Adventure Awaits by Virginia Kohl: Excerpt + Giveaway

Hello, dear readers! Today’s guest is Virginia Kohl, who is here to celebrate the release of her newest novel, Adventure Awaits, inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Virginia is here to share a little about the book, as well as an excerpt and a giveaway. Please give her a warm welcome!

****

Since writing my debut novel, True Love Comes to Delaford, I knew I wanted Daisy to have her own story. The adventuresome young woman, who dreamed of traveling to exotic locations, would not simply settle for anyone. Could a true love match be found in the village’s new physician?

****

After reading the children a story and tucking them back in, Miss Dashwood returned downstairs to await the doctor. Her book had failed to distract her anxious thoughts. She soon began to pace in front of the library’s fireplace.

She raised her head upon hearing the butler’s announcement. “Thank you for coming so quickly, Doctor Gr—”

Instead of the trusted physician’s grey eyes, she looked up into a pair of unfamiliar dark blue ones.

“Although I appreciate your haste, I require an actual physician, Sir. If the doctor is not available, we must simply wait.”

“Four weeks?” the stranger asked dubiously.

“Why of course not. He will come directly after he finishes his call at the Delaney’s home.”

“Which I have.”

Daisy’s growing anxiety got the better of her. “If they do not prefer Doctor Grant’s expertise that is their choice. However, I will not let simply anyone near my niece!”

Unable to believe her audacity, the young man stepped closer. When they were mere inches apart, he raised his hands and began counting off on his fingers.

“First of all, Doctor Grant is not coming because he is under strict orders to rest for the next month. Secondly, in comparison to you, Mrs. Delaney did not have the luxury of waiting for his return. And lastly, I am not ‘simply anyone’. My name is Doctor Alexander Mallard and I have trained at one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. I am the physician taking care of your family’s physician.” Attempting to control his anger, he took a deep breath. “Now if we are through here, I need to see the patient.”

Releasing her arms from their defensive stance crossed in front of her, Miss Dashwood motioned towards the open door and stiffly replied, “By all means. Follow me, doctor.”

* * *

The walk up to the nursery was silent aside from the time it took Miss Dashwood to explain that the illness had also been contracted by their guest. Softly turning the doorknob, she entered and made her way over to Isabella’s bed.

She knelt down and gently stroked the little girl’s brow. “Wake up, dear.”

“Is it morning already?”

A small smile crossed Daisy’s face. “No, not yet. The doctor has come.” With a challenging glance in the young man’s direction she added, “and he is going to make you feel all better.”

“Then can we see our mamas?” a sleepy voice asked from the other side of the room.

“Of course, you can,” she assured.

Alexander looked from the young boy, whom he now knew to be the Delaney’s eldest son, to the aunt and niece. Shaking his head, he wondered what was wrong with this woman. How could she so calmly promise the children that everything would be all right? He hoped and prayed it would be a simple childhood malady. However, he could not be sure of that prognosis without an examination.

He strode across the room and set his bag on the nightstand. Retrieving his supplies, he could see the little girl’s eyes widen in fear. On the other side he heard sheets rustling and the sound of footsteps crossing the floor behind him. Soon the soft tone of whispered reassurances reached his ears.

“Do not be scared, Isabella. Daisy said the doctor will make everything better.”

The young physician closed his eyes in frustration. His profession had taught him to prepare for the worst. How could he tell these trusting children if it came to that? He glanced over at the woman sitting on the bed. If only she had not assured them that all would be well.

“Miss Dashwood, may I please speak to you for a moment?” Seeing that she did not proceed to move from the children’s side, he added, “Alone please.”

When they reached the open doorway, his tone became quieter for fear of the patients overhearing him. “You should not be telling them that everything will be fine when there is no basis for this claim. Until I have completed my examination, you are simply providing them with a false sense of security.”

“Patients recover after chickenpox run their course.”

“Chickenpox?” he repeated in surprise.

“Yes. A common malady I am sure you have encountered before.”

He could feel his head begin to pound. First, she questioned his expertise and now she had the nerve to diagnose his patients.

“As much as I appreciate your, let us call it assistance, until you have actually obtained a medical degree, I will rely on mine.”

Momentarily lost for words, Daisy stared in shock. She had never encountered such an arrogant man.

“Doctor Mallard—” she began, only to be interrupted by little voices coming from the bed.

“A mallard is a type of duck,” Colin explained, with his arm draped comfortingly around his friend’s shoulder.

“Similar to the duckies in mama’s story?” Isabella’s face lit up for the first time all evening when she looked over at Alexander. “May we call you Doctor Ducky?”

Daisy addressed her niece, “I do not believe—”

However, the warning never came. In disbelief she watched him cross the room and bend down to be at eye level with the children. The corners of her lips involuntarily lifted, seeing him make noises and gestures to imitate the feathered creature. His actions were rewarded with claps and giggles before he returned to a standing position.

“Now it is time for your examinations. Are you ready?”

“If Auntie Daisy can stay with us.”

Alexander would have preferred any of the household’s servants instead of the infuriating young woman. However, he found himself unable to deny the two pairs of pleading eyes looking up at him.

“If Miss Dashwood agrees, I would have no objections.”

“Thank you,” Daisy whispered with sincere appreciation when she passed him to join her charges.

Fairly certain she would have stayed regardless of his objection, her gratitude surprised him. There certainly was more than meets the eye when it came to Miss Dashwood.

If you enjoyed this excerpt, Adventure Awaits is available in both Kindle and trade paperback.

****

About Adventure Awaits

Margaret Dashwood, known to her family and friends as Daisy, has always dreamed of going on a grand adventure. With her first Season behind her, those dreams are relegated to the stories she tells her niece.

Dr. Alexander Mallard came to the small village of Delaford straight out of medical school. With the knowledge and desire to help everyone he can, the young man settles into the life of a country doctor.

The day their paths cross, an adventure grander than either ever imagined begins.

Buy on Amazon

****

About the Author

Virginia Kohl

Virginia Kohl has been fascinated with the regency era since discovering Jane Austen’s works at the age of eleven.

Originally from Germany, Virginia Kohl shares her Texas home with her illustrator mother and faithful rescue dog. When not passing her love of learning on to her students, this college math professor enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and being an active member of her local writer’s guild.

Virginia Kohl can be reached via her website and Facebook. Her novels can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.

****

Giveaway

Virginia is generously offering a Kindle copy of Adventure Awaits to one lucky reader. This giveaway is open to Amazon.com customers. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. The giveaway will be open through Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

Thank you, Virginia, for being my guest today, and congratulations on your new release!

Read Full Post »

A Very Austen Romance (Austen Anthologies Book 3): Excerpts + Giveaway

Today’s guests are the authors of the new anthology, A Very Austen Romance: Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Chautona Havig, and Mandy H. Cook. I’m a huge fan of these Austen anthologies, so I was thrilled to hear there was a third installment. These talented authors are here to share a little about their collection of novellas, along with a few excerpts. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did. Please give them a warm welcome!

****

We are very excited to offer our third anthology to you, A Very Austen Romance.

That’s right, we’re back with another “book that friendship built.” This sounds like a marketing slogan, but with us it’s actually true. The Internet is how we met, and over the years we have encouraged one another as writers. One day we hope to meet together in person. For now, come share our friendship as we offer these new, Austen-inspired Regency novellas to you.

This time, Chautona Havig is joining us as guest author. Chautona is new to JAFF, but she is not at all a newbie writer.

A Very Austen Romance is ready-made for summer reading. And goodness, this book is LONG. (You’ll know that if you peek at the price of the paperback!)

We love these stories, and we think you will too. You’ll smile, you’ll sigh, and you’ll even laugh a little.

Kindle Unlimited subscribers, A Very Austen Romance is ready and waiting!

Here’s what’s inside:

The King of Hearts by Robin Helm

Twenty-year-old Kitty Bennet, the only unmarried Bennet sister, goes for an extended visit with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy in London where Elizabeth decides to host a coming out ball in Kitty’s honor.

Four eligible bachelors compete for Kitty’s favor, but only one can win her hand.

Kitty has the wonderful, awful task of selecting one from a field of no bad choices. Which man will she choose?

