Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

The lovely author  Nancy Kelley  had this fab idea to swap posts this week and so I am thrilled to welcome Nancy here today! We were chatting about how very often, when writing, the characters in your novel can behave unpredictably, and as much as we try to keep them in line they go their own sweet way and start demanding to change the plot! Other problems occur when an author thinks she has resolved a carefully constructed plot, which suddenly falls apart because another character complains that they've been left out or have not been given a big enough voice or part in the unfolding story. The eventual plot can be something of a surprise! Here is Nancy to tell us about her experiences of the surprise plot when writing Loving Miss Darcy . Nancy is giving away an e-book copy of Loving Miss Darcy , open internationally - to enter, answer Nancy's question below by leaving a comment! The Giveaway is open for one week only - closes Tuesday, April 30th 2013.   Thanks t...

George Romney's House I took a walk to Hampstead Heath with a friend this week and took a lot of photos. The day had started fine but ominous looking clouds soon covered the periwinkle sky. Nothing could take away the beauty of the Heath and the surrounding area - it was wonderful to be outside again and looking at trees and plants springing forth. The magnolias in Golders Hill Park are not quite out but there were daffodils and irises, and blossom on the trees. The Pergola, Hampstead Heath Beautiful twisting trunks of Magnolias-not quite out! This reminds me of Daphne du Maurier's 'The Birds' A view of the Pergola, Hampstead Heath Keats's House The Pergola, Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath filled with trees that could have been drawn by Arthur Rackham The Pergola, Hampstead Heath Romney's house The whole area is so wonderfully atmospheric. I'm re...

Spring has finally sprung here in England! I was beginning to think winter would never end; we've been experiencing very cold weather and lots of snow. Jane Austen refers often to the seasons in her writing and with spring, it seems, the season often heralds a change or action of some sort. In this first example, Mrs Dashwood is thinking about Barton Cottage and the changes she might make to the building when the weather improves. From Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility : With the size and furniture of the house Mrs. Dashwood was upon the whole well satisfied; for though her former style of life rendered many additions to the latter indispensable, yet to add and improve was a delight to her; and she had at this time ready money enough to supply all that was wanted of greater elegance to the apartments. "As for the house itself, to be sure," said she, "it is too small for our family, but we will make ourselves tolerably comfortable for the present,...