Audio Giveaway from Victoria Kincaid - Darcy vs. Bennet and When Jane Got Angry

Today I'm welcoming Victoria Kincaid back to the blog. Victoria has visited the blog many times and is always a lovely visitor. She has been making some of her titles available on audio and has come here to tell us about it, bringing a giveaway with her!

I was sceptical about how much enjoyment I would get from audio books but I have been listening for a few years now, when commuting or doing chores, and find them a good way to get some extra reading time into the day. I particularly find them good for re-reads, as I know what's coming next which means I can muster the patience to read at a slower pace!

Let's hand over to Victoria to tell us about the stories she's just released on audio.

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Hi Ceri and thank you for having me as a guest! I was lucky enough to recruit Stevie Zimmerman to narrate two of my audiobooks recently. She always does a terrific job; I especially love the voice she gives to Mr. Darcy. Readers love her too, and I know they’ll be thrilled with her narration of Darcy vs. Bennet and When Jane Got Angry (click on the links to hear samples of her narration). Below are excerpts from both books and details about a double giveaway of free copies of both audiobooks!

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Darcy vs. Bennet

Darcy had barely taken three steps when he saw a vision. Clad in a pale yellow gown, the woman’s figure was light and pleasing. Lush curls of dark hair were piled high on her head, intertwined with tiny flowers. Instantly, Darcy knew he had not encountered her before. She was not moving or conversing with anyone; in fact, she seemed a bit lost.

When Darcy stepped toward her, her eyes flashed up to his, and his breath caught. Set off by the pale yellow mask, her eyes were a vibrant blue he had never seen before. There was something about her…as if he knew her already—which was ridiculous since he had never met her before. Without a conscious decision, Darcy took several more steps toward the mystery woman.

She had turned her face away and was now scanning the crowd. Seeking another man? He felt a twinge of unease, which was bizarre. He knew nothing about this woman.

A crease appeared between her eyes, and her mouth tightened. Was she in distress? “May I be of service, miss?” He bowed. “You appear uneasy.” What a ludicrous thing to say! Surely he could think of a better way to introduce himself to this vision of loveliness.

She was biting her lower lip, and Darcy wanted more than anything to alleviate her anxiety. “I was looking for my friend.” His surge of jealousy was instantly assuaged by her next words. “She is blonde and wears a blue dress.”

“Ah, I believe she has accompanied my friend onto the veranda for a dance.”

“Oh. So I have been abandoned.” Her lips quirked into a half smile. She sees her friend’s abandonment as a cause for amusement rather than resentment, Darcy noted.

“As have I. Perhaps we may be abandoned together.” How did such flirtatious language emerge from his mouth? Usually he had no facility with words. Perhaps the mask offered him some kind of license? But her clear blue eyes held his in a captive gaze. No, it was her. Something about this woman stirred deep feelings so all he saw—all he could see—was her. The rest of the world simply fell away.

Her eyebrows tipped upward doubtfully. Was he being too forward with a woman he had just met? Darcy almost did not care. He would do anything, break any rules of propriety to stay with this enchanting creature. “Would you do me the honor of the next dance?”

She blinked rapidly and blushed, her gaze not meeting his. Was the request such a surprise to her? Of course, they had not been introduced, but a masquerade should allow them to dispense with such formalities. Then she gave him an arch look. “A stranger in a mask has just asked me to dance. What would my mother say I should do in this situation?”

Was she teasing him? He had seen other men engage in such banter, but it never happened to him. He cleared his throat. “I believe your mother would advise you to accept under the circumstances.” He found himself smiling at her. “I assure you, miss, I am not a highwayman despite the mask.”

She tapped her lips thoughtfully with her forefinger. “So you would have me believe you are a respectable gentleman? I would expect a highwayman to say so.”

Darcy could not prevent a laugh from bursting forth. At the beginning of their conversation he had suspected she might be unaware of his identity, but now he was sure of it. No woman ever dared to banter with Fitzwilliam Darcy in such a way; they were too eager to compliment his figure, his features, his clothing, his horse…and anything else he possessed. Every exchange with a marriageable woman was colored by awareness of his fortune—except this one, and it was delightful. How had such a woman found her way into the Berwicks’ masquerade?