You’ve Got to Kiss the Girl by Laura Hile

It is Darcy’s duty to marry Anne—and Lady Catherine is determined to see that he does, even if she must have him abducted! But her nefarious plan goes horribly wrong, for the kidnappers seize the wrong girl.

A Step Too Far by Wendi Sotis

While touring his friend’s new estate, Fitzwilliam Darcy comes across a young lady in jeopardy. Even though coming to her aid could also ruin her reputation, he refuses to risk her life by leaving her in such a perilous situation.

During her daily amble, Miss Elizabeth Bennet takes one step too many. Is she in love with the man who saved her life, or is it simply a deep sense of obligation that will fade with time?

John Knightley Takes a Wife by Barbara Cornthwaite

Young John Knightley is in love—so in love that he agrees to invite the beautiful Miss Maria Dudley’s wild younger brother for a visit to the family estate at Donwell Abbey. John finds he’s got his work cut out for him thanks to Dudley’s fondness for pranks and port. But when Dudley sets his sights on Isabella Woodhouse—or, rather, her fortune—John’s views on love and honor are challenged and he must decide what kind of man he really wants to be.

In the Looking Glass by Mandy H Cook

Fanny Bingley, twenty-year-old daughter of Jane and Charles Bingley, chafes under the restrictions placed upon women of her time period. She decides to take matters into her own hands, and unlike her ten siblings, charts her own course to love, finding a husband in an unlikely manner.

Charming Miss Dashwood by Chautona Havig

All Conrad Thayer wanted was a respite in the country and the luxury of days spent in a fine library. However, Margaret Dashwood and a roving band of “highwaymen” have stolen that opportunity, and in regard to Miss Dashwood, his heart along with it.

We are:

Robin Helm

Robin Helm of South Carolina, author of Understanding Elizabeth and More to Love.

Laura Hile

Laura Hile, author of Darcy By Any Other Name and So This Is Love, from northwest Oregon.

Wendi Sotis

From Long Island, New York, Wendi Sotis, author of With My Whole Heart Forever and A Lesson Hard Learned.

Barbara Cornthwaite

Barbara Cornthwaite, author of the George Knightley, Gentleman books and a soon-to-be-released cozy mystery series, from rural Ireland.

Mandy H. Cook

Living in Maryland (for now), globe-trotting Mandy H Cook, author of The Gifted.

Chautona Havig

Joining us as Guest Author, from California’s Tehachapi Desert is Chautona Havig, author of Allerednic and many other titles.

Connect with the A Very Austen authors: Facebook | Amazon

Buy links:

A Very Austen Romance is available as an eBook and paperback, and is also enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon | Goodreads

****

Excerpts

From A Step Too Far  by Wendi Sotis

Darcy had made his decision to avoid the lady, and since he had thought of little else since, it made absolutely no sense that, upon returning to the house after their morning ride, when Mrs. Curtis informed them that Miss Elizabeth was feeling well enough to traipse down the corridor for a change of scenery, he experienced a burning need to rush through his toilette so he could come here, to the music room, and wait. All the while, he found himself anxiously hoping that Miss Elizabeth did not suffer a relapse and have to cancel her outing again.

In fact, after not seeing her the entire day yesterday, he felt if he did not have the opportunity to lay eyes on her and speak to her very soon, he might actually perish.

He stopped pacing and inhaled deeply. It is quite possible I have gone mad!

“What is wrong, Darcy?” Bingley asked.

He shook his head to end his stupor. “Why do you ask?”

Bingley laughed. “You look as though the devil himself had just walked up to greet you.”

Darcy ignored the comment. “What are we doing here, Bingley? It is the middle of the day. We should be hunting or fishing, or riding out to the tenant houses to check on the progress of the labourers.”

“We just returned from doing exactly that, Darcy.” Bingley’s expression was one of exaggerated concern. “Are you sure all is right with you?”

Annoyed, he answered, “I am fine.”

Bingley seemed satisfied. “Well then, to answer your question, we are here awaiting the ladies.”

Darcy clenched his jaw. “Have you checked with Mrs. Curtis? Are they coming, or have you assumed they are? Are we wasting our time here, Bingley?”

“They are, at this very moment, preparing to join us.”

As Bingley finished his pronouncement, the door opened. Bingley sprang from his chair and moved towards it.

In came Miss Bennet. Bingley stopped short, his grin was so wide the corners of his lips almost reached his ears.

Miss Bennet looked up, smiled at Bingley, and then blushed heartily as she turned to push the door open wider.

Miss Elizabeth came through next, leaning heavily on a footman’s arm.

Envy exploded in Darcy’s chest. Or was it jealousy? He pushed the thought away.

No, Darcy was angry—at himself. He was a gentleman. Gentlemen are supposed to predict a lady’s needs and fulfill them, but he had not anticipated that Miss Elizabeth would require an escort. If he were sane, perhaps he would have waited in the corridor outside her chambers. This simply proved again that he was not in full wits.

Before he knew what he was about, Darcy had already moved across the room and offered his arm to the injured lady.

He flared his nostrils. So much for avoiding her.

When Miss Elizabeth’s clear, jade-green eyes caught his gaze, it was as if every unpleasant feeling he had experienced in the past day and a half were swept away, leaving behind only an agreeable warmth in his soul. His heart swelled when, without hesitation, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his arm.

Why did she have this effect on him? And why did he enjoy it so much?

She smiled and all rational thought left his head.

From John Knightley Takes a Wife by Barbara Corthwaite

It was obvious to George, watching from across the room, that the enchanting Miss Dudley appeared to have his brother on a string. It was also clear to him that she was a heartless little flirt. While she danced with John, she had eyes for no one but him, and seemed to convey that there was nothing on earth so fascinating to her as whatever he was talking about. George was too far away to hear what they were saying, of course, but he could see them bantering and laughing with each other. During the next dance, when John had a different partner, George watched Miss Dudley dance with another young man. She looked just as happy to be dancing with him as she had with John, and when the dance ended she said something quietly to him that made his face light up. A sense of foreboding crept over George.

John, for his part, was elated for himself and irritated with his brother. He had known that George would not dance, but he thought he might have put himself out more. Part of his reason for inviting George had indeed been so that he might meet the incomparable Maria. But another, almost equally strong reason was so that he could fall in love himself. George was always sequestered away at Donwell with no eligible young ladies anywhere nearby, growing old alone. He was settling into middle age much too rapidly—it would do him good to be in love and provide a mistress for Donwell. In the giddiness of his own infatuation, John was eager to see everyone around him matched up as well. He had allowed himself to hope that George would meet a lady who would so awaken his admiration that he would instantly ask her to dance.

But there George was instead, talking sedately to Major Thomas, while ladies of all ages eyed him in varying degrees of furtiveness and positioned themselves near him in case he would be inclined to ask to be introduced to them. George could, no doubt, have won any one of them—he was handsome, wealthy, and honorable.

“He will not take the trouble to invest in his own happiness,” muttered John, and went over to his brother to see if he could provoke him into doing such a thing.

“Is Arthur Dudley here?” George asked before John could say anything.

“No. I thought he would be, but it appears he cried off.”

“I see you had your dances with Miss Dudley.”

“I intend to have more.”

“Do you? How very optimistic you are. It seems that there are any number of young bucks waiting to ask her to dance.”

“At least I know you will not be of that number.”

“I think I may break with tradition and ask her. She is, after all, very beautiful.”

The corner of John’s mouth quivered. “I think I will punish you for that.” He glanced around and saw a lady passing. “Miss Oliver!”
The young lady paused and turned toward the brothers. She was a plain-faced woman of about twenty-eight, but she had an intelligent eye and a ready smile.

“How do you do, Mr. Knightley?”

“Very well, I thank you. May I present my brother, Mr. George Knightley? He hopes to engage you for the two next dances.”

From You’ve Got to Kiss the Girl by Laura Hile

Bound, gagged, and blindfolded, Mr. Darcy is being transported to who-knows-where. Then he realizes that he is not alone …
The wheels hit another rut in the road. This one was deep, and the wagon swayed dangerously. “What in blue blazes?” shouted a woman’s voice. “This ain’t no time to be drinking, you git!”

