The Mistress by Sophie Turner - Guest Post and Giveaway

I am very pleased to be welcoming Sophie Turner to the blog again today. Sophie has visited previously with her series of books which starts with a sequel to 'Pride & Prejudice'. 'The Constant Love' series has two books currently available, but Sophie's latest book is a stand-alone volume. Again, it's a sequel of sorts to 'Pride & Prejudice' in that it takes place after that timeframe, but here Elizabeth and Darcy didn't marry. Instead she married another. Meeting up some years later, Darcy thinks hopefully of a second chance at happiness, but Elizabeth is by no means keen to marry again.

Let me share the blurb with you, and then we can move on to a guest post that Sophie Turner has for us to enjoy. There is also a giveaway opportunity; 2 ebooks of 'Mistress' are available for you to win. Read on for more details!

Caroline, Pride & Prejudice Continued, Book One by Sue Barr - Blog Tour - Vignette and Giveaway

 Today I have the pleasure of hosting a stop on the blog tour for Sue Barr's 'Caroline, Pride & Prejudice Continued… Book One'. This story takes a look at what Miss Bingley may have done after realising that Mr Darcy, her brightest hope for an excellent marriage, was lost to her. I know Miss Bingley is often cast as a villain, but canon Miss Bingley. although a bit of a social climber, actually wasn't that bad, so I'm interested to see what treatment she gets in this story.

Front Cover Reveal - My Mr Darcy and Your Mr Bingley by Linda Beutler

Today I have the honour of joining one of my favourite bloggers in sharing with you the cover of Linda Beutler's upcoming new story, 'My Mr Darcy and Your Mr Bingley'. I'll be sharing the front cover, and Rita, of 'From Pemberley to Milton' will be sharing the back cover.

I am pleased to be able to bring you news of Linda's new story. She's visited the blog before, as the author of 'The Red Chrysanthemum', 'Longbourn to London', 'A Will of Iron' and as a contributing author to the 'Sunkissed: Effusions of Summer' anthology.

Firstly, let me whet your appetite by telling you a little bit more about the premise of this story...

Planned Reading for March 2017

Well you would be forgiven for thinking that I'd been abducted by aliens lately, for how much I've blogged. I've just been so busy in work that I end up flopping on the sofa of an evening. This month looks similarly busy, but I have to use up some annual leave so I need to make sure that I keep some time for myself rather than doing 'useful' things.

Behold!

We've been sorting out the house and got some new furniture in the last month. Feast your eyes on this bad boy!

I have a bookworm confession... due to space my poor books are all upstairs, squirreled away in cupboards. It's not fitting. This is the first really nice, tidy bookshelf I think I've ever had!

I don't have all my books on it; I have my physical TBR pile, and some favourites, but there are gaps too, maybe too many gaps if you start finding livestock on there!

In February I had the treat of going to see 'Pride & Prejudice' on stage. I really enjoyed it, although I think the story needs a longer piece to do it justice really. Without the gradual unfolding of Darcy falling in love and then, much later, Lizzy falling in love you couldn't quite feel it the same. Darcy came across as quite grumpy in this version too! One thing I hadn't expected was just how funny it was. It played up the comedic potential of Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins wonderfully. In fact, Mrs Bennet was my favourite. My mum favoured Mr Bennet, who was excellent, but not half as funny!

Now, onto what March has in store. I am not sure what I plan to read, to be honest, aside from continuing my February reads, but I have a couple of blog tours dropping by, which I hope you'll come back to enjoy. First up is a story focusing on the foil to Elizabeth Bennet. Caroline by Sue Barr looks at what Miss Bingley might've done after her brightest hope for a good match got married to somebody else.

Also visiting will be the blog tour for Sophie Turner's 'The Mistress'. This takes place after the original setting of P&P. Here, Elizabeth turns down Mr Darcy's offer of marriage and instead marries elsewhere. Some years later a widowed Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy again. She has vowed never to marry again, but can he convince her that to become the mistress of Pemberley would be something?

If you'd like to join in a group read this month, the Austenesque TBR Group on Goodreads will be taking on Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters: A Family Record. This book was written by relatives of Austen, so should provide a different perspective (sanitised perhaps, or maybe more personal?). It's a lovely group and they are very welcoming, so join in if you'd like.

What do you plan to read this month? Please let me know in the comments below.

