TALKING JANE AUSTEN WITH ... TERRY TOWNSEND, AUTHOR OF "JANE AUSTEN'S HAMPSHIRE"

Former graphic designer Terry Townsend from England,continues to pursue his passion for literary landscapes. In his latest book ‘Jane Austen’s Hampshire’ Terry takes readers on a tour ofthe beautiful and historic county where Jane was born and spent most of her days.

The in-depth exploration of the places where Jane lived, loved and found inspirationbegins with the Steventon neighbourhood that became the cradle of her talent. Following in Jane’s steps there are visits to Chawton and the cottage that saw the blossoming of her genius with an eventual pause for thought at her final resting place in the magnificent cathedral at Winchester.

Included along the way are the great maritime cities of Southampton and Portsmouth together with the market towns where Jane shopped, the villages where she visited friends, the country parks where she strolled, the country houses where she danced and the churches where she worshipped.

For the devotee who already has a wealth of knowledge about their favourite author and her novels, ‘Jane Austen’s Hampshire’ reveals many ofthe lesser known places that wereimportant to the Austen family and their brilliant daughter.

LOVELY JANEITES: MEET SARAH OZCANDARLI, AUTHOR OF REVISIT MANSFIELD PARK + GIVEAWAY

Many thanks to Maria Grazia for giving me the opportunity to introduce my new book Revisit Mansfield Park, in which I give Henry Crawford the opportunity to change Fanny Price's opinion of him.

Jane Austen said of Henry: “Would he have deserved more there can be no doubt that more would have been obtained . . . Would he have persevered, and uprightly, Fanny must have been his reward.”

During Henry's two-month courtship of Fanny, she had no idea that his interest in her was genuine. She assumed that Henry was amusing himself by flirting with her, as he had with Maria and Julia Bertram. When Fanny finally learned that Henry truly wanted to marry her, he had only a few days to change her mind about him, but a few days was not nearly enough, given that Fanny disliked Henry intensely. Then Fanny went to see the Price family in Portsmouth, and Henry visited Fanny there, and talked to her of Everingham, his estate. He asked Fanny for her advice as to whether he should return to Everingham and continue the work he had started. I think what Henry really wanted was encouragement, and this was a pivotal moment: if Fanny encouraged Henry, he would be making progress with her, and if she did not, she most likely never would. This is the moment when Revisit Mansfield Park begins (though the first three chapters summarize Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, with a spotlight on Fanny).

TALKING JANE AUSTEN WITH ... LINDA BEUTLER ON HER LONGBOURN TO LONDON BLOG TOUR + DOUBLE GIVEAWAY

Welcome  to My JA Book Club, Linda ! Welcome back at My Jane Austen Book Club and thanks for accepting to talk Jane Austen with me.

You are very welcome, Maria. Thank you for being the very first stop on the Longbourn to London Blog Tour.

This is my first question for you: Longbourn to London is not your first Austenesque novel, it comes after The Red Chrysanthemum. But when and how you came to think of writing a Jane Austen – inspired book?

Actually, Longbourn to London came first. When I discovered Jane Austen Fan Fiction, in September 2011, I positively devoured every book I could get my hands on. I started with my local library, then on to Amazon and at Powell’s City of Books here in Portland (they also sell online). Through it all, I had no idea about the whole universe of blogs and posting sites like A Happy Assembly. Anyway, operating in something of a vacuum, I decided to try my hand. The sequels were probably my least favourite sub-genre, and I didn’t have a plausible what-if in mind at first, so I decided to look into Pride and Prejudice itself and was drawn to that great gulf Jane Austen left at the very end, rushing us through Elizabeth and Darcy’s betrothal with merely a couple of conversations. Hence, I expanded on the journey of discover Darcy and Elizabeth embarked upon when they became engaged.

     If you read Longbourn to London carefully, you’ll find the exact question Elizabeth asks Darcy that ending up being the inspiration point for The Red Chrysanthemum. By January 2013, both books were essentially complete.

SYRIE JAMES, WHAT DID JANE AUSTEN WEAR AS A TEENAGER? - JANE AUSTEN'S FIRST LOVE BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY

Fashion was of great interest to Jane Austen. She often, in great detail, discussed aspects of her wardrobe in letters to her sister. The subject is equally important to her in my novel Jane Austen’s First Love, as in this moment in chapter 3 when Jane is contemplating their upcoming trip to Kent:

“Mamma,” said I over breakfast one morning, “what do you imagine the ladies will be wearing at Godmersham and Goodnestone? Will they be splendidly dressed?”

