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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Laurel Ann Nattress: What's the Big Deal About Mr. Darcy?

Welcome Laurel Ann Nattress to Darcyholic Diversions!
Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to introduce to you, Laurel Ann Nattress.  Some of you might know her from her blog.  Others from her book.  But I am happy that we all get to know her a bit better with this post. 

Don't forget to read any posts from couple weeks you might have missed as it has been busy!  There are many opportunities for upcoming drawings including double giveaways from Kara Louise, Becky Thumann, Sharon Lathan and Shannon Winslow; as well as the posts from Gayle Mills, Jan Ashe, Stephanie Hamm and Krista Bagley.  Read ALL of them and don't forget to comment!  Comments are your entries to WIN those giveaways!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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 Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Barbara TC and the DBF
August 14--Colette S.
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
And Many more to come!

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Laurel Ann's details the specifics for being entered into a contest to win one of her books within her post below.  So you will have to read it and follow instructions in order to win!  Comments on her post will also enter you into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  Winners will be selected along with other June winners, at the beginning to July.  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’s the Big Deal about Mr. Darcy?

Being introduced as a Jane Austen enthusiast can have its challenges. Recently, I met a very eligible gentleman. Single, handsome, well-educated, and rich. Mrs. Bennet the husband hunting mother in Pride and Prejudice would have been in vapors. His first question to me (expressed in a very sarcastic tone) was, “What’s the big deal was about Mr. Darcy?” I was stunned into numbing silence. My first impression was what an arrogant jerk! Where should I begin? How could I explain to him why Jane Austen’s hero from Pride and Prejudice is the most renowned literary romantic icon ever created? And, did I want to?

It was indeed a loaded question. I doubted whatever my defense of the merits of Mr. Darcy was that he was really not interested in knowing. This was just a male pissing match thing. He was just irked that so many women have elevated a fictional character to their ideal man. Feeling a bit like I was experiencing Elizabeth Bennet’s introduction to the fine, tall, handsome, noble, rich and arrogant Mr. Darcy, I inwardly laughed at the irony, and then in proper Jane Austen style, I tempered my own indignation with a calm double edged reply. I told him that there were many reasons; a few of which were key to winning a lady’s heart. That really got his attention. As his eyebrows rose in interest I knew that I had him just where I wanted him. Coyly, and with the sweetest of innocent smiles, I replied that if I revealed the secrets of Mr. Darcy’s charms, then he could emulate them, and then how would he know if the lady he was wooing loved him or Mr. Darcy?

Ladies, I would not try this approach if you are sincerely interested in attracting the attention of a man. Even though sparing with Mr. Darcy’s intelligence worked wonders for Austen’s heroine Elizabeth Bennet, it is not very often that we encounter a Mr. Darcy: a man who is challenged by impertinence and attracted to conceited independence. It could backfire on you. Men do appreciate strong women who speak their minds, but even spirited and outspoken Lizzy Bennet pushes Mr. Darcy to the limit. I am amazed at Austen’s persistent character development to the very end! Even after his second proposal she still can’t let it rest and must know when he fell in love with her.

Elizabeth's spirits soon rising to playfulness again, she wanted Mr. Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love with her. “How could you begin?” said she. “I can comprehend your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning; but what could set you off in the first place?”

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” Mr. Darcy

“Now, be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence?”

“For the liveliness of your mind, I did.”

“You may as well call it impertinence at once. It was very little less. The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking and looking and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused and interested you, because I was so unlike them. Had you not been really amiable, you would have hated me for it; but, in spite of the pains you took to disguise yourself, your feelings were always noble and just; and, in your heart, you thoroughly despised the persons who so assiduously courted you. There — I have saved you the trouble of accounting for it; and really, all things considered, I begin to think it perfectly reasonable. To be sure, you knew no actual good of me — but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love.” Chapter 60

She asks him when it began? When did he fall in love with her? And then proceeds to answer for him! I have always admired Elizabeth Bennet’s cheek, but gosh darn it, let the man speak for himself.

I first fell in literary love with Mr. Darcy in 1980 while watching the BBC/PBS adaptation of Pride and Prejudice staring David Rintoul as the romantic icon. In retrospect, I now realize that I loved Darcy because he loved Elizabeth, the smart and witty woman that I have always wanted to be.

