SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BICENTENARY CELEBRATION: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY FAN FICTION - AN OVERVIEW BY MEREDITH ESPARZA + GIVEAWAY OPEN WORLDWIDE

This month's guest for the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Celebration is Meredith Esparza. A long-time admirer of Jane Austen and an avid reader, Meredith started writing reviews as a hobby several years ago. In September 2009 she became more serious about her hobby and started her own blog, Austenesque Reviews, a blog devoted to the reading and reviewing the numerous Jane Austen sequels, fan-fiction, and para-literature that have been recently published, as well as the ones that were published years ago. In addition to reading Austenesque novels, Meredith takes pleasure in reading novels by the Brontës, Louisa May Alcott, and Georgette Heyer! You can find Meredith on Facebook, Goodreads, and on Twitter. 

Sense and Sensibility Fan Fiction – An Overview

As many of you already know, there is a multitude of Austenesque novels about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, yet nowhere near as much for her other novels.  But that doesn't mean they don't exist!  Readers may be surprised to learn that there are 21 Austenesque novels for Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, and that number is growing – and most likely will continue! 

In honor of Maria Grazia's Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Celebration I have compiled a list and guide for all published Sense and Sensibility Fan Fiction (that I know of).  Hopefully you will find this guide helpful in your search for Austenesque novels for Sense and Sensibility. 

1. The Book:  Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins

• Published:  2011
• Type of Novel:  Sequel
• Main Characters:  Margaret Dashwood, Marianne Brandon, and Elinor Ferrars
• Premise:  A companion novel to Sense and Sensibility, exploring the lives of the three Dashwood sisters several years after the close of Jane Austen's novel. 
• Have I read it:  Just started! 

2. The Book:  Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

• Published:  2011
• Type of Novel:  Young Adult, Modern Adaptation
• Main Characters:  Gabby and Daphne Rivera
• Premise:  Two diverse sisters battle high school, boys, and each other.
• Have I read it:  Yes! (August 2011) 5 stars!  I loved it!

3. The Book:  The Dashwood Sisters Tell All by Beth Pattillo

• Published:  2010
• Type of Novel:  Austen-Inspired
• Main Characters:  Ellen and Mimi Dodge
• Premise:  Two sisters, who have grown apart and do get along, travel to England to find an appropriate place to scatter their mother's ashes but discover Jane Austen and themselves along the way!
• Have I read it:  Yes! (May 2011) 5 stars!  I loved it! 

 4. The Book:  Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely

• Published:  2010
• Type of Novel:  Austen-Inspired, Mystery
• Main Characters:  Elizabeth Parker, Aunt Winnie, Peter McGowan, Bridget Matthews
• Premise: While attending her best friend's wedding, Jane Austen fan, Elizabeth Parker gets embroiled in a mystery.
• Have I read it:  Yes! (December 2010)  4 stars!  A very fun mystery with a lot of nods to S&S!

5. The Book:  The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

• Published:  2010
• Type of Novel:  Austen-Inspired
• Main Characters:  Emily and Jessamine Bach
• Premise:  A tale about sisters, collectors, tech-companies, rabbis, and tree conversationists.
• Have I read it:  Yes! (October 2010) 3 stars.  I liked Jessamine's story, but not Emily's. 

6. The Book:  Rifts and Restoration by M. Eucharista Ward

• Published:  2010
• Type of Novel:  Sequel
• Main Characters:  Margaret Dashwood
• Premise: After seeing Elinor and Marianne's heartaches, Margaret isn't even sure she wants to marry!
• Have I read it:  Not yet! 

7. The Book:  The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine

• Published:  2010
• Type of Novel:  Modern Adaptation
• Main Characters:  Annie, Miranda, and Bettie Weissmann
• Premise:  Three women in reduced circumstances battle heartbreak and disappointment.
• Have I read it:  Yes. (January 2011)  3 stars. Not my favorite.

8. The Book:  Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe

• Published:  2009
• Type of Novel:  Sequel
• Main Characters:  Margaret Dashwood and Marianne Brandon
• Premise:  Marianne plays matchmaker for her sister Margaret, while the ghost of Willoughby haunts her marriage.
• Have I read it:  Yes!  (December 2009)  5 stars!  Best sequel for Sense and Sensibility I've read so far!

9.  The Book:  Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

• Published:  2009
• Type of Novel:  Paranormal Retelling
• Main Characters:  Elinor and Marianne Dashwood
• Premise:  The Dashwood women are forced to live on an island and encounter various types of sea monsters. 
• Have I read it:  Not yet.  Not sure if I want to...

 10. The Book:  Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange

• Published:  2009
• Type of Novel:  Point-of-view/Retelling
• Main Characters:  Colonel Brandon, Eliza Williams, Marianne Dashwood
• Premise:  A fleshed-out retelling of Sense and Sensibility from Colonel Brandon's perspective. Includes the history of Colonel Brandon and his first love, Eliza Williams.   
• Have I read it:  Yes!  (November 2009)  4 stars!  I loved learning about Colonel Brandon's past with Eliza. 

