Category: Author Real Life
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10,000 Hours in the Making: My Alternative Storytelling Journey Underway
I have a new favorite pastime: I’m reading and recording my own stories to share with my ever-growing YouTube community. Indeed, the endeavor has been akin to a constant companion these past few months. In this digital age, the way we tell and consume stories continues to evolve, and so has my approach to sharing…
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This Special Time of Year
Hello friends! It’s December and I thought I would take this moment to give you a glimpse of myself. Most everyone loves this time of year regardless of your religious traditions. It seems almost ingrained in the human experience to love the cold and dark days at the end of December (at least for the…
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Publishing Options for Women During Jane Austen’s Lifetime
Several people of late have asked me of Austen and self-publishing, especially as many JAFF writers self-publish their books. I was fortunate to have come to the genre when traditional publishers had taken note of the trend. They scooped up several of us who were attempting to self publish our books on sites, many of…
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Life Imitating Art
I’ve written a bit recently about my new series, Austen Echoes, and I’m thrilled that the first book, All the Wrong Notes, has been released and is getting some terrific reviews. If you like contemporary Austen and music, these are definitely books you’ll want to take a look at. This series of three retellings is…
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5 Amazing News Stories in 2023 – A Day of Thanks and Acknowledgment
Medical breakthroughs, endangered repopulations…and more. My fellow Jane Austen-loving authors have recently given you a pleasing plethora of Regency desserts and holiday reflections, so I am taking a brief trip to the present! There is much to be concerned about in the world, but there are also many people working to make it better every…
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My Likes and Dislikes of Pride and Prejudice Variations
When I first started thinking about this post, I would have liked to have done another chapter of Elizabeth Bennet’s Bad Days. However, I had read another author’s post where she had mentioned not doing more excerpts from one of her books because of Amazon’s restrictions. A quick way to get denied Kindle Unlimited is…
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A Trifling Little Dessert
To quote Mrs. Bennet, people don’t die of trifling little colds. Serve this to your holiday guests and they may well expire from delight. We’re going to get serious and have a little fun with the English trifle, an antique dessert of fruit, custard, cake, and booze. Lots of booze. People have been enjoying trifles…
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What is in the name?
Hi everyone. Time again for things bouncing about inside my brain. First, as I will not be posting again until after, I hope you are all going to have a joyful Thanksgiving next week. The holidays are a time not only to be with family and friends, but to remember those who are less fortunate. This…
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The Perils and Pitfalls of “Writing Like Austen” (Part One)
I’m always being asked how I can write in Austen’s style. Trouble is, I don’t know how I do it. Though I suspect it has something to do with having been a professional ghostwriter for 15 years – and learning how to inhabit celeb’s/other writers’ voices – and something to do with being a musician…
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Jane Austen and Thanksgiving
As an American who lives in Ireland, I miss Thanksgiving. It’s not a national holiday here, so the day after Halloween, the scary ghosts and witches are replaced by all things Christmas. I do love Christmas, but I long for the interlude of gratitude that Thanksgiving represents. It can be tricky for expats who want…