AUTHOR DENISE STOUT VISITED THE WILL & JANE EXHIBIT IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Denise Stout is an enthusiastic Janeite who was lucky enough to be able to visit the exhibition,  Will & Jane: Shakespeare, Austen and the Cult of Celebrity at the Folger Shakespeare Library. She knows I'd have willingly joined her if only I didn't live on the other side of the pond, so she was so kind and generous to write a report for me personally and agreed to post it here at My Jane Austen Book Club. I hope you'll enjoy reading her musings as much as I did and will appreciate the pictures she sent me. Thank you, Denise! 

                When I first learned of the Will & Jane exhibit at the Folger, I knew I had to go. Living so close to Washington, D.C., the opportunity to view the items on display, especially the undergarment* worn by a favorite Mr. Darcy, Colin Firth, and known colloquially as The Shirt, was more than a goal, it became a must-see. As the weeks passed by, it seemed like the visit wouldn’t happen. My husband surprised me when he announced he would take off on a Friday to accompany me. He travels the Metro frequently, so there was little chance of missing the stop or riding the wrong line to the Capitol area.

LETTER FROM RAMSGATE BLOG TOUR: AUTHOR GUEST POST, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Hello everyone! I'm glad to open a new blog tour for a new Pride and Prejudice variation. There's never too much Mr Darcy & Elizabeth in our lives and Suzan Lauder knows it!  Today she is my guest again  with a new great post. Enjoy your cup of tea!

About the book

Sir, I am not known to you. I fear you may have concerns regarding some intelligence that recently came to me from your sister...

...a simple letter shatters illusions and turns the world upside down!

On holiday in Ramsgate, Elizabeth Bennet befriends shy, romantic Georgiana Darcy, who shares an adoring description of an ideal elder brother. When Georgiana discloses a secret infatuation with her brother’s “close friend” Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth’s altered perception of both men affects her actions and alliances.

The secret within an anonymous letter from Ramsgate ties Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together but also separates them. A second missive unlocks the disguise, but Mr. Darcy realizes his true passions too late to assist Elizabeth in her darkest hour. Will the shocking disclosure of a forgotten letter transform his understanding of her heart and lead them to embrace their future?

Letter from Ramsgate is a Pride and Prejudice variation suitable for most audiences (youth and up).

THE MANY LIVES OF FITZWILLIAM DARCY BLOG TOUR & GREAT GIVEAWAY

After Fitzwilliam Darcy finds his suit rejected by the only woman in the world he would ever marry, he looks to make a quick exit out of Kent and go back to his life before he met Elizabeth Bennet. Yet, when he wakes the next day he discovers that getting back to everything he still holds dear may be more challenging than he ever imagined. What if finding his way back means getting another chance to win Elizabeth’s love?

Beau North and Brooke West, co-authors of Holiday Mix Tape from the Meryton Press winter anthology, Then Comes Winter, tour the blogosphere from October 8-October 19, 2016, to share their latest collaboration, The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Thirteen book bloggers, specializing in Austenesque fiction and romance stories, will share excerpts, guest posts, an exclusive interview with the authors and book reviews from this highly anticipated Austen-inspired novel. Four ebooks and four paperbacks are also being included in our giveaways and entry is available to anyone who participates. And this great blog tour starts right here, at My Jane Austen Book Club,  today! Let's welcome Beau and Brooke on their first day on tour.

__________________________________________________________

Good morning, Maria Grazia, and thank you for welcoming us to your lovely blog, My Jane Austen Book Club. We are thrilled to launch our tour for The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy here with your readers, and we look forward to sharing a wide range of posts related to this story throughout this tour. Today, we have a post that readers have been anticipating because we are revealing our top three choices for our The Many Faces of Fitzwilliam Darcy contest, where your readers, and anyone else who votes during this tour, will be able to pick our final winning image.

Before the big reveal, I want to thank all of my readers at Just Jane 1813 who contributed such gorgeous and inspiring images! We were truly blown away by your creativity and your search skills. There were so many entries that we had never even considered before, and we have to say that it’s amazing how one character can inspire so much enthusiasm and ardent admiration!

The idea for our contest was inspired by the passionate reactions that so many readers have to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy; the wealthy and swoon-worthy character that has lived on for more than two centuries in the hearts and minds of so many people.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... TIMELESS BY DENISE O'HARA + GIVEAWAY

Timeless: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

Elizabeth eagerly awaits her sister Jane's letter while visiting Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. But circumstances cause the letter to be delayed by two additional days. The extra time with Darcy changes the course of both of their lives, in ways no one could have predicted... or even thought possible. In a plot twist, you won't see coming, Darcy and Elizabeth find out if their love is truly timeless...