11. The Book:  Sensing Jane Austen by Kerri Bennett Williamson

• Published:  2009
• Type of Novel:  Austen-Inspired
• Main Characters:  Cassandra Atwood
• Premise:  A once-wealthy heiress is forced to live as a servant and wear rags, surviving her tragic circumstances with the help of Jane Austen and Sense and Sensibility.
• Have I read it:  Yes! (May 2010) 4 stars!  Jane Austen meets Cinderella!

12. The Book:  Eliza's Daughter by Joan Aiken

• Published:  1994 (republished in 2008)
• Type of Novel:  Sequel
• Main Characters:  Eliza Williams
• Premise:  Willoughby's illegitimate child, Eliza, seeks a life of adventure and romance.
• Have I read it:  Not yet!

13. The Book:  The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton

• Published: 2005
• Type of Novel: Young Adult, Modern Adaptation
• Main Characters:  Ellie, Abby, and Georgie Dahswood
• Premise: Three sisters lose their father and their childhood home. 
• Have I read it:  Not yet!  On my TBR shelf!

14. The Book:  Miss Lucy Steele by Ruth Berger

• Published:  2005
• Type of Novel:  Point-of-view/Retelling (in German)
• Main Characters:  Lucy Steele, Edward Ferrars
• Premise:  A retelling of Sense and Sensibility from the perspective of Lucy Steele. 
• Have I read it:  Not yet!  But I really want to!  I hope it gets translated into English!

15. The Book:  Suspense and Sensibility: Or First Impressions Revisited by Carrie Bebris

• Published:  2005
• Type of Novel:  Sequel, Mystery
• Main Characters:  Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy, Elinor Ferrars, Kitty Bennet, Harry Dashwood
• Premise:  Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Kitty travel to London.  Intrigue ensues.      
• Have I read it:  Yes! (July 2007)  4 stars!  Not my favorite in the series, but still fun!

16. The Book:  Reason and Romance by Debra White Smith

• Published:  2004
• Type of Novel:  Modern Adaptation
• Main Characters:  Elaina and Anna Woods
• Premise:  A modern adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with some Christian undertones.  A part of the 6 book Austen Series by Debra White Smith.    
• Have I read it:  Yes! (March 2005)  4 stars! I enjoyed the integration of Christian faith. 

17. The Book:  The Third Sister by Julia Barrett

• Published: 1996
• Type of Novel:  Sequel
• Main Characters:  Margaret Dashwood
• Premise:  Four years after the close of Sense and Sensibility, Margaret is grown up and looking for an eligible match
• Have I read it:  Yes. (January 2007) 2.5 stars.  Was not very captivating or memorable. 

18. The Book:  Elinor and Marianne

• Published: 1996
• Type of Novel:  Sequel, Epistolary Novel
• Main Characters:  Elinor Ferrars and Marianne Brandon
• Premise: Newly married Elinor and Marianne exchange letters.  Willoughby comes back into their lives. 
• Have I read it:  Not yet.  Have not heard many positive things about Emma Tennant.

19. The Book:  The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries by Emma Thompson

• Published: 1995 (revised in 2002, 2007)
• Type of Novel:  Reference
• Main Characters:  Emma Thompson
• Premise: Emma Thompson's diaries from shooting Sense and Sensibility.  Includes screenplay script complete with stage directions. 
• Have I read it:  Yes! (July 2010)  5 stars! Emma Thompson is hilarious!

20. The Book:   Brightsea by Jane Gillespie

• Published: 1987
• Type of Novel:  Sequel 
• Main Characters:  Nancy Steele and Lucy Ferrars
• Premise: Spinster Nancy Steele takes a position as a paid companion to a rich, young heiress. 
• Have I read it:  Yes!  (October 2007)  3.5 stars!  Those Steele sisters are something else!

21. The Book:   Margaret Dashwood or Interference by Mrs. Francis Brown

• Published: 1929
• Type of Novel:  Sequel 
• Main Characters:  Margaret Dashwood
• Premise: Margaret, now seventeen, attracts a suitor or two...
• Have I read it:  Not yet!  I wish I could track this one down!

  

GIVEAWAY!!!  

A Sense and Sensibility Austenesque Novel of YOUR Choice. (Open worldwide)

Expectations of Happiness

Sass and Serendipity

The Dashwood Sisters Tell All

The Three Weissmanns of Westport

Willoughby's Return

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Colonel Brandon's Diary

Sensing Jane Austen

Eliza's Daughter

Suspense and Sensibility: Or First Impressions Revisited

How can you win?

Just leave a comment stating which Sense and Sensibility Austenesque novel you are interested in reading and why. Don't forget to add your e-mail address!  The giveaway ends October 31 when the winner is announced.

