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The Stories of Scott D. Southard

  • In Jerry’s Corner
  • A Jane Austen Daydream
  • Permanent Spring Showers
  • Megan
  • Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare
  • The Dante 3
  • Me Stuff
  • Man Behind the Curtain
  • November 12, 2013

    “A definite read for all Jane Austen Fans!” Laura’s Little Book Blog reviews A Jane Austen Daydream

    A Jane Austen DaydreamToday A Jane  Austen Daydream was reviewed by the popular book site Laura’s Little Book Blog! Here is an excerpt from the review:

    I instantly took [to] this novel, it is written extremely well and it was almost like Jane Austen herself had written it; it was written so adeptly to the period and I instantly fell in love with Jane’s character.

    The author states from the beginning that this is a work of fiction and not a biography and I mean this in a nice way, but I instantly assumed it would be fictional and not biographical, although it would have been a very clever attempt by the author considering Jane Austen passed away nearly 200 years ago! So this is the authors imagining of what Jane Austen’s life would have been like and I easily could have  believed this really was what Jane Austen was like.

    An Illustration from AustenYou can read the rest of the review here.

    A Jane Austen Daydream can be purchased in print ($13.46) or as an eBook for the outrageously low price of $3.99 for Kindle. You can find it on Amazon here (http://amzn.com/B00CH3HQUU). I hope you will enjoy it as well.

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  • November 7, 2013

    “Touching… Entertaining… Unexpected…” The Historical Novel Society reviews A Jane Austen Daydream!

    Jane AustenThis week, my new novel A Jane Austen Daydream was reviewed in the recent issue of the Historical Novel Society! So very cool.

    Here is an excerpt:

    Novels are also little fun if predictable and in creating a story of Jane’s life, where the facts and incidents are already known, Scott Southard has managed to produce both an unexpected and unconventional story. A Jane Austen Daydream captures the warmth, laughter, folly, wisdom, and grief that must have been present in Jane’s family life and surroundings for her to have produced her novels. And in Southard’s novel dear Jane is given a much kinder end.

    You can read the entire positive review here.  A Jane Austen Daydream

    A Jane Austen Daydream can be purchased in print ($13.46) or as an eBook for the outrageously low price of $3.99 for Kindle. You can find it on Amazon here (http://amzn.com/B00CH3HQUU). I hope you will consider checking it out.

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  • November 3, 2013

    “Wonderfully Written” New review for A Jane Austen Daydream

    121610-brock-persuasionI just found this great new review of A Jane Austen Daydream on Cindy Wade’s blog The Writer BackBlogger.

    Here is an excerpt from it:

    At times I felt as though Scott knew something everyone else didn’t. As if he had been there personally and was sharing her life with his readers.

    I cannot remember when last a book evoked such strong emotions within. I laughed out loud and cried really hard and was shocked, excited, disgusted and sometimes perplexed.

    I couldn’t put this novel down until the charming end after which I sat down with a cup of tea and started my very own daydream.

    A Jane Austen DaydreamYou can read the rest of the review here.

    A Jane Austen Daydream can be purchased in print ($13.46) or as an eBook for the outrageously low price of $3.99 for Kindle.

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  • October 24, 2013

    New WKAR Book Review: Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane

    Current StateI’m back on the radio with a review of the new novel by Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. You can hear my review via the WKAR’s Current State website here:

    http://wkar.org/post/book-review-ocean-end-lane

    WKAR also has a new page for all of my book reviews, which you can find here. You can also learn more about my reviews via this page on my site.

    You can find Neil Gaiman’s new novel on Amazon (here) and at any bookstore. If you would rather read my book review than hear it, you can do so below . I hope you enjoy it.   (more…)

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  • September 15, 2013

    “I love, love, love this book!” New Reactions to A Jane Austen Daydream

    121610-brock-persuasionOne of my favorite things in the world is tracking the reaction to A Jane Austen Daydream. Seriously, it can turn around any day I am having. Recently, I discovered two fun reactions to my new novel.

    On her blog Tapestry of Words blogger Becky Shillington in her post “My Half-Full Glass and What I’ve Been Reading” mentioned A Jane Austen Daydream, saying:

    I love, love, love this book! Mr. Southard says up front that this is not a biography of Jane Austen, but is instead a projection of what he imagines her life to have been like. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his interpretation, and was gratified at the end of the book because I felt like Miss Austen finally had an opportunity to be the heroine of a story. It has always saddened me that she died at such a young age, but as Mr. Southard suggests, maybe there is more to her story than we know.

    You can read the rest of her post here.

    Also, I am honored that Lori Nelson Spielman, the popular author of the fun book The Life List (check it out here), wrote a review on Amazon!

    Scott Southard captures Jane Austen’s voice in this lovely, thought-provoking novel. Southard deftly weaves fact with fiction, giving readers a glimpse into what might have been for our beloved Jane. Fans of Austen will adore this book.A Jane Austen Daydream

    A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is published by Madison Street Publishing and can be purchased in print and as an eBook for only $3.99.  It is available for the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo.

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  • September 12, 2013

    “Utter shock” The Book Brothers review A Jane Austen Daydream!

