Maria Grace: Crafting the Perfect Mrs. Darcy

Welcome Maria Grace and Blog Swap Day to Darcyholic Diversions!
And The Continuing Countdown to the Decatur Book Festival...32 Days to Go!

Hi, Darcyholics!  Today we visit with Maria Grace, my very good friend thanks to the world of Jane Austen.  She shares her father comical OCD adventure through the editing process of her book that definitely qualifies her for My blog! She will be joining us Labor Day weekend for the Decatur Book Festival--Jan Austen: Then and Now.  Today we have swapped blogs!  Please drop by and read MY POST on Random Bits of Fascination.

If you have not yet checked out the information about the Decatur Book Festival Events here is The DBF Event Link.  We have 26 Austen-Inspired Authors that have made a commitment to be a part of the event.  If you can make it to Decatur, GA over Labor Day let me know and I will be sure you have the information about our hotel room block (contact information can be found in the link).

If you have not read all of the posts for the month of June, there are still six authors with open drawings.  Check out the archives on the right and read posts from Pam Dixon, Marilyn Brant, Karen Aminadra, Jennifer Petkus, Amy Cecil and William Deresiewicz and leave a comment.  And now an additional give away with Grace's post today.

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:

August 3--Wendi S.

August 5--Laura Dabundo

August 7--Laura Hile

August 10--Abigail Reynolds

August 12--Cynthia Hensley

August 14--Colette Saucier

August 17--Regina Jeffers

August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory

August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke

August 24--Pamela Aidan

August 26--Lory Lilian

August 28--Jack Caldwell

August 31--Decatur Book Festival Eve!

September 2--Live from the Decatur Book Festival

September 4--Fun Stories from the DBF

September 7--Jack Caldwell's Experiences at the DBF

September 11--Karen Cox's Experiences at the DBF

September 14--Mary Simonsen

September 21--Moira B.

November 2--Amy Patterson

November 13--Karen Doornebos

And Many more to come!

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Comments on Maria Grace's post will be included in a drawing for 1 softcover (US) and 1 eBook (International) of her new book The Future Mrs. Darcy. You comment will also be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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.

Crafting the Perfect Mrs. Darcy

 

One thing that nearly all Darcyholics can agree upon is that our hero deserves a worthy heroine. The question though, is what does it take to craft a heroine equal to our favorite hero?  The answer, for me at least, was much more than I expected, especially when Darcyholic meets perfectionist.

My family knows about my closet CDO—that’s like OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), except with the letters in alphabetical order AS THEY SHOULD BE—and it came out in force while preparing The Future Mrs. Darcy for publication. I spent six months and hundreds of hours in editing and obsessing.

What could you possibly do with a manuscript for six months, you might ask. How much perfecting could poor Elizabeth actually need?   Well, the perfect party for making her debut into society takes a lot of planning.

To start with, I needed to make sure the Future Mrs. Darcy had a proper dress to wear. She needed a plot.  A plot you say--you had a manuscript what problem could there be with plot?  Unfortunately random stuff happening is not the same thing as a plot. So I did what any self-respecting 21^st century woman does and got on Google and researched plot. Enter Larry Brooks' Story Structure. There went a month, structuring a plot to showcase a suitable Elizabeth for our Darcy to meet.

Whew! She is dressed with a suitable plot, we’re ready to go now right? Ah, um, no.  After all, what good’s a pretty dress if you don’t have the right event to wear it to? According to Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing site I needed to make sure there were great scenes to show off the plot. He did a great job explaining Dwight V Swain Scenes and Sequels and adding one more thing to my to do list.  So, next I was off to discover all the (many) incomplete scenes and missing sequels.  Argh! I feel like I planned a dinner party worst that Mrs. Forester's in my book.

But, at least I got to fix things before the guests arrive.  One more pass with Janice Hardy's Plot Template Cheat Sheet and I’m ready to go.

Or not. Mrs. Darcy has her dress and an event to attend, but the rooms were not decorated! How can she invite guests without properly appointing the rooms! Time to call in the decorators! Margie Lawson's Deep Edits and Jodi Renner and Jill Elizabeth Nelson with deep point of view to the rescue.

