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Friday, May 4, 2012

The Truth About How Susan Adriani Met Mr. Darcy

Welcome Susan Adriani to Darcyholic Diversions!
Hi, Darcyholics!  I am have Susan Adriani with us at Darcyholic Diversions today.  I met Susan online a number of years back now and have enjoyed getting to know her. I hope you getting to know her as well.

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
May 8--Annette W.
May 11--Beth Massey
May 13--Matt Duffy
May 15--Erlynn K.
May 18--Rebecca T.
May 22--Candy M. (So Little Time...)
May 25--Karen Cox
May 29--Jan Ashe
June 1--Kara Louise
June 5--Sharon Lathan
June 8--Gayle Mills
June 12--Shannon Winslow
June 15--Karen Wasylowski
June 19--Krista Bagley
June 22--Stephanie Hamm
June 26--Laurel Ann Nattress
June 29--Pam Dixon
July 3--Jennifer Petkus
July 6--Karen Aminada
July 10--Marilyn Brant
July 13--Meredith Esparanza
And Many more to come!
&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Susan's post will be entered into a contest to win a copy of The Truth About Mr. Darcy, US and Canada only (but others will be entered in to our other monthly drawings).  Entries will be based on comments on blog posts; but additional chances will be given for joining this site, tweeting this post, Joining this site as a member!, sharing this on Facebook or your blog, Friend me on Facebook, clicking 'like’ on Barbara Tiller Cole, Author's Facebook page, Join Darcyholic Diversions Facebook Page or following BarbTCole on Twitter.


The Truth About How Susan Adriani Met Mr. Darcy
  

I first met Fitzwilliam Darcy on a rainy Saturday afternoon when I was in my early twenties. While he did, as a matter of fact, happen to sport a wet shirt for a brief moment that day, the sheer lawn of the fabric against Colin Firth's chest wasn't what sparked my initial attraction to the master of Pemberley. Sure, he was certainly easy on the eyes, but there is so much more to Jane Austen's most beloved hero than his tall stature or his purported ten-thousand-a-year. Have you ever heard the old adage, still waters run deep? Well, that's pretty much it in a nutshell, at least for me.

There's no denying that Mr. Darcy is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, but he's also careful, quiet, methodical, and complex; certainly not the type of man who acts on impulse or throws caution to the wind. Elizabeth Bennet, however, with her fine eyes, her rapier wit, and her vivacity, took him completely by surprise. Needless to say, the master of Pemberley didn't like it one bit!

It's always been so easy for me to imagine Mr. Darcy putting forth what must have amounted to an incredible amount of effort to resist the lure of Elizabeth Bennet's intelligence and playful nature, to say nothing of her light and pleasing figure. When all of his carefully orchestrated resistance unravels as he paces the sitting room floor of the Hunsford parsonage, I can't help but rejoice. Mr. Darcy, with his careful mask of indifference and his practiced reserve, has come completely undone!

Elizabeth Bennet called his arrogance and presumption insufferable, and maybe they were; but this is Mr. Darcy we're talking about, and I can't help but look at it a little bit like this: Even though the woman he loves refuses him, accuses him, and turns the tables on him after his [insulting] proposal; even though his fury with her is acute and his indignance great, Mr. Darcy's admiration and affection for Elizabeth doesn't wane over time. He becomes introspective, decides not to take her harsh chastisement for granted, and actually sets out to change his ways. Even though he believes it unlikely he'll cross paths with her again, Mr. Darcy still strives to become a man who Elizabeth would be proud to know; a man who she might have, at one time, even come to admire.

Can you imagine the effort it must have taken such a man as Fitzwilliam Darcy, not only to overlook Elizabeth's ill-opinion of him while nursing a broken heart, but to also put his pride and prejudice aside and take it upon himself to search for Lydia Bennet after she had run away from Brighton with Mr. Wickham, a man Mr. Darcy loathed more than any other?

In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than Mr. Darcy of Pemberley, Derbyshire. I guess, after all is said and done, my fate is sealed. Yes, I'm a Darcyholic, and there's nothing anyone can do about it!

