Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen's Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen's adored novels.
Experience uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine's Day.
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.
This book is available to buy now!
Author Interview x 3!
I have such a treat for you today. Not just one, but three author interviews! Robin Helm, Laura Hile and Wendi Sotis join us for an interview.
Author Interview: Robin Helm
Q: Where did you get the
idea for your story?
A:
My friend, Laura Hile, suggested I go back and look at my earlier one-shots and
short stories for ideas. I realized I could make them into dreams to drive the
story.
Q: Did you have any goals
for this book when you wrote it — to get published, or just to finish, etc.?
A:
Yes, “I Dream of You” was written specifically for A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2. I had already
published eight books when I wrote it.
Q: How did you begin
writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason
or reasons for writing each book?
A:
I was making up stories nearly as soon as I could talk, and my mother
encouraged it. She kept daily journals for many, many years, and she wrote a
book. One day, I will publish it. I published a poem when I was very young, and
I distinctly remember my second grade teacher calling me to the front of the
room on numerous occasions to entertain my classmates with tales I made up as I
went. After I retired from teaching school full-time, I began to write. My
first three books (The Guardian Trilogy:
Guardian, SoulFire, and Legacy) were the stories I felt
compelled to tell. It was as if I had to write those before I could write anything
else. My second series (Yours by Design
series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely
Yours, and Forever Yours) a
Regency/Contemporary time swap, addressed my love of science fiction and
fantasy. Understanding Elizabeth, a
Regency Romance, was my first standalone. The two books of the Austen Anthologies series (A Very Austen Christmas and A Very Austen Valentine) were born of my
desire to produce books with like-minded friends who were also authors. We hope
to collaborate on at least three more anthologies.
Q: What authors do you like
to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
A:
I have so many favorites, it’s hard to say. Certainly Frank Peretti and Jane
Austen influenced my first three books. I know that seems to be a strange
pairing. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), H.G. Wells, Mark
Twain, Isaac Asimov, and Jules Verne probably guided me to time travel and
fantasy. I also have a fascination with all things Star Trek and Star Wars.
However, Jane Austen and the Bible have certainly been the biggest influences on me in everything I have written so far.
However, Jane Austen and the Bible have certainly been the biggest influences on me in everything I have written so far.
* * *
Tell us a little about your
background as a writer.
I
began writing Jane Austen fiction when the Internet was young—does anyone
remember the Republic of Pemberley’s “Bits of Ivory” storyboard? Even in those early days, I had a fondness for
telling stories that were fun and a little off the beaten track. My “Freaky
Friday” Darcy By Any Other Name has
long roots!
In
my first published novel, the multi-volume Mercy’s
Embrace, I took on Jane Austen’s arrogant Elizabeth Elliot from Persuasion. As I wrote and posted
installments, she dominated every scene. I soon realized that the beautiful
Miss Elliot makes the perfect Regency heroine: spirited, opinionated, and best
of all, desperate. Desperate lends itself to all kinds of storytelling fun.
Then too, this “Other Elizabeth” is not quite as smart as she thinks. Better
and better, right?
Mercy’s Embrace
brought me into contact with Persuasion’s
outrageous snob, Sir Walter Elliot. He, along with whiney Mary Musgrove, proved
invaluable as comic relief. Which brings me to Sir Walter Takes a Wife, my comical contribution to A Very Austen Valentine.
Because
everyone needs a laugh. Even on Valentine’s Day.
A
good ten years ago the idea for this “romantic” mash-up presented itself. (Don’t
worry, Sir Walter Takes a Wife, like
everything in our anthology, is a clean read!) Who better to court The-Lady-We-Love-To-Hate
than the equally-prideful (but always broke) Sir Walter? That story has waited
until now to come to life. I think you’ll enjoy it.
What authors, or books, have
influenced you?
Favorite
authors include the much-loved Golden Age “Queens of Crime” from the 1920s and
30s: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh. My Regency novels favor
the lighthearted style of another favorite, Georgette Heyer. Other authors I
enjoy (in addition to Jane Austen) are Charlotte Bronte, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R.
Tolkien, and Ralph McInerny.
Share with us a brief bio.
Well,
let’s see. I am married with three grown sons. I enjoy choral singing, browsing
in antique stores, and “messing about in boats.”
