Characters for Judging Prudence

I'm one of those writers who needs pictures of the characters I have in my head. And because I'm having a lot of trouble with Pinterest these days, (maybe I should have my 12 year old daughter post them for me) I thought I would show them to you here first. Besides, I finally was able to view the boards I have, and if you don't know where to look, you won't know who half of them are. The perils of modern technology.

Anyway... These are the characters for JUDGING PRUDENCE.

Alexander Lowell, Viscount Abernathy

Prudence Shaffer

Alexander's brother, George

                               

Alexander's grandfather,
Earl of  Westmoreland

Lady Lowell, Alexander's mother

       

Alexander's sister, Christina,
Lady Eaves

Lady Lowell's sister, Lady Carter

Alexander's Grandmother, Lady Westmoreland

Patience, Prudence's sister

Lady Prudence Shaffer is the most disliked of all the Dunbury Ladies. She holds no regard for the feelings of others; her caustic tongue and acerbic wit leaves her friendless save for her sister. No one understands the cause for Prudence’s bad manners. She was raised to be a lady, after all.

Alexander Lowell, Viscount Abernathy, dares to brave her criticisms, sees through the veneer she has painted herself with, and finds her attractive enough to court. He realizes he must tame her wicked language if he wishes his mother to consent to a marriage between them.

However, one iniquitous remark at a ball about Lady Lowell has left Prudence dealing with its after effects. She is shunned within Society and her remaining unmarried cousins along with her. A simple apology will not suffice—Lady Lowell refuses to hear it, or allow her son to marry her.

Prudence must change her disapproving ways if she wants her heart’s desire.

It is not as easy as she thinks when no one believes she can.

Coming Soon.

(Before Christmas. Hopefully, by Thanksgiving, but don't count on it. Let's just say sometime around the holidays.)


Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Working On The Next Book-- Judging Prudence

I recently found the impetus to begin working on the next book in the Ladies of Dunbury series-- Judging Prudence. I would love to finish it by Thanksgiving, but given the circumstances of my life these days, probably more like Christmas. We'll see. Maybe I'll catch a break.

It is more or less a comedy of manners, bad manners for a lady in Regency England. However, Prudence is not the girl we think we see. I won't tell you what her problem is now, but it eventually comes out in the book.  

Lady Prudence Shaffer is the most disliked of all the Dunbury Ladies. She holds no regard for the feelings of others; her caustic tongue and acerbic wit leaves her friendless save for her sister. No one understands the cause for her bad manners, least of all Uncle Henry. Prudence was raised to be a lady, after all.

Alexander Lowell, Viscount Abernathy, dares to brave her criticisms, sees through the veneer she has painted herself with, and finds her attractive enough to court. He realizes he must tame her wicked language if he wishes his mother to consent to a marriage between them.

However, one iniquitous remark at a ball about Lady Lowell has left Prudence dealing with its after effects. She is shunned within Society and her remaining unmarried cousins along with her. A simple apology will not suffice—Lady Lowell refuses to hear it, or allow her son to marry her.

Prudence must change her disapproving ways if she wants her heart’s desire.

It is not as easy as she thinks, when no one believes she can.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Being a Jane Austen purist, I was quite horrified when Seth Grahame-Smith published his book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in 2009. To date, the novel has over 100,000
reviews on Goodreads with a solid 4 star rating. I refused to read it. How dare he parody Dear Jane. To me it was as sacrilegious as desecrating the Bible.

That being said, this morning as I was checking email, I happened to stumble across the movie version on my free movie weekend package offered by my television provider. I didn't see the first 20 minutes, but became quite engaged with the plot as I watched.

Okay, let me rephrase that-- I became quite engaged with Sam Riley's portrayal as Mr. Darcy. I mean, who doesn't love Darcy? Even a zombie killing Darcy. Lilly James was also quite good as Lizzie Bennett. I have to say I just about fell off my chair as I watched Lizzie try to kill Darcy after he declared his love for her at Rosings.

Who doesn't love Darcy in black leather?

Granted, the plot was stupid--zombies? Really? However, I did like the way Grahame-Smith (and Burr Steers as the screenwriter) kept most of Dear Jane's indomitable words intact. It was, I have to admit, kind of fun to see how they were used in spite of the undead gracing the screen.

