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

MARIA GRACE, DARCY'S DECISION - GUESTPOST AND GIVEAWAY

Maria Grace has just released her first book (kindle and paperback) and is here to introduce you herself, her love for Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and her "Darcy's Decision" . Read her piece, leave your comments or questions , don't forget to add your e-mail address in order to get the chance to win a paperback copy if you live in the US continental or an e-book if you live in the rest of the world (please, specify in your comment). The giveaway ends on January 25th.

“As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. … I was spoilt by my parents, who, … allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own.”—Fitzwilliam Darcy,  Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

This particular line always fascinated me. It gave so much insight as to who Darcy is, but it also begs the question: What is to be done with a man like Fitzwilliam Darcy? One who knows better but does not know how to do better? After much consideration, it came to me—you give him a mentor! So that’s exactly what I did. We meet them both in ‘Darcy’s Decision’, the first volume of the Given Good Principles series. The tale is not so much a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but rather a reimagining of what the story might have been if our hero (and in the second volume, our heroine) had the opportunity to learn how to live up to the standards they had been taught and to follow them from the beginning. Our beloved characters remain true to their essentials while they make different and arguably better decisions throughout.

Ah, but you must ask, since much of the conflict in the original story came from Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice, would there be a story left to tell if those things were dealt with before our dear couple meet? The short answer is yes, I promise there is quite a story to be told. It begins even before Darcy is born. John Bradley, long-time friend and advisor of George and Lady Anne Darcy, isa man whose wisdom is hard won, refined in the fires of personal tragedy. He stood by the elder Darcys through their good times and bad and is committed to do the same for their son. He does not lecture Darcy, but rather challenges him not to settle for the status quo, to reach for a higher standard.

Not surprisingly, the task of managing Pemberley is enough to awaken Darcy’s deepest insecurities. His Aunt Catherine and Uncle Matlock provide no help and little encouragement. So he turns to Bradley as he tries to fill his father’s shoes. An alternate version of Georgiana’s near disaster at Ramsgate and the surprising revelations that follow rattle Darcy to the core and force him to confront dark family secrets that nearly destroyed his father. The question is,of course: will Darcy be the man his father was, or will he succeed in reaching for more?

While Darcy faces his challenges, Elizabeth, too, must confront uncomfortable truths in the soon coming sequel, ‘Darcy’s Helpmate.’ I have to confess, I loved exploring their characters through the course of these tales and I hope you will enjoy it too.

Maria Grace

The Author 

Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful.

 She has one husband, two graduate degrees and two black belts, three sons, four undergraduate majors, five nieces, six cats, seven Regency-era fiction projects and notes for eight more writing projects in progress. To round out the list, she cooks for nine in order to accommodate the growing boys and usually makes ten meals at a time so she only cooks twice a month.

 The Book

Six months after his father's passing, Fitzwilliam Darcy still finds solace in his morning reflections at his parents' graves. Only in the quiet solitude of the churchyard does he indulge his grief. None but his unlikely mentor recognize the heartache and insecurity plaguing him as he shoulders the enormous burden of being Master of Pemberley.

Not all are pleased with his choice of advisor. Lady Catherine complains Darcy  allows him too much influence. Lord Matlock argues, "Who is he to question the God-appointed social order?" But the compassionate wisdom Darcy finds in his counselor keeps him returning for guidance even though it causes him to doubt everything he has been taught.

In the midst of his struggles to reinvent himself, his school chum, Charles Bingley, arrives. Darcy hopes the visit will offer some respite from the uproar in his life. Instead of relief, Darcy discovers his father's darkest secret  staring him in the face. Pushed to his limits, Darcy must overcome the issues that ruined his father and, with his friends and mentor at his side, restore his tarnished birthright.

Maria Grace can be contacted at: author.MariaGrace@gmail.com. You can find her profile on Facebook  facebook.com/AuthorMariaGrace or visit her website at AuthorMariaGrace.com.

