April's Affections and Intrigues: Love and Mystery Bloom

Sharon Lathan

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26 comments posted.

Re: Miss Darcy Falls in Love (7:28pm November 28, 2011):

Thanks for stopping by today, ladies, and good luck with the giveaway
contest. I am thrilled that Sourcebooks is offering 3 copies! But win or
buy, I hope everyone enjoys my musical romance for Georgiana Darcy.

Alyson, I have a complete Cast of Character list on my website for each
of my novels. I think it does help, especially when there are a ton of
characters as there are in my Darcy Saga series novels. Even I flip to it
for reference now and again!

Re: Miss Darcy Falls in Love (4:55pm November 28, 2011):

You are most welcome, Monica. It is very fun to delve back into it. I almost
forgot how many intriguing characters I created! I tend to like writing
quirky people. I hope you enjoy reading the rest-of-the-story after all my
teasers! I have a doosie of a teaser at the end of this one. *hint hint

Re: Miss Darcy Falls in Love (2:26pm November 28, 2011):

Anna, There were definitely limitations to what a respectable lady could
do. But as we know from the example of Jane Austen - just to name
one - a woman did have some options. Still, it was not easy. I was
fortunate to find a way to make it plausible for Georgiana, such as
learning about the Paris Conservatoire of Music where women were
admitted as students. And then if you marry a titled man who also
pursues a "career" - score!

Felicia, you are most welcome!

Thanks for so much interest, everyone. This is really nice!

Re: Miss Darcy Falls in Love (12:04pm November 28, 2011):

Peggy, I am sure you will especially appreciate my novel then. Music
figures very heavily into the story, all the way around. Even the chapter
titles are musical terms. With the main characters being musicians and
composers there was no other way to write it.

Re: Miss Darcy Falls in Love (9:45am November 28, 2011):

Good morning everyone! It is lovely to wake up and see so many great
comments already. Nice! It sounds like all of you enjoyed this glimpse
into Georgiana Darcy's life. Thanks for the interest.

Linda, Yes it is a historical romance. Lots of romance but also set in a
fascinating time period. I enjoyed exploring what was happening in
Paris of 1820 as well as the musical theme.

Connie, I don't think men were gruff in general any more than they are
today. These 3 men happen to be that way, Lord Essenton because he
truly is a nasty person and the other 2 who are irascible on the surface.
Those are the characters I selected here because they have a similar
quality. The other men of my story, especially Sebastian Butler, are
completely different. Teddy bears!

Yes Patti - Time for a break from vampires and shapeshifters! LOL!

I'll keep checking in if anyone has any other comments. See you all
later! Sharon

Re: A Darcy Christmas (2:24pm October 23, 2010):

Pam, Next April the 5th book in the Darcy Saga series will be released - The Trouble with Mr. Darcy - and in the fall Georgiana Darcy's love story will be released. So more to come!

Thanks Sheila!

Re: A Darcy Christmas (12:33pm October 23, 2010):

Peggy, I am very sorry that children were not a possibility for you. I can't imagine how painful that must be. Yes, I work with babies. I have been an RN in the Neonatal ICW for 25 years. That is a lot of babies passing me by! Thanks for you kind words.

You have time, Jennifer! She will never know ;-)

Kai, I do my best to capture Darcy and all Austen's characters as I interpret how she wrote them. But, this is open to wide interpretation so I can only follow my heart and vision.

Thanks to everyone who has commented. I really appreciate it and love interacting! I will continue to check in.

Re: A Darcy Christmas (12:26pm October 23, 2010):

Sorry to be absent but a spider bite has my eye swollen and me under the weather. Seeing so many wonderful comments cheers me considerably. Thanks all!

It is great to read references to the classic family sagas such as the Little House books, Little Women, and Anne of Green Gables. Obviously I do not write for children but I do approach my series in a family saga themed way.

Mary, none of us can get enough of Darcy!

Thanks Robyn! I do think you will enjoy In The Arms of Mr. Darcy as much as the others. Maybe more!

Diane, It is a joy to carry on these characters and doing so in a continual manner gives me the chance to touch on everyone.

Yes there are a great many "Darcy inspired books" aren't there Patricia! It still boggles my mind. Good thing I was unaware of how many there were before I started writing or I may have changed my mind!

Re: A Darcy Christmas (4:24pm October 22, 2010):

Jane Eyre is so sad! I have a difficult time watching or reading that part of the story. It does help that her life ended well. Great mention, Ann.

Thanks Danielle! I do hope you love my saga. You too April! I add lots of history amongst the romance. Or is that lots of romance amongst the history? Either works!

No kids in The Hobbit, Jean, that is true, but then there were all those dwarves and Hobbits are somewhat child like. :-) Tolkien is my favorite writer of all time. Yes, even over Austen, but don't tell anyone I said that! Thanks for all the "loves" and I do hope you love my series.

I will keep at it as long as I can, Marjorie!

Hi S Tieh. I really loved writing Alexander. His personality was clear to me even before he was born. Another Darcy shows up in the fifth volume of the saga - The Trouble With Mr. Darcy - and this one is very different than Alexander!

