Austenprose - A Jane Austen Blog | Your online source for Jane Austen her legacy, historical fictio

Time 2020-10-23 05:04:12

Web Name: Austenprose - A Jane Austen Blog | Your online source for Jane Austen her legacy, historical fictio

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From the desk of Katie Patchell: It’s that time of year again: when days shorten, and the once-warm breeze transforms into a blustery wind. Now is the season where, regardless of uncertain global events, we settle into the familiar routines of planning family holidays and awaiting the ghostly specters that rise from book’s pages (or knock on the door, asking for chocolate) around All Hallow’s Eve. While telling Dickensian spooky stories around a fire may be a tradition from the past, the thrill of meeting ephemeral visitors is an experience that isn’t solely possessed by Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge. Regency novelist Sally Britton has created her latest tale A Haunting at Havenwood as an homage to all things Gothic, mysterious, and romantic.“For the first time, Louisa had an opportunity to make up her own mind. The idea both thrilled and unsettled her.” (Chapter 6, Location 864)Louisa Banner’s life changed three years ago when her loving father died, leaving her solely to her mother’s cuttingly ambitious care. It is turned on its axis, however, when Louisa is calmly told that they have no money left. As a result, she is to live with her father’s aunt, a woman she has never met. It isn’t being virtually penniless that hurts Louisa; her pain is because her mother has unemotionally and secretly planned her removal from their home for weeks. On arriving at her great-aunt’s doorstep, Louisa is faced with an unexpected recipe for happiness featuring three entirely unlooked-for ingredients. They are: one very lovable great-aunt, one intriguing buried treasure, and one mysterious gentleman named Erasmus who Louisa feels is, quite possibly and against all her no-nonsense ideas, a ghost.“It is only once in a lifetime, if at all, that a man meets someone who changes everything.” (Chapter 17, Location 2436)Erasmus Grey is, perhaps fortunately for Louisa, not a ghost. Unfortunately for him, he knows a pair of ghosts, and they refuse to leave him alone. Owing to his reticence in company, stammer, and constant scribbling (he is an author after all, although thanks to a pseudonym, no one knows), Ras believes he doesn’t live up to his family’s expectations. When two ancestral ghosts appear, telling him to look for his family’s buried treasure, he begrudgingly acquiesces. What Ras doesn’t expect is his own confusing ingredient list for happiness: two ghosts whose main hobbies are lecturing and matchmaking, and one bewitchingly curious fellow treasure-seeker.I love a novel that keeps me guessing, and A Haunting at Havenwood held me captive by its alluring unpredictability. Given that, I cannot give any spoilers away. All I can say is that, in its drama-free beauty and poignant simplicity, the ending is unmatched. Another highlight is Louisa’s personal journey. It is a haven she needs and a haven she gets, although unexpectedly. This isn’t because of a scarring experience with a duke or a scathing put-down by a society star (as is the theme in other Regencies, which I equally love), but the simple haven of a quiet cottage with a small number of true friends nearby. In her time near Havenwood, Louisa discovers more than a mystery—she discovers her courage and freedom. Seeing both Louisa and Erasmus break out of their expected molds organically and naturally with plenty of missteps along the way was a bright spot in A Haunting at Havenwood, a novel with an already solid plot.The only negative that affected my complete enjoyment of this novel was its speedy ending. The middle was like a procedural crime drama, with painstakingly discovered clues as to the treasure’s whereabouts and Erasmus’ lineage. Yet its rushed ending shifted the novel’s focus from discovery of the treasure to discovery of a different kind, and the earlier dramatic build-up of clues seemed a bit anticlimactic. Fortunately, Sally Britton has written a bonus short story to fill in the gaps between the final chapter and Epilogue. If you subscribe to her newsletter, you can download it for free.In this mercurial month of easy spooking at every lengthening shadow, I highly recommend picking up A Haunting at Havenwood. It will thrill without frightening (too much), and warm without raising the heating bill. Within its Gothic frame beats the heart of good cheer, discovery, and above all, love: the brightest ember this season.5 out of 5 Regency StarsA Haunting at Havenwood: Seasons of Change (Book 6), by Sally BrittonIndependently published (September 12, 2020)Trade paperback, eBook (222) pagesISBN: 979-8685495495AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | GOODREADS | BOOKBUBDisclosure of Material Connection: We purchased a copy of this book for our own enjoyment. We only review or recommend products we have read or used and believe will be a good match for our readers. Austenprose.com is an Amazon.com affiliate. We receive a modest remuneration when readers use our links and make a purchase. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”Cover image courtesy of Sally Britton © 2020; text Katie Patchell © 2020, Austenprose.comShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Good morning readers. Are you ready to dive into a debut novel for your weekend reading? If so, I have a suggestion for you.Silver Buckles, a new Pride and Prejudice variation was just released on October 13th by Meryton Press. If its sparkly cover and book description is any indication of what is inside, we may be in for a fun-filled story with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth exchanging snappy retorts.Please help me welcome author Grace Gibson to Austenprose today for the start of her virtual blog tour. We are happy to offer an exclusive excerpt to kick off the celebrations. Be sure to enter the giveaway being offered by the publisher. The details are listed below. Enjoy!She staggered a great man. He was reeling. She was overwhelmed. Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing irritably at the edge of the Meryton assembly, declines to dance with Elizabeth Bennet. In a mood of revulsion, he rejects her without concern of being overheard. Country pretensions are always in need of squashing, and what better way to make clear he would not partner anyone outside his party? However, when he looks over at her, she does not appear humbled at all. She is secretly laughing at him!Elizabeth is perversely delighted to encounter such an outrageous snob as Mr. Darcy. When he approaches her with a stiff, graceless apology, she coolly brushes him off, believing that, like most annoyances, he will go away when properly snubbed. But no! The man then puts out his hand and, not wishing to create a scene, compels her to stand up with him.They go through the steps of the dance mutually disdainful and intent upon wounding each other. But by the time the musicians end their tune, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have traded barbs with such accuracy, they are unaccountably amused and engaged. Will this most inconvenient flirtation drive them apart—or, like silver buckles, are they a matched pair? Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... From the desk of Sophia Rose:We return once again to a snug English village tucked away along a coaching road and this time the holiday season brings more than Christmas cheer. The Tales of Ivy Hill are an interrelated series of inspirational historical romances by bestselling author Julie Klassen that bring a whole village to life. The books are tender, gently paced stories that are set against a Regency period historical backdrop that has been well-researched even if the village of Ivy Hill and its characters are fictitious.In An Ivy Hill Christmas, the fourth installment to the series, the Brockwell prodigal son, Richard, who has seemingly been living the swinging bachelor life in London at the family townhouse while surreptitiously writing satire for his friend’s magazine and working on getting his novels published, is given an ultimatum by his mother. Come home for the holidays or lose her generous allowance.Richard has been avoiding his family and the family home for years. It pains him because he feels he doesn’t fit into the family and he knows the hurtful lie his father perpetrated and the family still revers the man. Then there is the fact that his mother blatantly schemes to get him married off when he has firm intentions to remain a bachelor. He is certain that she has a prospective lady in mind already. If he must go and suffer Christmas with his family, then he will not go alone. He invites his friend to accompany him along with a stray dog he took up and already has plans to get back to his London life as soon as he can.Arabella Awdry knew Richard Brockwell was contemptible when they were younger, but his insulting words and attitude when he arrives prove to her that people do not change.  She is prepared to avoid him at all costs no matter how hard her mother and his work to push them together. She is no longer that silly, giggling girl who crushes on handsome Richard and she has dreams of joining her aunt in London to do much-needed charitable work. Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Good morning Janeites! Please help me welcome Austenesque author J. Marie Croft to Austenprose today in celebration of the release of her Pride and Prejudice-inspired novella, Play with Fire.J. Marie is well known in the Jane Austen fan fiction world having written novels, a novella, and several short stories. She tends toward imaginative Jane Austen variations in a topsy-turvy style, upending our beloved characters lives in a way that will make you laugh-out-loud. Play with Fire is no exception. Just imagine, if you will, the occupants of Netherfield Park during Jane and Elizabeth Bennet’s contracted visit joining together to put on a theatrical, and then totally put aside reproof and just run with it.This novella is part of the Skirmish and Scandal Series being published by Meryton Press. Recently, we featured another novella in this series, Schemes of Felicity: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, by Suzan Lauder that I recommend checking out. There are also five additional novellas in the queue that you can learn about on their website. There is lots of great reading ahead for Jane Austen variations fans from this publisher.The author has kindly offered an exclusive excerpt of Play with Fire. Enjoy, and thank you for visiting today.   