As I stated to my arrogant new acquaintance, there are many reason why Mr. Darcy is a big deal. I admire his honor, his intelligence and his kindness. And anyone who claims they were not moved by his beautiful grounds at Pemberley, which are a reflection of the man himself, is in co-dependent denial. What about you? What is it about Mr. Darcy that turned your head and opened your heart? Why is Mr. Darcy such a big deal?

Author Bio:

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to her favorite author and the short story anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It, released by Ballantine Book in October 2011. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. Classically trained as a landscape designer at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, she has also worked in marketing for a Grand Opera company and at present she delights in introducing neophytes to the charms of Miss Austen’s prose as a bookseller. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington where it rains a lot. Visit Laurel Ann at her blog Austenprose – A Jane Austen Blog, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

Enter a giveaway chance for Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Enter a chance to win one signed copy of Laurel Ann’s new Austen-inspired short story anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, which includes seven stories inspired by Pride and Prejudice, by sharing with us the reasons why you think Mr. Darcy is a romantic literary icon or what qualities you admire in his character. The contest is open to all US residents and ends at 11:59 pm PT on July 5, 2012.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

A new short story anthology, this delightful collection inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world—features an introduction and twenty-two never-before-published stories written by twenty-four authors including:

Lauren Willig • Adriana Trigiani • Jo Beverley • Alexandra Potter • Laurie Viera Rigler • Frank Delaney & Diane Meier • Syrie James • Stephanie Barron • Amanda Grange • Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Carrie Bebris • Diana Birchall • Monica Fairview • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Beth Pattillo • Myretta Robens • Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret C. Sullivan • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley.

Available in print and eBook from Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0345524966

© 2012 Laurel Ann Nattress  


  

Monday, June 25, 2012

Krista Bagley: My Obsession with Mr. Darcy

Welcome Krista Bagley on Book Review Club to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  My fascination with all things Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy has allowed me to get to know many fascinating people and reminds me how diverse we are as a group.  Today I take you to Utah and I am very happy to introduce to you, Krista Bagley who definitely qualifies as a Darcyholic.  I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have.

Don't forget to read any posts from the last week and a half you might have missed as it has been busy!  There are many opportunities for upcoming drawings including double giveaways from Kara Louise, Becky Thumann, Sharon Lathan and Shannon Winslow; as well as the posts from Gayle Mills, Jan Ashe and Stephanie Hamm.  Read ALL of them and don't forget to comment!  Comments are your entries to WIN those giveaways!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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 Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Barbara TC and the DBF
August 14--Colette S.
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Krista's post will be entered into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  Winners will be selected along with other June winners, at the beginning to July.  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.


Krista B: My Obsession with Mr. Darcy
 
Jane Austen wasn’t always my favorite author, can you believe that? No, I can’t either! So let me tell you. I was “forced” to read a Jane Austen’s Novel in my literature class my 11th grade year of high school. Mansfield Park was the novel, did I read it, NO. What I did do was ask my best friend Rebecca all about it, because she was a great student and loved literature. I on the other hand marched to the beat of the cheerleading drum. That was my high school world, YES; I was a cheerleader, SURPRISE!!! I believe, at that time in my life I would have never fully appreciated Jane. 
Moving on skipping years. At 20 I married a wonderful man, over the last 12 years we have had 5 children together. Three boys and 2 girls, ages 9,8,7,5, and 2. I never really wanted a large family but quickly changed my mind. I currently live in Utah and YES I am a Latter Day Saint.
Here comes my obsession, my friend Jenny and I started a book club. I was all about the Vampire and Zombie books. She was reading the classics, Jenny the posed one, put together woman. You might want to call her Jane. Proper and always knows what to say, we then invited our other friend Mary W. to join she is our Kitty of the bunch!!  I was so inspired by Jenny (JANE) that I picked up a classic I was so hesitate to read in high school, but it didn’t stop there I read every one of Jane Austen’s Books. My favorite Pride and Prejudice.
Why my favorite?  Because of the Mr. Darcy I  married. You see I was not Mormon when my lovely husband Gary proposed and every one of the people in our lives saw it as a match for disaster. My family every bit like Elizabeth Bennett’s family. Crazy to the core a modern day, OH NO!!! His family proper and well rounded. But even though we knew it was something that would be fun, it worked because of LOVE. I read P&P and re-read P&P. Every moment of that book I love. I love Elizabeth’s journey, her head-strong stubborn ways. I love Darcy, with the 1st horrible proposal. Darcy never letting Elizabeth leave his mind. She captured his heart and Darcy captured hers back.
Then this last Christmas my family bought me the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. I watched with my 8 year old daughter and she said, he reminds me of daddy! I plan to share Jane Austen with my daughter as she gets older. Not only have her books been inspiring but her life and quotes I love her. I am obsessed with my own true 2012 version of Mr. Darcy. And loving it! I have watched P&P so much I quote it. But nothing gets me but a quote I love so much from Mr. Bennett, “I don’t suffer from insanity , I enjoy every minute of it.” ~Mr. B
When I’m not reading or changing diapers, I homeschool all my children.  My oldest son Rocky has autism, so we decided home would be the best place for all of them. Rocky and Emily (my 8 year old daughter) are fluent in Latin. Then Samuel, 7 years of age he is learning to play the violin, Noah 5 years old and Sarah Love is 2. I love to sew, cook, and do all outdoor activities!!! I have a degree from DSC in Nursing although I don’t work, outside our home life is still busy. My husband Gary has a degree in C.J and Digital Forensics and is a Forensic Examiner. 
All you Bloggin Moms can find us at my book blog, http://bookreviewclub.blogspot.com or my kid’s book blog at http://lollipopsandbooks.blogspot.com
Favorite Jane Quote: “I don’t like people to be so agreeable as it saves me the trouble of liking them”~J.A.
Thank you for letting me share my story with you and sorry Barbara for being late on the post!!!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Where Would We Be Without Darcyholic Readers!