He restrained an impulse to take the woman’s hand; he did not know her. “Very well, will you promise to dance with me if I promise not to purloin your reticule or jewelry?” As he said this, he realized she possessed neither. How odd.

She laughed, a bright, silvery sound. He had made her laugh! “Yes, I thank you. But this set has just begun.”

He glanced at the veranda where the couples had just begun their set. “Then perhaps we may take a stroll in the gardens before the next one commences.” Where had he discovered this new fount of gallantry and ease? Robert often teased Darcy about being stiff and formal in company.

The woman took his proffered arm, and they slowly walked toward the formal gardens, which were less crowded than in the area around the court. He had so many questions about this enchanting woman that his throat felt clogged with them. “I pray you, tell me your name,” he finally managed.

She slid him a sidelong glance. “It is a masquerade. Should not my identity remain hidden?”

He shrugged. “I do not wish to think of you as ‘that woman in yellow’ for the entire evening.”

Her laugh was genuine, not the polite tittering allowed for a lady of the ton. “Very well, my name is Elizabeth.”

When Jane Got Angry

Caroline Bingley is not my friend, Jane Bennet realized about five minutes into the woman’s visit at the Gardiners’ house. It was a startling realization. A disheartening one.

Jane had called upon Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst at the Hursts’ house on Grosvenor Square not long after her arrival in London. With the reasonable expectation of a prompt return call, she had waited at home every morning for a fortnight, but Miss Bingley had not appeared until more than a month had passed. Even this slight Jane might have ignored if Miss Bingley had appeared at all pleased to continue the acquaintance—or at least penitent about her lateness—but the other woman had given only scant and insincere apologies.

Although she should have been attending to the conversation, Jane instead was hearing the echoes of many conversations with her sister Elizabeth warning against believing in Miss Bingley’s regard. Jane struggled not to fidget in her chair as she recalled Lizzy’s words.

Belatedly she realized the conversation had faltered to a stop. I must speak. But, heavens, what had Miss Bingley and Aunt Gardiner been discussing? Jane’s memory was entirely blank. “We are enjoying very fine weather,” she said hastily. Trite but unexceptionable.

Aunt Gardiner blinked in surprise. Miss Bingley pursed her lips. “What has that to do with the fashion for long sleeves?” she sniffed.

Jane shifted in her chair. “Er…well…it is pleasant to wear long sleeves in fine weather.” The palms of her hands were growing quite moist. What a terrible explanation!

Miss Bingley shrugged disdainfully. “If you would call it ‘fine.’ It rained three days ago and ruined my slippers.”

Aunt Gardiner gave Jane a sidelong glance as if to say, “This is your friend?”

Jane raised her eyebrows in response, hoping to convey, “I may have been mistaken.”

“It has been quite sunny and warm for the past two days,” Aunt Gardiner pointed out. “Particularly for February.”

Miss Bingley flicked a bit of dust from her skirt. “Yes, unseasonably warm. One does not know whether to wear wool or linen or cotton. It is most disconcerting.”

Her aunt rolled her eyes at Jane, who hid a smile. Was it even worth the effort of a polite conversation if a woman could complain about warm and sunny weather in February?

Maggie, the Gardiners’ maid, set down a tea tray laden with biscuits on the drawing room table. Aunt Gardiner poured a cup and passed it to Miss Bingley, who took a tiny sip as if she expected they might have substituted dishwater for tea.

Oh, good grief. Gracechurch Street might not be Grosvenor Square, but the Gardiners were hardly beggars in the streets. Even Maggie gave the visitor a scornful glance as she slipped from the room.

Jane supposed she should share the maid’s disdain, but she could barely summon the energy for it. Every aloof look from Miss Bingley weighed on her, as if every time the other woman glanced at her, Jane grew smaller and more insignificant—until she was in danger of disappearing altogether. She had believed in Miss Bingley’s friendship, thinking her sincere, if a bit arrogant.

Miss Bingley had been the one to solicit Jane’s company in Hertfordshire and treat her as the most intimate of friends. The complete alteration in the other woman’s demeanor was incomprehensible. Had Jane unwittingly given offense?

No. Lizzy warned me. This is through no fault of mine. It was painfully clear her sister had been correct about Miss Bingley’s lack of regard.

Her chest was hollow and achy; her eyes burned. Jane had not only lost a friendship, but she also had lost faith in her own discernment. What other errors in judgment have I committed?