I loved the costumes! I can't say that enough. Lots of black leather encasing genteel 18th century fashion--a new trend I would love to emulate. Alas, I'm afraid it would not look as good on me as it did them.

Lilly James did a credible job as Lizzie Bennett, given the script. She showed as much pluck as the original Lizzie.

And I hated George Wickham with the same veracity that I did when I read the original. Even without knowing the plot, I knew he was a zombie.

However, I was quite disappointed with the ending. I wanted something more, but don't know what. In all the movie versions I've watched, the ending is the same--Darcy and Elizabeth and Jane and Bingley marry. With zombies added into the mix, I kind of thought it would be different. I always watch the credits and was surprised there was a snippet more, but that wasn't the ending I wanted.

Anyway, if you're looking for a weirdly fun adventure with an old favorite, watch this. I can honestly say, I will see it again. I know it doesn't have favorable ratings as a movie, but I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Intimate Portrait -- Timothy Cartwright

I haven't done one of these posts in a long while, so I thought I would.

Timothy Cartwright first appeared in DUNBURY PARK as an extra character. As we all know, Catherine Gantry is cousin to Lady Olivia, who knows everyone in London, and is friends with Lady Montlake, Timothy Cartwright's aunt. As Timothy is single, when Catherine is given permission to have a summer house party at Dunbury Park, of course she must invite him (with chaperone naturally). Catherine still has five girls to marry off, after all. Mr. Cartwright is surely suitable for one of them.

However, it seems none of the girls want anything to do with him. He's boring, way too serious, and unfortunately poor. Timothy's waiting for the Earl to die so he can inherit, as he is the heir presumptive. Problem is, old Monty isn't going anywhere soon, and Timothy dotes on his aunt to maintain his standing in Society.

What nobody knows about Timothy is that he's working for the Home Secretary. His "job" is to keep an eye on Henry Wade, who, having returned from the war and rushed through the appointment to become the Minister of London Security, no one in Parliament is sure what Henry will do. Having been such a great military commander, will Henry turn London into a police state? Or will he make a mess of the whole situation? Timothy needs to find out and when Catherine offers an invitation, it's Timothy who convinces Lady Montlake they need to attend the house party. (Lady Montlake isn't crazy about the idea of being cooped up with five single girls for a month at Dunbury Park. Especially those girls. Lady Montlake doesn't think any of the Ladies of Dunbury are a suitable match for her dear Timothy.)

I originally thought I would marry Timothy off to Prudence, however, she's in love with Alexander Lowell, Viscount Abernathy. There could have been a love triangle, but I decided against it. Having reworked my romantic plot lines, I finally decided to marry him off to ... sorry, I can't tell you. I'm still unsure if the girl I picked for him will actually go through with the scenario I set up. You must realize, characters have a life of their own when they finally take to the page.

Timothy will have a definite place in the next two books of the Dunbury series. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble deciding which two books they will be. I can't make up my mind which girl to marry off next.

*****

Don't forget, the entire Reluctant Grooms Series is half price on Smashwords
 ( https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnneGallagher )
through the month of July, as well as the first three books in the Ladies of Dunbury Series. If you haven't read them, get them now. This will be the last time for this year these books will be on sale. (Purchase from my page--finding them among the list is daunting. Coupons for half-price will be entered when you click the "buy" button.)

*****

Also, I found out quite by accident, there are several web sites offering several of my books from the Reluctant Grooms series for free as a PDF download. Please don't download them. Not only is it illegal for them to do this, most are often just a scam or a phishing site that only wants to steal your personal information or infect your computer with viruses or malware. I spent the better part of Friday sending DMCA (Digital Management Copyright Act) notices to the offending websites. (Not as easy as it sounds.)

*****

I am off to the beach this week for a much deserved mini-vacation (3 days).

Happy Reading!

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

My Half-Price Sale at Smashwords

During the month of July, Smashwords has a site-wide promotion that I am participating in this year. I have offered the Reluctant Grooms Series as well as the first three stories of the Ladies of Dunbury Series for half-price.

You may only purchase these books from Smashwords during this promotion, NOT where you would normally buy your books. However, the good news is, my books are formatted to fit whatever device you are currently reading on. You will be given a special code to purchase the books that are on sale. Easy peasy.

Here is the link for my page  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnneGallagher

(If the link does not work, you can copy and paste it into your browser.)

