the ballroom. However, I would not be opposed to a short stroll of the garden and perhaps a small rest on a bench during some other dance tonight.” It was almost as close as she dared come to declaring her feelings for him, there was one more thing she could say in that regard. “I was sorry to have missed your call yesterday.”

They had reached the edge of the room, near the door to the corridor, and with a look over his shoulder, he led her into the hall.

“My brother…” she protested.

“Might be out here. I did not see him in the ballroom just now,” Mr. Bertram replied with a grin.

Published to YouTube by Lily C on March 18, 2018.

I have begun the final read-through of Tom’s story and have set a tentative release date for March 11, 2019. I say it is a tentative date, but I firmly believe that date will hold fast. I just like to leave a little wiggle room at this stage of things.

I have not started any new stories, nor do I actually plan to start one for at least another week. I have decided that some of the projects I have been putting off really should not be put off any longer and deserve attention.

One of those projects is the rearranging of some book bundle content. I am, for various reasons, going to be unpublishing two anthologies: New Beginnings and Despite the Circumstances, and creating a new anthology (title and cover to be revealed later).

This new anthology will include Oxford Cottage, For Peace of Mind, Through Every Storm, Listen To Your Heart, and With the Colonel’s Help. I plan to put this anthology in Kindle Unlimited for at least three months. While that is great news for Kindle Unlimited readers, it is not so great for readers who do not read through Amazon as I will be required to remove those books from all my other vendors. Kindle Unlimited demands exclusivity.

I am uncertain at this point if this collection will come out of Kindle Unlimited after the 90-day term is over or not. As I have mentioned in other Monday posts, I am shifting to work on things that are not Pride and Prejudice related more often this year. To do that, I have to try new tactics that might help keep royalties up where they need to be for me to draw my salary from my writing/publishing business, Leenie B Books.

Once again, I will say that removing books from other vendors and making them exclusive to Amazon has not been an easy decision, but I will not truly know if Kindle Unlimited can help keep royalties up unless I try it.

I have the Other Pens, Mansfield Park series and His Beautiful Bea in K.U. but they are not Pride and Prejudice based books and so have a smaller number of readers willing to give them a try. They are not doing poorly compared to how they did when non-exclusive, but the numbers are still on the lower end of things. So, I need to “experiment” with stories which have a larger reader base willing to read them.

If they do well, I might put other collections of books in Kindle Unlimited. This might be for an extended period of time or it might be on a rotating basis so that the books can be made available to readers on other platforms as well. I’m really uncertain how it is all going to work out, and there might be some bumps and missteps along the way.

To help me as I make some of my decisions, would you be willing to take a quick two-question survey? If so, you can find the survey at the link below. The questions are simple. Question one gives several options for ways you prefer to buy and read books. You can select as many options as apply to you. Question two gives you a blank to share anything you would like me to know about how you read that is not included in the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCJ3D3W

I will leave the survey open until Friday. Thank you to those who take the time to participate.

And, I think, that is all the news I have for you this week other than I am still working on His Darling Friend and Loving Lydia.

Oh, no! There is one more thing. I will have a Friday Feature worth checking out this Friday. 🙂

And now it is time for the second excerpt I promised at the top of this post.

Below is an excerpt from the epilogue to Willow Hall, which can be found at the end of At All Costs. I thought it went well with the mood set by the video above. However, it is from the end of a book, so read at your own risk. 🙂 Continue reading Music Monday: The Last Dance (Samuel Sim – Emma 2009)

Music Monday: Silent Worship (Emma 1996)

I’m flip-flopping this post just a tiny bit today, as I am starting with just a few lines from something I wrote last week and will end with an excerpt from an already published book.

The following lines are part of a chapter of His Darling Friend, which will post in a couple of weeks. However, since this story does contain touches of Jane Austen’s Emma it seemed to match quite well with the musical video clip below. (I have been watching a few Emma clips to get some inspiration lately. 🙂 )

“Then, it shall be perfect. Do you think we might try it now?” He motioned to the piano.

Victoria tamped down her irritation about having to play anything at all, handed the remaining sheets of music to Diana, and took her place at the instrument. The things one had to endure to please one’s mother!

Thirty minutes later, once Mr. Carlyle, who was as exacting as she had imaged him to be, was satisfied with both his performance and hers, Victoria was allowed to quit her spot at the piano.

“Of all the frustrating, arrogant men!” she complained in a whisper to Diana. “Did you hear him instructing me on how best to play?”

Published to YouTube by Movieclips on October 2, 2011.

A note about the song from Wikipedia:

“Silent Worship” is featured in the 1996 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma, where it is sung by Gwyneth Paltrow (as Emma) and Ewan McGregor (as Frank Churchill). Although Somervell’s 1928 English adaptation of the 1728 Handel aria was done more than a century after Austen’s 1815 novel, the original Italian aria was recorded in Jane Austen’s own handwritten songbooks. In the film, Somervell’s piano introduction to the song is shortened.

So, as you can tell, there is to be some sort of musical performance at the Abernathy House party. This week, I wrote the practice session chapter of His Darling Friend, and that is all I wrote on any story! It was a heavy editing week as far as stories go. Tom: To Secure His Legacy should be in the hands of my first reader before you read this on Monday morning. So, that moves one pressing project off my list of things to do for a while, which means I can hopefully start thinking and working on my other projects more — including deciding what new story is going to step into the lineup.

The only other item which I wrote this week was an Austen Authors blog post about His Darling Friend, which will post tomorrow, February 12, 2019. I wrote it to announce the beginning of a new, free-to-read, weekly story to those who might not always read my blog or who do not even know about my blog.

And that was it for my writing work this week. 🙂

Since I do not have a current work in progress story to share a longer excerpt from at present, I thought I would share an excerpt from an already published book. This scene is from Chapter 5 of Discovering Mr. Darcy where Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Catherine are “up to no good” (aka arranging a compromise 😉 ) and was chosen because it involves practicing the piano, which I think goes well with the excerpt from His Darling Friend and with the video.

AN EXCERPT FROM Discovering Mr. Darcy: Continue reading Music Monday: Silent Worship (Emma 1996)