April 12, 2025
April showers bring May flowers … but will those showers be rain or snow? One never knows around here.
Two days ago, there was snow enough for schools to be cancelled, and today, we’re almost back to bare ground and the sky is blue and the sun is shining. And then, I hear we might get rain over the weekend.
It’s just spring in the Maritimes. 🙂
I adore spring. Even with it’s less than predictable temperatures and weather. I think what endears it to me is that it’s a time of new beginnings. Kind of like how I love a new blank calendar in January, new notebooks just waiting to be filled, and so on. The possibilities are tantalizing. It’s a rather energizing season.
PERSONAL UPDATE
One thing that is new for me this spring is that I’m reading again! *waves streamers and toots a kazoo*
Finally.
It’s been nearly three years now since I first came down with THE virus that left me with some post-viral issues. Part of those issues involved the ability of my brain to have enough energy to function in just mundane, everyday tasks and to write without becoming overwhelmed and hurting (not with a standard headache, but with a brain ache).
Reading wasn’t part of the picture at all for a very long time. There just wasn’t enough energy for it.
And that’s tough when you love books like I do.
Slowly as I worked on getting my brain stronger and regulating my nervous system, I started adding in my books. I re-read so many of my books (more than once). It was easy for my brain to deal with them as it wasn’t deciphering things in the same way a new story would be.
From there, I moved to re-reading books in my library. Again, because it seemed to take less energy to do. I knew what was going to happen. I didn’t need to wonder or try to figure it out.
Then, I went to new but short reads that progressed to longer reads. I would read one new book per month. Then, I could do two per month, and then, one per Sunday. Recently, I read two books in one weekend (and didn’t suffer for it), and I thought the world was finally opening up to me.
And you know what? It was. At least in the reading realm.
I’ve been reading several books per week for a few weeks now. They aren’t long books, and it’s not done without discomfort. My brain still hurts at the end of many days. But, it and my nervous system seem to be recovering fairly well after a night’s sleep. (Not perfectly well, but so much better than it has for the past couple of years.)
So, I’ll keep working on that as I add in another new item for this spring that I hope will open up another part of my world that has been locked away for the past three years. I’ve started adding a short walk on a trail to my weekends. And the occasional treadmill walk during the week. I’m hoping that getting back to walking as I love to do won’t be too far down the trail. (pun intended LOL)
WRITING and AUDIOBOOK UPDATE:
In my writing life, I’ve been working on getting back into my Annilee novel, as well as producing some audiobooks. I actually got one finished and uploaded to YouTube just at the beginning of April – right around the same time that None So Accomplished as Mary was released.
That audiobook is His Beautiful Bea, and this time, I’ve submitted it to a new audiobook distributor called Findaway Voices, which is owned by Spotify. I hope that they will eventually add it to their Spotify offerings. But getting it distributed to all the places that will allow digital voice recording can take up to a month. So maybe by May it will be on Spotify and at Everand and in a few other places as well.
I have an audiobooks page on my website where you can find links to all the places where my audiobooks are available.
Just a heads up here, but previously released books on Kobo may disappear for a bit once I have this Findaway thing figured out a bit better. That’s because I cannot choose who to distribute to on their website. It’s all or nothing. And since they distribute to Kobo, I will need to unpublish that audiobook there before I can publish it again with Findaway.
I have not begun working on any new Leenie stories yet. I have, however, written the final segment of my Harriet and the Colonel story (for now). You can read about that at the bottom of this broadsheet, and let me know if you want more. 🙂
IN THE TEAROOM (on Substack)
In case you missed it, it was Rose Fairbanks’ turn to post in the SWR Tearoom this month. She was also talking about spring and connecting it to her writing. You can find her article here.
LEAVING KU
The Willow Hall Series will leave the Kindle Unlimited program this month. So, make sure you have it downloaded before April 21 if you want to read it using your KU subscription.
Shortly thereafter, it will be published everywhere and should be available with your Kobo Plus or Everand subscriptions. It will also be added to the library on Patreon so you’ll be able to read that with your paid subscription there as well.
eBOOK DEALS (which you can find on the Book Promo Page here)
His Irreplaceable Belle is just $0.99 (USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and NZD, with all other currencies also reduced) at all retailers this month.
