Oxford Cottage – Page 8

It’s a happy anniversary, 2 books at 99 cents weekend.

Welcome to the weekend. I hope you are all staying safe and well. There are two books on sale this weekend. I have all those details (not that there are too many details) below in the Book Promotion section.

Writing News

The craziness and uncertainty in the world around us continues this week and seems to be becoming a way of life for many – at least for a time. We have had new closures and protective measures put in place daily this week where I live.

My husband, who has his own cleaning business and is a cleaner with the school board, has been put off work with the school board until schools are allowed to resume and his cleaning contracts are also dwindling to zero as businesses and churches close. We’re still waiting to hear what happens with his paycheck from the school board and if he will need to apply for unemployment. My youngest son works with my husband so he is out of work presently, and my eldest son, who is a manager at a restaurant, has also had his job affected already and is looking at an uncertain future as the closures strike at the restaurant’s bottom line. And my business, well, we shall see what happens there as exchange rates shift and all that. I am sure I will need to make some adjustments as time progresses based on how the market moves.

HOWEVER, we are all still well and have a home in which to take refuge with food and freshwater, and, for the most part, we are good at self-entertainment. (My husband struggles with that the most. He’s a bit of a Bingley 😉 ) And for those things I am excessively grateful and know that I am blessed. I am not telling you any of this to complain. I simply wanted to let you know how I am doing.

I will admit that settling into a routine of writing with my husband home has been a bit tricky, but it seems we are finding our rhythm and my productivity was still very good this week. [He’s really very supportive. I married a good man. A very good man. As I said, I know I am blessed.] Here is an update on my current works in progress (both writing and editing):

His Irreplaceable Belle: I am up to chapter 13, and this is how that chapter starts:

Pride and Prejudice Ch. 15 Illustration (C.E. Brock)

Pride and Prejudice Chapter 15 Illustration by C.E. Brock (public domain) via Wikimedia Commons

~*~*~

An officer stood near the youngest Bennet sisters, while two other gentlemen stood on either side of Miss Elizabeth. The first was dressed in the dark garb of a parson and the second–Darcy clenched his jaw to keep from speaking.

[from Two Days in November, A Pride and Prejudice Inspired Short Story]

~*~*~

Two Days in November can be found in Teatime Tales.

MAILING LIST PATREON

A Meeting by the Stile (Heywood Hardy)

This attitude in this picture is a brighter than the one in the first part of Two Days in November, but the title was perfect. :) This painting also has too many sisters in it because there are two, not three, sisters in my story and only one of those sisters is sitting at the stile when Darcy comes upon her during his morning ride.

~*~*~

She hoped he would exchange a few more pleasantries and be on his way, but he stopped, swung down from his horse, and came to stand across the stile from her. “Please, be seated. I do not wish to take you from your repose. Might I join you for a few moments?”

[from Two Days in November, A Pride and Prejudice Inspired Short Story]

~*~*~

Charles: To Discover His Purpose is FREE in the Kindle store until tomorrow.

MAILING LIST PATREON

Engraving from La Belle Assemblée, February 1, 1817

The couple in the two lines below are not in the ballroom where the assembled masses are dancing, but rather tucked away in a music room where they can have a private conversation. This story, A Music Room Meeting, is one of six short Austen-inspired stories that comprise the book Teatime Tales, which is one of the books given as a welcome gift to those who join my mailing list. (It is also available for purchase so look for it at your favourite ebook retailer.)

~*~*~

She moved to stand near him. “Is this why you play instead of dancing?”

He closed his eyes. “How can I dance when others cannot?”

[from A Music Room Meeting, An Oxford Cottage Inspired Short Story]

~*~*~

MAILING LIST PATREON

Music Monday: A Good Man (Emerson Drive)

Tomorrow, in our Sweet Tuesday story, we will be meeting the hero of our story. Here is how chapter 2 begins…

“I do not see why Grace had to come with us.”

Walter Blakesley peeked over his morning paper to see the source of the comment. She was a fair-looking young lady with a pleasing figure and a dignified carriage. Not his sort. Such an air of grandeur was more likely than not accompanied by fits of temper when the chit did not get her way. He turned his attention back to the news from last night’s soirees.

“And leave her at home?”

Walter chuckled. The mother sounded shocked, but he reckoned that an opinionated young woman spouting her opinions should not come as a surprise to the young lady’s mother. He held his paper in place as if he were reading it but turned his attention to what he was certain was going to be an interesting conversation between mother and daughter as they strolled past where he sat in the garden.

“She has enough gowns for the number of soirees she will be attending. There is no need for her to follow us around from shop to shop.”

“I do not believe we are in a shop.”

He peeked around his paper so he could match a face with the voice of the young lady, most likely the aforementioned Grace, who had just spoken.

[from Her Secret Bea, Touches of Austen Book 3]

Published to Youtube by Katie Douglas on December 23, 2009.

I have heard this song by one of my favourite groups on the radio several times lately, and I thought it would make a perfect Father’s Day song. 🙂 So today’s song choice is for all those good men out there, whether real or imaginary. I am including the imaginary fellas here since I know that for my heroes, as well as many supporting characters, the ideas in this song hold true — maybe not at the beginning of a story, but most certainly by the end of a story. Therefore, it also seemed fitting to share this video today since tomorrow we are going to meet the hero of Her Secret Beau. Continue reading Music Monday: A Good Man (Emerson Drive)