A friendly meeting place to read and discuss anything Austen...
Hello, readers! It’s such a treat to be back at My Jane Austen Book Club to share my upcoming release, The Sisters’ Holiday, which is coming to Kindle next month!
Inspired by the film “The Holiday” this Jane Austen retelling sees the two eldest Bennet Sisters switch places with their cousins, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood after Christmas together at Longbourn.
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We’re thrilled to welcome back Jayne Bamber to My Jane Austen Book Club! Jayne is well known for her clever and creative Austen-inspired stories, and this autumn she’s bringing us something delightfully different — a whodunnit with a Jane Austen twist!
Just in time for Spooky Season, Jayne introduces her upcoming release, Clwyd Castle, a mystery inspired by the cult classic film Clue. Expect wit, intrigue, and a gathering of familiar Austen faces — including Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Henry Tilney, and even Lady Susan — all drawn into a darkly comic web of secrets and blackmail.
Let’s hear from Jayne herself and enjoy an exclusive excerpt from this thrilling new tale...
In this retelling, she plays an integral role in Darcy and Elizabeth’s love story. After overhearing Darcy say he will never marry her on the night of the assembly, Caroline decides that the best way to continue enjoying access to Pemberley and Darcy’s social connections is to be the dearest friend of his future wife. And when Darcy admires Elizabeth’s “fine eyes” at Lucas Lodge, Caroline knows who his future bride ought to be.
Today I am sharing an excerpt from that party at Lucas Lodge. When Caroline sees Elizabeth not as a rival but more of a project, the course of the story takes a very different course….
Jayne Bamber
Dear Janeites,
Prepare yourselves for a new journey into the heart of Regency England with MJ Stratton's latest release, Thwarted. If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if Mr. Darcy faced an insurmountable obstacle in his pursuit of love, this novel is sure to delight and intrigue you.
MJ Stratton, a devoted aficionado of all things Austen, brings us a fresh and imaginative tale that seamlessly intertwines the beloved world of Pride and Prejudice with a tantalizing new twist.
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IN WESTMINSTER’S HALLS: DARCY’S ABOLITIONIST ROMANCE
What inspired you to set the characters of Pride and
Prejudice against the backdrop of the British abolitionist movement?
I am one of those oddities: my favorite Austen book is Mansfield Park, at least when it comes to dealing with the social questions of Austen’s time. However, while I liked the thematics either overt or implied, in the book, I found the characters to be rather pale. However, that’s where P&P came in…Darcy and Elizabeth are dynamic. I also wanted to see how Mr. Bennet would act when principle forced him from his library.
Explore the world of Fitzwilliam Darcy like never before with Kelly Dean Jolley's new novel, Darcy's Struggle. This romantic and reflective story offers a fresh perspective on the classic tale, probing deep into Darcy's internal conflicts and emotions as he navigates his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet. In the following excerpt, we witness a pivotal moment where Darcy's perception of Elizabeth begins to shift, illuminating his struggle between intellect and heart.
Brilliant, sensitive, and private, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself
at the Meryton Assembly, consciously troubled by recent events in Ramsgate and
unconsciously troubled by himself. He insults Elizabeth Bennet, at whom
he has only glanced.
It is not until she appears at Netherfield—full of life, skirted in mud, and eager to attend to
her sick sister—that Darcy
truly looks at her. When he does, he knows she is the woman he has been
searching for, the elusive her of his heart. He falls for her
completely…despite her apparent unsuitability to be the Mistress of Pemberley
and his half-hearted efforts to convince himself he can live without her.
Shortly before Elizabeth leaves Netherfield,
Darcy apologizes for what he said at the Assembly. Will that apology and the
depth of his sudden but durable feelings give him hope with Elizabeth? Might
George Wickham’s arrival frustrate his hopes, especially after Darcy blunders
into a marriage proposal to Elizabeth?
Romantic, reflective, and ironic, this is a
story told from Darcy’s point of view, a story of the struggle from intellect
to heart—a deliberate character study and a delicate love
story.
Read an Excerpt
Darcy finally stopped staring.
It took
an act of will. Normally, Darcy had willpower in abundance. This time, it took
all he had.
When he
turned, Miss Bingley was staring at him. She had been staring at him staring at
Miss Elizabeth. He realized Miss Bingley had been aware of his staring since it
began—since Miss Elizabeth had entered Netherfield.
Bingley’s
sister always strained the world through his reactions, and he had forgotten
that. His reactions normally determined hers.
Behind
him, he heard Miss Elizabeth's voice, now fully contrite and containing no
trace of the challenge that had been in her eyes. She spoke softly to the
servants. “I am sorry. I tried to clean them before I knocked on the door and
believed I had, but the November mud is like glue.”
