Today it’s my pleasure to welcome Mary Lydon Simonsen to Diary of an Eccentric. Mary is one of my favorite authors of Austenesque novels, and I always love having her as a guest. Her latest novel is a paranormal take on Pride and Prejudice called Mr. Darcy’s Bite, which I will be reviewing here tomorrow. I’ve read about Mr. Darcy as a vampire and an almost zombie, but I’d never read about him as a werewolf, so I knew I had to give Mr. Darcy’s Bite a try. Mary is here to tell us a little about one of her daughters, who found that dyslexia doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy reading when she fell in love with novels about werewolves and vampires. Please give a warm welcome to Mary Lydon Simonsen:
Hi Anna. Thank you for having me back at Diary of an Eccentric. It’s always a pleasure. You were gracious enough to allow me to choose my topic for the blog post, so I thought I might share a little bit of my personal history with your readers.
I grew up in the 1950s and ’60s when most people did not have libraries in their homes. It was the same for the Lydons. But in my family, we did have “The Book of Knowledge,” a unique encyclopedia grouped by subject, e.g., poetry, science, American history, etc., and because it was the only thing available, other than schoolbooks, I read the whole set. As a lifelong reader, I fully expected that when I had children they would share my love of reading. But life can throw curveballs at you. In the first place, I couldn’t have children, so I adopted my two lovely daughters, Meg and Kate, when they were babies. Kate loved to read, but for Meg it was different. Meg is dyslexic.
Before graduating from high school, it was a constant battle to get my older daughter to read anything. But in her twenties, she discovered vampires and werewolves, and she started to buy her own books. (To see Meg with a book in her hand was a thrill for her parents.) Although she still struggled, she kept at it because she loved the subjects.
Meg is a big fan of Pride and Prejudice, but only the film and TV adaptations. She can’t get through a Jane Austen novel nor has she read any of my Austen re-imaginings, that is, until Mr. Darcy’s Bite. Because of her dyslexia, you can imagine how pleased I was that she had read my book. Meg liked it so much that she wrote a review, and I am happy to share it with followers of Diary of an Eccentric:
As a big fan of vampire and werewolf books, I feel Mr. Darcy’s Bite is the best werewolf book I have ever read. I fully believe that if you are a Twilight, Anita Blake, Women of the Otherworld, or Jane Austen fan, you will truly enjoy this book. It is a wonderful tale of two different people, one werewolf and one human. No matter how hard Darcy tries not to love Elizabeth because he is a werewolf, in the end, he could not resist. As their love grows, so does their understanding of each other. This book is a truly enjoyable Pride and Prejudice remix. I finished Mr. Darcy’s Bite in three days. Love, Love, Love It! Meggie
I think the reason Meg enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s Bite so much is because it is a primarily a love story. Yes, Mr. Darcy has fangs, fur, and four feet and howls at the moon, but he’s also deeply in love with Elizabeth Bennet. There are complications; it would be a dull book without them. But despite the risk of exposure, another woman vying for Darcy’s affections, and the dangers associated with being an animal that was nearly hunted to extinction, Darcy and Elizabeth’s love provides a protective barrier, keeping a hostile world at bay.
What do you think about Mr. Darcy being a werewolf? I’d love to hear from you.
P.S. Anna, I have a Persuasion novella launching next month. I know how you love Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth. I also have a P&P time travel novel coming out in December.
Thanks, Mary! I’m glad your daughter has found books that make her excited. And I definitely am excited about your upcoming Persuasion novella and am intrigued about time travel and P&P. I wish you much success!
Courtesy of Sourcebooks, I have 1 copy of Mr. Darcy’s Bite to offer my readers. To enter, simply leave a comment about your thoughts on Mr. Darcy as a werewolf and be sure to include your e-mail address. Because the publisher is shipping the book, entrants must have addresses in the U.S. or Canada. This giveaway will close at 11:59 EST on Sunday, October 30, 2011.
**Please note that this giveaway is now closed**
Disclosure: I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Mary, I love that you shared this story about Meg. I can’t imagine how excited you were that Meg read your book! (and enjoyed it. But that is to be expected!). I am sure with this connection, this is one special book to you!
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I was thrilled that Meg enjoyed my book. She still struggles, but she does read. There’s a book out there for everyone. Thanks, Jakki, for stopping by.
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I hope that when I finish my novel some day, my daughter will have such praise for it. 😉
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No need to enter me. But I love that Meg has found something to read that she enjoys. Wonderful…its great to hear that non-readers find things that they do enjoy reading. I’m still looking for that with my husband…no such luck yet. Great guest post, Mary!
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Well, at least you keep trying. My husband knows what kind of books he likes to read, but he’s dyslexic too so I think that makes it difficult for him to read more than a page or two at a time, and at that rate, he doesn’t finish too many books.
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Paul wasn’t much of a casual reader until he read Clancy’s Hunt for Red October, and that got him started.
