Greetings, readers! I am so very happy to welcome the lovely Joy King to Austenesque Reviews
today! Joy, who writes as J Dawn King and Christie Capps, is always coming up with something new and exciting for us all to enjoy. She said she has a surprise up her sleeve and I can’t wait to discover what it is. 🤗
Thank you for coming, Joy. I will turn it over to you for the big reveal.
I sincerely appreciate your hospitality, Meredith.
I’m so excited!
Would you like to virtually visit Jane Austen’s world to read or write? If so, please watch the following video narrated by Stevie Zimmerman, Audiobook Producer.
~ Welcome Video ~
Writing sprints are a focused period that can move a reading or writing project forward. They have been an important part of my writing process. I started years ago with Nicole Clarkston and best-selling author, Marion Kummerow. We timed ourselves and wrote as quickly as we were able. Last month I attended my first ever Virtual Writers Retreat with other authors. The host was Sarra Cannon of Heart Breathings Writing Community. I wrote 12,090 words on my latest story in that weekend alone. What a win!
Each retreat has a brief welcome by your host followed by two 20-minute sprints broken up by a five-minute break. At the end, your host will commend you for your fine progress. The script and host for each video is different. The artwork is individual to the location. Are you curious yet?
The YouTube links for the first three locations: Pemberley, Netherfield Park, and Longbourn are below. You are welcome to visit as many times as you would like at any time of day or night. There is no cost, and you can eat as many virtual treats as you would like with no fear of gaining weight since they are all calorie free.
I had two goals for having these videos created. First, I knew they would encourage me to focus more on getting many words down on paper. Second, I hoped it would do the same for other authors which would increase the frequency of their releases. What a win for every reader!
Both Stevie Zimmerman and Harry Frost were amazing to work with on these retreats. Sprint retreats for Pemberley Woods (two 25-minute sprints), Pemberley Brook (one 10-minute sprint), and Kellynch Hall (two 25-minute sprints) are in the final stages of production. We also plan to do a series of 15-minute sprints as soon as my husband and I can settle on a location.
Please enjoy the retreats. Happy Reading! Happy Writing!
~ Pemberley Retreat ~
~ Netherfield Park Retreat ~
~ Longbourn Retreat ~
This is so fantastic! I love these elegant videos you created! The narration and aesthetics are magnificent! I sincerely hope you are successful with all your goals so us readers can reap all the benefits! 💕📚
~ GIVEAWAY TIME ~
Not only is Joy sharing the gift of these virtual retreats, but she has also brought along 2️⃣ $25 Amazon gift cards for me to give to 2️⃣ lucky winners!
To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Joy’s Virtual Reader/Writer Retreats!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Joy!
- This giveaway ends February 28th!
What a fun idea!! So creative!
Thank you very much, Annie. Enjoy!
Thank you, Meredith! Pemberley Woods, Pemberley Brook, and Kellynch Hall are now complete. They will be on YouTube either Thursday or Friday of thIs week. This is so exciting!
Oops! They went up early. These sprint retreats have sound during the sprints. Pemberley Woods has guitar music, Pemberley Brook has the running river, and Kellynch Hall’s background is the ocean. I LOVE these!
I am no writer, so I will not be sprinting. But they look quite inspiring for those who do write!
So Joy, it’s time for my annual request. What’s up with “Finding Their Way”?
Good morning, Ginna. Feel free to read during the sprints. Unfortunately, my current project is not Mr. Bingley’s story. Some day, I hope! Sigh!
I’ll keep waiting.
Love your loyalty, Ginna.
I have read and enjoyed all of Joy’s stories. I have not yet watched any of the above YouTube offerings but am sure I check them out off and on. Thanks for you generous giveaway. Have a lovely day and good luck with all your creations.
Not a writer myself but I do understand the purpose of those “sprints”.
Please don’t forget that I’ve seen a sample of you “not” being a writer. Hah! Enjoy these, Sheila.