“A fellow needs something to warm him,” a man’s voice shouted back. “That wind cuts like a knife.”

“If we break an axle out here, we’re done for.”

“Hobgoblins and ghostly horsemen of the moor? Bah. Bogeys to scare children.”

“Not goblins, you dolt. Marshes and bogs have what they calls quicksand. That what swallows man and beast alive. So keep your wits about you.”

“It’s Dartmoor Prison I’m not liking. Too close for comfort, that is.”

Darcy frowned in an effort to think. The vile potion his captors had him swilling made his head swim. Dartmoor Prison. Did this mean they were in Devon?

The wagon gave another jolt and listed to one side. “Gor blast it, Manny! Slow down! We’ll be ditched if you keep to this pace.”

The wagon righted itself and went lumbering on. Darcy heard his fellow prisoner groan.

Here was another perplexity. That he was kidnapped for ransom was understandable, but why involve a woman?

Unless it was his cousin, Anne.

Of course it was Anne. Who else could it be? Even without this ordeal, his cousin’s life was not a happy one. And now she was being held for ransom.

With a miserable howl, the wind buffeted the wagon’s high sides. “Blast this infernal wind!” the man shouted. “What was Jackman thinking?

Why this godforsaken place?”

“For easy money, that’s what. Nab the gent and the girl; dump them here and clear out.”

“Why not hide ’em in London? Instead of driving two hundred miles and more in all this cold? What I wouldn’t give for a warm fire and a pint.”

“We’ll have both soon enough, once we get free of the moor. If you don’t ditch the wagon!”

The wind howled, and his captors continued to complain. At length Darcy grew weary of listening to them. If only his headache would abate, perhaps then he could think!

Sometime later he woke to more cursing.

“How do you know it’s the right house?”

“Only one out here, dolt. Can’t miss it, Jackman said. There’s the lake and there’s the house.”

At last the wagon ground to a halt. Darcy came fully awake, every sense on the alert. God only knew what would come next.

“Took you long enough,” a voice shouted.

“This ain’t exactly the easiest spot to find. Lend a hand. I want to be away before nightfall.”

“No need to be telling me twice.”

When the wagon’s doors came open, Darcy felt the bite of the cold wind. The scent of rain was in the air.

Anne was taken from the wagon first, and she moaned several times. This was difficult to hear, but it meant she was alive.

Presently the men returned for Darcy. He was pulled into a sitting position, and the rope binding his ankles was removed. When his feet met the ground, Darcy realised that he wore only stockings. What had happened to his riding boots?

“March,” someone ordered. Darcy did so, stumbling over wet, rocky terrain. And then it began to rain. A chorus of curses erupted.

Rough hands pushed Darcy along. Then a surprise: his feet encountered wooden boards. The hollow sound reminded Darcy of a dock, and his guess turned out to be correct. Amid complaints about his size and weight, he was lowered into a small boat. The rain gained in strength; Darcy could hear it hissing against the surface of the water. Oars were fitted; the boat swayed precariously. Finally, it was pushed clear of the dock.

Darcy struggled to think. Were he and Anne being taken out of England? But that could not be right. To board a seagoing vessel, shouldn’t they be in a port city? Hold hard, someone had mentioned a lake. Was this significant? He wished he knew.

****

Giveaway

The authors are very generously offering an ebook copy of A Very Austen Romance to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. The giveaway is open through Thursday, July 2, 2020. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

Thank you to all the authors for being my guests today, and congratulations on your new release! I’m sure I’m not the only one who hopes there’s another anthology on the horizon…

Read Full Post »

Outmatched by Jayne Bamber: Guest Post, Excerpt + Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to welcome Jayne Bamber back to the blog today to celebrate the upcoming release of her latest Austen mashup, Outmatched. All of Jayne’s variations so far have been exciting and unique, and Outmatched appears to be no exception. I hope you all are as intrigued as I am by the excerpt. Please give Jayne a warm welcome!

****

Something strange is going on at Mansfield Park, and the Bertrams mean to bring their mischief to the doorstep of their Dashwood relations at Norland. But what does this mean for Fanny Price?

Hello, dear Janeites! It is a pleasure to be back at Diary of an Eccentric to tell you all about my upcoming release, Outmatched, coming to Kindle on May 8^th. This is my fifth novel, and by now many readers may now my penchant for intrigue, surprises, and alternate couplings. This book promises all that and more in a fusion of Mansfield Park and Sense & Sensibility that turns everything we knows about some of Austen’s most beloved characters upside down.

I will have more to say about the Dashwoods in future posts throughout my blog tour, but today the spotlight in on the Bertrams. Their story opens just after Sir Thomas returns from Antigua, and just as in canon Sir Thomas takes notice of the changes to Fanny Price since he went away. However, Sir Thomas is harboring a dreadful secret that could alter the futures of all his family – and Fanny Price in particular.

The excerpt I would like to share with you today is the first glimpse of Jane Austen’s most underrated heroine, with some hints of what is to come. Though her future may seem uncertain now, one thing is quite sure – this visit to Norland will change the course of her future forever….

****

Fanny Price ended her day in a greater degree of distress than she had ever experienced, since her earliest days of coming to Mansfield as a child. After the initial shock of being transplanted from the home of her youth, she had by and by begun to feel her position secure enough; she expected never to leave. Hearing that her uncle meant to bring her to Norland, among cousins who had never taken notice of herself, her parents, or her siblings – cousins who were by all accounts very grand – it was not the sort of news to put her at ease. Having been acquainted with the news amidst company had been difficult, even to one as accustomed as she to concealing her feelings.

The matter of putting her forward – whatever that might mean – had been touched on again at dinner, for by then it was quite resolved that they would all go to Norland very soon. Her panic increased, for among all the conversation and planning, she had lacked the courage to inquire what she most wished to know – was she to return with them when the family came back to Mansfield? Or did this journey portend some new and uncertain future for her?

After the family dined, the animated chatter in the drawing room afforded her some opportunity to slip away to the East Room. The space had formerly been used as a school room, but since the governess had left them, the room was considered by all to belong to Fanny. Here were her plants and books and little objects of comfort; Mrs. Norris would not allow Fanny a fire of her own, but it was cozy enough on most occasions merely for the peace it afforded Fanny.

Tonight, there was none to be found, and all the pleasure of her many hours whiled away in the East Room felt like a comfort that might very soon slip into her distant memory. Her uncle had been heavy with his praise of her since returning to England. This alone had surprised Fanny, and the notice made her uncomfortable. She could neither conclude on her own, nor muster the temerity to inquire, what Sir Thomas might intend for her now, but there was a rising fear in her heart that he meant to be rid of her.

It was true that John Dashwood was her cousin by blood, for his father had been brother to her mother and aunts. Yet he was twice her age, and had taken little notice of her when last they met. She had been a girl of twelve or thirteen, and still so daunted by everything at Mansfield, and everybody so high above her. What could he, his wife, and mother-and-law possibly want with her, much less do for her? What strange notions had Sir Thomas in mind? Surely he could not think that whatever improvement he had perceived in her appearance – a frightening sensation on its own – might raise her prospects enough to bring her into the notice of virtual strangers.

She paced the room for a half an hour or more, her thoughts increasingly wretched, and every moment she wished Edmund would come. He was always so mindful of her absence from the family circle, and was often coming after her here, when something or other caused her to withdraw to her favorite place.

And yet, Edmund had been acting strangely all day. He had spoken harshly to his father on more than one occasion, both in the drawing room and over the course of their family dinner. He was all barbs and brooding, and it was very unlike him to be so long out of humor.

Beset by another cause for alarm, Fanny began to agonize over what had caused Edmund such distress, and why he had not sought her out to share his troubles, as he had always done before. It occurred to her that his problem and hers might be one and the same – whatever her uncle’s intention for Fanny might be, perhaps Edmund could not like it, and could not speak to her of the matter.

Amidst such heavy woes, Fanny was late in hearing the door open and the soft footfalls on the floor; she looked up in some surprise to find Julia lingering in the center of the room. “Oh!”

“I thought I might find you here,” Julia said. She went and sat in the window seat and peered out at the twilight before beckoning Fanny to join her.

