As this month’s theme has to do with Jane Austen and School, let us begin with a visit, in fact and in story, to the school Jane Austen herself attended. Other treatments of the theme might deal with her characters at school – or university – or threatened with working as governesses – or anything …
I’ve been hard at work on two very different books. My last post on my blog had an excerpt from one of them, and I’ll have more of that next month. The big news, though, is that my other book, Mr. Darcy’s Enchantment, will be released December 4! This story idea has been hanging in the …
It’s Halloween tomorrow, so I’m guessing you’ve already carved the pumpkins and stocked up for Trick or Treat. If you’re anything like me, that stash must be awfully tempting, so let me entice you to sneak away with a chocolate bar and think with some compassion of our Regency forebears, who had never tasted such …
My writing journey has been a roller coaster thus far. I know it’s a cliche to say but it’s absolutely true. One of my manuscripts which has gone through a ride of its own is a YA Mystery I wrote a few years ago. I landed an agent with this manuscript only to have that …
This month some of us are writing on the theme “Down the Research Rabbit Hole.” In my book launch, I wrote a little bit about how researching the birds in the UK led me to the magpie, and research on the magpie led to Mr. Darcy’s unusual hobby and Mr. Bennet’s naming each of his …
I’m thrilled to make two exciting announcements today! The first is that I’ll be returning to Kenwood House on 26th and 27th October. I’ll be a guest at Museums at Night at this glorious Georgian mansion in North London and I can’t wait. There’ll be a chance to explore this historical site after dark to the …
Welcome back to another round of tea! This month, we have avid Austenesque fan Debbie Brown on the blog! Her hostess this month is Austen Variations’ fabulous new Joana Starnes. Lift your cups and welcome these lovely ladies! -NC AV: Tell us a little about your background. Where are you from, and who are the special …
Tea with Mrs. Johnstone proves a mite … unusual. Part 7 The next several days provided conversation, the likes of which she had never had, frankly, never even imagined. While she and Mr. Johnstone disagreed not infrequently, sometimes quite widely, he always listened politely, argued intelligently, and conceded defeat as often as she did. He …
Falling down the research rabbit hole is far easier than one might expect when writing historical fiction. There are so many little things that we know about modern life that were very different in Jane Austen’s day. All of those require research in some form or another. Take for example house cleaning. While my husband …
When you tumble down a rabbit hole, like Alice did, you’re embarking on an unexpected and probably convoluted journey. You’re going to run across some surprising things, and it may take you a while to find your way back to where you began. That sometimes occurs when you’re writing. You come to a point where …
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