Now the event is really taking shape! All is nearly ready for her debut. She just needed a final toilette with her lady’s maid to put every hair into place perfectly.  So every single word got scrutinized in line edits. Using the trust ‘find’ function in MS Word, I searched out my very long list of words that signaled weak, wordy or passive construction, a list Janice Hardy helped construct.

Now scrubbed and polished to a shine, it was on to filtering words that would put a distance between Elizabeth and her guests. Those were shown to the door and excused from the event entirely.  Finally, a dab of rouge and lip color as I checked for repeated gestures and expressions. Can’t have characters sighing fourteen times on the same page! What would that do to our party?

What joy was mine to slip the last hair pin in place and say farewell to line editing. She just needed a little bit of jewelry and all would be perfect. It was time to proofread and get all those irritating commas in place and tweak the grammar into perfect order. If only MS Word could be trusted with this final step, but alas, my dear friend and companion in this process was destined to fail me.  Oh, it tried valiantly, but it never read the Purdue OWL's extensive list of comma rules. But I had, so with that in one hand and the Grammarist Grammarist open on my desktop, I chose Elizabeth’s jewels.

Oh, she was lovely now! What flutterings in my heart as I saw her turn about the room. She was ready to face the Ladies of Almack’s my most trusted proofreaders. Under their watchful eyes, the last stray hair were pinned in place and stray threads clipped. Finally, she was ready for her debut….

But wait! She needs her wrap! What about a bookcover?...That’s another story.

William D--A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter

Welcome William Deresiewicz to Darcyholic Diversions!
And The Continuing Countdown to the Decatur Book Festival...34 Days to Go!

Hi, Darcyholics!  Today we visit with William Deresiewicz who will be joining us Labor Day weekend for the Decatur Book Festival--Jan Austen: Then and Now, and is one of three Austen Inspired Authors who will comprise a panel on one of the main stages.   I have been reading Bill's book, A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter and am finding it delightful.  William has truly written and published his own story of how he discovered Jane Austen and how she has changed his life.  I am looking forward to meeting him soon!

If you have not yet checked out the information about the Decatur Book Festival Events here is The DBF Event Link.  We have 24 Austen-Inspired Authors that have made a commitment to be a part of the event.  If you can make it to Decatur, GA over Labor Day let me know and I will be sure you have the information about our hotel room block (contact information can be found in the link).

If you have not read all of the posts for the month of June, there are still five authors with open drawings.  Check out the archives on the right and read posts from Pam Dixon, Marilyn Brant, Karen Aminadra, Jennifer Petkus and Amy Cecil and leave a comment.  And now an additional give away with William's post today.

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 5--Laura Dabundo
August 7--Laura Hile
August 10--Abigail Reynolds
August 12--Cynthia Hensley
August 14--Colette Saucier
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
August 26--Lory Lilian
September 14--Mary Simonsen
September 21--Moira B.
November 2--Amy Patterson
November 13--Karen Doornebos
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on William Deresiewicz's post will be included in a drawing for 2 copies of his book--US Canada only. And will also be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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.

A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter

I know, I know: what’s a guy like me doing on a blog like this? Everybody knows that men are supposed to hate Jane Austen, or at the very least turn their noses up at her. Too fluffy, too feminine: her novels aren’t really about anything, are they, except a lot of gossip and romance, chick-lit stuff.

Well, that’s what I thought, too, when I was a young man. How did I discover how wrong I was? Entirely by accident. I just happened to take a class, in grad school, that just happened to have Emma on the syllabus. Before long, my whole world turned upside down. I not only discovered how glorious Jane Austen is—how funny, how witty, how wise—I discovered how much I had to learn about life (about myself), and how far I had to go. Exactly like Emma! I guess you could say Jane Austen was my Mr. Knightley.

  If you want to know the whole story—what I learned from the other novels, and where it all took me as a human being—you’ll find it in my book, A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter. I will say this, though. One of the things she showed me again and again is that there is a different way to be man.