As I said, you cannot purchase these books from your preferred retailer, they must be purchased from Smashwords. Sign up is easy, payment is too.

This will be the only promotion I do for these particular titles for the remainder of the year, so if you need to catch up on either the Reluctant Grooms or Ladies of Dunbury, now is the time to buy them. The sale runs from July 1 thru July 31 so don't delay. Once the sale is over, (midnight July 31) the books return to their normal price.

Happy Reading!

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

When Hope and Passion Collide is Available Now

I wrote WHEN HOPE AND PASSION COLLIDE quickly because I loved it and also because I wanted to publish it before my birthday April 22. And here is is. It should be available wherever e-books are sold and if not, then it will be soon.

Pinterest pages will be along as soon as I have time to upload. Perhaps the task will not be as daunting as it was the last time.

I also wanted to let my readers know I am taking a hiatus from writing due to family obligations, so the next book in the series will not be available probably until Christmas. Sorry you have to wait, but if I can get my act together, I'll begin work on it sooner.

Lady Hope Curtiss is the most reserved of all the Dunbury Ladies. Small in stature, fragile in appearance, she is shy, quiet, and often overlooked. No one believes she will ever find a husband, most of all her. Yet, all the girls know that her Uncle Henry’s fondest wish is to marry them off. Her one prospect is the second son of a Viscount, a man who will never amount to much. However, Hope is convinced there is someone out there for her—someone special

A seemingly innocent conversation at a ball with a man she has no interest in, a light brush of  his fingers across her cheek, leaves Hope’s heart with unanswered questions, but in the blink of an eye, all that is taken away when Hope is kidnapped and brutally beaten. For six days and nights, Hope wonders if she has been forgotten.

Brian Thorpe, Earl of Helmsway, has been rejected by one Curtiss sister, and then practically trapped into marriage by another. He wants nothing to do with any of the Dunbury Ladies, least of all Hope. Unfortunately, he is the last person to speak to her on the night of her kidnapping. In order to clear his name, he sets out to rescue her.

Left to die in a remote wilderness, Hope is saved by a man whom she doesn’t recognize. Her heart falls in love with him, but when she finds that Helmsway has been instrumental in her care, Hope is torn between her mystery man and her knight in shining armor.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Dunbury Park is Available Now

Available @ Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords,
Scribd, Overdrive, Gardeners,
Barnes & Noble, itunes,

  DUNBURY PARK is now available across most major etailers.  It is also listed on Goodreads, along with Book One, REGRETS and RESPONSIBILITIES.

  I'm also diligently working on Book Three, WHEN HOPE AND   PASSION COLLIDE. I would like to finish that by the end of March, and publish by my birthday - April 22. Let's see what happens.

  Somewhere in the midst of all this I'm also trying to update my Pinterest pages. If you were here a couple of weeks ago, you know I had a lot of trouble. Perhaps if I tried it from a different computer, it might be a little easier. We'll see. 

  And if the books aren't available where you shop, they should be soon. I published on Friday, and I'm not sure if any one works over the weekend to vet them, so just hang tight. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Lady Faith Curtiss, daughter of the late Duke of Trowbridge, understands the responsibility of a title. However, it doesn’t seem to matter much anymore. Impoverished since her mother’s death, she and her sisters have come to live with their other cousins, all of them orphans and dependent upon their uncle, Henry Wade, the Marquess of Dunbury whose only aim is to marry them off as quickly as possible.

When Faith meets the new curate of the parish, her heart is seized. Peter Williams is all that is good and kind in a man. He is also brilliant, handsome, and has made it known he is waiting until her eighteenth birthday to ask for her hand.

However, her uncle is looking in another direction for Faith—the Earl-next-door—who is amenable to the idea of marrying into the Marquisate. Faith rejects the idea of taking her rightful place in Society, just for propriety’s sake, but the Earl is nearly perfect.

While Faith vacillates on the Earl’s proposal, it seems the new housekeeper at the parsonage also has her eye on the new curate and with her title the only thing standing in the way of true love, Faith is torn between marrying for the money, or fighting for her heart’s desire. 

