MARIA GRACE, UNEXPECTED GIFTS BLOG TOUR

 

Maria Grace is back with a lovely holiday story, Unexepcted Gifts. We are all invited to join the Darcys and celebrate the Yuletide with them. Let's spend the most romantic time of the year with the most romantic couple of all time!  Read Maria Grace's guest post introducing the excerpt she has  graciously granted us and discover more on the entire series! 

Thank you, Maria Grazia for hosting me at My Jane Austen Book Club.  I love to write holiday stories. In the past, I’ve done holiday romances—I mean who doesn’t love a feel-good holiday romance, right? But somehow that didn’t feel quite right this year.

With all this this year has brought, I wanted to write about some of the other relationships that come to the fore during the holiday, friends and family—particularly difficult ones. The holidays just seem to bring out all those rough edges and leave us at risk for rubbing each other the wrong way. They also offer us a great opportunity for making things right between us and them. That seemed to be a very appropriate place to dwell this year.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY UNDONE BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

 

What would Pride & Prejudice be like if Darcy and Elizabeth had a touch of magic in their lives?

 

Deleted Scene

 

This deleted scene starts with the familiar portion of the story where Caroline Bingley, desperate for Mr. Darcy’s attention, demands that Elizabeth walk about the room with her at Netherfield Park.

The stark contrast between the two became glaringly apparent the previous evening when he’d ignored Miss Bingley completely and read a book. With an abruptness, which startled everyone, she insisted Elizabeth parade about the room with her. In some small-minded way, she knew the only way his eyes would follow her was if Elizabeth remained tethered to her side. And they had. He’d unconsciously closed his book and watched them, appreciating how Elizabeth’s gown moved over her body, following every luscious line, caressing her skin like a lover. Upon noticing his attention, Miss Bingley immediately invited him to join them. Not trusting himself to stand so near his beloved, he’d politely declined and when Richard, the imp, interrupted his thoughts with a bawdy remark, he almost blurted out his affection but covered by saying the ladies had only but two motives for choosing to walk about and his joining them would only interfere.

GENTLEMAN JIM BLOG TOUR, A TALE OF ROMANCE AND REVENGE

The virtual blog tour of GENTLEMAN JIM; A TALE OF ROMANCE AND REVENGE, Mimi Matthews’s highly acclaimed new historical romance novel, started on November 9 and will go on through December 6, 2020. Forty-five popular blogs specializing in historical fiction, historical romance, and Austenesque fiction have joined in the celebration of its release with exclusive excerpts, interviews, spotlights, or reviews of this new Regency-era novel set in Somerset, England. Ready to discover more?

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: NORTHFANGER BY JAYNE BAMBER

Are you ready for a Gothic Austen mash-up? NORTHFANGER is a a campy, vampy Northanger Abbey/ Pride and Prejudice crossover just released by Jayne Bamber. Read an excerpt and take your chances to win a copy in the giveaway below. Enjoy and ... good luck!

BLOG TOUR - THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF: PROPER ROMANCE VICTORIAN

A standalone novel in The Dread Penny Society set in 1865 London brimming with secrets, scandal, suspense, and romance.

From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he's smitten. Even though he's from a wealthy, established family and she isn't, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.

BOOK UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: BACK TO THE BONNET BY JENNIFER DUKE

 

 

THE SECRET LIFE AND

EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF

MISS MARY BENNET

WHO FIRST MADE THE READER’S

ACQUAINTANCE IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

BY JANE AUSTEN 

What if Mary Bennet was actually behind the important events of Pride and Prejudice? In Back to the Bonnet, Jennifer Duke explores how the story could look from the unique perspective of plain, overlooked but clever Mary who happens to have inherited a bonnet that allows her to travel in time.

BE YOUR OWN HEROINE BLOG TOUR

 

Sophie Andrews is back with a second lovely book after the success of her Be More Jane. This time she has joined forces with her elder sister, Charlotte, and their Be Your Own Heroine has just been released.

Their project has collected life lessons from literature, especially focusing on strong female characters from different eras. Could Elizabeth Bennet be left out? Of course not! She is the first heroine you'll meet in the beautifully illustrated pages of Be Your Own Heroine. 

"I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly connected with me." (Pride and Prejudice)

Be ready for a pleasant, thought-provoking, inspirational reading to add to your favourite shelves or keep always at hand on your bedside table. 

A WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDING BLOG TOUR: DELETED SCENE & GIVEAWAY

What if it was love at first sight? In A Wilful Misunderstanding Amy D'Orazio imagines Mr Darcy in love with Elizabeth Bennet the moment he saw her at the assembly in Meryton and that, of course,  moves things forward in a slightly different manner.  

Read the deleted scene Amy wrote exclusively for My Jane Austen Book Club and have a look at the book blurb to get a taste of the atmosphere of this new romantic variation of Pride and Prejudice. Don't forget to leave a comment to take part in the giveaway contest and visit all the other blogs included in the tour to get more chances to win. Good luck, everyone!

