Does it ever
stop raining in Lambton?
Darcy and Bingley depart Netherfield Park,
leaving Elizabeth Bennet acutely aware of the monotony of her life. Seeking a
reprieve, she volunteers to serve as temporary companion to Mrs. Gardiner’s
elderly aunt who lives in Lambton. Nothing turns out as Elizabeth expects, and
she is forced to dig deep into her reserves of common sense, humor, and
stubborn persistence to prove herself equal to the dreary circumstances.
Initially unaware that Pemberley is only five
miles away, Elizabeth crosses paths with Darcy annoyingly often. When the
gentleman rescues her from a shocking situation, Elizabeth faces some hard
choices, at the same time struggling against the smoldering attraction that can
neither be repressed nor fulfilled.
Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, in whose heart a fire has also been lit, is shocked by the lady’s stubborn refusal to accept his help. Alternating between alarm and begrudging admiration, he stands helplessly on the sidelines while she struggles to retain her independence. He, too, must make some hard choices in the end. Will he let her go?
Thank you for hosting me today, Ceri, and for sharing news of my latest release, The Last House in Lambton.
I admit it. I am a homebody, and in this unabashedly domestic tale, I indulged my interest in simple housekeeping, particularly at a time when there were no convection ovens, immersion blenders or even refrigerators. Recipes couldn’t just be googled on a smart phone either, and as it turns out, this dearth of information provided me with just the plot twist I needed.
I grew up in a remote part of Ecuador, and until I was about six, my mother used a wood burning cast iron cookstove in her kitchen. Somehow, she managed to make everything from oatmeal to birthday cake by manipulating pans from hot spots to cool spots. Looking back, I am utterly amazed she didn’t burn every supper to a crisp. Those memories surfaced agreeably for me as Elizabeth stood before a wood fired stove, stiffened her resolve, and learned to make soup.
This excerpt, presented with a wink and a grin for other closet homebodies, will give you a taste of that scene:
Satisfied that the parlor would be presentable for company, and in my apron and poorest dress, now relegated to serve as my costume for domestic toil, I began the business of pease soup.
Anyone witnessing me engaged in the art of cooking would think I was performing a surgery. With my hair piled up and restrained by a wide strip of linen, my brow wrinkled in concentration, and mumbling aloud as I worked, I wielded my cleaver and ladle. The broth began to steam and let out a tempting aroma, which encouraged my devotion to its development. I sieved out the chicken bones, added the dried peas, carrots, bay leaves and thinly sliced cabbage, and I had just set the lid and moved the pot to the spot on the stove that was favorable for a gentle simmer, when the door to the kitchen burst open.
Oh my lord—now what!?
This must have been our heroine’s unspoken objection to such an untimely interruption, and if you have guessed that Mr. Darcy has something to do with it, you might just be right. If you would like to immerse yourself in Elizabeth’s struggles with the chandler, the butcher, and general citizenry of Lambton, you might enjoy The Last House in Lambton—and may all your soup-making adventures end happily!
In addition to mosaic art, which she creates at Studio Luminaria (her home-based glass shop in El Paso, Texas), Grace enjoys writing Regency romance and Pride and Prejudice variations. You can connect with her on Facebook.
The Last House in Lambton by Grace Gibson is available to buy now in Paperback and for Kindle:
Giveaway Time
Meryton Press will be giving away one eBook of The Last House in Lambton for each stop on the Blog Tour, for a total of six eBooks. To enter, please leave a comment on this blog post by the end of the day on Sunday 13 November. Please ensure you leave your name in your comment so it doesn’t put your comment as anonymous 😊
Note about comments: If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you.
Blog Tour Schedule
November 7 Babblings of a Bookworm
November 8 My Jane Austen
Book Club
November 9 Austenesque
Reviews
November 10 From Pemberley to Milton
November 11 My Vices and Weaknesses
November 12 Interests of a Jane Austen Girl
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I've loved Grace's other books, especially Silver Buckles. This book sounds wonderful, and I'd love a chance to win a copy! Jennie Newbrand
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind comments. I hope you enjoy this story and I have my fingers crossed that you will win the drawing - good luck!
DeleteI have heard such wonderful things about Grace's books. I hope you enjoy this book when you read it.
DeleteI have enjoyed all of Grace's books, so I am looking forward to reading this one. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. Good luck and congrats on the new release!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin! I really appreciate your support of my past projects and hope this one is equally enjoyable. Thank you!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the excerpt, Robin!
DeleteI enjoyed seeing this glimpse at your childhood, Grace! Many congratulations for your new release; I wish you a fabulous and fun blog tour! :)
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate your support, Kelly. Thank you!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Kelly!
DeleteHi Sam! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading this. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. Good luck with the release.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheila!
DeleteThanks Sheila :)
DeleteI did read this and posted a 5 star review.
DeleteSo glad yohear you enjoyed the story, Sheila.
DeleteWhat an intriguing premise.
ReplyDeleteThank you and good luck on the giveaway, Colleen!
DeleteI agree, love this idea for a story.
DeleteThis looks great! I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Gibson, and look forward to reading this one. Thanks for the chance to win a copy. Cyndy Henry
ReplyDeleteHi Cyndy! Nice to hear from you - I hope you enjoy this one and good luck on the drawing!
DeleteThanks, Cyndy!
DeleteOh lord, this does sound interesting with Lizzy doing domestic stuff. I've enjoyed her previous books so I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am looking forward to visiting your beautiful blog on Saturday! Exciting!
DeleteHope you enjoy it when you read it, Sophia. I've only heard good feedback of Grace's previous books so hopefully this one is just as enjoyable.
DeleteI have a comment to add from Glory:
ReplyDeleteI have this on my wish list ~ Glory
For Glory - I hope the book fairy puts this one under your pillow soon! Maybe you will win the drawing - I hope so!
DeleteHope you enjoy the book when you read it, Glory :)
DeleteHere's a comment from Glynis:
ReplyDeleteAs you know I’m unable to comment but I must say how much I’m looking forward to this book. I love that ODC are in Derbyshire and that Darcy appears to be pursuing Elizabeth. As for the soup? I used to make something similar using a chicken carcass but I also added rice. I do hope they enjoy it.
Dear Glynis, so lovely to hear from you! I am sure your soup was better than Elizabeth's, but we must give her points for trying! Good luck on the drawing and thank you for stopping by!
DeleteI sometimes make soup but my hob is gas so it's easy to control. I think using a wood fired stove must take a bit of getting used to.
DeleteOh my heavens--Elizabeth in the kitchen cooking! This sounds like a fun and interesting story. Congratulations on publishing a new book!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it! Thank you for stopping by and good luck on the giveaway!
DeleteI wonder how good a cook she would be, as we know from P&P that the Bennet girls didn't generally cook. In their eventual marriages the younger three would probably have had to learn, so you wonder whether they would have been prepared or if they would have been brought up with more aspirational marital hopes and a corresponding lack of skill!
DeleteCongrats on the release and thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! We can always use more books, right? Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteI liked thes story very much
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed it.
DeleteMy,my Elizabeth cooking and Mr. D bursting into the kitchen. Eager to know the next. Thank you for sharing and the giveaway (Buturot)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by Buturot.
DeleteI very much enjoyed Silver Buckles, so am looking forward to reading this one also!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the book when you read it.
DeleteEverybody I am SO sorry for the delay in choosing a winner. I have finally selected one using a random number generator, and that was Glynis. I will message you, Glynis!
ReplyDelete