From Weshallc,
I don't usually do this but I find it frustrating on here how difficult it is to communicate with readers.
Thank you so much everyone who has read either all or some of this series. Anyone who has followed my serial fics before, will know that I usually rattle them out either daily or a couple of chapters a week.
I started writing the Crown in June and started posting in July. I honestly expected it to be fully published by August. The opening few chapters were there and the final ones in draft. All that was to fill in was the middle, which I wasn't quite sure of the length. When people kindly said they liked this AU concept, I thought I would use the middle to build Bernie and Paddy's characters and cement some of the other villagers.
Unfortunately my year didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped and I kept coming back to the Crown when I could. In some ways I am quite frustrated it took so long to post, but in other ways it's been a blessing as Paddy and Bernie have been both a comfort and an escape through a difficult 8 months. Thank you so much for your patience and sticking with the story, because in doing so you stuck by me.
I would like to say special thank yous to everyone who commented on here or on tumblr. I think Mushy, Snoop, Moonbeam, Beeb have commented on every chapter. Ginchy and Teacups have also and are now official Crown fangirls and gently built up my confidence when it was at rock bottom as did Snitch who became official Crown Readers spokesperson. When I needed someone who didn't know the whole story, to see if something in particular worked. And also a great writing buddy even though we spend more time searching for Alpaca based merchandise than encouraging each other to finish our fics. Thanks to Catalyn, Galaxy and Siobhanmannion who came late and read and fedback like demons.
There would be no Crown without Tangle, it was our go to place when we were both subjected to sleepless nights and stressful situations. I never expected it to become a fic at all and it wouldn't have without her input and encouragement.
There would be no Bernie without Wafer who kept her honest and was so instrumental in helping me understand why she would eventually chose Paddy.
I wanted to write a modern day AU where everything was taken away from the characters apart from their essence and the essence of the Turnadette love story. A young religious woman who struggles to come to terms with her feelings and what might be God's plan for her. I didn't want her to be goody-two shoes because I don't think Sr Bernadette/Shelagh is. She does have character flaws like we all do, but her faith does motivate her.
That is why I am over the moon that this fic has been accepted by readers, who I know themselves have a faith. That they could relate to Bernie's struggle means I succeeded in what I set out to do.
Thanks for all the feedback on here and tumblr and all the much appreciated quiet ones in the snug who don't say much but are always there.
Final thank you to Lovetheturners who has read every single chapter over the last nine months more than once and helped with the horrible formatting which I am rubbish at. Also giving valuable feedback, especially as my writing I have been told is very British. If this one non-Brit gets it, then that's fine with me, she is my benchmark so blame her (even though her writing is more British than mine now). As Snitch said she thinks most people read my fics with the google search tab open.
The Crown Stoppy Backs started as a means to keep writing when it was difficult and also as gifts for people. They are out of timeline and AU to the AU. Especially number 3 which was a special request (sorry if that confused anyone). I hope to do more as they pop into my head because I don't think I can let go of Poplar-on-Tweaven completely.
(A Stoppy Back is an after hours session btw.)
Thanks and Cheers until next opening time.