Fanny’s habit of obliging her cousins was too strong to be broken, even under such duress. She sat at the other end of the window seat, and Julia moved closer. “Well, Fanny, what do you think of this Norland business? I cannot like it at all.”

Fanny could not remember the last time Julia had asked for her opinion on anything of greater importance than a bit of ribbon or the state of the weather. Her hands fidgeting in her dress, she merely replied, “It was most unexpected.”

“Exactly so! I cannot think why Papa should wish to travel at all – and so far! He has only just come home. He might have let the theatrical go forward, if he wanted some amusement.” Julia folded her arms and huffed, leaning back against the window casement in a childlike pout.

As a poor and dependent relation, Fanny could not bring herself to question her uncle’s decision; indeed, this was the very substance of her own quandary. But no more could she confide such a thing to the cousin who had not her trust, who had really never endeavored to speak so candidly with her before. No, Fanny could speak freely to none but Edmund. “I wonder what he thinks of it – Edmund, I mean.”

“Why, you heard him – he is all in favor of it! I cannot think why that should be, either. He is never cross with Papa, and I am sure he cares as little for Cousin John as the rest of us. You must remember his Fanny – Mrs. Dashwood, I mean. Vulgar and rude is how I recall her! Mrs. Rushworth said he turned his own sisters out of the house when Uncle Henry died. Well! If our Dashwood cousins are at Norland, I shall take every chance of slighting Fanny Dashwood for them.”

Fanny knew not what response to make, though she, too, felt some sympathy for the Dashwood girls. She recalled playing with the two eldest once when they were very young – they had been kinder to her than Maria and Julia, and that they had been so ill-used made Fanny feel a sense of kinship with them. Of course, far it be for her to slight the mistress of Norland, when she knew she would be expected to show some gratitude at being brought there at all. She glanced at the door, willing Edmund to walk through it, but to no avail.

Julia needed little encouragement to go on. “I am sure you do not wish to be going there, either, Fanny. And why should you? Why should any of us! Oh, Mamma may wish to see the home of her youth, but she will not like it once we are all in our carriages, and I daresay we shall all be very uncomfortable then.”

Though Julia meant the discomfort of traveling, Fanny felt sure that the entire ordeal would be very uncomfortable for her, but all the more so once they had reached their destination. She had heard little of Norland from her mother and aunts beyond the fact that it was very large and very grand. Her own mother had been raised there, too, though she had fallen so low in the world that Fanny wondered if her mother would ever be welcome back there – it was rather to be wondered at that any Price should be admitted to such a house.

“We shall have to be allies, you and I,” Julia said, and took Fanny’s hand. “You are too good and sweet to say so, but I know you wish to go as little as I. My, but your face when Papa addressed you! I cannot think why he would make you so uncomfortable, for no one but Maria really wishes to be going at all. He ought not force anyone who does not like it, and I am sure we would be much happier to stay here. But I see you are too afraid to agree with me. No matter, it shall be our little secret.”

Even this discomfited Fanny. She could not like to have secrets of such a nature, to be an ungrateful malcontent. Surely Edmund would talk her out of such feelings. Fanny let slip a little sigh of woe, and Julia embraced her with one arm. “Do not fret, my little friend. We are of one mind, and we shall keep together, you and I. I am sure it will be vastly unpleasant – we must find some pleasant room just like this to hide away at Norland, for we shall be better company for one another than anybody else. If Papa means to put you forward, I am sure he is thinking of one of Fanny Dashwood’s brothers – can you imagine how odious they must be?”

“Surely not!” Fanny raised a hand to her mouth, sorry to have spoken with a vehemence that surprised and shamed her.

“I am certain of it. I can well imagine a pair of gentlemen with her same beady-eyed look, gauche and over-trimmed, and full of self-importance. We shall have to look after one another.”

Fanny’s alarm intensified. Of course Sir Thomas would think to marry her off, for all his talk of her improved looks and womanly virtues. She had been a fool to think they would keep her at Mansfield forever.

****

Thanks for tuning in to this stop on my blog tour – there will be a chance to win a free ebook and another excerpt at every stop along the way!

****

Thank you, Jayne, for being my guest today, and congratulations on your upcoming release!

Read Full Post »

Review & Giveaway: Sense Without Sensibility by Keena Richins

Source: Review copy from the author

Sense Without Sensibility by Keena Richins is a modern-day variation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility told from the point of view of Elinor Dashwood. Elinor’s life, and the lives of her mother and two younger sisters, has been upended by her father’s stroke and the likelihood that he will never be more than the shell of his former self. They have barely come to terms with their new reality when her half-brother John and his wife Fanny swoop in with plans to liquidate her father’s businesses and sell their home due to the hefty costs of her father’s long-term care — and due to a prenup, her mother isn’t entitled to anything.

Fanny gives the women a couple of months to figure out their next move, and Elinor finds herself working side-by-side with Fanny’s auditor brother Edward to prepare the small business she’d been managing for her father for sale. Elinor expects the worst given Fanny’s cold-hearted focus on the Dashwood inheritance, but when she meets Edward, she finds a kindred spirit – a shy man with a head for business and a kind heart. As they forge a friendship (and something more, she secretly hopes), she finds it hard to break through the wall that Edward puts up whenever his family is mentioned. Before she can get him to open up, the Dashwood women are forced to move and start a new life on the West Coast, far from the life and man they hold so dear but where new friendships and adventures await.

I really enjoyed how Richins modernized the story while staying true to the essence of each character and the basic plot of Austen’s novel. I loved how characters from other Austen novels made appearances and how, like with most modern variations, I had no idea how the characters would get from A to Z. Those twists and turns were exciting, and the expected happily ever after was so satisfying after all the turmoil Elinor had endured.

This is the third book in a series in which Richins gives modern versions of Austen’s heroes and heroines the chance to tell their side of the story, but it can be read as a standalone book. I loved Richins’ take on Elinor, how she managed to stay strong despite so much hardship and always managed to have a positive attitude. I did get a little tired of her referring to the “cold monster” that would come over Edward, especially when the change in his mood was already implied through action and dialogue, but it didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. Elinor felt real to me, and so did Marianne as the melodramatic teenager glued to her phone and Brandon as a quiet, kind veteran who emerges as an ally before they even settle into their new life in Portland. I can’t wait to read the upcoming books from Edward’s, Marianne’s, and Brandon’s points of view.

****

About Sense Without Sensibility

After a stroke that devastates the mind of her father, Elinor expects her life will never be the same. But she wasn’t expecting to lose her job and her family home thanks to a legal technicality.

Facing ruin, Elinor prepares to fight against the selfish, cruel man who would ensure that ruin. However, Edward turns out to be the opposite, a kind soul who only wants to fulfill his duty. So Elinor hatches a new plan: get Edward on her side and utilize their own legal technicality. The only problem? Edward would have to go against his very influential and wealthy family.

Would he risk losing everything–his job, his family, and his massive inheritance–to save Elinor?

In the world of Pemberley Estates, Jane Austen’s characters mingle with each other in a modern setting.

Buy on Amazon

****

About the Author

Keena Richins has a curse: she must write the stories bubbling in her head or go mad. Seriously. You should see the hordes of characters in her head constantly babbling about their lives. When she needs a break, Keena will delve into books and her favorite are the Jane Austen books, so it is only fitting for her first debut to be a modern twist on one of those classics. And many more are soon to come.

****

Giveaway

Keena is offering 3 ebooks of Sense Without Sensibility as part of the blog tour. You must enter through this Rafflecopter link. Good luck!

****

For more information about the blog tour, visit Poetic Book Tours.

Read Full Post »

Review: Rational Creatures edited by Christina Boyd

Source: Review copy from the editor

Christina Boyd and her “dream team” of Austenesque writers put out the best Austen-inspired anthologies, hands down. It took me a while to finish Rational Creatures, partly because my life has been so busy and reading time has been limited and partly because I wanted to savor this collection. For me, it’s easy to quickly read through stories that are lighthearted romances, and while there is some romance in these stories, the romance in my opinion wasn’t the focal point here.

