It’s been quiet on my blog, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been quiet. Far from it in fact. I have been hard at work on several things I hope will make my readers happy.

The Expat has been around and about, but I have been hoarding a bit until I figure out exactly how I am going to use my new experiences. I have several possibilities coming up—

I have a guest post coming up in December for Austen Variations. I believe it goes up on December 12th to be exact. I also have a guest post on Cat T. Gardiner’s blog in January. I have even plugged out a rough draft of that to edit over the next month or so.

Then, there is the Peculiar Ramblings newsletter that I contribute to monthly. I’m still wracking my brain to decide what my December contribution will be. Sarah, Zoe, Eileen, Rose, and I are writing a story together, which has become rather fun.

So, I have been storing my photos and ideas while I write those pieces. I don’t want to bore you by posting the same thing at Austen Variations and at Cat’s blog as I post here!

That said, do not think I haven’t been writing. My keyboard has been far from quiet, and I’m happy to announce that

I wrote the last line of Chapter 30 on An Unwavering Trust

I screamed as soon as I realised that was it. I’m not exactly done as I have an epilogue I need to add, but the main portion of the story is DONE!!!!!!

Now, to finish with the edits!

And the cover…….. I’ll let you wait a bit on that!

I was nominated by fellow writer Maria Grace for the One Lovely Blog Award.  I appreciate the recognition for my site and what I try to accomplish.

The award recognizes newer or up-and-coming bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a “lovely” manner, giving them recognition and helping them reach more viewers.

In order to “accept” the award the nominated blogger must follow several guidelines. These guidelines are listed below.

The Rules for accepting the Award(s):

1. Thank and link back to the awesome person who nominated you.
2. Add the One Lovely Blog Award logo to your post and/or blog.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on their blogs to let them know.

Seven things about myself…

1. I learned to ride horses when I was five years old. I rode steadily throughout my childhood and showed someone else’s horses while I attended university. I rode Western and English. I will post a video sometime on a Throwback Thursday.

2. My mother started me playing piano around the same age as horses because I wouldn’t stop banging on her Steinway. Then she sold the Steinway! I still took piano until I graduated high school. I’m a lot like Elizabeth Bennet in that I would play better if I practiced more. My piano teacher constantly bemoaned that fact!

3. I also play the flute, which I even studied some while at University. My problem with music is I became burnt out performing in school, so I like to play, but hate to perform in front of others.

4. I have two university degrees– my first is in Biology and my second is in Studio Art.

5. I am part of a not-so-secret society of JAFF fans called the “Chat Chits.” These women are the ultimate support group, especially when it comes to writing!

6. I have lived in six states and one foreign country. States include: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, California, New Mexico, and Nebraska. I recently moved to England, which is my only foreign country.

7. I first began writing JAFF because no one would take the plot bunny I was attempting to give away. I never even told anyone what it was! I will say that neither Rain and Retribution or A Matter of Chance are that plot bunny!

Okay, 15 other bloggers! Hmmmmm….. I know Maria already nominated Tamara, but I love her blog and she was the first to review R&R, so she gets another nomination. Sarah Johnson, Suzan Lauder, Pamela Lynne, Rose Fairbanks, Eileen Brown, Sophie Andrews, Zoe Burton, and I can’t think of any more! If you have a new blog, consider yourself tagged!

Hi everyone!  I just thought I would give everyone an October preview/update.  My new book is coming along.  I should be starting Chapter 24 today, and my betas are already hard at work proof-reading and making corrections to the initial chapters.  I’m also playing around with cover ideas, which is a horrible distraction from writing, but something I do about this far from the end.

The expat will be back with more travel guide posts, but I have no idea what they are.  Sick children and other obligations have prevented my explorations, but I hope to be back on the road this weekend.  There is an event that I am interested in attending soon.  It would mean a kind of repeat on the travel blog, but they would be portions that have not been discussed yet.  Hopefully, you won’t mind a bit of repetition if it means a new angle!

Last but certainly not least is the new Ask the Author spot!  October’s featured author will be Brenda J. Webb.

You are likely to be familiar with her stories, Fitzwilliam Darcy: An Honourable Gentleman and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s Forbidden Love.  She will be stopping by to answer your questions and promote her new book, Darcy and Elizabeth A Most Unlikely Couple.

If you know your question already, then by all means, PM me or leave me a comment on this post.  I will be putting out the formal call for your questions around mid-October.  If you do send me questions now, please indicate whether I can use your name (I can just use first names if you like) in the final transcript of the interview!

I have been meaning to move a few short stories to the site and I have one bugging me to get out of my brain.  Perhaps, I might have some time once I am done with this or during the weekend to get that one out.  It’s a bit silly, so I hope I can pull it off!

I hope you have a great October and enjoy those Fall colors!

Happy Reading!

Everything is changing!  When I created this blog, I imagined someone stumbling upon it every once in a while, but it didn’t really have direction other than writing.  Now that I’ve graduated and I don’t have school projects–a design website–due, I have had more time to spruce this one up.  Wordpress and I have kind of a love-hate relationship.  I always search through all of the options and never really see what I think is correct, and then I gripe about it for a while only to accidentally stumble upon it later.  Well, either I stumble across it or someone shows me.

I fully admit to rigging the header so I can use the background.  I know in web design, if you want an extra block of color, you add a <div> to your HTML and then put it in CSS, but I can’t access HTML.  I’m sure there’s a way of doing it, and when I one day get told or figure it out, I will share it with you so you can laugh with me.  Anyway, I’ve been sprucing things up and now it looks much more like a legitimate blog rather than something I threw together after doing my homework (*whistles while attempting an innocent look*).

I’m enjoying “The Expats Travel Guide.”  I go back and look up the history of these places and I learn even more about them. It’s been a win all around.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed some of it.  I hope you have too.

The big new news is my new “Ask the Author” segment!  I’m so excited for this!  I did not want to post the same questions as other blogs, and it would take too long to research everyone else’s anyway, so you ask what you want to know.  Our first victim is Sarah Johnson, author of Chosen (Leaving Bennet Behind: Volume 1), Snowstorms and Kissing Games, Captains Log, and the upcoming Just to Hear I Love You.  I am looking for people to message me questions right now, so check out my facebook page and send me a message!

I have also put up a spot for Guest Posts.  Do not feel like or have the time for an interview?  Then post an excerpt from your newest book, write a special scene, or tell us about something neat you learned during your research.  I am sure this crowd will appreciate something new from time to time!

I’m writing this post at 4am and I cannot sleep, so I had best try to catch some zzzz’s before I am expected to wake up!

This morning as I was debating whether to get out of bed or to stay under my nice cozy comforter, I was thinking of some of the clever ideas some people have had for their blogs.  I thought about a comment made on one of my photos on facebook that thanked me for posting photos for those who will never make it and I had an idea.  It may not be original by some standards, but it will be original to me.  My husband had thought of me collecting photos from around Britain and compiling them into a book.   There was a theme involved and such, and if I manage to compile the right photos, I might do it, but for now, I think I’ll stick with “The Expats Travel Guide”.  I may post more often at the beginning as I go back to May and post photos and observations from arriving here to the different places we visit along the way.  It will mostly be Britain, but given most of my followers are Janeites, I do not believe many of you will complain.  

I hope I do not offend any UK friends with my commentary, and I hope the rest of you might find some inspiration or get a kick out of it.

Leslie