Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre, would never need to steal another author’s work. Right?

I’m no longer quite so sure.

A couple weeks ago, I had elbow surgery. The other night, I took a hydrocodone and read myself to sleep with a biography of Miss Bronte. The passage discussed how an author name Mrs. Gaskell, author of the Victorian classic, North and South, was such a fan of Charlotte’s that she wrote a biography .

I dozed …

… then awoke …

… aware that Charlotte envied the acerbic social commentary of North and South

and was going to claim the novel as her own.

If that isn’t bad enough, I semi-awoke to the knowledge that only I could save Mrs. Gaskell’s reputation — if I watched the movie made of her book on Netflix.

So I did.  At 3:00 AM.  I hope Mrs. Gaskell’s ghost appreciates what I did for her.

Okay, you can laugh at me now.

It isn’t Jane Eyre or even North and South, but my own Newborn is reduced to a mere $0.99 during April’s Sci Fi cross promotion. Next time you’re awake at 3:00 AM, give it a try.

p. s. — No more hydrocodone for me!