Veronica: Developing Genuine Character

Welcome Veronica to Darcyholic Diversions!

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to introduce Veronica to you today.  I met Veronica on Twitter!  And that was when I hardly knew what a 'tweet' was.  I have enjoyed getting to know her, and her quirky sense of humor as well as her love for the 'Dark Side' of Austen!  I hope you enjoy getting to know here today!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
May 4--Susan Adriani
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!

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Comments on Veronica's post will be entered into the monthly drawings here on 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.

Developing Genuine Character  

Fitzwilliam Darcy for all his wealth and good looks did not make a winning first impression upon the people of Meryton, Elizabeth Bennet, or me. To be honest I had been thoroughly won over by Colonel Brandon before I ever met Mr. Darcy. However, there is something quite intoxicating about Mr. Darcy that finally got to me in the end. 

My introduction to Jane Austen came in college when I was taking Women in Fiction and Literature Study for fun. Even though I have always loved reading, Jane Austen had somehow slipped through the cracks of my public school education, and I just never found her on my own prior to that semester in college. Literature was my mental escape from the rigors of my Psychology major, one I sought so often as to acquire enough credits to claim English as a minor.

It was in that class that I read my first Jane Austen novel, which happened to be Sense and Sensibility. I fell in love with the devotion and consistency of Colonel Brandon. Even when he had nothing to gain by his actions his kindness, integrity, and decency were unwavering. He was not dashing, not the kind of man to sweep a woman off her feet, but to me that made him all the more appealing. He seemed the kind of man to take a woman gently by the hand and never let go. 

After a man like that coming across Mr. Darcy at the Meryton Ball set my teeth on edge. I mean, here was this supposed gentleman standing aloof and not even really being all that pleasant to his own friend. Then he makes unflattering comments about Elizabeth with her in ear shot, obviously not even paying the courtesy of noticing enough to restrain his censure. This was a man of character and breeding?

I am sure that most of my bias came from my fondness of Colonel Brandon, and that old saying that if you cannot say anything nice then you should not say anything at all, but then we wouldn’t have had a story with the character development to transform a dislikable man into one to swoon for. That is what Jane Austen did with Mr. Darcy for me. 

Many have commented on her fidelity to realistic characters and situations, and her observations about human nature play right into my psychological awareness. She blends my two interests well, psychology and storytelling. Character development is very similar to a psychological study, though with less technical jargon and more sympathetic and empathetic connection. 

 Colonel Brandon’s consistency is admirable. At no point does he ever really act out of spite, which is what I will never stop adoring about him. Mr. Darcy, however, is transformed through Pride and Prejudice. He does not do a complete one-eighty. Instead he becomes more genuinely the gentleman he is reported to be. The fact that Elizabeth is the catalyst is what makes Mr. Darcy truly swoon worthy. 

Basically, it was her words bringing his attention to the discrepancy between his pride in being a gentleman and his actions regarding how he has shown himself to be a gentleman, or as she points out his not acting as a true gentleman. He internalized her words, thought about them and used them to really look at himself. He then began to truly act the part of a gentleman. 

 When a man is willing to listen to a woman and take her words to heart, that is a very heady thing. How can any woman not be won by a man of such genuine integrity as that? It was not easy for him to hear, but he did listen. All his actions after that became those of a true gentleman, even when he was not sure he had anything to gain by them with the woman who made such a profound positive impression upon him. That is what won me over with Mr. Darcy.

 Jane Austen is not noted for her darkness as a writer, but when looking at human nature there is an element of darkness because we do not always act with kindness towards others. In all of Austen’s works we see this kind of darkness in the guise of classism. Monsters tend to be the symbolic representation of the darkest aspects of human nature, the seven deadly sins amplified. With the surge in parody mash-ups, particularly the ones with the works of Austen infusing vampires, werewolves and the like, how could I not be interested in this new path of exploration? That is what sparked my founding the Dark Jane Austen Book Club with my friend Sarah.

We take a look at these mash-ups, compare Austen’s original works, and look at the darkness that lies within while laughing at the absurdity and juxtaposition. Reading critically and seriously considering how character development takes place does not have to mean being boringly serious.