Madness! It was nothing but madness from beginning to end, and Darcy was caught up in it.What do occupants of Netherfield Park do on a dreary Saturday while the Bennet sisters are still in residence and they have nothing at all to do? They take a page from Mansfield Park, of course, and decide on a theatrical.In the process of planning and performing the play, certain participants get more than a little carried away, especially Fitzwilliam Darcy where Elizabeth Bennet is concerned. There might even be a kiss and a skirmish leading to a duel.No one involved in the play had set out with the intention of creating a scandal. None performing in the theatrical began with the aim of ending with blushing faces, or bruised bodies, or blemishes on their reputations.Blame it on The Mesalliance. INTRO: Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Hey-ho gentle readers. I am happy to welcome author Laura Hile back to Austenprose today in celebration of her next Austenesque novel, As Only Mr. Darcy Can. Laura is a popular novelist in the genre having published several Jane Austen-inspired books. Her last title was So This Is Love which was featured here in on Austenprose in June.As only Mr. Darcy Can presents Laura’s trademark exuberance and humor. She has subtitled it A Pride and Prejudice Regency Romp so we can look forward to a fast-paced and surprising read.Laura Hile has generously supplied a guest blog to share her insights on the novel and a giveaway chance for one digital copy. The details of the book and the giveaway are listed below. Good look to all. Enjoy!What a tangled web!Mr. Darcy’s departure has solved nothing. He loves Elizabeth Bennet as much as ever—and he has left her vulnerable to Wickham’s lies. Why not send her a warning? Anonymously, of course. He must conquer his obsession, yet he must also do something to protect her.But when Darcy is dunned for a bill of Wickham’s—an old trick—he sends the magistrate’s men with a warrant. Wickham, however, is nowhere to be found. At the same time, a titled lady appears in Hunsford. Why does she look so familiar? What of her pointed interest in Darcy’s sister? Is there anyone who will believe what Darcy suspects?Elizabeth has her hands full when she comes to Hunsford. Her army-mad youngest sister causes trouble everywhere! What is more, those cryptic Valentines keep arriving. And then there is Mr. Darcy, a man she is determined to dislike. Why must his suspicions about the unknown lady match hers? Sparks fly as she joins forces with him to discover a truth that is both laughable and treacherous.As for being at odds with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s heart has other ideas. Will a nonsensical demand ruin what has grown up between them?As Only Mr. Darcy Can is a feel-good Regency romp, featuring all your friends from Pride and Prejudice. Intrigue, romance, and laughter are waiting for you. Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Regency romances have their fair share of obstinate, headstrong girls, yet it is always a delight to discover another less-than-perfect heroine. Especially when “pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked,” as the incomparable Jane Austen once wrote. Joanna Barker’s Otherwise Engaged is one such Regency romance with an imperfect heroine getting herself into unladylike scrapes and earning our respect along the way.Rebecca Rowley is a bold, rebellious young woman with a sarcastic wit and a determination to leap over fear as if it were a hedge she wished to jump with her horse. While riding bareback. On muddy ground. Hatless. In other words, Miss Rowley had a tendency to be reckless. Her brother William admonished that “you could cut stone with a tongue that sharp.” (588)During a visit to Brighton with a friend, Rebecca encounters Edward Bainbridge, the charming son of her deceased father’s business partner-turned-enemy. The longstanding animosity between their families is a puzzle to them both. No matter what others might think—or perhaps because of it—Rebecca does what she wishes, pursuing the enticingly off-limits Edward.Yet she is not without remorse. She tries to be a dutiful daughter and a trustworthy sister, to protect her beloved mother and brother from worry. And it is those good intentions that lead her to hide her sudden and secret engagement to Edward. Arriving home to Havenfield in Hertfordshire, Rebecca is certain she will get to the bottom of the mysterious feud on her own and win her family over with her explanations and, eventually, her betrothed’s charm.Hey-ho Janeites! It is no secret that Jane Austen fans crave more stories about her beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice. Novels inspired by Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet now number too many to even attempt to count. Next in line in popularity from the Bennet family is middle sister Mary. Surprised? Think again! She is conflicted and complicated in the original and that always makes for an interesting heroine.Next up in the long line of Mary makeover novels is The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, by debut novelist Katherine Cowley. However, this novel is not your typical “let’s fix Mary” fare. In this instance, with the help of relatives, Mary meets new challenges that take her away from her family home at Longbourn and make her look outside of her past life while she solves some mysteries.I am very happy to welcome author Katherine Cowley to Austenprose for the first time. She and her publisher have graciously honored us with the official cover reveal and an exclusive excerpt of this enchanting new novel that releases in April 2021. Drum