Had Jane been wrong about Mr. Bingley’s regard for her? She had hoped that an acquaintance with Miss Bingley would allow her to see the woman’s brother once more. However, if Miss Bingley is not my friend, I may never see Mr. Bingley again. The realization bore down on Jane, pinning her to her chair like an enormous weight.

She tried to assemble a smile despite finding it difficult to breathe. Jane had slowly lost all hope of Mr. Bingley after he left Netherfield, but her arrival in London had rekindled those dormant embers. Now Miss Bingley’s disdain snuffed them out as completely as if they had been doused with water.

The chances were never very good. Any hopes likely were in vain. This reminder did nothing to ease her breathing.

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Have you read either of these books? I've read Darcy vs. Bennet, which I enjoyed. I still have When Jane Got Angry on my to be read list. I am intrigued to know what changes that might make, if Jane Bennet had lost her cool!

You can buy these books now, in print or ebook, if you prefer, but also in audio.

Darcy vs. Bennet - Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Audible US / Audible UK / Goodreads

When Jane Got Angry - Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Audible US / Audible UK / Goodreads

Author Bio

Victoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.

She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen’s characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.

Visit her at www.victoriakincaid.com

Goodreads • Twitter • Amazon US Author Page •

Giveaway Time

Victoria is kindly giving away an audio book of each title. So one audio book of Darcy vs. Bennet for one winner, and When Jane Got Angry for another winner, which can be downloaded from either audible.com or audible.co.uk.

To enter, please leave a comment on the blog post by the end of the day worldwide on Monday 9 September. Please ensure that you include your name in your comment and also tell me your order of preference for the audio books. That way, if you're chosen first you will get the book you want most!

You can gain one additional entry to the giveaway by tweeting about this post. To ensure that I find your tweet please copy me (@frawli1978) into your tweet.

Note regarding comments: I love to read your comments, but a few blog visitors have reported difficulties in commenting while using the Safari browser. If you are unable to comment, please try using another web browser, such as Google Chrome, or please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

Blog Tour Schedule

Victoria is visiting other blogs so you can learn more about the books and increase your chances of winning. Check out these other stops!

September 3 -- Babblings of a Bookworm
September 4 -- My Jane Austen Book Club
September 5 -- From Pemberley to Milton
September 6 – More Agreeably Engaged
September 10 -- Austen Authors
September 11-- Diary of an Eccentric
September 12 – Savvy Verse and Wit
September 23 -- Austenesque Reviews
September 21 - My Love for Austen

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Sanditon by Jane Austen

In preparation for the mini-series, completed by Andrew Davies, which was starting this weekend on British TV I thought I should probably reacquaint myself with the fragment that Jane Austen started, and had to put aside when she became ill, and soon afterwards died. Apparently her working title was The Brothers but we know it as Sanditon.

This is the blurb, from Amazon:

'no person could be really well . . . without spending at least six weeks by the sea every year'

In Sanditon, Jane Austen writes what may well be the first seaside novel: a novel, that is, that explores the mysterious and startling transformations that a stay by the sea can work on individuals and relationships. Sanditon is a fictitious place on England's south coast and the obsession of local landowner Mr Thomas Parker. He means to transform this humble fishing village into a fashionable health resort to rival its famous neighbours of Brighton and Eastbourne.

In this, her final, unfinished work, the writer sets aside her familiar subject matter, the country village with its settled community, for the transient and eccentric assortment of people who drift to the new resort, the town built upon sand. If the ground beneath her characters' feet appears less secure, Austen's own vision is opening out. Light and funny, Sanditon is her most experimental and poignant work.

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I’d read the first chapters previously, in a sense, as I’d read a completion - Sanditon, by Jane Austen and a Lady (Marie Dobbs) which I enjoyed very much. It’s going to be strange for me to see it go another direction in the adaption and yet I’m eager to see where the story is taken. I really hope they do the story justice.

