Strong Objections to the Lady by Jayne Bamber - Blog Tour - Guest Post and Giveaway

Today I'm welcoming Jayne Bamber back to the blog. I'm pleased to say that the blog tour for her latest book, Strong Objections to the Lady kicks off here. Let's take a look at the blurb and then I'll hand over to Jayne. There's also an ebook giveaway. Read on for more details!

Book Description

A tale of…

Intrigue & Inheritance…

Meddling & Manipulation…

Sisterhood & Self-Improvement...

When Lady Catherine de Bourgh learns of Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, her wrath sets in motion a series of events at Hunsford Parsonage which embroil Darcy and Elizabeth in a family fracas that grows more complicated daily.

The shades of Rosings Park are soon polluted by the shocking transformation of its new mistress and her guests, as well as secrets of the past and schemes for the future.

Appearances and alliances shift amidst the chaos wrought by a well-intentioned house party, and Darcy and Elizabeth must finally face their feelings for one another despite mounting obstacles and misunderstandings of every kind.

Guest Post from Jayne Bamber - Cousins in Kent

Hello, dear JAFF readers!

Those familiar with my writing may already know that I do love a good train wreck, and in Strong Objections to the Lady Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth in Kent is an absolute dumpster fire on wheels. As a jumping off point for fan fiction, it is a treasure trove of possibility, and naturally I settled on the most outlandish variation of events.

Nice shades – it would be a shame if somebody…polluted them….

The catalyst of this tale is Lady Catherine’s sudden demise after her infamous argument with the obstinate, headstrong Elizabeth, and the rest of the story sprang from the singular notion of Lady Catherine denying her approval of Darcy’s intentions toward Elizabeth so vehemently that she is overtaken with apoplexy.

So, not a great day for Lizzy….

Of course, by the time this explosive conversation takes place in canon, Elizabeth is already very much in love with Mr. Darcy. I decided to set this altercation much earlier – the very morning after Darcy’s failed first proposal, and from there the cast of characters being embroiled in the ensuing fiasco quickly came to life.

I came here to have a good time and, honestly,
I feel so obliged right now….

The supporting characters in play while Elizabeth visits Kent are some of my favorites – in all honesty, I low-key have a crush on Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I love giving him some opportunity to drive the story. By the absolute perfection of Jane Austen, we learn enough about him in canon to know that he is an amiable man, and Austen leaves us enough room to imagine him quite a lovable rascal besides.

My cousin’s a real heartbreaker, babe.

However, I have questions. What must he think when he discovers Darcy’s attachment to Elizabeth, and failure to win her hand? On a scale of one to ten, how much does he regret boasting to Elizabeth of Darcy’s involvement in separating Bingley from a young lady to whom there were such strong objections? And for all of Lady Catherine’s talk of Darcy marrying Anne, why does the colonel not consider it himself, when he makes no secret of his need to marry for money?

Life of the party.

As I set out to answer these questions, I discovered another character in Kent well worth falling in love with: Anne de Bourgh. As the person most impacted by Lady Catherine’s sudden demise, Anne has a major role to play in the story, which belongs to her as much as it does to Elizabeth and Darcy. Her share of the narrative begins with a shocking and raw reaction to her mother’s death, as well Elizabeth’s role in the ordeal, and over the course of the story she grows to admire Elizabeth Bennet as much as her cousin Darcy and two centuries of Austen readers. It is an endearing quality, which must compensate for her myriad imperfections, which are brought to light along with her sad history.

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

Charlotte Collins has some small role to play, and the unique and playful friendship she has secretly cultivated with Anne de Bourgh is one of many new dynamics that emerge between the familiar faces in Kent as the story builds. While Charlotte's presence serves a great purpose in the story, paving the way for friendship between Anne and Elizabeth, her absence later had just as much affect on the friends who have relied on her advice.

We all need friends who secretly own castles….

In addition to all the canonical characters present in Strong Objections to the Lady, I introduce several new members of the Fitzwilliam and de Bourgh families, the most significant of whom is mentioned repeatedly but never technically seen – Anne’s older sister, Isabel. Assorted other de Bourgh relations make some appearance, and Anne’s extended family are not the only unexpected arrivals in Kent, leading to chaos that intensifies daily. There are several love stories unfolding in the aftermath of what is a tragedy in name only, and there are so many secrets, schemes and plots overlapping that nobody really has much time to mourn Lady Catherine at all – she would have been most seriously displeased.

Ta-da! Very proud of my cover, featuring
my sass queen and her grand inheritance.

Strong Objections to the Lady will be available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited on December 21, with a paperback version soon to follow, and you can click here to enter a raffle for a free e-book! For now, I would like to share a brief excerpt – a glimpse into some of the final thoughts of Lady Catherine de Bourgh….