(This book has a sci-fi element which brings the couple into the present. It's written to be believably scientific.)

Read an excerpt from the book

Lizzy had been a good deal disappointed in not finding a letter from her sister, Jane, on their first arrival at Lambton, and this disappointment had been renewed on each of the mornings that had now been spent there. Today was now the third morning and still no post arrived.  She became slightly worried over this, but she directly abandoned the thought and shifted her focus to something entirely different. A variety of thoughts were vying for her attention; she made a frantic emotional effort to sift them as they flowed in. The manner in which Mr. Darcy continued to behave since first seeing him at Pemberly was at the forefront of her mind.

 “Lizzy dear, good morning,” aunt Gardiner said as her niece entered the breakfast room.

“Good morning, Aunt.” They engaged in tête-à-tête for a few minutes before her aunt informed her that the family would spend the morning taking a walking tour around the town. Lizzy quickly agreed to the prospect of getting to know a few of the modern shops and other interesting sights in the small town of Lambton.

The Gardiners and their niece were preparing to take their leave when the housemaid at the Lambton Inn, where they were staying, opened the door to announce Mr. Darcy.

Lizzy was not expecting to see him today. She was filled with a heightened sense of every feeling when he entered the room. She could not help but notice how very handsome he looked in his black wool suit and black hat. He had come alone on horseback that morning. On seeing the ladies with their hats on already and Mr. Gardiner with his walking stick, he quickly surmised they were on their way out and apologised for his intrusion.

MR DARCY'S PRESENT BLOG TOUR - REGINA JEFFERS' S GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

I admit it. I love autumn. I live in North Carolina where for the past two summers we have had a string of 90+ degrees days. This year, since May 27, we have had 82 such days. The lowest temperature we have experienced in three months is 83. So, I am thankful for the latter days of September and the early days of October when the heat and the humidity take a backseat. We will still receive a few days of 85+ degrees until November, but the heat eases, and people start thinking of the upcoming holidays.

Moreover, in my family, we have a series of birthdays between now and year’s end. I turned a sweet 69 years on September 17. [There was a time I thought being 69 meant one was ANCIENT! Not so much now.] My granddaughter Annalise turns 3 in early October. My stepson Tim will be 40 on Halloween. My grandson James will be 5 in early November, and his father (my son) Josh will be 32 in mid November. We have Thanksgiving in the States at the end of November [which included my late mother’s birthday] and Christmas in December. And the much anticipated event at the beginning of January will be a new grandchild. So you can see how my heart grows lighter once the heat of summer disappears.

On one of those recent hot summer evenings, I was speaking to my long time friend Charlotte on the phone, and is customary between us, we were reminiscing about some crazy antics from our childhood. Soon, I was telling her about the year I received four Easter baskets. This was a monumental event for my parents were separated in a time when divorce was still not “accepted.” My mother did not know whether she could scrap up enough money to purchase an Easter basket, and so she had prepared me for disappointment. Then God smiled on my 10-year-old self for my grandfather bought me a basket, our neighbors, who had no children of their own, did likewise, the woman for whom my mother worked presented me with a third one, and my mother was the bearer of the fourth. It was too much chocolate for one child, but I rationed it out to last a LONG time. What was odd about each was that somehow the little note from the presenters were mixed up, and I kept thanking the wrong people for the chocolate bunnies or the jelly beans. Soon the situation became a family source of laughter.

NEW RELEASE! THE JANE AUSTEN WRITERS' CLUB - INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR REBECCA SMITH & GIVEAWAY

“This guide steers away from lists of how-tos, filling a niche for readers and writers who are as interested in experiencing the journey to better writing as arriving at the destination.” —Library Journal

The Jane Austen Writers' Club is out tomorrow in the US! It is the first creative writing guide to look at the methods and devices used by the world's most beloved novelist.

Here Rebecca Smith examines the major aspects of writing fiction—plotting, characterization, openings and endings, dialogue, settings, and writing methods—sharing the advice Austen gave in letters to her aspiring novelist nieces and nephew, and providing many and varied exercises for writers to try, using examples from Austen's work. These include:

Show your character doing the thing he or she most loves doing. In the opening scene of Persuasion, Sir Walter Elliot looks himself up in the Baronetage, which is the Regency equivalent of Googling oneself. That single scene gives us a clear understanding of the kind of man he is and sets up the plot.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... THE MARRIAGE OF MISS JANE AUSTEN - VOLUME TWO + GIVEAWAY

Book Overview  -- Volume II: The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen Trilogy

Jane Austen lived a solitary life of a writer … Or did she?

