For this Darcyholic, the Master of Pemberley was the Gateway Drug!

Welcome Karen Cox to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Karen Cox to Darcyholic Diversions today.  I am looking forward to getting to know more about her as I am sure you are.  Karen is graciously providing a copy of her most recent book to be a part of our June give aways.

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:


June 1--Kara Louise
June 3--Becky Thumann
June 5--Sharon Lathan
June 8--Gayle Mills
June 10--Jan Ashe
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
July 17--Lori Smith
July 20--Bernadette
July 24--Barbara Tiller Cole: Christmas in July
July 27--Amy Pacifico Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Karen's post will be entered into a contest to win a copy of her most recently released book, 'Finding Wonder in All Things'; open to everyone including potential International winners; as well as being entered 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)!, 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.

 

For this Darcyholic, the Master of Pemberley

 was the Gateway Drug! 

You’ve heard the slang term, I’m sure… such and such is the gateway drug to the ‘hard stuff.’  Well, for me, Mr. Darcy was the literary substance that introduced me to a whole new fascinating world – the plane of existence known as Austenaddiction. 

Let me preface my statement by admitting that my first casual encounter with Jane Austen’s men was actually with the dashing fellows from Sense and Sensibility – sort of like sipping half a beer at one’s first college kegger.  Specifically, it was the S&S movie directed by Ang Lee and featuring one of my favorite actresses (Emma Thompson) and a new face (Kate Winslet).  I loved the movie, which inspired me to casually breeze through the book.  So I had a pleasant little flirtation with Edward Ferrars, John Willoughby and Colonel Brandon, and when it was over, I decided I’d read another Jane Austen book.  And why not the most famous one of all — Pride and Prejudice?  

There I was, innocently imbibing Mr. Darcy as he entered the Meryton Assembly: 

Oooh, (I whisper to my reading self) a fine looking mystery man with a noble mien, and ten thousand a year (ten thousand of what, I’m not exactly sure, but it sounds impressive).  This guy must be the love interest.  He’ll ask Miss Elizabeth to dance next, and then he’ll ask to see her again and … *thud* — I drop my glass.  He said what?!  Jerk! 

Now, I was hooked in a whole different way.  Intent on knowing how the authoress planned to redeem the Great Snot from the North of England, I ordered myself another metaphorical drink and dove back into the story.  But the transformation didn’t seem to be happening like I expected.  I devoured some more addicting prose, laughed at the interchanges between Elizabeth and Darcy at Netherfield.  And when the terse, proud Mr. Darcy proposed at Hunsford, even with the narrator’s foreshadowing, the way that it actually went down surprised me almost as much as it did Elizabeth Bennet: 

Oooh, a proud, haughty man with a secret crush on our very own protagonist puts his heart on his sleeve with his ardent declaration of love and … She said what?!  Headstrong, obstinate girl!

Furiously, I kept reading for my next hit of the taciturn Mr. D, sad that he seemed to all but disappear from the novel!  When Elizabeth and Darcy found each other at Pemberley in a bit of slightly contrived serendipity, I was seriously jonesing for some angst relief, and it appeared I might finally get it.  But just when I was about to put my Darcy and Lizzy cocktail to my lips and guzzle it down, stupid-head Lydia spilled it all over me by running off with the nefarious Wickham!  

It took FOREVER for Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth to get it right, but when they did, it was the perfect high.  Sometime after that first reading, I found the BBC version of P&P, the one with Colin Firth, and that little gem finished me off.  I was smitten, obsessed, infatuated.  I was forever in literary love with Mr. Darcy.

To be honest, the first time I read P&P, I only saw the love story.  It was about the third read-through that I began to see the changes in English society that were being illustrated, Miss Austen’s commentary on class structure, the tale of good and bad manners, and the growth of Elizabeth Bennet from a girl who’s a little too sure of herself into a ‘woman worthy of being pleased.’  

So if Sense & Sensibility was my first exposure to Austen, why do I consider Darcy the gateway drug to Darcyholicism?  Because I believe I must date my Austenaddiction from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.  Meeting Mr. Darcy was the start of a journey that led me two places:  One was the high-flying world of Jane Austen canon:  Digging frantically through the prose in search of a witty interchange in Emma, watching with trepidation while Mary Crawford injects her sweet venom into Edmund Bertram, waiting for the bliss that is at last evoked by Captain Wentworth’s Letter. 

