Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride

In Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride J. Dawn King decides to take our beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice into the Wild, Wild, West where females are in short supply and Mr. Bingley convinces his friend Will Darcy, to help him write a letter offering marriage to a Miss Bennet.

That is how this Mail-Order story starts, and I must say I find the 19^th century in the USA a very appealing time period, which means I loved the premise and the prospect of getting absorbed in this whole new reality. The first chapters didn’t disappoint and the authors writing ability made me feel transported right into it.

It was nice to see this setting and this era because it was an agreeable change that allowed these characters to behave in manners that would not have been possible in regency. They faced new and different challenges, which were realistic and grabbed my attention by showing the characters true integrity.

The first chapters of this book are real page turners and I loved reading the scenes where Elizabeth believes Bingley is the man she loves and Darcy believes Jane is the woman for him, but what I loved the most was the way the characters built their relationships after all these misunderstandings were over. I mean, even though I absolutely loved the different setting, what I loved the most about this book was the way it shows us how a relationship may grow steadily with time, how love is much more
than a first sight attraction, how it is an understanding of the other person and full acceptance of who they are. There was a maturity in this book that is not always found in JAFF and that deserves my respect and attention.

Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride is a sweet and mature romance with a different setting, and I recommend it to those who want a scenario change with a steady love story.

You can find Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Kindle Unlimited and Audible

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The Colonel- Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Morning everyone,

I hope your week was a good one and that you already have plans for a wonderful weekend 🙂

If you don’t have any plans yet, allow me to recommend buying and reading Beau North’s latest book, The Colonel. I haven’t read it yet, but I absolutely loved its predecessor Longbourn’s Songbird and I’m sure that The Colonel will be just as good, so it will be perfect for a weekend read.

Have you heard about this book yet? Today I bring you a beautiful excerpt that will hopefully spike your interest. And if you haven’t read Longbourn’s Songbird yet, this is a good time to do so as it is currently on sale on Amazon for 0,99$.

I have read it when it was released and absolutely loved it! It was the book that made me want to read different era books. Before Longbourn’s Songbird I would never feel inclined to read something that occurred after regency, but after reading it I am not as skeptic anymore. That is how good this book is :)But I digress and prevent you from reading the excerpt, so I’ll stop now 🙂 Enjoy!

 

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“This isn’t a love story, but the end of one. The story of two ships forever passing in the night. This is the story of my father and the woman he spent most of his adult life loving, a woman who was never really his.”

1950:

After letting his chance at love with Elizabeth Bennet slip through his fingers a second time, Richard Fitzwilliam loses himself in women, whiskey, and war as he tries to forget what he left behind. Putting oceans, continents, and decades between himself and his heartbreak, Richard seeks his future, only to be pulled back to the past again and again.

2002:

Shaken by recent events, Ben Fitzwilliam has left everything familiar behind, walking away from his relationship, his Manhattan apartment, his career as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist to return to his family home in Annapolis, Maryland. Struggling to navigate a world that makes less and less sense, Ben finds purpose where he least expected it: in his father’s private letters. With the help of Annapolis PD Officer Keisha Barnes, Ben attempts to uncover his father’s secrets, heal the rifts those secrets caused, and find the answers he seeks on far shores.

Spanning decades, continents, wars abroad and wars at home, The Colonel is the anticipated companion to Longbourn’s Songbird.

 

You can find The Colonel at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

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Excerpt Setup:

After a somewhat disastrous New Year’s Party at the Fitzwilliam home in New York City, Richard sends his cousin a letter that is partially an apology, and delivers some surprising news.

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January 15, 1951

Dear Will,

Greetings, salutations, etcetera. Thank you for dragging your family complete up to the city for the party. It was, as always, good to see you, but even better to see you so happy. You can be pretty fun to be around when you’re not glowering and putting everyone off of their feed.

You must think I’m very foolish. No need to deny it―I saw the look that passed between you and your excellent wife. Did you know that the two of you, taken separately, are about as easy to read as Greek—but when you’re together, you’re comically transparent.

So yes, I was a foolish man. Nothing to be done for it now. If I can be grateful about anything, it’s that I never fancied myself to be in love. I was thrill seeking, endangering life and limb, hell, my very sanity (or what’s left of it) but never in love. You may be glad to hear that that is all over with now. In any case, I don’t want either of you to worry about what kind of trouble I’ll be getting myself into next because well, damn it, there’s no easy way to say this, but I am back in the army. Old man Tilney himself pulled some strings and brought me back in, with a promotion.

