The Stories of Scott D. Southard

July 17, 2013

Five Things I Am Into Right Now, July 2013
I’m not going to write about Star Trek and Doctor Who.

No I am serious. I am not. Frankly, I have written enough about those two shows. And even though I am happily watching a Doctor Who episode each night with my wife (which I wrote about here) and rediscovering Star Trek from the 90’s (which I discussed in these two pieces- here and here). The fact is I have said enough.

A blog needs to move forward, I need to move forward…

But what the heck am I also into right now when I am not at the beach with the family, getting sun burned, or avoiding lawn work?

Think, Southard, think! (more…)
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July 11, 2013

“With a sharp knife.” Read an excerpt from the new A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
“I consider this novel one of the best not only in regency era literature, but also in mainstream fiction.” -NovelTravelist.com

Today I am happy to share an excerpt from my new novel A Jane Austen Daydream. A Jane Austen Daydream is a re-imagining of Miss Austen’s life as a work of fiction, influenced more by her own novels than what reality decided to give her, filled with love, rogues, heartache, adventures and a lot of wit… as well as a few new post-modern literary surprises.

Published by Madison Street Publishing, it can be purchased in print and as an eBook for only $3.99 via amazon here.

–

From Chapter III of A Jane Austen Daydream

“Cassandra,” Jane sighed, “you must take part in the play. I could never dream of opening the curtain without you by my side. Charles and I put your name on the poster; the posters alone would be ruined.”

“Please, do not tease me like that, Jane. I do not dare be seen in public right now. I am uncertain what it will do to my heart. Can you imagine all the attention that we will get because of this dance?” As if expecting a crowd of onlookers to appear over the horizon, Cassandra looked behind herself to make sure that they still had privacy on their walk.

No matter how exaggerated Cassandra’s concerns, she did have a point, and it was for this reason that the two sisters made a pact not to travel into town for a full week. So on this day, they were on a hike, making sure to walk away from Steventon rather than towards it.

Cassandra almost tripped and Jane caught her.

“You will not be on the stage, dear sister,” Jane said, helping her sister to stand up. “Lady Hampton will be on the stage. You will be in character and Hampton is a wonderful character, if I can compliment my own writing. If it makes you feel better, I will be dressed as a man for most of my appearances. I was to wear a mustache, but I promised it to Charles.” (more…)
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July 9, 2013

“Wonderfully Artistic” “Clever” New Book Reviews!
More reviews are sprouting up on Amazon for both A Jane Austen Daydream and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare, my two latest books.

A Jane Austen Daydream

This is one of those 5-star reviews an author can’t help but love. Bliss in just three sentences…

I didn’t really think I’d enjoy this book, perhaps thinking that no one could do justice to such a wonderful woman and insightful writer. However, I am pleased to say that I was wrong and that I enjoyed every word especially the twist at the end. How I’d love to think this was true.

A Jane Austen Daydream can be found on amazon.com here in both eBook and print.

Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare

If you want to be surprised by a new kind of book, this seems to be the work to check out.

There are numerous plot twists, especially as the story builds up to the climax. I did not see how the tale would end until it hit me in the face. The author writes a clever mystery novel, making good use of the gothic setting. The setting is haunting and the characters are endearing and likable, especially Bob Wordsworth and Maximilian Standforth.

Maximilian Standforth… is on sale for only $1.99 as an eBook and $10.99 in print on amazon.com here.
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July 9, 2013

Finding Jane’s Voice
We love to put our heroes on pedestals.

This is as true for writers and readers as it is for anyone else. Yet, in the world of literature it also feels more than the popular “don’t speak ill of the dead” rule we all follow at funerals. In literature, we seem to recreate authors as saints. For example, we think of Charles Dickens as the celebrator of Christmas and fighter against children labor and poverty… before we think of how awfully he treated his children and first wife.

You need all sides of a person, the good and the bad, to get any clear picture of the individual, and for hundreds of years now we have looked at Jane Austen through a hazy lens. There are many reasons for this and part of it is, frankly, we have no choice.

We all know the story of how her sister (Cassandra) destroyed letters and manuscripts upon her death (and what a loss that action was to all future biographers and fans), but the Austen clan was a family on the rise, concerned with its image. That is very obvious when you read the only biography from someone who actually knew Miss Jane Austen, her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh—a very carefully constructed memoir where image was at the forefront of James’ mind. In many ways, the book is more an insight into the Austen clan than into Jane and her amazing legacy and life experience.  Don’t speak ill of the dead? Indeed, and don’t let her make us look bad either while we are at it, it seems. (more…)
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July 5, 2013

“Genius or bonkers” Reviews and a sale (1.99) for Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare!
For a limited time, the eBook of my experimental mystery/thriller novel Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare is on sale! You can find it on amazon (here) for only $1.99!

So if you enjoyed my A Jane Austen Daydream recently and want to read more this holiday weekend or just want a new kind of book to read, why not check out this other new work?

Reviews are starting to come in for this fun and odd little novel. For example on amazon.com one reader wrote in a 5-star review titled “Couldn’t put it down”:

I really wasn’t sure what to expect since I’d never heard of Scott Southard, but I loaded it onto my Kindle and headed out the door to drive to my son to his orthodontist appointment. As you might imagine, normally I’d be excited when my son was done and we could go eat lunch, but this time I was disappointed. I was only about a third of the way through the book and didn’t want to put it down… a real page turner.

