Looking Back & Looking Ahead

2020 Retrospective

It’s hard not to start this post without using one of the many now-clichés about 2020. It was a tough year for all of us in different ways, and I was glad to see the end of it and cling to the hope/belief that 2021 will be better (eventually). I’ve been reminding myself that there were bright spots to 2020, especially in my author life. That is what this post is about.

I became a published author in March when Being Mrs Darcy was released. I began my time as a JAFF writer on the boards, as many of us did. Being Mrs Darcy was my first full-length Regency story, although not the first piece of JAFF I wrote. I began posting it around six or seven years ago, so it is by no means a new story. I conceived of the plot several years before I began writing it. I’m an avid JAFF reader as well as a writer, and like many of you, I like the ‘forced marriage’ (or early marriage) trope. When I began to play with the idea of Being Mrs Darcy, most of the forced marriage stories I was seeing started after Darcy had developed feelings for Elizabeth, meaning at least one of them was not entirely opposed to the idea of them being together. I wondered what would happen if they were strangers to each other and Darcy remained full of pride. It would make their path to happily ever after more challenging, and I do like a good challenge. 😁

I’ve been absolutely delighted by the reception Being Mrs Darcy received. It’s a little nerve-wracking putting a story out there to the world to be judged, and since it was my first book, I really did not know what to expect. As 2020 was ending, and during this first week of 2021, people have been posting their ‘best of 2020’ lists, and I have been walking around with a grin on my face. In addition to making it onto the lists of individual readers on Facebook, Being Mrs Darcy has been listed on several blogs.

• Austenesque Reviews’ Favorite & Austenesque Reviews’ Reader Choice Favorite (thank you, Meredith!)
• From Pemberley to Milton’s 2020 Favorite Books (thank you, Rita)
• Babbling of a Bookworm’s Picks of the Year (thank you, Ceri)
• Austenprose Top Ten Best Historical Austenesque Novels (thank you, Laurel Ann)

It’s going to be a tough act to follow, and I already have my fingers crossed (figuratively, of course!) that my next book doesn’t disappoint.

I also published a novella in July 2020: Mr Darcy: A Man with a Plan. This was actually the first bit of Regency writing I did. I already had Being Mrs Darcy in mind, but before diving into what I knew would be a long, complicated story, I wanted to write an ‘easier’ Regency to get a feel for the differences compared to writing a modern story. In it, Elizabeth and Darcy meet up soon after the disastrous proposal at Hunsford. Darcy realises he still wants to marry Elizabeth, and—as the title suggests—develops a plan to win her. Realising she so misjudged both Darcy and Wickham, Elizabeth is confused and needs time to feel comfortable with the idea that she could safely allow herself to love Darcy.

On a related but different note, 2020 was also the year I joined Austen Variations. When I was asked if I would like to become part of this awesome group of writers, I was honoured and thrilled. It’s been just over half a year, and I’ve enjoyed being part of the group immensely—from the support we give each other, to the zoom events and sharing various posts with you, including a few vignettes.

2021 Prospective

The big news is that I have another book coming out in early April. It is titled The Recovery of Fitzwilliam Darcy. I won’t say much about it now; you’ll have to come back starting in March for the cover reveal (scheduled for Monday, March 1) and excerpts/extras leading up to the publication. If you follow me on social media, I’ll be posting about it there, too.

I continue to write and add to my list of plot ideas. I can’t say exactly when these stories will be released, but I have every expectation of there being much more to come in 2021 and beyond.