Anna, it is difficult to enjoy reading when it is so challenging.
I want to thank you for allowing me to write such a personal post, but I’m so proud of Meg. I wanted to share her story with a friend. Thanks for giving me the chance to choose my own topic.
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Mary, thank you for sharing Meg’s story. It just goes to show that there are books out there for everyone!
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I have such a love for Mr. Darcy that I never get tired of reading about him, Darcy being a werewolf is an interesting idea. I’m not sure if I will like the change or not, I’ll have to wait to see how I feel after I read it!
annesbookgarden@gmail.com
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Anne, thanks for stopping by. Please keep in mind that this is really a love story.
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I never get tired of reading about Austen’s characters, and since they and their situations really are timeless, there are so many possibilities for variations!
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It’s great to see young people enjoying reading, no matter how they got there!
Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
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Thank you for stopping by.
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So true! Thanks for stopping by!
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Wonderful guest post! I remember seeing a scary werewolf movie as a child –I was fascinated by the idea of a person transforming into a wild creature in the moonlight. The idea of Mr. Darcy as a werewolf is too, too funny. (I can already imagine this as a movie, with Warren Zevon’s classic Werewolves of London on the soundtrack.)
I’ll post this great giveaway in my blog’s sidebar. Anna, thanks for hosting this. 🙂
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Thanks, Suko. I really appreciate your posting Anna’s giveaway. Every little bit helps. 🙂
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Thanks, Suko! It is amusing to imagine Darcy as a werewolf, but it also makes for some tender moments with Elizabeth.
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You have a persuasion novella coming out! Ohh that one I want to read, I sure adore Persuasion, more than PP (but I love Mr Darcy 😉
And I really enjoyed him as a werewolf, it just worked
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Hi Blodeuedd. Yes, I have a Persuasion novella coming out, but this will be independently published. I’m hoping for the first week in Nov.
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I knew you’d be excited about the Persuasion novella, too, my fellow Captain Wentworth lover! 🙂
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He is just awwww *melts* That letter breaks me every time
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I know exactly how you feel!
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I’m so glad that Meg now enjoys reading. I have a young cousin who struggled with reading until Harry Potter came along, and now she reads a lot more, and enjoys it. Some of my older relatives gave her a hard time and said she should be reading “real” books, but after I put my two-cents in, that never happened again ;). I was just thrilled to see her reading.
You already know I love “Alpha” Darcy. Because it is a love story, he’s still completely in-character.
monicaperry00@gmail.com
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HI Monica. Again, thank you for your Amazon and B&N reviews. Made my day. Yes, Mr. Darcy’s Bite is a love story.
Glad you stepped in for your cousin. I had to do the same thing with my nephew b/c he only read graphic novels. “But he’s READING!”
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I believe all books are “real.” We all have our opinions about what genres and authors are better than others, but who cares what other people think if you’re enjoying a particular book? Glad you were able to quiet their criticism.
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HI Anna, I just got back from the JASNA AGM in Fort Worth. I had the best time. I met so many nice people. Next year it’s in NY, and I hope all my East Coast friends can join us in Brooklyn.
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I really need to join the JASNA. I’d love to attend the event one day!
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Loved this post and I love this author. I will be reading this one next week!!
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Thanks, Staci. Looking forward to it. Mary
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I can’t wait to read your thoughts!
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Great post! I’ve avoided the Austen spin-offs, but I’m a sucker for werewolves and tortured heroes, so sign me up! JDQ1175@aol.com
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Well, in that case, if you’re going to give just one Austen spin-off a try, this would be the one for you!
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Thanks, Anna. That was sweet. Mary
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Jenny Q. I’ve taken a shine to werewolves since writing this. My daughter has been after me for years. Mary
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Thanks for sharing! Sounds like an interesting twist on the classic story. Sounds worth checking out.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
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Donnas. Thank you for stopping by.
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It certainly is worth checking out!
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since i am not an animal-person, i would not be able to accept MrDarcy as a werewolf!! LOL!!!
thank you for the giveaway!!!
cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com
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Well, since you’ve thrown your name into the hat, it sounds like you’re at least intrigued! 😉
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I have always loved to read, but until I found Jane Austen (and paranormal) I only dabbled. Now reading is an essential part of my life. I have read Darcy as a vampire, but never as a werewolf. I definately like werewolves so it is natural I will be putting Darcy as a werewolf at the top of my reading list! This is my halloween read!
cherringtonmb(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
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I’m thrilled that Jane Austen helped further your love of reading!
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Another great interview Mary, you never cease to amaze me.
I am glad that you have a wonderful daughter who shows interest in your work and supports what you do.
This novel sounds wonderful. I am excited to read it. Best to you on continuing your blog tour.
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Trez, thanks for stopping by to read Mary’s guest post!
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This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered or just stopped by to read the guest post. The winner will be chosen via Randomizer.org, e-mailed, and announced shortly.
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