You are kindness itself, Sheila. Thank you for stopping by to comment. These are for readers too and we know you find exquisite enjoyment in books.
I am so excited to see these video’s. Thank you for the visual.
I hope you enjoy them, Maria. This was a fun project to do.
This. Is. Brilliant! Not only the idea of thecretrests which I woukd love to attend, but the welcome video is ….I have no words! It’s wonderfully funny and beautifully done. Happy reading and happy writing indeed!
* not only the idea of the retreats, which I would love to…* sorry, couldn’t edit my comment and it rubs me the wrong way to see it like that.
No worries! I misspelled my own name on my blog post and didn’t catch it. Someone else pointed it out that it’s “Joy” not “Jou”.
Ha! Thanks for that! I don’t use autocorrect so uf I submit without checking before, all sorts of nonsense shows up.
By the way, I have loved the few books of yours that I’ve read and will be getting more, for sure!
That’s so kind of you to say, Laura. There’s a bunch to choose from.
I thank you, Laura. We had a wonderful creative team. Please enjoy!
I have loved watching your excitement when you posted your sprint totals this past weekend! I am excited to read your new books!
Thank you, Tiffany. In two weekends of sprinting I wrote 22,229 words. That’s amazing for me. I’m not fast.
Not a writer, but I can see how these may help inspire—and what can be better than the wonderful voices of Stevie and Harry!
Marie, Mr. Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth in part because she was a reader. He would love to have you at Pemberley, I am sure.
I love seeing some of the ways my favorite authors produce their magic! Thank you for the giveaway.
You are welcome, Robin. Best wishes!
Such a wonderful idea! I am not a writer but I will love to watching it for my own enjoyment. Thank you for sharing!
You are quite welcome, Katherine. Enjoy!
Being a writer and using these must be amazing, but I’m only a reader myself. I’m really looking forward to your new book Joy. Your work, as your name hints at, always brings me a lots of joy/happiness !
What a lovely comment, Charlotte. I will tell my mother you said so since she chose my name. Feel free to read during the sprints. Three of them are completely silent. Pemberley woods has soft music and birds, Pemberley Brook has the river, and Kellynch Hall is filled with ocean waves.
These are adorable! Such a clever idea. Thank you for sharing!!
I’m grateful you like these. Thank you!
What fun! How has no one thought of this before? Well done!
Thanks, Pam. I’m not sure why no one has done these sprints. If you search YouTube you can find the music from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice along with pictures from the movie. I couldn’t use any of this because I needed the licensing to be in order.
What an amazing beautiful idea and so well produced!! I would support anything that helps our wonderful authors produce more lovely Jane Austenesque stories!!! <3
How kind of you to say so. Thank you, Sam.
Lovely idea for writers. Have not viewed the videos, but intend to when I am finished writing my comment. Thank you for the generous giveaway.
Mary, please feel free to read during the allotted time. You don’t need to write. Best wishes to you!
I have always appreciated how the JAFF writers support each other. I enjoyed the videos. Stevie Zimmerman is my favorite for audiobooks. Thank you for the generous giveaway.
It’s a great community, Eva. I adore Stevie. This was my first time working with Harry Frost. He is wonderful. If I ever write a Darcy point of view story I will have no one but Harry narrate the book.
What a contribution to the JAFF universe
Thank you so much, Joyheart. I love your name, by the way.
Joy I watched the first welcome video and Pemberley woods. Amazing I love what you did and the voices you chose. Thanks so much for your generous offer and I hope you’re writing is going well. Best wishes to you and thanks to Meredith for hosting.
This makes me so happy, Jen. Thank you so much. Happy writing to you too.
Sound really fun!
I do hope you like it, Elodie. Best wishes to you!
Anything that spurs my favorite writers to write more is a good thing!!!
It is an amazingly good thing, isn’t it? Thank you for your comment, Cassandra.
Sara Cannon is amazing! I’ve followed her progress as an indie author since she published her first book. I’m glad her community was a help for you!