“It’s no
problem, ma’am,” one of the servants said, responding softly in kind.
Miss
Bingley turned as Darcy reached her, shaking her head in disapproval. “She walked here. What would she be about?”
Darcy
glanced at her, but only after he finally looked away from Miss Elizabeth. “She
has come to help care for her sister. An errand of kindness.”
She went
on shaking her head.
Tolerable?
Darcy
could now hear the question in his voice—in foro interno, as it
were: the voice of conscience.
Did I
say that? Was I that insensible? That inattentive? That
mistaken?
He
replayed the scene at the Assembly in his memory again. He had noticed Miss
Elizabeth before Bingley pointed her out, and he had glanced at her several
times during and after his exchange with him. But Darcy had not actually paid
attention to her—he had noticed the peculiar brightness of her eyes, and that
was all.
Tolerable?
Like saying Shakespeare had a minor gift for phrases.
He had
seen her now—truly seen her—and he would not judge so poorly again. She might
have inadvertently trailed mud into Netherfield, but she had also brought life
into it.
“Go and
sit down, Mr. Darcy. Join the others.” Although Miss Bingley managed a faint
smile, her tone was tense, hovering between request and command. “I will go
back and see that Miss Eliza finds her way to Jane's room. The apothecary
remains there.”
He nodded.
He did not glance back at Miss Elizabeth until Miss Bingley was walking toward
her and could not see.
When he
entered the drawing room, he realized his hands were clammy.
It was a new sensation.
***
His personal copy of Johnson's Rambler was
open on Darcy's lap and his eyes were fixed on the page, but he managed to read
nothing.
He
remained distracted.
Miss
Elizabeth. Her. Her?
Darcy
had never had any patience for those who believed that regard, love, could
spring from a first interview or show itself before two words had been
exchanged. A fantasy.
He had
always believed, to the contrary, that love was the result of less interesting
but more promising modes of attachment: knowledge of character, esteem—or even,
perhaps, gratitude. These were trustworthy foundations of love.
If any
love was possible before two words had been exchanged, it would have to be love
without knowledge of character or love without esteem, a house built on sand,
the result of passion outstripping virtue, taking reason hostage.
His
parents had loved and esteemed one another, learning to do so during a long
courtship, and their example of wedded harmony had shaped Darcy's hopes,
creating his understanding of connubial bliss.
He knew
Christopher Marlowe’s lines—Where both deliberate, the love is slight: Who
ever loved, that loved not at first sight?—but he rejected them. He
expected a deliberate love, like his parents’. A fine, stout love, solidly
three-dimensional, capable of withstanding the contradictions and varieties of
life.
As a
result, he had never imagined meeting her as involving
immediate recognition, of a vision with sudden, compulsive power. He had expected
to come to know her as her, as the woman, slowly,
over time, after first discovering that she satisfied his demands for her
situation and connections, that she was eligible. Eligible for
Pemberley. Perhaps she would even have a title. Only then could he begin to
ascertain whether she was the woman for whom he was searching.
Unfortunately, all the eligible women he had so far met had quickly proven not to be the woman he was looking for.
He had
not known what she looked like, but experience had taught him a great deal
about what she did not look like. The words of one of his Cambridge tutors came
to mind: “Plato asks the question that became the Learner’s Paradox. If you
don't know what you are searching for, how can you recognize it when you find
it, and if you do know, why is searching necessary? Either way, learning seems
impossible.”
But when
Miss Elizabeth tracked muddily into Netherfield with November on her hair and
in the color of her cheeks, eyes aflame, what Darcy saw had sudden, compulsive
power. She was herself a lesson. It was her. He had not known who
he was searching for, yet he knew it was she.
But it could not be. She was ineligible.
Did you enjoy this excerpt? Grab your copy then and immerse yourself in this delicate love story and character study, where every glance and gesture holds significance. Darcy's Struggle is a tale of transformation and self-discovery, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and anyone who enjoys a deep, introspective romance. Don't miss out on this compelling new release!
Amazon Universal Buy Link
About the Author
Kelly Dean Jolley, a professor at Auburn University, has penned several novels. His first, Big Swamp, is a detective novel, which he followed with a Christmas mystery, The Vanishing Woman. He also composed a book of poetry, Stony Lonesome.
Using the pseudonym Newton Priors, he released three additional novels: Balter (A Retelling of Pride and Prejudice), Tides of Bath (A Retelling of Persuasion), and a Western, Heaven and Hell: A Romance.