NOW MR DARCY HAS A HANDSOME YOUNGER BROTHER ... THE DARCY BROTHERS - BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

Are you as curious as I am to discover more about Theo Darcy, Fitzwilliam's brother?  Theo Darcy is everything his disapproving elder brother, Fitzwilliam, is not – easy-going, charming, and full of fun. A tragic event as children severed their bond of friendship, but now they are together again. They are still at odds, though, this time over the love of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the truth about George Wickham. Will Wickham manage to divide the brothers again? And more importantly, which Mr. Darcy will Elizabeth choose? 

Find out as the two brothers lock horns in this unique Pride & Prejudice variation collectively written by five respected authors: Maria Grace, Abigail Reynolds, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks and Monica Fairview.

BLOG TOUR - INSPIRED BY GRACE BY JEANNA ELLSWORTH. DISCOVER MORE AND WIN A COPY!

Thanks so much Maria Grazia for hosting my on your blog to talk about Inspired by Grace! I have always loved being your guest.  Mostly because I get to talk about my books and writing! But today I am going to not just tell you about the book with the intrigue and excerpt, but I will introduce the main female character by using TV tropes.  What is a TV trope and what does it have to do with a book blog tour?  Tropes are a way to classify characters that seem to follow patterns and they are called TV tropes because they were first noticed in TV sitcoms and movies but since then, they are recognized universally throughout all media. 

Although Inspired by Grace is not JAFF, I have to say that Jane Austen inspired all my writing (this book happens to have a loose Persuasion correlation).  One of my favorite things about Austen is her ability to create memorable characters.  Here is a quick video link for you to watch a sketch that a comedy group called Studio C from BYU created.  The skit is called, “Teddy’s Story Joint” and the idea is author’s come and order plots like it is a fast food restaurant.  My favorite is when Jane Austen orders her “usual” which is “girl likes a guy, looks like she won’t get the guy, but then she does. With a witty social critique on the side.”  If you want to see the full sketch, click here  

I had already finished writing Inspired by Grace when I was introduced to the concept of TV tropes. I was really intrigued by this concept that there could be repeated characterizations throughout TV and literature.  So I tried to classify Grace Iverson, the heroine of Inspired by Grace.  I found that she fits two tropes; English Rose and Spirited Young Lady. The English Rose trope is a character who is virtuous and possess a certain amount of modest beauty. She is also dignified in a social setting but may not be upper class, but acts like it.  Jane Bennet is somewhat of an English Rose.  But Grace has some spunk to her too that makes English Rose not entirely fitting.  She has quite a bit of the Spirited Young Lady trope too.  I probably do not have to define this one . . . if I just say Elizabeth Bennet then you will know what I mean.  She is intelligent, often outdoorsy, witty and has a will of her own that prevents her from always conforming. 

AUTHOR GUEST POST & DOUBLE GIVEAWAY: MARIA GRACE, THE FUTURE MRS DARCY

Join me and welcome Maria Grace at My Jane Austen Book Club. Read her guest post, leave your comment and get a chance to win "The Future Mrs Darcy". There is 1 signed paperback for US readers and 1 e-book version for readers from the rest of the world. So,  please,  don't forget to add your e-mail address to your comment and specify which country you write from. The deadline for this giveaway contest is 23 August.

Given Good Principles is a three part series that explores what Jane Austen’s  Pride and Prejudice  might have looked like if Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice no longer played a central role in their relationship. For both, mentors and situations provide opportunities for reflection and growth, making them very different people when they meet.

In the first volume of the Given Good Principles series, Darcy’s Decision, Fitzwilliam Darcy faces the challenges presented, when, in the midst of dealing with Wickham’s attempt to compromise Georgiana, he discovers his father’s darkest secrets. With the help of his mentor, Mr. Bradley, Darcy struggles to overcome some of the blackest moments of his life.

A VERSATILE, RESONANT STORYTELLER: BENJAMIN FIFE

 

Today I’m very glad to feature an exclusive interview with Benjamin Fife, a seasoned narrator whose captivating voice brings literature to life. He started his career in the world of narration from a young age, honing his skills through dramatic readings and exploring a diverse range of genres. Today, he is best known for his narration of Maria Grace's Jane Austen’s Dragons series and is celebrated for his versatility in tackling everything from Fantasy to Health and beyond.