Re: A Darcy Christmas (2:11pm October 22, 2010):

Oh, thanks for mentioning the Pevensie children from Narnia. I love those books. Lucy was always my favorite. Thanks Kelli.

Two Vicki(e)s in a row! Welcome ladies. My children are grown for the most part. My baby is a senior in HS now. Time has definitely flown by, but I agree that being a mom is the best.

You are welcome, Alyson. I love writing the Darcy children. It was the best part of approaching A Darcy Christmas as I did. I wanted to create an entire family in case I did not have the opportunity later.

Re: A Darcy Christmas (11:35am October 22, 2010):

This is rather embarrassing to confess but for some reason I never read the Sunnybrook Farm novels. I have read Anne of Green Gables, but my favorites were the Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott novels. Of course the similarity in all of these classic children's literature series is, as you stated Jl, in watching the characters mature. Thanks for the comment!

Re: A Darcy Christmas (11:32am October 22, 2010):

Thanks for the question, Ivy. "Following in Austen's footsteps" is a complicated phrase. Personally I don't think anyone can fully capture how another writer writes, especially someone as brilliant as Austen. I have never claimed to be like her or asserted that my saga is what she would have written. It is my vision written in my voice. All of the authors who take on Austen's world will tell you the same.

The difficulty is not in taking on her world since I did it out of love and with great respect. The difficulty is in trying to convince certain readers of the above fact! Too many want it to BE Austen and are then disappointed or downright angry when it is not. In my opinion they miss the joy to be found in varying visions of her story by expecting the impossible.

Re: A Darcy Christmas (11:25am October 22, 2010):

Good morning everyone. Nice to see so many up and about already. Here on the west coast it is still early, or at least early for me. :-)

I agree, Joanne. A child's personality is an evolving thing although the traces are there from birth. I am pleased I have enticed you.

11 children Valerie! Egads!! You are my hero. 2 was sufficient for me. But then I am able to satisfy any maternal urges at my job. Coming from a true expert in parenting like yourself I consider your praise of my depiction high indeed. Thank you.

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (11:09am January 8, 2010):

It is Friday the 8th, so I know the contest is closed. I am not sure who the lucky winner is, but I do hope you are happy with your prize and that you will enjoy reading my novels.

Thanks again to Fresh Fiction for giving me the opportunity to talk a little about my Saga. And thanks to everyone for commenting! I couldn't keep up! Yesterday ended up being very busy with, among other things, a surprise interview with a reporter from my local paper. So I do apologize for being a day late, literally.

You know, Molly, the whole idea of the movie Junior was both creepy yet funny. Not a bad choice at all!

Many of these other mentions inspire great memories and I want to dash to the DVD rental place or scour through my TiVo guide to find old episodes of Little House or Murphy Brown! And I definitely have to find Bill Cosby's routine as that sounds hysterical.

Laura, I do hope you manage to find the time in your busy reading schedule to tackle my books. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Lisa!!!! My NICU buddy! Thanks for stopping by. :) And I totally agree with you. Even after all these years it still is exciting and moving to witness a birth. Especially those ones where the family is so obviously ecstatic. I love watching the first time dads. I have seen so many amazing men gazing in immediate love at their new son or daughter that it was easy to write that into Darcy.

Oh yes, Mitzi, we NEVER forget our own deliveries! No matter what anyone says. LOL!

Mary, yes, indeed, the birth of our Savior, although not given in any detail, is the most moving one of all. Amen.

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (7:50pm January 7, 2010):

Oh Cindy! Yes, Bella! OMG! I can't wait to see how they do that for the movies. It will be spectacular!

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (7:49pm January 7, 2010):

Yes, childbirth has never been an easy or "natural" process in some respects. Far too much can go wrong, let me tell you. Even today. Luckily Lizzy had very accomplished medical professionals at her birth. And if you wonder who that was, well, you need to read the book! LOL!

Here I quoted this line from Gone With The Wind and it has actually been years since I read the book or saw the movie! Now you all keep referring to it even more! Perhaps it is time for a reread! Thanks. :)

Funny how certain movie lines stick with us, isn't it? And some, like this one, seem apropos in many situations!

Stay warm, Deb. No offense, but I sure am glad it is you and not me. LOL!

Ah yes, I Love Lucy. Good one!

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (3:22pm January 7, 2010):

All this activity is fabulous. I can't keep up! Thank you, everyone, for reading and commenting. Since most of us are female hereabouts, birth scenes are something we can usually relate to.

Annetta, Awesome that your birth was so swift! My sister-in-law was like that. 6 hours start to finish. My sister and I still tease that we have never forgiven her for that! LOL! Our labors were considerably longer!

I never saw the Murphy Brown one, but I can imagine it was quite funny. And as over the top as those kind of crazy TV delivery sequences often are, I have actually seen a number that are just like it!

Look Who's Talking - great mention! I love that whole movie. Love the line, "You try squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon and see how hot you look!" I may not have quoted that precisely, but you all know the one I mean!

Vicki, I am so glad your boys did well. The NICU environment is very scary and the staff is conscious of that fact, thus always doing our best to ease the parents' distress.