The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen tells a spirited, affecting love story during an exciting, turbulent time. Set in the “lost years” of her twenties – a period of which historians know virtually nothing – the trilogy reveals the story of a talented, passionate woman fully engaging with a man who is very much her equal. The series resolves the biggest mysteries of Austen’s life:

·        Why the enduring rumors of a lost love or tragic affair?

·        Why, afterward, did the vivacious Austen prematurely put on the “cap of middle age” and close off any thoughts of love?

·        Why, after her death, did her beloved sister destroy her letters and journals?

Hewing to the known facts of Austen’s personal life and the broader history of war-torn England, The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen sets the protagonist on what one reviewer calls “an imaginative journey of the soul” in which “fascinating people step off the pages in lifelike form.”

In this trilogy, Austen’s intelligence and charm earn her a man’s deepest admiration and regard. Together they take on every challenge of a complex and sometimes hostile outside world.

Her story will resonate with every woman seeking respect, opportunity -- and love.

MARIA GRACE, COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE IN JANE AUSTEN'S WORLD + GIVEAWAY

Thanks so much for having me, Maria Grazia! I love getting to visit with you.  

I’m so excited to share with you and your readers about courtship and marriage in Jane Austen’s day. Customs have changed so dramatically in the two centuries since Jane Austen wrote her novels that things which were obvious to her original readers leave readers today scratching their heads and missing important implications. It’s amazing how much of Austen’s stories we miss not understanding the context she wrote it.

One of the most bewildering aspects of marriage in the regency era was the legal position of women in the era. Single and widowed women enjoyed very different legal status than married women whose legal personhood was subsumed into her husbands in a doctrine called coverture..  

This excerpt from Courtship and Marriage in Jane Austen’s World explains more about coverture and what it meant to women.

Married Women's Legal Position in the Regency

In 1765, William Blackstone presented a common man’s language interpretation of English law. He explains the law’s approach to women’s legal existence and rights in marriage which remained largely unchanged until the Married Women’s Property Act of 1884.
Blackstone said: By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law: that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband… and her condition during her marriage is called her coverture.… For this reason, a man cannot grant anything to his wife, or enter into covenant with her: for the grant would be to suppose her separate existence; and to covenant with her, would be only to covenant with himself: … a husband may also bequeath anything to his wife by will; for that cannot take effect till the coverture is determined by his death.… the chief legal effects of marriage during the coverture; upon which we may observe, that even the disabilities which the wife lies under are for the most part intended for her protection and benefit: so great a favourite

AUSTEN ON STAGE - EMMA WOOD PRESENTS HER "MR BENNET'S BRIDE" + GIVEAWAY

It’s a pleasure to have a chance to connect with other Jane Austen enthusiasts. I’m an English and drama teacher as well as a playwright, actor and director. Like many people, my passion for Jane Austen grew hugely with the 1996 mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. The theatricality of the characters and the beauty of her dialogue delivered by that magnificent cast made that series one that was watched time and time again for me!

My first full length play (Water Child) was produced in Newcastle Australia in 2012. Having won an award for that play and received very enthusiastic reviews and comments from audience members, I was keen to write another. But I had no particular idea about what until one day, like a gift, an idea presented itself. Mr and Mrs Bennet. How – ? why – ? And what inspired this unlikely union? I read Pride and Prejudice again eagerly with those characters in focus, and noted that very little context is provided for their past.

Chapter 42 opens with reflections on their courtship and marriage:

‘HAD Elizabeth's opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domestic comfort. Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had, very early in their marriage, put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown.’

TEN DARCY QUESTIONS FOR MONICA FAIRVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Monica Fairview's new Mr Darcy tale is out: Mr. Darcy's Pride and Joy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Darcy Novels Book 3).

A Jane Austen “what-if” novel. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are engaged at last, and Mr. Darcy is preparing to take out a special license to get married quickly. But, just when everything seems to be going just right, he encounters opposition from an unexpected quarter. Then, when his engagement is announced – to someone else – Elizabeth, understandably, begins to doubt his sincerity. 

Perhaps their love is doomed after all…  

You'll find out more reading this third part of the Darcy Novels series.

Meanwhile, let's discover more of what Monica thinks of her favourite Austen hero, Fitzwilliam Darcy. 

BLOG TOUR - SECOND IMPRESSIONS, A NOVELLA BY AMY GEORGE + GIVEAWAY

Imagination is everything.