Like so many guys, my idea of a good conversation, back when I was 26 or so, meant holding forth about all the supposedly important things I knew: books, history, politics, the latest thing I’d read—whatever. But I wasn’t just aggressively sure of myself. I was also oblivious to the feelings of the people around me, a bulldozer stuck in overdrive, because it had never occurred to me to imagine how things might look from someone else’s point of view. Austen taught me to pay attention to other people, just like she did, and especially to what they might be feeling in relationship to me. Surprise, surprise, I really pissed a lot of them off. If you’re oblivious to other people, chances are pretty good you’re going to hurt them. Eventually, I understood that if I was ever going to have any real friends—or I should say, any real friendships with my friends—I’d have to somehow learn to stop being a defensive, reactive, self-enclosed jerk.

It took me reading Pride and Prejudice to find out how. Here was another heroine who seemed a lot like me, except instead of being an arrogant snob, Elizabeth Bennet was brilliant and witty and fun. I eagerly identified with her, took her side in every argument—which meant that about halfway through the novel, I fell with a loud thud into the exact trap that Austen had laid for me. Elizabeth, it turned out, was completely wrong about everything—which meant that I was, too.

My education came, however, when I noticed how she dealt with it. My brain had always been very good at figuring out what to say when someone called me out on something I had done. I would scurry around like a beaver, shoring up the walls of my self-esteem. Who, me? No, you must be wrong. That’s not what I meant. Was it really such a big deal? It was an accident. It’ll never happen again. That was the first time, I swear. Problem? What problem?

But Elizabeth did something different. She was strong; she was brave: she was just what men are meant to be. She looked her errors in the face, and no matter how much it hurt, she owned up to them:

“How despicably I have acted!” she cried; “I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! How humiliating is this discovery! Yet, how just a humiliation!”

Humiliation, it turned out, the most emasculating emotion of all, was exactly what I needed to let myself feel, when I had it coming to me. Our egos, Austen was teaching me, prevent us from owning up to our mistakes, and so our egos must be broken down—exactly what humiliation does, and why it makes us feel so worthless.

I had come to graduate school with a very different idea about what it means to get an education. It meant knowing things, knowing facts. And the purpose of knowing things, in a strangely circular way, was simply to “be” educated, to be able to pride yourself on being a “man of culture” (and feel superior to those who weren’t).

Knowledge, culture, ego: that was pretty much the formula. But now I was learning a new idea—about education, but also about being a man, “of culture” or otherwise. You didn’t have to be certain, I now saw, to be strong, and you didn’t have to dominate people to earn their respect. Real men were not afraid to admit they still had things to learn—not even from a woman.

Years later, I was interviewing for a job as an English professor. At the very end, the head of the search committee posed a question that she must have been dying to ask the whole time. Glancing down at my cv—I had written my doctoral dissertation on The Novel of Community from Austen to Modernism, published a book entitled Jane Austen and the Romantic Poets, and was planning a study called Friendship: A Cultural History from Jane Austen to Jennifer Aniston—she asked, “So what’s with you and Jane Austen?” 

I thought for a second, then blurted out a phrase that had been rolling around in my head for a long time. “Well,” I said, “sometimes I feel like everything I know about life I learned by reading Jane Austen.” Half the people in the room simultaneously shouted out, “That would make a great book! You should write that!”

So that’s what I did.

Link to William D's Book on Amazon

Gayle-Robin-Stephanie: A New Site To Feed Your Need for Austen

A New Site To Feed Your Need for Austen

Stephanie Hamm, Gayle Mills and Robin Helm--all who have posted individually here on my blog--are announcing a new Jane Austen Fan Fiction website.  The following is the announcement for their new site.

~*~*~*~

Literature lovers Stephanie Hamm, Gayle Mills, and Robin Helm are pleased to announce the opening of a new forum, Beyond Austen, at: www.beyondausten.com 

Beyond Austen was founded to provide an environment that is friendly, encouraging, and appropriate for readers of all ages, as well as to promote positive interaction between all members, both readers and authors.  

