Behind the Quill: Series Update and Cover Reveal for TWB
- Erin H
- Jan 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 13
I have finally received my print copy of Refined and Returned Volume I in Korea, and it has given me the motivation that I've been lacking to get back on track with my writing.
I have updated the series page on Amazon and wish to share it here to let you all know what is in store for the future.
Since Arc Two has now been split into two arcs, there will be four in total. However, the newly minted Arc Three is meant to be available before Refined and Returned Volume II. This means that my progress on R&R is currently null. So I will have to put any updates and plans on hold for now.
However, don't worry. You will still get plenty of time with the Watson family is these prequel short stories, and I hope you will come to understand and love each of the characters for their own particular quirks.
Keep reading for information on each book and a preview of the expected covers.
The Watsons Beginnings
Series description:
Do you ever wonder about the lives that shaped Jane Austen’s characters before her stories began?
This is a companion series to Refined and Returned: A Completion of The Watsons by Jane Austen written in four arcs—each a standalone short story—following the members of the Watson family from the meeting of Mr and Mrs Watson in 1770 to the events of 1795 when Tom Musgrave moved to Stanton.
Arc One: Courtship & Marriage
Release Date: 1 November 2025
Set more than thirty years before the main story, this prequel arc explores the family histories, early connections, and the delicate dance of love in an age when marriage could mean safety or ruin.
In 1770, Mr Watson felt the stirrings of love in his heart for the first time. The widowed Mrs Beauclerk, née Willoughby, finds the clergyman's company most compelling, but the dark truth of her first marriage may get in the way of them finding their happily-ever-after.
Arc Two: Fortune & Family
Release Date: 5 May 2026 (now on pre-order)
By the birth of their sixth child, the Watsons begin to feel their lack of fortune. Luckily, they find solid patrons for their children's educations among their families. However, in the summer of 1787, Mr and Mrs Edward Turner of Shropshire—Mr. Watson’s youngest half-sister and her husband—visit the Watson family with a proposal. Being childless, they wish to take one of the Watson children to raise as their heir.
Will the sacrifice of one of their 'little blessings' be too much to bear?
Arc Three: Prospects & Changes
Release Date: TBA (aiming for 21 July 2026)
Mrs Watson now suffers both mentally and physically from her grief. However, in 1789, two years after Emma left them, a new offer arrives. The living of Stanton in Surrey will bring them a greater income and place them nearer to London’s doctors yet away from its noxious air. Mr. Watson hopes the move will protect his fragile wife and give his family a chance to start over. So they make their way south for a new beginning.
Arc Four: Love & Loss
Release Date: TBA (aiming for 2 Nov 2026 )
In 1793, Mr Watson bans his wife from visiting the ill parishioners and takes it upon himself in order to protect her health. However, the strength of spirit which attracted him to his wife becomes her downfall. Despite his precautions, her health worsens, leaving their children unaware of the misfortune soon to befall them.
How will their family handle the grief of another loss?
Arc Four: Sisters & Suitors
Release Date: TBA
In 1795, As the Watson family emerges from mourning, the eldest Watson sisters return to society. A meeting with their brother’s friend soon inspires Elizabeth to dream of matrimony, while the arrival of a handsome new neighbour stirs excitement among all the other young ladies of Stanton and Dorking. The sisters attend assemblies, dinner parties, and other gatherings, all while facing betrayal from within and without. Enduring the fleeting affections of the gentlemen they encounter, they unknowingly set the stage for the next phase of their lives.
Prequel Short Story Compilation (Arcs 1-4 Set)
Release Date: TBA
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