She must have her share of the conversation!

Excerpt from Strong Objections to the Lady

Lady Catherine de Bourgh awoke discontented beyond the usual degree. Sleep had evaded her; she had lain awake all night, most seriously displeased by her nephew. Darcy had announced just before retiring that he and Richard would depart Rosings Park and return to London this morning. He would brook no refusal, and had rather worked himself into a state as he defied her authority and insisted he would go –  an insupportable display of defiance! He had forgotten what he owed her, and Anne, and all the family.

She would not have it, and this morning he would hear her mind about the matter. He had come all this way, and yet he would go away again without finally settling on a date to wed Anne? It was not to be borne! Though he had been first intended for her sister, it was a natural thing that he ought to marry Anne instead, even if she had not the same affable disposition.

And after all, who would marry Anne if he did not? Taking Anne to London for a season was out of the question, for even if there had not been health concerns to prohibit them, Anne’s temper would never be suited to the haute ton. Certainly she could not wed any of her grasping, artful de Bourgh cousins, who were out for all they could get.

No, it must be Darcy, and she would not let him get away this time without a solemn promise. Lady Catherine began rehearsing her speech in her mind, perfecting those arguments that would remind him of his duty.

After hastily dressing for breakfast, a meal she usually took an hour later, Lady Catherine began her descent downstairs when a sudden pain overtook her. She halted on the stairs, rubbing her hand against her chest to soothe the ache. The unpleasant sensation had begun some weeks ago, though fortunately she had been able to conceal it from her family. She would not be daunted, particularly when the Bennet chit was all to blame. Even now she heard Elizabeth Bennet’s name spoken, for there were voices in the corridor below.

“I think you should leave it, Darcy,” Richard said. “Miss Bennet refused you in no uncertain terms, and you had better not put yourself through any further torment.”

“I bloody well know that,” Darcy spat back at his cousin. Lady Catherine clenched the railing of the stairs until her knuckles were white, drawing in a deep breath as her heart pounded in her chest. This cannot be.

“I am quite determined, Richard,” Darcy continued. “I shall not linger, but I should at least like to give her the letter, and hope that she may in time think better of me. If I cannot have Elizabeth, so be it, but I cannot bear her being alive in the world and thinking ill of me.”

Lady Catherine’s nostrils flared at the shocking notion – Elizabeth Bennet, thinking ill of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley? It was insupportable. That Miss Bennet had the cheek to show her face at Rosings at all had been beyond the pale, but now this? Poor Darcy, to have been so taken in by that pretty face!

Richard’s reply was muffled as Lady Catherine schooled her labored breathing, and then she heard Darcy say, “I shall walk down with you. Miss Bennet is likely on another of her morning walks – I know which areas she frequents. I shall give her the letter, and then meet you at the parsonage to take leave of the Collinses. With any luck we might be on the road to London in an hour.”

Feeling her strength returning, Lady Catherine steadied herself and resumed her slow descent as she heard her nephews moving away. She briefly considered ordering some sabotage to Darcy’s carriage, but thought the better of it – she had another plan. She collected her heavy green cloak and set off at once to follow them. She would seek out Miss Elizabeth, confiscate this scandalous letter, which ought never to have been written, and make her own sentiments known.

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Thanks for joining me on the first stop of my blog tour. I have several more calls in the neighborhood to make, and each post will have an excerpt and another chance to win a free e-book! You can also follow me on Facebook for more updates. Comments, queries, and overall impressions are very welcome!

Author Bio

Jayne Bamber is a life-long Austen fan, and a total sucker for costume dramas. Jayne read her first Austen variation as a teenager and has spent more than a decade devouring as many of them as she can. This of course has led her to the ultimate conclusion of her addiction, writing one herself.

Jayne's favorite Austen work is Sense and Sensibility, though Sanditon is a strong second. Despite her love for Pride and Prejudice, Jayne realizes that she is no Lizzy Bennet, and is in fact growing up to be Mrs. Bennet more and more each day.

After years of dating Wickhams, Collinses, and the occasional Tilney-that-got-away, Jayne married her very own Darcy (tinged with just the right amount of Mr. Palmer) and the two live together in Texas with a pair of badly behaved rat terriers, and a desire to expand their menagerie of fur babies.

Buy Links

Strong Objections to the Lady is due out on 21 December - here are pre-order links - get yourself a Christmas treat!

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Add to Goodreads shelf

Giveaway Time!

As Jayne Bamber says in her guest post above, you can win an ebook of Strong Objections to the Lady. To enter, please use the rafflecopter linked here!

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