Happy Holidays

This will be my last post of the year. I give myself time off to completely indulge in the joys of the season. First I'd like to offer my The Madness of Mr. Darcy continuation, Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present, for free Kindle download. The promotion will begin tomorrow and end on the 25th. Merry Christmas!

I had grand ambitions of writing a new Christmas story or poem parody, as I used to in days of old, but that did not happen. Schade. So how about a few quick limericks, instead? I only spent maybe twenty minutes on these, so forgive the quality (that's why I chose limerick as my medium: it's forgiving). This was inspired by chapter 21 of Pride and Prejudice. 

Whilst proclaiming the utmost sincerity,

Miss Bingley's lacks it transparently.

Gaieties still abound

Without her around.

Our Christmas relies not on her verity.

But then we think of the other,

Who left Jane's heart torn asunder.

Since he suffers, too,

(as he ought to do),

Let the sister be blamed for the brother.

Jane Austen commands us most cleverly

To forgive weakness and behaviors unmannerly,

When justified

By pride mollified

And the beauty of the grounds at Pemberley.

 

For slightly more (only slightly) cerebral Christmas offerings, check out the afore mentioned parodies, written about a decade ago:

The Darcy's Gift

"T'was the night before Christmas, and all through Pemberley ..."

(warning: this one is kind of depressing)

Twelve Days of Christmas

Happy and healthy holidays to all, however you celebrate, wherever you are. I'll catch you in 2022.

New Release - Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present: The Madness of Mr. Darcy Continues

I've been very remiss in promoting this (got a lot on my mind, now I am 8 months pregnant), but my short story, Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present: The Madness of Mr. Darcy Continues, was published on Kindle last week. Do check it out, especially if you are one of the many readers who told me they were wanting just a little bit more from the original story. Hopefully, this slim volume will satiate that need. The first review, by Rita of From Milton to Pemberley, was very flattering. She writes:

Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Present was the best Christmas gift Alexa Adams could have given me. She gave me a loving novella where all the characters I wanted to see again are present to give me closure to one of the most intense and amazing books I have ever read.

Wow! Leaves me beaming every time I read it.

Also, just a heads up, if you want to read I am Lady Catherine for free, do so now while the getting is good. I will be removing the posts in the next week or so, that I may enroll the book in the Kindle Unlimited program.

Hopefully, you will hear from me again before the bay arrives. Afterwards, I fear this blog will be even more neglected than it has been in the 2+ years since my move overseas. Thanks so much to those of you who continue to read it and support my writing. Happy holidays to all!

Neglecting the blog

Sigh. So much for my strong blogging start to the year. I don't know how three weeks went by since my last, laughably short post. Wait - yes I do! I'm moving to Switzerland! Yeah, thats right! And I can think of almost nothing else. The first few months of the year are always sluggish for me in the best of circumstances, but now I'm finding it nearly impossible to keep my mind on the things I am supposed to be accomplishing. Fortunately, there are some kind souls out there looking out for me, even as I lag. First off, I need to extend great thanks and appreciation to any and all those who voted Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present, the best finished story on A Happy Assembly in December. Three months in a row I made the top 5 at jaffrecs.com! No hope for forth, as the Swiss thing totally killed any hope I had of finishing Being Mrs. Bennet last month. There is little hope for this month. Sigh again.

I also received a wonderful review of The Madness of Mr. Darcy from Jody at A Spoonful of Happy Endings last weekend. Please do check it out. She has a lovely blog.

There are reviews to write and stories to complete. Hopefully, one or two of the former will shortly be making their appearance here. I also need to prepare my second Austen Authors post for the end of the month. Thinking about doing it on Arrack punch, of Vauxhall fame.

Two Months in a Row!

I have had a story voted one of the five best completed at Jaff Recs! The Madness of Mr. Darcy was voted one of the best completed stories in November (it seems an edit at some point skewed the month it was completed), and Becoming Mrs. Norris was honored in October! Here is the really cool thing: the short continuing vignette I just wrote, Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present: The Madness of Mr. Darcy Continues, is up for nomination in the month of December. Voting runs through the end of the month, and there is more competition than in the previous two, but your vote might out me over the type! Cast your vote here: http://www.jaffrecs.com/?page_id=379. Some of my fellow Austen Authors are represented as well.

I just started posting a revised version of Being Mrs. Bennet last week. Sorry I never completed the tale here, but I got disgruntled when I lost half my Pemberley visit. If I can complete draft two in January, I might have a chance of winning four months in a row! Fingers crossed.

Speaking of Austen Authors, a preliminary, teaser post went up yesterday in which several of us share some of our favorite recent posts. Please check it out, and don't forget to enter the grand reopening, mystery prize giveaway! http://austenauthors.net/favorite-blogs/