SPOTLIGHT ON ... JULIE COOPER, TEMPT ME: EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

 

TEMPT ME BY JULIE COOPER

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single vampyre must be in want of a wife. Someone biddable, her memories easily expunged to allow for strange, inexplicable deeds and baffling circumstances. A tractable creature, of average intelligence, willing to attend to the business of producing heirs and keep out of all else. A girl easily moulded, incurious, indifferent, and demanding nothing beyond access to his fortune.

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY - INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH GRACE, THE NARRATOR OF ELIZABETH OBSTINATE, HEADSTRONG GIRL AUDIOBOOK

 

Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth stop of Elizabeth Obstinate Headstrong Girl Audiobook Blog Tour. I'm glad to share with you an interview with Elizabeth Grace, the actress narrating the ten stories inspired to Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice. You'll also find a sample of the audiobook and a giveaway. Time to start scrolling down now. Enjoy and good luck! 

MADNESS IN MERYTON BLOG TOUR: EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Hello, readers! It’s a treat to be back at My Jane Austen Book Club to kick off my blog tour for my upcoming release, Madness in Meryton. This is my sixth Austenesque novel, and I have to say, I think it is my favorite one yet!

Like Elizabeth Bennet, I enjoy human folly, and there is plenty of it to be had in Madness, which is a mischievous twist on the Groundhog Day trope. The day being relived takes us through Elizabeth’s meeting with Mr. Wickham in Meryton, and his accusations about Mr. Darcy that evening, but as the day continues repeating, it begins to vary widely and with shocking results.

I will be sharing an excerpt with every post on my blog tour, and today’s except features an idea of my own invention, that the Bennet sisters’ first encounter with Mr. Wickham in set during Meryton’s monthly market day. This scene is set at the market about a week into Elizabeth’s redundant loop, at a time when she is chiefly fixated on promoting the attachment between Jane and Mr. Bingley, though the seemingly endless repetition has made her reckless and rash….

MARIA GRACE: TWO NEW BOOKS IN THE JANE AUSTEN'S DRAGONS SAGA!

Thank so much for inviting me to visit, Maria Grazia! I’m excited to share my newest books with your readers!

Who hasn’t said Jane Austen books could really used a lot more dragons? Ok, maybe you need to be the mother of sons in order to heard that. So, I suppose you can blame my three sons for this adventure. We were having lunch at the local pizza buffet one day and started kicking around ideas and we hit on ‘what if dragons lived during the Regency…’ Well before I knew it, we’d hammered out an entire dragon culture and the story potentials went WILD. So much fun!

MURDER AT NORTHANGER ABBEY BLOG TOUR - SHANNON WINSLOW: MR TILNEY'S LETTER

I especially enjoy writing the many letters included in my novels, trying to make each one a little work of art, as Jane Austen did.  Who can forget Darcy’s 8-pager to Elizabeth after his failed first proposal or Captain Wentworth’s iconic love letter to Anne? You pierce my soul…

But I bet you didn’t know that Henry Tilney can be just as passionate.

Today I’m sharing an excerpt from Murder at Northanger Abbey, (my new Northanger Abbey sequel) that illustrates what I mean. It’s a letter – a slightly steamy love letter, actually – that Henry wrote to Catherine during the time they were separated and waiting to marry. Since the action in this novel takes place after the wedding, this letter is included as something Catherine is remembering to help her through another difficult separation from Henry.

WHEN MARY MET THE COLONEL BY VICTORIA KINCAID. THE AUDIOBOOK IS OUT!

Hi Maria Grazia and thank you for welcoming me back to your blog!  Today I’m pleased to announce the release of the audiobook of my Pride and Prejudice novella, When Mary Met the Colonel.  This was the first of my secondary-character P&P variations and has a special place in my heart.  

I wasn’t sure, when I started writing it, if I could make a secondary-character story compelling and if readers would believe a love story between Mary and Colonel Fitzwilliam was believable.  Fortunately—based on the book’s reception—the answer to both questions appears to be yes!  I feel fortunate that I was able to secure the wonderful Stevie Zimmerman to narrate the audiobook of When Mary Met the Colonel.  She always does a great job!

Below is an excerpt from the beginning of the book.  I hope you enjoy it!

Fitz cleared his throat. “You must be Miss Mary Bennet.”

The young lady dabbed at her eyes with a corner of the handkerchief, which was still fairly clean despite its tumble to the stones. “Yes. The two elder Miss Bennets are the pretty ones, and the two younger Miss Bennets are the lively ones. I am the one in the middle—neither pretty nor lively.” Her hand immediately flew to her mouth. “Oh, dear me! That sounded terribly bitter, did it not? I apologize, Colonel.”

Ah, he suspected that he had now uncovered the reason for her tears; such sentiments might be particularly acute on the day one of her sisters married. Fitz took the liberty of seating himself next to Miss Bennet. “Do you fear to offend my delicate sensibilities?” He batted his eyelashes absurdly, provoking laughter. “Only apologize if you are speaking an untruth.”

