Green as Grass is a sequel (or companion) to A Stage for Harriet that takes place concurrently. When I finished writing A Stage for Harriet (originally intended as a standalone novel), I realized that several characters' stories did not have satisfactory endings! One of the characters who was the most unfairly treated in A Stage for Harriet was the charming, bird-loving Mr. Andrew Brougham. What did he ever do to deserve being jilted? Nothing, that's what. 


This man, I thought, deserves his own happily-ever-after! And thus, the idea of Green as Grass was born. And, you guys, it's something of a MAKEOVER story!! I love makeover stories. As an unabashed child of the 90s, there was always something so completely magical about those scenes where the frumpy girl or guy gets transformed into a perfect model over the course of a single cheerful pop song. 


Green as Grass may not have a physical makeover, but Andrew transforms over the course of the book from awkward and abashed (or rather green, in other words) to cool and confident on command, and I love this man in ALL of his various stages. 


And who is performing this makeover? A loveable Emma-like brat who thinks she knows what is best for herself and everyone around her. So Andrew isn't the only one who gets a personality makeover throughout the story! 
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Without further ado, here is the current working blurb: 


Miss Louisa Grenfeld, a protege of the great Beau Brummell himself, is a budding arbiter of London fashion who can do no wrong. Or can she? When her father informs her that the only way she can continue her fashionable lifestyle is through marriage, she reluctantly begins her search for a husband. But when she captures the interest of Mr. Andrew Brougham, an awkward, bird-loving social novice, she quickly determines to rid herself both of him and his unpleasant mother. She tutors Mr. Brougham in fashionable comportment and tries to turn his attentions toward other young ladies.

Mr. Andrew Brougham may not understand fashion, but he certainly knows his own mind, and he has determined that Miss Louisa Grenfeld and he would suit perfectly together. But between his mother forcing him toward an unwanted match and Miss Grenfeld's uncertainty he has a difficult path ahead. If he molds himself to conform to society's desires will that be enough to please both Miss Grenfeld and his exacting mother?

By the time Louisa realizes that her feelings toward Mr. Brougham are more tender than she'd thought, Andrew has half the young ladies in London setting their caps at him and both he and Louisa are juggling separate courtships. Will the two of them be able to overcome their pride and the obstacles that stand between them to find their way to one another? 

So here's an outline of my Finding Home Regency romance series so far:
Prequel: Anything for You, My Lady (available for free here)
Book 1: A Stage for Harriet (available here and currently on sale for $0.99!)
Book 2: Green as Grass (scheduled to release in March 2022)
Book 3: Medicine for Mandie (written; currently with beta-readers)
Book 4: Fortune and Folly (Tentative title of this year's Nanowrimo project)
Book 5: The Captain's Governess (drafted; to be revised and submitted after book 4 is completed)

Have you ever been to England? I studied abroad there more 12 years ago now, and it was such an amazing experience. One of my literature classes there focused on the concept of a "pilgrimage"

Pilgrimage (n.): "any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage" 

Well, even at nineteen, I knew that I absolutely had to pay homage to Jane Austen, along with some of my other literary heroes. During the study abroad program, I also took the opportunity to visit sites from some of my favorite Jane Austen movies. I was able to visit Bath, which was Jane's home for some time, and run dramatically along the royal crescent, just as Anne did in the 2007 BBC Persuasion. 

There are too many experiences to list here (I really packed those three months with all the literary meaning I could muster!!), but I'll finish on this one: A walk through the English countryside . . . in the rain. I wanted to be impulsive and romantic like Marianne Dashwood, but alas--no Colonel Brandon came to rescue me on horseback. 

And I caught a cold. :( 
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I was a very silly young lady!

If you've visited good old England and have stories to tell, I'd love to hear about them in the comments below! Cheers, love! <3 

P.S. I do know that Colonel Brandon's rescue of Marianne was only in the movies, not the book, but it really should have been! It fits his character perfectly and lends the perfect drama, doesn't it? BTW, I loooove Sense and Sensibility. The 2008 BBC adaptation is the BEST! 

I used what I learned from last year's garden (my first garden ever!) and more than doubled my harvest. This year we had zucchini, sugar snap peas, cherry and beefsteak tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, spaghetti squash, broccoli, okra, onions, and potatoes. Whew! Not all of them have yielded magnificent crops, but I have learned many lessons that I will definitely be using in next year's garden. Here are some of my favorites: 

1. Weed suppression is your friend! I hate weeding and my gardening budget was MINISCULE. Solution: cardboard boxes. Save all those Amazon boxes, flatten them out, spread them across the ground, and top liberally with mulch, straw, grass clippings, and/or compost. Then cut holes in the cardboard where you plant your seeds/starters. That's it! It prevents (most) weeds from growing, the soil from eroding, and it keeps your glorious garden about 90% weed-free. :) If you don't have enough cardboard boxes, even newspaper works pretty well in a pinch! 

2. Tomatoes, beans, and all other plants need so much more support than you think they will! This year I repurposed a fallen tree and an old wooden ladder as plant supports and they *mostly* worked, but could have been much better. I collected lots of branches from the last big thunderstorm and I plan to get even more creative with all-natural plant supports next year. I'm already excited to try again. 

There is so much more joy in keeping plants alive and growing a garden than I ever would have guessed before starting. Are you going to have some crops fail? Of course. Are some of your house plants not going to make it? Sure. But there's nothing like having a bit of green around you during a long, dark winter to help you feel alive. Growing things is a magical feeling, has a much lower entry cost than most people think, and brings us to lesson 3:

3. JUST DO IT!! Be brave enough to try. Even if every single one of your seedlings fails (I have definitely had that happen! Ouch!) or if you kill your first potted plant within a month, it's always worth trying. 

How on earth does this relate to writing? 

In writing, as in gardening, the only seeds of yours that will grow are the ones that are planted. Writing can let you add vines, leaves, life, and branches to what may have begun as an errant thought, and someday your work may even bear fruit. Some projects die, of course, but the ones that don't make the entire process so very worthwhile. A cheesy thought, but it's true. So go out there and plant something new! 

Happy growing, my friends. :) Thank you for coming along with me on my journey. ​