Unfortunately, the fragment really didn’t get far beyond setting out the main characters, which is such a shame, as I would have loved to know where Austen was going to take this tale. We start off with Mr Thomas Parker having an accident. He’s gone to try and poach a doctor for his home town of Sanditon, which he is trying to develop as a fashionable seaside resort. Mr Parker is a fond husband, father and brother. He is a little obsessed with Sanditon, and making it a success. Mr Parker’s accident leads to him spending 2 weeks staying with the Heywoods and at the end of the two weeks he and his wife return to Sanditon. They would like to bring any number of Heywoods with them but although there are a LOT of them (parents plus 14 children, the eldest of whom have presumably moved out) they are forced to content themselves with the eldest daughter still at home, Miss Charlotte Heywood.

An aside to this: Jane Austen mentioned a Miss Charlotte Williams in her correspondence to Cassandra, and said: “I admire the Sagacity & Taste of Charlotte Williams, those large dark eyes always judge well. I will compliment her, by naming a Heroine after her.’ and perhaps this was Charlotte Heywood, particularly as she appears to have good judgement.

Charlotte is quite lovely as a heroine. She is sensible and ordinary, and as such, the reader can really identify with her. She seems to be one of the few people who judges the other characters clearly. For example, this is her take on Mr Tom Parker, which seems to me to be fair:

His judgement is evidently not to be trusted. His own good nature misleads him. He is too kind-hearted to see clearly.

Mrs Parker is a sweet lady, fond of her husband and children, but not very strong minded.

So entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless.

Upon going to Sanditon, Charlotte meets with Lady Denham, who is Mr Parker’s investment partner in Sanditon. Lady Denham has been married twice and is now widowed. Her first husband was rich, her second had a title. She is childless and has three families competing for her money. The families of both of her husbands and her birth family, the Breretons. She has a poor relative from her birth family living with her, and her good opinion is courted by the second husband’s family. Lady Denham has no illusions about the grabbiness of her relatives and yet, she is an unsympathetic and unlikeable lady.

She is very, very mean. I can see no good in her.

Miss Clara Brereton is the poor relative who lives with Lady Denham. She is beautiful and somewhat tragic. Reading between the lines, Clara gives off a vulnerable air. She has enemies, but she is aware of it. Charlotte’s judgement of Clara is, for her, quite whimsical.

She could not separate the idea of a complete heroine from Clara Brereton.

Sir Edward Denham is also introduced. He is a remarkable character; remarkably vain and stupid:

Why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible.

But there’s also an intrigue to his character. He is determined to seduce Miss Clara Brereton, both to keep her out of Lady Denham's good graces and hence will, but also because he thinks rakes are both dashing and admirable:

With a perversity of judgement which must be attributed to his not having by nature a very strong head, the graces, the spirit, the sagacity and the perserverance of the villain of the story out- weighed all his absurdities and all his atrocities with Sir Edward. With him such conduct was genius, fire and feeling.

Sir Edward’s sister, Miss Denham is just coldly unpleasant. She cosies up to Lady Denham and tries to feel superior to everybody else:

The change from Miss Denham sitting in cold grandeur in Mrs. Parker's drawing room, to be kept from silence by the efforts of others, to Miss Denham at Lady Denham's elbow, listening and talking with smiling attention or solicitous eagerness, was very striking ~ and very amusing or very melancholy, just as satire or morality might prevail.

Mr Parker has two grown sisters, Diana and Susan. Susan is referred to as Miss Parker, and Diana as Miss Diana Parker so Susan must be the elder sister. They are both unmarried, and are both invalids when they have nothing else to do. Diana particularly is a busybody:

It would seem that they must either be very busy for the good of others or else extremely ill themselves.

They live with the youngest of Mr Parker’s siblings, Mr Arthur Parker. He is 20. His sisters think him an invalid and encourage him to think likewise. Charlotte’s opinion differs slightly:

Charlotte could not but suspect him of adopting that line of life principally for the indulgence of an indolent temper, and to be determined on having no disorders but such as called for warm rooms and good nourishment. 

A scene which I enjoyed very much involved Arthur, and after I read it I found myself snorting inelegantly over lunch when I recalled it as I was asked to pass this butter. This is Arthur’s excuse for not eating dry toast but preferring to butter it. Apparently dry toast has the following effect on one’s stomach lining: 

It irritates and acts like a nutmeg grater.

