Better than coffee

I know my entries lately have been all 1930s, all the time, but my abiding love for the Tudor period hasn't flagged, just gone a bit dormant. 

Until this morning, when I awoke to the news that Lady, in Waiting had won gold in the Tudors and Stuarts category of the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year awards!

That'll get me moving in the morning.

I'm particularly happy about this because it's the third book in the series, and now all of them have placed in the CPBC awards - Songbird got Book of the Year in 2020, and A Wider World got an honorable mention (or honourable, since it's a British site) in 2021. Three for three, and it feels pretty darn good.

 

Video of Live Reading

 

And here it is - the video of my live reading from A Wider World and Lady, in Waiting. It ran a little longer than expected, because I did Margaery's introduction from the previous book and also answered a few questions at the end.

Let me know what you think!

Live reading!

 

Okay, folks, it's happening again. I'm doing a live reading from Lady, in Waiting on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. eastern.

I wasn't certain I would do a reading again - before it was mandated by the publisher, so I had to - but it turns out I kind of enjoy the terror in a strange way, so...

There's no point in having stage fright for only a few people.

Sunday is the Super Bowl. I'm not watching, but many of you are, so you can always tune in for the replay. Also, if it's at all an issue, I promise to be done by half time.

The link for the event is here.

If you have any questions you'd like answered, please post them here or on the event page on Facebook, because if I'm wearing the glasses that allow me to read from the Kindle, I won't be seeing what pops up on my phone screen.

I may be wrong, but I don't think you need a Facebook account to watch. (If it doesn't work, watch this space instead - unless it's a total trash fire, I'll be posting the video here within a few days of the reading.

Chapter One

 

One week out!

Because I love free samples (the "look inside the book" feature is the best thing Amazon's ever done), below is Chapter One of Lady, in Waiting.

I hope you enjoy the beginning of Margaery's story, and if you're so inclined, you can check out the rest here.

###

If my father hadn’t lost his head, my life would be very different. In point of fact, he did not lose his head; it was severed from his body with three strokes of an ax.

I should know. I was there.

One day I was a happy child, the center of a loving family, and the next my father was dragged from the house, accused of treason, and executed. My family left England, and I grew to womanhood far from home.

With such uncertain beginnings, a young woman might find herself capable of anything. She might wish to escape her situation so badly that she proposes marriage to a man she’s just met, thinking it will give her some measure of control over her life.

#

Less than a week after our wedding, my husband left for England. My grandmother and I followed on the next ship.

We had been out of England eighteen years, during which time Winterset had become Robin Lewis’s home. It was one of the reasons I married him. When he first appeared at our isolated home in Normandy, I resented his presence, but I quickly realized he was a solution, not another problem: he was more acceptable than the men put forward by my mother and her husband, and if I married him, my grandmother could return to her beloved estate.

Tall and bony, with red hair gone thin in the back and a decided way about him, Robin was not my dream husband, but then I’d never dreamed of marriage. I knew only the sort of man I did not want, and if Mama had her way, those men would soon be lining up in the lane, eager to claim my inheritance.

Family money aside, most men wouldn’t consider me a prize. While I was young, and looked well enough, I had been raised away from society and my manners showed it. I read books that young ladies did not read. My opinions were strong, and I had been known to raise my voice in company and interrupt my betters.

Such behavior was not cherished by my mother, and my stepfather found me troublesome in the extreme. He tried various methods to break my will, and I ran away to my grandparents after one incident, having forced a stable lad to swap clothes so I could travel unnoticed.

After close questioning, my grandfather declined to return me to their care. With my grandfather, I could live as I pleased—within reason. After his death, Grand-mère deflected my mother’s marital plans until I made one of my own. Then she fell in with my scheme, deeming it no worse than theirs, and possibly—when she realized we would return to England—far better.

Robin was the one who balked. He claimed to be too old and set in his ways, and that I would not be happy. I bribed him with Winterset, and a promise not to disturb the peaceful life he’d built there. I was an heiress, I blithely assured him, and could make a new marriage when he died of old age.

But I didn’t want that. I didn’t know Robin well—he did not allow himself to be easily known—but I liked him. In time, I thought we could learn to care for each other.

#

I've got mail!

 

There's something special about book mail. Any book mail.

When it's your own book mail, it's even more special. 

Yesterday I received my author copies of Lady, in Waiting, in addition to a box of Songbird - only had one copy left, and I'd like to be prepared for people who want to purchase the entire set.

I just love seeing all the covers together! The font (which is called Gondola, by the way) is as much a part of them as the actual ceiling art.

Signed copies of any of my books are available for $15 each, including shipping (same as Amazon, but with a signature and a bookmark!)