We are very excited about sharing our site with you, and we welcome all stories that adhere to the BAC guidelines and mission statement. Both JAFF and non-JAFF stories, as well as poems, will be available to our readers. Come join us and enjoy stories by some of your favorite authors. The site will be open for new members on Monday, July 30.

Amy Cecil: While Checking Out the Reading Options on Nook...

Welcome Amy Cecil to Darcyholic Diversions
And Countdown to the Decatur Book Festival!

Hi, Darcyholics!  Today begins a little over a month long focus on authors that are going to be taking a part in the Decatur Book Festival--Jane Austen: Then and Now celebrations on Labor Day weekend.  Amy Cecil is going to be attending the event and I am looking forward to officially meeting you.  But I know you will enjoy getting to know her today through her post.

If you have not yet checked out the information about the Decatur Book Festival Events here is The DBF Event Link.  We have 24 Austen Inspired Authors that have made a commitment to be a part of the event.  If you can make it to Decatur, GA over Labor Day let me know and I will be sure you have the information about our hotel room block.

If you have not read all of the posts for the month of June, there are still four authors with open drawings.  Check out the archives on the right and read posts from Pam Dixon, Marilyn Brant, Karen Aminadra and Jennifer Petkus and leave a comment.  OR leave a comment today for Amy's post...

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
July 27--Amy Cecil
July 29--William Deresiewicz
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 5--Laura Dabundo
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Abigail Reynolds
August 12--Cynthia Hensley
August 14--Colette Saucier
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
August 26--Lory Lilian
September 18--Laura Hile
November 2--Amy Patterson
November 13--Karen Doornebos
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Amy Cecil's post will be included in a drawing for 2 copies of her book--open for all commenters including International!  Thank you Amy!  And will also be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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.

While Checking Out the Reading Options On Nook... 

Hello Darcyholics! Before I get into my “story”, I would like to thank Barbara for inviting me to share it today. As a newly published author, being invited to post today is truly an honor.

Now, why Jane, Pride & Prejudice and Darcy….oh where do I begin? I have been a Jane Austen fan for as long as I can remember and have loved Fitzwilliam Darcy just as long. Yes, I have loved Darcy, but did not truly become in love with him until I met my very own Mr. Darcy 27 years ago and realized that the fictional character that I love so well existed in my husband.

I never knew there was a world of sequels, prequels and variations available that were related to my most beloved story until last year. I got a Nook for Christmas and it renewed my interest in reading….and so I was always looking for something new and refreshing to read. One afternoon, I was perusing the free selections that Nook offered and came across Kara Louise’s Darcy’s Voyage. I read the book in a day and from that point on, I became a true Darcyholic! I quickly discovered that hundreds of variations, sequels and prequels were available and made it my mission to read them all! I was reading so much, some days I would read two or three books in a day. I think my husband thought I had lost my mind. 

After I had read many P&P variations, I began to panic because I was running out of books to read. I thought to myself, what am I going to read when I have read them all? Now, you have to realize, I was a captive audience. I was like a child let loose in a candy store. I became lost in the many different stories that surrounded Darcy and Elizabeth and I wanted more. When I voiced my fears to my best friend, Suzel, and asked her, “What am I gonna do when there are no more Darcy and Elizabeth books to read?” She gave me the most astounding response, one I truly did not expect to hear and one I will never forget. She said, “Write your own?” 

And so…..Pride & Prejudice:  A Royal Disposition was born.

I never considered writing at any time in my life until that moment and I have to say, it has changed my life. The ideas began to flood my brain like a waterfall. I took the best advice I had ever been given and I began to write. I wrote every moment I could. I even began keeping a notebook by my bed at night because on many occasions I would dream a scene and then would only remember parts of it in the morning. The notebook allowed me to write down what I had dreamt about in the event I woke up from the dream. I think subconsciously I knew the notebook was there and so it seemed I always woke and was able to capture the scene. My husband and friends helped me so much with all the historical research that was required. They always gave me a source to share my ideas with and they all gave me very valuable input. Suzel’s daughters, Hannah & Heidi (H&H Editing as I have fondly referred to them) worked diligently on editing my book and I cannot thank them enough.

