I’m
pleased to be welcoming Lari Ann O’Dell to the blog for the first time, as the blog
tour for Mr Darcy’s Clan stops here at Babblings of a Bookworm. This is a Pride
& Prejudice-inspired story featuring vampires. So let’s take a look at the
blurb and then we will hand over to Lari for her guest post and an excerpt of
the story. There’s a giveaway too, so read on for more details!
The
upper echelon of English society—comprised of vampires, or Firstborn Sons—is a
world Elizabeth Bennet has no desire to join. She has little exposure to
Firstborn Sons until Mr. Bingley arrives in the neighborhood and falls in love
with her sister Jane. His mysterious friend, Mr. Darcy, attracts Elizabeth’s
attention, but she is convinced he is hiding a dark secret. In spite of this,
powerful feelings draw her to him. She learns a shocking truth when Mr. Wickham
appears, and disaster strikes at Netherfield. Forced into Mr. Darcy’s
supernatural realm, a confusing new world of danger threatens their deepening
love. How can they find eternal happiness when members of his illustrious clan
are plotting her demise? Can Mr. Darcy rise beyond his past to save her or will
he lose her for all eternity?
Guest
Post from Lari Ann O’Dell
I am excited to
be here today at Babblings of a Bookworm. Today I have a fun post about
“celebrity vampires” in the world of Mr. Darcy’s Clan, as well an
excerpt featuring one of my favorite scenes in the book.
What do I mean
by “celebrity vampires”? Well, exactly as the term implies. In this variation,
the right to become a vampire is determined by wealth and status. A man must be
a Firstborn Son of a prominent family. For women to become vampires, they must
marry a Firstborn Son, though there are special exceptions for female heirs in
the monarchy.
The excerpt I am
sharing today of Darcy and Elizabeth sharing a peaceful moment in the library
at Pemberley showcases an example of another Firstborn Son rule exclusion. The
vampires of the greater Fitzwilliam Clan have many connections spanning the
centuries, including ties to prominent vampires, some leading back directly to
the monarchy. One of those connections is to William Shakespeare, the Bard
himself.
In the excerpt,
we learn about the fate of the Darcy relation, but what about the fate of
William Shakespeare? I never included it in the story because it was not
relevant, but I like to imagine that he stopped writing after his known plays
and retired elsewhere in the country. Perhaps he frequented the Globe theater
and heckled if one of his plays was not performed to his standards. Did he have
an Eternal Partner? I don’t think so. His marriage to his wife, Anne Hathaway,
preceded his vampire transformation, and I do not envision Shakespeare having a
desire tie himself to one lady in particular for an eternity. Is he alive
during the time of Mr. Darcy’s Clan? The short answer is no. I imagine
he grew tired of immortality and chose to move on to the next great adventure:
death.
As for other
possible “celebrity vampires,” I am certain that Bloody Mary earned that
moniker. I imagine her breaking the Dictates, her father’s laws for vampires,
and slaughtering anyone who revered these new Firstborn Sons. Her reign was
short, because she could not bear being forced to become a vampire and begged
someone to put a stake through her heart once she realized that overturning her
father’s reformation was futile.
I would like to
believe that there were many English authors and artists that were given the
chance to become immortal, but declined the offer. As to notable people in
other countries, well, who is to say. Vampire laws outside of England were not
as strict. One did not have to earn the right to be turned. From my
perspective, the lives of notable people throughout history, monarchs included,
remained relatively similar to actual history. If any of these people were
vampires, after the year of their “death”, they retired and spent their
eternities pursuing other interests and enjoying a sedentary life.
So I pose an
interesting question to all you lovely readers. If you could chose three
noteworthy artists, authors, or even scientists who could have been a vampire,
who would you select? For me, Jane Austen is the first person who comes to
mind. Imagine how many more books she could have written had she not died so
tragically young! And I too would choose Mary Shelly. I am certain she would
have loved the idea of being a vampire. My final choice would be Tchaikovsky
simply because of my love for Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
And now, I
present to you, the excerpt from Mr. Darcy’s Clan that features a
reference to William Shakespeare, and the mysterious Darcy relation who was the
inspiration for Viola from Twelfth Night. This discussion of famous
relations leads to a tender moment and a heart-warming promise from Elizabeth
to Darcy.
