Book Description
‘Tis the season to be jolly and Mr. Darcy and his sister have been invited to Netherfield for Christmas with Bingley’s business associate and the Bennets of Longbourn. There is no comfort or joy for this taciturn man when he discovers the sparkling Elizabeth Bennet finds him proud and arrogant. His only choice is to win her heart, but is it too late to change her opinion of him?
Guest Post from Anngela Schroeder and Excerpt
Hello, Babblings of a
Bookworm readers. I am so grateful Ceri has allowed me to share an excerpt from
my Christmas novella, “An Unexpected Merry Gentleman” with you this holiday
season. It was quite a labor of love, attempting to complete it between the
anthologies “Rational Creatures” and “Yuletide.” But, I succeeded in my
endeavor––to make a light ‘frothy’ Christmas story one could curl up with under
the covers in front of a roaring fire. Who doesn’t want to get lost in the pages
with our favorite couple?
And, who doesn’t love
the holidays? Hot Cocoa, snow men and pine trees? Christmas means so much to so
many, but hopefully it gives us a chance to slow down and remember what is
really important––our families and loved ones. That is what “An Unexpected
Merry Gentleman” is all about––how the love of families unites us and makes us
the best version of ourselves.
In the following
excerpt, Elizabeth is able to see the love Mr. Darcy has for his sister. This
affection compounds on the already new feelings Elizabeth is discovering while
observing his interactions with her young cousins, the Gardiner sisters, Miss
Victoria, and Miss Emily Gardiner. I hope you enjoy!
“And you, Mr. Darcy?
What are some of your Pemberley traditions?” [asked Mr. Gardiner.]
“Like most families,
we have several traditions handed down for generations.”
“Yes,” Miss Darcy
said. “My favorite is the gingerbread men. Nanny Flora used to have Cook
decorate them like me and my pony, Butterscotch.”
“I remember how you
cried when I ate one of those biscuits.”
“William, you ate her
head!”
The room erupted in
laughter and Elizabeth was gratified to see Mr. Darcy joining in the joke.
“Somehow I feared it
meant her death! I begged and begged Father to allow me to run to the stables
to check on her, but he refused because of the snow.”
Jane’s eyes grew wide.
“However could you sleep? I would be wide awake with worry all night.”
Miss Darcy looked up
at Mr. Darcy and smiled. “I slept because my dear brother could not.”
He shifted in his seat
as all eyes glanced his way, before settling back on Miss Darcy.
“After father had
retired, William put on his boots and stole down to the stables. He trudged
through the snow to bring me back a piece of Butterscotch’s mane and assure me
she was well.”
It was evident Mr.
Darcy was embarrassed by the praise, but he turned to his sister and said, “And
not once have I ever eaten another of those biscuits, have I?”
“You have not.” The
look passing between them was of tender affection.
“You make me quite
envious, Miss Darcy. I have always wished for a brother to spoil me and protect
me as yours appears to,” said Elizabeth.
“Yes, he is the best
of brothers. And the piece of Butterscotch’s mane was what a worried young girl
needed.”
“I am beginning to
think he is quite a thoughtful man.” Elizabeth looked at him with a twinkle in
her eye, causing his breath to catch.
Is
that a hint of Elizabeth’s famous mixed signals/misinterpreted sighs and
impertinent remarks? Perhaps Darcy is imagining things; perhaps Elizabeth has
changed; perhaps there is more under the surface than we originally believed.
Whatever the truth may be, it appears Darcy might be an “Unexpected Merry
Gentleman” after all.
I
do hope the excerpt has enticed you to check out the full novella of “An Unexpected
Merry Gentleman” available on Amazon, and on Kindle Unlimited. I have also
included the opportunity to win a kindle version of the book, which is open
internationally. Comment to be entered to win. Have a
Merry Christmas, and a happy holiday!