The other place was the fast-lane of Jane Austen fandom: a seemingly infinite supply of Darcy in every flavor imaginable — Regency, modern, English, not-English, businessman, farmer, musician, romantic, stoic, angry, devastatingly unhappy, arrogant, loyal, dependable, sweet and solicitous — Jane Austen fanfiction had it all.  I devoured tons of stories for about three years, and then my own blend of Darcy began speaking to me and I wrote him into a little on-line story called “D-Day: D is for...” 

And that’s how I became a Darcyholic.  

Karen is a Jane Austen uber-fan, and the author of two award-winning Austen-inspired novels:  1932 (published in 2010) is an adaptation of Pride & Prejudice set during the Great Depression, and the recently published Find Wonder in All Things is a modern romance inspired by Persuasion.  Both books are available in print, Kindle and Nook formats from Meryton Press.  You can learn more about her books and her writing at her author’s blog or on her facebook page.   Karen lives in a quiet Southern town, like the ones she writes about, with her husband, son and daughter. 

 A Link to Karen Cox's Books on Amazon

Candy Morton: To Have a Man Like Darcy Love You...

Welcome Candy Morton to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Candy Morton to Darcyholic Diversions today.  I have gotten to know Candy through my blog tour, as well as this blog and HER blog 'So Little Time...'.  I hope you enjoy getting to know her. 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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
July 17--Lori Smith
July 20--Bernadette
July 24--Barbara Tiller Cole: Christmas in July
July 27--Amy Pacifico Cecil
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Candy's post will be entered into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions. BUT Candy is also doing a special give away but you will have to read all of her post to know what to do to be eligible to win! 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)!, 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.

 To Have a Man Like Darcy Love You...

 

Hello! I was shocked when Barbara asked me if I would like to guest blog on Darcyholic Diversions. I thought, really? Me? Who am I? Good question. I am the mother of five children and have been married for 26, almost 27 years, but the common thread that holds you and I together is our love of Jane Austen’s work, especially our love for Pride and Prejudice! Ahh, to be Elizabeth and have a man like Darcy love you! I melt just thinking about it!  Darcy, tall, incredibly handsome, loyal and very protective, for me his is everything a man should be.

When did my love for Darcy start? Well, it began when I first watch the 2005 P&P, I fell in love with Matthew MacFadyen, yes, I’m on team Matthew!  I had tried reading P&P before with no luck. I could not understand the old English. After watching the movie, I gave the story another try and loved it. Because of the movie, I could now understand the story. I read it a few more times, understanding it better every time. One day I was at Borders and I happened to see on the shelf a book entitled The Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman. Wow! A sequel! I bought it right then! That opened a whole world to me! I found more books and fan fiction online! I couldn’t get enough!

Let me back up a minute. I need to tell you before this I didn’t read that much, an occasion book here and there. Mostly, I reread the Little House on the Prairie Series. I was a very poor reader because I read very slow, my mind would wander, causing me to have to reread what I just read. It was such a chore, so I would stop. After my third child was born, I decided to take a reading class at the community college. I found I read better than I thought. I learned so much in that class, like how to read faster to comprehend more. I advanced two grade levels in that semester!

When I joined goodreads, I realized I should write reviews. What?! I can’t write! Like with reading, I struggled with every word I would write. I couldn’t put on paper what I was thinking. I knew what I was feeling and what I was thinking but to put that in word form was impossible. But I tried. I also wanted a way to keep track of the books I’d been reading. I was beginning to mix them up in my mind! I started writing just a short little review, more for myself.

Last summer, I took some online scrapbooking classes, one was a journaling class. That class was freeing for me! You can read about that on my blog.

Oh yes, my blog! One day I was playing around on the computer and started a blog. I didn’t realize I would have to name it. Not putting much thought into this, and thinking I really don’t have time for this, I came up with "So little time..." I wrote my first post! Then I thought for fun I would put up a book review. I copied and pasted one of my reviews from goodreads, put a picture up and ta da! my first book review! I was so excited, I wrote Mary Simonsen to show her and she tweeted it! That terrified me! I wasn’t ready for other people to see my writing! But at the same time it was very exciting! Would people really care to read my thoughts?

I am still learning about writing. Every time I write a review it feels like a struggle, however, it is getting a little easier, thanks to my good friend, Jakki Leatherberry! She has been a huge help to me. I still don’t think my reviews are fantastic, but I like them. I try to keep them short because I don’t like to read long reviews myself. Mainly, in a review, I want to see if the book is any good, if it’s truly what the description says it is and if you don’t like it, why? Because the reason you don’t like it, may not be an issue for me. I don’t analyze it too deeply, I keep it simple.

