Nearly fifty years have passed since this Austen adaptation of Persuasion debuted on the small screen. Filmed at a time when ITV drama productions were low-budget affairs, studio sets are obviously used for the interior scenes. The acting feels awkwardly similar a theatrical production, which is hardly surprising since most of the British actors of… more goodness …
One of the things I love about Jane Austen is that nothing is wasted in her books. Even the tiniest of details is used to convey information of some kind or as a plot device. This includes the servants, who are ubiquitous in her novels. Let’s look at the role they play in a bit… more goodness …
Last month, I mentioned I was working on getting into audiobooks and shared a link to a sample short Austen story I’d recorded. The extremely enthusiastic response I received gave me the confidence to go ahead, and I recorded all four of my short Austen stories and released them as a single audiobook called A… more goodness …
New Year’s Day: a time during which we, as in the Roman God Janus’ namesake month, look backward at what has been and then forward to, hopefully, apprehend what will (or might) be. #InspiredByAusten authors, in the process of attending to their craft, understand that the relating of interesting stories is only one part of… more goodness …
In case you have not noticed, thirty-eight of my titles are on sale for my annual Twelfth Night Sale! The sale runs from December 26, 2019, to January 5, 2020. Fill up your eReaders!!!! For the books for which I own the rights, all books will be between $0.99 and $1.75. There are Austen-inspired titles,… more goodness …
December is a joyous month for Janeites. The month includes Jane Austen’s birthday on Dec. 16 and of course Christmas on Dec. 25. Many Austen groups have December celebrations that partake of the holiday spirit. I was fortunate to speak at a December tea in Boise and a dinner in Salt Lake City. It was… more goodness …
I cannot believe we are halfway through December already and Christmas is only a week away. A friend and I were saying this morning that it feels like we just celebrated Thanksgiving. When I was trying to decide what to post this month, I got an idea for a new book. After spending more than… more goodness …
Jane Austen famously writes of the minutiae of life; her books often centred on a single house or area. Emma takes place exclusively in the Surrey village of Highbury and although a few characters travel outside its precincts Emma and the reader never do. For my Highbury Trilogy, however, I had to venture further afield… more goodness …
“The Most Agreeable & Rational Recreation Ever Invented” During a recent visit to Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood, I was drawn to one of the exhibits, a board game called The New Game of Human Life. Published in London in 1790, it was aimed at the family market and was the British adaptation of a French game, Le… more goodness …
I did it. I finally finished Darcy’s Predicament. The third time was the charm, and I am so very excited to be able to tell you this. I have done two other posts about this story. Each time, it was flowing well, but each time, the words suddenly stopped. I picked the story up again… more goodness …
I have debated over the last couple of weeks the nature of this post. Christmas? Something else? A mix? I finally decided we have had enough Christmas (at least, I have, for my decorations are up, presents wrapped, and the anticipation is waning). Something else was not possible as my brain is filled with two… more goodness …
With my regularly scheduled blog appearing this year on Thanksgiving, I wondered whether there was any formal giving of thanks in Jane Austen’s work. The November U.S. holiday has spread to most of the Americas. The English have a more general harvest-related tradition of providing bread and other food to the poor, often through the… more goodness …
I have loads of multimedia from five different great houses I visited during my trip to England to share with you all, and lacking any better ordering I’m going to go in what was chronological order for me, which was also generally northwards. So first up is Shugborough Estate. This is a National Trust property… more goodness …