Professor Jolley has made contributions to many academic publications as well. He is the author of The Concept 'Horse' Paradox and Wittgensteinian Conceptual Investigations, the editor of Wittgenstein: Key Concepts, and has published over forty academic articles. He is a past Alumni Professor and currently the Goodwin-Philpott Endowed Chair in Religion and Professor of Philosophy.
Contact Information
Coming Soon from Kelly Dean Jolley and Meryton
Press
Pride, Prejudice, and Pretense
(A spy novel, a romance, and a character study)
Dear Austenians,
Welcome, one and all, to My Jane Austen Book Club! I am thrilled to extend a heartfelt welcome to each of you who decided to join us on the second day of a truly special journey.
Today, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce our esteemed guest, Christine Combe! Welcome back and thank you for being a part of this delightful gathering.
Today, we have the privilege of exploring Christine's latest literary marvel, The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet. This brilliant duet, crafted with Christine's masterful pen, promises to whisk us away to the enchanting world of Jane Austen's iconic characters.
Introducing Damn Her and
Her Fine Eyes!
Greetings, dear readers of My Jane Austen
Book Club! Today, I am thrilled to present to you a delightful treat for all
lovers of Regency-era literature and the intricate dance of courtship: Damn Her and Her Fine Eyes!
This short story, penned by the talented
author behind "The Three Witches of Milton," delves into the world of
Caroline Bingley, a character familiar to fans of Jane Austen's beloved
classic, Pride and Prejudice. Set in the illustrious realm of
Austen's England, Damn Her and Her Fine Eyes! offers a captivating
glimpse into the life and intrigues of one of literature's most memorable
antagonists.
In this intimate tale, Caroline Bingley takes center stage, revealing layers of her character often left unexplored. With a narrative spanning a mere 2,000 words, the story unfolds with precision and nuance, inviting readers to unravel the complexities of Caroline's ambitions, desires, and innermost thoughts.
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It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you a brand new Pride and Prejudice variation, "No Less Than Any Other," authored by MJ Stratton. This delightful novel presents an intriguing twist on the classic tale we all know and love. Are you ready to scroll down and discover more?
Dear readers and Jane Austen aficionados,
We're thrilled to have the talented author Amanda Kai with us today to celebrate the release of her latest literary delight, "Miss Bingley and the Baron." As we open the pages of her enchanting story, we're transported to the world of Regency romance, where love blossoms under the veil of disguise and false pretenses.
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Welcome, dear readers, to My Jane Austen Book Club! Today, we embark on a journey through the pages of a captivating new novel, Doubt Not, Cousin, written by the talented author Barry S. Richman. Filled with love, secrets, and the charm of England's Regency era, this book promises to delight all Austen enthusiasts. Join me as we delve into the depths of darkness and emerge into the light of happily ever after.
Here's a new Pride and Prejudice Variation to discover: Four Proposals of Marriage. It's by Laura Moretti, who has generously granted 3 readers of My Jane Austen Book Club the chance to win a copy of her new release. Scroll down, read chapter one and try your luck in the giveaway contest!
ABOUT THE BOOK
What if Darcy had to propose marriage four times—yes, FOUR—before
Elizabeth accepted his hand?
The Darcys and the Bennets have always been neighbours and close friends, and Fitzwilliam Darcy grew up scampering through the fields in the company of Mr Bennet’s two daughters, the very pretty Jane and the very impertinent Elizabeth.
It’s
great to be back at My Jane Austen Book Club! Today I am here to share another
excerpt of my new release, Handsome, Clever, & Rich, which is now available on Kindle Unlimited.
This Pride & Prejudice variation is a crossover with another of my favorites, Emma, and the titular heroine plays an important role in the story. While Emma’s love story is a gradual progression, Elizabeth’s path to romance is much rockier in this story. This retelling has styled her a Bennet by marriage rather than birth, and after a youthful elopement and brief marriage, the widow of four years has sworn never to wed again… until Elizabeth is convalescing at Netherfield and a moment of passion with Mr. Darcy leads to a compromise that jeopardizes the reputation of her Bennet relations.
In my latest Austen-inspired novel, Elizabeth Bennet’s Gallant Suitor, part of the action centers around a horse race—specifically one with a horse called “Bingley’s T,” owned by Charles Bingley. Yes, I have Bingley take Netherfield not only to satisfy his father’s wish for his son to own property, as would a proper gentleman of the time, but also to satisfy Bingley’s obsession with horses. In my tale, Bingley hopes to develop a line of thoroughbreds. “Bingley’s T” is an Arabian mare and untested and an unknown in her first race.
My two favorite genres to read are Jane Austen variations (of course) and romantic fantasy. So it isn’t really a surprise that some of my favorite books combine the two of them!