Welcome Stephanie Hamm to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to introduce you to Stephanie.  She is one of those unsung heros in the Jane Austen inspired literature world.  She has served as a moderator on one of the online forums and as a beta.  But she is also a FAN.  None of the writers that post here at Darcyholic Diversions would exist if it were not for our fans.  Welcome Stephanie!

Don't forget to read any posts from the last week and a half you might have missed as it has been busy!  There are many opportunities for upcoming drawings including double giveaways from Kara Louise, Becky Thumann, Sharon Lathan, Shannon Winslow and Karen Wasylowski; as well as the posts from Gayle Mills and Jan Ashe.  Read ALL of them and don't forget to comment!  Comments are your entries to WIN those giveaways!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
June 22--Stephanie Hamm
June 24--Kristy Bagley
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 Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Barbara TC and the DBF
August 14--Colette S.
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Stephanie's post will be entered into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  Winners will be selected along with other June winners, at the beginning to July.  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.

Where Would We Be Without Darcyholic Readers!!
Part of me wonders why I agreed to participate in Barbara’s most popular blog. I am no major player in the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction.  I’m no one special and really don’t have much to offer.  But then I thought about what I have done since I’ve discovered the JAFF community, and I realized that just being a beta is something special.  Posting a story can be very scary for authors, and they need all the support they can get.  A good beta, if anything, is there to support her writers.

Prior to finding JAFF, I was just your typical “average Jane” and not much of a reader.  When I was young, there was a time that I read every Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High book ever made; but as I got older, reading books became a thing of the past, and friends took priority.  After I became an adult, I was more concerned with work, and then about starting a family.  I had no desire to spend my free time with my nose stuck in a book. 


This all changed in 2009 when my husband was deployed for a year in Afghanistan.  I was eight months pregnant with our second child at the time and spent the lonely nights watching movies.  I came across Becoming Jane first, which led to watching more period pieces.  I felt like I watched more movies in that short time then I had in years.  Of course, Pride and Prejudice, both the movie and the TV series, drew me in.  I wasn’t satisfied until I read the original story in full and actually ended up reading it twice.  In the end I came to the conclusion - I LOVE DARCY!

Then one day, browsing through the book section at Target, my eyes were drawn to the word “Darcy.”  I was immediately intrigued.  It was a Pride and Prejudice sequel!!  I had no idea such books existed.  I bought and read it that same day.  The very next day saw me walking into Barnes & Noble searching for more sequels.  After several trips, I eventually had bought every sequel I could find in the bookstore.  At that point, I expanded my search to Amazon and found a treasure chest full of more sequels.  I found myself visiting one of the author’s websites, which led me to the many JAFF forums.  Thus, my obsession truly began.  I couldn’t get enough.  There were just so many stories out there, and I rediscovered my love for the drama, mystery, and romance found in a good story.