Get ready for an insightful conversation with a narrator who has mastered the delicate dance of bringing words to life through the power of the spoken voice. 

Maria Grace on My Jane Austen Book Club

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE AUSTEN! MARIA GRACE, WRITER

 I was late in discovering Jane Austen—I blame high school. Unlike Jane Austen, our English department thought it good to linger upon pens that dwelt upon guilt and misery, so I did not get to read Jane Austen in high school. I placed out of college English, so it was after grad school and three children that I discovered Jane Austen through Emma Thompson’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

After that, I devoured her works and wanted more, which led me into the realms of fan fiction. Consuming that at a break neck pace led me a step further, into rediscovering my own writing.

I started writing at nine years old and wrote six novels in high school. But college and life pulled me away from my early authorial dreams. Jane Austen helped me rediscover my fondest hope—to be a writer when I grew up.  I’m still not sure about the being grown up part, but I just released my fourth book—so I have and will continue to be a writer thanks to Jane Austen and the Austen community.

 Maria Grace

MARIA GRACE: OF COURSE THERE WERE DRAGONS!

 

  

Welcome back to our online book club! Today's guest is author Maria Grace and the books featured are her JANE AUSTEN'S DRAGONS series, including the latest addition,  Dragons beyond the Pale (book 7)

AUTHOR GUEST POST

Thanks so much for having me, Maria Grazia! It’s great to be with you again.

Of course there were dragons—that’s how I introduce Jane Austen’s Dragons.

How can I say that? It is rather a bold claim. I confess, you’re not the first person to ask me that with a decidedly skeptical look. After all, you’ve devoured ever one of Austen’s works cover to cover, multiple times and there’s nary a dragon scale from “It’s a truth universally acknowledged to… “With the Gardiners they were on most intimate terms…”

On the surface, I would agree, it seems that way. But, there is more than meets the eye. There a few more truths universally acknowledged that place dragons firmly in Jane Austen’s world.

THE FUTURE MRS DARCY BY MARIA GRACE - GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Here I am to make two of my readers very happy. I've just picked up the names of the winners of Maria Grace's volume II of Given Good Principles: The Future Mrs Darcy.

Congratulations to ...

1. Jewels 1328 who wins the signed paperback
2. Luthien 84 who gets the e-book version

Thanks to lovely Maria Grace for being again a kind and generous guest and to all of you who read her post and entered the giveaway contest. 

GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY - MARIA GRACE, TWELFTH NIGHT AT LONGBOURN

Book Introduction for ‘Twelfth Night at Longbourn’

Given Good Principles started as a three part series that explores what Jane Austen’s’ Pride and Prejudice’ might have looked like if Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice no longer played a central role in their relationship. For both, mentors and situations provide opportunities for reflection and growth, making them very different people when they meet. Our beloved characters remain true to their essentials while they make different and arguably better decisions throughout.

I thought I was finished after Vol 3, All the Appearance of Goodness, but the characters did not agree. In the editing process, Kitty Bennet’s story ended up cut out of the finished version, and apparently she did not like that. She would not leave me alone until I gave her a share in the conversation.

Bu even then, she was a difficult muse, stubborn and disobedient. I had to start to book over not once but five different times before she was satisfied enough to let me finish.  And even then, she would not let me see the end of the story until we got there. She took me on twists and turns that I did not expect, right up until the ending.

MARIA GRACE, FINE EYES AND PERT OPINIONS

Hello, Maria Grazia! It’s so good to visit with you again at My Jane Austen Book Club. I’m really excited to share with you my latest project, Fine Eyes and Pert Opinions. This has been an odd project for me—I started it, handwritten in 2014 and then set it aside when something shiny and urgent crossed my path. Recently I found the old notebooks and realized I had to finish to tale. I didn’t know how it ended and I just had to find out!

