Lovely Reviews!

In midst of Twisted Austen madness, I received some rather gratifying reviews. First, the one I missed: Anna at Diary of an Eccentric wrote the ONLY proper Emma and Elton: Something Truly Horrid review the story has received. I learned of the post right when Jane and Bingley started posting, so though I was late to the game, the timing probably was perfect. Read it here: http://diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/review-emma-elton-something-truly-horrid-by-alexa-adams/

Also super exciting was stumbling upon Warmisunqu's Austen review of the ENTIRE Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice series. This is the first time I've read reviews of all three books as a trilogy, which was very exciting! Read the review of First Impressions here: http://warmisunquausten.blogspot.com/2013/10/libro-01-first-impressions.html

Second Glances here: http://warmisunquausten.blogspot.com/2013/10/libros-2-second-glances.html

and Holidays at Pemberley here: http://warmisunquausten.blogspot.com/2013/10/libro-03-holidays-at-pemberley-o-third.html

Holidays at Pemberley Plus Giveaway at The Book Rat

 Austen in August rages on, and yesterday featured a sneak peak at one of the climaxes from my next novel, Holidays at Pemberley, or Third Encounters: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice Concludes (you can read the beginning of the novel at the page above). I don't usually share scenes that give so much away, but as everything from this book seems to be a spoiler to the previous two, I threw caution to the wind this time. Please check it out here and enter to win a copies of First Impressions and Second Glances while you're at it!

NaNoWriMo Retrospective

Ha ha! I did it. Excuse me, but I must gloat.

I embarked on this experience because the holidays were coming, and there was a story brewing in my brain. If I did not get this down now, there is a very good chance it never would have happened. Why not sign on for NaNoWriMo, a thing I've always wanted to do, and see how far I can get before my life is completely usurped by baking and parties? I really had no expectation of writing a full 50,000 words, nor did I anticipate how the story would end up unfolding.

I need a new name for the book. The working title is Third Encounters (yes, of the strange kind): A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Concludes. Now I'm leaning towards Pemberley Holidays: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Concludes. If anyone wants to suggest a name and I use it, I will thank you in the book and send you a copy when it is available. And on that note:

Ms. Dawn! Are you out there?

I want to send you your copy of Second Glances when it is released. Please get in touch with me.

Back to business. Pemberley Holidays begins close to the end of First Impressions, at a Christmas ball at Netherfield, encompasses Second Glances, and continues though the Christmas following that book's end. The story is primarily that of Charlotte Lucas, but it also fills in some holes that were weighing on my conscience. The story, in its current state, is rather a mishmash of not always sequential scenes, but most of the major moments and themes are recorded. The notion of editing a manuscript in such condition is a bit daunting, but as it will have to wait until the new year anyway, I hope the time away will give me a clearer head with which to tackle the task. I did not plan for the book to have a Christmas theme, but when I got stuck half way through the month, I couldn't resist the temptation to go holiday. I have every intention of having the editing complete in time for publication a year from now, so that it might be seasonally relevant.

So I'm feeling pretty excited about pounding out a novel. I would definitely participate in NaNoWriMo again, if the stars again aligned in such a way as to make it possible. I think I learned a lot about how I function as I writer over the past 29 days, because I was forced to examine my habits in a way I never had to before. The rush was somewhat exhilarating. I wrote nearly 10,000 words last Tuesday, a level of productivity I never before come close to achieving. Though I'm mentally beat, part of me is actually sorry it's over ... must be the exhaustion.

NaNoWriMo

I've always wanted to do this. The fact that a decided to take it on now, when I'm busier than I have ever been in my life, is pretty insane, but I'm going to take a shot at it anyway. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) begins today. The goal is 50,000 words written in November, and I would normally balk at rather than to aspire to such a thing. So why reach now? The truth is I'm aching to write. Second Glances is now in production (I still have hopes it will be released in late December, though it may be early January instead), and it has left a whole in my heart. While pleased with the book, in order to make the plot work I ended up chopping an entire side story from it, one focused on Charlotte Lucas. She has been loudly protesting such treatment ever since, and I think there is no way to assuage her anger but to give her a book all her own. Third Encounters: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice Concludes will be the last story I write based on my re-imagined P & P storyline, so while focused on Charlotte, it will have to wrap up the fates of all the other characters, particularly Darcy and Elizabeth. I've also left Jane and Bingley in a bit of a bind at the end of Second Glances, as well as having some unresolved Wickham issues, all of which I intend to address. There is no saying if I will come anywhere near the 50,000 word goal, but at least I should get a strong start on a story which I feel urgently compelled to write.

The probable consequence of devoting so much of my time to Third Encounters (by the way, if anyone wants to suggest a better title, I'm all ears), is that my blogging will suffer, particularly the Mixed Up Mashup endeavor. I have definite plans for that little tale, and I hope those who are interested will check back in a few weeks weeks to see where it goes. In the meantime, I do intend to post the first few chapters of Second Glances, which I hope all my well-wishers will read. I think it a terribly sweet story, like First Impressions, though with a tinge more conflict than its predecessor. I hope it meets with the same degree of approval as First Impressions. While I did receive a good deal of criticism for that effort, I also heard from many whom it deeply touched. It was their reviews and emails that kept me writing when I was attempted to abandon it, for which I am forever thankful.