These videos are fabulous! Thanks!
Sarra has been a real cheerleader for other authors. She’s amazing! Thank you, Leah. I think you are a ROCKSTAR!!!
Great idea! I can’t write anything original to save my life but the idea is genius!
You are sweet to say so. Thank you so much and all the best to you!
This is an absolutely brilliant idea! What an inspiration for writers and readers alike.
Thank you for your kind words, Katie. Please enjoy them.
I like this idea! I am not a writer, but maybe I can check it out as a reader… 🙂
Please do. This is a gift from my husband and me to readers and writers alike.
The Longbourne scones made my mouth water. Put away my quill pen and headed for the kitchen to bake. When I write, the pressure of a timer counting down would not inspire me. But I absolutely loved Mr. Bennet’s voice and the soothing music. Great idea!
Haha! I thoroughly enjoyed writing those parts. I love cream scones when they are fresh from the oven. Yummy! Thank you so much. Longbourn is my personal favorite of all the videos. Well, so is Pemberley Woods, and Kellynch Hall, and…well, I think I must like them all.
So brilliant!!! Thank you, Joy!!
You are most welcome, Susanne. Enjoy!
What a fun idea and hopefully inspirational for all the wonderful writers that we enjoy reading their work. Thank you Joy for all your stories that you have continued to share with us!!
They were very fun to write and have produced, Glory. You are kind. Best wishes!
Loving all this thank you.
I’m so glad. Thank you for letting me know, Mary. That means a bunch to me.
This is a fabulous idea! I tend to listen to classical music when working on my JAFF stories, but I will definitely have to try these!
Classical music works for me too. However, sometimes I need a little something different. Please try these as often as you can. They are to be used over and over.
Hi, thanks for these wonderful gifts, Joy!
You are welcome, Ruth. Please enjoy!
What a wonderful idea for writers.
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I liked the idea too. In two weekends of sprinting I’ve written 22,229 words on my latest story. That’s amazing for me. If this works, then I’m thrilled. Thanks!
What a fabulous and elegant idea, Joy! Stevie and Harry are amazing as usual! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is so kind of you to say, Kelly. They were unbelievably quick to jump in and get their narration done. I can’t wait to work with both of them again. Best wishes to you!
Such a wonderful idea. Thanks so much for sharing with us!
I’m thrilled that you like this. Thank you for for your comment. Best wishes to you!
As a JASNA member and regional coordinator, I will be sharing these with our members. We have several who are writers as well. Thank you for sharing.
I would love that so much, Nancy. I am humbled!!!
I listened to the introduction of each one, they are lovely and well done! I was wondering how there would be any peace at Longbourn, well done indeed! Thank you for sharing.
I wondered the same, Kim. I do not think of peace and tranquility when I think of Longbourn. Didn’t Harry Frost do a magnificent job with Mr. Bennet’s character? This is the sprint I use over and over rather than Pemberley or Netherfield Park. Although, the music in Pemberley Woods soothes me and inspires me. Thank you for your comment.
What an excellent opportunity. I can’t wait to check out the videos.
Thank you, Colleen. I do hope you find a location that fits your circumstances and your mood. You are welcome at any time.
Stellar idea to Joy! I get a bit hung up and daunted at times with my own amateur writing efforts, but I love these prompts. Makes me itch to get going. Appreciate the share about them.
Your comment is music to my ears. That itch was exactly what I was aiming for when we decided to make these public. They are inspiring. Thank you, Sophia Rose. Happy writing!
What a fabulous idea! Maybe do a retreat while sailing with Captain Wentworth on the open sea? Or relaxing in the orchards at Delaford with Colonel Brandon?
Since my husband was a sea captain for over 20 years, the idea of a retreat on the ocean is great. However, from experience I’ve learned that the motion of the sea rocks me to sleep. I would intend to write and end up taking a nap. Oh…Delaford. What an amazing idea. An orchard? Since we are surrounded by fruit trees that will be blooming in about a month, this is a real possibility. Thank you for your creative suggestions. Truly, thank you!