Following Arthur’s example, if one scrapes off the butter while one’s sisters watch, and then scrape it back on quickly, unobserved, before eating, there is no blame associated with eating toast which is not dry :)

We are also very briefly introduced to some further characters. A Mrs Griffiths brings her pupils, the Misses Beaufort and the rich Miss Lambe, a 17 year old heiress ‘half-mulatto’. A ‘mulatto’ means a mixed race person, usually with one black parent and one white. I don’t think that is was an offensive term at the time. I think this is the only non-white character in all of Austen. On a personal level, Austen may have heard of Dido Belle who was another mixed race person whose fortune placed her in a higher level than her race would otherwise have allowed. It would have been fascinating to see where Austen had taken this character! If only!

The Beaufort sisters seem fine enough, though they are clearly anxious for displaying both their talents and their persons. We only have a fleeting acquaintance with them.

The last character we meet is the remaining Parker sibling, Mr Sidney Parker, who apparently is 4th in the family, as he is older than Arthur. We know from his brother’s reports that Sidney makes him laugh despite himself so he sounds like a fun character. In addition the narrator tells us that:

Sidney Parker was about seven or eight and twenty, very good-looking, with a decided air of ease and fashion and a lively countenance.

From this description I have decided that Sidney was the possible hero, but what happened after that is uncertain!

As a beginning, the fragment is very satisfactory. There are some very interesting characters, and the possibility of an intrigue between Miss Brereton and Sir Edward. This is particularly interesting because it’s clear that he doesn’t have honourable intentions and it’s also clear that she’s quite aware of this and is determined not to be taken in. You get the impression that she is stringing him along, and given the fact that he doesn’t mean well by her, I have no problem with this at all!

Given the fact that Austen didn't have the chance to edit the fragment, it contains some of her acerbic wit. It was visible in her letters, and there are smidges of it here too. If she had been able to write Sanditon more, perhaps these delicious snippets would have been lost forever, but I enjoyed such lines as the following, which reminded me of the lines in Pride & Prejudice, where Elizabeth states, that one good sonnet will use up all of a person’s attraction for another:

I have not faith in the sincerity of the affections of a man of his description. He felt and he wrote and he forgot.

There was also such biting social commentary and ‘punmanship’ as:

The Miss Beauforts were soon satisfied with "the circle in which they moved in Sanditon," to use a proper phrase, for everybody must now "move in a circle" ~ to the prevalence of which rotatory motion is perhaps to be attributed the giddiness and false steps of many.

Also the chortleworthy one liners for the reader to enjoy:

The more wine I drink in moderation the better I am.

It’s such a shame that Austen lived such a short time. Who knows what would have happened in this story, and what else she may have written. It’s pointless to dwell on it though, we just need to be thankful for what she DID write.

Have you read any Sanditon completions? The one I read was great, and I’d certainly recommend that (you can read my review of Sanditon, by Jane Austen and completed by Marie Dobbs here). The only shame is that you can’t get it on kindle. I got it second hand, which I think is the only way to get it at present, and currently the prices appear to be quite high, no doubt due to the adaptation. I’ve also read a short story by Abigail Bok based in Sanditon, which forms part of the Sunkissed: Effusions of Summer Anthology, but nothing else. While looking for links to add to this post I found a list of Sanditon continuations, but I haven’t read any more of them myself.

Let me know about any Sanditon recommendations that you have in the comments!

Giveaway Winner - Mrs Collins' Lover by Bronwen Chisholm

Recently Bronwen Chisholm joined me for an author interview during the blog tour to celebrate the launch of her new book, Mrs Collins' Lover. You can read the interview and read more about the book here.

Bronwen was kindly giving away an ebook of Mrs Collins' Lover to a commenter on the post. I selected the winner using a random number generator, and the winner was:

Sheila Majczan

Congratulations to you! I will drop you an email.

Thank you so much to everybody who stopped by to read the blog post and comment. Thanks to Bronwen for visiting the blog and providing a giveaway. I wish you all the best with Mrs Collins' Lover!

A Sister's Curse by Jayne Bamber - Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

I'm very happy to be welcoming Jayne Bamber back to the blog today with her new Pride & Prejudice variation, A Sister's Curse. Jayne has joined us for an author interview, and she's also brought an excerpt of A Sister's Curse and a giveaway! Let's take a look at the blurb, and then we will have a chat with Jayne.

