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From my desk

Bonus scenes, behind-the-book insights, and the occasional overshare

Everything here is extra — deleted scenes, research rabbit holes, and some truly random ramblings.

Behind the book2 years ago

The Fate of Foundlings in the C19th

A foundling was a term used to define a child who had been abandoned by its parents and subsequently ‘found’ and cared for by others, often in a…

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Behind the book2 years agoWhat it Meant to be a Maid in the RegencyIn the first book of the Rags to Richmonds series, we meet Adelaide Richmond, who ran…From The MaidBehind the book2 years agoAppreciating Art in the RegencyThe early nineteenth century marked a seismic shift in cultural sensibilities, heralding the end of what…From The Cad, the Couch, and the Cut DirectJust for fun3 years agoA Very Different LetterThis was the very first piece of Jane Austen fan fiction I ever wrote. It was…General musingsBonus scene3 years agoHearsay & HeartacheA cut scene from Mistaken Tuesday 12th May 1812 – Hertfordshire  Bingley roamed the halls. He sat…From MistakenBonus scene3 years agoLydia Lies for a LicenceIn Pride and Prejudice, Lydia is only fifteen when she marries Mr Wickham. With the Bennet…From UnfoundedBehind the book3 years agoThe Role of a Regency HousekeeperMr Darcy’s housekeeper, Mrs Reynolds, is seen only once in Pride and Prejudice—when she shows Elizabeth and…From UnfoundedBehind the book3 years agoMusings on MansionsOne blog piece is not enough to write about even one tiny speck of all there…From UnfoundedBehind the book4 years agoLiving With Disability in the RegencyIn A Match Made at Matlock, one of the main characters, Mr Samuel Anderson, runs a charitable institution…From A Match Made at MatlockJust for fun4 years agoBook-ShellsI always judge my books by the cover Not metaphorically or categorically Just as pictorial homes…General musingsJust for fun4 years agoA PoemA poem, a verse, an ode forsooth! A ditty, a sonnet, a rhyme. Whichever it is,…General musingsBehind the book5 years agoThe Felicitous Double Meaning of EpiphanyThe action in Epiphany takes place over the winter of 1811, incorporating Christmastide and, you guessed it, Epiphany.…From EpiphanyBonus scene5 years agoCharlotte Collins Has a Theory (or Two)Fallen is told exclusively from Elizabeth Bennet’s point of view, but personally, when I read a book,…From FallenBehind the book5 years agoThe Petrifying Wells of Derbyshire“But surely,” said she, “I may enter his county with impunity, and rob it of a…From FallenBonus scene5 years agoFallen from the Cutting Room FloorThis scene of the Bennet girls calling on the Bingley sisters for tea didn’t make the…From FallenBehind the book6 years agoFalling From GraceThere’s an element of mystery to Fallen that makes it a bit tricky to talk about without revealing…From FallenBehind the book6 years agoPantomimes, Pyres and Pee; A Night at the TheatreMistaken has its fair share of twists and turns, and it never hurts to drop a good…From MistakenQ&A7 years agoAnother Perspective on ProceedingsSpeechless is a Pride and Prejudice variation set in the winter following Darcy’s first visit to…From SpeechlessBehind the book7 years agoPicture the SceneIn Speechless, Darcy and Elizabeth are stranded together at an inn called The Dancing Bear, owned by…From SpeechlessJust for fun7 years agoMaking a Hash of the B WordDon’t fret, this ain’t political; I’m not here to lecture, I’ll leave those folks with stronger…General musingsBonus scene7 years agoBefriending AnneWhen I republished Mistaken under my own steam, I edited out some scenes to make way…From MistakenBehind the book9 years agoTaking Jane Bennet for a Walk in Darcy’s ShoesMistaken is a Pride and Prejudice variation, the most obvious difference being to Jane Bennet’s character. The…From MistakenBehind the book9 years agoPride, Prejudice & Point of ViewAs the title suggests, there is a fair amount of misunderstanding between all the major protagonists (and…From MistakenBonus scene9 years agoTabitha Goes in Search of a TippleA wee bonus scene for fans of Mistaken (and Tabitha Sinclair) to enjoy… Saturday, 11 July…From MistakenJust for fun9 years agoTo Know One’s PlaceIs it such a heinous crime to want to know my place? A notion of what’s…General musingsJust for fun10 years agoMr Darcy: SuperheroBy day he was a gentleman, all good and rich and proper, He wore the latest…General musingsJust for fun10 years agoThe Blank PageIt’s staring at me, as though I just knocked it’s drink out of its hand at…General musingsJust for fun10 years agoTo do, or not to have doneI’ve torn a leaf from my diary, And used it to make a list, Of things…General musings