What do you like to read in a review?

NOW that you have read the post, click on the link to go to Candy's blog and you might just have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate!

Visit Candy at So Little Time... 

Matt Duffy: A Historian Discovers Austen

Welcome Matt Duffy to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Matt Duffy to Darcyholic Diversions today.  I have enjoyed getting to know Matt over the past few years.  He loves his history and his historical research assisted him in finding works of Jane Austen and our communities.  I hope you enjoy getting to know him. 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:

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
July 17--Lori Smith
July 20--Bernadette
July 24--Amy Pacifico Cecil
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Matt's post will be entered 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!, 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 Historian Discovers Austen

I remember watching P&P 95 on a day off from school and said to myself, There has to be a fandom for this.  Sure enough there was. After a month of reading jaff at various sites I began writing. Unlike most JAFF readers and writers, I tend to put the historical aspects over the romantic or literary. 

Additionally, I do not feel confined by the traditional canon of Austen’s work. Why should I? Jane may have been writing satire of her society, but we have access to the whole historical record. It’s antithetical to my background as a historian to ignore it.   That is part of what kept me writing and reading JAFF. One never knew historical events or personalities would show up or how the author would build on it. One story in particular sticks out in my mind that epitomizes this. It was a piece incorporating the Cavendish family who spawned the dukes of Devonshire for the better part of the last three centuries and were among the richest families in England.  In fact, the duke in the late Victorian era was so comfortable in his position and so careless that he blew off a dinner appointment with the Prince of Wales. He simply forgot…   

In many respects, Darcy holds that same position in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.  Rich beyond belief, intensely private, and secure enough in his position not to care about anything above what he considers worth his notice. Both characters, historical and literary, found mates later than most of their peers.

Coincidentally the Bennets are not quite as rich, but certainly as unsuccessful as the Cavendish political opponent, William Gladstone.  The effort for home rule in Ireland was as futile as the Bennets escaping the entail in theirs. Lets just say the humor between the british politicos was far more entertaining than Mary’s sermonizing...

I am willing to take some liberties if there is a sound and plausible historical reason for doing it. My first work Invasion of my Heart and Soul was filled with them.  It operates off the premise of the French attacking England instead of Russia in 1812 with a French aided Irish rebellion as well which had been a constant fear of the crown. Indeed, one had just been crushed 15 years before the story took place, in 1798.

As referenced above, I tend to avoid getting mired in canon in favor of the historical record.  One thing that has been a foremost influence of my writing is that Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other works were intended as satire of her society.  It is that reason I turn to the historical record. Yes, what she intended is important, but so are seeing what the realities of the time were. The lengthy Victorian era and Cassandra’s burning of her letters caused irreparable harm to our perceptions of the period. Only by turning to non-Janesque sources can we seek to rectify it.

Whether it is prize fighters keeping King Geo. IV’s wife barred from his 1820 Coronation or the price of gin in 1810, it is all fair game for inspiration. 

Imagine having to bow to this:

 

In addition to JAFF, I write non-fiction and poetry.

Winner of the 2 Ebook Copies of Lynne Robson's Latest Book

Wait Until are:

Jan Hahn and Sandy Cook! 

Congratulations to you both!

Winner of Susan Mason-Milks' Give-Away

Patricia F (Ebook) and FaithHope&Cherrytea (soft cover)

Congratulations to you both!

Erlynn K: The Healing Power of Darcyholism

Welcome Erlynn Kirsch to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Erlynn to Darcyholic Diversions today.  I have gotten to know Erlynn through her following my blog, and now my following hers, 'My Little Corner of the World'!  I am so happy to get a better chance to know her, and allow you to do the same.

For those who are keeping track, my surgery was Monday and I am moving a bit slow, but hopefully I will get all the posts caught up by Sunday! 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:

May 18--Rebecca T.
May 20--Matt D.
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
July 17--Lori Smith
July 20--Bernadette
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Erlynn's post will be entered 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!, 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 Healing Power of Darcyholism

My name is Erlynn... and I am a Darcyholic! My obsession with Jane Austen and Darcy in particular did not begin as a happy story.  Oh how I want to impress you with some fantastically fun retelling of my 
obsession turned addiction, but really it starts out as myself being a jilted young girl frantically trying to find escape and finding it with the one woman who seemed to understand my life.

