HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE! BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAYS

My Happy Birthday Tribute

Here I am to give with my humble tribute to Jane Austen on her birthday. It’s  just a simple Happy B-day post to join the happiness which has spread all over the web to celebrate her.

Happy Birthday,  Jane! 

My very  best wishes and  love to the Hampshire girl who stubbornly wanted to live on her pen and be free and independent.

Happy birthday to clever and strong-willed, Jane, the one her family so much loved and whose company they appreciated so much, the one who preferred writing to a married life , who dreamt of beautiful  love stories but never achieved  one of her own.

Of course, Happy Birthday to  the  widely loved  and celebrated writer, to the successful author  who defeated  Death with fame  and Time with her  wit. Her name is an extremely best selling brand nowadays. Who would imagine that while she was alive and in desperate search of a publisher?

I want to celebrate Jane’s birthday because I’m indebted to her for so many delightful unforgettable moments! The best  dashing heroes for my teenage daydreams and the most intelligent sensitive heroines to side with. I’m grateful for Lizzie, Catherine, Elinor and Marianne, Emma, Anne and even Fanny Price. Yes, even.  Huge thanks for Darcy, Henry Tilney, Mr Knightley, Frank Churchill, Willoughby, Edward ,Brandon and , especially for Captain Wentworth.Yes, especially for him!

I also owe  Jane Austen my being part of a huge,  active , sparlking international  web community which has become an enriching part of my life. I feel blessed and honoured because Janeites are such extraordinarily talented  people!

This blog is not yet one year old but has already  got many  friends . It started as a journal of my real life Jane Austen Book Club in January 2010 and has become my virtual Book Club where I meet Janeites and talk Jane Austen with them, where I host interesting contributes from Janeite bloggers and writers, or post my reviews of Austenesque readings and films, collect news and curiosities about Jane.

I owe all this to you. Thank you, Jane. A very happy birthday!

Now,  this  Happy Birthday Party has got lots of great Janeite friends waiting for you on their own blogs and sites. Just leave a comment here before going on with your  tour. Visit all the sites in the list below: every comment you’ll leave on any of the blogs will give you a chance to  win  one of the many gifts we have for this extraordinary multiple giveaway. 

LIST OF GIFTS  

Books -  1 signed copy, directly from the author, of ...

1. Willoughby’s Return by Jane Odiwe
2. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
3. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
4. Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd
5. Intimations of Austen by Jane Greensmith
6. Darcy's Passions: Fitzwilliam Darcy's Story by Regina Jeffers
7. First Impressions. A Tale of Less Pride  and Prejudice  by Alexa Adams
8. Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany
9. Bespelling Jane Austen by Janet Mullany 

Other gifts:

1.  Austen bag offered by Karen Wasylowski
2. DVD Pride & Prejudice 2005 offered by Regina Jeffers
3. package of Bingley's Tea  (flavor  "Marianne's Wild Abandon" ) offered by Cindy Jones
4. DVD Jane Austen in Manhattan offered by Maria Grazia
5. 3 issues of Jane Austen's Regency World offered by Maria Grazia

Do you like the gifts in the list above? Incredible occasion, isn't it? Hurry up, then! Go and  visit all the other bloggers involved, comment their posts in order to collect many chances to get a prize. I’ll wait for you back next December 23^rd, just before Christmas,  when I’ll announce the names of the winners. Enjoy the Happy Birthday, Jane blog tour , follow the links below  and ...  Good Luck! 

JANEITES TAKING PART IN THE EVENT

1. Adriana Zardini at Jane Austen Sociedad do Brasil
2. Laurel Ann at Austenprose
3. Vic Sanborn at Jane Austen World 
4. Katherine Cox at November’s Autumn
5. Karen Wasylowski at  her personal blog
6. Laurie Viera Rigler at Jane Austen Addict Blog
7.  Lynn Shepherd at her blog
8.  Jane Greensmith at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
9.  Jane Odiwe at Jane Austen Sequels
10. Alexa Adams at First Impressions
11. Regina Jeffers at her blog
12. Cindy Jones at First Draft 
13. Janet Mullany at Risky Regencies
14. Meredith at Austenesque Reviews

(The giveaways are open worldwide and end on December 22^nd. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address!)