Book Description

Two families from very different situations in life are linked forever after a fatal accident on the Great North Road. This tragedy breeds years of sorrow and misunderstanding as well as prosperity and even romance in an emotional coming of age tale not only for Elizabeth Bennet, but for her sisters, and even the adults who let them down.

For nearly two decades, Edward Gardiner is haunted by the difficult decisions he has made. Lady Anne Darcy must bear all the guilt and delight of being granted her heart’s desire... at a price. The Fitzwilliam family has motives and misgivings of their own as the Earl of Matlock tries to keep them all together, right the wrongs of the past, and pave the way for the next generation.

Fitzwilliam Darcy realizes too late what it means to be a brother, and is faced with a parts of his past he regrets, just as his desire to protect the family he loves leads him back to the woman he was destined to love the most… a woman who despises him.

Elizabeth Bennet struggles through the turbulence of adolescence, her judgement clouded by past trauma and the complicated dynamics of her extended family. Secrets are revealed and re-examined as she is forced to come to terms with the truth of her past and the promise of her future, in a family bound together by heartbreak.

A Lady's Reputation by Amy D'Orazio - Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway

I'm very happy to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for the Pride & Prejudice-variation A Lady's Reputation by Amy D'Orazio. I've read many of Amy's stories online so I am a long time admirer and I jumped at the chance to review this story for my stop on the blog tour. I'll share the blurb with you shortly but first I'd like to take a minute to admire the cover; this story begins with some gossip and isn't this cover perfect for that? Two ladies, clearly enjoying a comfortable coze and possibly ruining reputations with their talk. Let's take a look at the blurb, and then we'll move on to my review. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that there is a giveaway to accompany the blog tour, so you can read on for more information on that too :)

Book Description

“Mr. Darcy, I am eager to hear your explanation for the fact that quite a few people believe we are engaged.”

It starts with a bit of well-meant advice. Colonel Fitzwilliam suggests to his cousin Darcy that, before he proposes to Elizabeth Bennet in Kent, perhaps he ought to discuss his plans with their families first.

What neither man could have predicted however was that Lord Matlock would write the news to his sister or Viscount Saye would overhear, and tell his friends, or that his friends might slip a little and let their friends know as well. The news spreads just as quickly through Hertfordshire once Mrs Bennet opens the express Mr Bennet receives from Mr Darcy, and in a matter of days, it seems like everyone knows that Mr Darcy has proposed marriage to Elizabeth Bennet.

Everyone, that is, except Elizabeth herself.

Her refusal is quick and definite—until matters of reputation, hers as well as Jane’s, are considered. Then Mr Darcy makes another offer: summer at Pemberley, so that Jane can be reunited with Mr Bingley and so that he can prove to Elizabeth he is not what she thinks of him. Falling in love with him is naturally impossible…but once she knows the man he truly is, will she be able to help herself?

Mrs Collins' Lover by Bronwen Chisholm - Author Interview and Giveaway

Today I’m very happy to be hosting a first time visitor to Babblings of a Bookworm. A very warm welcome goes to Bronwen Chisholm, who has written a new Pride & Prejudice variation, Mrs Collins’ Lover. As I don’t know Bronwen very well, she has agreed for an author interview, and she's brought a giveaway too!

Let’s take a look at the blurb for Mrs Collins’ Lover, and then we will pour out a virtual cuppa and have a chat with Bronwen.

Book Description

Elizabeth Bennet was raised with a strong belief and faith in God's plan for her life. She knew He had a plan, even if the details were hidden from her. But, when placed in an untenable situation, she turned instead to the arms of a man to find brief moments of joy. Finally, when able to realize the happiness which was always intended for her, the weight of her guilt over her past sins convinces her of her unworthiness. Only through reconciliation with the Lover of her soul can she truly fulfill the life He planned for her. But first, she must forgive herself in order to find redemption.

Remember: In order to be redeemed, there must be sin. This story is intended for mature audiences. Trigger Warning: There are incidents of abuse in this story.

His Choice of a Wife by Heather Moll - Blog Tour - Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I'm welcoming debut author Heather Moll to Babblings of a Bookworm as part of her blog tour. Heather has written a Pride & Prejudice variation, His Choice of a Wife, and she has come here to share an excerpt with us, and give us the opportunity to enter the blog tour giveaway. Let's take a look at the blurb and then hand over to Heather.

