L.L. Diamond

Seriously, the place is beautiful!  To quote Mrs Gardiner, “If it were merely a fine house richly furnished,” said she, “I should not care about it myself; but the grounds are delightful. They have some of the finest woods in the country.”  Woods, a lake, temples, huge trees and I’ve heard that in spring the bluebells in the woods are beautiful.  I want to go back!  

It was an amazing 2 mile walk around the lake!

I am writing and up to chapter 16 on the newest book.  I’m excited about it.  It has some familiar components, I think, but taken in a completely different context.  Hopefully, everyone else will like it too!  

Lastly, I began a facebook profile under Leslie L. Diamond (L.L. Diamond) for anyone who wants to friend request me.  I had the author page you “like,” but most people seem to want to be friends instead.  That’s okay, I can deal with that!

I think I’ve adjusted–I think!  I’m driving, which I found daunting in the beginning, but I’ve managed to adjust (I hope!).  I probably have a bunch of British drivers behind me swearing, but I am just trying to get around!

I have had a great time seeing some of the local towns, some of the churches, and a few estates.  I’ve been to Oxburgh and Ickworth.  The photo above is me at Ickworth.  I’m a huge art fan and they have a self-portrait by Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun that is amazing!

On another note, I am writing.  I am about 13 chapters in and I just keep plugging along.  I have been drawing too, but I need to come up with a profile drawing.  I have always sucked at anything but straight on.  I guess I’ll have to work it out.

A lot of news for me in the last month!  We moved all the way from Nebraska to England.  Just a little hop!  LOL!  I’m working today on catching up on a few things that I’ve been putting off in the hopes to get going again on writing.  We’re still stuck in temporary housing and it’s really hard to get much done.  This morning I was in one room working and also trying to stop arguments between my children in the other room.  It is raining today, and we don’t have a mode of transportation that I can use on my own.  We won’t even get started on me driving!  It has been interesting–to say the least!

Then Meredith posted the great picture of my book at the beach.

http://instagram.com/p/n9CTjDsxcI/

I knew that she would probably review A Matter of Chance soon, but I just happened to look to see what she was reading one day and there was the review.  4 out of 5 stars!  I’m my own worst critic, so I was excited to see that she liked it as much as she did.

http://austenesquereviews.com/2014/05/matter-chance.html

Today, since I’m getting some work done, I posted a short story here, and I’m actually blogging!  I also updated the photo in the header.  The last was a mill pond behind a vacation house where we stayed in Maine.  The new one is a view of the Cathedral in Ely from a park nearby.  I feel so productive today.  Maybe one day I’ll get used to keeping up multiple pages and sites.

I’ve been busy but I’m still around.  I’ve been trying to write, but we’re moving soon, and I simply haven’t had it in me to finish anything.  I’ve got several things started, so hopefully, once I get done with my degree (in May!), I’ll have more time to devote to it.

Thanks for hanging in there, and I’ll post more once the big move happens!

Leslie

I really am!  I was told to go for it, and I would find my voice. I’m still looking for it. (*looks around*) I know it’s here somewhere!

Anyway, I promise to try to do better. Perhaps when I graduate, which is at the end of this spring. I started classes today and I will be a busy girl the next few months. I have the normal classwork, client work (for the student AIGA chapter), and lastly, my thesis project. Oh! And I’m moving this spring. For now, the destination will be a mystery, but I promise to post a picture of me in the new location for this page.

Not that I needed any more on my plate, but I started a new book. It’s a bit different than my last two. I seem to completely change things when I start a new story. I’m excited and yet wary about it. I’ve never written what I consider high angst, but angst weenies beware! I guess I’ll find out while it’s being beta’d. I know that two of my betas from Rain and Retribution and A Matter of Chance will happily beta this new one. Lisa will make the usual fun comments in the margin that relate to sporks and penknives. Kristi will likely hide behind the blue sofa (If anyone doesn’t read on the JAFF boards, a blue sofa is a warning for high angst.).  Perhaps I’ll somehow send her some chocolates to make up for the stress.  Us angst weenies need to stick together!

