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?

His Good Opinion by Nancy Kelley: A Review

His Good Opinion

Author: Nancy Kelley

Publisher: Smokey Rose Press (November 23, 2011)

Format: Paperback or E-book

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0984731202

Source: Author supplied ebook

A subtle charm exists between these pages about Darcy’s opinion. The desire to read this book with a cup of tea beside you while you sit on the balcony on a spring day is alluring. It invites you in for a visit and results in your longing to stay.

It has long been wondered just what exactly was going through Darcy’s mind in his unconventional courtship of Elizabeth Bennet. When she set him down, most indelicately, how did he occupy himself and in turn make himself worthy of the wit and intelligence of a woman he supposed to be beneath him at one point?

Darcy himself never did anything without purpose and at times he was deftly slow in his pursuit of particular actions. The craft of deftly noting the change in a character is difficult at best. He cannot change too quickly or it would be unbelievable, but he also cannot change too slowly or readers will think him bereft of any common sense. It has to be done just right. That has been achieved here. We are allowed to explore the twisting avenues in Darcy’s head, which allows us to come away with a better understanding of the man he is.

His Good Opinion is a pleasing addition to the genre of Austenesque works. The writing it strong and specifically crafted to melt itself into Austen’s original prose, which should satisfy purists in the Austenesque genre. The story itself, while mirroring the timeline of Pride and Prejudice, is just as captivating as the original. In the end we are offered the answer to an age old question: What Would Mr. Darcy Do?

Final Recommendation: Learn how to gain Darcy’s good opinion and read this book.

Visit author Nancy Kelley at her blog Austen Aspitations.

A Modern Day Persuasion by Kaitlin Saunders: A Review

A Modern Day Persuasion

By: Kaitlin Saunders

ISBN-10: 1439261172

Source: Author supplied copy

Persuasion is one of those novels that are timeless. A tale of second chances for the love of a lifetime, which has the power to completely disarm you and something you never recover from. Persuasion is one of Jane Austen’s most emotional novels for this very reason.

It was with great delight that I read Kaitlin Saunders modern take on Persuasion. A Modern Day Persuasion packs an emotional wallop and there were moments where I found myself tearing up, having a lot to do with Miss Saunders impeccable writing.

Anne is a greeting card designer, which given her emotional and compassionate heart is a great career. I always knew that her family walked all over her, but in the modern adaptation it was much more apparent. I found myself gritting my teeth about how uncompassionate her sisters, and even her father, were. Anne has always been the adult of the family and the weariness, coupled with her heartbreak, shows how vulnerable she really is.

Mary, Elizabeth and Mr. Elliot all have the characteristics of their original counterparts, but they are more developed. Mr. Elliot comes across as a bit softer, yet he still is careless in his concern or Anne. Mary and Elizabeth are only concerned with themselves and they were well-developed ‘villainous’ characters. You just want to wonk them over the head with a nice, fat, leather bound book.

Now, dashing Wentworth still get’s to don a naval uniform, but he makes his money as an author. His actions when he and Anne meet again after so long are not so nice. He’s a prat who redeems himself in the end, of course. He does soften toward Anne as time proceeds and then there is that letter. Oh, that letter!

I really liked this modern interpretation of Persuasion, especially since this is only my second time reading a modern Austenesque novel. It kept all the themes and main plot points of the original so that you knew you were reading Persuasion, but there were some surprises in the pages. I really felt Anne’s pain when Wentworth reentered her life and I also felt how suffocating it must have been to have a family like hers. Captivating, engaging and delightful are all that my final words can convey.

A Modern Day Persuasion is a must if you enjoy Austen inspired novels. Miss Saunders has done a fantastic job and I look forward to her next publication.


Final recommendation: A modern Persuasion worth reading.