Book Description

When a man’s honor is at stake, what is he willing to risk for the woman he loves?

After a disastrous marriage proposal and the delivery of an illuminating letter, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet hope never to lay eyes on one another again. When a chance meeting in Hunsford immediately throws them in each other’s way, Darcy realizes his behavior needs correcting, and Elizabeth starts to appreciate his redeeming qualities. But is it enough to forgive the past and overcome their prejudices?

Jane and Bingley’s possible reconciliation and Lydia’s ill-conceived trip to Brighton pose their own challenges for two people struggling to find their way to love. When scandalous news threatens their chance at happiness, will Darcy and Elizabeth’s new bond be shattered, or will their growing affection hold steadfast?

Re-release of Undeceived by Karen M Cox

Today I'm welcoming Karen M Cox back to the blog. Long time visitors will know that I'm a big admirer of Karen's work. I've been right through time with her - from the US depression in the Pride & Prejudice-inspired 1932, through to 1970s Kentucky with the Emma story I Could Write a Book through to 1980s and a spy story in Undeceived. Karen is re-releasing this latest story and has stopped in to tell us all about it. Let's take a look at the blurb and then hand over to Karen to tell us a bit more :)

Description

...if I endeavor to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believe me? 
-Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 40

Elizabeth Bennet, a rookie counterintelligence officer, lands an intriguing first assignment—investigating the CIA's legendary William Darcy, who is suspected of being a double agent.

Darcy’s charmed existence seems at an end as he fights for his career and struggles against his love for the young woman he doesn’t know is watching his every move.

Elizabeth’s confidence dissolves as nothing is like she planned—and the more she discovers about Darcy, the more she finds herself in an ever-tightening web of danger.

Unexpected twists abound in this suspenseful Cold War era romance inspired by Jane Austen’s classic tale.

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Guest Post from Karen M Cox

Hello Readers and Fans of Jane!

And thank you so much to Ceri for hosting me this morning to tell you about my re-release of Undeceived: Pride and Prejudice in the Spy Game. It comes out July 23rd on various ebook platforms, but you can preorder it even as we speak. The print version will follow shortly after that, if you prefer paperback (nothing like a print book, is there?)

One of the things that inspires my muse is music. For each work, I make a play list—maybe not at the very beginning, but somewhere during that first draft stage, I start one. I refine it as I go along. Not to play while I’m writing, I’m way too distractable for that, but to ease me back into the story, or to think about plot and characters when I’m away from the computer. The playlist is like an anchor to the story, a touchstone that takes me into the world of my characters.

Join me in that world while you read Undeceived.

• Spotify playlist • Youtube playlist •

Undeceived will be 0.99 cents for the first 30 days after release (until August 22nd) so snag it before then if you’re interested.

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This is what I thought of the first edition of Undeceived:

Undeceived is a ‘Pride & Prejudice’-inspired story which, unusually, is neither Regency nor contemporary – instead it’s set in the early 1980s. Darcy is an established CIA agent and Elizabeth is new to the Agency. The CIA believes it has a mole in its Eastern European area of operation and Elizabeth has been tasked with surveilling Darcy, under cover of being his interpreter, to work out whether he is the mole. Unfortunately, she and Darcy do not get off to the best start. Before she is even given the assignment she has come to the conclusion that he’s not an agent she’d like to work with, after he is condescending to new recruits in a guest lecture that he delivers. Elizabeth sums up the ‘lesson’ thus:

“I have learned that there are some fatal flaws that even extreme hotness can’t erase.”

However, they are thrown together in each other’s company. Although Elizabeth finds Darcy frustrating, she is fascinated by him in equal measure. At first she is somewhat prejudiced against him, but as a fair minded person, she is willing to put that to one side to discover the truth and over time she comes to her own conclusions.

I thought this was a really exciting and compelling read. From the very first, you are drawn in, as the book begins with quite a dramatic scene before flashing back to previous events. I enjoyed the fact that the setting was quite different – the spy world, by its very nature, is not your run of the mill setting. There is also an element of mystery to this, as there are parts written from the point of view of the mole; and it’s not clear who the mole is. There are some clues, some red herrings and some twists. I enjoyed a little bit of speculation regarding the identity of the mole, and indeed speculation regarding other characters. In general I was quite successful in my conclusions, although there was one person who I didn’t suspect of being different to their initial presentation.