As for news, Meredith at Austenesque Reviews is currently reading Rain and Retribution. I’m looking forward to her opinion and yet I will probably read it with my hands over my face, peeking between my fingers. I’ve had reviews on Amazon, of course, but this is the beginning of a whole new ball game. I’ll update should Meredith be kind and give me a glowing review.

I’ve also submitted both Rain and Retribution and A Matter of Chance to Diary of an Eccentric to review. Anna has been looking for new JAFF to read, and she emailed me back very quickly to let me know that she was interested in both.  Fingers crossed that she likes them!

Thanks for following!

Leslie

Well, just in case you didn’t know.  Let’s see.

In A Matter of Chance, Lizzy plays the second movement from Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique.  I studied this piece in high school and I will still pull it out to play it from time to time.  However, like Elizabeth Bennet, I don’t apply myself and practice.  I guess between three kids, a husband, school, and writing, it falls by the wayside at times.  Debussy’s Clair de Lune was a sentimental choice.  My mother played it a lot.  I think it was a bit like Sonata Pathetique to me.  She’d studied it and always liked it.  I’ve got the sheet music and played it a bit, but I’ve never practiced enough to be proficient at it.

I have that I’m an artist on a few things.  I already have a degree in Biology, but I decided to go back to school for a degree in Graphic Design a few years ago.  I’m finishing in May and when I’m not writing, I’m usually being an artist/designer.  I painted the watercolor on the front of A Matter of Chance (and the back for those who have the paperback.).  I love watercolor and I enjoyed using the way my instructor has described my work as the description for Lizzy’s work.

I’m sure there’s a lot more, but I think I’m going to leave it there for now.

One of my favorite paintings, still on the art board.  I’d just pulled off the art tape.

When I’m gearing up to write something new, I like to find writing challenges and such to get back into the swing of things.  This one is basically that there is one annoying person at that family dinner, get together, etc.  Of course, mine is a bit off from the challenge in that I kind of took it that anyone could be annoying to someone.  It’s Pride and Prejudice (I’ve been known to write Persuasion based short stories.) and it follows the rules or this particular challenge:  under 2,500 words and unbeta’d (no editor).  So with that, be kind because I’m not a punctuation/grammar whiz!

Anyway, I just thought you might like to tide you over until the next, so I posted it on the site

https://lldiamondwrites.com/everyones-a-delight/

For those who don’t know.  I’m in school studying art.  I’m fortunate that I have a degree from when I was younger that allowed me to take nothing but art classes, but it’s still a lot of work sometimes.  I love it, though!  Anyway, everything is winding up with graduation this spring.  I’m working on client work for the student organization and my own design work for class while I edit this latest book.  It’s been a bit maddening.  I published Rain and Retribution during summer holidays, and it made a big difference.

I’m at the point where I’m reading and looking for mistakes.  I honestly think I could read it another 50 times and still find errors, but I’m plugging along.  I’ve decided that I’ll go ahead and publish the Kindle/ebook formats as soon as I’m done with this proofread and I’ve double checked the digital formats.

Today has been one of those days.  I hurt my neck recently and I went to have an MRI today and I couldn’t take being in that tube.  I’ve gotten so much grief from my husband about it.  Then I come home and he says that he has an idea for my next book.  Pride and Prejudice crossover with Sons of Anarchy (*head desk*).  I looked at him and said, “Daughter’s of Anarchy.”  The big bad Bennet sisters have their own biker gang.  He may be my biggest cheerleader right now, but his ideas are still nuts!

I’m creating this site and wondering what I’m going to put here.  It’s new and I’m still trying to find a voice outside of my books.  I guess a bit of news as I get it (or create it) and perhaps some short stories from time to time.  I’ll have to think about it.

As for publishing, I’m making decent progress with A Matter of Chance.  I’m proofreading and hoping to get it out soon.  I at least have a cover for you to see.

Thanks for stopping by!