“I suppose they will,” replied my mother, as she thickly spread a piece of toast with butter and jam. “I shall never forget the elegance of Mrs. Knight’s gown when first I saw her all those years ago, nor her hat, which was the very height of fashion. I have no doubt the Bridges ladies will all be similarly attired.”

SPOTLIGHT ON ... SENSE AND SENSIBILITY A LATTER-DAY TALE BY REBECCA H. JAMISON

Book Blurb

As if it wasn’t bad enough to be getting food from Church welfare, I had to meet one of the Ferreros—and a good-looking Ferrero, at that.

Elly Goodwin, a brilliant programmer, is so desperate for a job that she takes one from her ex-boyfriend—the same man who put her family out of business. Then she meets Ethan Ferrero, who seems too good to be true. But Elly is far too sensible to unexpectedly fall in love—especially with her ex’s brother-in-law. 

But when Elly’s sister, Maren, dates the wrong guy, Elly must intercede before Maren’s passion clouds her common sense. Together, Elly and Maren must learn that a mixture of sense and sensibility is the perfect recipe for love.

Fans of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility will love this modern retelling of the classic romance novel.

THE GENTLEMAN'S IMPERTINENT DAUGHTER BLOG TOUR - GUEST POST BY AUTHOR ROSE FAIRBANKS + GIVEAWAY

Finding inspiration ...

It took me a few days to think of a good topic to post about. I finally realized my lack of focused inspiration could be a topic. It’s very timely, in fact. I am new to published works, but I have been writing for online forums for just under a year and have written one full length story, three novella length works, and eight works ranging from 800 to 7,000 words. I also made additions to and recreated two of those novellas into something much better. Let’s not discuss the stories that are dying and/or patiently waiting in my hard drive to see the light of day.

I just finished writing and sending my third novella length story, A Sense of Obligation, through the editing process before posting online. And as you may have guessed, I’ve basically been writing non-stop for the last year. I have seven stories that show a lot of promise, and I am trying to pick between three of them to become the next story. It’s been over a month since I finished writing A Sense of Obligation and while a few short stories have come, my muse is just not captured by anything long at the moment. I will eventually finish each of the stories I am working on; I have an outline and know what I want to do. I’ve just never needed to just write before like it was a job. Just log in the hours and complete the sentences and get it done. I’ve always been inspired, possessed perhaps, by scenes and stories.

REMEMBER THE PAST BY MARIA GRACE - BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

I’m very excited to share a little bit about my new book, Remember the Past. Way back in the Dark Ages, when I was in college, my studies centered around sociology, psychology and behavioral sciences.  As a result, when I write, I like to explore how things might have been for our favorite Austen characters had their circumstances been a bit different—or a lot different. While I try to keep the core of the characters the same as Jane Austen wrote, changes in circumstances do change people. Some more than others. Some for the better, some, not so much. I love exploring those changes and possibilities.

One of the changes in this book was that Mr. Bennet was not the heir to Longbourn, but a second son who went into the navy. His naval experiences changed him from a lackadaisical man to a very active, powerful one, who would become Admiral Thomas Bennet, Rear Admiral of the White.

Why would a young Thomas Bennet have joined the navy rather than the army as Col. Fitzwilliam did? Unlike army officers, naval officers did not purchase their commissions, they earned them. Thus, the navy offered greater potential for social mobility than most institutions in Regency era society. Generally only the sons of gentlemen or perhaps wealthy middle-class parents could enter the path to becoming an officer, but the way was not entirely closed to others.

Promotion to lieutenant was perhaps the most difficult step for young men to make in their naval careers. In order to become a lieutenant, a midshipmen had to serve a minimum of six years at sea. On presenting himself as a candidate for commissioning, he would also be asked to show his personal log books for the ships in which he sailed. Then he would take an examination on the topics of writing, mathematics,astronomy, navigation, seamanship and gunnery. Not all midshipmen passed the test. In practice, some candidates were asked only token questions; others were grilled. It could depend on the mood of the Board and the severity of individual Commissioners.