2 years ago I hadn’t even heard of fan fiction, let alone Jane Austen fan fiction. If I had seen the acronym JAFF written down, I might have thought it was one of those error messages I don’t understand that pop up on my computer screen from time to time. I had always been a voracious reader, but somehow this was a landscape that had passed me by, a path that I didn’t even know was there.
Then I found myself pregnant with our
second child when our first was only 7 months old and somehow, as well as
making me feel pretty sick, it stirred up the old romantic in me. Up went the
feet and out came the self-pity chocolates. On a whim, I dusted off my DVD of
the old 1995 Pride & Prejudice mini-series. It wasn’t long before I was as
hooked as I had been when it was first broadcast, aged 14. It occurred to me
that it wouldn’t hurt to re-read the novel, and so I did that as well.
Before I knew where I was, I was living
with Lizzy and Darcy. I just couldn’t get them out of my head. What happened
next? What became of them? The possibilities danced around my mind. Jane Austen
is famous for having written perfectly of “two inches of ivory”, so what about
the rest of the fabric? What about the character’s lives behind closed doors? What
about the world below stairs? What about the male friendships which go
unexamined in the original? The permutations seemed endless.
And so it came as a welcome revelation to
me to discover that there was a whole world of imagining Jane Austen afresh out
there – the what ifs, the what thens, the what befores. It turns out that I am an eat it all kind of
JAFF fan girl and in their different ways, I love all of the different shades
of Austenesque that are available. Funny, slushy, silly, sexy, they are all
worth a go.
Then one day, when I was not expecting it,
my own personal Pride and Prejudice sprang up in my head like a pop up shop.
The prologue to Suddenly Mrs Darcy appeared almost fully formed in my mind one
morning as I was getting out of bed and I splurged it straight onto my laptop
in a brief window between baby feeds. Now that couple of pages has morphed into
a whole book and really, I owe its existence to the manifold retellings of the
JAFF genre.
So, hurrah for reimaginings and viva la
variations. After all, you can’t have
too many Mr Darcys in your life, right?
Jenetta James
Book Blurb
Elizabeth
Bennet never imagined her own parents would force her to marry a virtual
stranger. But when Mrs. Bennet accuses Fitzwilliam Darcy of compromising her
daughter, that is exactly the outcome. Trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage
and far from home, she grows suspicious of her new husband’s heart and further,
suspects he is hiding a great secret. Is there even a chance at love given the
happenstance of their hasty marriage?
Jenetta
James is a lawyer, writer, mother and taker-on of too much. She grew up in
Cambridge and read history at Oxford University where she was a scholar and
president of the Oxford University History Society. After graduating, she took
to the law and now practises full time as a barrister. Over the years she has
lived in France, Hungary and Trinidad as well as her native England. Jenetta
currently lives in London with her husband and children where she enjoys
reading, laughing and playing with Lego. Suddenly Mrs Darcy is her first novel.
Links
Tour Schedule
4/20: Excerpt & Giveaway at The Calico Critic
4/21: Review at Songs and Stories
4/22: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club
4/23: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time…
4/24: Review at Diary of an Eccentric
4/25: Excerpt & Giveaway at My Love for Jane Austen
4/26: Review at Babblings of a Bookworm
4/27: Guest Post & Giveaway at Austenesque Reviews
4/28: Guest Post at Songs and Stories
4/29: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars
4/30: Review at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice
5/1: Review at Margie's Must Reads
5/2: Guest Post & Giveaway at More Agreeably Engaged
5/3: Excerpt & Giveaway at Laughing with Lizzie
19 comments:
It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a new book, but as soon as I read the synopsis of Suddenly Mrs. Darcy, I knew it was right up my alley and I've been eagerly awaiting it ever since. I'm so excited to read it. Congratulations on your first novel!
Hurrah for those romantics who not only ask what if, what then and what before (like all us readers), but actually employ their writing skills, fantasy and inspiration to write down interesting stories for all those who can't have enough of Darcy and Lizzy:) Hurrah for debut by Janetta James!
Sorry for unoriginal question, but do you have plans for the next book? Will it be P&P variation?
I like your premise! I hope to get a chance to read it as soon as my budget allows. I sincerely admire writers since all the writing I do is to put things in another language, no original writing at all. I hope your book does great!
Thank you all very much for reading and for your interest.... I hope that you enjoy the book when it reaches you. Jenetta
I also have not been reading JAFF stories for long - a couple of years or so - and I have a lot of catching up to do - though I can't seem to get into modern stories.
Aaaah! I would just love to own ANOTHER JA/JAFF book.
Aaaah! I would just love to own ANOTHER JA/JAFF book.
sounds like a wonderful JAFF book!
Denise
Congrats on your first novel, Jenetta. Between having a hard-paying job, being a mother and now a published author, you are a jack-of-all trades. I don't know how you find the time to write but I'm glad that you did. It gives me another reason to read this book. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Love the JAFF community and the fact there are so many new author as well as seasoned ones that continue the story of P&P in all different kind of variations, sequels, prequels, and modern adaptations. I just can't get enough of Darcy & Elizabeth!
I anxiously await reading this book. The premise is one I haven't seen before, and I really look forward to seeing how you pull it off!
The intro sounds really good. Waiting patiently to be able to get this book :)
I love how you came to JAFF--similar to my own. So looking forward to fellow fans reading your book--the story is fantastic and your characters are so well drawn.
Congratulations on your new book. I really enjoy arranged marriage plots and I'm excited to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway!!
Best wishes for lots of success on your book. thanks for the gieaway.
Seems like an intresting variation. I would love to read it.
Thank you all for your comments and interest in the book, I hope that you enjoy it. A few people have asked me about the release date. I think (& have everything crossed) that it will be Monday but this is not completely certain... when I know I will tweet about it & send a message out via by facebook page happy reading, Jenetta
This variation sounds intriguing. I loved learning about your inspiration for the story and how you got back into Pride and Prejudice. Thank you for the generous give away.
Hello everyone, I am thrilled to say that Suddenly Mrs Darcy is now available on kindle & here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WTT4M2M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_awdm_bJnqvb04X25N8
paperback coming soon as well. Happy reading, Jenetta
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