And there is this from a review on amazon.co.uk that begged the all-important question if the book is genius or bonkers:

I started this book expecting a Sherlock Holmes style mystery with a bit more humour and got so much more than I bargained for! Don’t be fooled by the first half of the book, it isn’t what you expect, and then it isn’t what you expect again! If you have read any Jasper Fforde, imagine him writing whilst tripping on acid.

You can find this surprising book on amazon.com here. (or on any Amazons on sale for that matter). If you want to learn more (or read an excerpt), please visit the page for the book on this site here.

I hope you have a nice weekend!
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July 3, 2013

Shock, Awe and a Call to Arms: A Writing Update
There are a few moments in my life I have been truly shocked.

Hearing my son cry for the first time (even though I was anticipating it) shocked me. Meeting my wife definitely turned my head. Getting into grad school at USC was a nice surprise… But this was a new one for me as an author.

This week Madison Street Publishing, the publisher of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, did a two-day free eBook promotion of that new book and… The numbers were extraordinary!

People from all over the world in just 48 hours jumped to grab my novel, bringing the total to… 7392.

7392!

Over 7000 people have found my book and may begin it; not all may finish it, of course, but the possibility is there. If these were sale numbers those two days could have dropped my book on lists I have only dreamed about approaching. (more…)
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July 1, 2013

Free eBook! The new book A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is free for a limited time!
This July 1st and 2nd, the publisher of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is sharing it as a free eBook on amazon!

“I consider this novel one of the best not only in regency era literature, but also in mainstream fiction.” -NovelTravelist.com

The free eBook (for a very limited time) can be found on amazon.com here (http://amzn.com/B00CH3HQUU), in England here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CH3HQUU), and in Canada here (http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00CH3HQUU).

“If asked to sum up this book in one word, I would have to choose “unpredictable”… you will, in the end, be rewarded by a quick paced novel unlike any you can ever have read, which injects new ideas and possibilities into the world of Jane Austen.” -The Jane Austen Centre

Pick up your free copy today! Here is the description of the work from the back cover:

All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

“…universally charming… a love letter to all of her novels… when we need a tale that makes us laugh and hope for love we read Austen. Now I will also read Southard. I hope you will too.” -AustenHill.com

And if you do take advantage of this very limited offer for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, please consider…
- Telling a friend
- Choosing it for your book club
- Writing a review or a blog post about it
- Suggesting it to your local library
- Tweeting about it, sharing it on Facebook, or recommending it on GoodReads
- Checking out my other new books, including the new MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE (Available on amazon in print and eBook- just 3.99).
I would love for more readers to find the work. I am very proud of it and I believe it has something new and surprising for everyone, even those not inclined towards Miss Austen.

“This is a must read for any Jane Austen fan. And it’s a perfect summer read for anyone.” -Definitely Not for the Birds.
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June 29, 2013

“…perfect summer read.” New book review for A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
The book review site Definitely Not for the Birds has just given a glowing review for my latest novel A Jane Austen Daydream! Here is an excerpt:

The tone of this novel goes hand in hand with the title – it is whimsical and lovely… much like what you’d expect from anything associated with a daydream.

There’s also wonderful passages that detail Jane Austen’s inspiration/dedication to her writing. These were my favorite parts. These parts also showcase the great respect that Southard has for Jane Austen and just for writers/the process of writing in general. It was wonderful.

This is a must read for any Jane Austen fan. And it’s a perfect summer read for anyone.

You can read the entire review here.

My new books A Jane Austen Daydream and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare are both available on amazon.com right now.

You can find them via my author page on amazon here, available in print and eBook (just $3.99).
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June 27, 2013

New Interview on Clean Romance Reviews for A Jane Austen Daydream
Today there is an interview with me up at Clean Romance Reviews for A Jane Austen Daydream. In it, I dive into my writing, Jane Austen, blogging and even Disneyland. (Yes, I said, Disneyland.) Here is a snippet from the interview, my answer to the question “What is your favorite genre to read?”

One advice I give writers a lot (and I hope this is not seen as a cop out), but I think writers should read as many genres as they can, explore all possibilities. See, it is my opinion that the groundbreaking works in any genre, the ones people remember the most, are the ones that break the mold. To see new possibilities like that, a person has got to have an open mind not just of what to read, but of life in general. I like to think I did something like that with A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, but time will tell.

You can read the entire interview here.

My new books A Jane Austen Daydream and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare are both available on amazon.com right now. You can find them via my author page on amazon here, available in print and eBook (just $3.99).

I hope you enjoy the interview.
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June 21, 2013

“Twisted” A new 5-star review for my book Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare
Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare has been out for over a week, and reviews are starting to come in from readers. Today, I received this 5-star review on Amazon and Good Reads from Author Jodi Woody:

My first taste of author Scott Southard was through his book “A Jane Austen Daydream”, which I loved, so I don’t know what I was really expecting from this book. Not at all like Jane Austen. This book proved to me the writing skill of Mr. Southard! I believe the man has quite the imagination, albeit a twisted one. Maximilian Standforth is a mystery in the likes of Sherlock Holmes, but with a case that, possibly, even he couldn’t solve. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and give it 5 stars.

You can also read this review via her writing website here.

Both of my new novels Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare and A Jane Austen Daydream can be found on Amazon in print and in eBook format for the same price of $3.99. You can find links to both via my author page on amazon here.

I hope you enjoy my books as well!
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