These stories are about the women in Austen’s novels, a mix of prequels, sequels, and side stories covering the heroines (and everyone’s favorite antiheroine Lady Susan) as well as many secondary characters, including Charlotte Lucas, Sophia Croft, Penelope Clay, Mary Crawford, and Eleanor Tilney. I’m not going to detail each of the stories, as it’s more fun to jump right in and just go with the flow. As with all of The Quill Collective anthologies, I enjoyed each story and getting to know each of these characters in a new way. I loved how the stories delved deeper into each character — their back stories, the love stories we don’t see in Austen’s novels, their thoughts on their place in society and the limitations that accompany that status, and so much more.

Rational Creatures is a fantastic anthology that shows exactly why we love Austen’s characters: love ’em or hate ’em, Austen’s female characters each are strong in their own way. These stories gave me a new appreciation of characters who aren’t the usual favorites, like Fanny Price, or who make bad decisions, like Charlotte Lucas and Louisa Musgrove, or the “bad girls,” like Mary Crawford, or the ones we simply know little about but who must have rich stories, like Sophia Croft. The stories made me laugh, made me think, and basically made me want to re-read Austen’s novels. I really hope these Quill Collective anthologies keep coming!

Read Full Post »

Review & Giveaway: A Very Austen Valentine by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Corthwaite, Susan Kaye, and Mandy H. Cook

Source: Review copy from the authors

I had some problems with my laptop over the past few days, so I apologize for my review being late, but thankfully it’s up and running again. I’m so glad because I’m thrilled to be sharing this book with all of you. I adored A Very Austen Christmas, so when I saw that some of my favorite JAFF authors were back with A Very Austen Valentine, I couldn’t pass it up. And I’m delighted to say that I wasn’t disappointed one bit.

A Very Austen Valentine has a little bit of everything for the Austen fan, and of course, plenty of romance for Valentine’s Day. Robin Helm’s “I Dream of You” has the Darcys settling into married life and Elizabeth devising ways for them to get to know each other on a deeper level. Laura Hile’s “Sir Walter Takes a Wife” is the perfect Persuasion/Pride and Prejudice mashup that made me laugh so hard I cried. Wendi Sotis’ “My Forever Valentine” has Elizabeth and Darcy meeting in Kent after the Bingleys have married, with Richard and Anne helping things along. Barbara Cornthwaite’s “Pretence and Prejudice” has Darcy and Elizabeth meeting in a completely different way, with spies and romance! Mandy H. Cook’s “My Valentine” is the love story of the Darcys’ daughter, Charlotte, and brings in some characters from Sense and Sensibility. Finally, Susan Kaye’s “The Lovers’ Ruse” imagines what might have happened if Anne Elliot hadn’t been persuaded to give up Captain Wentworth.

All of the stories are beautifully written, and despite being shorter works, they are perfectly paced and completely satisfying. I loved the mix of stories, covering different points in Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship and featuring characters from other Austen novels — and even original characters. Moreover, the stories are very different from each other and equally enjoyable — and it’s hard to find anthologies where you like ALL of the stories. A Very Austen Valentine is a must-read for JAFF fans, and I truly hope these authors release another anthology in the future.

****

About A Very Austen Valentine

I Dream of You by Robin Helm

Newly-married Elizabeth Darcy has a plan: to charm her too-busy husband into desiring her company as much as he did when he was courting her.  A series of romantic dreams gives her just the push she needs to put that plan into action.

Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile

Faced with a lonely future and finding himself strapped for cash, Persuasion’s Sir Walter Elliot manfully decides to marry again. But his careful plans go sadly awry! A lighthearted Valentine mash-up featuring two of Jane Austen’s worst snobs.

My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis

Jane and Charles Bingley have married, even though Miss Elizabeth Bennet remains certain Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy gave his best effort to keep them apart. After Mr. Darcy refused to stand up with Bingley and did not attend the wedding, she despises the gentleman more than ever and finds his company intolerable. How will she endure her visit to Kent if Mr. Darcy turns up everywhere she goes?

Pretence and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite

A chance encounter with a handsome stranger forces Elizabeth to resort to subterfuge in order to discover his true intentions.

My Valentine by Mandy H. Cook

Little Charlotte was always determined and independent, traits which served her well as she battled a serious childhood illness and later as she took on Polite Society. Will those traits now deprive her of true love? Or would her lifelong Valentine win her heart?

The Lovers’ Ruse by Susan Kaye

In this Persuasion alteration, Anne is so altered by Wentworth’s love in the summer of 1806, she refuses to give him up when both her godmother and father try to persuade her. “The Lovers’ Ruse” follows Frederick and Anne through their whirlwind courtship and their secret engagement. When Wentworth returns for his Annie girl, the cat comes out of the bag.

Buy on Amazon (U.S.) | Amazon (U.K.)

****

About the Authors

Robin Helm

Robin Helm’s books reflect her love of music, as well as her fascination with the paranormal and science fiction.

Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: Guardian, SoulFire, and Legacy (a guardian angel protects a supernaturally gifted girl), the Yours by Design series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely Yours, and Forever Yours (Fitzwilliam Darcy switches places in time with his descendant, Will Darcy), and Understanding Elizabeth (Regency romance).

She contributed to A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 1, an anthology featuring like-minded authors, in 2017. A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2  was released on December 29, 2018. A Very Austen Romance: Austen Anthologies, Book 3 is planned for December 2019.

She lives in sunny South Carolina and adores her one husband, two married daughters, and three grandchildren.

Connect with Robin: Amazon Author Page | BeyondAusten.com | Twitter | Facebook (Robin Helm) | Facebook (Austen Anthologies) | Instagram @jrhelm or @AustenAnthologies | Goodreads | Blog

Laura Hile

Readers are loving Laura Hile’s joyous Regency novels. Her signature style—with intertwined plots, cliffhangers, laugh-out-loud humor, and romance—keeps them coming back for more.

The comedy Laura comes by as a teacher. There’s never a dull moment with teen students!

Laura lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a collection of antique clocks.

Her fiction is for everyone, even teens. 

Connect with Laura: Amazon Author Page | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | BeyondAusten.com | Goodreads

Wendi Sotis

Wendi Sotis lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and triplets. While searching for Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view, she became thoroughly enamored with Jane Austen Fan Fiction or JAFF. In early 2010, she dreamed of an idea for a story and hasn’t stopped writing since: Promises, Dreams and Expectations; All Hallows Eve; The Keys for Love; Safekeeping (with just a dash of Austen); The Gypsy Blessing; Foundation of Love (The Gypsy Blessing 2); and A Lesson Hard Learned.

The Marriage Pact, and some of Wendi’s works-in-progress, have branched away from JAFF to Regency Romance (the Loving an Aldridge Series) and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries (the Implicated series). Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Elizabeth together again and again in an unusual manner.

Connect with Wendi: Amazon Author Page | Website | Facebook | Twitter | BeyondAusten.com | Goodreads

Barbara Cornthwaite

Barbara Cornthwaite lives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling her six children, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.

Connect with Barbara: Amazon Author Page | Jane Started It!

Susan Kaye

Susan Kaye discovered Jane Austen and writing at about the same time. She leads a quiet life with her husband and dog, Harley. “I don’t know a lot, but I do know I’ve probably spent more time with Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot than just about anybody else.”

Connect with Susan: Amazon Author Page | Jane Started It! | Facebook

Mandy H. Cook

Mandy Cook was an RN for over ten years, half of which she served in the Navy, living in far-flung places, enjoying experiencing the world while following her calling. Just before she and her handsome Marine were both deployed to different places, they married. They now have three children, ages four and younger.

She previously published The Gifted, using her nursing experience to lend accuracy to her story about an ER nurse who is handed a gift that changes her life forever. Adversity, and a long history of secrets, constantly battle against her natural instinct for truth and justice, but will the truth be worth the dare?

Connect with Mandy: Facebook | Instagram @hisloved1s

****

Giveaway

The authors are generously offering an ebook of A Very Austen Valentine to my readers. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. The giveaway will run through Wednesday, January 23, 2019. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

****

01/06 Just the Write Escape

01/07 Margie’s Must Reads

01/08 So Little Time…

01/09 Babblings of a Bookworm

01/10 Half Agony, Half Hope

01/11 Austenesque Reviews

01/12 My Love for Jane Austen

01/14 From Pemberley to Milton

01/15 My life journey

01/16 My Vices and Weaknesses

01/18 Diary of an Eccentric

01/20 Darcyholic Diversions

01/21 Austenprose

Disclosure: I received a copy of A Very Austen Valentine from the authors for review.

