Wednesday 29 June 2016

VICTORIA GROSSACK, FOR THE LOVE OF LYDIA


Miss Lydia Bennet!  What can we say about the youngest of the Bennet beauties?  The first thing we notice is that she is determined to have fun.  She dances every dance and she is so absorbed by her games that she can sometimes forget everything else – even the officers.  She describes how she and some of her friends dress up Chamberlayne – perhaps a servant of her uncle’s? – in women’s clothing (yes, there is cross-dressing in Austen).  She chases the redcoats, which some find in bad taste but does show energy.

The second thing is that she refuses to listen to others.  She never listens to her sister Mary, and when her cousin Mr. Collins starts reading aloud from Fordyce’s Sermons, she interrupts him before he has finished three pages.  Her parents and her sisters upbraid her for her rudeness, but in reality Lydia has spared them a very dull evening.  We can understand Lydia’s policy of not listening, with parents and aunts and four older sisters, always ready to tell her what to do.

Although last in a family of five girls, she refuses to remain in the background and elbows her way to the front.  Encouraged by her mother, at fifteen she is already “out” in society, a decision that Elizabeth agrees with Lady Catherine is ill-advised (although not even her ladyship could have stopped Lydia).  But still Lydia is the youngest, and being the youngest meant that in many respects she was the least in her family.

Saturday 25 June 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON ... HOPE FOR MR DARCY BY JEANNA ELLWORTH + GIVEAWAY


Jeanna Ellsworth Lake
Thank you for the chance to share with you my latest release! The Hope Series Trilogy is a series of love stories where each character has to endure the hopelessness of unrequited love.


But where there is love, there is always hopeI thought I would give you one of my favorite scenes in Hope for Mr. Darcy, the first in the Hope Series Trilogy. But I will have to give you a bit of background to help you understand the dynamics of the environment.  Darcy had been refused the day before. The first part of the excerpt is from Elizabeth’s perspective, while she is very ill and delusional. 

However, every word and touch between Darcy and Elizabeth are actually happening in the real world where Darcy is questionably sane himself. (LOL – I mean who has ever suffered unrequited love is truly in their right mind??). The second section is from Darcy’s perspective and what is actually happening in the Collins’ parsonage sitting room. I would apologize for the length of it . . . but I think you might thank me instead!   *wink wink




Read an excerpt  


Elizabeth had felt alone for a brief moment. But no sooner had she called out for Mr. Darcy, than he was right beside her again, his hand in hers again.
“Do not fret, Elizabeth,” he whispered. “I am here.”
Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked to her left, and sure enough, he was there. Her gaze returned to the sun. “This is such a beautiful place. I believe I could stay here forever. Do you ever stay here for long periods of time?”
“No, not usually. But I will stay if you wish.”
Elizabeth was sure she already knew that. This place seemed to effectively communicate things with accuracy; she felt privileged to partake of it. She could hear things without ears. She observed without seeing. Without speaking, she was able to say exactly what she meant. Her heart spoke for her, yet she never felt her lips move, although they might have out of habit. Her only limitation in communicating in this garden was her ability to describe it.

Sunday 19 June 2016

THE ELIZABETH PAPERS BLOG TOUR - JENETTA JAMES REVEALS WHO'S WHO

A huge thank you to Maria Grazia for welcoming me back for part 2 of The Elizabeth Papers blog tour stop at My Jane Austen Book Club. At the beginning of the blog tour, I posted this piece about imagining the faces of Pride and Prejudice. Using contemporary paintings, I had tried to find all of our favourite characters. Maria Grazia posted a selection of portraits and I invited readers to guess who was who.

There are, of course, no right answers, because we all imagine these fine characters differently. This, however, is my whos who.

IMAGE 1:




Reader, meet Lydia Wickham. In The Elizabeth Papers, Lydia has an important role so imagining what she looks like is something I did a lot while I was writing it. This portrait may be slightly too poised for her, but something about the face, about to break into a laugh shouts her name to me.