I
also like gardening, but when I unearthed a wasps’ nest I discovered that I am
deathly allergic. So outdoor activities, like hiking, have been somewhat
curtailed. You might like to know that my lavender garden continues to
flourish. I’ve learned that bees “drunk” on nectar do not sting.
Because
I am an idealist, I teach at a Christian school for rather less money. So
writing is both my hobby and my long-term retirement plan!
What are you working on now?
I
teach middle school (12-year-olds), all subjects. This means that I am tired
most of the time! In other words, I write slowly. In the works is a Pride and Prejudice romantic romp called
As Only Mr. Darcy Can. No body-swaps
in this one! However, it packs a few surprises that I think you will enjoy.
Look for it later in 2019.
* * *
Author Interview: Wendi Sotis
Wendi: Thank you for having me today. It’s a
true pleasure!
Q: Where did you get the idea for your story?
A: When we decided the theme of this
anthology to be Valentine’s Day, I started doing research on Valentine’s Day in
Regency times. I found two “Valentine Writer” books had been reprinted, one
from 1780 and the other from 1794, which had a number of valentine verses
listed out to give young men and maidens ideas as to what they should write to
their valentines. Everything else just filled in around that idea.
Q: Did you have any goals for this book when you wrote it — to get
published, or just to finish, etc.?
A: Last year, Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Barbara
Cornthwaite and I had decided to publish several anthologies together, and
including other guest-authors’ stories as we go along.
Q: How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do
you have a specific reason or reasons for writing each book?
A: I wrote some as a child and teen – my
life’s goals were to have children and to see my name on a card from the
card-catalog at my local library. With the latter in mind, I took a creative
writing class in college. The professor told me not to bother writing any more.
His words shattered my dream, and crushed the tiny bit of confidence I had
about my writing. I didn't write again for many years.
Twenty-six years later, I found Jane Austen
Fanfiction forums online and couldn't get enough of reading the stories I found
there. I kept coming up with story ideas, but my confidence was still zero. One
morning I woke up from an especially good story-idea-dream and said, "I'm
going to write this myself!" You have no idea how much courage it took to
actually post that story on the forum, but to my surprise, people liked it! :-) I haven't stopped writing since.
A writer writes, and author is published. I call
myself an “Accidental Author.” One year, I tried NaNoWriMo (National Novel
Writing Month). The “prize” for managing to write 50,000 words in 30 days was a
handful of print books. I wanted to hold a bound copy of my story in my hands.
I wanted my triplets to have something they could pass down to their children.
And maybe, just maybe, I’d have enough copies printed to donate one to the
local library and see my name in the (now electronic) card-catalog at the
library after all.
As I was preparing the document to have it printed,
Gayle Mills and Robin Helm talked me into making it available to the public as
a print book and ebook. Since I wasn’t expecting anyone to purchase it, I
figured there was no possibility of being disappointed, so I did it. I still
get all choked up when I think about the surprise and the honor I felt when
people actually bought the book!
Q: What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a
strong influence on you or your writing?
A: If you haven’t already guessed, Jane
Austen has been a huge influence! I read so many authors, I couldn’t possibly
list them all here. I enjoy Austen-inspired romances, historical or contemporary,
though while I’m writing one, I usually don’t read them in the same time period.
I read romance, suspense, mysteries, paranormal, and thrillers, historical or
contemporary. I especially like if there are several of these genres mixed together.
Q: Could you describe the mundane details of writing: How many hours a
day to you devote to writing? Do you write a draft on paper or at a keyboard
(typewriter or computer)?
A: I’ve tried dictating but my writer’s-brain
doesn’t seem to be hooked up to my mouth ;-) I used to write on paper, but I
enjoy the computer keyboard much better. I haven’t been writing as many hours a
week as I’d like lately, but for 2019 my plan includes writing 25+ hours a
week.
Q: Do you write every single day?
A: I do whenever possible.
Q: Any writing rituals?
A: I need quiet unless a song inspired the
story I’m writing, then I’ll listen to the song a thousand times while I’m
writing! I drink coffee and tea only out of one of my Jane Austen mugs while
I’m writing J
Q: Do you meet your readers at book signings, conventions, or similar
events?
A: No, I don’t. I’m too shy! I’d never be
able to get up in front of people. I’m also dyslexic and cannot read aloud, so
book readings could never happen.
Q: Aren’t writers supposed to be solitary?
A: I am – big time – but I know quite a few
writers who aren’t.
Q: What’s the worst job you’ve had?