I wanted a storyline that had not been touched on, something very different than what was available. I’ve always been enamored by the kings and queens of England’s history and I used that basis to start. I knew I wanted to incorporate the crown into my story somehow and make Elizabeth part of that world. I always thought it would be a big surprise to find out that Elizabeth was of royal descent and that Darcy (my prince charming) would marry his one true princess. I began researching King George III and his family and I found Frederick, second eldest son to the king and his favorite. He was perfect, exactly the type of character that I was looking for and the perfect age to fit into my tale. I created his true love in Sophia and once I had the foundation for their relationship, Elizabeth was born (literally). Fredrick and Sophia’s unrequited love and the tragic circumstances of Elizabeth’s birth brought her to live with the Bennets. As a young adult, we see her learning of the circumstances of her birth and coming to terms with living the life she was born into.

I always heard that “writers write what they know.” Over the last year, I have learned the truth of that statement. It totally amazes me what can be accomplished when an individual finds true happiness, is loved by family and friends – despite all their imperfections. As I have gotten older, I find that I have become my own friend and have discovered the importance of good friends and family. I don’t know where I would be today if I did not have the never-ending support of my husband, my family and my dear, dear friends. They are truly the rock on which I build my life and every one of them has made significant contributions to the person that I am today.

 Link to Amy Cecil's Book on Amazon

Barbara Tiller Cole: The Inspiration for Darcyholic Diversions

Christmas In July With Barbara Tiller Cole

Hi, Darcyholics!  Today's post is by me!  I am celebrating Christmas in July!  My gift to you is Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy's Kindle edition both on the 24th and 25th.  More information later in the post!

If you have not yet reviewed the updated information about the Decatur Book Festival Jane Austen: Then And Now, review the tabs above.  The deadline for authors registering to join us is July 31st.  We are up to 18 authors participating (with 2 more close to committing in the wings)! It is NOT too late to join us!  We just added another tent today so we have room for you!

During the month of August we will be featuring many of the authors that are going to be at the event.  And don't forget to comment on the other July posts as there are still some give aways up for grabs!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
July 27--Amy Cecil
July 29--William Deresiewicz
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 5--Laura Dabundo
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Abigail Reynolds
August 12--Cynthia Hensley
August 14--Colette Saucier
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
August 26--Lory Lilian
September 18--Laura Hile
November 2--Amy Patterson
November 13--Karen Doornebos
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Barbara's post will be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions, as WELL as you getting to get a FREE Kindle Copy of Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy just for taking the time to read the blog post!.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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 Inspiration for Darcyholic Diversions

Some of you who have been following my blog for awhile may wonder how I came up with the name Darcyholic Diversions in the first place?  Well, obviously if you are going to create a site with this particular name you probably ARE a Darcyholic?  But how did it start?

It all began in 2001 after having surgery.  A girl friend brought over her VHS set of the BBC Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice to cheer me up. I pushed rewind countless times to see Colin dive into the pond at Pemberley (of course I do now know that scene was Jane Austen inspired literature and NOT in the novel itself)!  But it was more than just that. I was caught by the language, the period, the characters, the costumes--but most of all caught by Mr. Darcy himself.  

Earlier in my life, my mother had introduced me to Jane Austen and I had loved her novels then.  We even found and read some early sequels, but it was 2001 that caused me to begin to 'mainline' Darcy. 

My surgery was in March of 2001. Low and behold the very first movie I saw, still in sweatsuit and not driving (long before I returned to work) was Bridget Jones Diary, released April 1, 2001.  There he was again, Mr. Darcy.

Since BOTH Mr. Darcy's were portrayed by one Colin Firth, I was HOOKED!  I began searching for anything and everything I could find about Mr. Darcy (and Colin Firth) and happened upon online sites filled with Jane Austen inspired literature (also called JAFF) one day by accident.  The first site I came to was Sharon Lathan's back when she was posting her Darcy series online.  But that was just the beginning! An addict was born.

