A book blog which mostly features books about or inspired by Jane Austen.
I have a number of children’s books which are Austen-inspired, but as they are so much shorter than the books I usually blog about I thought I’d put a post together featuring a few. If you’re interested in ones I’ve looked at previously you can see posts about a version of Pride & Prejudice for younger readers here, and a biography of Austen here.
I’m happy to be welcoming Monica Fairview to the blog today with Threads of Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, the second book in her Mr Darcy’s Magic series. Monica has brought us a guest post about the book and an ebook giveaway.
You can read more about the first book, Dangerous Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, here.
Let's look at the blurb of Threads of Magic and then I'll hand over to Monica for her guest post.
In a magical Regency England, two powerful magicians
strive to find a balance between love and duty as they confront enemies who
might well be their closest friends.
Elizabeth Bennet may be a heroine, but by
defying some of the most powerful mages in England, she has made enemies who
will stop at nothing to embroil her in scandal.
So when she is accused of endangering the Royal
Mages through her reckless actions, she no longer knows who to trust. Even the
gentleman she loves is taking their side. It seems the only person who believes
her is the captive French mage who is imprisoned in the cellar at Netherfield.
Meanwhile, Fitzwilliam Darcy is willing to fight
to the death to defend Elizabeth, if only she would stop getting herself into
trouble. Why does she always have to break the rules? And why does even her
sister Jane cause him so many problems?
Join us in this magical Jane Austen Regency
variation. Set mostly in Meryton, with familiar beloved characters from Pride
and Prejudice, you will once again be captivated by Elizabeth and Darcy as
they struggle to find true love against the backdrop of England’s war with
Napoleon.
Threads of Magic continues
the bewitching tale of a forced marriage between two powerful mages. The novel
picks up after Fitzwilliam Darcy has told Elizabeth that he is in love with
her, but are the differences between them too difficult to overcome?
Since this is the second book of a series, there is more to come. Experience the slow-burn romance developing between Elizabeth and Darcy in this magical adventure spanning several novels. It is a standalone novel without cliff-hangers, but it is best read as part of a series.
Book Description
Will Captain Wentworth realize too late that he has a second chance at love?
With a successful naval career and a fortune to his name, Frederick Wentworth receives a hero’s welcome from his sister’s neighbours.
One person, though, presents a source of vexation. Years earlier, Miss Anne Elliot had reneged on her promise to marry Wentworth, revealing a significant character flaw. Yet Anne’s unmarried state at the age of seven and twenty, her altered demeanour, and her resolute avoidance of Wentworth raise questions that gnaw at his composure.
In this Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the captain follows the advice of a respected new friend and re-examines the agonizing circumstances of his bitter break from Anne, reaching a novel conclusion. But before he can act upon his new resolve, a dire twist of fate threatens Anne’s life.
As long-time visitors to my blog will know, I have been meaning to make some updates for a long time and I haven't, mainly because of lack of confidence in my limited technical abilities! Last year the email subscription service I was using, Feedburner, was discontinued. This email service would send out new blog posts to my email subscribers. As it was still working, I did nothing (shame on me) but it meant that new subscribers weren't able to sign up, so I needed to get it sorted and finally I have.
Who knows, if this update is successful, maybe it'll embolden me to try the other improvements I need to make, but don't hold your breath on that one :)
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Book Description
For Jane Austen, Edmund was a name the represented
heroism and chivalry, Maria signified heartlessness and Richard was a joke.
She had a weakness for Emma and a passion for
Frederick which endured from her earliest years until she bestowed it on her
last, and most romantic, hero.
Unlike most novelists of her period, in naming
her characters Jane Austen confined herself to the names found in everyday
life, choosing them to fit not only their personalities but their place in
society.
While the classic English names are her staple,
she also drew on the Old Testament for her low-born characters and
eighteenth-century creations for the would-be fashionable.
In this study of a hitherto neglected area of
the novelist’s art, Maggie Lane looks at the history of English nomenclature up
to Jane Austen’s time and at the naming patterns and practices current in her
society, including who was entitled to use the Christian name of whom.
A section on Jane Austen’s own taste in names is
followed by an alphabetical listing of all the Christian names used in her
mature fiction, with their history, social status and associations.
'Jane Austen and Names' is a must-read for
anyone interested in the great novelist.
Book Description
“How dare you think that you can just come along after
four years and dictate the course of the whole rest of our lives, Mr. Darcy!”
she cried. “You don’t have the right!”
He stood and stepped up to her, and stared down at
her with an equally determined expression. “I am your husband and he is my
son—I have the only right.”
Today I’m very happy to be welcoming Riana Everly back to the blog with the blog tour for her new book, Much Ado in Meryton. From the title, you will have guessed there is a Shakespeare influence mixed with a bit of Pride & Prejudice, as the title also mentions Meryton. Although I try and keep my blog mostly focussed on Austen, I actually read Much Ado About Nothing in my early blogging days, so you can learn a bit more about the play here if you're not familiar with it..
Riana has joined us with a guest post about home theatricals, which feature in her book, and also featured in Austen’s life and in Mansfield Park. She’s also treating us to an excerpt from the book. There is also an ebook giveaway to accompany the blog tour. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Riana for her guest post.
A tale of friends, enemies, and the power of love.
"Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably." –
Benedick, Much Ado
About Nothing, 5.2
Mr.
Darcy's arrival in Meryton raises many people's disdain, and Elizabeth Bennet's
ire. An insult at a dance is returned in full measure, and soon the two find
themselves in a merry war of words, trading barbs at every encounter. Matters
go from bad to worse when Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves living under the
same roof for a time, and their constant bickering frays everybody's nerves.
Will
a clever scheme by their family and friends bring some peace to Netherfield's
halls? And what of Mr. Wickham, whose charming presence is not quite so welcome
by some members of the party? When the games get out of hand and nastier
elements come into play, will everybody's chances for happiness be ruined
forever?
This
clever mash-up of Pride and Prejudice and Shakespeare's Much
Ado About Nothing casts our beloved characters in fresh light, uniting
Jane Austen's keen insight into love and character, and Shakespeare's biting
wit.