Read Full Post »

Review: Holidays with Jane: Summer of Love by Jessica Grey, Melissa Buell, Rebecca M. Fleming, Jennifer Becton, Nancy Kelley, and Cecilia Gray

Source: Purchased

I’m continuing to make my way through the Holidays with Jane anthologies, which feature six stories that are modern variations of each Jane Austen novel. This anthology contained:

“Twice Upon a Sea” by Melissa Buell (based on Persuasion)

Anne and Finn are reunited after breaking up during her freshman year of college. Six years later, she is a media liaison for the Naval History Office, and Finn is a famous marine archaeologist. The story shows how their relationship began, the hurt they have experienced from the breakup, and the awkwardness of their reunion.

“Castle of the Sea” by Nancy Kelley (based on Northanger Abbey)

This story takes college student and historical romance writer Cat Morland on a two-week Caribbean cruise with her brother and the Thorpe siblings. She meets the Tilneys, Henry and Ella, who hope to start a fashion house. Cat and Henry bond right away over the general disapproval of their chosen professions, and the Thorpes, of course, throw some obstacles onto their path to happily ever after.

“An (Un)Even Exchange” by Jennifer Becton (based on Sense and Sensibility)

Nora Dashwood is a landscape architect who is immediately attracted to her new colleague, Edward Ferrars. They are forced to work closely by their matchmaker boss. Her sister, Marianne, moves in with her following a painful breakup. Marianne immediately distrusts Edward simply because he is male, and she hires a private investigator she meets while working at Mansfield Perk to uncover Edward’s connection to Nora’s obnoxious neighbor Lucy. This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. I enjoyed the interaction between Marianne and Brandon and the adorable awkwardness between Nora and Edward.

“Firecracker” by Jessica Gray (based on Emma)

This cute story takes place at Camp Hartfield, where best friends Emmalyn Woods and Ben Knightley are counselors. Emma takes the shy Melanie under her wing, with plans to make her Firecracker Queen and set her up with another camp counselor. Emma doesn’t believe high schoolers can really be in love, but her views suddenly change when Melanie sets her sights on Ben. I wasn’t sure this story would work, with Emma set at a summer camp with high schoolers, but I loved it from the very beginning. Reading the story in Emma’s voice really emphasized her character evolution.

“Mine” by Cecilia Gray (based on Mansfield Park)

I’m always curious how authors will adapt Mansfield Park given the close love between cousins Fanny and Edmund. This story has Fanny growing up in her aunt’s household with her husband’s family, including his son Eamon. The two become best friends over the years, and after watching Eamon go through relationship after relationship, she hopes that there is finally a chance that they will get together. But Eamon comes home from college in Ireland with the Henry and Mary, sabotaging Fanny’s summer plans — and even her relationship with the Brennan family. I had a hard time sympathizing with Eamon in this story (he was so unlikeable to me), but I thought it was an interesting modern take on Austen’s novel.

“Of Rivers, Rocks, and Rich Men” by Rebecca Fleming (based on Pride and Prejudice)

Set in Meryton, Georgia, Liz and Jane Bennet are wealthy due to the surprise trust funds set aside by their father before his death, but the time Elizabeth spent working as a writer in New York has made her despise wealthy men. So when she runs into William Darcy at Pemberley Acres, his agritourism venture where Liz is spending the summer, the two immediately butt heads. He’s everything she has assumed about rich men, until Jane’s relationship with his best friend force the pair to spend more time together and those assumptions are turned on their head. My only complaint about this story is that it was a story, and I would have loved to see more of the building of their relationship.

Overall, Holidays with Jane: Summer of Love is a solid collection of sweet stories for the Austen fan. I know I will be disappointed when I’ve finally finished all of the collections.

Previous Reviews:

Holidays with Jane: Trick or Sweet

Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer

Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever

Read Full Post »

Excerpt & Giveaway: True Love Comes to Delaford by Virginia Kohl

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Virginia Kohl to Diary of an Eccentric for the first time. She’s here to share an excerpt from her Jane Austen-inspired novel, True Love Comes to Delaford. I love coming across variations that are inspired by an Austen novel other than Pride and Prejudice, so I just had to add this one to my wish list. Please give Virginia a warm welcome!

My introduction to Jane Austen and the Regency era was through her first novel Sense and Sensibility. From the beginning, my favorite characters were Colonel Brandon and Elinor Dashwood. I loved the genuine respect and esteem they had for one another. It was easy to imagine this devoted friendship developing into a lasting love match. True Love Comes to Delaford is their story.

In this excerpt, Colonel Brandon says goodbye to Miss Dashwood after their initial meeting:

Standing with his hosts and their guests, Colonel Brandon briefly reflected on the contrast made by Mrs. Dashwood’s eldest daughters. Miss Marianne was the taller, more heavyset of the sisters. Miss Dashwood was petite with, he could not help but notice, pleasing delicate features. After politely helping each to their seat, he came to the last of the ladies. Spotting the title of the book tucked under her arm, he took her other hand.

“I have read that novel. There are some very interesting facets to the plot. If you wish to discuss them once you have finished, it would be my pleasure, Miss Dashwood.”

His warm smile reached his eyes. When they focused upon someone, the individual was well aware they had all of his attention.

Elinor felt the heat rise in her cheeks for the second time that night.

“Thank you. I look forward to it, Colonel.”

The warmth and unexpected pleasure he felt from having her hand in his would stay with him long after the evening had ended.

If you enjoyed this excerpt, True Love Comes to Delaford is available in both Kindle and trade paperback.

****

About True Love Comes to Delaford

Elinor Dashwood’s father dies, leaving the fate of his family in the hands of two self-serving vultures. With diminished chances of making a respectable match and several uneventful Seasons behind her, the fiercely independent, bibliophile focuses on helping her family adjust to their new life. However, as her friendship with an honorable gentleman grows, the twenty-year-old begins experiencing feelings she never thought possible. When Colonel Brandon resigned from the army to become the master of his family’s estate, he thought his best days were behind him. For years, the bachelor of five-and-thirty has successfully avoided every attempt of his well-meaning friends to find him a suitable wife. Although, he soon finds himself questioning his long-held beliefs regarding his single status, when Miss Dashwood strolls into his life. In this refreshing whimsy, Virginia Kohl explores the possibility of Elinor Dashwood and Colonel Brandon’s devoted friendship turning into more.

****

About the Author

Virginia Kohl

Virginia Kohl has been fascinated with the regency era since discovering Jane Austen’s works at the age of eleven. While others dreamt of Willoughby, it was Colonel Brandon who stole Virginia’s heart from the very beginning. Originally from Germany, she shares her Texas home with her illustrator mother and faithful rescue dog. When not passing her love of learning on to her students, this college math professor enjoys reading, writing, and being an active member of her local writer’s guild.

Virginia Kohl can be reached at www.virginiakohl.com and www.facebook.com/VirginiaKohl3

Her debut novel can be found at www.amazon.com/author/virginiakohl and www.goodreads.com/author/show/17214552.Virginia_Kohl

The accompanying tea blend can be found at www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=127735

****

Giveaway

Virginia is generously offering a Kindle copy of True Love Comes to Delaford to one lucky reader (open internationally). To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. This giveaway will be open through Sunday, May 27, 2018. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

Thank you, Virginia, for being my guest today! I hope you will visit again soon!

Read Full Post »

Review & Giveaways: Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues edited by Christina Boyd

Source: Review copy from editor

Editor Christina Boyd and her team of Austenesque authors have done it again with her latest anthology, Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues. I absolutely loved The Darcy Monologues, so when I heard about this collection, I knew I had to read it, and it lived up to my expectations and more. I love to read about the bad boys in Austen’s novels because they make things more exciting, and I have often wondered what led them astray. The 11 stories in this anthology cover all of Austen’s infamous bad boys and anti-heroes, and while I enjoyed each story on its own, reading them together was even more delicious.