I will share more of the middle of the story at a later date, but some of you might want to know how I decided to coin the phrase Darcyholic.  You see, in my real life I have been working in the field of addiction for going on 25 years.  If there is a work field in which you need a divergent hobby to escape, it is work in addiction. I have a work-in-progress that may one day see the light of day about an alcoholic Will Darcy.  I began to write that story and shortly after beginning its development my uncle committed suicide from complications of his disease of alcoholism and losing his vision.  I lost my heart for the story for a time.  

Last fall, however, I wanted to write again and I decided to write THAT story's flip side.  A comedy!  I got the inspiration to write a story that will be published late this fall, Adventures of a Darcyholic.  It started out as a short story, but now has become a full fledged book with what I hope is a plot full of fun and Darcyholic adventures! 

So why am I posting about this TODAY?  I wanted to share with you a Christmas in July gift.  In the process of doing that, I had to look up and find the origins of Christmas in July.  In the Northern Hemisphere we celebrate Christmas in December, but there are some in the Southern Hemisphere that chose to celebrate in July; because it is much closer to the type of weather that is commonly associated with Christmas.  The earliest reference to Christmas in July that I could find was in an opera libretto of Werther in 1894.  

The earliest known occasion to make the phrase Christmas in July literal was in July 1933 at Camp Keystone, a girl's summer camp in North Carolina.  They celebrated with a Christmas tree, gifts, and a visit by Santa Claus. In 1935, the National Recreation Association's journal Recreation described what a Christmas in July was like at a girl's camp, writing that "all mystery and wonder surround this annual event." QUITE a coincidence, my niece is at that camp as I write this!

So we come back to THIS year's Christmas in July Gift to YOU, the readers of Darcyholic Diversions! July 24th and 25th--All Day Christmas in July Eve and Christmas in July Day--Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy is scheduled to be Free on Amazon!  So pass the word, and Merry Christmas in July!

With that gift, I am also pleased to announce my next novel.  The novel whose name inspired THIS blog!

Coming This Fall--Adventures of a Darcyholic

It is a proven fact that when a man or woman become obsessed with an object of desire, particularly when that personification is a fictional character such as one Fitzwilliam Darcy, it may be necessary to surrender and admit defect to intervention, and seek help when simple infatuation becomes an addiction.  In Adventures of a Darcyholic our hero and heroine have a deep need to find some balance in their lives. Is support available to assist them to find a path back to normal?  But then again, if Darcy is the problem do they wish for a cure?

Barbara Tiller Cole, an Atlanta native and author of her third novel, brings to light this Jane Austen inspired laugh-out-loud comedic delight.

Bernadette E: What Brings A Story To Life

Welcome Bernadette E. to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am happy to welcome Bernadette E. to Darcyholic Diversions.  For those of you who read Jane Austen Inspired Fan Fiction online and have done so for many years, you most likely know about Derbyshire Writers Guild.  Bernadette has been writing a creative modern story that includes characters from three of Jane Austen's novels, and I have gotten to know her as she has been posting her story, 'Beautiful Friendship'.  Elizabeth Bennet is a ballet dancer in the story. Hopefully, for Bernadette and myself it has sparked a beautiful friendship. I hope that you enjoy getting to know her as well. 

If you have not yet reviewed the updated information about the Decatur Book Festival Jane Austen: Then And Now, review the tabs above.  The deadline for authors registering to join us is July 31st.  We are up to 18 authors participating (with 2 more close to committing in the wings)! It is NOT too late to join us!  We just added another tent today so we have room for you!

During the month of August we will be featuring many of the authors that are going to be at the event.  And don't forget to comment on the other July posts as there are still some give aways up for grabs!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
July 24--Barbara Tiller Cole: Christmas in July
July 27--Amy Cecil
July 29--William Deresiewicz
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 5--Laura Dabundo
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Abigail Reynolds
August 12--Cynthia Hensley
August 14--Colette Saucier
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
August 26--Lory Lilian
September 18--Laura Hile
November 2--Amy Patterson
November 13--Karen Doornebos
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Bernadette's post will be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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.