When I took two bullets in Brest, I was a captain. The old bastard got me kicked out as a major, and now I’m going back in a lieutenant colonel. I could be one of the youngest men to make colonel, provided Uncle Sam doesn’t get fed up with my antics before then. I’ll have a bigger command now, which is good but troubling too. I hope that I’m up to the task. I think that there is more to this little skirmish than they’re letting on.

I’m to leave at the end of the month. I was hoping it wouldn’t be an imposition to come spend my last week there at Pemberley. We could settle my affairs (just in case) and I could say my (temporary) goodbyes to you all.

Confer with Mrs. Darcy and ring me up when you know.

Your faithful friend,

Richard

Darcy looked up from the letter at the two women dearest to him. Georgiana had her nose buried in a book while Elizabeth sat buttering her toast. She wore a bemused little half-smile, as if remembering a joke she hadn’t heard in years. She was beginning to show, getting more beautiful every day. She seemed to glow from within all the time these days, even when she was wretchedly sick or weeping or falling asleep every few minutes. His heart beat almost painfully when he thought about the child she carried, their life to come.

He honestly had no idea how she would take this news.

“So,” he began, watching Elizabeth’s face. “I have a letter from Richard here.”

Her only acknowledgment was a tiny lift of her eyebrows. “Any messages from Charlotte?”

“Ah, no. So I’m assuming things must be well.”

Georgiana put her book down and picked up her coffee, making a face. “Wasn’t his girlfriend so awful?”

Elizabeth’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “Actually, I rather liked her, though probably for all the wrong reasons. She was vastly entertaining.”

Darcy smiled. “She was rather appalling. I think she might have even been ruder than I am.”

“Impossible,” Elizabeth teased. “Still, I shouldn’t laugh at her. If she makes your cousin happy…”

She never said his name, Darcy noticed. It was always your cousin. He wondered if she was even aware of it.

“Ah, well. That’s part of why he writes. It seems that Miss Huntington-Whitney is out of the picture now.”

“Thank goodness,” Georgiana said with a sigh. “Poor Richard.”

If any of this talk bothered Elizabeth, she didn’t let it show.

Darcy turned to his sister and asked if she would excuse them for a minute. She shrugged and gathered her things before breezing out the room. Darcy reached over and took his wife’s hand.

“Elizabeth, do you mind if Richard comes to stay for a bit?”

“Why on earth would I mind? As long as he’s not bringing that little goblin with him. Not that I mind but I think she would probably upset Georgie.”

“I think you know what I mean when I ask, and it has nothing to do with Georgiana.”

“Oh good lord, not that again. I think we’d better get used to our new family situation sooner rather than later. We’re all adults, aren’t we?”

“That point is debatable. There’s…something else.”

“You’re worried! Is everything all right?”

“Richard has…well, damn if he’s not in the army again. That’s why he wants to come for visit. He’ll be headed out at the end of the month.”

She looked down at her plate, a small crease appearing between her eyebrows.

“I see. Headed out where?”

“I think you know.”

She cleared her throat, a habit she was picking up from him. “Are you going to tell Georgie or should I?”

“Don’t you want to tell her together?”

“One of us ought to inform Mrs. R, don’t you think? Yes, I think I will. You tell Georgie. I’m sure she’ll have all kinds of questions.” She stood suddenly, smoothing the fabric of her dress with the palms of her hands.

“Elizabeth—”

“I’m fine, William.”

But he wondered. Wondered at the tight set of her shoulders as she walked out of the room, the overly precise and careful way she closed the door behind her.

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Beau North is the author of four books and contributor to multiple anthologies. Beau lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband. In her spare time, she is the co-host of the podcasts Excessively Diverted: Modern Classics On-Screen and Let’s Get Weirding: A Dune Podcast.

You can find more about Beau North in the following social media:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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 is offering a very generous giveaway. On this stop you can either win a $10 Amazon Gift Card plus eBook or Audiobook of winner’s choice which will be

Beau North would like to offer one of my readers an ebook copy of The Colonel and another one of Longbourn Songbird.  The lucky winner will receive both books, and the best news is this giveaway is open internationally!

To apply to it all you have to do is comment on this post and click on this rafflecopter link.

Good Luck Everyone!

 

President Darcy

I read President Darcy last year and didn’t review it at the time but I remembered loving it, so I decided to listen to the Audiobook to be able to write a review, and this was definitely the right decision because the audiobook is incredible! The narrator did an amazing job and became one of my favorite narrators! If you are a reader, I suggest you listen to anything narrated by Lucy Emerson and if you are an author, then I suggest you hire her! Her Darcy interpretation was incredible and that is not always well accomplished by narrators.

The name of the book gives away the premise, President Darcy it is a modernization where Mr. Darcy is the President of the United States, and what better role could he have in the modern world? Victoria Kincaid really nailed it with this premise.

