Mark Brownlow's Blog

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Charlotte Collins has a fresh mystery to solve in The Hunsford Curse.

Misfortunes strike Rosings, and one of Lady Catherine’s guests seems intent on exploiting the estate’s troubles. Which turns out to be bad news for Anne de Bourgh.

Someone needs to take matters in hand. And that someone is Charlotte Collins.

And, so, I invite you to walk the streets of Hunsford and the corridors of Rosings once more. Allow Sarah Littleworth to pour you a herbal...

One of my other jobs is reporting on local art exhibitions here in Vienna, and last year found me viewing an exhibition of drawings by Austrian artist, Paul Flora (1922-2009).

Flora’s works proved strangely captivating and must have made a lasting impression; a period of introspection led me to turn my hand to pen & ink drawing.

Aside: that thud you just heard was caused by my school art teacher’s lower jaw hitting the ground.

Anyway, part of the learning process has been to study drawi...

My reading habits seem to ebb and flow with the state of the news. The worse the latter, the less reading. So you can guess how much reading got done in 2022 and 2021 despite my best intentions.

Part of the problem might also be that great books can often intimidate a writer. (But also inspire, fortunately).

For example, nothing can seemingly compare to the world building in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s science fiction. His Children of Time series features civilisations of such creativity and plau...

Turning thoughts into words can be a frustrating experience, but writing’s not all torment, torn hair, and mountains of comfort food.

For me, a particular joy comes from creating scenes involving the intellectual giant, expert dancer, and balm to the souls of the Hunsford parish that is Mr William Collins. (Did you know he enjoys the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh?)

One reason for this secret pleasure is the fascinating nature that Jane Austen gave the chara...

One of life’s little jokes is I grew up in or near Jane Austen country, but left the area long before discovering her writing. The pandemic largely kept me away from returning to England and family, but we managed a trip over Easter and made the traditional pilgrimage to nearby Bath.

I always say a futile hello to the lady herself outside the Jane Austen Centre. Despite new grey hairs adding gravitas to my bearing, my stumbling chatter continues to fall on deaf ears. Clearly, the lady has...

As the year draws to an end, time to say a big thanks to everyone for their interest in my writing this year.

Port & Proposals recently passed its one-year book anniversary, so a special THANK YOU to all who have read, reviewed and/or talked about the book.

May 2022 bring you much joy and plenty of great reading to take you to delightful literary destinations.

My wife and I both love the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie, and (excellent) potatoes have become unusual tokens of marital affecti...

As the year draws to an end, time to say a big thanks to everyone for their interest in my writing this year.

Port & Proposals recently passed its one-year book anniversary, so a special THANK YOU to all who have read, reviewed and/or talked about the book.

May 2022 bring you much joy and plenty of great reading to take you to delightful literary destinations.

My wife and I both love the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie, and (excellent) potatoes have become unusual tokens of marital affecti...

My recent writing sessions had me wandering through Rosings Park once more (after cleaning my shoes thoroughly). Charlotte Collins finds herself embroiled in the woes of the Hunsford villagers again in a new mystery.

Or perhaps our heroine sees problems that aren’t really there?

We shall find out soon.

Anyway, typing THE END is not the actual end of the writing process. But the completion of a full draft at least felt worthy of a celebratory lunch before I begin final revisions:

As further evidence that I still have much to learn, I only found out today through a kind and informative Twitter comment that none of the original manuscripts of Jane Austen’s six novels survived. We have just two alternative Persuasion chapters written in her own hand.

The knowledge cast a shadow on my weekend, knowing we will never see such a literary treasure.

In my ignorance, I had always imagined that at least one manuscript might be found carefully stored in the archives of an aust...

When you write in a world built by another, you face various challenges. For example, you can never hope to match the genius of the original.

Although…one reader insists my writing is better than in Pride and Prejudice. I take the opinion with a pinch of salt because:

Anyway, listening to Kim Wilson talk on Love in the Shrubbery – Gardens in Jane Austen’s Life & Works last summer led me to take the Mignonette challenge. In a letter to her...