Jane Austen introduces different types of villains in her novels. Some are more annoying than evil. Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton are perfect examples of this group. They are fools with high opinions of themselves. I think Austen has these characters in all her novels because they are very real and we have all known… more goodness …
If a writer made Darcy behave like Bingley, Elizabeth behave like Jane, Mrs. Bennet behave like Mrs. Gardiner, and Lydia simply behave, it wouldn’t really be a good variation of Pride & Prejudice. Jane Austen created well defined characters. Changing one or two characters is fair, but writers can’t credibly change too many characters without… more goodness …
The Other Miss Bates is the second book in the Highbury series, in which I explore the possibilities of life for the inhabitants of that quiet Surrey town thirty years before they are brought to life by Jane Austen in Emma. Usually, writing a book involves taking separate strands of story – character, plot, setting… more goodness …
The new year has arrived, and with it the time-honored tradition of setting resolutions for the coming year. Personally, I’ve never been one for setting resolutions. I’ve always been of the opinion that we should constantly be looking at our lives, our behavior, and trying to correct the things we see in ourselves which are… 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 …
Happy New Year! 2020 is shaping up to be a great year, especially for fans of Jane Austen. It seems each month of the new year brings an event to look forward to; and no matter where you live in the U.S. or U.K., there’s probably an Austen-related event scheduled near you. Let’s take a… 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 …
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 …
Most people have their Christmas traditions. It could involve going to church, being with family, volunteering to work the Christmas shift while others celebrate, eating a sumptuous meal, going out for Chinese, exchanging presents, decorating traditionally, or enjoying seasonal music. For writers, one traditional thing to prepare for the season is to write a Christmas… more goodness …
The days are growing shorter. The temperatures are dipping low. Snow and rain are equally as likely to fall from the grey clouds above. And a sturdy coat is really no longer optional. In fact, gloves, hats, and boots are needed often, if not daily. Meanwhile, stores teem with shoppers, schedules are filled to overflowing… more goodness …
With the Christmas season approaching, I thought I would start out by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. While I do not like winter and I hate snow and cold in equal measure, it has always seemed to me that the spirit of Christmas… 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 …
Taking a break from Regency recipes this month, I want to pick the brains of the readers of this blog who enjoy audiobooks. Now, audiobooks are something I’ve never been able to get to grips with. I’m a speed reader and the delivery speed of audiobooks is too slow for me even on double speed;… more goodness …
