I have finished the first draft of my latest WIP (“work in progress”, for those not familiar with the acronym): Guardian Angels. This farcical novella is a Pride & Prejudice Vagary that was inspired by the writings of Jane Austen, Terry Pratchett, and Donald Westlake. The story follows Darcy and Elizabeth and their respective guardian angels, Poindexter and Hortense, who are tasked with bringing about the marriage of ODC (“our dear couple”). Unfortunately, the angels are much more skilled at getting in the way of the otherwise burgeoning romance than they are at encouraging it.

Meanwhile, a village outside of Meryton, dubbed “Much Adieu,” has been turned into a parole depot for captured officers of the French army, overseen by a militia unit stationed near Meryton. The militia utilizes new recruit George Wickham’s skills by having him socialize with the French captives and report his findings. Of course, Darcy, Elizabeth and the angels become entangled in the intrigue, and the situation goes from bad to worse before arriving at their improbable HEA (“happily ever after”).

My inspirations for the main characters were:

• Poindexter (Darcy’s guardian angel) is inspired by Aziraphale from Good Omens, Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, and Felix Unger (as played by Tony Randall) from The Odd Couple.
• Hortense (Elizabeth’s guardian angel) is inspired by Louise from the movie Thelma and Louise and Endora from Bewitched.
• Ewart (Wickham’s guardian demon) is inspired by Crowley from Good Omens.
• Wickham is inspired by John Dortmunder, a recurring character in several novels by Donald Westlake. Dortmunder is a petty thief who has incredibly bad luck, but ends up thwarting bigger crimes without realizing it.

If I achieve my goal, the story will come across as funny, lighthearted, and ridiculous. I hope to release it in the autumn of 2024.