Happy New Year! Yes, I am well aware we’re 10 days into the new year, and I’m running a bit behind. December was a whirlwind of good and bad. I am blown over by the reviews on Catching Lizzy. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed it. It was definitely a mood booster while I was ill over Christmas. Some virus decided it liked me, my husband, and my eldest daughter. They’re both over it, and the cough is still lingering with me. I do have my attention span back since that took a vacay while I was sick, but I admit to being lazy some days when the cough tries to make a come back.
January arrived with the news that An Endeavour to be Worthy came in 3rd place in the 1st Annual Members’ Choice Audiobook Awards! I’m just tickled pink that everyone loved the audiobook enough to vote for it. I’m in the mood to celebrate, so I have 5 paperback copies of An Endeavour to be Worthy that I am giving away (US only due to the crazy cost of postage these days! Sorry!). Please note that these were the first paperbacks I received after publication and I forgot to put the title on the binding (my bad!) but I will sign the binding in Sharpie if you want :). Just let me know when you enter in the comments. For worldwide, I will give away 3 audiobook codes for An Endeavour to be Worthy and 3 audiobook codes for A Gentleman of Worth (the 2nd book in the series). In your comment, please let me know which giveaways you’re entering as well as what audiobook code you will need (US or UK).


Now, to what’s coming! I’m thrilled to announce that Deborah Balm is currently working on narrating A Worthy Woman (3rd in the Montford Cousins series) and I hope it will be out next month. I also have Scarlett Mae Clarke currently working on Catching Lizzy. The first 15 minutes sounded great, and I’m looking forward to hearing more. She was doing great with drunk Lizzy so I’m really excited. I’ve also started working on Jane’s story. I’m over 20K words in and trying to get my pace back moving forward after the holidays.


I have also been working on a real office of sorts! For the past two years, I’ve been using my old Ikea kitchen island as a computer table on one side of the kitchen. With my younger daughter now moved out and at college/university, I have repainted the room and bought a real desk and office chair. I’m currently planning on repainting some of my daughter’s old furniture to use in there as well. I still need to make a place for the printer!
I’d love to hear about your holidays! Don’t forget to leave me a comment for the giveaway with which giveaways you’re entering and the market for the audiobook! Another chance to win will be on Monday at Austen Variations!



