Jennifer Becton is here on My Jane Austen Book Club today to present you her newest story, another continuation of Pride and Prejudice focusing on another minor character: Maria Lucas . It is a short story I’m eager to read soon. If you like me feel you can’t miss it, read what Jennifer has written for us.
If you have read Charlotte Collins, then you know that Maria Lucas’s story did not end on a perfectly happy note. At the end of the novel, she has not yet found true love. Originally, I intended to leave her future to your imagination, but I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I felt that she too deserved a happier fate. So I wrote “Maria Lucas,” a short story that finishes her narrative. If you haven’t read Charlotte Collins, that’s ok; “Maria Lucas” can also stand on its own.
At 5,000 words, “Maria Lucas” is a true short story, and therefore, it is difficult to distribute in a traditional paper format. But through the brilliance of e-reading devices, short stories are becoming much easier to share. Now, I know that not everyone has made the switch to Kindle, Nook, or other such readers. They are expensive, and many people are just not interested in giving up paper books. I can understand that.
However, anyone who owns a computer can read “Maria Lucas” or any ebook out there. That’s right: you do not need a dedicated ereader to join the ebook revolution! All you have to do is go to Amazon.com or BN.com and download their free ereader applications. Then, you can download and read on your Mac, PC, or smartphone.
Alternatively, you can purchase electronic books or short stories from Smashwords.com, which provides even more reading options. You can download media as PDFs or even read online if you wish.
I hope you will read and enjoy “Maria Lucas” but even if you do not choose to read it, do take a few minutes to investigate these reading apps and websites. I think you’ll be glad you did.
“Maria Lucas” is available for only $0.99 US at the following locations:
Amazon.com (and at Amazon.uk.com)
Also, keep watching for Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which will be released this summer, and please visit me at my website.
Jennifer Becton
1 comment:
I haven't got an ereader yet, mainly because they're still too expensive for me, but I'm used to read short stories on the computer screen or printing them by myself if they're less than 100 pages. Anyway, Maria Lucas seems delightful (first of all because of the happy ending!)
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