Meredith Esparza

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: THE JEWESS AND THE GENTILE BY LEV RAPHAEL - GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Two different winners for this interesting sequel to Pride and Predudice by Lev Raphael

• HALEY won the Kindle version
• TERRY ODELL won the Nook version

Congratulations to the winners! I'd like to thank Lev Raphael for granting the 2 copies to give away to My Jane Austen Book Club and for presenting his original take on Pride and Prejudice to us all here. 

LEV RAPHAEL'S GUESTPOST 


Visit Lev Raphael's Site

Read Lev Raphael's article "Jane Austen Takes no Prisoners"

JANE AUSTEN, PRINCE REGENT AND SANDITON

This series of documentaries was broadcast on BBC4 few months ago. "Elegance and Decadence: The Age of Regency" is a colourful series marking the 200th anniversary of one of the most explosive and creative decades in British history. It presents a vivid portrait of an age of elegance presided over by a prince of decadence - the infamous Prince Regent himself, a man with legendary appetites for women, food and self-indulgence. Yet this was the same man who would rebuild London, carving out the great thoroughfare of Regent Street and help establish the Regency look as the epitome of British style through his extravagant patronage of art and design.

Historian Dr Lucy Worsley chronicles the Regency's early years, which culminated in victory over Napoleon in 1815, and explores the complicated character of the Prince Regent.

The Regency was an age of contradictions and extremes that were embodied in the person of the Prince Regent himself. 

In this video I cut to add it to my Jane Austen Video Info Collection, Dr Worsley visits Chawton House Museum and analyses the relationship - though at a distance - because the two never really met between Jane and the Prince to whom she dedicated her Emma (1814) as well as the connection between the unfinished "Sanditon" and the reality of the Age of the Regency. Definitely interesting, isn't it? Have a look at the video and let me know what you think. Have you read Sanditon? I did thanks to Laurel Ann Nattress and her blog Austenprose (related posts HERE, HERE and HERE)

Enjoy the clip!!!

GUESTPOST & GIVEAWAY- LAUREL ANN NATTRESS AND JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT: After two hundred years in print, why does Jane Austen appeal to book clubs?

Today I'm incredibly happy and proud to host "Lady Austenprose", friendly and generous Laurel Ann Nattress, on her blog tour for the launch of " Jane Austen Made Me Do It". This collection of Austen- inspired short stories promises to be as exciting as a firework show! Reading the Austen authors who contributed their stories one at a time is pure delight, can you imagine them all together in one book?
Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Stephanie Barron • Carrie Bebris • Jo Beverley • Diana Birchall • Monica Fairview • Amanda Grange • Syrie James • Diane Meier and Frank Delaney • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Alexandra Potter • Beth Pattillo • Myretta Robens • Laurie Viera Rigler • Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret C. Sullivan • Adriana Trigiani • Lauren Willig • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley website.


Here's to you the lovely piece Laurel Anne Nattress wrote for My Jane Austen Book Club. Read it carefully, then take your chance to win her book. Giveaway details at the bottom of the post. Good luck!

Many thanks Maria for hosting me at your lovely My Jane Austen Book Club blog during my Grand Tour of the blogosphere in celebration of the release of my new Austen-inspired anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It.

Book clubs are incredibly popular today and I am so happy to hear of Jane Austen novels being selected, read and discussed at your Jane Austen Book Club. In fact, the notion of people getting together for tea, scones and Jane Austen sounds like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with friends. Probably the most famous Jane Austen book club is the group of six individuals in Karen Joy Fowler’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Jane Austen Book Club. We were fortunate that it was made into a movie in 2007. I loved how they read one of the books every two months and how the plot of the novel parallels one of the characters own life.

I think that Jane Austen’s novels appeal to book clubs because they have plots that are character driven. Her dialogue fuels the narrative, and not external events, which make the stories very personal. It is one of her enduring contributions to literature. We have been reading and discussion her works for two hundred years now. Every time I re-read one her novels I see something new, and reading along in a book group gives you an even wider perspective.

I am happy to say that many of the twenty-two short stories in my new anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, are character driven too. Inspired by Jane Austen, her novels, and her life, the stories range from Austen as a character such as “Jane Austen’s Nightmare,” by Syrie James and “Jane Austen’s Cat,” by Diana Birchall, to stories about her characters like “Waiting: A story inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion,” by Jane Odiwe and “Nothing Less Than Fairy-land,” by Monica Fairview, to stories inspired by Jane Austen’s actual life events such as “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane,” by Adriana Trigiani and “Jane and the Gentleman Rouge,” by Stephanie Barron. As you can see, there is something for everyone in this anthology.