Washington DC was one of the US cities I most enjoyed visiting, it had a good vibe and I felt really well there. Somehow, it felt familiar, as if I had been there before (I blame the FBI shows for that), so when I learned that Victoria Kincaid was writing a modernization where Mr. Darcy is the President of the USA I was thrilled! I could only think that it would have many descriptions of Washington DC and that I would get that feeling of wellbeing all over again while reading it.

It turns out the book doesn’t describe Washington DC that much, and that wasn’t even necessary because Victoria Kincaid was able to gain my full attention with everything else in the book.
I also love politics and the topic is obviously addressed, which spiked my interest, but this is not an overly political book, it is a romance with interesting and intellectual characters that readers will love to get to know.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about President Darcy was the fact that Darcy is not only attracted to Elizabeth’s physique, but mainly to her intellect. In Regency, we know he likes her wit, but in President Darcy, Victoria Kincaid created a female character that is intelligent, caring, knowledgeable, honest and with an incredible strength of character. All of these traits enable her to attract the President of the United States, despite the awkward manner in which they met each other 🙂

As you can see I loved Elizabeth’s character, but she was not even my favorite character, my favorite was President Darcy! He was honest, charming, smart, sexy, with so much sense of duty and leadership skills one would not be able to resist him. One can feel his charm coming out of the pages of the book 🙂

Some of the secondary characters were very interesting too and I have to mention how much I laughed with this version of Mr. Collins, and how much I wanted to kill Lydia!

I don’t usually love modernizations but the investment Victoria Kincaid made in developing the characters personalities and their feelings was so well done that she made me love this one. I loved this Pemberley version and everything that happened in it, and in President Darcy I read the most unexpected proposal I have ever seen in JAFF and kind of surprised myself for loving it!

President Darcy remains until this moment one of my favorite modernizations of JAFF, if not my favorite. I highly recommend it to all those who love a good story with a powerful romance story able to keep readers entertained until the very end.

You can find President Darcy at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Audible

Darcy In Hollywood- Excerpt & Giveaway

Hello dear readers,

How are you this week?  It’s been a busy one for me, but I can’t complain as yesterday was my birthday and I felt really cherished by my family and friends 🙂 I’ve received lots of messages from many of you and I want to thank you all for the love you shared with me 🙂

Today I am welcoming an author whom I really like due to the versatility of her work, and we will be sharing an excerpt of her latest novel that has once more proven she can take ODC anywhere 🙂 I am talking about Victoria Kincaid, and this time she decided to take Darcy to LA, more precisely to Hollywood!!!

Have you heard about her latest novel Darcy in Hollywood? If you haven’t you can find the blurb  below along with an excerpt of the book 🙂

I hope you like knowing about this book and that you find the excerpt appealing 🙂 I’m already reading this book and I’m really enjoying it, so a review will pop up shortly too 🙂

 

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Rich and arrogant movie star, William Darcy, was a Hollywood heartthrob until a scandalous incident derailed his career. Now he can only hope that Tom Bennet’s prestigious but low budget indie film will restore his reputation. However, on the first day of filming, he nearly hits Bennet’s daughter, Elizabeth, with his Ferrari, and life will never be the same. Okay, she’s a little sarcastic, but he’s certain she’s concealing a massive crush on him—and it’s growing harder to fight his own attraction….

Elizabeth Bennet has a lot on her plate. She’s applying to medical school and running the studio’s charity project—while hoping her family won’t embarrass her too much. Being Darcy’s on-set personal assistant is infuriating; he’s rude, proud, and difficult. If there’s one thing she dislikes, it’s people who only think about themselves. But then Elizabeth discovers Darcy has been doing a lot of thinking about her.

She might be willing to concede a mutual attraction, but events are conspiring against them and Darcy subject to constant public scrutiny. Do Darcy and Elizabeth have any hope of achieving Hollywood’s elusive happy ending?

 

 

You can find Darcy in Hollywood at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

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Hello Rita and thank you for having me as a guest! It’s always a pleasure to visit your blog.

One of the tricky things about modern P&P variations is that I must find appropriate professions and origins for the characters, things that are conveniently supplied by Austen in Regency variations. For Darcy in Hollywood, I wanted Elizabeth to have a profession that was very different from Darcy’s (he’s a movie star) so they would need to overcome some fundamental incompatibilities in their approaches to life.

Originally I envisioned her as a recent college grad who was embarking on a career in non-profit organizations, but that didn’t work for a variety of reasons. So eventually she became a pre-med graduate who was applying to medical schools. Her entire family works in Hollywood, so she really is the black sheep—and Darcy finds her equally inscrutable.