 
Well here goes... my obsession began when three stars in my universe aligned... I took AP English in high-school and first read Austen, my father brought home both the new Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility on video, and I first fell in love.  As a sophomore I was invited to the senior prom, and not just with any boy; he was the captain of the track team and lead in the high-school play.  I probably was dotting my i’s with hearts in English class I was so smitten.  Ugh, but get ready for the Willoughby parallel folks...  after a month of dating, he started ignoring me.   After receiving the cold shoulder for days, when I finally confronted him he acted like I was making a big deal out of nothing and he was never really into me anyway.  I asked him if we were still going to prom as I already had a ticket (which I paid for) and a dress (which my mother made by hand). His answer was yes because even though he didn't want to take me, his mother said he had to keep his obligation to me.  Tired of the endless crying, I finally spent the night catching up on my homework assignment, reading Sense and Sensibility! Naturally, I couldn’t put it down.  I felt like Jane Austen had written this book for me.   I was actually angry discussing it in class; I felt no one understood it the way I did. How could anyone understand my relationship to this book, it was mine, written for me. Jane Austen understood me; no one else did.

In class we read Pride and Prejudice shortly after and I soon became obsessed with Colonel Brandon and then of course, Mr. Darcy!  At night my mom and I watched the videos over and over again.  The question wasn't what are we doing tonight, but rather "Disc 1 or Disc 2?"   My mother and I became very close while I was in high school and we remain best friends today.  I learned a great deal about life, love and how to cope through quotes from Austen's novels.  We still explain new acquaintances by comparing them to characters and encourage each other in life with her quotes. A favorite being “ you do not make allowances for differences of situation and temper.”  I often find myself needing to be a little less like Lizzy and little more patient like Jane, my emotions getting carried away like Marianne, and am completely blinded by my own opinions like Emma.

In college I read my first Austen adaptation by Linda Berdoll and have been obsessed with reading all things Austen ever since.  Amazon became my playground, as I ordered novel after novel of Pride and Prejudice fiction. Amazon recommends novels it believes you will enjoy, and it was a fabulous tool until I ordered the same book twice. I was half way through before I figured it out. Hmm... I needed a way to keep track of all these books.  I began a Google Docs spreadsheet and a blog that now keeps my obsession and Darcy addiction organized.  The spreadsheet works great because I can sort by title, author, or even what I own in print vs. kindle.  While blogging, I found others like myself who were inflicted with the same addiction. I began following my favorite authors on Twitter, many of whom have appeared on this very blog.  I follow their writing careers religiously and patiently await each new book released.  Where once I was a closeted Darcyholic, I have now joined the ranks of those who are proud members of this fantastic, supportive community!

Erlynn is an Ancient History teacher living in Fredericksburg, VA. She has found her own Mr. Darcy and they have been married for almost three years.  Her blog can be found at  http://mylittlecorneroftherworld.blogspot.com/ and you can follow her on Twitter at @iErlynn.

Winner of Regina Jeffers' Book
The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy
China for the eBook; Trez for the softcover! 
Congrats to you both! 
(FYI, I had surgery on Monday, and everything in my life has been delayed.  I apologize for the delay in my drawings this month!  I will be announcing a couple more winners tomorrow!)

  Winner of Elizabeth Kantor's Book
The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After

Jan Ashe!  Congrats!

Beth Massey: I am NOT a Darcyholic!

Welcome Beth Massey to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Beth to Darcyholic Diversions today.  Beth and I met several years ago when she visited Georgia, and I have also visited with her in her home land.  Hope you enjoy getting to know her as I have, as well as know about her recent book release. 

I also want to apologize to her as I am getting her post up late due to pending surgery I am having tomorrow nothing has gone quite according to plan this week.  But Beth has been most gracious in her understanding!  I hope you enjoy her post as much as I do!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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
July 17--Lori Smith
July 20--Bernadette
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Beth's post will be entered into a contest to win 1 of 2 eBooks as well as 1 softcover version of 'Goodly Creatures'. Comments will also enter you in 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!, 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.

I Am Not A Darcyholic!