Knowing how much readers love to learn about and discuss Austen, her novels, and the Regency era in which they were published, we thought a Reader’s Guide to the stories in Jane Austen Made Me Do It would be very helpful and enjoyable for book clubs. The twenty-nine intriguing questions listed in the back of the book make you think about each of the stories and help get the conversation rolling. I hope you and your Jane Austen Book Club will give them a try.

Thank you again Maria, for letting me share my thoughts on why book clubs enjoy reading my favorite author,and a few insights into the stories in my new Austen-inspired anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, that released was this week by Ballantine Books. It was a delight to work with all of the authors and edit the book. I hope Janeites, fiction, mystery and paranormal readers enjoy it as much as I did helping create it.

Cheers, Laurel Ann

Editor bio:

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Ballantine Books • ISBN: 978-0345524966

Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Enter a chance to win one copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by 21^st   October, stating what intrigues you about reading an Austen-inspired short story anthology. Please add  your e-mail address, if you want to be entered in the giveaway contest.  Winner to be drawn at random and announced on October 22^nd . Shipment Internationally. Good luck to all! 

THE DARCY OF PEMBERLEY BY SHANNON WINSLOW - GIVEAWAY WINNER

A huge thank you to Shannon Wisnlow for being my guest for the second time and granting My Jane Austen Book Club a second signed copy of her "The Darcy of Pemberley" for  this international giveaway and a quick posting to announce the lucky winner... 

CARMEN

Congratulations!

TALKING JANE AUSTEN WITH … STEPHANIE BURGIS & GIVEAWAY

Stephanie Burgis is my guest today to talk about her love for Jane Austen. She is both American and British, writes YA fiction, has published 3 books in the Kat series. Book One is out now in the US and Canada as Kat, Incorrigible and in the UK as A Most Improper Magick. You can win a copy of this lovely novel, leaving a comment + your  e-mail address. This giveaway contest ends on Oct. 20 when the winner is announced.

Book 2 in the series, A Tangle of Magicks has already been published in the UK, not yet in the US or Canada. (Discover more about Stephanie on her official site).

Join me and welcome Stephanie Burgis on My Jane Austen Book Club. 

Hello, Stephanie, and welcome. This is my first question: when did you first read  Jane Austen? And was it  love at first sight?

It really was! My dad read me Pride and Prejudice when I was eight, and I fell absolutely head-over-heels for it. I read Sense and Sensibility next, loved that even more at the time (I prefer P&P nowadays, but Sense and Sensibility was definitely my favourite when I was a kid, and it made a huge impression on me), and tore through every other Austen novel and movie/TV adaptation I could find from then onwards.

As a writer of YA literature do you find she can still teach/be a model for nowadays youth?

Of course! Her characters are so true-to-life in their very human foibles, weaknesses and charms, they feel just as real now as then, and what she has to say about human nature is every bit as relevant and compelling. When I run into people I find irritating, I often end up thinking of some parallel Austen character, actually! And as far as a specifically YA audience, I’d say that Northanger Abbey is actually a perfect YA novel (albeit written in Regency-era language) - it’s about a 15-year-old girl learning to tell between false and true friends, going to her first dances, learning to deal with male interest and the reality of adulthood, and falling in love for the very first time. (And of course it’s very funny.) Perfect!  

Many critics agree Emma is Jane Austen’s most successful literary achievement. Do you agree with them? Which is your favourite among the major six?

I admire Emma very much, on an intellectual level, but it and Mansfield Park are my two least favorite Austen novels. (Which is still ranking them pretty highly in my estimation!) My top favourite is Pride and Prejudice, but I also adore Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey and could re-read all three of them endlessly. (And my own first two novels owe big debts of inspiration to both Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey!)

Do  you think that all these adaptations, both written and for the  screen, could alter, mislead  or even distort the interpretation of Austen’s work?

Of course there are lots of different interpretations of her work in the different adaptations (because they CAN’T translate it literally to the screen, so there will always be an aspect of picking and choosing to what they adapt), and there are some versions that have made me gnash my teeth as an Austen-lover. (I absolutely couldn’t stand the Andrew Davies TV adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, and I hated that the Keira Knightley film version of Pride and Prejudice took out so much of the biting wit of the novel - I love Austen’s comedy, dark-edged as it is, and for me, it’s the core ingredient of her work.) 

On the other hand, there are also TV and film adaptations that I absolutely love, like Andrew Davies’s TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle) and Emma Thompson’s film version of Sense and Sensibility…and honestly, even versions I find only mediocre, like the Billie Piper version of Mansfield Park, are still fun to watch, IMO. Even diluted Austen is good stuff! 

Isn’t the romantic  aspect of  her novels over- emphasized in the film versions or TV series we’ve seen so far? (not that I mind romance, but those romantic scenes in the movies are so often  not at all Austen-style!)