The scene below takes place in Elizabeth’s hospital room after she injured her head while narrowly avoiding being hit by Darcy’s car.

 

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“So you have a concussion,” her mother clucked at Elizabeth.

Feeling more than a little muddled, Elizabeth hoped she could avoid a long, involved family conversation. “I’m really tired. Can someone just take me home so I can sleep?”

Her mother ignored this. “I don’t know how you managed to get a concussion on a film set!” she exclaimed. “It’s not like you’re a stunt man…woman…person.”

“Don’t you know?” Lydia said as the other daughters crowded in behind their mother. “She was hit by William Darcy’s car!” Elizabeth winced as her sister’s high-pitched voice jangled her scrambled nerves.

Their mother’s eyes lit up. “William Darcy? Now that was quite clever of you, Lizzy.”

“He didn’t actually hit me.”

Her mother waved this inconvenient fact away. “That is unfortunate, but I’m sure we can still make something of it.” Elizabeth exchanged a long-suffering look with Jane, who had taken the chair by her bedside. “Mr. Darcy did have that scandalous incident, but he is so well connected. Perhaps he could give your career a boost in exchange for a promise not to sue.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, praying for patience. “I don’t need a career boost from him.”

“I know. Everyone believes they can make it on their own, but in the film business, connections mean every—”

“Mom,” Elizabeth said, trying to keep her voice low as the pain in her head surged back. “I’m going to medical school. Remember? Knowing Darcy won’t matter at all.”

“Medical school? Medical school?” Her mother gaped, aghast, although this was far from the first time she had heard of this plan. Franny Bennet gave her husband a stricken look. “First Stanford and now medical school. Where did we go wrong, Tom?”

Being in the habit of not responding to his wife, he simply shrugged. Being in the habit of not expecting a response, she continued to speak. “I just don’t think it’s practical, becoming a doctor. The world is full of unemployed doctors.”

“There are a lot of good jobs for doctors,” Elizabeth said wearily, wishing she could just sleep.

“Well, I don’t know about that. How useful are doctors, anyway?” Franny Bennet fluttered her hands as her eyes took in the hospital room. “I don’t understand why you insist on this medical school pipe dream when you could have a perfectly good career in Hollywood—a career most people would kill for.”

How many times do I need to explain this? Elizabeth wondered. “I don’t want a career in Hollywood. I don’t like Hollywood.”

Her mother gasped and crossed herself, although they weren’t Catholic.

Elizabeth pressed on. “I’m not an actor or director, and I’m not interested in being on the production side doing makeup or camera work or special effects.”

Her mother sniffed. “I suppose there’s no harm in fostering that delusion a little longer.”

“It’s not a delusion.”

“If you say so, my dear.” Her mother leaned over the bed and patted Elizabeth’s hand in a most irritating manner. Turning to Lydia, she spoke in a loud stage whisper. “She does have a concussion, the poor thing.”

Elizabeth clenched her fists in the sheets, knowing the only way to stop the argument was to change the subject. If only I had been born into a different family.

“Are you ready to leave the hospital?” Jane asked.

Bless her. “As soon as the nurse brings a wheelchair. Will you drive me home?” she asked her sister. “I’m supposed to have a responsible party with me for the next twelve hours.”

Jane squeezed her hand. “Of course.”

I can always rely on Jane. Elizabeth’s eyes stung; apparently head injuries made her maudlin.

A gleam in her mother’s eye suggested she was about to return to the subject of Darcy. Quickly Elizabeth asked, “How did the table read go?”

“Lydia was magnificent!” their mother gushed before anyone could say anything else. “Her line reading about the meatloaf was so nuanced.” She nodded approvingly at her youngest daughter. “I knew that adding a little more irony would create the subtlety the line needed.”

Lydia preened at the compliment while Kitty slouched into her customary pout. Mary was just as happy to be ignored by their mother since she was quietly steering her career toward being a camera operator, but Kitty resented not getting her share of maternal attention.

“Mom, you weren’t at the table read,” Jane pointed out.

Franny shrugged. “Lydia told me all about it.”

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 is offering a very generous giveaway. On this stop you can either win a $10 Amazon Gift Card plus eBook or Audiobook of winner’s choice which will be

Victoria Kincaid would like to offer one of my readers an ebook copy of Darcy in Hollywood. This giveaway she is promoting is international and will end on July 10.

To apply to it all you have to do is comment on this post and let us know what you thought about the excerpt. 

Good Luck Everyone!

