Tag: Sketches and Secrets of Summer

Today, I am pairing a song I listen to a lot while writing with an excerpt from the “middle” of the Sketches and Secrets of Summer…

…or more particularly, the part of the story that is not where Mary and Stuart have just met nor where they are headed to the resolution. This is the part of the story where they are getting to know one another.

In the scene this excerpt is from, Stuart is showing Mary a drawing room that needs to be repainted at Wellworth Abbey and getting her opinion about which colour to choose. I just love how these two fall into such a friendly relationship filled with honesty and teasing, as well as some arguments.

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I expect to get my first round of notes back on Sketches tonight, and that should let me know if my tentative publication date of August 13, 2021, will work. It’s getting close! #soexcited I can’t wait to share this whirlwind sweet summer romance with you all. It is on my list of favourite stories I have written.

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Can you really do a list of “summer” songs without hitting Vivaldi once? 🙂 I don’t think so. 🙂

I typed in “Vivaldi Summer” in the search box on YouTube last week, and this was the video that caught my eye in the results. I’ve never heard this group before and decided to give them a listen. I like their version of this song, so here is Presto (Storm) from Vivaldi’s Estate (Summer) – the Four Seasons as arranged and played by 40 Fingers.

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To go with today’s video, I have another excerpt from Sketches and Secrets of Summer. I have almost completed my read-through. Then, it will leave my hands and come under the scrutiny of others before it returns to me for the final going through before publication in August.

The excerpt below is from chapter two where Stuart and Mary first meet each other. It is the first of many times when they will argue. While this exchange is more like a gentle shower while the sun is shining, not all the clouds in this story are so light.

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I think I need a sign that says “Gone Editing” for this month. I have come to the end of the manuscript for Sketches and Secrets of Summer, and that means it is time to start editing and getting all the things done for publishing. I expect the release day for this book to be in early August. (Stay tuned for the exact date and preorder info.)

Since I will be editing and getting Sketches ready for publication this month, July’s Music Monday story excerpts will all be from that book! And since this book is set in the summer (and it is currently summer in my part of the world), the theme for our music selections this month is “Summertime.” We’re starting July’s theme this week with a song that often plays while I am writing or editing and has the perfect title to get us started on our summery theme. 🙂

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Now, here is your first peek at Sketches and Secrets of Summer (Darcy Family Holidays, book 4):

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And here’s a little info about the story:

Stuart Alford is the romantic hero of this story. He is a second-born son who has unexpectedly inherited his family’s estate and his older brother’s children. Aaron is Stuart’s younger brother and holds the living at Kympton, which means this story is set in Derbyshire.

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