The Darcy’s Hope Saga – Interview with Ginger Monette

Good Afternoon everyone,

The Darcy’s Hope Saga books were a very pleasant surprise for me when I read them a couple of years ago because I’m not usually fond of books that are not placed in regency, but these were so captivating that they earned a place amongst my favourite books both in 2016 (volume 1) and 2017 (volume 2).

Because I loved these books so much and they were recently released as one single volume, I thought it would be a good idea to invite the author, Ginger Monette, to talk a little about the Saga so that those who have not yet read these books may have a chance to get acquainted with these characters and their background.

I hope you get to know a little more about these stories and enjoy the interview 🙂

 

Ginger currently writes riveting romances inspired by Donwton Abbey and Jane Austen. Her use of compelling plot, vivid historical detail, and deep point of view has earned her stellar reviews for her Darcy’s Hope saga and a grand prize for flash fiction. Living in Charlotte, NC, Ginger enjoys Pilates, period and Turkish dramas, public speaking, and reading—a full-length novel every Sunday afternoon.

-Website: www.GingerMonette.com

-Facebook: If you love Period Drama, Downton Abbey, or Jane Austen, join Ginger on Facebook at Ginger Monette Author.

---

 

Welcome to From Pemberley to Milton Ginger! First of all, can you please let us know what exactly is the Darcy’s Hope Saga?

The Saga retells Pride & Prejudice but is set during the era of Downton Abbey. It’s a single ebook volume that includes two full-length novels: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.

Readers can enjoy their beloved characters in a storyline that is familiar, yet very fresh and different.

 

What inspired you to catapult Jane Austen’s famous Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from the early 1800’s to the early 1900’s?

Downton Abbey! It was remarkable to me how little British culture had changed from the Regency Era to the Edwardian Era. Darcy could have dined with Lord Grantham at Downton Abbey with little change in decorum. I was also fascinated at how the war affected everyone’s lives and how wealthy English families offered their lavish homes as hospital facilities during WW1.

I began to imagine Darcy and Elizabeth’s “explosive” relationship unfolding on the Western Front. Then asked, what if Darcy had his own wartime tragedy that required him to be hospitalized at a country home like Matthew Crawley? I’m thrilled that the resulting Darcy’s Hope Saga has been such a big hit among fans of both Pride & Prejudice and Downton Abbey.

 

Did the stories require any research? If so, what kind?

This was one of those topics that the more you read, the more you realize how much you don’t know. I devoured nurse-assistant diaries, a soldier’s diary, memoirs of two orderlies, books on surgery, war wounds, hospital administration, and a LOT more. Then I watched hours of documentaries about everything from battles, to the food and uniforms of British soldiers. I studied six hours a day for nine months and found the history fascinating and the people inspiring!

 

How were they inspiring?

Machine guns, poison gas, airplanes, and tanks made their debut in WWI inflicting destruction and horrific wounds on an unprecedented scale. Men lived in squalid trenches and saw their comrades dismembered and slaughtered on a daily basis, yet they remained cheerful and self-sacrificing.

And everyone did something to aid in the war effort. Hundreds of women volunteered as nurse’s aides, others wrote letters, sent care packages, and knitted socks. Men too old to serve as soldiers became stretcher-bearers and ambulance drivers. They fashioned splints from scrap metal, turned church halls into hospitals, and emptied bedpans. These small acts of kindness repeated over and over made an enormous difference. As a result, I am challenged to be cheerful amidst trying circumstances and to offer my own small acts of kindness even when they seem insignificant.

 

Did your research inspire any of your scenes?

Absolutely. First, I allowed the characters to be molded by the culture and the war itself—just like the real people I read about. I cast Elizabeth Bennet as nurse-assistant, which was a common role for high bred women during the war years. Similarly, I made rich young landowner Fitzwilliam Darcy a captain in the army. Though the saga is first and foremost a romance, much of the richness of the story comes from the hero and heroine both being deeply affected by their experiences during this turbulent time.