 

His Frozen Heart – Review

“What had been left of his heart was ripped from his chest. He could no longer look at her, nor speak. Bowing, he turned and walked away from the only woman he would ever love. His journey of a thousand steps was over.”

 

Christie Capps novellas have definitely become my go to stories when I need a quick Pride and Prejudice story to warm my heart. I don’t always have the time, or to be honest, the patience to read longer books, so novellas have become quite important in my reading habits and Christie Capps is a safe bet with clean and romantic stories that always make me smile.

His Frozen Heart has an additional appeal; it is a selected version of Pride and Prejudice’s best moments! When I really love a story (usually a tv show), I tend to re-watch it over and over again, but with time I only watch my favorite scenes and skip forward all other additional ones, His Frozen Heart did just this, and I loved it!

This novella is perfect for readers who have read hundreds of different variations, and who already know the story quite well, because it takes readers through the entire story but only focusing on the Elizabeth and Darcy important moments. All the Lydia and Wickham dull moments are mentioned but not developed, all the time apart is shortened to a page, Mr. Collins rambles are completely cut and all we read about is Darcy’s view of his interactions with Elizabeth, which is absolutely perfect and what I am looking for in this kind of book!

The dialogues are slightly different than the original and apart from one particular part where it felt a bit forced and out of context, the dialogues between these characters are interesting and witty. I loved how Elizabeth’s culture initially caught Darcy’s attention. It was done with such good taste that it kept me interested throughout the entire story! Adding swoon worthy lines and using beautiful metaphors  is something Christie Capps does frequently but I think the outcome in this novella was even better. I mean, just read this Darcy line, and tell me if you’re not swooning?!

 

“What I should have said, my Elizabeth, is you are the fire to my ice, the heat to my cold. Through you, because of you, I am attempting to become the man I am supposed to be, one I can have true pride in being.” He kissed her fingers one by one. “Before I came to Netherfield Park, the icy stone in my heart left me hurt and alone. I was adrift and unable to see comfort and kindness where it was offered. Then, I met you.”

 

As always you can read this novella in 2hours and it will certainly keep you entertained and smiling during the entire time, I recommend it to readers who want to revisit Pride and Prejudice’s best moments with additional romantic lines 🙂

 

“His heart, that frozen organ he had feared would never beat properly again, pulsed in a rapid rhythm that made it difficult to take in his next breath.”

 

You can find His Frozen Hear at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Kindle Unlimited

The Giveaway Winners are…

Good Afternoon everyone,

How are you this week? I am glad to start the week with the announcement of some giveaway winners.

This month we had Florence Gold visiting to talk about the re-release of her second novel, Mr. Darcy’s Legacy and I would like to thank Ms. Gold for taking the time to talk to my readers, and for bringing such a generous giveaway!

I also hosted a giveaway of two Pride & Prejudice mirrors I bought when I visited Lyme Park in February. These were given away in a post that helped me understand a little better what my readers were looking for when visiting For Pemberley to Milton, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to have a say in the conversation.

Your opinion means everything to me, and it was very important to collect your feedback. With it, I realized I didn’t have to put so much pressure on myself to publish twice a week because 77% of readers actually prefer weekly posts. This means that on the second semester of the year I will start to build my agenda for one weekly post and will only add a second post when it is necessary to announce giveaway winners, or when some special post needs to be published.

I have also learned that reviews are the favorite type of posts of my readers but they do not have a particular preference when it comes to the books date of publishing. They do however prefer longer books, and do not have a particular interest in novellas or audiobooks, so I will avoid reviewing so many novellas from now on (my next post is a novella review, sorry about that, it was already scheduled).

I was pleased to see that your favorite type of novel is variations because that’s my favorite too, which means I don’t have to change the type of books I’m reading 🙂 I’m currently going into a phase where I read a lot of different things, but I’m sure I’ll get back to regency variations in no time.

But enough about that, I’m sure you all want to know the names of the winners, so without further ado here are they:

 

Mr. Darcy’s Legacy

*** Deborahanne2***

*** Mary***

*** J.W. Garrett***

 

Pride and Prejudice mirrors

*** Michelle H.***

*** Sophia Rose***

 

Congratulations everyone! I hope you enjoy your prizes 🙂 Can you please contact me through e-mail ritaluzdeodato at gmail dot com and provide me your addresses so that all prizes can be sent to you?

Happy Reading!

Have your say in From Pemberley to Milton with a giveaway

Hello dear readers,

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been absent for the last couple of months, and I’m really sorry about that! The truth is that my life keeps coming in the way and it is very hard to find the time to build blog posts as frequently as I had been doing for the past 4 years. I really envy those who can keep up with this rhythm; I know it is not easy and it takes a lot of dedication and organization.