As I write this, With Quill and Ink is free everywhere but Amazon. I have a price match request in to them, and I hope that by the time this broadsheet goes live, it will be free there as well. This book will be free until May 12 because it will be taking part in a “Stuff Your eReader” type promotion between now and then.
APRIL’S PATREON FREE READ AND PATRON PERKS (find me on Patreon here)
If you follow me for free on Patreon, there is a series starter or novelette that can be read for free each month. This month’s series starter read is His Beautiful Bea.
Each month, I am offering at least one ebook to download and keep to my $2 or more Patrons, and every time there is a new audiobook finished, I also make a link to download that available to them.
This month’s offerings are Oxford Cottage and His Beautiful Bea (both as an ebook and audiobook)
SOMETHING NEW TO READ
And now for the final installment of Harriet and the Colonel, which needs a better title. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Also, I am torn between just writing an epilogue for this story and being done with it, or possibly writing a second story that takes these two from where they are in this installment to their wedding. Do you have a preference? Cast your vote in the comments.
Chapter 5 (part 2)
Harriet paced the hall outside the little library. The footmen she had gone to fetch had already entered her brother’s study. Surely, they would be finished soon.
The door to her brother’s study opened and one of the men exited quickly. He was likely going to fetch other men. That seemed to be how these things worked with her brother.
A footman would be holed up in Edmund’s office for a bit of time, and then, he would scurry away through the servant’s halls and entry way.
She expected to see a half-dozen other men arrive to call on her brother within the hour. The little library would be well-used today!
She took one more circuit of the hall, from top to bottom, before entering that little library and creeping softly to the door that adjoined her brother’s study. She strained to hear anything, but the most she could decipher was the tone of voice.
That was her brother.
That was the colonel.
One of the footmen asked a question.
Ah! There was a promising sound. Shifting chairs and the opening and closing of the door to the hallway.
Quickly, she made her way to the small table that held the colonel’s hat. She ran her finger along the edge of it as she held it. He would not leave without this, and she was not going to give it to him until she had receive a few minutes of his time.
She glanced at the miniature of her eldest brother that stood next to similar pictures of her parents, as well as she, Samantha, and Edmund.
A lady simply did not know when someone she loved would leave her for the final time.
And knowing that her brothers – and likely her father before them – as well as Richard, were employed in dangerous, but necessary, pursuits, there was absolutely no way she was going to let her colonel leave without him knowing that he was cared for. So very dearly.
Several minutes ticked by before the secret door opened, and Richard exited. Alone.
“Is my brother behind you?” She placed his hat behind her back.
“No, he said he had some work to do.” His expression was one of amusement. “Are you planning to keep my hat?”
“Only as long as necessary,” she replied.
“And how long will that be?” His tone was teasing but not as carefree as it would normally be. Of course, that was understandable.
“My brother is …” She paused and shook her head. “What he did was deplorable, and I will be speaking to him later.”
This caused a genuine chuckle to escape Richard’s lips.
“Will I be allowed to have my hat before then?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” she assured him with a smile. “But not until you know just how greatly I am upset with him on your behalf and that of your cousin and Miss Elizabeth.” She sighed as her shoulder sank. “They will be well. We must believe that.”
She held out her hand to him, and he took it. “You are the best my brother has to offer, since he refuses to enlist my services,” she added with a playful smile to lift the heaviness of the emotions that surrounded her.
“He had better not enlist your services,” Richard growled. “Someone needs to keep you safe.”
“And you would trust him to do that after what he has done to you?” She gave him a pointed look.
“He does not work alone.”
“Oh, I know that.”
“No, I mean he has men in your household.”
Harriet blinked. “Of that I am aware, though to be honest, I have not yet figured out just how many.”
He shook his head. “I should have known that you would know.” He placed the hand he held between both of his. “I am tired and should be on my way, but before I go, I must ask you what exactly you have done.” His left eyebrow arched over a pointed look.
“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.
“Your brother has informed me that I am no longer unacceptable as a suitor for you, and that I can present myself to him to offer for you after this particular assignment has been completed.”
Harriet chuckled as a wide grin engulfed her features. “It seems he was quite serious about wishing for someone else to take care of me. I thought that he was, but one cannot be too certain until the proof has been presented as irrefutable.”
Richard closed his eyes and shook his head as he repeated his question. “What exactly have you done?”
