The writings and ramblings of Colette Saucier

Good morning, my dear readers!    I admit, I have been a bad blogger as of late.  Last year I received one of those "Very Inspiring Blogger" awards. Now I should get a "Very Terrible Blogger" Raspberry. Fans of my Facebook Page follow the daily drama that is my life - although my mother-in-law says I primarily bitch about my day job and talk about drinking wine (I told her the two are not unrelated!). I even got my blog date for Austen Aut hors confused and had to  post something late and fast. I was dreadfully disappointed, too, because I thought my date was December 7th, and I was going to blog about the death of John Lennon on December 8th, 1980; but I suppose that has nothing to do with Jane Austen anyway! (I bet I could have found some sort of tie in...) Through it all, one Austen Variations Author , who I cannot believe to this day even knows I exist, has been amazingly gracious. Words cannot express how thrilled I am to host the gorgeous and talented K...

Good morning, dear readers!   My friend and fellow Austen Author ,  Susan Adriani , and I have been trying to get together for Coffee for weeks, but it has just been one thing after another for both of us that kept getting in the way of our sitting down for a nice chat over a nice hot cup of my New Orleans blend with chicory - or even something from the blender, like a margarita!  With me, I have had to deal with moving, and I never, ever, ever, ever, ever want to go through this again. Ever.  I told my husband we would just have to live the rest of our lives here, which shouldn't be too difficult since this move may very well kill me this week! Plus if you thought I exaggerated about the soul-sucking nature of my day job:  My boss just quit! She said SHE just couldn't take it any more because it had just gotten so bad since {the Taliban} took over the company! I am happy for her but sad - and jealous! - for myself. And who else will accept my eccentricit...

Good morning, dear readers!   I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am to have another of my fellow Austen Author   joining me for Coffee - the brilliant and amazing Monica Fairview!   Ever since I heard she was working on a steampunk adaptation of Pride and Prejudice , I have been chomping at the bit waiting for her to finish it! (On my own "to do" list is a steampunk/shapeshifter version of Wuthering Heights , but it will be a complete parody - I mean, don't you think Heathcliff deserves to be parodized?) Now Steampunk Darcy is finally here! With such an imaginative variation, I know it will jump (or float by airship) to the top of your TBR list! PLUS she is ready to tackle any of your questions. So set your clocks back, tighten your corsets, put on your goggles, and get ready for a ride..... ~Colette Mr. Darcy – as a Type            First let me tell you – I’m really thrilled to be visiting Colette on her blog for ...

Good morning, dear readers!   Today I am so excited to have another of my fellow Austen Author coming back to join me for Coffee - the beautiful and talented Sharon Lathan!  She has an extra-special post for you today, all about birthdays (and I'm always up for cake), but she has a PRESENT for us! We get a sneak peek at her current work in progress with an exciting excerpt! She might not like my New Orleans coffee with chicory, but her stories are a special blend sure to please! ~Colette          Birthday Wishes with Sharon Lathan Lathan Espresso Bar How fun to be here with my Austen Author pal Colette! I have been extremely busy these past couple of months, so sitting down to share a cup of coffee with Colette and her readers is a most pleasant vision. I have to say, however, that I am a major coffee-snob. It isn’t my fault! Just take a look at the espresso bar in my house. My barista husband has spoiled me! Please don...

Good morning, dear readers!   I am thrilled to have fellow Austen Author   Susan Mason-Milks joining me for Coffee this morning (although she prefers a spot of tea). Susan holds a certain personal distinction for me. After I became addicted to Pride and Prejudice variations (you read my "confession" here later) my husband had enough of the stacks upon stack of books I continued to accumulate at a rapid rate and finally said, "No more!", Susan's "what if" novel Mr. Darcy's Proposal is the first P&P variation I downloaded on my Kindle! If you haven't gotten it yet, what are you waiting for?  Now she is here to tell us about her upcoming novel Please, Mr. Darcy - and I am already trying to sweet-talk her into giving me an ARC of i t! (For those not in the industry, ARC means....uh, well...a book before it has even come out.) She has an excerpt to tease us with her work in progress. I know, all of you who keep asking me about Dearest ...