Holidays with Jane - Will You Be Mine? - Winner

Recently we were joined by Jessica Grey, one of the contributing authors to the Valentine's Day-themed 'Holidays with Jane - Will You Be Mine?'. Jessica had come here to post about the struggles of making Valentine's Day boxes for two classes of children and adapting 'Sense & Sensibility' for the latest book. You can read Jessica's post here, as well as an excerpt of the book. Jessica was kindly giving away an e-book of 'Holidays with Jane' to two commenters on the guest post. I chose the winners using a random function on Excel, and they are:

Maria & Anji

Ladies, I will be in touch. Congratulations! Thank you to everybody who dropped by to enjoy the guest post and commented and of course huge thanks go to Jessica Grey for the guest post. Remember, if you'd like to read any of the 'Holidays with Jane' series, they are all available to buy on Amazon, and I've noticed that this particular title has been reduced, at least on Amazon UK, so this might be a good time to snaffle it up if you're planning to read it.

Buy links: Amazon US, Amazon UK

Holidays with Jane - Will You Be Mine - Guest Post by Author Jessica Grey and Giveaway

As many of my long-time visitors will know, I've read a few of the 'Holidays with Jane' story anthologies. I think it's such a great concept for a series - take 6 authors, each writing a modernised short story of a different one of Austen's main stories and each book is based around a seasonal theme. This book, 'Holidays with Jane - Will You Be Mine?', is the sixth and final in the series and is themed around St Valentine's Day, hence our cunning scheduling!

The authors who've contributed to the anthology are by Rebecca M. Fleming, Jennifer Becton, Jessica Grey, Nancy Kelley, Melissa Buell and Cecilia Gray. Jessica Grey has authored a story in each of the six 'Holidays with Jane' books and is here today to talk about 'Sense & Sensibility' and Valentine's Day. Not only that, but there is an ebook giveaway, open internationally! Read on for more details.

Spotlight on Darcy's Hope in Donwell Abbey by Ginger Monette

Today the blog tour for Ginger Monette's new book drops by. 'Darcy's Hope in Donwell Abbey' is a follow up to 'Darcy's Hope: Beauty from Ashes' which came out late last year and concludes the story. You can read a bit more about the first book here. These WWI-set books find Captain Darcy and Lizzy Bennet initially at odds; they will need to overcome their pride and prejudice, plus whatever the war may put in their paths... I'll share the blurb with you, plus an excerpt of the new book and an interview with the author, Ginger Monette. There's also a chance for US visitors to win a prize! Read on for more info.

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Planned Reading for February 2017

Happy February everybody! For many of us, February brings to mind Valentine's day and romance... for me it mostly brings to mind my son's birthday, which is why my post is late (distracted person!).

I got something lovely in the post today. It was my calendar of Austen's Men in Film with illustrations by Janet Taylor. This calendar really is something else, she is such a talented lady. I have to think where to put it to best enjoy it now :)

Now I have a calendar I have a date to put on it; a stage production of 'Pride & Prejudice' is coming to my town. It's the first time I will have seen something of that nature and I'm so excited about it! I'll let you know what I think of it once I've seen it.

Let's move on to books, so I can tell you all about what I have planned this month. Firstly, I will have a stop on Ginger Monette's blog tour for her latest book, 'Darcy's Hope at Donwell Abbey'. This is a follow up book to her WWI book, 'Darcy's Hope - Beauty from Ashes'. I believe the story is concluded in this latest volume.

The new book in the 'Holidays with Jane' collection, 'Holidays with Jane; Will you be mine?' has been released. This has been a series of standalone books, each one being a modernised Austen story by a different author with a theme tied to the time of year. We've had Christmas, Spring, Halloween etc, and the latest is this Valentine's Day themed collection. I have all the books, but I have been very lax about reviewing them, though I've enjoyed the reading! I have this one to read and review, which I'm very much looking forward to, and I will also be welcoming one of the authors here for a guest post.

Maria Grace has a new book out, 'Snowbound at Hartfield'. I assumed from the title that it's an 'Emma'-based book but having read the blurb I discovered that it's actually a book about Colonel Fitzwilliam. However, he is at Hartfield with the Knightleys, so I am hoping to see some of Emma and Mr Knightley too, and enjoy the change in scenery, as so many of the books I read are related to 'Pride & Prejudice'.

I hope you have a lovely month, and that February brings you good things, good romance and some good reading! Let me know what you're reading in the comments :)

Blog Tour - A Lie Universally Hidden by Anngela Schroeder - My Review

Today the Blog Tour for Anngela Schroeder's latest book, 'A Lie Universally Hidden', drops by for my review. Read on to find out more about the book and see what I thought of it! There are chances to find out more about the book on other stops of the tour, and the opportunity to win a copy too.

The Darcy Monologues - Edited by Christina Boyd - Interview with Christina plus Giveaway

Today I have news of an exciting project, which will be available for you to read later this year. You may be familiar with the name Christina Boyd. Even if you're not, you might well have read something she has contributed to. She's a book editor, and has edited many of my favourite Austenesque reads. Read on for more details!