The collection features: “Willoughby’s Crossroads” (John Willoughby, Sense and Sensibility) by Joana Starnes; “A Wicked Game” (George Wickham, Pride and Prejudice) by Katie Oliver; “Fitzwilliam’s Folly” (Colonel Fitzwilliam, Pride and Prejudice) by Beau North; “The Address of a Frenchwoman” (Thomas Bertram, Mansfield Park) by Lona Manning; “Last Letter to Mansfield” (Henry Crawford, Mansfield Park) by Brooke West; “An Honest Man” (Frank Churchill, Emma) by Karen M Cox; “One Fair Claim” (Sir Walter Elliot, Persuasion) by Christina Morland; “The Lost Chapter in the Life of William Elliot” (William Elliot, Persuasion) by Jenetta James; “As Much as He Can” (General Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Sophia Rose; “The Art of Sinking” (John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey) by J. Marie Croft; “For Mischief’s Sake” (Captain Frederick Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Amy D’Orazio

It should come as no surprise that my favorite of all the stories was “Fitzwilliam’s Folly” by Beau North because I am a sucker for a good story about the colonel. The agreement he makes with an American heiress shunned by ton was clever, and I loved the bit of action and even getting a glimpse of Mr. Darcy after his failed proposal at Hunsford. I enjoyed the glimpse of the obnoxiously vain Sir Walter Elliot and how he went about choosing a bride in “One Fair Claim,” and he was just as delightfully silly in his youth. But what surprised me is the ability of these authors to make me feel some compassion for the characters I love to hate, like the heartache experienced by George Wickham and Tom Bertram in their stories, which emphasized the complexity of Austen’s characters. Still others will never change, but I felt like I understood their motivations a bit more.

Dangerous to Know is a must-read for those looking for something new in the realm of Austen-inspired fiction. Some of the stories were steamy and passionate, some were more humorous, but all of them make you take another, deeper look at Austen’s rakes and rogues and make you feel something more than contempt.

****

About Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues

“One has all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.” —Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s masterpieces are littered with unsuitable gentlemen—Willoughby, Wickham, Churchill, Crawford, Tilney, Elliot, et al.—adding color and depth to her plots but often barely sketched. Have you never wondered about the pasts of her rakes, rattles, and gentlemen rogues? Surely, there’s more than one side to their stories.

It is a universal truth, we are captivated by smoldering looks, daring charms … a happy-go-lucky, cool confidence. All the while, our loyal confidants are shouting on deaf ears: “He is a cad—a brute—all wrong!” But is that not how tender hearts are broken…by loving the undeserving? How did they become the men Jane Austen created? In this romance anthology, eleven Austenesque authors expose the histories of Austen’s anti-heroes.

Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues is a titillating collection of Georgian era short stories—a backstory or parallel tale off-stage of canon—whilst remaining steadfast to the characters we recognize in Austen’s great works.

What say you? Everyone may be attracted to a bad boy…even temporarily…but heaven help us if we marry one.

Check out Dangerous to Know on Goodreads | Amazon (the ebook is promo priced at $2.99 for the duration of the blog tour, so don’t miss out on that!)

****

About the Editor

CHRISTINA BOYD https://m.facebook.com/TheDarcyMonologues/ wears many hats as she is an editor under her own banner, The Quill Ink, a contributor to Austenprose, and a commercial ceramicist. A life member of Jane Austen Society of North America, Christina lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two busy teenagers, and a retriever named BiBi. Visiting Jane Austen’s England was made possible by actor Henry Cavill when she won the Omaze experience to meet him in the spring of 2017 on the London Eye. True story. You can Google it.

****

About the Authors

KAREN M COX https://karenmcoxauthor.wordpress.com/ is an award-wining author of four novels accented with romance and history: 1932, Find Wonder in All Things, Undeceived, and I Could Write a Book, as well as an e-book novella companion to 1932, The Journey Home. She also contributed short stories for the anthologies Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer and The Darcy Monologues. Originally from Everett, Washington, Karen now lives in Central Kentucky with her husband, works as a pediatric speech pathologist, encourages her children, and spoils her granddaughter. Like Austen’s Emma, Karen has many hobbies and projects she doesn’t quite finish, but like Elizabeth Bennet, she aspires to be a great reader and an excellent walker.

J. MARIE CROFT https://www.amazon.com/J.-Marie-Croft/e/B004HZD22W/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1508353662&sr=1-1 is a self-proclaimed word nerd and adherent of Jane Austen’s quote “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” Bearing witness to Joanne’s fondness for Pride and Prejudice, wordplay, and laughter are her light-hearted novel, Love at First Slight (a Babblings of a Bookworm Favourite Read of 2014), her playful novella, A Little Whimsical in His Civilities (Just Jane 1813’s Favourite 2016 JAFF Novella), and her humorous short stories: “Spyglasses and Sunburns” in the Sun-kissed: Effusions of Summer anthology and “From the Ashes” in The Darcy Monologues. Joanne lives in Nova Scotia, Canada.

AMY D’ORAZIO https://www.facebook.com/Amy-DOrazio-author-369312830172988/ is a former scientist and current stay-at-home mom who is addicted to Austen and Starbucks in equal measure. While she adores Mr. Darcy, she is married to Mr. Bingley and their Pemberley is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has two daughters devoted to sports with long practices and began writing stories as a way to pass the time spent at their various gyms and studios. She firmly believes that all stories should have long looks, stolen kisses, and happily-ever-afters. Like her favorite heroine, she dearly loves a laugh and considers herself an excellent walker. She is the author of The Best Part of Love and the soon-to-be released A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity.

JENETTA JAMES https://www.facebook.com/jenettajameswriter/ is a mother, lawyer, writer, and taker-on of too much. She grew up in Cambridge and read history at Oxford University where she was a scholar and president of the Oxford University History Society. After graduating, she took to the law and now practices full-time as a barrister. Over the years, she has lived in France, Hungary, and Trinidad as well as her native England. Jenetta currently lives in London with her husband and children where she enjoys reading, laughing, and playing with Lego. She is the author of Suddenly Mrs. Darcy and The Elizabeth Papers, as well as a contributing author to The Darcy Monologues.

LONA MANNING https://www.amazon.com/Lona-Manning/e/B01N7UJHJX is the author of A Contrary Wind, a variation on Mansfield Park. She has also written numerous true crime articles, which are available at http://www.crimemagazine.com. She has worked as a non-profit administrator, a vocational instructor, a market researcher, and a speechwriter for politicians. She currently teaches English as a Second Language. She and her husband now divide their time between mainland China and Canada. Her second novel, A Marriage of Attachment, a sequel to A Contrary Wind, is planned for release in early 2018. You can follow Lona at http://www.lonamanning.ca where she blogs about China and Jane Austen.

CHRISTINA MORLAND https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Morland/e/B01IJHEZKQ spent the first two decades of her life with no knowledge whatsoever of Pride and Prejudice—or any Jane Austen novel, for that matter. She somehow overcame this childhood adversity to became a devoted fan of Austen’s works. When not writing, Morland tries to keep up with her incredibly active seven-year-old and maddeningly brilliant husband. She lives in a place not unlike Hogwarts (minus Harry, Dumbledore, magic, and Scotland), and likes to think of herself as an excellent walker. Morland is the author of two Jane Austen fanfiction novels: A Remedy Against Sin and This Disconcerting Happiness.

BEAU NORTH http://beaunorthwrites.com/#top is the author of three books and contributor to multiple anthologies. Beau hails from the kudzu-strangled wilderness of South Carolina but now hangs her hat in Portland, Oregon. In her spare time, Beau is the co-host of the podcast Excessively Diverted: Modern Austen On-Screen.

KATIE OLIVER https://www.facebook.com/KatieOliverWriter is the author of nine novels, including the Amazon bestseller Prada and Prejudice, as well as the Dating Mr. Darcy, Marrying Mr. Darcy, and Jane Austen Factor series. She resides in South Florida with her husband (where she goes to the beach far less often than she’d like) and is working on a new series. Katie began writing as a child and has a box crammed with half-finished stories to prove it. After raising two sons, she decided to get serious and get published.