 What Brings A Story To Life?

What's that something special that says, yes, this is honest. This is compelling. This is life. Can you open Pride and Prejudice and watch the heroine grow? Can you feel the hero's heartbreak?

This is the charm of Jane Austen's characters. Mr. Darcy and Miss Woodhouse, Fanny Price or Frank Churchill. Everyone has a favorite.

Or perhaps many favorites. I think this is one of the joys of fiction. Your favorite is not your neighbor's favorite, which might not be his neighbor's favorite. Scan your local bookstore with a friend and they will say, yes, that book moved me. That book made me laugh. That book was beautiful, funny, exciting, interesting. That book was amazing. It goes on the shelf as a 'favorite'.

So Pride and Prejudice was placed on my shelf.

Prior to discovering Jane Austen's work, I'd never seen the Austen movies, the miniseries', the books on tape. I flipped open my first Austen book knowing nothing of story, its author, the tone of her pieces. I should also say I felt a touch cautious of 19th century literature. I'd just read Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert to rather disappointing results. I'd pulled it from a shelf with the false impression that it was a bonnet romance. Not even close.

Pride and Prejudice was everything I hoped to read, and more. The opening sentence, so witty and oft-quoted, was enough to assuage my fears. The book was charming. The dialogue was clever. Austen's characters weren't perfect, but neither were they tragic. They could be witty, kind, ill-tempered, or brave (sometimes all at once). The mistakes they made, they learned from.

And here of course, we come to Mr. Darcy. Tall, dark, handsome, certainly a man to notice across a crowded room. His mood could be prickly. That alone is enough to bring to mind the other famous 'leading man' of his era: Heathcliff. But Darcy was different. He had a unique charisma. He was smart. He could be aloof and funny, arrogant or kind. And, in the end, he strove to improve himself.

But of course, I could say that about many of Austen's heroes and heroines. They were good people, sometimes stumbling over their own mistakes, but always searching for what was right. Austen wrote of a privileged middle-upper class and yet her stories continue to resonate. Perhaps because they were characters who were allowed to discover things and are better for those discoveries. And that's life, isn't it?

Author Bio:
Bernadette is the author of the English Night Sky and Beautiful Friendship. She will never again believe that Gustave Flaubert was aiming to write a romance novel, but she's pleased about discovering Austen's oeuvre. She's honored and amazed that she was invited to guest blog at Darcyholic. If you'd like to email her about either piece, her contact email is: austenbee@hotmail.com

Lori Smith: Mr. Darcy Is Not Perfect

Welcome Lori Smith to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am happy to welcome Lori Smith, author of The Jane Austen Guide to Life, to Darcyholic Diversions today.  It has been great to get to know a wide variety of Austen inspired authors, including some of those who are non-fiction authors such as Lori.

I have had the pleasure of reading her book and found some treasures. My favorite chapter was 'Finding Joy and Laughter' as I dearly love to laugh myself.  With reminders such as 'Greet the World with Energy' and 'Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously', they merge with my personal philosophy of Living Life Looking for God's Gift in it.  Particularly appropriate today is her chapter on 'Enduring the Hardest Things'. In it she shares Jane Austen's sister Cassandra's experiences when Jane passed away, and as today--7/18--marks 195 years since she passed, it is a poignant reminder.

If you have not yet reviewed the updated information about the Decatur Book Festival Jane Austen:Then And Now, review the tabs above.  The deadline for authors registering to join us is July 31st.  We are up to 17 authors participating now! During the month of August we will be featuring many of the authors that are going to be at the event.

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
July 20--Bernadette
July 24--Barbara Tiller Cole: Christmas in July
July 27--Amy Cecil
July 29--William Deresiewicz
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 5--Laura Dabundo
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Abigail Reynolds
August 12--Cynthia Hensley
August 14--Colette Saucier
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 19--KaraLynne Mackrory
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
August 26--Lory Lilian
September 18--Laura Hile
November 2--Amy Patterson
November 13--Karen Doornebos
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Lori's post will be entries into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  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 via Google Friend Connect (GFC) (See the left hand column on the blog to join!), 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.