CONFINED WITH MR DARCY - LET'S HELP THE JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE MUSEUM!

Thank you, Maria Grazia, for having me today! I’m so excited about Confined with Mr. Darcy. It’s not often that I get to write something short and sweet, but this was my perfect opportunity—and I get to help Jane Austen House Museum’s Covid-19 Survival Appeal at the same time. So many small museums are hurting and may have to close for good. I wanted to help one of these museums, one that means a lot to me. I hope people will help me by purchasing Confined with Mr. Darcy on Kindle or paperback. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited, so if you try it out and like it, please consider purchasing your own copy for a future re-read. Let’s raise as much money as we can for Jane Austen House Museum!

REBELLION AT LONGBOURN BLOG TOUR - EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Join me in welcoming Victoria Kincaid back to My Jane Austen Book Club. She's here to celebrate her new release with an excerpt and the giveaway of an ebook copy.

Hello Maria Grazia and thank you for welcoming me back!  Readers’ reception of Rebellion at Longbourn has been very favorable so far, and I hope your readers will enjoy the excerpt below.  It takes place when Darcy visits Longbourn after a two-year absence. He has been away and only recently learned that Collins took possession of the estate.

“Oh yes!”  Charlotte’s expression softened as it always did when she discussed her son.  “His name is Robert, and he…” Mr. Darcy had unwittingly hit on the only subject that would make Charlotte Collins garrulous, but he seemed quite content to listen to her enumerate her son’s amazing achievements, among them: holding up his head, rolling over, smiling, and growing two teeth. 

As Charlotte spoke, Elizabeth suddenly realized Mr. Darcy was staring at her hands.  As the weather grew warmer, she had not troubled herself to don gloves after working in the kitchen.  But her bare hands were red and chafed, bearing callouses and blisters—the unmistakable signs of labor.  They were not the hands of a young lady.  Elizabeth flushed and fought the urge to hide her hands under the folds of her gown. 

There is nothing I might do now, she consoled herself.  He has noticed and is unlikely to forget.  The damage is done. 

Why should I care what he thinks of me anyway? He is wholly unconnected to me and my life. 

TEN REASONS TO READ AND LOVE THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY

When I started my own Jane Austen Book Club online back in 2010 it was because I couldn’t find like-minded fellows to create a real one in my little hometown in Italy. But thanks to the web and the Internet,  I could discover how many lovely, devoted, enthusiastic Janeites are there all over the world.

While reading the newly released The Jane Austen Society, the charming debut novel by Natalie Jenner, I was brought back to that initial passionate desire to spread the love for Jane Austen and to be part of a community. I enjoyed it so much! I  was brought back to Hampshire and Chawton, which I visited only once in my life, but whose touching memories will stay with me forever. 

Here are 10 reasons why you should read The Jane Austen Society.

JANE AUSTEN'S FIGHTING MEN: PERSUADED TO SAIL

Greetings, everyone. Jack Caldwell here. I’d like to thank Maria  Grazia for the opportunity to visit with you today to talk about my latest book, PERSUADED TO SAIL: asequel to Persuasion and Book Three of Jane Austen’s Fighting Men.

PERSUADED TO SAIL picks up at the end of Persuasion—the wedding of Anne Elliot to Captain Frederick Wentworth. Planning an uneventful honeymoon cruise aboard HMS Laconia to Frederick’s posting in Bermuda, the Wentworths’ plans are thrown into disarray by the Hundred Days Crisis.

Hold on a second. What is the Hundred Days Crisis?

To explain this, I have to go back to the genesis of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). This era of conflict arose out of the Wars of the French Revolution (1792-1802). Europe had been locked in a bloody conflict between the homicidal French Republic and the autocratic European monarchies. The chaos allowed a little-known general from the French island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte, to prove his military prowess, to seize power in a coup d'état, and then smash the Coalition armies and force a peace. Peace only lasted a year, and a third coalition of European powers was formed in 1803 to fight the self-styled Emperor Napoleon.

ELAINE OWEN, GASKELL VS AUSTEN. AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

Hi everybody! I’m thrilled to be able to visit with you today via My Jane Austen Book Club! A million thanks to Maria Grazia for letting me introduce myself and my newest novel, Margaret of Milton, to you!

Margaret of Milton is a variation on the beloved novel North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell. On a blog dedicated to Jane Austen it may seem strange to feature a book based on a different author’s work! But as many Janeites have discovered, the writings of Elizabeth Gaskell contain some intriguing parallels and differences from Austen. Today I’d like to talk about the lives and writings of both authors.

RAKES AND ROSES BLOG TOUR OPENS TODAY!

Bestselling author Josi S. Kilpack tours the blogosphere May 4 through May 22, 2020 to share her third novel in the Mayfield Family series, Rakes and Roses. The blog tour kicks off here today and will see forty popular book bloggers specializing in historical romance, inspirational fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature guest blogs, interviews, exclusive excerpts, and book reviews of this acclaimed Regency romance.