Many thanks to Barb for having me as her guest today, and thank you to all of you for taking the time to read my post. The following passage is an excerpt from my current work-in-progress, whose working title has recently been changed from A Means of Removing All Doubt to its more permanent title, In Doubt of Mr. Darcy. I'm trying to finish it up as fast as I can, but sometimes certain characters we all know and love have other ideas. Maybe someday I'll get them all to behave, but until then, I'll continue to let them lead me wherever they insist I go. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this scene as much as I've enjoyed being here today.

With one last, teasing look, Elizabeth curtsied to him and took her leave without uttering another word.
Darcy watched her go, his heart lighter than it had been in ages. His eyes studied her graceful movements. The natural sway of her hips as she negotiated a path through the throng of people gathered in Bingley’s drawing room made his pulse quicken. A footman stepped forward and pulled the door open and the alluring beauty was gone. Good God, Darcy thought, but I am a fortunate man!
The sound of a throat being cleared just behind him drew his attention to William Ellis. “She is not a classic beauty like her eldest sister," Ellis said softly, "but she is very pretty in her own right; at least I have always thought so.”
“Mr. Ellis,” Darcy muttered stiffly, unable to repress a frown, “I did not hear your approach.”
“I suspect that is because you were distracted, Mr. Darcy. It is a simple enough affliction; one we are all destined to suffer sooner or later. In this case, however, I strongly suggest you find another distraction to occupy your time, sir. She is not for you.”
Darcy’s irritation with the man increased ten-fold. “Mr. Ellis, I realise you care for Miss Bennet, but I must insist that you refrain from involving yourself in my personal affairs. This is hardly a matter that concerns you.”
Ellis’ expression hardened. “Do you imagine me blind," he said lowly, "to the looks you have bestowed upon Miss Elizabeth in weeks past and again tonight during supper, or to her reaction to them? I do not know what game you are playing, but I am not a simpleton. I promise you, my affection for the lady and her family is of long standing. I will not tolerate you trifling with her, or smearing the Bennets’ good name in order to sate your appetite for carnal pleasure.”
“You are out of line,” Darcy growled. “I have never trifled with any lady, sir, and I resent your implication.”
“As I resent you, Mr. Darcy, for ever returning to Hertfordshire. She does not need her heart broken a second time!”
“A second time?” Darcy parroted sharply before recalling himself and glancing about the room. To his embarrassment, several of Bingley’s guests had turned their heads in curiosity, their necks straining to see beyond those of their neighbours. Darcy noticed Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner amongst them, identical expressions of concern upon their faces as their eyes met his.
“Perhaps we ought to continue our discussion elsewhere,” Ellis said with forced congeniality, inclining his head to the room in general. “Surely, we need not include the rest of Mr. Bingley’s party in our…discourse.”

28 comments:

  1. oh Susan! you've held me spellbound! i love this tantalizing taster of your WIP writing as well as your thoughts on meeting mr darcy...
    totally enjoyable leaving me waiting for more! TY!

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    1. Faith, I'm so happy that you enjoyed it, thank you! Things are starting to wind down (writing-wise), so hopefully you won't have so much longer to wait.

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  2. Keep on writing, Susan! I cannot wait for "In Doubt of Mr. Darcy" to be finished!

    I already have a copy of "The Truth About Mr. Darcy"! :)

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    1. Candy, thank you! It's so good to know you won't mind reading another book by me, lol! I'm trying to finish it up - I'm getting excited myself.

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  3. Oh this teaser was so good!! I cannot wait! I always do that to myself... I see WIP and Im like dont do it, dont read it... but I always do. :) I dont need to be entered I have already read The Truth About Mr. Darcy. Good luck everyone you are in for a treat.

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    1. erlynn, thank you so much - I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed TTAMD. I'm the same way about WIPs, and I've been sucked in time and time again - I can't resist, especially if it sounds like a good one!

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  4. Well said, although it does again make me wonder the change in Darcy and the realization that I often forget the amount of time the book covers. It was her constant society that improved his opinion of her. I always forget that because I read the book so quickly (for an Austen novel) and usually watch the miniseries in one sitting.

