FREE through August 15: The Complete Mercy’s Embrace Trilogy

How exciting is this? A BookBub feature! You already know what a scaredy cat I am. I was absolutely certain that BookBub would turn down my application. They've done so before, many times! My writing friend Robin Helm can testify that I whined a lot. But I applied anyway. Because "Do it Scared" has become …

Mercy’s Embrace: an Austenprose Top Ten Persuasion Favorite

Well. The Netflix adaptation of Persuasion has been a hot topic for conversation this week. There isn't a Jane Austen group on Facebook (and elsewhere) in which her admirers haven't complained loud and long. Film critics have had a heyday inventing snarky titles for their articles. The trailer and reviews have been, shall we say, …

It’s Favorite Reads Season!

I don't need to tell you that an excellent way to find a satisfying book is through word of mouth. Fellow readers know what's good! January brings additional help, for this is the time of year that book bloggers share their favorites This week has brought amazing news. Our A Very Austen Romance collection appears …

My One Word for 2021

Happy New Year! Having a one-word goal keeps things simple for me. A single word allows me to focus on the the big picture instead of a list of resolutions ... that I will invariably break. This year I'm going with COURAGEOUS. It's a mindset that looks for opportunities to step up and move forward. …

My One Word for 2019

Happy New Year! It's resolution time again. As usual I find myself eager to over-commit. Impulsivity is not my friend! I jump in too quickly, and when the enormity of the commitment sinks in, I sigh and slink away. Having a one-word goal keeps things simple for me. In this way I focus on the …

My One Word for 2018

Happy New Year! It's resolution time again, and as usual I am tempted to commit to way too much. How easy it is to be unrealistic! Having a one-word goal keeps things simple for me. I focus on the big picture. For 2014, my word was READY. I wanted success as a writer, but was I ready …

The company we keep …

I'm not a fan of name-droppers, no. Growing up, I was around plenty of them. I was raised in the greater Los Angeles area; our semi-rural community was within easy commuting distance of "beautiful downtown Burbank." Burbank is not glamorous, but it ought to be. Movie and television studios such as Disney, NBC, Worldwide Pictures, …

Atmospheric River

Our area of Oregon is famous for rain. Except it isn't rain, it's really just drizzle. Continuous, dreary drizzle. Until now. A new term entered my vocabulary this week: "atmospheric river." The entire west coast is being dumped on right now, particularly Northern California. I love drumming rain, but this is crazy. It's been scary to …

Being Collins is worse than being the Frog Prince?

You bet it is, according to Mr. Darcy. And he should know, because of his body swap experience in Darcy By Any Other Name. (Thanks to yours truly ...) This week we have a treat: Darcy is guest posting at Darcyholic Diversions. He is! And he's giving away an e-book too. Curious about what Darcy …

Celebrating ‘Understanding Elizabeth’

Rejoice with those who rejoice... (Romans 12:15) Oh, how I love behind-the scenes stuff! I am one who enjoys rehearsals, even when I'm not performing.  There's just something about that crackle of creative energy. The writer in me ponders intelligent adjustments that are made to the script. And then there's the laughter and camaraderie of …