Visit Veronica's Dark Jane Austen Book Club Here

Touring Mr. Darcy's Derbyshire with Lynne Robson

Part 2: Touring Derbyshire with Lynne Robson

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to be back home with a strong wireless connection and the ability to download and upload all of the gorgeous pictures that Lynne has to show us of her beautiful Derbyshire.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.  Hopefully Lynne will share with us in comments where each picture was taken.

 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
May 1--Matt Duffy
May 4--Susan Adriani
May 8--Annette W.
May 11--Beth Massey
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
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Lynne’s posts, Parts 1 and 2, will be entered into a drawing for two eBook copies of her most recent book, 'Wait Until...'.   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.

Touring Mr. Darcy's Derbyshire with Lynne Robson

I am thrilled to be able to share with you pictures that Lynne Robson has shared with me (BTCole).  

The photos are all taken in Derbyshire; from Derwent Valley, to Chatsworth, to Bakewell, Monseldale and Linaker Lakes and surrounding areas.
 

I can just imagine Elizabeth on her tour with the Gardiners, driving along this lane.

Or stopping to tour along the way.

With this glimpse of fall, perhaps we will get an invitation to the Fall Festival at Pemberley?

 I love the reflection in the water.

Even on cloudy days, the sites are glorious to witness.  Perhaps Mr. Darcy will stop by to take a dip in the water?

 I can see why Elizabeth loves to romp through the woods.

Perhaps a picnic along the shore?

 Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Darcy stayed all day along the bank.

Thank you, Lynne, for this beautiful pictorial adventure through the land of Mr. Darcy!  

Link to Lynne Robson's Books on Amazon

Lynne Robson: Darcy's Derbyshire Momma!

Welcome Lynne Robson!

Hi, Darcyholics!  It is my honor to welcome Lynne Robson to Darcyholic Diversions today.  Lynne lives in Derbyshire, home to Mr. Darcy!  So in addition to letting us know a little about her hour journey into her Darcyholism.  I will also be sharing her pictures from Derbyshire soon.   I am at a conference in Texas in a hotel with all but useless internet.  I have not been able to download her VERY lovely pictures, so I will share them in a separate post soon.

 

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:

April 27--Veronica (Dark Jane Austen Book Club)
May 1--Matt Duffy
May 4--Susan Adriani
May 8--Annette W.
May 11--Beth Massey
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
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Lynne’s post will be entered into a drawing for two eBook copies of her most recent book, 'Wait Until...'.   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.

Lynne R: Darcy's Derbyshire Momma

Lynne,  I thank you for agreeing to do this interview with me today.  Did you grow up in Deryshire?  Do people in Derbyshire grow up KNOWING all about Mr. Darcy?

No, I actually grew up in Halifax in West Yorkshire and moved to Dronfield just before we got married in the 1980's. It is a lovely place and I really enjoy living hear as it is very quiet and a close community. Mick and I moved here to be closer to his job and to be near some of his family as well.

When did you first read, or leave about Pride and Prejudice?  Did you automatically realize its significance to your homeland?

I read Pride and Prejudice first with my mother when I was about 10 and fell in love with Elizabeth's character. Later when in my late teens I read it again at school in English Literature classes and fell in love with Mr Darcy. I had watched the first film and the first series but not enjoyed it as I did the 1995 series which brought to mind where I was living and I tried to picture various places where Mr Darcy's Pemberley may have been. After visiting Ringwood Hall where my daughter is getting married I tried to imagine it as Mr Bingley's Home and that Chatsworth would be something similar to Pemberley I love Chatsworth as we would go each year and picnic in the grounds or take a barbecue and the kids would go swimming in the lake or play volley ball.

When did you first fall in love with  Darcy?

When I was about 16 I must have fallen in love with Mr Darcy as I had an old copy of Pride and Prejudice which my grandmother bought me which I read and read till it fell apart and begrudgingly I had to buy another copy as it was the last thing she bought me before her death. I used to look round my library to see if anyone had written a sequel to it but no one had done so and to me I just needed to know what their kids would be like how they got on as a couple and if Lady C caused any trouble.

Did you watch the BBC P&P when it first came out?  Or was it later that your obsession grew?