Like most people when joining the JAFF forums for the first time, I was a little shy and nervous about commenting.  I eventually became more comfortable and found that the JAFF community was filled with very pleasant, sweet, and funny people. 

How did I go from being shy and nervous about commenting to being a beta for various authors?  Well, I’ll bestow the credit for introducing me to the beta world to Katie Baxley.  She asked if I would be one of her betas for the new book she was working on at the time.  At first I was a little awed and intimidated.  Here was an author of two published books, both of which were sitting on my shelf, asking if I could help her with her new one.  I’m not an English major, nor did I even enjoy the subject during school.  How could I possibly help?  But I couldn’t say no.  I was completely intrigued by the whole process.  I learned a great deal about what to look for and what to suggest.  I found that I had an eye for detail and did really well as a plot beta. 

And, so my journey as a beta began.  Since my first real foray into being a beta for  a story, I’ve helped several other authors.  Even though I’m not the grammar expert, I do help in my own way; ensuring consistency and finding plot holes are just as important to a story as is grammar.  I often wonder how I, someone who hated reading in high school and despised writing papers in college, can find so much pleasure in helping someone else write their story, chapter by chapter.

My advice to those who find themselves in a similar situation, or for those who just want to help, is not to be afraid to check out those beta threads on the various forums.  There are many authors looking for all kinds of help.  You don’t need to be an expert in grammar or even good with details.  Sometimes an author needs a cold reader, someone to help her brainstorm, or, even just someone to say that his or her story is good enough to post.  Also, if you are on the verge of wanting to write your own story but are unsure of where to start, I would recommend being a beta first.  There’s nothing that will get your writing juices flowing more than being a beta.

No matter if you have been around the JAFF community for many, many years or only for months, there is always room for new betas.  There are so many authors out there who need support; I urge you to take the leap as a beta and make your mark in the JAFF world.

Winner of Karen's Cox's Book:
Finding Wonder in All Things
Congratulations to Candy M.!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Give-Away Winners!

Announcing Give-Away Winners for May!
There is ONE more drawing to be held tomorrow for one of Karen Cox's books!
(Winners? Please email me your contact information to barbaratillercole@gmail.com)
Winner Of Susan Adriani's Book, The Truth About Mr. Darcy
Danielle! Congratulations!
~*~*~
Winners of Beth Massey's, Godly Creatures:
Softcover to Robin Helms, eBooks go to erlynn and MonicaP!  Congratulations!
~*~*~
 

Monday, June 18, 2012

Karen Wasylowski Interviews Darcy and Fitzwilliam

Welcome Karen Wasylowski to Darcyholic Diversions!
Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to introduce to you, Karen Wasylowski.  I have enjoyed getting to know Karen around the internet and through her blog (link at the bottom of her posst)  I hope that you get to know her as well as I have!  I welcome her here to Darcyholic Diversions today.

Don't forget to read any posts from the last week and a half you might have missed as it has been busy!  There are many opportunities for upcoming drawings including double giveaways from Kara Louise, Becky Thumann, Sharon Lathan and Shannon Winslow; as well as the posts from Gayle Mills and Jan Ashe.  Read ALL of them and don't forget to comment!  Comments are your entries to WIN those giveaways!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
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 Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 7--Moira B.
August 10--Barbara TC and the DBF
August 14--Colette S.
August 17--Regina Jeffers
August 21--Sally Smith O'Rourke
August 24--Amber Godat
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Karen W's post will be entered into a contest to win on of 2 copies of her book.  Contest is open to ALL US/Canada/International!  In addition you will be entered into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  Winners will be selected along with other June winners, at the beginning to July.  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.

Karen W Interviews Darcy and Fitzwilliam!

Hello, my name is Karen V. Wasylowski and I am the author of “Darcy and Fitzwilliam, A Tale of a Gentleman and A Tale of an Officer” - a frolicsome and amusing continuation of Jane Austen’s magnificent story, “Pride and Prejudice.”

Today I will be interviewing the stars of my book, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.  Gentlemen, welcome.

FITZWILLIAM:  ‘Frolicsome and amusing’?  You make us sound like King Charles Spaniels.  This one seems a bit of a loose fish to me, Darcy.

DARCY:  Ignore him, Madame Wasylowski.  We all do.  And may I say we are most pleased to be here with you, in this…this…place.  What is this place, I wonder?