It really depends on the adaptation! As I said in the answer above, I disliked that aspect of the Keira Knightley film version - I thought it took out all the scathing social comedy to turn the story into an earnest romance. However, it also has to be said that the fact Austen tended to summarize her romantic scenes and leave the kissing bits to the reader’s imagination doesn’t mean that they didn’t happen for the characters…so I don’t have any problem seeing some of those scenes that Austen didn’t write out for us! ;)

Was Jane Austen more a romantic girl or a matter-of- fact woman?

Well, she certainly possessed plenty of both qualities, which is part of why I love her work so much! On the one hand, she’s very clear on the fact that couples need financial stability to be happy, and that tortured rake-heroes like Willoughby are Not Good Husband-Material…but on the other hand, over and over again, her heroines refuse to give in to pressure and make sensible but unromantic marriages (the same choice she made in real life, when she broke off her sensible-but-unromantic betrothal after just one day), and over and over again her heroines are rewarded for it in the end by marrying the men they truly love. So, I’d have to say she was an intelligent, practical romantic!

How would you advertise your book in less than 50 words?

In Kat Stephenson’s Regency England, magic is the greatest scandal of all…but Kat won’t let that hold her back when there are highwaymen to foil, sinister aristocrats to defeat…and true loves to win for her two older sisters.

Let’s go on playing. Thinking of the perfect match among Austen characters. Which is the happiest couple among the ones Jane formed? The least happy couple?

I’d say the least happy couple would have to be Lydia and Wickham…or perhaps worse yet, Willoughby and his poor wife. But the happiest from my perspective would be - oh, that is a hard one! But I’d say it must be Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth, FINALLY granted their happy ending after suffering for so long!

That 's all. It's been a real pleasure to talk  with you about Jane Austen. Thanks for being with us today, Stephanie!

Thanks for hosting me, Maria!


Now it's your turn dear readers! Have you got any question for Stephanie Burgis? She's ready to answer and to interact with you. Don't forget your e-mail address if you want to be entered in the giveaway.

GUEST POST & DOUBLE GIVEAWAY - LEV RAPHAEL, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: THE JEWESS AND THE GENTILE

Lev Raphael is the author of 21 books in genres from memoir to mystery and his work has been translated into a dozen languages.  He currently blogs on books for The Huffington Post and writes a column for the on-line magazine Bibliobuffet.com.  A former radio talk show host, he also reviews for public radio in mid-Michigan, and has done hundreds of invited talks and readings on three different continents. 

Here's my guest to tell us about his enduring love for Jane Austen and has granted to you a free copy of his Pride and Prejudice: The Jewess and the Gentile ( a kindle copy and a Nook copy)

I fell in love over and over again in college.  With authors!

I was an English major and reeled from one new passion to another.  Some of them feel like youthful indiscretions now.  Tobias Smollett is one of those.  Dreiser is another.

Other loves have lasted and deepened as I've grown older and become an author myself and made a career of it. Austen is one of my enduring loves.  I've kept returning to different novels of hers over the years, finding new delights, new insights, new inspiration.  The writers an author loves became an eternal flame; it may dim sometimes, but it never goes out.

 As a Janeite, author, and reviewer, I've watched the Austen mash-up craze with interest.  Of course I had to see what the fuss was about, and I was intrigued to read books like Pride and Prejudice with Zombies because they left me with lots of questions.  Did the authors really like Austen?  After all, there's a lot of contempt in parodies.  Were they trying to cash in on the Austen boom?  I couldn't say for sure.

Authors are always writing one book or another in their heads, and often those books take unexpected turns.  Sometimes new books pop up that push their way to the head of the queue.  Reading mash-ups and reading about  mash-ups made me want to try one of my own.  But a mash-up with a difference.  

In a way, it's not complicated to superimpose something crazy on an Austen novel because you break the rules of her universe and make everything conform to your rules.  Reality gets twisted almost beyond recognition.  If you wanted, you could turn Fanny Price into the reincarnation of Queen Nefertiti and write The Mummy Returns to Mansfield Park.

But I didn't want to wreak havoc on Austen and wondered, what if my book didn't break the rules but kept them, with a twist?  I've written a lot on Jewish themes, so what if I made Lizzie's family Anglo-Jews and the book was still Austen's novel, but re-imagined with a whole new set of prejudices and pride about very different things added to the mix?

I did my research about Jews in Regency England, reread Pride and Prejudice (all research should be this enjoyable!) and worked on Austen's novel from the inside out, carefully weaving these new threads of mine into her funny, touching, romantic tapestry.  

Don't expect my book to be wildly different from the original;  I haven't tried to turn a Gainsborough portrait into a Picasso.  The changes I've made are often subtle: think of it as Austen's world seen through a different prism.  Maintaining that balance and restraint was one of the most unusual challenges I've faced in my long career, and perhaps the most fun!

LEV RAPHAEL 

Giveaway Time!!!

To enter this giveaway, which is open worldwide, leave a comment + your e-mail address.  Winners will be announced on October 19th. Please specify which edition are you interested in, Nook or Kindle?  

