Hello, friends! Grace Gibson is here today to celebrate the release of her newest Pride and Prejudice variation, Reckless, Headstrong Girl, part of Meryton Press’s Skirmish & Scandal series. Grace is here to share an excerpt from the book that we hope you’ll all enjoy. Please give her a warm welcome!
Thank you for having me Anna! I would like to share a little excerpt from Reckless, Headstrong Girl. Shortly after her elopement with George Wickham, Lydia Bennet has found herself in a bit of a pickle…
Shock, having taken hold, suspended even the silliest thoughts that were prone to arise in the mind of Miss Lydia Bennet, age fifteen, of Longbourn, Hertfordshire. She was acutely aware of the rumble of the wheels of the retreating coach, the low chuckle of the outrider, the subsequent chirping of crickets in the ditch, a few stars shining through the humid haze, and the throbbing in her rear from being thrown onto the hardened clay of the ruts in the road. How long she sat slumped and uncomprehending in this state she could not guess, but eventually, outrage replaced shock, and she staggered upright and screamed at the top of her lungs.
After venting the worst of her rage in roars and unholy howls of indignation, she devolved into sobs, hiccoughs, and moans. Lydia Bennet stood—alone—upon the London road in the dark. Surely Wickham would come back for her, she began to reason, although reasoning was not her strong suit. He could not be so lost to honor and duty that he would abandon a gentleman’s daughter in the wilds of West Sussex in the middle of the night.
Roughly two hours later, Lydia began to think that perhaps Mr. Wickham was not a gentleman after all. When he finally returned for her, she would tell him off at the top of her lungs! This seemed a paltry punishment for what he had done to her, and yet, as she would be dependent upon him to restore her to Colonel Forster’s home, she could hardly tear out his liver with her bare hands. The image of doing so, however, was quite sustaining. Consequently, Lydia—thinking darkly of throwing George Wickham’s beloved Hessians into the fire, cutting his pomaded curls off his head as he lay in a drunken stupor, seeing him bound, pale and weeping, in a tumbrel headed for the guillotine, or paying a thoroughly disreputable sea captain to press him into the lower decks of a second-rate ship headed for Java—finally looked around her. She could hardly remain standing in the road. If the night mail were to pass, she would be plowed down by a team of six at the gallop.
If you are curious as to what happens next in Lydia’s adventure, part two of this excerpt will be featured on February 8th at Austenesque Reviews. Hope to see you there!
About Reckless, Headstrong Girl
A scandalous flight, an inconsiderate couple—
How can things have gone so terribly wrong for Lydia Bennet?
In Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Lydia Bennet runs away from Brighton with George Wickham, but this adaptation of Lydia’s adventures is not your typical story about this brash couple.
Mr. Wickham, proving he is no gentleman, does the unthinkable and casts Lydia out of a second-rate coach. Filthy, exhausted, and penniless, Lydia is just facing the beginning of her ordeal! How can a spoiled, uneducated girl of fifteen—used to having her way—survive a night in the wilds of Sussex?
As Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner vainly search for her in London, Lydia’s sisters struggle to keep her secret from their Meryton neighbors. Though they fear the worst—that Lydia’s wild life has ended in tragedy—all hope is not lost. Mr. Darcy, in the midst of reigniting his courtship with Elizabeth, is determined to recover his love’s unfortunate sibling.
Will Mr. Darcy succeed in finding Lydia and restoring her to respectability? In what shocking condition will this catastrophe render such a reckless, headstrong girl?
*****
The novella, Reckless, Headstrong Girl, may be purchased on Amazon US and Amazon UK. It is available as an eBook, a Paperback, and through Kindle Unlimited. The audiobook, narrated by Stevie Zimmerman, should be released in about a month.
About the Author
In addition to mosaic art, which I create at Studio Luminaria, my home-based glass shop in El Paso, Texas, I enjoy writing regency romance and Pride and Prejudice variations for pleasure.
Contact Info: Facebook
Other Books by Grace Gibson
Silver Buckles is available on Amazon. “Old Boots” will be coming summer 2021.
Giveaway
Meryton Press is generously offering 1 ebook copy of Reckless, Headstrong Girl to my readers. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. This giveaway is open internationally through Sunday, February 14, 2021. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
Thank you for being my guest today, Grace, and congratulations on your new book!
Diary of an Eccentric 
Well, Grace, I read Silver Buckles twice (what means I liked the book!) and also liked this book a lot and I am waiting eagerly for your next book – coming out soon fortunately!