There are other elements I lifted straight from the pages of history as well. The chateau-turned-field-hospital in my story is based on one that actually existed. Darcy’s “going over the top” at the Battle of the Somme, an explosion at Messines Ridge, and a chaplain serving in the operating room were real historical events. And finally, I have a colorful Scotsman tell two outlandish stories that are true as well.

What would you say to romance readers who “don’t do war stories?”

I would say the Darcy’s Hope saga isn’t a war story. It’s very much a romance in a wartime setting. Just like Downton Abbey, the war provides a dramatic backdrop against which the romance blooms. The war’s fast pace and ever-changing situations meant that nothing was predictable, and things could (and did) change in an instant. Readers have commented that they couldn’t predict where either story was going, and much of that is due to the volatile nature of the setting.

Did you face any particular challenges in writing the Darcy’s Hope saga?

Yes! In Beauty from Ashes, weaving a romance into a complex setting unfamiliar to most readers, with both the hero and heroine experiencing significant character evolutions, all in the context of a mystery was quite a feat. Donwell Abbey wasn’t any easier. Writing to accommodate the tragedy that befalls Darcy was an enormous challenge. (I can’t tell you what the injury is or the accommodation it required or I would be giving away a major spoiler!)

 

Now that the Darcy’s Hope saga has received such glowing reviews, does it make it all the research and hard work worth it?

Yes. Hearing that readers love it on so many levels is immensely gratifying. The frustration and angst of three years of hard work fades away.

 

Do you have any final thoughts for readers?

As the world is commemorating the hundredth anniversary of WWI, I would challenge you to pay attention. Watch documentaries or even read books like my Darcy’s Hope saga to glimpse into the past for a better understanding of what our great-grandfathers experienced and the sacrifices they made. Each soldier, stretcher-bearer, doctor, and nurse has his or her own interesting story. And although my Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are fictitious characters, if you have any fondness for Downton Abbey or Jane Austen’s works, I think you will find their story as told in The Darcy’s Hope Saga not only fascinating, but riveting and moving as well.

 

Thanks for hosting me today!

---

 

 

Escape to the era of Downton Abbey with Lizzy and Darcy!

Immerse yourself in a sweeping romantic and drama-filled saga that includes two full-length novels—both Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.

 

~Volume I: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes

Heartbroken. Devastated. WWI Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy was rejected by the woman he loved and vows, “No more sentimental entanglements!”

But an undercover assignment at a field hospital brings him face to face with his beloved Elizabeth—who’s working with a dashing American doctor and a prime suspect in the espionage plot.

Forced to grapple with his feelings for her, Darcy has only a few months build a lasting bridge to her and uncover the truth before she’s condemned to a traitor’s noose.

 

 

 

 

Available at Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

~Volume II: Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey

 

Darcy has won the heart of Elizabeth Bennet. Finally.

Then she vanishes.

Still reeling from the loss, Darcy attempts a heroic feat and only survives by the daring rescue of his faithful batman John Thornton.

But the damage is done. Darcy is plunged into a dark and silent world.

Sent to Donwell Abbey to recover, he’s coaxed back to life by an extraordinary nurse determined to teach him how to live and love again. A woman whose uncanny similarities to Elizabeth invite his admiration and entice his affections.

His heart tells him to hold on to Elizabeth.

His head tells him to take a chance with his nurse.

But a secret at Donwell Abbey just might change everything…

 

 

 

 

Available at Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Praise for Darcy’s Hope

 

–A 2016 favourite of two blogs: Just Jane 1813 and From Pemberley to Milton

-A Top 10 Retelling  ~Austenesque Reviews

– “A tender romance fraught with danger in this exciting and suspenseful novel set in the midst of World War I.”  ~ Jan Hahn, author of An Arranged Marriage 

–“…. An engrossing read.” ~Jack Caldwell, author of The Three Colonels and The Plains of Chalmette

–“…a stellar example of fine Austenesque literature. …an exceptionally moving story complete with a compelling plot, danger, mystery, action, introspection, vivid detail, and an emotionally wrought romance.” ~Austenesque Reviews

 

The Saga is now available in one single volume at Amazon.com

 

---