Lest those reading this accuse me of being in denial and feel the need to organize an intervention; I must confess I have known since my second reading of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that Mr. Darcy and I would never suit.  Among other things, his great wealth was a major turn off for me.  Instead, I chose to marry a former military man with a strong sense of justice—a man of little means but fierce loyalty and whom I have several times had to restrain from fighting a metaphorical duel on my behalf.  As with Colonel Brandon and Marianne in ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ the love of my life is more than thirteen years my elder.  A significant age difference also plays a role in another of Austen’s literary pairings.  My husband was my friend and mentor before he became my spouse as was Mr. Knightley in ‘Emma.’   Like that admirable character, Bill is a kind and compassionate man who easily puts the greater good ahead of his own selfish needs and is willing to compromise—you know, the sort of husband who would agree to live with his peculiar father-in-law if it made his wife happy.   I first fell in love with my Mr. Massey’s delightful irreverent sense of humor, which is very reminiscent of Henry Tilney’s.  Then there was his penchant for writing poetic and passionate letters to me that rivals Captain Wentworth’s “you pierce my soul.”  Truth be told, except for an occasional need to officiously interfere, my William has absolutely nothing in common with Mr. Darcy.  Luckily for him, I have always preferred a charismatic personality and a love of dancing to a handsome face.

Perhaps an explanation of what led me to adore Jane Austen would help readers understand my perverse deviation from the norm in lusting after Mr. Darcy.  My first love as a child was the theatre.  Recruited to the Chattanooga Little Theatre at age eight, I marched to a different drummer quite early.  The director had seen me on local television playing a bossy bunny in a skit performed by my Brownie troop.  He was immediately captured by my officious stage presence and thought I would be perfect to play Rhoda, in the ‘The Bad Seed.’  My performance as that creepy child serial killer managed to horrify my father, but the Mrs. Bennet in my mother (she thought I would be thrown into the company of rich and powerful people who would help me get me into a prestigious university) caused her to persuade her husband to allow me to continue in the program.  From then on I diligently spent my youth preparing for a creative life on the stage.  A voracious reader, I devoured plays and novels with an eye toward imagining how I would play certain characters.

My first impression of Jane Austen’s most famous novel left me scratching my head.  Who were these characters and what were they all about?  Though a precocious, dramatic teen filled with strong opinions, I am certain I did not finish the book.  To the youthful me, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ had a boring plot, language that was difficult to ‘apprehend’ and humor that went completely over my head.  Dickens and Baroness Orczy were much more to my liking.  The bizarre troupe of characters involved in the multiple mysteries of ‘Great Expectations’ competed with the intrigue and romance of ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ to grab my attention.  Elizabeth and Darcy and their obscure repartee just didn’t cut it.  Come on folks; admit it—there truly is very little in P & P to stir the soul of a thirteen-year-old.  A wayward teen is as good as it gets.  There isn’t even a peck on the cheek.

My second reading of the tale of literature’s iconic couple was as a twenty-year-old literature major and orphan.  I was in the process of abandoning my theatrical career path while attempting to come to grips with grief.  My new life situation allowed me to better understand Austen’s tale, but it was Lizzy with whom I fell in love—not Mr. Darcy.   ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is her story, and Austen created a strong, though flawed, character who I greatly admired.  She mirrored my own struggle to sort through childish prejudices and don more appropriate adult judgments that would allow me to survive on my own.  It was the late ‘60s and marriage was not at the top of my agenda or that of my peers.  We were women, and we wanted to roar.  Besides, I was very wary of leaving myself open to love—the pain of loss too fresh in my memory.  The final piece of the puzzle was that Mr. Darcy reminded me of my brother.  With the death of our parents, he had been required to accept responsibility beyond his years.  His rigidity in interpreting proper behavior had provided fodder for a major tiff with his rebellious younger sister.  Youthful delusions of grandeur led the dear man to marry a well-connected Caroline Bingley type that resulted in the first divorce in our family.  Later, he found his Elizabeth Bennet, and is now enjoying a well deserved happy-ever-after.  He has always been a good man; he just needed to grasp what is important in life.  I used him as my prototype for Mr. Darcy in ‘Goodly Creatures, a Pride and Prejudice Deviation.’   http://www.facebook.com/#!/GoodlyCreatures  Now you know, it would be very creepy and possibly prosecutable for me to be a Darcyholic.