Visit Lev Raphael's Site


Read Lev Raphael's article "Jane Austen Takes no Prisoners"

MR DARCY'S BITE BY MARY LYDON SIMONSEN - GIVEAWAY WINNER

In the tradition of "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange (35,000 copies sold) this fresh, original paranormal Jane Austen sequel by bestselling author Mary Lydon Simonsen explores Mr. Darcy as the leader of a secret world of werewolves threatened with extinction.

Elizabeth comes to realize that she loves him in both his incarnations, and all his servants protect his secret. But then Elizabeth must confront a shocking danger to her beloved with every full moon, when Darcy is alone and exposed to those who hate wolves...

Mr Darcy's Bite is available on line at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk  ( also in the kindle version) and bookdepository.

The giveaway linked to my review  has been won by 

                   

                  pinkseele

Congratulations!!!

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks, for granted this free copy to My Jane Austen Book Club and its US & Canada readers. 

MARGARET'S REMATCH by FARIDA MESTEK - GIVEAWAY WINNER

Farida Mestek guestblogged here on My Jane Austen Book Club last week sharing  her love for Jane Austen with us . Have you read her lovely piece? HERE 
I want to thank her for her generosity and kindness and to wish her best luck before announcing the name of the winner of her e-book, Margaret's Rematch.
The winner is ...

dairigirl

Congratulations !!!

TALKING JANE AUSTEN WITH SHANNON WINSLOW + GIVEAWAY

Shannon Winslow has  already been my guest (HERE) in August with an interesting piece about her "The Darcys of Pemberley". Today's she's here again to talk Jane Austen with me and to grant you a new chance to win her beautiful continuation of P&P. Read the interview, answer Shannon's final questions (not necessarily all of them)  and add your e-mail address  if you want to be entered the giveaway  of a signed copy of "The Darcys of Pemberley." Open worldwide, this giveaway ends on 14th October. 

Welcome, Shannon.

Thanks, Maria! I’m delighted to be here.

First, tell me when and how you met Jane Austen.

Would you believe I met her at Costco about nine years ago?  Before that fateful shopping trip, I hadn’t read any of her novels. I didn’t even watch period movies.  Then, purely on impulse (or maybe it was Colin Firth’s pretty face), I bought the 1995 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. That started me off. Loved the movie. Read the book.  Read and reread all Jane Austen’s novels. Bought every film version I could get my hands on, and so forth.  I’ve been a confirmed Janeite ever since.

Why do you think we still love Jane Austen today?  I mean, what do you feel is the explanation for the fact that her appeal has continued, stronger than ever, into the 21^st century?

I’ve thought a lot about that question, and, more personally, what it was that struck such a cord with me the first time I read her work.  I believe it’s really a combination of things.  First, good writing stands the test of time, and Jane Austen was a gifted story-teller.  Novels were a new literary form in her day, and she had no formal training. Yet she read widely and, consciously or intuitively, understood the elements and structure of a good story. Plus, the themes she wrote about – finding love, balancing ideals against economic and social pressures, the triumph of the human spirit over circumstances – these subjects are timeless. 

I think for me, the other ingredient is the fairy-tale quality of her stories. They take us away from the crudeness and complexity of modern life, back to what seems like a simpler, more gracious time.  I say “seems like” because, with Jane Austen, we don’t see the grittier side of the picture – the poverty of peasants, or the lack of indoor plumbing, decent hygiene, and medical care. That’s okay with me. When I’m reading (or writing) for my own enjoyment, I’m not interested in focusing on the dark side of life.  My favorite Jane Austen quote is, “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.  I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.”

You’ve contrasted her world with ours.  What do you think Jane Austen would appreciate most about our time, and, conversely, what social evils would be the target of her wit if she was writing now?

She would certainly be delighted with the progress toward equality that women have made – from virtually no rights and very few options to a much wider world of opportunity now, at least in western society.  I don’t think the targets of her caustic wit would have changed much, though. People are still basically the same. There’s just as much snobbery, vanity, foolishness, and hypocrisy now as then. 

The Darcys of Pemberley is a sequel. So, what do you think motivates all the updates, spin-offs, mash-ups, and sequels – in print and on screen?  And do you consider the trend ultimately good or bad for Jane Austen’s legacy?

Basically, I feel that whatever gets and keeps people interested in Jane Austen is good for her legacy and good for her fans.  I’m not fond of the weirder interpretations myself – I take more of a “purist” approach – but I think most of the interest is motivated by genuine admiration for Jane Austen’s work, and the hunger for more.

Darcy and Elizabeth are the central characters in your continuation of Pride and Prejudice.  Do you think they are Austen’s most successfully matched couple? 