Meet Margaery Preston

In anticipation of the upcoming release of Lady, in Waiting, I wanted to give you an unusual teaser - this is part of the chapter in A Wider World where Margaery Preston meets her prickly, difficult, but overall well-meaning husband. After spending almost 400 pages in Robin's head, it was difficult to render him in her point of view without making him look like a jerk (because some of his later behavior could definitely be interpreted that way). It's a long chapter, so I've inserted a jump after the first scene; you can read on, or not, as you choose. 

I hope, of course, that you choose.

Characters: 

Robin Lewis, 50ish, solitary by nature, exiled from England. When in England, he lives in the Preston family house, Winterset.

Margaery Preston: 24, has spent the last 18 years in France with her family. Now she has only her grandmother (and a mother who wants to marry her off). She would like to go home, and being impulsive, seizes the opportunity.

Lady Margaret: Margaery's grandmother. She has raised Margaery almost from birth, and misses her English home.

Sebastian: Robin's manservant. Devoted, opinionated where Robin's needs are concerned. 

For your reading pleasure, a portion of Chapter 68:

Our horses’ hooves struck sparks on the stone flags of the courtyard of the Preston house. Before my boots touched the ground, a child ran up and took the reins. Sebastian dismounted and followed as they were led toward the stable. The wide front door opened before I could knock. A liveried servant led me to a gracious chamber off the main hall. “M’lady will be right down.”

I waited, admiring the room’s appointments, which were luxurious without being lavish. Somehow, despite the difference in architecture and furnishings, it felt like Winterset. I wondered how it came about, the talent for making a home. I had made improvements to the house, but it was not this comfortable.

The door swung open, but instead of Lady Margaret, a young woman strode into the room. Taking no notice of me, she peeled off her gloves and flung them on the table.

“Good afternoon.”

She whirled. “Good afternoon, monsieur.” Her eyes narrowed. “I know you.”

“You do?” I remembered her: the small daughter of the slaughtered Preston son. “You were very young when we met.”

“You took our house.” Her eyes were her grandfather’s, sharp and canny; she’d grown into the nose at least. “I’m not likely to forget.”

I attempted a smile. “It was an arrangement with your grandfather to keep you all safe.”

Her mouth curved into a smile as sincere as mine had been charming. “If by safe you mean bored to death.”

“Good afternoon, Master Lewis.” Margaret Preston was in deep mourning, but her round face wore a genial expression. “How wonderful to see you again. Margaery, Master Lewis is our guest.”

Brows like slashes of ink rose to her hairline. “And has been these many years.”

“A moment, sir.” Lady Margaret marched her granddaughter from the chamber, and I listened to the rise and fall of their voices outside the door. She returned, her hands clasped at her breast. “My granddaughter is not much in society. Her manners are appalling.”

“I found her refreshing.”

“Like cold water to the face,” Lady Margaret said. “Please, come through to my parlor.” Another pleasing room, this one more feminine but with comfortable chairs and an inlaid table before the fire. Lady Margaret put aside an unfinished bit of embroidery so our refreshments could be set out. “Tell me, how is Winterset?”

“Well, when last I heard,” I said. “It’s under Fowler’s care at the moment, as I’ve been traveling. He reports to you?”

“Most regularly.” Lady Margaret sipped her wine. “But he doesn’t live there, and you do. I miss my house.”

After eighteen years, Winterset felt like my home. “I’ve been very comfortable there. I regret I’ve had to be away so much these last years.”

She gazed into her cup. “It’s time for us to return to England.”

“For me as well.” I explained the queen’s failing health, and her having—at last—made Princess Elizabeth her heir. “But if you plan to return, I’ll send word to Fowler to start packing my things.”

“Let us see how it goes,” she said. “We will not make a quick removal. Stay in the house for as long as you require. And until you are ready to take ship for England, you must be our guest.”

“It will only be a few days,” I said. “I have already arranged passage on the Unycorne, leaving from Honfleur on the sixth of November.”

***

Lady, in Waiting - Available Now!

 

Here we are, folks, the moment I've been waiting for! (And you've probably been waiting for me to be quiet about, but that's neither here nor there because I AM EXCITED and feel the need to SHOUT about this book).

Lady, in Waiting is now available for purchase through most online stores by following this universal link. You can also ask your favorite bricks-and-mortar store to order it for you, or if you're a library fan (and who isn't?), you can ask your library to order it in either ebook or paperback formats! (There will be an audiobook further down the road, and I'm considering producing a set of hardcovers for the series, but again... later).

The ebook will be published on February 14, but for anyone who wants the paperback, I'll let you in on a teeny, tiny secret. I screwed up. When you upload books to Amazon, they're done separately. I uploaded the ebook first, and I set the publication date to February 14. They asked if I wanted to set up a pre-order. I did. I thought I did the same thing with the paperback. I did not. The paperback is live, on Amazon only. If you want to get a jump on everyone else, head on over and grab your copy. 

After that embarrassing admission, I'm going to slink back to my writing cave and figure out what I did wrong, so I don't do it again next time. 

(And if you buy early - or at all - please be kind and leave a review; consider it a virtual way of giving me a cookie).

