Tuesday, September 4, 2012

And Suddenly, Autumn


I opened the French doors to the terrace this morning and a wave of cold air gusted in off the lawn.
That suddenly, it's September in Colorado.
Naturally, the temperature will climb into the 90s in a few hours, but as the dogs step tentatively into the seven a.m. dew, it's all of 55, and the promise of snow and woodsmoke are on the air.

I spent most of the summer traveling and talking about my latest Francine Mathews spy novel, JACK 1939, a World War II-era adventure featuring Jack Kennedy as a 22 year-old Harvard junior researching his senior thesis all over Europe--while Hitler mobilizes to invade Poland.  It was quite a shift from discussing all things Austen, but with the change of seasons I'm thinking like a Barron again.


At the moment, I'm putting the finishing touches on my segment of a lost vignette from one of Austen's novels--as imagined by Susan Mason-Milks, Amanda Grange, and me, in that order--which will be up on the website here in a week's time (check back Thursday, September 13th, for our contribution to the AUSTENESQUE EXTRAVAGANZA--something we're calling "Edward's Dilemma.")  Susan kicks it off on her website; Mandy follows with the all-too-vital middle; and I attempt to match their greatness with the final few paragraphs.  I hope you'll enjoy.

And then: what next?

The original publisher of the Jane Austen Mysteries appears unenthused with continuing the series.  It's possible Jane will find a new home; but at the moment, I'm researching something I've tentatively titled THE WATERLOO ARCHIVE.  The bicentenary of the Great Battle in 2015 fast approaches, and I want to be there with a story.  It's a great excuse to refresh my understanding of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, Wellington's life, the nature of the Prussian army.  All good subjects as the weather turns cool, and I stack the wood by the library fire.

Happy Autumn!

Stephanie


12 comments:

  1. Autumn is definitely my fourth favorite of all the seasons. Summer is always too short here in the PacNW. Looking fwd to reading your latest offerings.-- Christina Boyd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Christina! Love the PacNW, myself...had a great week in Oregon in August.

      Delete
  2. Hello, I am Rosita from Italy. I'm reading "Jane and the Lordship'legacy" in italian, the latest published here in Italy. Your books are written very good, I'll wait the others in italian, I hope very soon!
    Here autumn is not cold as in Colorado, but it's hot!
    thanks you very much for the stories of Jane, one of my favourite writer of old England.
    Good luck and good work for the nexty book!
    Bye bye ciao ciao Rosita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope the Italian translations do the books justice, Rosita! I have no way of knowing--although yours is a language I'd love to learn. Thanks for reading my Jane!

      Delete
  3. Aahhhh, fall! Apples and pumpkins and wide-open windows and crunchy leaves -- it's my favorite season, but where I live it comes very late and lasts far too short. I'm sorry to hear that the Jane Austen mysteries may not have a future; however, I've enjoyed the series very much and happily still have a few left on my shelf to read. Thank you for this charming collection of stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading them! I hope you'll check back for tomorrow's fragment.

      Delete
  4. Ooooo, I'm so excited to see what comes of the reasearch into Waterloo...let's hope another mystery. I'm in the queue at the local library to receive my copy of Jack 1939, can't wait to read it. Happy Autumn!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Finally updating all things BLOG including reading your recent posts (sheepish grin). I did read Jack 1939 and really, really enjoyed it!

      Delete
  5. Margaret Giddings-OnarheimSeptember 29, 2012 at 1:59 AM

    Please do find another publisher. Your Jane Austen Mysteries are my very favorite novels! In my opinion, you are the best living author writing! I will look forward to your new Waterloo, but please, don't stop writing Jane Austen Mysteries!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with Margaret! Your Jane Austen mysteries are the best books I have read in a long time - I am a huge Jane Austen fan and a new huge fan of yours! Please continue writing and shopping the series around - even if you self-publish, I'm sure all of us would eagerly buy any new books in the series.

    Lauren Powell, Dallas, TX

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just read the 1st Jane Austen book & really believed your introduction. When I finished the book, I concluded that since you wrote so many that this was all fiction. I was disappointed to find that, but I think you did a wonderful job and I look forward to reading all of them & hope one day to see them in a movie.
    L James, Greensboro NC

    ReplyDelete