That same literature professor who caused me to revisit ‘Pride and Prejudice’ assigned me ‘Sense and Sensibility’ to read.   I was much more profoundly affected by Austen’s first published novel than with any of her others.  I have heard many in the JAFF community say they do not like the story of the Dashwood sisters.  As a love story to inspire passion, it definitely leaves much to be desired.  I have long held the opinion that Jane Austen was not a writer of romances but was instead the mother of the modern psychological novel.  In ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ the precarious position of women is subtly showcased without beating readers about the head and ears with the harsh reality.  Because she wraps her exposure of what the female sex had to endure within a very deft comedy of manners, she did not come across as a crusader.  However, to a 20^th century young woman the reality was abundantly clear.  It left me with a burning desire to vindicate her most unfairly treated characters—the two Elizas—toward which the honorable Colonel Brandon feels such loyalty.

‘Goodly Creatures, a Pride and Prejudice Deviation’  is the result of that youthful aspiration.  I allow there to be happy endings for both a very young woman impregnated by a man much above her station as well as a wealthy woman whose fortune is appropriated by a husband who treats her cruelly.  And though he is not my personal choice for a mate, I allow my heroine to win Mr. Darcy.  My own life experiences shaped much of my story.  I have made it clear that it was my own experience with date rape that gave words and feelings to Elizabeth.  My portrayal of Rhoda, the child with a murderer for a father, also played a role in crafting the plot.  Even as a child I felt the premise of ‘The Bad Seed’ to be specious.  My novel includes, not one but two children, who have a parent with a dubious character. Neither Bethany nor Lewis Darcy presents any evidence that their characters are tainted by bad blood.

My own Colonel Brandon/Mr. Knightley/Henry Tilney/Captain Wentworth now struggles with the effects of COPD, blindness from AMD and a severe essential tremor.   Sometimes I imagine Ms Austen time-travelled to the 21^st century to observe Bill when she was writing Mr. Woodhouse.  Like Emma, I lovingly tolerate his quirky fears and phobias and rejoice that he still has Henry Tilney’s delightful sense of humor.  

A Link to Goodly Creatures on Amazon

Annette W: What Do Mr. Darcy and the Empty Nest Syndrome Have in Common?

Welcome Annette W. to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to have Annette W. with us at Darcyholic Diversions today.  She said she is a bit shy and didn't have a picture to send to me.  She also let me know that MM was HER Darcy, so I found this picture I thought might work for her!  Hope you enjoy getting to know Annette as I have. 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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 Annette's post will be entered 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!, 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.

ENS and Other Sundry Ailments

Two things have greatly impressed me in the past ten years. The first was my doctor telling me to act my age, using my daughter as a worthy example of how I should fill my idle moments, and the second was watching Matthew Macfadyen arguing with Keira Knightley in the rain, for the twentieth time.

So as the obsolete mother of five that I had become, suffering with early onset ENS (Empty Nest Syndrome), I signed up for piano lessons and searched the garage for the box of Classics that my husband had bought at an auction before we met some thirty five years previously.

Don’t get me wrong, I kept on camping and playing highway tag with the truckers, but now it was alone and against the orders of my doctor. 

As a young girl, I had been an avid reader of anything fiction. They knew me by name at the public library. Since becoming a mom, I had restricted my reading material to non-fiction. I read everything from self-help books on how to deal with jerks in your life to how to pee in the woods and researched a few rather odd topics just for fun.

All of that was about to change, but wouldn’t you know that my copy of Pride and Prejudice had a beginning and an end, but no middle? I sure was happy to discover that the local book store was well stocked. They must have been expecting me.

After watching Matthew and Keira another twenty or so times, and pointing out every discrepancy between novel and movie, I did an online search and discovered fanfiction. I read everything Pride and Prejudice that was rated E and then passed into the abyss of mature ratings. I then spent a year collecting the remaining movies and novels that were credited to Jane Austin’s worthy penmanship, but none captured my imagination as fully as Pride and Prejudice.

From that day forward, I saw Mr. Darcy everywhere. He had become every hero to me, and his life was somehow incomplete without Elizabeth Bennet. Combining my favourite couple with fifty years of life experiences, my imagination took wings, first at Gretna Green with a conniving Aunt Catherine bringing Chocolate, Curls, and Dragons to life, and then continuing through a number of what-if’s until I became firmly lost in the trials that beset the generations following my favourite couple.

My Mr. Darcy is a changing fellow, always proud, sometimes willing to bend without Miss Elizabeth’s prodding, and sometimes taking the whole world upon his own shoulders, but he is always Lizzy’s perfect man.

I will never be a concert pianist and I may never be a best-selling author, but I will always enjoy reading and telling a good story. Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth just make it a better story.

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.”

  Link to Susan's Book on Amazon