“I simply proved to him that there is one female who would make an excellent partner for his best man and dear friend.”
“How precisely did you do that?”
She swallowed and looked away. He was not going to be happy to hear this. “It had to be done,” she said to preface her admission.
“What had to be done?”
She bit her lip as she met his gaze. “I found Andrew’s watch.”
His eyes grew wide, and he dropped her hand to run one of his through his hair. “You did what?”
“I went shopping with Jimmy – he is one of Edmund’s men, you know.”
“Yes, I know.”
“And while shopping, I just happened to find a place that deals in loaning money to people in exchange for various items.”
“A pawnbroker? You went to a pawnbroker?” He huffed and shook his head as if he could not believe her.
Harriet crossed her arms and glared at him. “I had to. My brother needed to know that I could be an asset and not a liability to you. And I will have you know that Edmund did a fine job of scolding me already, so you do not need to.”
“I believe I do,” he returned. “For I have a feeling that you did not bow to his admonishments. He has always had trouble being anything but generous with you.”
“That is not a fault, is it?” She smiled at him and fluttered her lashes. “I took precautions. And, as I said, it had to be done, because I will not marry anyone but you. I do not care how many Mr. So and So’s or Sir or Lords he tries to push at me. You are the only man I will ever love.” She placed his hat back on the table before taking his hands. “I have told Edmund so before. Many times. However, he refused to listen. So, I showed him just how serious I am.”
Once again, Richard was shaking his head. “You are…” He seemed lost for words.
“Edmund said I was impossible when he was yelling at me regarding the watch. To which, I replied that I was passionately independent, and that led to him saying I was staunchly recalcitrant. And that was right before he threatened to punish me.”
“He yelled and threatened to punish you?” He turned to look towards the door to Edmund’s office. “Your brother?”
“Yes.” She waited until she had his full attention again. “Which is how I know that what I did was excessively dangerous. But you, my dear sweet colonel, are worth it.”
“Harry, when are you going to learn that it is my job to say such things to you and not the other way around?” He placed a hand on her cheek.
“Can we not both say them?”
“You are a treasure. Do you know that?” He sighed. “Please, do this one thing for me, and keep my precious treasure safe. Can you do that for me? I have enough people to worry about. I do not wish to add you to that list.”
How could a lady say anything but yes to such a delightfully romantic thing? Well, a lady who did not immediately promise to do just as requested would have to be a lady very unlike Harriet. For Harriet was the sort who was incapable of not occasionally being daring. Therefore, the best reply should could make was, “I will do my best.”
He chuckled. “See that you do. For when I am finished rounding up some scoundrels and returning Georgie and Elizabeth to their families, I will be back for you.” He pulled her into his embrace. “I am broken because of the danger that threatens them,” he whispered. “But I would be beyond repair should anything happen to you.”
Tears gathered in her eyes, both at the thought of his pain and how treasured she was. “Then, I will do so well that Edmund will wonder what has happened to his sister.”
“Just do not do so well that he changes his mind about you being my burden to bear,” Richard teased before preventing her from any retort by claiming her lips with his.
Harriet wound her arms around his neck and held him firmly to her. He deepened the kiss, and she responded in kind. She was passionate. So very passionate about many things but none so fiercely as this man who held her heart and who trusted her with his. There was nothing that would keep her from seeing him safe and well – even if it meant making changes to her own behaviour.
Surely, she could be inquisitive and even a touch daring and still make sure that she was not the cause of him being broken forever.
“Take care,” she whispered when her head rested over his racing heart as he simply held her tightly. “For if you do not, I will not refrain from coming to your aid.”
A chuckle rumbled through him. “I would say the same.”
He pulled back from her and then took her face between his hands. “Do not ever change, my darling Harry. Always be as ardent as you are now. Just please, apply that zeal to your safety as strongly as you do to provoking your brother, for in keeping yourself safe, you will be protecting my heart.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Then, taking up his hat, he said, “I shall return when this mission is done.”
She snatched his hand before he could leave her. “Send word as soon as the ladies are safe.” She kissed his knuckles and then allowed him to depart.
As she watched the door to the house close behind him, she smiled and sighed for she knew that soon he would return to claim her as his forever.
So, epilogue or another story? Let me know in the comments.