Those three words changed my life in 1995. They brought an amazing and diverse group of people into my orbit and have blessed me with friendships that continue to this day. They brought me a conviction, something solid to believe in. And, finally, importantly they brought me into the world of JAFF.

When I finished P&P2 (1995) and then the book, I wasn’t done with Darcy & Lizzy. Who could be? They were such rich, realized characters. And the story left off just when the story was getting good. Toni Morrison told us to write the story we want to read, so….Challenge accepted.

Jane Austen gave me a world less ordinary.

 Amy George

6 MUST-SEE PLACES JANE AUSTEN FANS CAN'T MISS

(by guest blogger Cassie Phillips) 

Wanderlust goes hand in hand with reading an Austen novel. Every time I turn a page I can’t help but want to follow Mr. Darcy all the way to Pemberley. For me, every read through or movie adaptation leaves me longing for the cobblestoned streets of London or the expansive grounds of the Peak District, with its epic landscapes and rolling hills. 

Therefore, I’ve compiled a list must-see destinations that no Austen fan should miss. Some are beautiful backdrops from movies sets, and others are grounded in the writer’s history. These locations are all points on the Jane map and will make any fan of Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price and Lizzie Bennet stare in wonder.

IMPERTINENT STRANGERS, A PRIDE & PREJUDICE STORY BY P.O. DIXON - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY

From the Author

I am happy for the chance to visit My Jane Austen Book Club once again to share an excerpt from my newest release, Impertinent Strangers. It’s always a great pleasure to be here. Thank you so much, Maria Grazia!

The Book

Impertinent Strangers: A Pride and Prejudice Story

An impertinent stranger is thrown into Fitzwilliam Darcy's path and, even though he declares her tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt him, it is all he can do not to think of her. Upon first making Mr. Darcy's acquaintance, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is quite fascinated with him. Then she discovers that the gentleman is haughty and above his company, and she wants nothing to do with him. Still, the prospect of spending time in each other's company is beyond their power to resist. Will Darcy and Elizabeth stop denying the truth to themselves and find in the other what's been missing in their lives?

Read an Excerpt (Reprinted with Author’s Permission. All Rights Reserved)

The first day passed much the same as the second day of her arrival. On the third day, the Collinses received a much-anticipated invitation to dine at Rosings. Taking advantage of the pleasant weather, they walked the half mile or so across the park in companionable silence. That was until the manor house appeared on the horizon, at which point her party members’ enthusiasm was scarcely contained.

KATHERINE BOLGER HYDE DRINKS TEA WITH MISS AUSTEN - AUTHOR GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY

Recently I was honored with a visit from the shade of Miss Jane Austen, whose work I have shamelessly used to inform my upcoming contemporary traditional mystery, Arsenic with Austen. Here is a partial transcript of our conversation (which I recorded on my computer, to her great astonishment and delight).

Mrs. Hyde: My dear Miss Austen, I cannot express how honored I am that you have chosen to grace us with your presence.

Miss Austen: My dear Mrs. Hyde, I assure you the pleasure is all mine.

Mrs. H: So kind of you to say so. I must confess, I was a trifle concerned lest you be offended by the way I have used your work in my humble little novel.

Miss A: I assure you, madam, I have rarely found myself in such company as I encountered among your characters.

Mrs. H (blushing): I must apologize, Miss Austen, for placing you amongst such low villains as some of my characters turned out to be. But as I’m sure you understand, contemporary American society does not enjoy the distinctions so carefully preserved in the England of your day. Those of more refined sensibilities must perforce mingle daily with all manner of louts, boors, and cads.

Miss A (bowing): Indeed, I do understand. I have watched the developments of the last one and half centuries with great concern. As society devolves to the lowest common denominator, it is gratifying and comforting to observe that my humble novels are still read by those who are nostalgic for a more gracious era.

Mrs. H: My dear Miss Austen, you give yourself too little credit. Your “humble novels,” as you call them, have reached a level of popularity you could scarcely have conceived of in your lifetime. They have not only been read widely but have been made into numerous films, and have provided the basis for a vast and growing multitude of works of fiction based on your characters, your own life, and your time period in general.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... CHAOS COMES TO LONGBOURN, A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATION BY VICTORIA KINCAID + GIVEAWAY

While attempting to suppress his own desire to dance with Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy flees the Netherfield ballroom only to stumble upon a half-dressed Lydia Bennet in the library.  After being discovered with her in a compromising position, Darcy is forced to make her an offer of marriage.

Fearing the Bennets will attempt a similar “trick” with their brother, Mr. Bingley’s sisters convince him to leave Hertfordshire without any intention of returning.  After Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins, a heartbroken Jane Bennet accepts his proposal.

