Other Pens – Page 2 – Leenie Brown

Meet the Characters: Charles and Evelyn

We’re moving on to book two of my Other Pens series this week. You’ve met these characters already if you’ve read Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy since both of these characters are good friends with the main characters in book one.

This is how I like to build series. Each book is a stand alone, complete romance, but what happens in earlier books lays the foundation for and adds to the fictional world in which the characters live.

I like reading, and therefore, writing, series that are like this since it really gives me a feel for a place and society/group of friends or family that I might wish were real enough to visit. So when, I say, “step into their world” at the end of this little promo video I made for the series, I hope you really do feel like you are doing just that when your read any of my books!

Now, back to Charles and Evelyn, also known as Mr. Edwards and Miss Barrett. Let’s step into their world as they are at a play in chapter 3 of Charles: To Discover His Purpose.

You’ll notice some other familiar faces – Aunt Gwladys, Constance, Henry, Trefor – in this partial scene because everything that happened in the last book is what this book is building on.

And, I have another fun addition to the end of this post like I did last time. It’s another video but much longer.

Meet the Characters: Henry and Constance

It will come as no surprise to those who have been readers of my stories for a while that I do not just write Austen-inspired stories that reimagine Austen characters in new places and situations. I do write those kinds of stories, but I also like to develop my own characters to insert into Austen-inspired stories and, of course, to populate my own original stories.

My Other Pens series is one that combines a few of Austen’s characters, as reimagined to some extent by me, and many original characters. This is a series where we step off of the last page of Mansfield Park and into Henry Crawford’s world as it continues past Austen’s novel.

Did you know?

The Other Pens series title comes from the first line of the final chapter of Mansfield Park:

Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.

The February 2022 Saturday Broadsheet

The Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link at the bottom of this short post.

In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:

Info about what is posting on my blog. (Did you see there’s a new story posting?)
Info about my writing and publishing news. (Did you see the new edition of No Other Choice is published?)
Info about any book promotions: there are three of them! (Want to get Waking to Mr. Darcy for $0.99? You can do that this week.)
And a story and art connection

CLICK HERE TO READ THE February 2022 SATURDAY BROADSHEET

Have a great weekend!

I hope you have time to read a book.

I’ll be back on Thursday with a new chapter of The Beginning of Prudence.

The Fanshawe’s Sitting Room (Edward Gennys Fanshaw)

The Fanshawe’s Sitting Room, Admiral Edward Gennys Fanshawe (27 November 1814 – 21 October 1906). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The following excerpt is from a conversation had in the Linton’s sitting room when Kitty and Elizabeth call on Mr. Trefor Linton’s sister Constance (who is betrothed to Henry Crawford).

“And then I created a list of ladies for him.”

Miss Bennet looked like she was going to faint away. “No! You did?”

Constance nodded. “It broke my heart to do it, but I had promised I would.”

Miss Bennet’s hand covered her heart as she shook her head. “How tragic.”

“There are several interesting bits to that tale, which I will tell you when we are not beset on every side by gentlemen,” Constance assured her. “Suffice it to say that none of the ladies on that list met with Mr. Crawford’s approval, and I was fortunate to gain his favour.”

Again, the romantic Miss Bennet sighed wistfully. But then, she sat up a little straighter, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Then, perhaps you could help me.”

“With what?” Trefor asked before he could think better of it.

“With behaving as I ought while in town. It is not that I am an improper lady like Mr. Crawford was an improper gentleman. I just have never been to town before, and, well, I would like to make a good impression. After all, I would like to marry someday, and, to be frank, there are not many gentlemen from whom to choose in Hertfordshire – at least, there are none to my liking,” she clarified.

“If Miss Linton helped me, perhaps her brother could help you by giving you a gentleman’s viewpoint,” Mr. Crawford suggested.

Miss Bennet shook her head vigorously. “That would not work.”

Trefor was inclined to agree. He had seen what had happened when he had allowed his sister to help Henry.

“I am certain I need a lady’s advice,” Miss Bennet continued as Trefor recalled the article in the paper with his sister’s name attached to it.

“Besides, Mr. Linton is far too provoking,” she concluded, bringing Trefor’s full attention back to the discussion at hand.

“I am provoking?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“I do not see how.”

Her brow furrowed as a scowl settle on her lips. “Must you always argue with me?”

“I do not argue with you. You argue with me,” he retorted. Blast! That was not what he should have said. It was not what he would have said to any other lady, other than his sister.

Miss Bennet rolled her eyes and, making a sweeping motion with her hand towards him, said to Constance, “You see what I mean?”

Constance laughed. “Yes, I know very well of what you speak. He provokes me regularly, but he means well – most of the time.”

“If you say so,” Miss Bennet replied, though she did not sound at all convinced of the fact.

[from A Scandal in Springtime]

A Scandal in Springtime can be found as a single title or as part of Darcy Family Holidays, Volume 1, which is on sale for $2.99 for the month of July.

For those who are interested and have not yet read it, Miss Linton and Henry’s story can be found here.

Period Drama Men // Sharp Dressed Man

When I was scrolling through my playlists on YouTube looking for a video to share today, this one just shouted Charles Edwards at me as I scrolled past it. So, I stopped, went back, and decided that yes, this song seemed to go well with a scene from his book where he’s helping a couple of young lads learn the skills needed to be a valet. The feel of the song seems to fit Charles as well since he is a rascal in the process of changing his ways but still very much willing to stroll along the borders of propriety.