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

A Flurry of Activity

I suppose when it rains it pours, and I am taking full advantage of the weather these days. I received Dunbury Park from my editor and will be tackling those on Monday. (tomorrow)

I have also started working on the next book in the series, and over the course of the last seven (count them 7) days, I have written nearly 35,000 words. Over one third finished! I love this story, and am working diligently to have it finished by the end of March. Yes, you heard me correctly. So hopefully, you will have the first three books of the Ladies of Dunbury series out before summer starts. 

Lady Hope Curtiss is the most reserved of all the Dunbury Ladies. Small in stature, fragile in appearance, she is shy, quiet, and often overlooked. No one believes she will ever find a husband, most of all her. Yet, all the girls know that her Uncle Henry’s fondest wish is to marry them off. Her one prospect is the second son of a Viscount, a man who will never amount to much. However, Hope is convinced there is someone out there for her—someone special

A seemingly innocent conversation at a ball with a man she has no interest in, a light brush of his fingers across her cheek, leaves Hope’s heart with unanswered questions, but in the blink of an eye, all that is taken away when Hope is kidnapped and brutally beaten. For six days and nights, Hope wonders if she has been forgotten.

Brian Thorpe, Earl of Helmsway, has been rejected by one Curtiss sister, and then practically trapped into marriage by another. He wants nothing to do with any of the Dunbury Ladies, least of all Hope. Unfortunately, he is the last person to speak to her on the night of her kidnapping. In order to clear his name, he sets out to rescue her.

Left to die in a remote wilderness, Hope is saved by a man whom she doesn’t recognize. Her heart falls in love with him, but when she finds that Helmsway has been instrumental in her care, Hope is torn between her mystery man and her knight in shining armor.

I will be trying to update this space as much as possible over the course of the next several weeks, so stay tuned. It seems my muse has returned!

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Dunbury Park is Finished At Last

Thank you for your kind patience. I am pleased to announce Dunbury Park is finished. However, that only means that I wrote The End. Next up is the editing process, then I send it off to my beta readers, then revisions based on their feedback. Hopefully, it shouldn't take longer than a few more weeks for it to go live.

I've uploaded a few pins to Pinterest, and my question is when did it get so hard to do that? I had to scrap the board several times, deleted pins only to upload again... I have no idea why they make such a simple task so completely impossible to do. (Or perhaps it's just me.)

Anyway, for those of you who aren't on Pinterest (or don't care to click around to find my boards) here are some of the pictures I uploaded (and a few more that weren't because I hate wasting time on things I can't do.)

Lady Faith Curtiss

Peter Williams

Bryan Thorpe, Earl of Helmsway

Henry Wade,
Marquess of Dunbury

Lady Catherine Gantry

St. Michael's Parsonage

Dunbury Park

Timothy Cartwright

Lady Mary Boyle, sister to
Lady Catherine

Mrs. Partridge

Lady Joanna Carlton,
Duchess of Cantin

Stephen Carlton,
Duke of Cantin

Tom Blackmoore

Sally Jenkinson

Obviously, I can't seem to work the Blogger format either.

Well, that's all the news I have for now. I'll keep you posted.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Dunbury Park Has Been Delayed

I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been since September when I said I would have the next book in the Ladies of Dunbury series out by Christmas...

Well, it hasn't been because I haven't tried.

Unfortunately, we finally (after four years) received the diagnosis that my mother has Alzheimer's disease (in the moderate category -- mild, moderate, severe). I am her primary caregiver and must be with her for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, take her to all her appointments, and shopping. So, my time for writing has been curtailed enormously.

My father (a proud and difficult man) will not allow for a home companion so the whole shebang falls on my shoulders. Not for my lack of trying, but he remains adamant. Needless to say, I don't have a lot of time to write. Actually, I don't have any time to write, which is also why you haven't heard from me since September. Even this blog has been curtailed.

I do want you to know that as of this date, I have 164 pages finished on the manuscript, nearly 2/3 done. However, I'm also trying to set up the next few books in the series through this one and the foreshadowing is difficult without being able to work consistently. I keep having to reread the entire thing every time I sit down at the computer. But I did want you to know that I haven't forgotten about it, nor am I giving up on it.

It just may take a little while longer than I anticipated. I don't want to tell you when because I would hate to disappoint you, but I'm shooting for Easter.

Forgive my silence, but now that the holidays are over, I thought you should be made aware of the circumstances of my absence.

Thank you for your continued support.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017