Saturday, January 30, 2016

Music and Inspiration


Short blog post today as I am hard at work on the edits to overhaul the story of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Grace into an amazing story which I hope to publish this year or early 2017.

Music is a huge part of my writing process. It helps me get to the emotion of particularly hard scenes by setting the tone. My writing process is unique or maybe not so unique. I have to have music to write. It helps my process. I think it makes me a better writer.

As I work on my Austenesque novel about Colonel Fitzwilliam there have been two songs which I have deemed the theme songs of my novel. I tried to pick only one, but both of these songs just spoke to me and they really encompass the tone of the relationship between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Grace.  It’s sexy and playful, but with a touch of darkness and mystery.

Please take a moment to listen to the theme songs for the romance of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Grace.

Tip of my Tongue by The Civil Wars



Dance Me to the End of Love by The Civil Wars



You can check out additional musical inspiration for my novel by checking out my playlist. Click on the tab titled playlist at the top. J

Monday, January 18, 2016

Dusting off a manuscript and the Alpha Male……


 
I was going through some papers when I came across my manuscript for my novel about Colonel Fitzwilliam and my heroine, Lady Grace. As I read through the pages I was infused with a sense of contentment and realized that I had been missing very much my characters and the story I was attempting tell. The Colonel and Lady Grace deserve to have their story told. It is a shame that I have allowed their story to collect dust for the past 2 years. Yes, it has been 2 years that I have allowed the Colonel and Lady Grace to waste away. My only explanation was I was uninspired, not by the characters or the story I am telling, but by my environment.

In 2013 I married my amazing husband, who is equal parts Capt. Wentworth and Henry Tilney. I was living in California at the time. My husband is in the military and was stationed in North Carolina. In early 2014 I was finally able to make the cross country move from California to North Carolina. We were both extremely happy to be living on the same continent and in the same place after so must time doing the long distance, but I wouldn’t change out journey.

I have never warmed to North Carolina, even after almost 2 years. Now, part of it could be my due to my day job which I was able to keep when I moved. My office environment leaves must to be desired on my part, but I am blessed in what I do have, so I cannot be overtly dissatisfied with my current situation. In essence my current environment left me uninspired. It is something that probably plagues writers all the time. I like to think that I have rediscovered my inspiration and I feel inclined to finish the story of the Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Grace and in turn share it with the world.

I am hesitant though. I have indicated that I was ready to return before, but then found myself uninspired all over again. However, something feels different this time and I hope that this time I am truly ready to continue on the journey I started 5 years ago. I hope that there may still be those who are interested in the story I was trying to tell for the Colonel and Lady Grace.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is an alpha male and as such he has been quite vocal in is displeasure at being pushed aside for the last two years. I will admit that my take on the Colonel may have been a tad scandalous for the lovely Jane Austen, but I love an alpha male. He is strong, loyal, firm in his convictions and a bit possessive of what is his. A male who when he does fall in love, loves his female fiercely.

In addition, Lady Grace herself has voiced her discontent quite a bit about the lack of resolution between her and her Colonel.

In conclusion, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Grace are demanding that I bring some resolution to their romance. It is only fair that I appease them.

What kind of hero and heroine do you like? Are there characteristics you typically look for?