I was in hospital when the 1995 series came out and did not see it until my mother brought the video for me when I came home to watch it, I fell in love with the series straight away especially Collin Firth. Mum and me have gone through nearly 8 video's and I have four different versions both region 1 and region 2 as they have different out takes on the video. I have been to Sudbury Hall where the insides were used for the series but not Lime Park. I must admit that I love such as Chatsworth and Bakewell plus some of the area's in the Peaks I used to imagine Mr Darcy and Elizabeth riding on their horses. I know most think that Lizzy cannot ride but I think she could but because they did not have a saddle horse to do so then she walked for exercise.

What can you tell us about Derbyshire that all Darcyholics would want to know? 

Derbyshire is beautiful in the summertime, there are plenty of places to go for a picnic or a barbecue such as like I mentioned Chatsworth grounds which are immense, Padley Gorge, which is quite and a good place to go billberry picking (billberrys are similar to blueberry's only that blueberry's are a lot bigger). MonsalDale is a wonderful place to go it has a beautiful viaduct where steam trains used to travel now it is not used and is classed as an ancient monument, I try to imagine that Mr Darcy had helped to provide this for us to travel safely instead of in a carriage. In winter it can be very cold were I live as I live on a hill and you can get rather bitter winds or snow but that is all to the charm of the place for me. Dronfield is not far from Chesterfield home of the crooked spire and not far from the carriage museum I went there with a couple of people from the HG boards and really enjoyed looking around. The people there provided the carriages which the Wickham's, Lady Catherine, the Bingley's, and Mr Darcy used in the series they told us how much they had liked Colin and Chrispin Bonham Carter as they were very polite and very sexy. One of them I spoke to said how Collin just oozed sex which had us laughing.

When did you decide you wanted to write stories of your own?

After finding pemberley.com in early 2000, I devoured all the stories there and began to look around for other sites finding DWG, Drool, Firthness, Darcyfiction and HG. I followed Abigail Reynolds to HG and found her story Impulse and Initiative the adult version. I loved this story as well as others there. After some time I decided to try one of the stories I wrote when I was about 17 about Lady Catherine which I had wrote for myself only. My betas tjean and Sue Forgue helped me smooth out some of the mistakes I had made and also encouraged me to write more. After Lady Catherine's story I wrote Wait Until..., then The Diary of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam and lastly The Journals of Thomas Bennet.

Tell us a little bit about your stories.

My first story Surprises at Rosings, I based Lady Catherine on my grandmother who really gave me the love for Jane Austen books like my mom and aunt.  I wanted to show her as a loving person who even though she had lost her own immediate family she still loved life and her nephews and neices.  So when Elizabeth goes to Rosings she is surprised by the woman she meets there.

Wait Until...  I had always wondered what would have happened if Mr Darcy had stayed and helped Lizzy when she got the letters.  I also wanted him to help in finding Wickham and Lydia so they could be found without too much time being lost.  I also liked the idea of Mr Bennet knowing the Earl and Mr Darcy's father from his school days and made him godfather to Colonel Fitzwilliam.  The help that Mr Darcy gives has the pair found and sent on their way to Newcastle with the support of a few soldiers whom he has caused problems with by seducing their daughters.  Due to this Wickham cannot gamble or chase women as he did or these soldiers will be their to make sure he spends more time on latrine duty (yuck!)  Also because they both are spent thrifts he and Mr Bennet make sure that their money pays for food, servants and accommodation before any little luxuries.

The Diary Of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam This has been written through the eyes of the Colonel starting at Ramsgate where Georgiana is nearly trapped into marrying Wickham, going through to the death of Lady Catherine and Anne where he is left Rosings by Anne. Darcy and Elizabeth are mentioned as are all the Bennet sisters. At the end we see him married and very happy. The second half of this book will be posted at DWG as many people have emailed me for the second half to be written so I will post there.  The title will become The Diaries Of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.
Once it is complete like the other books I have written it will be put on the Internet.  I am not removing the ones that are on the website yet as I feel that my friends on the net deserve to have time to read and save it.  It will eventually be removed from the net but when, I don't know. I may just leave it.

The Journals of Thomas Bennet   A satirical view through the eyes of Mr Bennet starting from the birth of Elizabeth to her and Jane's Marriage.  Then the second part which shows married life for Elizabeth and Jane, and later how he comes to father a son David heir to Longbourn.

Link to Lynne Robson's Books On Amazon