Monday 19 October 2020

Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson - Blog Tour - Guest Post and Giveaway

Blog Tour Graphic - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson
Today I’m happy to be welcoming a new author to Babblings of a Bookworm from Meryton Press. Grace Gibson has joined us with a guest post as part of the blog tour for her Pride & Prejudice variation book Silver Buckles. Let’s look at the blurb and then I will hand over to Grace for her post.

Book cover - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson
Book Description

She staggered a great man. He was reeling. She was overwhelmed. 

Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing irritably at the edge of the Meryton assembly, declines to dance with Elizabeth Bennet. In a mood of revulsion, he rejects her without concern of being overheard. Country pretensions are always in need of squashing, and what better way to make clear he would not partner anyone outside his party? However, when he looks over at her, she does not appear humbled at all. She is secretly laughing at him!

Elizabeth is perversely delighted to encounter such an outrageous snob as Mr. Darcy. When he approaches her with a stiff, graceless apology, she coolly brushes him off, believing that, like most annoyances, he will go away when properly snubbed. But no! The man then puts out his hand and, not wishing to create a scene, compels her to stand up with him.

They go through the steps of the dance mutually disdainful and intent upon wounding each other. But by the time the musicians end their tune, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have traded barbs with such accuracy, they are unaccountably amused and engaged. Will this most inconvenient flirtation drive them apart—or, like silver buckles, are they a matched pair?

Book cover - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson
Guest Post from Grace Gibson

I’d begun to write Pride and Prejudice variations for my own amusement when I discovered, through reading hundreds of variations, that Jane Austen’s characters had come alive to me. Darcy and Elizabeth were living personalities that began to have a life of their own in my imagination. I then began to explore myself through my relationship with—of all people— Jane Austen’s immortal characters. Ah well, some might say, what better place to start?

Silver Buckles is first and foremost, a humorous, low-angst retelling of Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice, but I also love to observe and sometimes write about the complexities of personality. In this variation, Elizabeth Bennet is the sparkling, intelligent young woman we’ve all come to know, but as the story unfolds, she begins to show us a little of the insecurity that lurks beneath her confident, saucy demeanor.

The overarching insecurity of simply being a female in Jane Austen’s time is canvassed beautifully by so many authors of historical fiction. In my story, Elizabeth grapples with this too, as in her reflections after a most dissatisfying evening at Mr. Bingley’s ball.

I did not read, for I was not inclined to do so. I fussed the fringe on my shawl and thought of Charlotte and Jane and the dark truth of being a woman. We have no power. We have no safety to call our own unless we are independently wealthy and living in seclusion. We are kept like objects, and we must be careful—exceedingly careful—to find a man who treats his possessions well.

My mood darkened, my posture slouched, and the edges of my shawl turned into tangles. Then who should happen to appear abruptly in the doorway to see me this way but Mr. Darcy!

Elizabeth also reveals some of her deeper vulnerabilities in her attentions to her middle sister Mary.

Not only had I helped Mary with her playing, I also cut my sister’s hair and put it in a more flattering style, and when we visited friends, I brought her forward and included her in conversation. I somehow convinced her that looking into the mythology of the Greeks would complement her Christian education, and we read of Mythos and Pathos, of the kings of Ithaca and Athens, and of Poseidon and Apollo. I sat patiently as I listened to her assessments of their moral failures and lightly pointed out the lessons we could take away from these tales in a more practical, less critical light.

The lesson I learned was this: attention will do what lectures will not, and while my youngest sisters remained giddy and empty-headed, my middle sister I salvaged from the dung heap. Let Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst see us now, and they would have to amend their impression to say the three eldest Bennet girls, at least, were presentable.

That I continued to let the opinions of our elegant visitors of last fall goad me in my private thoughts was a nuisance I could not seem to conquer.

As this story unfolded, I was quite amazed to see that the only obstacle Elizabeth ever faced was that of her own insecurity! She did, in the end, transcend the limitations in her deep psyche and in doing so, she found an entirely new life. What is possible if we aren’t hampered by our unspoken vulnerabilities?

If Elizabeth’s little spell on the analyst’s couch is interesting to you, I will reveal a little more about her insecurity and her heroine’s journey to see her way out of it, tomorrow on my next stop, Interests of a Jane Austen Girl. I hope you’ll join me there.

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Author Grace Gibson
Author Bio - Grace Gibson

In addition to mosaic art, which Grace creates at Studio Luminaria, her home-based glass shop in El Paso, Texas, she enjoys writing regency romance and Pride and Prejudice variations. You can contact Grace on Facebook.