roll, please Isn’t the cover striking? The blue and green tones are lovely. It makes you wonder what Miss Mary Bennet is doing at an ancient stone castle. Let’s find out. From the desk of Pamela Mingle:From the age of twelve, Lucie Tedbury’s mission has been to improve the lives of women. Twenty years on, a rogue from her past, Tristan Ballentine, interferes with her plan. Opposites attract, after all. Evie Dunmore’s A Rogue of One’s Own, second in The League of Extraordinary Women series, is an exploration of love and the question still being asked today: “Can women have it all?”In 1880, Lucie has become a leader of the British suffragist movement. Within her circle of Oxford women friends, the fight is against the Married Women’s Property Act, which at that time made women subordinate to their husbands in all matters. Lucie and a cadre of wealthy women investors have purchased a large share of a publishing company in order to advance the suffragist cause and encourage the repeal of the hated MWPA. One day, when Lucie is working in her drab rooms in Oxford (she’s been banished from her family home), she overhears a seduction beneath her window. It’s her neighbor, a widow, flirting with the nemesis of her adolescent years, Tristan Ballentine. The neighbor tells Tristan not to mind Lucie; she’s “just a spinster.” In a fury, Lucie leaves, only to run headlong into Tristan, who’s been waiting to sabotage her.Tristan had spent many summers at Lucie’s family home as a youth. She’d always spurned him, and it made him prone to do “anything to provoke a reaction.” He admits to himself that Lucie still holds sway over him. Her hair shines like “a polished silver coin.” A line of Byron’s poetry comes to him, which hasn’t happened in years. “‘And all that’s best of dark and bright/Meet in her aspect and her eyes…’” For her part, Lucie sees little to admire in Tristan. Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Let me ask you a serious question, Janeites. How many copies of Pride and Prejudice do you own? Fess up. Five, ten, twenty—or more than you will publicly admit to?I fear that I fall into the latter category, having collected new and vintage copies of the classic novel since my teens when my mom gave me my first copy from her library. Since then it has been an uphill battle against my willpower. When a new shiny P P hits the market, it s mine.Imagine my delight then when I spied a new P P that included nineteen handwritten letters tipped in. WHOA! Pride and Prejudice: The Complete Novel, with Nineteen Letters from the Characters Correspondence, by Jane Austen Barbara Heller contains the full unabridged text and recreated letters that Jane Austen’s characters wrote to each other during the course of the novel designed to look like they just arrived by post in 1813! I kid you not. Physical letters to hold in my hot little hands.I did not think it was possible to heighten this Janeites P P experience, however, this new edition blew my bonnet off. I want to frame the “Be not alarmed, Madame,” letter from Mr. Darcy and prominently display it in my home. To see his handwriting and signature. SWOON! Thank you very much, Austen Gods.Here is a preview of this enchanting new edition to further pique your interest. If you are as much of a Pride and Prejudice geek as I am, it will only take about five seconds for you to realize that this book is a brilliant, eye-popping expansion of the beloved classic that makes you feel one step closer to the characters. It was a total thrill for me. Enjoy!This deluxe edition brings to life the letters exchanged among Jane Austen s characters in Pride and Prejudice.Glassine pockets placed throughout the book contain removable replicas of 19 letters from the story.These powerful epistles include Lydia s announcement of her elopement, Mr. Collins s obsequious missives, and of course Darcy s painfully honest letter to Elizabeth.Nothing captures Jane Austen s vivid emotion and keen wit better than her characters correspondence.Each letter is re-created with gorgeous calligraphy.Letters are hand-folded with painstaking attention to historical detail.Perusing the letters will transport readers straight to the drawing-room at Netherfield or the breakfast table at Longbourn.For anyone who loves Austen, and for anyone who still cherishes the joy of letter writing, this book illuminates a favorite story in a whole new way.Step inside the world of Pride and Prejudice, one of the most beloved novels of all time.Great Mother s Day, birthday, or holiday gift for diehard Jane Austen fansA visually gorgeous book that will be at home on the shelf or on the coffee tableAdd it to the shelf with books like What Would Jane Do?: Quips and Wisdom from Jane Austen by Potter Gift, Jane-a-Day: 5 Year Journal with 365 Witticisms by Jane Austen Edition by Potter Gift, and The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne. Continue reading Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... WELCOME TO AUSTENPROSEwhere "There is a monsterous deal of stupid quizzing, common-placenonsense talked, but scarcely any wit."Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 21 April 1805 Join us in celebration of author Jane Austen (1775-1817) through her novels, letters, life and modern interpretations. © 2007 - 2020 All rights reserved byLaurel Ann NattressSearch this Site Search Follow Austenprose A Jane Austen Blog on WordPress.com

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