Friday 17 June 2016

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP THE JANEITE BLOG TOUR - WHIT STILLMAN REIMAGINES AUSTEN'S LADY SUSAN

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Love & Friendship by   Whit Stillman - Book description

Whit Stillman has taken Austen’s never-finished epistolary novella, Lady Susan, reimagined it as a straight narrative, and added the hilarious new character of Rufus, Susan’s apologist nephew, who aims to clear Susan’s good name come hell or high water (even if he is doing it from "the ignoble abode" of debtors’ prison ). Despite many indications to the contrary, Rufus insists that Susan is, “the kindest, most delightful woman anyone could know, a shining ornament to our Society and Nation.” Rufus then appends his earnest tale with a collection of his aunt’s letters, which he claims have been altered by Austen to cast the estimable Lady Susan in a bad light.
Impossibly beautiful, disarmingly witty, and completely self-absorbed, Lady Susan Vernon, is both the heart and the thorn of Love & Friendship. Recently widowed, with a daughter who’s coming of age as quickly as their funds are dwindling, Lady Susan makes it her mission to find them wealthy husbands——and fast.
But when her attempts to secure their futures result only in the wrath of a prominent conquest’s wife and the title of “most accomplished coquette in England,” Lady Susan must rethink her strategy.
Unannounced, she arrives at her brother-in-law’s country estate. Here she intends to take refuge——in no less than luxury, of course——from the colorful rumors trailing her, while finding another avenue to “I do.” Before the scandalizing gossip can run its course, though, romantic triangles ensue.

Monday 13 June 2016

BLOG TOUR - THE COMING OF AGE OF ELIZABETH BENNET BY CAITLIN WILLIAMS + GIVEAWAY


A coming-of-age story told in four volumes between Austen’s infamous couple; savor the story of the prideful man and the girl prejudiced against him, as they meet much earlier in this rethinking of Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Pride & Prejudice. Could this ‘disobedient little hellion’ one day become mistress of Pemberley and the keeper of his heart?
Caitlin Williams, author of the highly-praised book, Ardently, tours the blogosphere from June 13- June 26, 2016 to share her newest release, The Coming Of Age Of Elizabeth Bennet. Fourteen book bloggers, specializing in Austenesque fiction and romance stories, will share excerpts, guest posts, an exclusive interview with the author and book reviews from this highly awaited Austen-inspired novel. Eight ebooks are also being included in our giveaways  (check the rafflecopter form below this post) 
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Welcome readers to the launch of the blog tour for Caitlin Williams’ newly released book, The Coming Of Age Of Elizabeth Bennet. We would like to extend our gratitude to Maria Grazia for welcoming us to her wonderful blog and for helping us launch these virtual visits with fourteen popular book bloggers, who feature Austenesque and romance fiction, as they share guest posts, giveaways, excerpts, book reviews and an interview with Caitlin Williams along this journey.

The Coming Of Age Of Elizabeth Bennet takes readers back to when Elizabeth Bennet was a highly-spirited and immature fifteen-year-old girl, as she finds herself facing the most heartbreaking situation of her young life; Mr. Bennet has passed away and Elizabeth must go to Derbyshire to live with her new guardian. You’re probably curious who this new caretaker is! It is none other than Mr. George Darcy, Mr. Bennet’s old friend, who has agreed to raise her alongside his own daughter, eleven-year-old Georgiana Darcy.

Friday 10 June 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON ... MR DARCY'S JOURNEY BY ABIGAIL REYNOLDS + GIVEAWAY

Mr. Darcy is at his wits’ end. Elizabeth Bennet, the woman he can’t live without, overhears him insulting her family. Now she won’t even listen to his apologies. Then his old friend Sir Anthony Duxbury tells him two of their friends are in terrible danger. If Darcy wants to help them, they have to leave for Yorkshire immediately.

But something doesn’t add up. Elizabeth claims to know Sir Anthony, too – but by a different name. What game is his old friend playing? And is it dangerous?

Even Sir Anthony says the trip is dangerous. The Luddite rebels are on the verge of armed revolt – and he should know, because he’s one of them. Darcy’s cousin Lady Frederica decides she’s going with them anyway, and insists on bringing Elizabeth. Could this be Darcy’s chance to earn Elizabeth’s forgiveness and her love?

Elizabeth would rather face a squad of Napoleon’s soldiers than spend three days trapped in a carriage with Darcy and his headstrong cousin, but she has her own reason for agreeing to come. If she can just manage to keep her temper, she may be able to rescue her uncle from financial ruin.

But when a Luddite riot erupts around them, it’s Darcy and Elizabeth who need rescuing – from each other.

Read an excerpt

Darcy presented himself at the door of Matlock House precisely at the hour his uncle had commanded. The butler looked surprised to see him and hesitated noticeably before admitting him, but he took him to the drawing room and announced him to Lady Matlock and Frederica.
His aunt offered him her cheek. “Darcy, what a pleasant surprise!”
A bad sign. Lady Matlock did not like surprises. “His lordship invited me to dinner,” he said cautiously.