In addition, I confess I needed a break from JAFF books. After reading so much JAFF I started to mix all stories I had read and it became difficult to distinguish them, plus all characters seemed to be behaving in the same manner and having the same type of discourses, making most books I was reading very predictable, which is why I stopped for a while. I tried reading some moderns or secondary character novels in search of something new and fresh, but I guess I was in a bad phase because it didn’t work either, so I read a few sci-fi books and watched a LOT of television.

After this break up, which took only a few months, I’m starting to miss Mr. Darcy and I am ready to get back to JAFF, but I need your help to keep balanced, so I’ve built a little questionnaire for you to tell me what you want to see published on this blog and how frequently. I mean, there is no point in publishing stuff no one wants to read, or to bore you to death with too many posts, right? So if you help me understand what are your favorite posts, I’ll try to oblige, after all I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours 🙂

I would really appreciate if you could take only a minute to reply to the following questions. You can choose multiple answers in all of them 🙂

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I visited England in the beginning of the year and did another Jane Austen Road Trip in the company of the lovely Joana Starnes who was once more the perfect host in that part of the world. I haven’t posted about it yet, but if I see this is one of the topics you would like to see published, I will. But I’m mentioning this because during this trip a bought a few goodies to offer to my readers but I never got a chance to do a giveaway, so I think this is a good opportunity to do it as a way to thank you all for taking the time to help me choose the direction I should take.

Once you fill this small questionnaire, please let me know via comment, and if you want to add anything else in the comments, please feel free to do so. I would also love to know if there is anything you consider I should change or improve.

 All comments will be included for the giveaway of the Pride and Prejudice mirrors which will be offered to two different winners (one mirror per winner). The giveaway is international and is open until the 24th of June.

Good Luck everyone!

Mr. Darcy’s Legacy – Guest Post & Giveaway

Hello dear readers,

How are you this week? Have you been reading anything you recommend?

Today I’m bringing to you a different kind of post. Author Florence Gold is visiting to explain a little bit of her journey as an austenesque author, and to give you some intel regarding the publishing of her book Mr. Darcy’s Legacy. I’m not sure if you saw this book on Amazon a couple of weeks ago, but it is being re-published with some major changes in the plot and Ms Gold is here to explain that to all of you.

She is also offering a giveaway of the new version of the book, so good luck y’all! I hope you like the guest post, and I would love to hear your opinion about this book 🙂

 

 

Hi Rita,

Thank you much for having me at your lovely blog. I confess I am equally nervous and excited, as this is my first blog post since I joined the wonderful Austenesque community.

I will take this chance to share with you and your readers a little bit about me and my journey in JAFF world.

Writing and reading had been my passion since I can remember. I wrote novels, short stories, poems – my entire life, under the pen name ana damian. Some of my work had been published (quite successfully, I dare say, in another country and another language.)

I consider myself a romantic writer as my favourite background is love.

I adore changing places and styles, inventing plots, I enjoy documenting, and secretly live every love story I draw. I also enjoy changing the epochs but I never went farther back than the 1900s.

For some time Florence Gold was nothing but a sketching, a thought, a tentative attempt. Powered by the friendship with Lory Lillian and my eternal love for Jane Austen, and her extraordinary characters, it grew from an idea to a first novel with the power that only a dream has. While in my country, I have already written some novels, writing a literary text in English was so much different. I struggled in uncertainty and doubts for a while. I used English in my daily job (I am an IT consultant) for many years, and I knew I could write about facts, descriptions, storyline; but could I feel English on a high enough level, necessary to create the specific atmosphere of Pride and Prejudice? Did I know enough about Elizabeth and Darcy to involve them in a plot that was mine, still having the Austen touch?

Jane Austen was indeed a challenge as I quitted the last 100 years I knew and went back a hundred more. It was not an easy adjustment. My plots are flowing around me, I usually live what I write, but suddenly I found myself thrown into a world unknown to me.

Then one day Lory said: Enough talking, just try! (she can be really annoying and pushy at times, you know 😊 …)

It took me less than a month to write the first novel A Struggle for Love, and it was a rather strange process, where I assisted in astonishment at myself writing in English.

For the first novel, A Struggle for Love. I imagined a dynamic plot that sometimes takes nuances of a detective story.

Just weeks before his wedding to Elizabeth, Darcy departs for London to attend some urgent business. After three painful days, neither Georgiana nor Elizabeth has received any news from him. Has he run away, suddenly fearing married life or have more somber circumstances occurred?

The reception was rather good; I slowly became part of the community and I took their reviews and feedbacks with interest and seriousness.