Let it snow

It's actually begun to feel a bit like winter around here. We've had snow and rain and gray, dreary days - perfect for curling up with a cup of coffee and a book. That's how I'm thinking of it, anyway.

There are other things going on besides books, but right now it feels a lot like March 2020, and I've pretty much decided to batten down the hatches, eat from our freezer and pantry, and keep a low (physical) profile for a few weeks. Getting sick has begun to feel almost inevitable, but that doesn't mean I'm going to run any extra risks. Double-vaxed, boosted, masked - and I'm still going to stay indoors and quietly promote my books and hope that you all have decided to stay home and read, as well.

All that to say, the pre-order for Lady, in Waiting is about to go live ANY DAY NOW and I can't wait to share my dysfunctional married couple with the world. I had so much fun writing Margaery and Robin, and I can only hope they're as much fun to read!

I'll post again as soon as I have the pre-order links. Stay safe, stay well, stay indoors!

 

What a long, strange trip it's been

 

This thought occurs with increasing frequency. I just passed the third anniversary - December 6 - of pitching the manuscript for Songbird for the first time on Twitter. It was a pitch event called PitMad, where you tweet a pitch to your book, and the only people who are supposed to like it are agents and publishers. 

I got three likes on Songbird's pitch. Two were agents, one of whom hasn't gotten back to me yet, so I assume she changed her mind. The second agent wanted the book drastically rewritten in a very different voice and I turned her down. The third like was from my former publisher, and if you've been following along for some time now, you know that went pretty well.

But now I'm on my own, and looking back at these three years, I see how much I've accomplished. Not discounting the help of the publisher, I still produced Songbird and A Wider World, both the writing and the editing, and participated in the process of publishing. Not liking Songbird's first cover, I commissioned and paid for the new cover (and then the cover for A Wider World), because I felt they suited the books better. This was good, because when I left my publisher, I owned the rights to my covers and only had to have their logo removed. 

I wrote, and edited, and prepared Lady, in Waiting (book 3) for publication, which, now that I'm independent, will be coming out in February, rather than April, 2022. I've also completed a very workable draft of my 1930s novel, My Sister's Child. This will be completed and ready to release in October, 2022. 

It really boggles my mind that I worked on Songbird for such a long time (it existed pre-internet) and yet once I started showing my work to the wider world - no surprise where that title came from! - it turns out I can produce much faster in a way that does not, at least in my view, take away from the quality of the work. One of the first things I posted on this blog when I began to talk about publishing was the statement "get out of your own way." 

I keep learning, over and over again, just how much I was in my way, and how even now, there are still ways for me to step aside and let me get more done.

My second act

So I signed a contract the other day - a contract to terminate a contract.

As of October 28, 2021, the rights to Songbird and A Wider World belong to me.

Three years ago, when I signed with my small publisher, I was a different writer. I wasn't fully educated in the ways of self-publishing, and while I didn't want to go the traditional route of agent/publisher, I did have a need for outside validation. I guess it came from writing only for myself for so long - I needed someone to tell me it was good, and worth releasing into the world.

That has changed. My validation these days comes from within, and from the readers I am lucky to have found. What else has changed is my willingness to do all the work to publish my books myself, and control the way they are published, distributed, and marketed. It came on gradually - first, when I suggested changing the cover for Songbird (because most people saw it and thought 'historical romance,' when I think of it as ' historical with some romance,' the way most lives have some romance). I found a new cover designer, and commissioned the new cover. I also found the voice artist for the audiobook.

When it came time for A Wider World, I already knew where I would be interfering - cover and audio again, and this time I wrote my own book blurb (the description on the back or in the Amazon listing). 

I submitted Lady, in Waiting, the third book in my Tudor Court series, and it was through the editing process in August, 2021, but wouldn't be published until April, 2022, because that's just how publishing works. There are other authors; there are scheduling concerns outside my control; there's a pandemic, which could throw that existing schedule off course at any time.

After much thought, I reached out to the publishers and asked if they would consider rights reversion. I have nothing against my publisher - they were very collaborative and overall it's been a very good experience - but my personality is much more inclined to be a one-woman band. 

My chief reason, as I explained it to them, is that I'm 57. I got a late start as an author, and if I want to make any kind of second act career out of writing, I need to be able to do it on my own schedule, and not hold a book for 8 months because that's when it fits on someone else's schedule. 

They agreed, and within a week everything was signed and my books are slowly being taken down from all the various platforms. Ebooks came down first, which means that's where I'll start in the self-publishing process. My goal is to have them re-published by December 1, so as to catch a few holiday buyers, and to release my new book in February. It's a book about marriage - how could I not schedule it to appear near Valentine's Day?

For those who are interested in the process of self-publishing, and how I'm going about it, I'll post the various steps as I go. If you're not interested in that, I'll still be talking about sewing and craft shows and writing generally, in between.