A: I once worked in a large building. The
office directly under us had at least one bomb-threat a month. The police and
fire departments would evacuate the building every time, since they felt one
day the threat might actually be real. Well, one day, the owner of the company
I worked for got tired of his staff spending hours away from work and refused
to allow us to evacuate. In my opinion, he had no right to decide for us that
it was not a real threat, and there was no way I was going to be injured or die
for that job, so I listened to the authorities and left anyway. The rest of the
office rose and followed me out the door. That didn’t put me very high on the
list of my boss’s good graces! Suddenly, my job included making collection
calls. I wasn’t very good at it; I kept giving everyone more time. I believe the
goal was to get me to quit. It worked!
Q: Are you planning to adapt any of your stories to the screen?
A: Believe it or not, I’ve had several
requests to do just that, but I’ve not thought about actually doing it. It
would be fun, though!
Q: What’s more important: characters or plot?
A: Characters, because they usually end up
taking the plot in a direction I didn’t intend, and that usually works a lot
better than what I’d plotted out. You’d think they’d follow my commands, but
it’s not always so. It’s a very strange feeling when they don’t want to do what
I tell them to do!
Q: Any last thoughts for our readers?
A: “It
isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.”
― Sense
and Sensibility
* * *
Author Bios
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.
Amazon Author Page • Beyond Austen • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads Author Page •Blog • Austen Anthologies FB page
Amazon Author Page • Beyond Austen • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads Author Page •Blog • Austen Anthologies FB page
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.
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.
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.
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."
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?
Giveaway Time!
06 Jan Just the Write
Escape; Guest Post, Giveaway
07 Jan Margie’s
Must Reads; Review, Giveaway
08 Jan So Little
Time…; Guest Post, Excerpt, Giveaway
09 Jan Babblings
of a Bookworm; Author Interview, Giveaway
10 Jan Half
Agony, Half Hope; Review, Excerpt
11 Jan Austenesque
Reviews; Vignette, Giveaway
12 Jan My
Love for Jane Austen; Vignette, Giveaway
14 Jan From Pemberley to Milton;
Excerpt, Review or Vignette, Giveaway
15 Jan My life
journey; Review, Excerpt, Giveaway
16 Jan My Vices and Weaknesses; Guest
Post or Vignette. Excerpt, Giveaway
18 Jan Diary
of an Eccentric; Review, Giveaway
21 Jan Austenprose;
Author Interview
* * *
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Enjoyed the interviews. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interviews as well. There are always new things to learn -- like Wendi's "bomb-threat building"! Good luck in the giveaway, darcybennet.
DeleteHi, Darcybennett. Good to see you!
DeleteThanks! Good luck in the giveaway, darcybennett!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the post. I always enjoy author interviews, as I learn so much!
DeleteLovely interviews! Yay, for another anthology! Looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteDung Vu, when we released A Very Austen Christmas, the plan was to see what happened. Readers enjoyed it! So we decided to keep going and write more. Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteThank you, Dung Vu. I'm so glad you enjoyed the interviews. I fear I'm rather a boring individual. Good luck!
DeleteThank you, Dung Vu! Good luck!
DeleteThanks so much Dung :)
DeleteCeri, thank you for hosting us. These interviews are great! Learned a few things about Wendi and Robin, I did.
ReplyDeleteI second that. Thanks, Ceri!
DeleteYes, thank you for the opportunity to appear here, Ceri!
DeleteThank you so much for stopping by, ladies. It was great to learn more about you :)
DeleteA very enjoyable post and the book looks delightful. Many thanks for the generous giveaway too!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed it, Tea Guide. Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteThanks so much, Tea Guide! Good luck!
DeleteThank you for the kind encouragement. These anthologies are our way of introducing our writing friends to our reading friends. Good luck in the giveaway, Tea Guide.
DeleteCeri, What a delightful post. I enjoyed reading the author Q&A sessions and reading their bios. What fun. I have this book on my wish-list and would love to win a copy. I don't Face or Tweet so I was glad for the comment option so I could join in that growing list of hopefuls who wish to win a copy. Good luck to everyone in the drawing. Special thanks to the authors and the publisher for the generous giveaway. Blessings on the success of this work. I look forward to seeing what you guys do in the future. Have a Blessed rest of the new year.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet you are, J W Garrett! Thank you for your good wishes, and good luck to you. 😁
DeleteThanks so much, J. W. Garrett! I'm glad you were able to enter. Good luck!