    Jane AustenThere are reviews and then there are reviews by The Book Brothers. I had no idea that they got their hands on A Jane Austen Daydream, but they did and I got a catfish.

    A giant catfish, actually. (You have to read the review to see what I mean). And after a debate whether I am an actual guy (the verdict is yes, I am one), they get into the review. Here are some of my favorite lines:

    • “To my surprise (shock actually, utter shock) this guy pulled it off!”
    • “You would have to be a heartless murderer not to be taken back while reading the dialogue.”
    • “This is a must read for any fan of Jane Austen’s works.”

    A Jane Austen DaydreamYou can read the entire fun review (as well as see a classic video of The Police performing “So Lonely) by clicking here.  If you would like to learn more about A Jane Austen Daydream, you can do so on this page for the book (here). A Jane Austen Daydream is available via Amazon (here), where you can find it for the low price of $3.99 for eBook and $13.46 for print.

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  • September 10, 2013

    My Greatest Hits! Editing, Literary Agents, and New Writers

    JukeboxAs part of my introduction on Rebecca T. Dickson’s website for editing/writing services, some of my older writing posts are appearing up there weekly. These are my greatest hits, people!

    Currently, three can be found on her site, with more to come…

    • The Necessary Humbling of Editing. You can learn a lot about my editing philosophy in this post, as well as my experience working with editors. Oh, and there is a writing horror story as well in it.
    • What I learned from having a literary agent. This still is one of the most popular writing posts I have ever written. It’s good to know that my bad experience has helped so many…. Okay, I jest. There are some good lessons in it, and yes, I would still work with an agent again. To be honest, I hope to find one for my new book.
    • Welcome to the World of Writing: My Advice for New Writers. What would I have liked to have heard when I started down this thorny path of authoring? This is that post.

    If you would like to learn more about hiring me as an editor, you can do so via this page. Or you can contact Rebecca T. Dickson and ask for more information via her site, which you can visit by clicking the image below.

    Rebecca T. Dickson, Editor

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  • August 16, 2013

    “Go get it!” Julie Valerie’s Book Blog gives A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM 5-Stars! Review, Interview and Excerpt.

    A Sketch of JaneBook reviewer and book blogger extraordinaire Julie Valerie has just given a wonderful review for my novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM. I am really flattered by it (and a little overwhelmed). Here is an excerpt from the review about the book:

    A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM by Scott Southard, a fictionalized account of Jane’s life, is a book that should be placed on the shelf of every book-loving fan of Jane Austen because she’s absolutely “alive” on the pages of this book. She walks, talks, dreams. Her family (especially her older sister, Cassandra) moves about influencing Jane and the events around her. You’ll find a hauntingly accurate reading from a gypsy who predicts Jane will never die. (Through her words, I believe she is immortal.) And with Jane, you’ll explore love and explore deeper the age-old question: Did Jane ever find love in her own life?

    I also gave an interview for the site that you can read below the review. We talk not just about the writing of the book, but also about my blog and my other books. Here is an excerpt:

    Like the voice, I also had to walk a line between how “Austen” to go in it. Yes, the book can be considered a treasure hunt for the Austenities, but I also like to imagine that it is unique enough to be entertaining for those outside the Darcy fan clubs. At the heart of it, it is still my book, and I couldn’t help putting in fun post-modern twists and turns (including one very new literary surprise which I won’t ruin here).

    You can read the review, the interview and an excerpt from the novel on Julie’s website here. I hope you will check it out.

    A Jane Austen DaydreamIf you would like to learn more about A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, you can do so on this page for the book (https://sdsouthard.com/a-jane-austen-daydream/). A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via Amazon (http://amzn.com/0983671923) where you can find it for the low price of $3.99 for eBook and $13.46 for print.

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  • June 27, 2013

    New Interview on Clean Romance Reviews for A Jane Austen Daydream

    Jane AustenToday 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.

    A Jane Austen DaydreamMy 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 18, 2013

    The Others and the Extras: The Importance of Secondary Characters

    A Minor CharacterOh, the lament of the poor minor character!

    Pushed to the sidelines, knowing full well that they are not the focus of the story.

    Love is probably not in the cards for them. They are the ones injured in the line of duty or acting as living joke. Characters created merely to be a soundboard for the main characters, or something for the reader to compare the main character to in the universe of the story. A tool, nothing more.

    It would be a thankless life, I am sure, if they were real. Probably spent at the refreshment table, trying not to fall asleep as they wait for their big moment in the sun. And then the scene arrives, there are a few quick jokes, maybe a heart-to-heart and then they are back at the table, once again snacking on one too many cookies.  Waiting… always waiting.

    Everything about the secondary character revolves around the main character. An existence built solely around another’s experiences. Even if a secondary character dies, it is a moment for the main character to reflect upon their own life decisions… unless they are an evil secondary character than usually they are left on the floor somewhere, discarded, a bloody remain for someone else to find later (but we never read about or see that bit in movies or television).

    Yet, for me, the secondary characters are important; because like a missed plot point, an awkward description, or a writing oops, they have the power to rip me out of a story, leaving me on the sidelines of a tale just like them. (more…)

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