This is my home, Mr. Darcy.  This is where I live.

DARCY:  Surely you jest.  Where are the stables?  I see no servants, no sitting room, no library; where in heavens name could you dine?  I might be able to pace off this entire home within moments and - is there no terrace aspect? 

FITZWILLIAM:  Ignore him, Wasylowski.  We all do.  Let us return to your coverage of our life experiences, which I may say I enjoyed most whole heartedly.  Well, my part in it at least.  And as for my cousin Darcy here, I believe you truly captured his haughtiness, his disdain for others, his rather foppish tendencies.  In fact, I found your reportage most accurate.

Well, thank you, Colonel.  I was afraid you would be offended by some of my disclosures.  If you remember I revealed a bit of the rather debauched lifestyle you ‘enjoyed’ during your soldiering days.  I was also taken to task regarding your language at times.  A few women took exception to your cursing.

FITZWILLIAM:  Ape leaders!  Haymarket ware, all of them!  Tabbies and taradiddle!

Good gracious, I didn’t mean to offend…

FITZWILLIAM:  A soldier who doesn’t curse occasionally is like a dog without fleas – desirable but unlikely.

DARCY:  Be still, Fitz!  You haven’t raised such a breeze since they stopped serving pickled eels at Whites.  Now, I should like to point out that in the book I especially enjoyed how Madame W. takes you to task regarding your overall appearance, including that hideous uniform of yours; the one that you always insist upon wearing for interviews.  She rightly pointed out what I’ve been decrying for years.  You can be an unholy mess at times, Fitz, (or at least you were before you married) – from that unruly mop of hair of yours to your worn boots to your… 

FITZWILLIAM:  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way I look.  I’ll have you know, cousin, that this uniform is a symbol.  A symbol of my years of service to King and Country, of deprivation shared with my soldiers, my band of brothers, years of bloody battles and the mud and mire of warfare…

DARCY:   You’ve a bit of caviar on your cuff.

FITZWILLIAM:  Oh, damn it to hell. 

Gentlemen, if I may continue…?

DARCY:  Of course, forgive our little mêlée.

FITZWILLIAM:  Blast Darcy, is she still here…?

Ahem! Yes, sir - I am.  If I may continue, Colonel Fitzwilliam!  In ‘Darcy and Fitzwilliam’ I covered the five years of your lives after the ending of Pride and Prejudice – including your rather stormy first years of marriage to Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy.

DARCY:  Yes.  And did I not hear you received a bit of backlash from that also?  Curious.  It seems a few people disliked the idea of Lizzy becoming irritated, or even of us arguing at all.  I found that very strange – the idea that a young married couple would not have a few difficulties to sort through during the first years of wedded life.

FITZWILLIAM:  Bother that!  What of that other incident, cousin?  I refer, of course, to you getting yourself good and foxed at Netherfield.  Remember?  Don’t shake your head so violently, Darcy.  Now who has the vapors!   It was then that you became trapped alone in a house with the delectable Caroline Bingley, did you not?  I was particularly impressed with that episode.

DARCY:  Well, what about you and the opera dancers?  And then marrying a woman you knew only briefly?  And your fights with her, with your Amanda – well, they were nothing short of Homeric.

Gentlemen, please, if we could just focus for a moment… 

FITZWILLIAM:  What of you, then?  Running off on Lizzy when she needed you most?

DARCY:  I returned almost immediately, you know that!  And what of you – attempting to sneak out of the country!  We nearly had a riot that day, with Bow Street Runners everywhere and court officials threatening dire circumstances…

FITZWILLIAM:  I do remember, Darcy - very well.  I also remember that when my back was to the wall you were there for me.  Another friend could not have stood any taller nor one bit braver.  You gave us shelter when we were adrift; you defied the law, even to risking your name and your honor. 

DARCY:  What are cousins for then, if not to stand together in need?  I may complain about you, berate you, criticize, scold, rebuke…

FITZWILLIAM:  Do you have a point here, Darcy?

DARCY:  Yes.  It is this.  You may drive me insane with your ‘charming’ disregard for society’s custom, cousin - but I love you as if you were my very brother.

FITZWILLIAM:  You quite move me, brat.  And, fact is - oh bah!  I love you as well.  You’ve been my younger sibling all your life, closer to me than my actual brother ever was.

I am going to weep if you two don’t stop.

FITZWILLIAM:  Good heavens, I keep praying she’s left…

Really!  Well!  I might point out that as you both each compliment the other it was actually Lady Catherine de Bourgh who was the true savior that day!    Now - if I may continue without interruption…

FITZWILLIAM:  Now you’ve made the woman angry, Darcy.  Look at how blotchy her face has become, how narrow her eyes – they’ll pop in a moment.  Shall we wager on the distance…

Colonel! You are truly insupportable!  Now, I wish to speak about our next book!  Please!  This book is a bit different – you both are a bit different.

DARCY:  And what book is this, Madame?

It is my sequel to my continuation of Pride and Prejudice… and Darcy and Fitzwilliam

FITZWILLIAM:  Good god, Darcy, smell her breath if you can.  ‘One’ might be in ‘one’s’ cups here, if you take my drift.

DARCY:  Do be quiet, Fitz.  So, Madame W, you have written a sequel… to a sequel.   How nice for you.  How odd.  What is this sequel entitled?

“Darcy and Fitzwilliam – Sons and Daughters”.  In this volume you are both – older.  You ‘mature’ during the book. You age.  You have wives now, families – and family troubles.  Arguments, illness, estrangements…

DARCY:  Older? 

FITZWILLIAM:   Gad, Darcy – you would pick on that word, wouldn’t you?  She says illness and estrangements and you narrow in on ‘older’.

DARCY:  I see your mouth moving, Fitz, yet nothing sensible comes from the exercise.  As usual.  What I refer to is that I feel no different.  I don’t feel older.  I don’t remember growing older.

FITZWILLIAM:  Take a look in the mirror, brat.  It betrays us all.


Please Visit Karen at her Blog, Pinterest site or Facebook page as listed below!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

William Collins, TV Talk Show Host, Interviews Shannon Winslow

Welcome Shannon Winslow to Darcyholic Diversions!
Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to introduce to you, Shannon Winslow.  I actually got to know her on Twitter!  I hope that you get to know her as well as I have!  I welcome her here to Darcyholic Diversions today.

Don't forget to read any posts from the last week and a half you might have missed as it has been busy!  There are many opportunities for upcoming drawings including double giveaways from Kara Louise, Becky Thumann and Sharon Lathan, as well as the posts from Gayle Mills and Jan Ashe.  Read ALL of them and don't forget to comment!  Comments are your entries to WIN those giveaways!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:

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 Cecil
July 31--Maria Grace
August 3--Wendi S.
August 7--Moira B.
And Many more to come!

&*&*&*&*&*&

Comments on Shannon's post will be entered into a contest to 2 eBooks. Your choice from her books!  In addition you will be entered into the monthly drawings here at Darcyholic Diversions.  Winners will be selected along with other June winners, at the beginning to July.  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.

William Collins, TV Talk Show Host,

 Interviews Shannon Winslow
Thanks, Barbara, and greetings, fellow addicts! My story is common enough: late bloomer falls madly in love with Mr. Darcy via Colin Firth, and before she knows what’s happened, she’s launched headlong into a glamorous career as an Austenesque author. Well, there’s a little more to it than that, I suppose. But what I really wanted to share is my recent interview with another one of Jane Austen’s leading men.

William Collins, celebrated TV talk show host, speaks with today’s guest: author Shannon Winslow
Stage Director: And we’re live in five, four, three…..
(The applause sign lights, and Mr. Collins, sitting opposite his guest in a matching swivel arm chair, smiles benevolently as he waits for the ovation of the studio audience to die down)
Collins: Good morning, Ms. Winslow, and thank you for joining me here on Meet the Author.
Winslow: My pleasure, Mr. Collins. But I suppose I should call you Sir William and congratulate you on your recent elevation to the knighthood.
(Another smattering of applause)
Collins: I thank you, madam, but there is no need to stand on ceremony here. Although I have been so fortunate as to attain a measure of greatness – not without the assistance of a series of noble patrons, I might add – I do not forget my humble origins as a country parson.
Winslow: Nevertheless, I’m sure this latest honor is well deserved.
Collins: I flatter myself that it is, for my ‘unique contribution to the literary world and decades of faithful service to the crown.’ I believe that was the exact wording. You may read the entire transcript at your leisure, Ms. Winslow. My assistant will supply you a copy.
Winslow: That’s very kind, but no one needs to remind me of your contribution to the literary world. Your character is legendary and has proven extremely valuable to my own modest literary efforts.
Collins: Then I am gratified, as indeed I always am, to have been of some small service. Now, I regret to confess, Ms. Winslow, that with all the demands on my time, I have not as yet read any of your work. However, I am told that you have a new book out. Have I been rightly informed?
Winslow: You have indeed! My second novel, For Myself Alone, was recently released, and I’m excited about the excellent reviews it’s received.
Collins: That is all very well, but what I wish to know is this. Am I in the book?
Winslow: Not exactly. You see, although For Myself Alone is ‘Jane Austen inspired,’ it’s an independent story with all new characters. I imagined what her next book might have been, and that’s what I wrote. Then I slipped in lines form her novels here and there just for fun. But you’ll be glad to know that one of those quotations is yours, Mr. Collins.
Collins: Excellent!
Winslow: “You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse. My attentions have been too marked to be mistaken.” From the proposal scene, remember? 
Collins: How could I forget? More immortal words have rarely been spoken, and they should rightly have carried the day. But I digress. Tell me about your first novel. What is it called again? I’m told it is quite successful, but the name escapes me. There is, after all, so much quality literature available at present that although I spend hours a day studying in my book room, which fronts the road by the way, I cannot possibly keep up.
Winslow: Perfectly understandable. My first book is The Darcys of Pemberley, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. It came out last August and is doing very well, both in England and America, I’m happy to say. Of course, all of us would have loved the original author to write the continuing story. But, as she was unavailable, I did my best to stand in her place, to be true to her characters and style. I only hope I have done her justice.  
Collins: Doubtless Miss Austen would be flattered that you hold her in such high regard. Now, back to me. I believe you said before the show that I play an important role in this novel.
Winslow: Oh, yes! A crucial role. I can’t imagine how I would have managed without you, Mr. Collins. In fact, you were the first person I thought of when I sat down to write. It came to me out of the blue that the story simply must begin with you. And then I later expanded the scene into a successful short story.
Collins: Well, I must say I am impressed with your obvious taste and flawless literary instincts, Ms. Winslow, for knowing at once where – and with whom – to start. And I trust my character features prominently right through the book to the last scene. In which case it occurs to me that you might have chosen the title with more circumspection – The Clergyman of Hunsford, perhaps – for The Darcys of Pemberley implies that the center of attention will be Mr. Darcy, my cousin Elizabeth, and their local society. You would not wish to lead your readers astray, would you?
Winslow: Oh, dear! Didn’t anyone tell you?
Collins: Tell me what, pray?
Winslow: That the novel is mostly about Darcy, Elizabeth, and their closest friends. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Collins, but your character’s moment in the sun, while glorious, is unfortunately rather brief. In fact, he has the great misfortune to die at the very outset of the story.
(The audience gasps and Mr. Collins blanches alarmingly, his mouth gaping open in silent horror)
Stage Director: Cut! Go to commercial!
Shannon Winslow is an award-winning member of the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association and a recent inductee to the Austen Authors group. She and her husband live in the log home they built south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.


Collins’s Last Supper is the tongue-in-cheek tale of how a pompous clergyman discovers too late why gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins. This 5000-word short story is available for Kindle and Nook, and it serves as a prequel of sorts for The Darcys of Pemberley.

The Darcys of Pemberley is the tale of two romances: the continuation of Darcy and Elizabeth’s story, and the courtship of Miss Georgiana. For those who didn’t want Pride and Prejudice to end, it gives the chance to learn what happens after the wedding, to revisit old friends and foes, and to share the next chapter of their lives. This “purist’s sequel” is available in paperback, Kindle, Nook, and most other e-book formats.


For Myself Alone is the tale of Josephine Walker, a bright, young woman whose quiet life is turned upside-down by an unexpected inheritance. With a tempting fortune of twenty thousand pounds, she’s suddenly the most popular girl in town. Yet Jo longs to be valued for who she is, not for her bank balance. This Austenesque story is the author’s interpretation of what Jane might have written next, with lines from her classic novels sprinkled throughout the text for her fans to find. Currently available in paperback, Kindle, and Nook formats.

Learn more about Shannon and her publications at her website/blog (www.shannonwinslow.com), and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.