Book cover - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson
Buy Links

Silver Buckles is available to buy now for Kindle and in Kindle Unlimited.  

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon CA • Add to Goodreads shelf


Giveaway Time!


 Meryton Press is giving away 8 ebooks of Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson! To enter, please use the rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note about comments: If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

Blog Tour Graphic - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson
Silver Buckles Blog Tour Schedule

16 Oct Austenprose

19 Oct Babblings of a Bookworm

20 Oct Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

22 Oct Diary of an Eccentric

23 Oct Austenesque Reviews

24 Oct Donadee’s Corner

26 Oct From Pemberley to Milton

27 Oct My Vices and Weaknesses


Blog Tour Schedule - Silver Buckles by Grace Gibson

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26 comments:

  1. Ceri, thank you for hosting Grace today. It is always lovely to visit your blog.

    Grace, I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth's insecurities and how you tied them in with the scenes from your book! Congratulations on each release and best wishes.

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    1. Thank you Janet! I appreciate you so much.

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  2. Hmmm. Low angst? What will be driving the plot?
    I notice in the description that FD seems even more arrogant than in canon. I hope that there will be many fun examples of his attitude!

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    1. Hi Ginna! Perhaps there is a wee bit of angst...? I appreciate your perceptive comments!

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  3. An insecure Elizabeth, I look forward to learning more.

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    1. Thank you. There will be a follow-up post on Elizabeth's insecurities on my next blog stop, 10/20, Interests of a Jane Austen Girl. Hope to see you there!

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  4. Thanks, Ceri & Grace for this revealing post! Often those of us who look the most confident are just the best are concealing our insecurities!

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    1. Oh Kelly, how true! Thank you for stopping by and for your support.

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  5. A fresh take on P&P is always welcome, and Elizabeth bringing Mary out so she will be presentable like her and Jane is fresh. I always saw many facets to Elizabeth's personality other than the Mary Sue that many tend to look for (and find) in JAFF. Austen wrote her as a complex character who goes through the whole gamut of emotions in P&P. Your focus upon her insecurity is a great way of using Austen's original. Good job, Grace. Thanks for the guest post, Ceri!

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    1. Thank you, Suzan, for your thoughtful observation. I too have always found Elizabeth to be complicated and not so easy to define. I am so glad you stopped by - thank you!

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  6. Always a pleasure to see a new author to this lovely blog! Congrats on your upcoming release! Looking forward to reading it and seeing how Elizabeth gets through her insecurities.

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    1. Thank you so much! Good luck on the giveaway and I hope you enjoy the book.

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  7. Ceri, I so appreciate your hosting me on your beautiful blog. Clearly, you are passionate about books and you put so much care into this site. It's terrific! Thank you again.

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  8. I am looking forward to reading this story. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.

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  9. Thank you Sheila! Good luck on the giveaway.

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  10. Carole in Canada20 October 2020 at 14:36

    Your final comments are so true:

    "As this story unfolded, I was quite amazed to see that the only obstacle Elizabeth ever faced was that of her own insecurity! She did, in the end, transcend the limitations in her deep psyche and in doing so, she found an entirely new life. What is possible if we aren’t hampered by our unspoken vulnerabilities?"

    Overcoming or facing our own vulnerabilities/fears as we grow and mature is a constant battle. Finding that balance/inner strength is rewarding.

    I look forward to reading this and like how you have Elizabeth taking Mary under wing.

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  11. Hello, Carole! Thank you for that wise, thoughtful comment. So true that inner strength and balance are worth cultivating in life.

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  12. Thank you for this excerpt. I was touched by EB's way to help her sister Mary. I will always remember the message I got from this.. attention/inclusion than lecturing yield more..

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    1. I confess I have a soft spot for Mary, and I am so appreciative that you found something of value in their relationship. Thank you so much!

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  13. Thank you Ceri for introducing us to a new writer. Congratulations to Grace Gibson on publishing your book. Love the excerpt. Thank you for the chance in this giveaway.

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  14. Hi Shelley! Thank you for dropping by and posting this encouraging comment. Good luck in the giveaway!

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  15. I’m looking forward to reading this book!

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  16. That's exciting! I hope you like it, Cyndy - thank you!

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  17. I enjoyed the excerpt. I am looking forward to reading an insecure Elizabeth's thoughts. Congrats on the book and thank you for the give away.

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  18. I am late to the party. Congratulations on this new book. I hope it is very successful. Blessings.

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  19. Congratulations, on this delightful sounding book. I love the subtle differences from our beloved P&P. It looks like fun times await.

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