Take care and be happy, Doris
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I really appreciate hearing from you Doris! Thank you so much. My next one is told entirely from Mr. Darcy’s point of view and I hope you enjoy it.Thanks so much for stopping by to comment.
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Thank you so much for hosting today, Anna! I really appreciate the opportunity to share my new release with your readers.
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My pleasure! Thanks for being my guest!
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This sounds like a fun story. Congratulations, Grace.
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Thanks Lucy! Good luck on the giveaway.
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I love a good Lydia story. Thanks for the excerpt and for the chance to win a copy. cyndyhenry1(at)gmail(dot)com.
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I am so glad to hear that! Lots of people would rather not hear anything at all from Lydia. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
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Well, well, well…Lydia Bennet you will now have to do more than just rant and scream! I can’t wait to read what you have in store for her, Grace! Congratulations for taking on such a determined flirt!
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Oh my goodness,yes. And at first she does rant and scream, but I do hope you relish what is about to happen to the poor girl. Thanks for stopping by and reading this excerpt.
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Oh Lydia, what a pickle. This sounds like a good read. I’ve always loved seeing Lydia after her reckless error — the reactions could run the gamut.
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A pickle indeed! I believe a real challenge is the only medicine the girl needs. Best of luck on the giveaway and thanks for commenting today.
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Goodness! Lydia has found herself in quite a mess…all alone and in the dark of night, no less!!! What will she do? Thanks for sharing this, Grace. You have given Lydia a unique problem and solution. I enjoyed experiencing and learning with her. Well done!
Thanks, Anna, for hosting!
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I appreciate that Janet! Thank you for EVERYTHING! You are the best!
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Thanks, Anna and Grace! Lydia has certainly gotten herself in a dire predicament! Luckily, I think she is tough enough to forge though. I look forward to seeing the second part of the excerpt! 🙂
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Hi Kelly. You are the best! Thanks for stopping by – I really appreciate it.
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Poor Lydia, I hope everything works out for her. jadseah4(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Poor Lydia indeed! But maybe she is getting just the kind of education she really needs…? Thanks for coming!
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I love a story where Lydia grows up. I don’t know how this will end but I’m sure you have something planned. Poor Darcy, having to clean up a Bennet mess before he can properly woo Elizabeth. I’m so angry at Bennet. Elizabeth tried to tell him. Grrr! Thanks, Anna for hosting, and a special thanks to our author and publisher for the generous giveaway. Good luck to all in the drawing. Blessings, stay safe, and healthy.
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I could not agree more! The fault lies entirely with Mr. Bennet! And unfortunately, as you say, Darcy has to fix everything. Thanks so much for coming and commenting today! Hope you are staying well.
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Lydia is somewhat unlucky. I hope things work out for her this time.
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I had not thought of it, but you are right – Lydia is definitely unlucky! She has a difficult personality and many obstacles in her way. Thank you and good luck on the giveaway!
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What a fine mess Lydia has found herself in! Let’s hope she learns her lesson and recovers some semblance of respectability without getting off too easily.
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Yes indeed, Lois. I definitely did not want her to be rescued too soon because she would have reverted in no time at all! Hope you enjoy it!
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Congratulations on your new book!!
Thanks for offering this giveaway. I’m interested in seeing inside Lydia’s head 🙂 .
NovEllaandBanannabelle (at) Gmail (dot ) com
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Thank you! I hope you win and appreciate you stopping by today.
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I read this on KU & would love to win a copy. Both this book & Silver Buckles pack so much into a memorable novella. You are such a fantastic author. Thank you for sharing your talent & works with us all.
Did you mean us to put our email address in our comment? Can you not get it from our details posted below our comment??
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Thanks so much Beatrice! I do hope you win! As I understand it, if you leave a comment you are automatically entered into the contest.
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If you included your email in the comment form, you are good to go. Thanks!
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I love the way you write, Grace, and thoroughly enjoyed “Silver Buckles.” Best of luck with this book. Thanks for hosting, Anna!
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I am a bit star struck by this compliment – I am a big fan of yours! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your encouragement. It means so much!
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This is a funny excerpt . I find Lydia’s thinking so childing and funny. Thank you for the excerpt and the chance to win
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I am glad you found it funny – I too think her thoughts are so ridiculous that they are quite entertaining. Good luck and I hope you win!
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Thanks for sharing here. Another book to add to the pile. Good luck with the release.
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Thank you all for stopping by to check out Grace’s new book. The giveaway winner is cyndyhenry. Congratulations and happy reading! (I’ve sent you an email)
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