Monica Fairview's Blog, page 50

Spring Short Story, Part Two

Greetings! Today I’m posting the second part of a short story I started in March. As I mentioned in the last post, I began this story as a way to accomplish two goals: 1.) I wanted to give myself a fun writing challenge (especially because I’m struggling with writing these days!); and 2.) I hoped to include the theme of the month somewhere in each excerpt for the story. (So, look for “Bloom Where You Are Planted” in this excerpt!)

In Part I, we saw Liz (a boarding school teacher and swim coach) ...

Allow Me to Tell You: Cover Reveal + Giveaway

I’ve been waiting impatiently for my new full-length novel Allow Me to Tell You to be ready for release, and we’re finally there. I’m just waiting for final edits from my Beta readers to arrive, and then I’m be ready to press publish.

Here’s the description for Allow Me to Tell You

When Fitzwilliam Darcy makes a complete mess of his proposal at Rosings Park by writing a letter, there is more at stake than his hurt pride. The letter starts off a chain of events that have an immediate impact on t...

A Folly of Youth Cover Reveal

A Folly of Youth is coming soon and I have a beautiful cover to show you! First–here’s an excerpt I hope you’ll enjoy. You can preorder A Folly of Youth by clicking HERE! Leave me a comment below and you might just win a copy before you could purchase it!

Small homes and likely even smaller minds. Meryton was every bit as unimpressive as Darcy had always imagined it would be. The undistinguished persons on the street gawked at his carriage as it rolled by, and he fought the urge to snap closed ...

Making Her Mark: When Ink was Made at Home, pt 1

Today’s pens combine pen and ink into a convenient vessel, ready for instant use. In Austen’s day, pen and ink were separate entities, both of which needed to be available in order for writing to be possible.

Inks of various compositions and qualities were available during the Regency era, both homemade and purchased. The properties of good ink were widely agreed upon.

The chief requisites for the making of good ink, are:

1. Limpidity. so that it may flow freely from the pen...

The Cajun Cheesehead Interviews Amy D’Orazio

The Cajun Cheesehead Interviews Amy D’Orazio

Greetings, everyone. Jack Caldwell here.

As you may know, we’re doing a round-robin interview series here at Austen Variations. The lovely Lucy Marin was kind enough to do a video interview of yours truly; it can be found HERE. (It’s my fault it’s so long. You can’t keep a Cajun Cheesehead quiet! Ask my wife.) So, now it’s my turn to ask the questions!

This time the victim subject is the fantastic and prolific Amy D’Orazio! Since she doesn’t trust me—...

A Rose by Any Other Name, Revisited.

 

Good morning, dear readers!  I hope you enjoy revisiting one of my favorite posts from a few years ago. I have updated the game at the end and can’t wait to see your new comments below. Happy Thursday!

 

 

To love and appreciate something, you really have to understand it; understand the layers, choices, and in-depth intricacies of the whole package. Whether it’s why someone uses cayenne pepper in hot chocolate, or ranch dressing instead of ketchup on their fries, even the smallest choices ca...

Lydia in Venice Part Two: Rebirth and Regeneration

There was a silence following Lydia’s announcement. She looked around questioningly, from her sister and Mr. Darcy, to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, all of whom sat as if frozen.

“Why, what is the matter? You act as if I said something queer. I only said that Lord Byron is my child’s father,” she protested.

Elizabeth was the first to find her voice. “Lydia, for God’s sake,” she said, “not in front of the children.”

“What?” Lydia glanced over at little Charles and Jane, who with their nursemaid were...

The start of spring…the start of a new short story!

Happy spring! As I write this, we’re digging out from the most snow we’ve gotten all winter, so I’m all about this “rebirth and rejuvenation” theme! (Note: I originally wrote this post in early March. The end of March has actually been quite lovely here…except today it’s snowing again!)

Because I had no idea what to write for this month’s post, and because I’m stuck in the mud (or snow) when it comes to my never-ending work-in-progress, I decided to try something different: I’m composing a short...

Lydia in Venice: Rebirth and Regeneration

 

Mrs. Darcy looked concerned as she seated herself at the breakfast table and sought her husband’s eyes with her own. “Mercy, what a night,” she murmured. “I am past apologizing for my sister.”

He put his hand over hers. “My only concern is that you should feel discomfited, my love. Please do not, on my behalf.”

“But breaking the bed – it was so very terrible. I had only to pull the pillow over my head, but you had to go and call out the servants to repair damages, and quiet my sister and – an...

How Elizabeth Survived the Playoffs Part 2

(This story is also known as: How Elizabeth Discovered JAFF)

Hello everyone! I’m back with the second part of my story about how Elizabeth found JAFF—and survived the hockey playoffs. You can find the first part here.

When I originally wrote this story, it was for a specific storyboard; I’ve modified it to be more generic. If you’ve been on the boards, you’ll know that there is often ‘adult content’, and at the time, and at the time, we liked to talk about certain pretty, pretty men (like Richar...