Thanks for this great information I love your
You are very welcome, Nicole. How kind! Enjoy!
I love this! It is no wonder that your works are such a pleasure to read, and to get more of them? Yes! But this is such a kindness – I shall enjoy the traipse through Netherfield as I continue the first draft for that which “The Plan” interrupted…I am looking forward o it~
And I am looking forward to whatever story your writing produces, Kimbelle. (I adore your name) I do hope you find these retreats as motivating as I do. Happy typing!
How very kind of you to share these videos with other writers and readers. I am not a writer, but am always interested in what inspires authors, especially those I respect. J Dawn King is a “must read” for me as well as Christie Capps. “A Father’s Sins” is one of my all-time favorite books. Keep writing you have an amazing talent.
Your comment made me cry—happy tears. Thank you. “A Father’s Sins” will always be special to me since it was my first published variation. Please enjoy the locations where you can sit back and read of Jane Austen’s characters.
I’m absolutely, definitely not a writer but I am an avid reader and love your books, whichever name you write under. I look forward to watching these videos anyway as soon as I have time, but please don’t add me to the giveaway as I shop on U.K. so can’t spend dollars!
Thank you for your comment, Glynis. Do not worry, I have an Amazon UK account where I can purchase a gift card if you are drawn. Best wishes!
This is amazing! I love the idea of videos! Thanks for giving us a glimpse behind the curtain.
I’m very pleased that you like this idea. Thank you for your comment, Jeanna.
I do not currently write JAFF novels, although I do sometimes find myself engaged in writing Austenesque poetry. I think this would inspire me to find new directions in that type of writing (as well as reading). I would love to see a future room inspired by the navy (think Portsmouth or HMS Laconia). Thank you so much for posting those videos, as I cannot wait for utilizing them.
Jen, I love your idea of a port or an old sailing ship. We could do nautical songs for the background. I’ll need to think about this. We have tall ships several hundred miles north of us that might allow me to film. I’ve been careful with licensing every aspect of these videos. I will certainly check. Please keep reading and writing. Poetry is a craft.
This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome, Cyndy. Thank you for stopping by.
I hope wonderful writings emerge from the sprints!
I do too, Lois. I sprinted yesterday at Pemberley Woods and Kellynch Hall which upped my word count by almost 3,000 words. I only hope this works for others as much as it does for me.
I just love this idea! I LOVE it. I watched a snippit of each video above and they are just delightful. I have an idea for a story that will never see the light of day but these videos really are an inspiration.
I hope you Muse is treating you right and these sprints will be great encouragement to you and other writers too. Wow, how could you go wrong with Stevie Zimmerman and Harry Frost?
Thank you for the generous giveaway. And whenever I can I like to thank you and all the JAFF writers who make their books available on KU. I nearly always end up purchasing when I can but to be able to read books as many as I would, it’s a Godsend.
P.S. I’m so blessed to hear your Mother is still with you and I hope going strong! She’s my heroine. <3
Great big HUGS, Michelle. I understand how you feel about putting your story out there. I felt the same. However, after mustering up boldness, well, you know how it’s ended up for me. Writing is a career I love that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Happy reading and happy writing. (Thank you for your words about my Mom. She’s a hoot!)
So generous. You offer us such delightful reading experiences. Thank you.
Betty Madden
You are so kind, Betty. Thank you and best wishes.
I love the idea and locations. Thanks for sharing
Our pleasure, Kate. This has been a labor of love for us. We had to share.
I needed this!! What an excellent idea!! Thank you.
I am so glad, Laurie. Thank you!
I have watched the videos and I think authors benefit more from this virtual retreat rather than readers. Nevertheless I commend you on starting an excellent project, Joy. Hope it encourages you to write and that your next book will be released soon.
Thank you so much for your insightful comment. A professor of music emailed me that she is going to recommend them for her students to use for their practice time. That never occurred to me. This has been exciting.