DeleteJ.W., I am just getting caught up with responses, as my work (school) computer does not have my Blogger info.
DeleteThanks for your kind interest in our "by-friends-for-friends" anthology series. It's fascinating to me to see the diversity in our stories. Yes, with these books I get to be both a contributor and a fan.
Oh, and good luck in the giveaway, too.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Jeanne, and thank you for dropping in :)
DeleteI enjoyed the author Q & A. It is nice to get to know the authors better. The stories sound intriguing. I am looking forward to reading the stories in this compilation. Thank you for the generous giveaway.
ReplyDeleteDeborah Ann, thanks for your interest. The idea behind these books is to introduce our writing friends to our reading friends -- and there is enough variety here to have something for everyone. Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it, Deborah Ann! Good luck!
DeleteI enjoy anthologies. I'm looking forward to reading this one too, Debbie.
DeleteThanks for a chance to win. I will read this one way or another. Thanks for all the bio information. I like hearing personal stories.
ReplyDeleteSheila, how lovely to see you here. I am working to get caught up with responses, as my week at school was (to use a modern phrase) slammed. Middle-school students returning after Christmas Break struggle a lot!
DeleteAnyway, thanks for your interest in A Very Austen Valentine. I think you'll get a kick out of my Sir Walter Elliot story. It might not be the most romantic in the collection, unless -- ha! -- unless "self-love" counts!
Good luck in the giveaway.
Hi Sheila! I have the honor of working with ladies who have written some really excellent stories - you'll enjoy them! Good luck!
Deleteme too, Sheila. I love to hear more about the process, and about how authors came to be authors.
DeleteIt's always nice to know that little bit more about the authors who write the books we love. Congratulations ladies and I look forward to reading this! Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCarole, thanks for your kind encouragement and interest in our interviews. My life isn't all that interesting -- unless you come into my middle-school classroom and listen to the back-and-forth comedy routine -- so I try to make up for it with my storytelling.
DeleteGood luck in the giveaway.
Thanks for commenting, Carole! Good luck in the giveaway! :-)
DeleteThanks Carole! Glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteYou talk about teaching in middle school. There was one year when I was a substitute teacher for a middle school teacher who was on maternity leave. I found 14 years old students to be the most difficult as far as behavior...they were so mean to each other!
ReplyDeleteI teach in a Christian school, Sheila, so the behavior is somewhat better ... but yes. Middle school -- and 7th grade in particular (which is what I teach) -- is most people's most terrible year of life. Ask just about anyone.
DeleteIt's all about getting attention, even at someone else's expense. Students are trying out sarcasm too, and they're not very good at it. "Mean" sums it up nicely.
And yet, students at this age can be incredibly honorable and profoundly wise -- and the next minute, the worst selfish pigs ever. It's like sometimes even they are aghast at what what just came out of their mouth.
This worries me a little to hear, as my elder child is currently in Y7 in school (which is equivalent to 6th grade in the US, I think) so I get to enjoy him being in 7th grade next year, and then my daughter being in that bracket two years later... on the bright side though, at least I only have two children to deal with rather than a whole class of them!
DeleteI enjoyed the Q&A and the blurbs for each story
ReplyDeletedenise
Hi, Denise! Romance and mystery and misunderstandings and -- what can I say about my story? Snark, that's the word! -- it's all there in this anthology. Something for every reader. Thanks for entering the giveaway.
DeleteThanks, Denise, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Good luck :-)
DeleteSo glad to hear you enjoyed the post, Denise. The book looks like it will be a great read :)
DeleteI attended Delaware Co. Christian School from third through 12th grades. However, I have to say that in my class of 24 (16 girls, 8 boys) there was a group of MEAN girls: wealthier, better dressed, nicer cars, fathers' job were white collar vs blue collar like my father, nicer houses & neighborhoods, etc. So it happens even in environments where you would expect better.
ReplyDeleteMean girls. They spoil everything.
DeleteI have only sons, so the girl drama I encounter is only at school. Most of our girls are quite nice, but there are those few who ruin things for everyone.
Boys are noisy, but much less snide.
I know it's a cliche, but it seems as though it's true that there is more drama with girls :(
DeleteThanks for the great interviews. Congratulations on the release of this anthology.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate, for your interest. Good luck in the giveaway. :)
DeleteThanks so much, KateB! Good luck!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed it KateB
Delete