 In Fine Eyes and Pert Opinions Vicar’s daughter, Elizabeth has grown up in the shades of Pemberley, a great friend to Darcy and his sister Georgiana. A baronet’s elegant daughter distracts Darcy from his duties, leaving the Darcy family on the brink of disaster. Elizabeth holds the key to their restoration, but she has fled Pemberley, unable to tolerate another day there. Will Darcy relinquish his pride and prejudice to seek out a woman below his notice before his family is irreparably ruined?

MARIA GRACE, UNEXPECTED GIFTS BLOG TOUR

 

Maria Grace is back with a lovely holiday story, Unexepcted Gifts. We are all invited to join the Darcys and celebrate the Yuletide with them. Let's spend the most romantic time of the year with the most romantic couple of all time!  Read Maria Grace's guest post introducing the excerpt she has  graciously granted us and discover more on the entire series! 

Thank you, Maria Grazia for hosting me at My Jane Austen Book Club.  I love to write holiday stories. In the past, I’ve done holiday romances—I mean who doesn’t love a feel-good holiday romance, right? But somehow that didn’t feel quite right this year.

With all this this year has brought, I wanted to write about some of the other relationships that come to the fore during the holiday, friends and family—particularly difficult ones. The holidays just seem to bring out all those rough edges and leave us at risk for rubbing each other the wrong way. They also offer us a great opportunity for making things right between us and them. That seemed to be a very appropriate place to dwell this year.

I'M A GUEST AT AUTHOR MARIA GRACE'S BLOG

What about joining me there? I'm a guest at Maria Grace's blog, Random Bits of Fascination. What do we talk about? Blogging,  mainly. But discover more about our chat visiting Maria's Blog. I'll wait for you all there! 

Get to Know Maria Grazia founder of Fly High and My Jane Austen Book Club

REMEMBER THE PAST BY MARIA GRACE - BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

I’m very excited to share a little bit about my new book, Remember the Past. Way back in the Dark Ages, when I was in college, my studies centered around sociology, psychology and behavioral sciences.  As a result, when I write, I like to explore how things might have been for our favorite Austen characters had their circumstances been a bit different—or a lot different. While I try to keep the core of the characters the same as Jane Austen wrote, changes in circumstances do change people. Some more than others. Some for the better, some, not so much. I love exploring those changes and possibilities.

One of the changes in this book was that Mr. Bennet was not the heir to Longbourn, but a second son who went into the navy. His naval experiences changed him from a lackadaisical man to a very active, powerful one, who would become Admiral Thomas Bennet, Rear Admiral of the White.

Why would a young Thomas Bennet have joined the navy rather than the army as Col. Fitzwilliam did? Unlike army officers, naval officers did not purchase their commissions, they earned them. Thus, the navy offered greater potential for social mobility than most institutions in Regency era society. Generally only the sons of gentlemen or perhaps wealthy middle-class parents could enter the path to becoming an officer, but the way was not entirely closed to others.

Promotion to lieutenant was perhaps the most difficult step for young men to make in their naval careers. In order to become a lieutenant, a midshipmen had to serve a minimum of six years at sea. On presenting himself as a candidate for commissioning, he would also be asked to show his personal log books for the ships in which he sailed. Then he would take an examination on the topics of writing, mathematics,astronomy, navigation, seamanship and gunnery. Not all midshipmen passed the test. In practice, some candidates were asked only token questions; others were grilled. It could depend on the mood of the Board and the severity of individual Commissioners.

MARIA GRACE. DARCY'S DECISION: GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Following Maria Grace's guestpost of last week, here I am to announce the name of the two winners in the giveaway contest for her Darcy's Decision:

1. the paperback for US readers has been won by Heather M.
2. the e-book for the rest of the world goes to  Helen

As usual congratulations to the winners, thanks to the kind and generous guest author and thanks to all of you who commented and entered the giveaway!

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY - THE TROUBLE TO CHECK HER BY MARIA GRACE

Lydia Bennet is a problem character for both the reader and the writer. Because of her troublesome and immature ways, readers just don’t like her.  For the most parts, writers ignore her or allow her to remain an antagonist in most tales. After all, who really wants to spend too much time in Lydia’s head? 