Yes, I think what I like most about the pairing is that although they are both strong characters, they have a symbiotic relationship. One is not dominant over the other, or more virtuous. They’re complimentary; they each become better under the influence of the other. Lizzy realizes this only after there seems no chance for them to get together:

She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes.  It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance. (Pride and Prejudice, chapter 50)

Then, which do you consider Austen’s most unfortunate couple?

The Collinses get my vote. There’s no romance, no companionship of like-minded spirits, no chance that the character of either Charlotte or Mr. Collins will benefit from the other. Even though Charlotte walked into that marriage with her eyes wide open, I felt compelled to rescue her. In my book and short story (Mr. Collins’s Last Supper), I wrote a better fate for her than she chose for herself.

Is there another minor character from Jane Austen’s work that you’d like to write a spin-off story for?

I’ve actually started work on the next installment of the Pride and Prejudice saga, beginning five years after the close of The Darcys of Pemberley. But this one will feature Mary Bennet. A protagonist needs to change and develop over the course of a novel, and Mary has so much room for improvement! We know her as a young woman who is physically plain, socially awkward, and overly proud of her intellectual and musical accomplishments. I’d like to see her grow beyond that, to prove herself someone we can sympathize with and root for. As with Charlotte, I want to give Mary her shot at happiness.

That’s something to look forward to down the road.  What else is in the works?

I have two other completed novels – an independent Austenesque story titled For Myself Alone, and a contemporary “what-if” about, of all things, a minor-league baseball player who gets a second chance at his dream (I managed to work a Jane Austen reference even into that book, however!). I also have an idea for a Persuasion tie-in novel. But the next to be published will be short stories – two parodies in Bad Austen this November, and, one way or another, Mr. Collins’s Last Supper (finalist in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It). It’s a tongue-in-cheek tale about Mr. Collins’s premature demise, and so serves as a prequel to The Darcys of Pemberley. 

For those that don’t know much about The Darcys of Pemberley, how would you describe it?

It’s the tale of two romances: Darcy and Elizabeth’s continuing story, and Georgiana’s courtship. If you didn’t want Pride and Prejudice to end, it gives you the chance to see what happens after the wedding, revisit old friends and foes, and share the next chapter of their lives.

Now I’d like to hear from you, Janeite readers! What type of Jane Austen fan fiction do you like best, or least, and why? What hasn't been done yet, that you’d be interested in reading? Would you like to see Mary Bennet get a little respect … and her own book?

If I can answer your last question ... Why not, Shannon! It'd be great. Thanks a lot. It's been a great pleasure to talk with you. Till next time, then! 

Visit Shannon Winslow's Blog

PERSUADE ME BY JULIET ARCHER - SECOND GIVEAWAY WINNER

Discussing Captain Wentworth's X-Factor has resulted in an amusing chatting session thanks to Juliet Archer's post.  Thanks for your interesting contributions and all your comments! 

Among all the commenters , the lucky winner of a copy of Juliet Archer's Persuade Me:

Laura Ferrari

Congratulations!

Read my review of the book

MR DARCY'S BITE BY MARY LYDON SIMONSEN - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

To combine the Regency with  parallel paranormal worlds has become a steady and successful reality it seems. Mashup they are called in the fan fiction market and they appeal to both readers who even happen to ignore who Jane Austen was and what her world was like as well as Janeites fond of gothic tales. Will the mashup trend also win new fans over and bring them to read Austen novels? I really hope so.
Mary Lydon Simonsen, after publishing more traditional sequels to Pride and Prejudice like Searching for Pemberley and The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy,  decided to have a try at writing an original paranormal novel following the trend of "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre" by Amanda Grange (35,000 copies sold!).  The result is this fresh diverting story in which the characters of Pride and Prejudice quite naturally interact with the mysterious and fascinating world of werewolves. 

"As soon as he saw the fire and candles, he froze, and Lizzy froze as well. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the room, and her heart went into her throat. She barely managed to croak out, "Mr Darcy, it is Elizabeth". But rather than her voice reassuring him, and he told her to come into the light. "What are you doing here?" he asked in an emotionless voice that contrasted sharply with the fire in his eyes. "I'm very sorry, sir. I have made a mistake." She started t walk backwards, but before she could reach the door, he grabbed her roughly by her arm. Now she was truly frightened. "(p. 58)

Mr Darcy with a lean and hungry look ? You can bet on  that.
However, before I go further on, you must know that  I'm not a fan of paranormal, gothic, horror, mystery, ghost stories. I avoid reading them as much as I can. Moreover, I have never read a mash-up of this kind,  combining Austen characters with paranormal events and characters. Hence, you're not going to read the opinions of an expert or of a fan.