So glad you are feeling better. I hope your daughter doesn’t mind that her room has been turned into your office. I would love for you to sign the binding and I am a US code for audiobooks. Healthy 2024.
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We had a bit of rearranging. Her brother took her old room so I didn’t have to keep knocking on the wall between our bedrooms for him to stop talking so loud to his friends while I was going to sleep (gaming!). She knew our plans and was okay with it as long as she had a room where she could stay when she comes home. She’s a two day drive from us and her bedroom more or less went with her. We repainted her room there and helped her set up her furniture and she got a new shelf and a desk that she’s wanted for a while. In the room here, she still has a twin bed that I put a new duvet on for her when she comes. Thanks, Eva!
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Oh, Leslie, you have done a good job! I remember taking my brother’s room so he could move up to the third floor so I completely understand. Glad you have quiet now. I am sure your daughter is so thrilled to be settled and treated as an adult.
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She loved getting to set everything up the way she wanted. I wish she cleaned here as well as she seems to clean up there! Of course, when I visit, she lets me do some of it. I just hear from her sister how she cleans better. 🙂
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I hope that you feel better soon!!! CONGRATULATIONS on the award placement for the audiobook. I know that I enjoyed it & love that you are getting ready for book 3’s release!! I would love a paperback of “An Endeavour to be Worthy” that you sign the binding. I have this is audio & ebook form and it’s been on my paperback book wish list since it came out. Yes, I am in the US. Catching Lizzy was a fun read especially her escape – hahaha. Looking forward to more of your fantastic stories. ~ Glory
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Thank you so much, Glory!
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I had to re log in so I’m not sure why? Please don’t enter me in the giveaway, I don’t have audiobooks. I have all your books and love them, Catching Lizzy was most definitely a favourite! Now I’m eagerly waiting for Jane’s happy ending. I do hope your cough clears up soon and you can thoroughly enjoy your new writing space 😉🥰
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Not sure re: log in. I had to log in to something today that surprised me too. More a design space than writing since I have a chair in my room where Evie cuddles with me for writing, but I’m happy to get it finally done. Thanks, Glynis!
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So exciting, Leslie! Congratulations on a super 2023. Here’s to 2024! Don’t enter me into the giveaways. Happy to say I have them all!
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Thank you, Marie!
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Your generosity in giving away some of your catalogue is very much appreciated by your readers. I hope that you feel better soon as I am looking forward to Jane’s story–there are probably hundreds of us! I would cherish a paperback of “An Endeavour to be Worthy” to add to my LL Diamond collection. (I live in the US) Is it possible to have both the binding and the inside cover signed–that would be my preference. Thank you again for your kindness and thoughtfulness to your readers.
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No problem! Thanks, jeanette!
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Happy 2024. Hope the cough is better. Mine took forever to clear up! Good to get your own space for an office. I could really use one myself. 🤣
Love all of your work. Hasn’t been one thing that I do not like about your stories. Thank you for sharing them with us all. If you can enter me in the audiobook drawing, I would appreciate it. US version. 😉
🥃to a great new year.
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Coughs always take forever it seems. I get so annoyed because doctors will always just say 4-6 weeks. Ugh! Thanks, Lori!
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I‘m glad you‘re feeling better! I don‘t exactly know where you are from in the US, or how the weather is like there, but since few months the flu and all flows around like nothing.
You will release Catching Lizzy as Audiobook? Ohh this was soo good! I look forward.
As mentioned, I‘m outside of US, and Audiobook US code of An Endeavour to be Worthy would be much appreciated. Thank you for the give-away and Congratulations to your win.
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I’m in Maryland, and I know it’s been going around like crazy. Thanks, Tamara!
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Glad you’re starting to feel better! I had bronchitis a few years ago and the cough lingered for almost a month so I understand how frustrating that can be. I would love one of the audiobooks (US) as this series is on my list to get but I haven’t had a chance to yet.
My holidays were good – time with family and friends interwoven between night shifts at the hospital (the weird life of working nights). But still had a wonderful Christmas with family, got to take my nieces and nephew to our local amusement park for their holiday activities, my Harry Potter group’s Weasley Sweater Christmas party was small but fun and then rang in the New Year with my work’s version of the ball drop (I work NICU and our L&D buddies drop the birthing balls down our building’s 2 story rotunda – it’s our own weird tradition).
Yay for setting up a proper office! Possibly seeing about doing that as my roommate’s been work from home and has been on a small portable desk in our living room. And why is it that finding a spot for the printer is always weird? That’s been one of the things we’ve been trying to figure out too.
Thanks for hating your writing talents with us!! And hopefully the pesky cough is banished soon!!!
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Sounds like you had an amazing holiday! I know what you mean about the printer. I’ve hated where it is for the past two years, but I had nowhere better to put it. We’ll see if I can manage to find somewhere! Thanks, Megan!
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Sorry to hear you’ve been poorly, Leslie. There’s a lot of that nasty cough virus going around. Hope it didn’t spoil your Christmas festivities too much. I had a really quiet holiday – I’m on a mega diet so kept away from parties and eating out to avoid temptation. (Tedious and boring, but necessary!) Lucky you to have an office now! My dream house would have a sewing room/office for me and an electronics workshop/radio shack for hubby! If I was lucky enough to win an audiobook, I’d love it to be in US format and for you to send to a friend in Florida who loves JAFF, but has macular degeneration, so devours JAFF audiobooks. Here’s wishing you and your family a very happy and peaceful 2024. Jane x
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I understand the mega diet! I’d lost almost a stone before the holidays then put it all back on plus with this stupid cold. Working on getting it off now. Good luck!
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Hope the cough leaves you soon. It’s definitely going around here as well as both my mom and daughter has also had this. I would like to enter all 3 giveaways, if I win, I would use a US code.
I tried to leave a comment before but got an error message so I am unsure if it went through so am trying again on another device. I apologize if this ends up creating a duplicate message.
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Hope your mom and daughter are well soon! I only see your message so I think you only left one 🙂 Thanks!
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Endeavor to be Worthy is one of my favorite P&P variations ever written! I love everything that you write! Feel better soon!
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Thank you so much, Kristin!
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