I enjoyed this different reason for Elizabeth’s prejudice. Not only do she and Darcy get off on the wrong foot, but this is compounded by further arrogance when she actually meets him one on one, and then she is asked to investigate him. I will be fair to her though, despite having a poor view of his personality, she is fairly unbiased from the first as regards his patriotism, though of course she is on the lookout for any sign of it.

I also liked that the author had chosen a timeframe for the story that I’m not used to seeing (as she did in her book “1932”), as most Austenesque reads are either Regency or contemporary, although I am not familiar with the nuances of the cold war so I might have missed some of the references there.

The story isn’t a direct ‘Pride & Prejudice’ re-telling, but there are moments from the canon story that are recognisable. For example, there’s a mirroring of the Netherfield stay, a Hunsford, a meeting at Pemberley and some re-adapted lines that you’ll recognise, such as:

‘He had never been as betwitched by any woman as he was by her, and if it were not for the fact that she worked for him, he really believed he might be in danger of falling for her.’

We get quite a bit of time in Darcy's head, and the description of his feelings towards Elizabeth are good to see. He also takes actions which put him in danger so that she isn't put in danger... sigh! All of this helps build your goodwill towards him, and helps you forgive his initial attitude.

For those of you who like to know these things, this book has some sex scenes but they aren't detailed at all and would be easy to skip.

I would certainly recommend this book. It was exciting, perilous, romantic and a very satisfying read. I was hoping for a wonderful reading experience from this author and I feel she really delivered. I would rate this as a 5 star read.

About the Author

Karen M Cox is an award-winning author of five novels accented with history and romance, a novella, and several short stories.

Karen was born in Everett WA, the daughter of a United States Air Force Officer. She had a nomadic childhood, with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee, and New York State before settling in her family’s home state of Kentucky at age eleven. She lives in a quiet town with her husband and works as a pediatric speech pathologist.

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Buy Links

Undeceived is available to pre-order now - Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Add to Goodreads shelf

Re-Launch Party

Karen is hosting a book re-launch party over at the Mr Darcy's Extensive Readers Facebook group starting at 8.30pm US Eastern time on Tuesday 23 July. If you can't join in at the time why not stop in later?

Winner - Darcy in Hollywood by Victoria Kincaid

Recently I was joined by Victoria Kincaid with her latest Pride & Prejudice-inspired story, Darcy in Hollywood, which as the name suggests, transplants Mr Darcy to the life of a modern-day movie star. Victoria joined us for a guest post and excerpt.

Victoria was also giving away an ebook of Darcy in Hollywood to a commenter on the post. I selected a winner using a random number generator and that winner was...

RS

Congratulations! I think I have contact details for you, so I'll drop you an email now :)

If you weren't lucky enough to win but would still like to read the book I can offer you two solutions - firstly you could try following the blog tour - some will have chosen a winner, but the later ones particularly might still be open.

June 30 – My Jane Austen Book Club

July 1 –  Babblings of a Bookworm

July 2  – Savvy Verse and Wit

July 3 – From Pemberley to Milton

July 5 –  So Little Time So Many Books

July 6 – For the Love of Austen

July 8 – Margie’s Must Reads

July 10 – Diary of an Eccentric

July 15 – Austenesque Reviews

July 16 – More Agreeably Engaged

Secondly, you could just buy it for yourself, you definitely deserve the treat.

Darcy in Hollywood is available to buy now for kindle - Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Add to Goodreads Shelf

Thank you so much to Victoria Kincaid for the post and giveaway. I wish you all the very best with Darcy in Hollywood!

The Colonel by Beau North - Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today we're welcoming Beau North to Babblings of a Bookworm with her new book, The Colonel. This is a sequel to Longbourn's Songbird, a post-WWII Pride & Prejudice-inspired story. I loved that book and you can see my review of it here.

Beau has also contributed to a number of Austenesque anthologies in addition to the Groundhog-day themed The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy, co-written with Brooke West. I enjoyed that one too!

I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to share an excerpt of The Colonel with you. First we'll have a look at the blurb and then hand over to Beau for the excerpt. There's also a giveaway opportunity for you at the end :) Be warned, though, that this is a sequel, therefore there may be spoilers for Longbourn's Songbird in the book description and excerpt.