Good morning, dear readers!   Before I begin: How 'bout those Saints? 5 & 0! OK, now that that (Geaux Saints!) is out of the way... I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am that fellow Austen Author   and USA Today Bestselling Author Marilyn Brant has returned to Coffee with Colette to introduce you to her exciting new mystery novel, "literally" hot off the press since it was just released last week! Marilyn joined me for coffee in January to tell us about Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match .   That was before she hit the big time with a USA Today Bestseller! (I am hoping some of her fame will rub off on me...) Today she is jumping genres! As my regular readers know - much to my agent's chagrin - I love to jump genres myself, so I am thrilled to introduce you to her new "coming of age" romantic mystery, The Road to You.  (By "coming of age," I assume she means hitting out forties - ha!) Plus we have a Q&A and an Excerpt! You...

Good morning, dear readers!   Normally I would say how honoured I am to have a fellow Austen Author   join me for coffee - or perhaps in this case I should say tea! And better make mine green because I am so envious of my guest this morning since she is at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England, and I'm lucky if I get a chance to take a bath! I am teasing, of course. Not about my baths, but I truly am honoured that Jane Odiwe is here to share her experiences with us.  PLUS she has a new novel - Project Darcy - coming out soon! That will at least help salve the sting.  Someday I know I will return to the U.K. - I hope sooner rather than later - and perhaps surprise Jane by appearing on her doorstep! (I mean, if she is going to have the audacity to live in England, what does she expect?) In the meantime, I will get a cup of tea and some sticky toffee pudding and enjoy the festival vicariously. ~Colette Thank you so much, Colette, for inviting me to your ...

Good morning, dear readers!    I am honoured that fellow Austen Author Sally Smith O'Rourke has returned to join me for coffee today (I think maybe it's because my New Orleans coffee has chicory in it). You might recall that she stopped by Coffee with Colette a few months ago to tell us about her Pride and Prejudice- inspired time-traveling tale, Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen .  Today she has quite a different story to tell - about sisters and a special connection she feels to the Misses Austen. This is a rare and special post indeed! ~Colette Cassandra Austen was with her beloved sister to the end. Jane died cradled in her sister’s embrace. “I was able to close her eyes myself and it was a great gratification to me to render her these last services,” Cassandra wrote her niece, Fanny. Leslyn It isn’t possible for me to read Cassandra’s words and not think of the loss of my own sister. Unlike Cass I was not with Leslyn at the end. While I used pressing wo...

Good morning, dear readers!   I am absolutely delighted to have joining me for coffee this week a fellow Austen Author , the amazing and talented Sally Smith O'Rourke! She has created a new re-imagining inspired by Pride and Prejudice that I cannot wait to tell you about! Am I aging myself too much to say that one of my favourite movies was Somewhere in Time ? Now Sally has put a time travel twist on Jane Austen's classic characters that I think is worthy of a Hollywood adaptation, and after you hear what she has to say, I think you'll agree! ~Colette PS:  Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is NOW AVAILABLE IN AUDIOBOOK! If you LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW , you will be entered to WIN A FREE AUDIOBOOK of this amazing novel! Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why! His tale of love and romance i...

FINALLY it's Friday! I don't know about you, but I didn't think this week would ever end! Now I think I am caught up on all of my guest blog commitments except for an interview or two, so I may actually be able to get back to my current work in progress, another romantic suspense thriller The Widow . Of course, all of this is assuming that my laptop doesn't decide to crash on me as it has TWICE in the last three months, so I will smudge it with sage and ask everyone to send it positive thoughts and good juju. Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, allow me to tell you what I have for you today: On Austen Authors , I have an Exquisite Excerpt from Pulse and Prejudice - at least I hope you will think it is exquisite! This is one of my favourite scenes because I incorporated an actual historical event - The Grand Jubilee - into Darcy's story. Check it out here . Also, for any authors out there or anyone interested in the writing process, I...

Greetings, everyone!  I survived my trip to New York City to launch my new release Alicia's Possession (PLUS meet with my new agent!), and as many times as my flight home was delayed, I began to think I would be staying there until my next release! I came home to find out that Alicia's Possession is already the #2 Bestselling Romantic Suspense for Secret Cravings Publishing !  If you want to help it make it to #1, you can get it from their store here in ANY eBook format! (Of course, it is also available almost everywhere eBooks are sold; just click here.) In current events:  First of all, I have a Guest Post on Austen Authors today called I've Been Pinned about the Information Age and how it has affected communication - for better or for worse! I hope you will stop by and let me know what you think the rapid and radical changes. The Winner of the Alicia's Possession Release Party Giveaway as selected by Random.org is Cherie Lord!   If you did...