She is convinced that there is no greater pleasure than reading a Jane Austen novel.

SOPHIA ROSE https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose is a native Californian currently residing in Michigan. A long-time Jane Austen fan, she is a contributing author to The Darcy Monologues, Sun-kissed: Effusions of Summer, and Then Comes Winter anthologies, short stories based on Jane Austen’s works. Sophia’s love for writing began as a teen writing humorous stories submitted for Creative Writing class and high school writing club. Writing was set aside for many years while Sophia enjoyed a rewarding career working with children and families. Health issues led to reduced work hours and an opportunity for a return to writing stories that continue to lean toward the lighter side of life and always end with a happily-ever-after.

JOANA STARNES https://www.facebook.com/joana.a.starnes lives in the south of England with her family. Over the years, she has swapped several hats—physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst—but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Georgian England for decades in her imagination and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine. She is one of the contributors to The Darcy Monologues anthology, and the author of seven Austen-inspired novels: From This Day Forward—The Darcys of Pemberley, The Subsequent Proposal, The Second Chance, The Falmouth Connection, The Unthinkable Triangle, Miss Darcy’s Companion and Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter. You can connect with Joana through her website http://www.joanastarnes.co.uk and on Facebook via her timeline and her author page, All Roads Lead to Pemberley.  

BROOKE WEST https://www.facebook.com/brookewestwrites/ has always loved the bad boys of literature and thinks the best leading men have the darkest pasts. When she’s not spinning tales of rakish men and daring women, Brooke spends her time in the kitchen baking or at the gym working off all that baking. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and son and their three mischievous cats. Brooke co-authored the novel The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy and the short story “Holiday Mix Tape,” which appears in the anthology Then Comes Winter. Find Brooke on Twitter @WordyWest.

****

Giveaway #1

Enter Rafflecopter to win fifteen (15) books from the anthology authors! One winner. Fifteen books! Contest ends midnight, December 30, 2017. One “Grand Prize #1 winner” will be announced January 2, 2018. You must enter through the Rafflecopter link.

****

Giveaway #2

Follow our “Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s #RakesAndGentlemenRogues” Blog Tour and comment on each stop to be eligible for #RakesAndGentlemenRogues Pleasures prize pack: ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Print, autographed by Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle; Bingley’s Teas (Willoughby & The Colonel); Jane Austen playing cards; set of 6 Austen postcards; and ‘The Compleat Housewife’ notecards set. (All guest comments will be entered in drawing to win. Comment at each site to increase your odds.) Contest ends midnight, December 30, 2017. One “Grand Prize #2 winner” will be announced January 2, 2018.

****

THE #RakesAndGentlemenRogues BLOG TOUR

💗Monday, November 6: REVIEW: Margie’s Must Reads, https://margiesmustreads.com

💗Thursday, November 9: REVIEW, Obsessed with Mr. Darcy, https://obsessedwithmrdarcy.wordpress.com

💗Monday, November 13: REVIEW, Austenesque Reviews, http://austenesquereviews.com

💗Tuesday, November 14: REVIEW, Olga of ROSIE AMBER team, http://www.authortranslatorolga.com/

💗Wednesday, November 15: (release day) REVIEW, Just Jane 1813, http://justjane1813.com

💗Thursday, November 16: REVIEW, Diary of an Eccentric, https://diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com

🎩Monday, November 20: FEATURE w/Katie Oliver (George Wickham), From Pemberley to Milton, https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com

🎩Wednesday, November 22: FEATURE w/Joana Starnes (Willoughby), Babblings of a Bookworm, http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot.com

🎩Friday, November 24: FEATURE w/Sophia Rose, (General Tilney), Herding Cats & Burning Soup, http://www.herdingcats-burningsoup.com

🎩Monday, November 27: FEATURE w/Amy D’Orazio (Captain Tilney), My Jane Austen Book Club, http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.com

🎩Wednesday, November 29: FEATURE w/Brooke West (Henry Crawford), VVB32 Reads, https://vvb32reads.blogspot.com

🎩Thursday, November 30: FEATURE w/Lona Manning (Tom Bertram), Lit 4 Ladies, http://lit4ladies.com

💗Friday, December 1: REVIEW, Lit 4 Ladies, http://lit4ladies.com

🎩Monday, December 4: FEATURE w/Beau North  (Colonel Fitzwilliam), Obsessed with Mr. Darcy, https://obsessedwithmrdarcy.wordpress.com

🎩Thursday, December 7: FEATURE w/J. Marie Croft (John Thorpe), Harry Rodell blog/ROSIE AMBER team, https://harryrodell.wordpress.com/author/rodellh

💗Friday, December 8: REVIEW, From Pemberley to Milton, https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com

🎩Monday, December 11: FEATURE w/Jenetta James (William Elliot), Austenesque Reviews, http://austenesquereviews.com

🎩Thursday, December 14: FEATURE w/Karen M Cox (Frank Churchill), Darcyholic Diversions, http://darcyholic.blogspot.com

🎩Monday, December 17: FEATURE w/Christina Morland (Sir Walter Elliot), Of Pens & Pages, http://www.ofpensandpages.com

Disclosure: I received Dangerous to Know from the editor for review.

Read Full Post »

Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever by Jennifer Becton, Melissa Buell, Rebecca M. Fleming, Cecilia Gray, Kimberly Truesdale, and Jessica Grey

Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★☆

Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever is a collection of short stories set during Easter and the spring season. Each of the six stories in the book is a modern take on one of Jane Austen’s novels. I had hoped to finish the book before summer arrived, but I’ve been so busy these days that I’m just glad to have finished it! Besides, these holiday story collections can be enjoyed any time of year.

Here’s a short rundown of the stories in this collection:

“Extra Innings” by Jessica Grey (based on Persuasion)

Annie Elliot is the administrative assistant to the GM of the Chawton Choppers. Rick Wentworth is a former major league baseball player who returns to coach the team. The pair must come to terms with the end of their relationship so many years ago and figure out whether there’s a chance to move forward.

“Miracle at the Abbey” by Cecilia Gray (based on Northanger Abbey)

Kathia returns to The Abbey, the home where she lived as a teenager after her mother’s death, for her paranormal reality show. She is reunited with the owners’ son, Henry Trang, and is forced to come to terms with the past and the events that prompted her to flee The Abbey…and Henry.

“Whine and Wineries” by Melissa Buell (based on Sense and Sensibility)

The Dashwoods are forced to leave their family home upon the death of their patriarch. The move to a cottage at the Barton Winery separates Elinor from Edward just as their friendship seems to deepen, but her family’s involvement in a wedding planning business results in their crossing paths again.

“Emma’s Inbox: An Emma Story” by Rebecca M. Fleming (based on Emma)

Emma is a writer for the Hartfield Herald, and Noah Knightley is the town’s mayor. This story of matchmaking gone awry is told through emails and text messages among the various characters.

“No Vacancy at Mansfield Motel” by Kimberly Truesdale (based on Mansfield Park)

This story is set on the ocean, with Fanny Price stuck taking care of the Mansfield Seaside Motel while the rest of Bertram family does whatever they please. She had hoped to spend time with her favorite cousin Eddie while he is on break from school, but instead he is preoccupied with the friends he brings along, Mary and Henry Crawford, and fails to notice Fanny and all the dreams she’s pushed to the wayside to care for the family.

“Lydia Reimagined” by Jennifer Becton (based on Pride and Prejudice)

Lydia Bennet is determined to prove that she has learned from her failed relationship with George Wickham by attending his wedding. When she bumps into an old friend, Kyle Dennison, she is forced to consider her motives for being there and the larger questions of who she has become and what she wants.

As with the previous Holidays with Jane anthologies I’ve read (Trick or Sweet and Christmas Cheer), I enjoyed each of the stories. They were all unique and clever retellings of Austen’s novels. “Lydia Reimagined” is the story that stood out most to me. I loved seeing Lydia putting herself on the right track, bumbling through awkward situations with her head held high and with good intentions.

While the spring season itself wasn’t always front and center, each story did touch on the themes of renewal and hope. I really enjoy when these authors come together to celebrate various holidays and seasons, and of course, our love of all things Austen. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of these themed collections.

Read Full Post »