That said,  if someone picks up this novel expecting  Darcy to be a steamy, beasty  werewolf, they will be disappointed with the very sober scenes in which they will learn that Darcy is definitely able to resist his strong instincts. He is an "almost" perfect gentleman, as he "almost" always was. Darcy is here strong tempered, sexy and romantic at the same time. He must disappear every month for a couple of days for there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behaviour and  Elizabeth's love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed ...
This time Darcy has more than family pride to protect: he is also the leader of a pack and is responsible for others of his kind.
Elizabeth has got a charming gorgeous rival in Lady Helen and this makes everything spicier: Lady Helen seems determined to get Darcy all for herself. After the initial shocking discovery about Darcy's past and present hidden nature,  Lizzy is puzzled and frightened but she will react and fight back because she doesn't want to lose the man she loves either. She will fight back with her smart wit and her ingenuity.

I especially liked Mary Lydon Simonsen's humorous style.  She is good with words and there are very amusing pages in this novel, for instance those describing Elizabeth and Darcy engaged in  their inevitable skirmishes. It is a delightful paranormal romance that will appeal to mashup fans and to those loving Austen sequels with a new take on familiar events. 

The official date for the release of Mr Darcy's Bite is October 4th. Tomorrow! You'll find it in Paperback  or Kindle edition

GIVEAWAY TIME !!! Leaving your comments to this post  + your e-mail address you can have the chance to win a copy of Mr Darcy's Bite granted by Sourcebooks to My Jane Austen Book Club  and its readers. This giveaway contest is limited to US & Canada only and ends on October 10th. 

FARIDA MESTEK - LOVING JANE AUSTEN IN UKRAINE - GUESTPOST & EBOOK GIVEAWAY

My guest today on My Jane Austen Book club is Farida Mestek.  She lives in Ukraine, but she adores Regency England, where she spends a great deal of her time. She fell in love with it the moment she saw one of the film productions on TV when she was a child, and her love and fascination grew and solidified with every Jane Austen book that she read and reread time and time again.
Having been writing all of her life, she decided to write Regency-set stories herself. At present she has a long queue of characters who wait most impatiently to have their stories told. Her dream is to build a Regency village, the aim of which would be to provide Regency-lovers from around the world with a veritable Regency lifestyle experience.

GIVEAWAY

 Read Farida's guestpost, leave your comment + e-mail address and you will have the chance to win the e-book version of her Regency Romance: "Margaret's Rematch". Open worldwide, this giveaway contest ends on  8th October, when the winner is announced. 

First of all, thank you very much, Maria Grazia,  for the invitation to talk about my favourite author and activity!

Once you fall in love with Jane Austen – it’s for life. You can’t help reading her books once, twice, three times… well… many-many times over and over again. However, there inevitably comes a point when you have to admit that you want, you absolutely need, more!

You can’t get enough of that excellent wit and engrossing conversation, irony and ridicule, balls and fashions, fair ladies and charming gentlemen, manners and morals, love and matches, manors and grounds, carriages and journeys, London diversions and all sorts of people who inhabit the world of her books, many of whom settle in our hearts and dreams for good.

You bitterly regret that our beloved Jane, gifted with so much genius was, unfortunately, given so little time to exercise it and lament the fact that “Sanditon” was never finished. You start looking for other authors and books of the kind or think of your own ways to add and expand Jane’s works into prequels, sequels and spin-offs.

As for me, I don’t think that I’ll ever have the courage to “re-write” a Jane Austen novel. But who knows? I’ve recently caught myself contemplating the fact that I’d wish to vindicate Miss Caroline Bingley in the eyes of the world and show that she deserves our sympathy and well wishes – personally, I think that she was used abominably ill by Mr. Darcy. However, for now I mean to stick to my own characters and stories.

I must say that I was extremely cautious and hesitant about writing my very first Austenesque Regency. I craved for something simple, sweet, traditional, old-fashioned and slow-paced, but I didn’t think that I could do it at the time – I knew so little! – yet the moment I decided that I probably should – if only for my own writing and reading pleasure – characters and plots, twists and first lines invaded my mind and I knew that I could not keep them inside for ever.

Yet I waited. Waited for courage to come until, with much trepidation, I showed Chapter One of what was then “Imitation” – a broad hint that I was imitating Jane Austen’s style and language – to an acquaintance who turned out to be another (and you have no idea how scarce they are in Ukraine!) Jane Austen fan and, encouraged by her reaction, I began. Later it became “Margaret's Rematch”.

Looking back, I can confirm that I knew precious little at the time, despite the fact that I’d done my research. But, let’s face it: you can’t do enough research – there's always something else, something new, something more to learn. But I’m happy that it didn’t stop me, because I learn better as I go along.

At the moment I’m working on my two next projects: traditional, epistolary Regencies according to Jane Austen. One is a novel from the hero’s point of view (my main heroine proved to be too ungovernable!) and the other is a short novella that I’m posting on my blog every Wednesday. Letters One, Two and Three are already posted and I'd like to invite you all to stop by Regency Sketches, read the story and leave your feedback.

Thank you!

Farida Mestek