So I gathered my courage and here is my second novel that I am happy to introduce to you all:

Mr Darcy’s Legacy

This novel had a rather unusual story, real adventures added to the imagined plot 😊. As soon as I posted (in hours), I had the bad surprise to receive a review that made me recall the novel and rethink all the plot… as my benevolent reviewer had unveiled in three sentences… the action… So I have the pleasure to present you a reloaded Mr Darcy’s Legacy hoping that all the readers who had bought the first will be able to update to the final version.

Here is the blurb:

Florence Gold’s second Austenesque novel will surprise you with a plot full of love, secrets, and unexpected turns of events for your favourite characters.

Mr Darcy is eagerly awaiting his wedding to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the young woman he considered to be the mistress of his heart. Unfortunately, his family and mostly Lady Catherine and Lord Matlock are against this union, giving rise to countless rumours and speculations. London society enjoys scandal enough to embrace such an unexpected one, trapping Darcy and Elizabeth in a net of gossip that affects their tranquillity.

While their love grows stronger and their future seems it will be filled with connubial bliss, a letter from Darcy’s past shatters their present, making him question everything he has known his entire life. Is he prepared to open his heart and his mind to such a tormenting revelation? Is London’s Ton ready to accept such a disclosure, or will it turn it into a new subject for more disturbing rumours?

Will a gentleman such as Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, who takes pride in his family’s past, accept that his legacy is not what he believed it to be?

 

So, while I am eagerly waiting to see what the readers will have to say about my new book, I am working hard. In the next months I intend to mix “ana damian” and Florence Gold into a novel based on Jane Austen’s novels, that takes place in 1916. It is a powerful story, involving all the significant circumstances of that period and focused on the changes into the women’ condition over the century that passed since Jane Austen’s time. I know it is an ambitious project and I am completely wrapped in it. I hope to have the chance of talking more of it once it is finished.

You can now find the new version of Mr. Darcy’s legacy at Amazon.com.

 

 

Florence Gold would like to offer to my readers 3 ebooks of Mr.Darcy’s Legacy. The giveaway is international and will end on the 24th of June. To apply just comment on this post and let us know you think about the blurb.

Good Luck everyone!

The Giveaway Winner is…

Hello everyone,

How was your weekend? I hope it was a nice one and that it was shinny and warm in your side of the globe 😉 I have recently returned from a road trip in southern Portugal so I spent my weekend unpacking and watching tv, which was the only thing I missed while I was gone. It was nice to be able to binge watch a couple of shows, especially because I didn’t see anything during my holidays and because for the first time my hubbie join me in a binge watching adventure! I have also started planning my agenda for the next months and I am happy to announce that I will return with many reviews and guest posts during the summer. But today the main announcement I have to make is the winner of the giveaway hosted here on the blog tour of Nefarious, Nicole Clarkston’s latest and very successful novel 🙂

Ms Clarkston visited From Pemberley to Milton in the beggining of the month and along with a fabulous excerpt, she brought with her a giveaway of a $10 Amazon Gift Card plus eBook or Audiobook of winner’s choice, available for all readers acrosss the globe, or  a signed paperback of winner’s choice which available only for US residents.

The lucky winner of this giveaway was:

*** Caroleincanada***

 

Congratulations Carole! I hope you enjoy your prizes 🙂 Nicole will contact you shortly to provide you all the information you need 🙂

Happy Reading!

Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley – Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Afternoon dear readers,

After being part of the cover reveal for Kelly Miller’s debut book Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley I am pleased to start the blog tour for this book with an excerpt of the book, I hope you enjoy it and share your thoughts about it with us. We always welcome your opinion, and I am sure Mrs. Miller will be glad to see all your comments 🙂

In case you have missed my previous post, I am also adding the book blub and author biography so that you get to know Mrs. Miller and her book a little better.

Happy readings everyone!

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What will the master of Pemberley do when confronted with the mercurial whims of an all-powerful angel?

Fitzwilliam Darcy’s well-ordered life is about to become a chaotic nightmare. A man of fortune, property, and social prominence, he has everything he could desire. Blissfully married to his wife, Elizabeth, they have a two-year-old son. With so much to live for, Darcy is shaken by a near-fatal riding accident. After a miraculous escape, he is visited by an otherworldly being: an angel of death named Graham. Threatening dire consequences, Graham compels Darcy to guide him on a sojourn in the world of mortals.

Darcy immediately questions the angel’s motives when he demands to be a guest at Pemberley. Can he trust Graham’s assurance that no harm will come to his wife and child? And why does Graham insist on spending time with Elizabeth? How can Darcy possibly protect his family from an angel with power over life and death?