Good morning, dear readers! This week, fellow Austen Author , the beautiful and talented Sharon Lathan , has dropped by for Coffee with Colette . Sharon is the author of so many wonderful and popular Austen-inspired novels, she's going to tell you why her latest release - The Passions of Dr. Darcy - is her favourite! After you read it, maybe it will be yours, too. I was hooked the moment I heard the title, and anyone who knows me - or at least my tattoos! - is familiar with my fascination with India. You won't want to miss the thrilling adventure Sharon has in store for us!   ~Colette Top Ten Reasons Why The Passions of Dr. Darcy is Sharon’s Favorite Authors are proud of every book they write (usually), and I can emphatically state that I am immensely pleased with my previous seven publications. I strongly believe I have done Jane Austen proud with my continuation to Pride and Prejudice . Therefore, it isn’t a negative reflection upon The Darcy Saga when I...

Last week, the incredible Marilyn Brant (who joined me for coffee a few weeks ago to tell us about her new release, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match ) asked all of her fellow Austen Authors how they were first introduced to the works of Jane Austen for a feature she was doing on Magical Musings . If you are an Austen lover like the rest of us, how were you first introduced? Which of her novels first resonated with you? Did you first come across her in a film adaptation or the famous Colin Firth BBC production of Pride and Prejudice ? Or maybe you came across her in a round about way through modern adaptations like Clueless or Bridget Jones's Diary ? Here is what I told Marilyn about my introduction to Austen: “The oldest, meanest nun who ever lived introduced me to Austen. Unlike the other sisters at the school post-Vatican II, she still wore the traditional habit with a veil and wimple framing her shriveled face – like an old potato forgotten in the pantry. O...

Good morning!  My guest this week for Coffee with Colette is fellow Austen Author Regina Jeffers. She is one of the most popular and prolific authors of Pride and Prejudice variations I have ever met (and this JAFF fanatic is thrilled to say that I have had the pleasure of meeting her in the flesh!).  I must admit, the title of her new release - The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy - has had me worried, but she has certainly piqued my curiosity! Another one for the top of the TBR list! ~Colette I admit it! I am a historical junkie. In college, I was that girl sitting on the floor of the research area, surrounded by open books and making notes. Sometimes the information was for whatever research paper I had due. Sometimes I was on a self-imposed scavenger hunt. I would spend hours searching for nuggets of information. In those days, we went to the shelves for books. Now, with the Internet, the search is quicker, but not necessarily as accurate. I recall as a reade...

(Originally written last month for Austen Authors ; republished now in honour of Valentine's Day.)   "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." These words first published 200 years ago - and just before St. Valentine's Day - perfectly express a theme found not only in literature but in our lives as well. The heart wants what the heart wants, despite any reasoning against it. Two central motifs dominate Pride and Prejudice : love and money. For some characters, the two go hand in hand, as with Mrs. Bennet's hope that a young man of large fortune "will fall in love with one of" her daughters. Even she is not so callous as to hope for marriage without love; and once Mr. Darcy has insulted the least favourite of her children, his ten thousand a year loses its luster. The association of the human heart to love and, indeed, all passions goes back...

Much ado is being made about the acquisition by Random House and Focus Features for Longbourn , a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice from the servants' point of view, à la Downton Abbey . All I can say is, Bloody hell!  I wrote such a scene for Austen Authors as part of our P&P200 celebrations, and more than a dozen people told me I should expand it into a full novel. Now someone beat me to it - PLUS they are making it into a movie! (Novel, indeed! Hundreds of readers have said Pulse and Prejudice should be on the big screen, and this comes along and makes it look so easy!) Because that other novel has yet to be published, today I present the scene I wrote. If nothing else, perhaps it will whet your appetite for is yet to come... M rs. Hill rushed up the path from Meryton to Longbourn, anxious to bring Cook the ducks and spices required for the elaborate dinner Mrs. Bennet had planned for Mr. Bingley that afternoon. If only Mrs. Phillips had not detained her, b...

Check out this New Release from fellow Austen Variations Author , the lovely and talented Marilyn Brant!   I love just about any Austen-inspired romance, and anyone who has read All My Tomorrows knows I am a sucker for a modern twist on Pride & Prejudice. I couldn't resist Marilyn's newest release.  I am already 62% into it, and I might have to stay up all night to finish!  You'll want to add it to the top of your TBR list, too!    ~ Colette An original, contemporary Austen-inspired romance... A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It’s a tribute to the power of both “pride” and “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart… Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy? Beth Ann Bennet isn’t look...