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (1:38pm January 7, 2010):

Thanks for thinking of the movie title, Mary Anne. Things like that bug me!

I don't think I have ever hear Bill Cosby's birth comedy, but I can imagine how hysterical that would be as he is a terrific stand up comedian.

I appreciate all the positive comments regarding my novels. Good luck to everyone in the giveaway! Sadly, only 2 can win. :( But, my novels can be found everywhere! LOL! :)

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (11:41am January 7, 2010):

Oh Cathie! Thanks for mentioning the new Star Trek. Yes, indeed, that was a very emotional scene. And thanks, not sure any of us NICU folks are saints, but we do our best! We do love those babies, that's for sure. And I never tire of witnessing a birth, although some of them are not so pretty! LOL!

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (10:52am January 7, 2010):

Ah, I see Margaret thought of Rachel in Friends too! That was so hysterical.

Good luck in the contest, everyone. I forgot to say that before.

And Deborah, thanks for mentioning Sourcebooks. They truly are the leaders in Austen fiction. Anyone wishing to read the best novels related to Jane's world, just go to the Sourcebooks website for the complete list.

Re: My Dearest Mr. Darcy (10:50am January 7, 2010):

Good morning to all from a waking up author here on the west coast. Wow, so nice to click over and see so many great comments! Something about babies and birth scenes are always fascinating to us women.

The one from Father of the Bride 2 is a great mention. I love Steve Martin in that scene, and Martin Short as the gay decorator. Priceless!

I vaguely remember the one with Dudley Moore, Sherry, but can't think of the name either.

One of my favorite TV births is from Friends when Rachel takes FOREVER to deliver while mom after mom after mom is wheeled into the room to deliver before her. Exaggerated humorously, of course, but I have seen each one of those types of laboring women in my life!

Another fav is the older movie with Kevin Bacon called, ironically, She's Having a Baby. A very funny movie, but the scene where his wife needs to have an emergency c-section is heart wrenching. Seen from his perspective, the emotion upon his face, and then relief when all is well, was beautifully conveyed by Bacon.

I avoided anything ridiculous within Lizzy's birth, although there is always some humor, and tapped into the emotions of such an event from both of them. It was really fun.

I'll be checking in so keep any comments coming! Now I need my espresso latte!

Re: Loving Mr. Darcy (4:27pm September 11, 2009):

Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't been back since late yesterday - life keeps me hopping!

Mystica, I am still crossing my fingers for you! Sri Lanka isn't THAT far away in this day and age. Good luck finding my novels. And keep me posted!

Oh, Cherie, it has totally been my pleasure blogging here. :) Great fun!

Cheryl, I am envious of you too now! LOL. What a wonderful adventure for you. The history is what would totally occupy me. I would want to stomp through every old castle and church in the country. I think I need to plan a couple of months. :)

Jenny Ng - I used to work with a Jenny Ng - small world, maybe? I hope your dream to travel to England comes true as well.

Hi Sigrun. I am sure that most parts of England are beautiful in some way. How wonderful that you are able to travel.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by. Sharon

Re: Loving Mr. Darcy (10:51pm September 10, 2009):

Hi Margay! Nice to see you here too. I totally agree with you. When I read I want to feel the atmosphere as well as envision the physical surroundings. Making it real and relatable, even if set in a long ago time is the key. I strive to bring that into my writing.

Thank you, Mary Anne. I am glad you enjoyed my mini-essay. There are so many places in this wide world I would love to go. Picking any one would indeed be tough. England calls due to my writing, but the truth is there are so many places I would jump at the chance to visit. Even Arkansas! Never been there either!

Hi Rosemary! Nice to meet a satisfied reader. Thanks for the support. January and The Darcys at Year's End will be here before you know it.

Re: Loving Mr. Darcy (7:30pm September 10, 2009):

HI Carrie. Thanks for that! I do hope (and seriously pray) that success will buy me a trip to England - completely for research purposes, of course :) - but time will tell.

Well, Theresa, dare I say that you MUST give my sequels a chance then? :) Yes, if I ever get to England I will definitely take the time to swing a bit north and check out the Highlands. I hope your dream comes true as well.

Thanks for stopping by ladies!

Re: Loving Mr. Darcy (4:43pm September 10, 2009):

Hey Susan! I had to do a double take, thinking I had typed my name in wrong! Wow, almost a "Lathan." We so rarely see our name anywhere. How cool!

Well, I am envious right off, I'll confess. I dream daily of England. And you are right about the green. Practically every picture I find is a vivid green. Thanks for posting and for the compliment on my descriptions. I really do try to paint a lush picture of this lush land.

Re: Loving Mr. Darcy (4:39pm September 10, 2009):

Good morning! First I have to give a HUGE thanks to the Fresh Fiction folks for honoring me by allowing me to be here today and talk about my novels. I appreciate SO much that this great website lists all 3 of my novels so visitors can find me. Thanks!!

Hi Shannon! I wish I could be more than just an armchair traveler, but until the lotto winnings happen - yeah, right! - I guess it will have to do. I do know I have fallen in love with England and that would definitely be my #1 destination point.

Anyone else have a favorite destination dream? Tell me about it!

Sharon