In this romantic fantasy, the beloved couple from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice must contend with both human and unearthly challenges. Are the fates against them? Or will their extraordinary love conquer all?

 

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You can find Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

 

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Wednesday, September 13, 1815

The view afforded by the precipice not three feet from Fitzwilliam Darcy was vast and daunting to most, but the gentleman spared nary a glance at the stupendous prospect of the limestone ravine below. He had taken this trail hundreds of times before, as had Regal, his majestic, black Arabian stallion.

“I have never seen a mare quite like her. She is the prettiest horse I have ever seen. Her coat is the colour of polished copper, and I could not find even one fault in her conformation. The Welsh pony is calm, wise and gentle—ideal for Bennet.”

The horse flicked his ears back now and again as Darcy continued to expound in great detail on the presents he had purchased for his wife and son. Although considered by most a laconic sort, Darcy had discovered as a child that talking to horses benefitted both parties: the sound of his voice calmed the horses, and he was more comfortable talking with them than with people. He leaned forward in the saddle as he spoke, his mind focused upon his discourse. In listing for Regal the virtues of the notable equine specimens scheduled for delivery from the neighbouring estate, he reaffirmed in his own mind that he had chosen well.

A cutting gust interrupted his thoughts with a pervasive discomfort, prompting him to raise the collar of his greatcoat and affirming his choice to take this particular route; the narrow, winding trail was a faster route to Pemberley than the road.

The plans that had been made to surprise his wife dominated his mind. Her lovely countenance would be luminous and joyful when she comprehended what he had done. Many hours had been spent in consideration of the smallest details for the celebration, all the while ensuring that Elizabeth, as clever as she was, would not suspect anything beyond the special birthday dinner she was expecting. His object was to show her his appreciation for her support, patience, and understanding these past weeks.

A tightness in his throat impelled him to swallow several times as doubt intruded upon his reasoning. Would Elizabeth be pleased with his efforts to plan a memorable celebration for her? To gratify her, he would have spared no expense in marking this occasion with a lavish affair. However, his knowledge of his wife persuaded him that she would prefer the simple celebration planned for the following se’nnight to mark her twenty-fourth birthday and their son, Bennet’s, second.

While in contemplation of the meal planned for Elizabeth’s birthday dinner, his body was jerked forward by Regal’s inexplicable, erratic backward jump. “Deuced horse! Are you mad?” His eyes went wide as the verge of the narrow section of trail and the sheer drop below loomed next to him. Before he could breathe, let alone take his bearings, Regal reared up in a sudden, jarring movement.

A strangled breath escaped him—he had allowed the reins to slip from his fingers, and they fell uselessly to the ground. He grasped for the stallion’s mane in a frenzied motion while inhaling a sharp burst of air. Darcy’s heart lurched when his sleek, new leather gloves failed to find a firm grip. The slow, steady loss of his balance and the frightening certainty that he was going to fall over the cliff into the ravine below caused every muscle in his body to tense. No, this cannot be!

Regal’s position at the edge of the trail left no section of ground available for a safe landing. Nothing—no trees, bushes, or even rocks were within reach to seize upon and prevent his fall, and the drop was certain to be fatal. It was a distance of over two hundred feet, and the rocky ground would not provide a soft landing. His breath came in ragged pants. Seized with horror, disbelief, and a frightening sense of helplessness, his body descended towards certain death.

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Whilst walking in the rose garden at Pemberley with her faithful collie, Rory, at her side, Elizabeth Darcy halted her movement and wrapped her arms around herself. Her smile vanished. A change had occurred in the peaceful atmosphere surrounding her. An almost imperceptible, elusive tugging at the edges of her awareness filled her with the certitude of impending doom. The sky turned grey as a dark, malevolent cloud appeared above her, and the air grew chillingly cold. Gooseflesh covered her arms, and a shiver crept down her back as her eyes flitted around the shaded garden.

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Kelly Miller discovered her appreciation for Jane Austen late in life, and her love of writing even later.  It was the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice that made her take notice and want to read the actual book.  It was many years later that she discovered the world of JAFF.  After reading a slew of wildly inventive stories featuring the beloved characters created by Jane Austen, she was inspired to write one of her own.  Now, writing is one of her favorite pastimes.  When not writing, she spends her free time singing, playing the piano, and working out.  (Yes, like Elizabeth Bennet, she is an excellent walker.)  Kelly Miller lives in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter and their many pets.

 

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The blog tour for Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley is just starting, follow the rest of the tour for guest posts, excerpts and much, much more.

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Meryton Press is giving away 8 eBooks of Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley. All you need to do to apply to it is comment on this post and click on the Rafflecopter link here.

Good Luck everyone!