Having resolved to propose to Jane, Bingley returns to Longbourn; but when he learns of her betrothal, he makes an offer to Elizabeth instead.  She accepts, with the hope that Jane will change her mind if Bingley remains at Netherfield. 

Meanwhile, Sir William Lucas is aware that Wickham had actually compromised Lydia in the Netherfield library and blackmails him into proposing to Charlotte Lucas, who is in danger of becoming an old maid. 

Hertfordshire has become a tangled web of misbegotten betrothals.

Although Darcy yearns for Elizabeth, he feels honor bound by his promise.  Elizabeth is also developing feelings for the master of Pemberley, but he has never seemed so far out of her reach.  How can Darcy and Elizabeth unravel this tangle and reach their happily ever after? 

Read an excerpt

Darcy tripped spectacularly, falling full length on top of the half-dressed girl.

The girl squealed.  “Ow!  You oaf!  Get off!  Move your hands!”  Darcy hastened to comply, quickly removing his hands from anything that might resemble a female body part.  “Get your hands off me!” the girl shrieked completely unnecessarily.

Darcy scrambled backward, attempting to find purchase and regain his feet.

Then he froze at the most horrible sound in the world: the opening of the library door.  A female form entered the library from the hallway, silhouetted by candlelight from behind.  “Lydia?” a voice called.  Darcy had no trouble identifying its owner.  Of all the women at the ball, it had to be Elizabeth Bennet.

“Here, Lizzy!” the half-dressed girl called to her sister. 

Oh, no, no, no!  Why did she say anything at all?  Why could they not pretend the library was uninhabited?

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY - JANE AUSTEN SPEAKS BY MARIA EMILIA DE MEDEIROS

Thank you so much for welcoming me to My Jane Austen Book Club today, Maria Grazia, and for kicking off the blog tour!  I am honored and delighted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about what inspired my recently published book, Jane Austen Speaks: About Life, the Modern World, & Heavenly Pursuits. 

My name is Maria-Emilia de Medeiros, and I began my lifelong love for Jane Austen when I was twelve years old.  An entire new world opened up before me when first I laid eyes upon the first pages of Emma.  In the many years since that day, I have eagerly learned everything I could about Miss Austen and her world.  Lately, I have been inspired to write about it. 

How many times have you ever heard a Jane Austen fan wonder aloud, “What would Jane Austen think about this?”  Perhaps you have had such thoughts yourself.  This book was born out of my own frequent musings about what the illustrious English novelist, born in the late eighteenth century into a proper Anglican clergyman’s family, would think about all manner of phenomena in the modern day world.  If someone could “channel” Jane Austen’s spirit, what would she think?  What would she notice?  Most importantly, what would she have to say about it?  Would Miss Austen approve of internet dating, for example?  (Perhaps she would…for Mr. Collins!)

THE DEAR JANE PROJECT: BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER ONE STORY AT THE TIME

My name is Gabrielle, and I am entering my third year of university. I am studying Honors English Literature and Psychology. I have always been passionate about stories. I always try to look for the next best book that I can devour. One of my favourite authors is Jane Austen. Her works stuck with me for years, and have even influenced my choices of study. Her characters were like good friends, and she was someone that meant so much to me even though I never met her. There are so many things I can say about Austen and so many reasons why I love her works, and his inspired me to start a project that will, hopefully, reach many more Janeites. My project is called The Dear Jane Project, and I am very excited to share it with you.

My friends have heard me countless times recite how Jane Austen has affected my life. I love sharing my thoughts and feelings with those around me. I wished I could share my stories with other people who were affected by Austen the same way that I had. That is why I created this project. It is a collaborative blog in which people can send a text they write describing the ways Jane Austen have affected them on a personal level. When submissions are send to the email, I will upload them to the website for everyone to read. I only put the person’s initials and the country they are living in so that we may see and meet different Austen enthusiasts from around the world.

The email to submit a post is dearjaneproject@gmail.com, 

and the website is https://dearjaneproject.wordpress.com/. 

I hope to bring this project to many people around the world as a platform for sharing the devotion and love we feel towards one of English language’s most beloved authors.

Thank you for reading my post, and I hope to read your stories soon! 

Gabrielle

Gabrielle Lesage is an Honours English Literature and Psychology student at Bishop’s University. She has been passionate about Jane Austen since high school. She will be writing her honours thesis on Austen in the upcoming school year. She loves reading, writing, and getting to know people’s stories.

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.

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.

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 who’s 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.