Excerpt from Mr Darcy’s Clan
Darcy found
Elizabeth in the library later that day. She sat curled in one of the chairs
beside the fire, with a book of sonnets in her lap. She glanced up when he
entered, a bright smile crossing her features.
“Where have you been today,
William? I thought we were going to walk to the lake.”
“I was making preparations
for our trip to Rosings, with Richard. I wish we did not have to go. Lady
Catherine’s company will be far more unpleasant than my father’s. Not to
mention there is that ridiculous parson.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I will
agree with you that spending time with my cousin is not my idea of pleasant,
but I did promise Charlotte I would visit her. I suppose it shows Lady
Catherine is considerate—at least where it concerns her rector and his wife.”
Darcy crossed the room to
stand beside Elizabeth. He laid a hand on her shoulder and absently began to
caress the delicate flesh at the base of her neck.
Elizabeth smiled up at him.
“Whatever unpleasantness Rosings may have in store for us, we will endure it
together.”
Darcy saw the wisdom of
Elizabeth’s words, and knew there was nothing he could say to truly prepare her
for meeting Lady Catherine. Instead, he glanced at the book she was holding.
“Are you fond of
Shakespeare?”
“I would be a poor English
lady if I were not,” Elizabeth said.
“Then I believe you might be
interested in our collection of first editions.” He took her hand and brought
her to the bookshelf between two windows.
Elizabeth gazed in awe at
the collection of all Shakespeare’s works. She took one of the volumes in hand
and saw it was signed by the Bard himself.
“How did you get these?”
Elizabeth asked.
“William Shakespeare was
given the honor of going through the Immortal Rite by Queen Elizabeth, after he
delighted her with one of his plays. One of the many members of the Darcy Clan
had the honor of being in Her Majesty’s retinue, procured these editions, and
had them signed. It is my understanding this lady had a dalliance with him
once, and that she was the inspiration for Viola.”
“You have a fascinating
family history, William. It this muse still alive?”
“No. Her Eternal Partner set
her aside and she was banished from his clan. She journeyed to France in the
eighteenth century and did not return.”
“Poor lady. It would be a
terrible fate to be abandoned by one’s Eternal Partner.”
“You need never worry about
such a fate,” Darcy promised, wrapping his arm around her.
“Never say never, William,”
Elizabeth said. “But I do believe I am far too stubborn to allow you to leave
me without a fight.”
“I am happy to hear it, my
love, as I would do the very same.”
“It is fortunate for us we
have moved past the point of running from each other, is it not?”
The statement was rewarded
with a kiss, and soon enough, everything else was forgotten.
* * *
Lari
Ann O'Dell first discovered her love of Pride & Prejudice when she
was eighteen. After reading a Pride & Prejudice variation she found
in a closing sale at a bookstore, she said, "This is what I want to
do." She published her first novel, Mr. Darcy’s Kiss, two years
later.
Born
and raised in Colorado, she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and
earned a bachelor's degree in History and Creative Writing. After graduating
college, she wrote and published her second novel, Mr. Darcy’s Ship. Her
third novel, Mr. Darcy’s Clan, is her first supernatural variation, and
she is working on two more fantasy variations. She is now back at school and
pursuing a degree in Nursing. She adores her two beautiful nephews, Hudson and
Dean. She currently works at a middle school and writes whenever she can.
Buy
Links
Mr
Darcy’s Clan is available to buy now in both ebook and paperback. It’s also
available in Kindle Unlimited:
Lari Ann O’Dell
is giving away eight eBooks of Mr. Darcy’s Clan. The giveaway is
international. Rafflecopter information is below.
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 :)
Mr.
Darcy’s Clan
Blog Tour Schedule:
* * *
If you don’t want to miss any of my future posts, please subscribe:
If you'd like to be friends on Goodreads then please invite me - just say that you visit my blog when it asks why you'd like to be friends with me.