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    1. I think we have a few things in common here - I first watched the miniseries with my best friend, who warned me it was a long one, but we couldn't stop, and spent the whole afternoon in bliss. I ran to the bookstore and bought my first copy of P&P the next day and have read it too many times to count since then. I'll never grow tired of it, or Mr. Darcy!

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  5. Anxiously awaiting your next story, Susan. I enjoyed this look at your love affair with Mr. Darcy.

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    1. Gayle, thank you so much! I'm happy you enjoyed it, and hope you'll enjoy my upcoming novel, too.

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  6. Loved the excerpt! Now if only I had met Mr. Darcy in my early twenties.... sigh!

    Did all the extras. Thanks!

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Margaret, you make me laugh! I'm so happy you enjoyed the excerpt - thank you!

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  7. I can't wait to read your new book! I was ready for Darcy to mop the floor with Mr Ellis until he said that Lizzy had been heartbroken. It makes sense that he would not want Darcy around then but Darcy needs to send him packing a.s.a.p.

    I've read TTAMD a few times and love it but don't have my own copy anymore so I'd love to win. Lesson learned: do not loan awesome Darcy books to people - you'll never see them again!

    I love Darcy's quiet depth, as well. It's...sizzly.

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    1. Monica, it's so nice to see you! I hate to say it, but I hate loaning books to my friends. I'm always afraid they won't treat them as nicely as I would. I'm flattered that you think TTAMD is awesome - you've made my day, so thank you! (Sizzly, huh?) :)

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  8. -tweeted this (@jaffobsession)

    -follow DD blog

    -follow Barbara on twitter (and Susan too).

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  9. The Truth About Mr Darcy has been on my Wish List for a long time!! thank you for the opportunity to enter to win a copy!!

    GFC: Cyn209
    'liked' Darcyholic Diversions FB page: Cyn209
    'liked' BarbaraTillerCole FB page: Cyn209
    friends on FB: Cyn209
    'liked' Author's FB page: Cyn209
    shared on my FB wall: www.facebook.com/cyn209

    cyn209 at juno dot com

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  10. cyn, I love being on wishlists, and I'm so happy you stopped by to say hello. Thanks so much, and good luck!

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  11. Hi Susan! I loved your story of finding your affection for Mr. Darcy! The excerpt is tantalizing, and I look forward to finding out what happens. It seems that poor Darcy has a bit of a fight on his hands? The title is perfect! Good luck with the publication, whenever you feel it's ready to let go.

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  12. Linda, it's SO nice to see you - thanks so much! I've been having a lot of fun writing my second novel, and I'm happy to have it wind down (as you know, some of those characters we love have certainly been known to be stubborn when we want them to cooperate; in my case, it's been Elizabeth Bennet in this story. If I had a dollar for all the passages I've had to rewrite... :)

    FYI: My working title was A Means of Removing All Doubt, which I loved, but I changed it to In Doubt of Mr. Darcy purely for aesthetic reasons - namely, cover design, lol! I'm hoping to have something final to show everyone within the coming month or so, but it might take longer as I finish up the book and edits begin. *fingers crossed*

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  13. Love your analysis of Darcy. I think it's why I fell in love with him. There's so much depth to explore. Love the excerpt and can't wait to read the whole book!

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    1. Susan, thank you! There a re a lot of layers to Darcy, and I always found it fascinating to slowly peel them away. I can't wait to get the whole IDOMD book finished and out there for everyone to read. It's been a very long road, far longer than I ever anticipated. It's awful when life gets in the way of writing!

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  14. Loved your earlier book - I really enjoyed reading it! I am looking forward to the latest one you are writing.

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    1. I'm so glad to hear it, and happy you stopped by and let me know - thank you!

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  15. Susan:

    Thank you so much for taking the time to post here! I loved both your excerpt and your insight into Darcy! Can't wait to read your next book! Let me know when it is coming back and you can come back and visit us!

    Barbara

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    1. Barb, I absolutely loved being your guest here and would love to come back. Many, many thanks for having me! You and your readers are wonderful.

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. Okay so when can we get more of the story? It is not nice to put a good teaser portion out there and then make us all wait for the rest. If the characters don’t behave just put them in time out. Explain to them that we are all waiting and not very patiently I might add.

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