The change of seasons is a rugged time around my house. All the adults have their own idiosyncratic biologies to deal with. Mine is lethargy that will not go away. As I am a fatalist in many ways, my thoughts turn to chronic or terminal illness. That being the case, I should sympathize more with Mr. Woodhouse. Alas not.

Anyway, I have been reading to give me the feeling of accomplishment. I finally read Pretty in Print by Laura Hile. (Sorry it took me so long, LL.)

Before we start, I have a bit of a brag. Laura Hile and I have known one another longer than we care to state, and we whine about writing when we chat. However, we don’t trade pages and nit pick. We do talk over plots in a general way, but we aren’t in one another’s’ pockets creatively. I have known about Pretty in Print for some time and hope I was helpful as she marched towards the finish line.

Now that PiP is out in the world, I have to say it is one of her best. I not only liked, but enjoyed all the characters. I don’t generally read a lot of P&P variations. Variations in any fandoms can be too enthusiastic. In P&P, the hazards are that Lizzy is too pert, Darcy is too broody, Collins is too much a boob, and Bingley is too much a terrier puppy. And what some people do with Mrs. Bennet is … best left unsaid.

My friend has a deft hand when it comes to characterization and lets Austen’s characters be themselves. Lizzy is a bit cheeky but not the put down queen. Darcy is somewhat standoffish, but only for a short time. And Collins is genuinely interesting. He’s still annoying, but is understandable when you understand his secret and how potentially embarrassing it is.

I also enjoyed how Laura set up the first meeting between Darcy and Lizzy. It’s not adversarial as in the original, but is a little conspiratorial. They share an opinion and that opens a natural acquaintance rather than going at one another hammer and tongs for half the book.

Lady Catherine also makes an appearance. She is overbearing as usual, but gets put in her place perfectly by Darcy. Quick and to the point.

As a bonus, much of the phrases will be familiar. Just not necessarily in order or from the speaker you expect.

Many books are forgettable. Sad, but true. The idea of a second read is rare but I am going to reread Pretty in Print in the next few weeks. It was fun and didn’t press me to “fall in love all over again.” The story progressed easily and naturally. No one was made too look foolish, and no one was the MOST ROMANTIC hero or heroine ever. They were sympathetic people opening themselves to new possibilities.

Be assured, this is a smart, clever story. And more than most authors, Laura respects her reader’s intelligence and loves inviting them in on the jokes.

PiP is a great fall read. The hype of summer is over and now is the time to savor reading and a cuppa something cozy. I suggest Pretty in Print by Laura Hile.

Take care–Susan Kaye

turns to love in the springtime. Mine turns to blogging in the fall. (Autumn for others.) I am in the midst of working on a couple of things and have come to a dry patch in my imagination, so I turn to online housekeeping tasks to keep me in the game so to speak. I don’t allow despair if I am working on some facet of writing or marketing. If all I do is sit on the couch and binge You Tube vids on cake decorating, then I start the recriminations.

Anyway, I thought it was time to clean up the blog and get it ready for winter. Here in Widespot it’s still getting into the 100s a reality so thoughts of pumpkin spice, falling leaves, and warm sweaters are not constant.

I am preparing for a trip. Monday I will fly to Oregon and meet up with two excellent friends. Unfortunately for me I’m a person who would rather plan then execute. I am sure that there will be, in no particular order, a plan crash, awful interaction with passengers that goes viral, miss my flight because I didn’t make my connection in Dallas, lose my luggage*, or any number of disasters that I haven’t thought of yet. I’ll have to let you know how it goes.

It’s time to go back to work. One of my projects is a JAFF Contemporary Christmas novella. Frederick (Rick) Wentworth and Anne Elliot come back together in an Oregon coastal town. I have messed with a Western/Gothic/Gaslamp, horroresque project. And now a JAFF Contemporary, 2nd chance, corporate romance. Who knows what will get finished first?

For those of you still in the throes of summer, stay cool. Thos of you still in the throes of winter, stay warm. Those in the throes of the temperate, you lucky dogs enjoy it!

Take care–SK

I was listening to a discussion about culture and it drifted into the area of pornography. This not my field of expertise but I know some things. Statistics were cited that women partake via literature as opposed to visuals. That seems common sense to me. Of course there will be outliers in each category. A study found that one of the foremost subjects of female porn are pirates. There were others like cowboys and billionaires. And that the story usually evolves from the shy, dull miss who catches the pirate’s eye and then tames him.

Isn’t this the perfect synopsis of Persuasion? The prize system of the Royal Navy in the 1800s was perhaps a half-step removed from actual piracy. There was a lot of money (pirate’s booty) to be made when the Crown gave officers permission to harras and capture the ships of unfriendly, or not-friendly-enough, govenrments.

Frederick Wentworth is the perfect piratical figure. And Anne Elliot is innocent, blooming girl who falls in love with him.

Now, porn goes a long way past where Persuasion ends, thankfully. But the basic template is there. I suppose I should ask myself if the reason I like Persuasion is the pirate hero. I will only go down that road if we all are ready to talk about Darcy being the billionaire in the same scenario.

In an update to Stealing the Baronet’s Daughter: I messed up the page count I gave to the cover designer and so am now waiting to hear back how long a fix will take. The good news to readers is that I undercounted by over 70 pages. You will have a good l-o-n-g when this thing finally hits the market.

Take care–Susan Kaye