Anngela has a degree in English with a concentration in British Literature and a Masters in Education. She loves to travel, bake, and watch college football with her husband of 18 years and 3 rambunctious sons. Her weaknesses are yellow cake with chocolate frosting, her father's Arabic food (namely grape leaves, and falafel), and frozen Girl Scout Thin Mints. She lives in California where she dreams of Disney adventures and trips across the pond.
Buy Links
This novella is available to buy now, in both paperback and ebook format/ You can get it on Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA and elsewhere. You can also add it to your Goodreads shelf.
Giveaway Time
As mentioned above, Anngela is giving away a kindle version of An Unexpected Merry Gentleman to an international commenter on this blog post. To enter, just leave a comment by the end of the day on Saturday 15 December. Please leave contact details in order that I can let you know if you are the lucky winner.
* * *
Thanks Ceri for hosting. That was a delightful excerpt and I love the choice of cover for this novella. There is nothing like a Christmas story involving children. They are so adorable. I like the fact they are Gardiner children. I love M/M Gardiner. They are such special people to Jane and Elizabeth and their children are mentioned in many JAFF stories. They just add spark to the story. This novella sounds amazing. I have it on my wish-list. Thanks to our author for the generous giveaway. Good luck to everyone in the drawing. Blessings on the success of this work. I checked on Amazon and of the 5 reviews at this time 4 were 5-stars. Can't get any better than that. Congratulations. Blessings on the continued success of this work.
ReplyDeleteJ.W. Garrett, thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I have been so excited about the reviews and hope when you read the novella, you'll add yours to the group. :)
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the excerpt! Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteAwww, that's so cute! Thanks for the post and the gieaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melanie. Good luck! :)
DeleteThanks, Melanie!
DeleteMelanie, you won, you won!!! Congratulations!๐
DeleteI have always wanted an older brother, especially one who would spoil me.
ReplyDeletemeikleblog(at)gmail(dot)com
Vesper, I have 2 older brothers, and they are wonderful. Good luck. :)
DeleteI have two as well, but there isn't much spoiling going on!
DeleteOh, this looks fun. Thanks for the preview and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Jen, and good luck in the giveaway.
DeleteYou're welcome Jen. Thank you for visitng today. :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful holiday treat!
ReplyDeleteYes, this looks like a good one :)
DeleteWhat a fun excerpt! I am hooked. :) Brenda Webb
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed, Brenda!
DeleteThank you, Brenda! That means loads to me coming from you! Merry Christmas!
DeleteI love Christmas novellas! What a beautiful cover and excerpt! Thank you!
ReplyDeletezinger393@gmail.com
Leah Pruett
I do too, Leah :)
DeleteThank you, Leah! It is such a happy cover.๐
DeleteWhat a cute interaction. Thank you for sharing the excerpt with us and for the giveaway. jadseah4(at)yahoo
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThank you for popping over here. Glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI downloaded this from KU and am reading it now...it sounded so delightful.
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying it, Sheila!
DeleteThank you, Sheila! I hope you enjoy it. Don’t forget to leave a review.๐
DeleteThat was cute! Elizabeth must surely be confused by who this guy is, compared to the one she knew before.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think she met him at a very bad point for him, after Georgiana's close shave, and when he was trying to be protective of Bingley, which brought his snobby side out to the fore.
DeleteSo true, Ginna! You hit that one right on the head!
Deletewhat a wonderful excerpt
ReplyDeletedenise
So glad you enjoyed, Denise!
DeleteThank you, Denise! I appreciate that!
DeleteWhat a cute excerpt. The cover is adorable. Thank you for your generosity.
ReplyDeleteskamper25(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for stopping by Deborah Ann, and good luck in the giveaway.
DeleteThank you, Deborah Ann!
DeleteThat's an adorable and cute excerpt that you shared, Anngela. I think Elizabeth is beginning to fall in love with Darcy at that point.
ReplyDeleteevangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
It was lovely, wasn't it!
DeleteShe sure is, but at the same time trying to “talk herself out of it”!
Delete