Mr. Darcy Is Not Perfect

Mr. Darcy—forgive me for saying this—is not perfect.  And that’s what I love most about him.

I fell in love with Darcy and with the world of Austen’s novels when I was a junior in college.  Even with lots of English classes, I had never been assigned Austen.  But over Christmas break, at my grandparents’ house in California, I picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice at a used book sale and stayed awake late into the night with Darcy and Lizzy, Bingley and Jane, Lady Catherine and Mr. Wickham.  I was enchanted.

It would take years for me to work my way through all of Austen’s books, but I found that they simply weren’t enough. Like many of you, I got to the end of them after reading them all over and over and had nowhere left to go.  So I started reading biographies, and her wonderful, lively letters, and eventually left on my own pilgrimage to trace her life and writing through England. (Which I chronicled in A Walk with Jane Austen.)

But while Darcy is ideal—He’s tall!  He’s handsome!  He’s rich!—he’s far, far from perfect.  We all know this.  He’s proud, and socially awkward, and what he says about Lizzy when he first meets her at the dance is downright rude.  “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me . . .”  How dare he?  But he’s open to learning about his shortcomings, open to the painful realization that he is not entirely the gentleman he ought to be.  He’s willing to change.

All of Austen’s men are like this—far from perfect, but seeking to know themselves better, to ferret out their faults and become better men.  Captain Wentworth’s stubbornness, his pride, kept him from pursuing Anne for years, when she would have welcomed him back. “I was proud, too proud to ask again,” he says. “Six years of separation and suffering might have been spared.” Edward Ferrars, however faithful he may be, allowed himself to be snared at a young age by thoughtless, grasping Lucy Steele.  Edmund Bertram is so captivated by Mary Crawford’s beauty and spirit that he misses the fact that she nearly worships money and social standing, to the neglect of more important things.

And even if their characters are largely sound, one can imagine that Austen’s men are not entirely ideal.  Mr. Knightley has a tendency to be all business—he could not be said to be imaginative, or terribly romantic.  Colonel Brandon is not exactly dashing.  Mr. Bingley can probably be a little flighty, and Henry Tilney—well, maybe he is more difficult to criticize than the rest.

Austen wrote to her niece Fanny, responding to someone’s criticism that her characters were too flawed, “Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked.”  They do me, as well.  No perfectly chiseled, always gracious, ideal heroes for me.  Give me a guy like Austen’s men—charmingly or even glaringly imperfect, but willing to come face to face with his faults.

Sure, Austen gave us beautiful, maybe even impossible love stories.  As with Darcy and Elizabeth, the wonderfully rich and handsome guy falls for the spirited, intelligent, not-rich girl with few hopes of marrying well.  It’s a version of happily-ever-after.  But it’s no far-off fairy tale, because Austen’s men are always real. She set the bar high, but not too high. And that gives me hope of finding a guy very much like one Austen might herself have created. 

Bio:

Lori Smith is the author of the recently-released The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman. As a child, Lori’s mother had to pay her to read books.  So it’s a bit ironic that she now gets paid to write them.  Lori feels connections to Austen on many levels—as a writer, a single woman, an Anglican, and as someone struggling with a mysterious chronic illness. For her last book, A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith, Lori spent a month in England tracing Austen’s life and works. Readers voted to give that book the Jane Austen Regency World Award for best nonfiction.

Her writing has also appeared in Washington Post Book World, Publishers Weekly, Beliefnet.com, Skirt!, and Today’s Christian Woman.  Lori lives in Northern Virginia with her sweet but stubborn English lab, Bess.

The Jane Austen Guide to Life on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Jane-Austen-Guide-Life-Thoughful/dp/0762773812

A Walk with Jane Austen on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Jane-Austen-Journey-Adventure/dp/1400073707

Blogs:  www.writerlorismith.com, www.austenquotes.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/writerlorismith

Twitter:  @writerlorismith

Book trailer:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVYt-QOJWO8