I was happy to realize this past weekend that I am three or four writing days away from finishing another book. I think I’ll have a party when this one is complete (though it will be an admittedly small party, just me and my dog, given This Current Crisis). <3
My March word counts as of 3/22/2020.
The reason I’m so happy to be so close to finishing this story is that it has taken me three months to complete. Seasonal Affective Disorder hit hard in January and I only wrote eight days and a little over seven thousand words. February was better. I wrote eleven days and more than fifteen thousand words. March, however, has been awesome. As of the writing of this post (March 22nd) I have written twelve days and well over twenty-three thousand words!
I’ve hit the point in this story where I wish I could just continue to write and get it all out. It’s flowing, the characters are speaking to me, and the story is pouring out onto the page. <3 However, things like sleep and food must intrude. 🙁
Click to view my Patreon page.
This story has been exclusive to my Patreon patrons, which means they have been the only ones to see it, to this point. Once it’s complete, edited, and formatted, I will give them their copies. Then, I can upload it to Amazon and share it at darcyandlizzy. <3
Below is an excerpt of the story, to whet your appetite. Before I get to that, I want to share some other news with you.
First, in light of the restrictions involved in This Current Crisis, I have decided to lower the prices of some of my books. I’m in the process of doing so now, and hope to have everything adjusted by the time this post goes live. My novels, which are usually priced at $6.99, will drop to $4.99 for the duration of the crisis. Boxed sets will go from $7.99 to $5.99. Novella prices will stay the same.
Second, I usually publish my books “wide” from the get-go, meaning I put them on Kobo, Nook, and Apple, as well as Amazon. For this release, because readers may not have funds to buy a lot of books for a while, I have decided to release into Kindle Unlimited first. So, for the first three months, it can be borrowed as part of that program, then it will go wide.
It’s my hope that these two things are helpful to those of you who are stuck at home with no pay or reduced pay who need something to read. Anyway, now, for the excerpt … I hope you enjoy it! Please do leave me a comment below and give me your opinion. 🙂
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Elizabeth Bennet tromped along the hedgerow that marked the boundary between her father’s estate, Longbourn, and the neighboring one, a small place called Netherfield Park. Her lightly flushed skin glistened and her legs were pleasantly achy after the long walk. Though she was weary, she knew her energy would return soon and she would be able to walk home at a more leisurely pace than she had so far. 
As Elizabeth neared the roadway, where the hedgerow ended, she lifted her face to the sun, smiling at the feel of the warm rays on her face. She swung her bonnet and faced forward again, breaking into a run so as to reach her destination a few moments earlier. A snort and the sound of hooves on the ground startled her and she stopped, spinning toward the noise. Her eyes widened to see a bull charging toward her. She gasped, looking frantically around for a way of escape.
~~~***~~~
Fitzwilliam Darcy urged his gelding, Apollo, into a trot as he left the village of Meryton. He was only a couple miles away from his friend’s leased estate and after a long morning in the saddle, he was eager for a bath and a meal.
As he rode, Darcy took note of the neat hedges and freshly-harvested fields he passed. He was impressed with the care his friend’s new neighbors took with their land. Finally, he noted the landmarks Bingley had indicated were close to Netherfield Park. His relief at seeing the hedge with the large oak tree at the end of it was soon replaced with horror. He witnessed a woman begin to run toward the road, a large, black bull giving chase.
Darcy kicked Apollo into a gallop. The animal quickly covered the short distance, and his rider pulled on the reins to stop him just as the woman reached the end of the hedgerow. Darcy threw himself off his horse and pulled his pistol out of his trenchcoat pocket. He stopped, aiming the weapon at the bull’s shoulder, and pulled the trigger before making a mad dash to the woman’s side.
The ball embedded itself in the raging bovine’s shoulder, causing him to stumble. He righted himself, in pain and looking for the cause of his discomfort.
Seeing that the bull had become distracted, Darcy threw himself at the woman, bringing her down nearly under the hedge and covering her completely with his body.
This action seemed to further confuse the bull, whose head swayed back and forth as though seeking for something. He trotted forward, not noticing that his hooved kicked something.
Darcy grunted as he felt the heavy blows to his legs and side. He kept his arms extended, with elbows next to the lady’s head to protect her and with his hands over his own. The woman never made a sound, but he did not want to risk regaining the bull’s attention, so he did not attempt to see if she was well. He heard the sound of the bull’s steps recede at the same time he became aware of riders on horseback.
~~~***~~~