I certainly didn’t. Nope, no thank you. Would much rather hang out with characters I actually liked, especially considering writing a novel about would require at least a year’s commitment to spend much quality time with these story-people.

Definitely not going to write about Lydia Bennet.

The only way I could write about her would be to find a way to see her genuinely reformed. Hmmm, I wonder what that would take? What kind of people, what kind of environment would it take to make a character like that really change from the inside out? Probably a residential setting of some sort…a school probably. And some strong female role models to demonstrate what true ladylike behavior looked like…

Oh, shoot, that sounds an awful lot like a plot bunny.

A big, bad plot bunny with teeth that insisted on settling into my office and sitting on my desk with the cats. Stupid thing even made friends with the cats! The cats taught it to purr. Enough! I’ll write the story already!

And thus, I have taken  The Trouble to Check Her.

Maria Grace

MARIA GRACE, ALL THE APPEARANCE OF GOODNESS: GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

Given Good Principles is a three part series that explores what Jane Austen’s’ Pride and Prejudice’ might have looked like if Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice no longer played a central role in their relationship. For both, mentors and situations provide opportunities for reflection and growth, making them very different people when they meet.Our beloved characters remain true to their essentials while they make different and arguably better decisions throughout.

In the first volume of the Given Good Principles series, Darcy’s Decision, Fitzwilliam Darcy faces the challenges presented, when, in the midst of dealing with Wickham’s attempt to compromise Georgiana, he discovers his father’s darkest secrets. With the help of his mentor, Mr. Bradley, Darcy struggles to overcome some of the blackest moments of his life.

In Volume 2, The Future Mrs. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet struggles to reign in her sister when the regiment comes to visit Meryton.  To her shock, she learns that Lydia  has endangered the reputation of the entire family and it is up to her, with the help of her Aunt Gardiner’s advice and Mr. Pierce, the local curate, to keep her family from social ruin.

MARIA GRACE, THREE CHRISTMASES - BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

Thanks so much for having me Maria Grazia! I’m so excited about this Christmas season! It’s been a doozy of a year in these parts with Hurricane Harvey just being the icing on the cake. So much has happened that it calls for not one, but two Christmas books.  The two books go along with The Darcys’ First Christmas, kind of forming bookends to the story. Darcy and Elizabeth: Christmas 1811 tells the behind the scenes story of what might have happened during the Christmastide Darcy spent in London, while the militia (and Wickham!) wintered in Meryton. From Admiration to Love tells the story of the Darcys’ second Christmas as they try to hold Georgiana’s coming out at the Twelfth Night ball as Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh descend as very unwelcome guests. (The story was such fun to write, I hope you love it as much as I do!)

MARIA GRACE: PRIDE, PREJUDICE & BRITISH MYTHOLOGY + GIVEAWAY

Two of my favorite books as a child were a huge illustrated book of world mythology and an equally huge anthology of fairy tales. I read those stories over and over despite the fact that many of them were rather gruesome with less than happy endings. (Hmmm … That just might be the source of my penchant for happily-ever-afters in my own writing.) So it shouldn’t be surprising that fantastical creatures have always run rampant in my imagination.

INSPIRATION BLOG TOUR - EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Maria Grace stops with us at  My Jane Austen Book Club to present her new release: Inspiration, a novella that features  Mr Darcy as an artist. For further information go on reading! Enjoy the excerpt and good luck in the giveaway contest (check the rafflecopter widget below this post)

Hello, Maria Grazia! It’s so good to visit with you again. I’m really excited to share with you my latest project, Inspiration. This has been such an unexpected project for me—starting with the plan to just write a scene, then growing to a short story, and finally ending up a novella.

Inspiration tell the story of gentleman artist Darcy and his muse who has fixated upon the one woman in the world wants nothing to do with him. I suppose my muse has been just an insistent as Darcy’s, making sure this tale got told.

Here’s a peek inside: