Fitzwilliam Darcy and Dopamine Receptors: Announcing Austen Admirers

 Fitzwilliam Darcy and Dopamine Receptors

By Angie Kroll

(I am very happy to have Angie Kroll with us today at Darcyholic Diversions!  I am SO excited about her new iPhone and Android App!  I COUNT on it to simply the life of this Darcyholic!  Know that you will enjoy learning all about it.  I also encourage you to click on both of the top links on the left.  One is about the 'All For The Love of Darcy Month' contests, including the change to win a Kindle complete with many eBooks from some of your favorite authors, as well as a special Hearts for History Blog Tour post that I have written).

 

My name is Angie, and I'm a Darcyholic (among many other 'holics').  And yes, it is a very real condition, but one that I hope in which never to find a cure.

Of course, you are thinking that she's mad.  And the answer is, you are probably right.  But, hear me out.

When I was 38 years old, I was diagnosed with ADHD, which according to MayoClinic.com is is a mental health condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.  In short, my brain has irregular spikes of dopamine that can cause me to forever be looking for my car keys, or its converse, Hyperfocus, which I have a tendency to do with things I love.  Sometimes, I become so immersed in what I'm doing, I become oblivious to the world around me.  Does that describe your love for Jane Austen and all things Darcy?

As a teen, I was a sworn Bronte Babe - Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester were my literary heroes.  I've always loved Pride and Prejudice, but it wasn't until 5 years ago that my dopamine receptors discovered Darcy.  Having recently had a hysterectomy, my emotional and physical sanity were highly suspect.  Only reading seemed to be a constant for me.  Soon, I went to my local library and found Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds sitting on the shelf.  Do you remember what it was like the first time you tried tirimasu?  Mr. Darcy became MY obsession - my dopamine receptors were on overload!  Fast forward to 2013, and you'll find me with 85 Austen-related books on my Kindle, another 20 on my shelf, and a dozen or so that I've checked out from the library.

But much like folks with ADHD, I get overwhelmed very easily.  The amount of blogs, books and works by bloggers, authors have eclipsed my time I can give in a day.  I can't keep up with posts, giveaways and news without becoming an inert blob on my couch.  Talking with online friends helped; I knew I the only person looking for easier ways to participate in the Austen community.  But what could I do? I don't have the discipline to write prose.   I'm just a girl who likes to mess with photoshop, write a few mad libs, and play with iMovie.  Could my computer skills be of any use?

Enter the idea of Austen Admirers, an RSS Smartphone app for iTunes, Google Play and Windows.  What Austen Admirers does is take feeds from all of your favorite blogs and aggregates them into one easy-to-use smartphone app. Each morning instead of waking up and going to 50 different websites, you can open one app and see all of the latest posts from your favorite blogs - right in one place!  You can also find a list of authors, and with a push of a button, arrive directly to their Amazon page!

What does it cost to be a part of the app?  Nothing.  Zero.  It will be free for authors and bloggers to join, and free for users to download.  Most apps cost between 10K and 15K to build, but I want this to be a thank you to the community for giving me an online home these past five years.  All graphic design and cost for building the apps are donated by me.  Is it completely free?  No - which is why I'm having a kickstarter campaign to help fund the hosting charges.    Eventually, there will be advertising opportunities for authors if the campaign succeeds, but for now, I need your help getting the word out.  Tweet, Share, Email - send the news by post!   With Kickstarter, the Austen community can come together to help fund something that works for all of us, and bring other Darcyholics to their 'fix!'

Would you like to know more?  Please check out the Kickstarter Campaign site, Like us on Facebook,  Facebook.com/AustenAdmirers, Follow on Twitter @AustenAuthors or @AngieKroll, or contact me directly at adkroll95 (at) gmail(dot)com.

(Calling Card Created by Angie for 

Contessa Barbara Tiller Cole).