Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Guest Post: Jane Austen and the Regency House by Phyllis Richardson


Today I welcome Phyllis Richardson to my blog. She is currently funding House of Fiction, a book exploring the intertwining links between novels and their settings and in many cases, the connection the author shared with these locations. Settings definitely play an important part in the novels Phyllis explores, with the buildings often being seen as a character in their own right. House of Fiction celebrates these expressive and historic buildings and the integral role they play in some of the most important novels, making it the perfect book for lovers of literature and architecture alike. (I actually wrote a post about the locations in Pride and Prejudice and how important they are - read that here!)
 
Of particular interest to us Janeites will be Chapter 3, “The Golden Age of the English Stately Home”, where she explores the beautiful homes of Jane Austen’s world in great detail.
 
Phyllis is funding her book with Unbound, a crowd-funding publisher dedicated to bringing readers and authors together. Supporters can subscribe to a book, and have their name in the back of the book, a method used by Charles Dickens and other writers in the 19th century.  You can read about it here.



Invitation to a Ball

Jane Austen and the Regency House

By Phyllis Richardson
 
 
 
“And of this place,” thought she, “I might have been mistress! With these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted! Instead of viewing them as a stranger, I might have rejoiced in them as my own…” (P&P 236)
 
 
Lyme Park - Pemberley 1995
My interest in houses in fiction probably started with Jane Austen. Of course there’s Pemberley, and there’s the desire of many Austen heroines to marry well and have a house of her own, even though it often amounts to no more than a modest rectory cottage. I have always been fascinated by the houses Austen describes in so much detail – Mansfield Park and Sotherton, Norland Park, Netherfield, Hartfield, Northanger Abbey – I did wonder what kept her returning to the subject of families and where they live, and in what style. What I found were a couple of strands of interest that had Jane Austen, the unmarried sister and daughter, firmly entwined with issues of house and home.
 
 
Firstly, there is the circumstance of her own domestic situation. Though Jane’s father, the reverend George Austen, was not wealthy, the family were well regarded socially and regularly mixed with people above their ‘set’. Jane and her sister were no strangers to a ball in a grand house. Writing to her sister of one ball she attended, she said she must have had twenty dances in one evening. Of another such dance in1800 Jane wrote to her sister: “There was a scarcity of Men in general, & a still greater scarcity of any that were good for much – I danced nine dances out of ten … Lady Portsmouth had got a different dress on, & Lady Bolton is much improved by a wig.”
 
 
The Vyne
One of Jane and Cassandra’s dance partners was Tom Chute, who was a friend of the Austen brothers and whose father owned the grand country house called ‘the Vyne’, in Hampshire. Built during the reign of Henry VIII for his Lord Chamberlain, Lord Sandys, the Vyne was visited several times by the Tudor king. It then passed to the Chute family who owned it for 300 years. Tom Chute’s older brother, William, a wealthy young bachelor, inherited the Vyne around 1790. Some Austen scholars believe that this event, which happened so close to home, inspired Jane to write the lines ‘a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’.
 
 
Jane also visited Oakley Hall, Hurstbourn, Kempshott House, Manydown House and Hackwood Park. In 1806 she made a particularly important visit to Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire, when it was inherited by her mother’s cousin the reverend Thomas Leigh. The Leigh family were considered to be of a higher rank than the Austens and when Jane’s mother married her father, it was thought to be a step below her possibilities. Jane’s father had always kept himself and his family in a lifestyle above his means (and borrowed from his wife’s relations to do so) and there was an acute awareness of the greater wealth and standing of the Leighs.
 
 
 
Stoneleigh Abbey
Stoneleigh had been an abbey since the twelfth century and had fallen to ‘a roofless ruin’ by 1561 but was enlarged with a massive new wing by Edward, the third Lord Leigh after his return from the Grand Tour in 1711. The new West Wing was built in the Baroque style, took six years to complete (beginning in 1720) and cost the princely sum of £3,000. Jane’s mother was clearly taken with the place when she arrived with her cousin in his race to claim the title for it. In August 1806 she wrote to her daughter-in-law Mary that ‘the house is larger than I could have supposed. We cannot find our way about it - I mean the best part’. She goes on to list the number of beer casks in the cellar, ‘beyond imagination’, and the number of windows (45), the number of bed-chambers (26), and man-servants (18). And she describes the large and small sitting rooms, the gallery, the entrance and the state bed-chamber,  ‘an alarming apartment, with its high, dark crimson velvet bed, just fit for an heroine.’  It’s not hard to see where Jane got some of her excitable notions about houses.
A view toward the lake from inside Stoneleigh Abbey,
reputed to be Jane Austen’s favourite view
For a number of years after her father died, Jane, along with her mother and sister, Cassandra, moved from place to place without a real permanent residence they could call their own. Having grown up in the Rectory in Stevenage, in what seem to be happy, if somewhat modest circumstances, Jane moved to Bath with her parents and sister in 1801, after her father decided to retire and make over his position and house to his eldest son James. So, at the age of twenty-five, Jane was forced (without being consulted or considered) to vacate the home she had always known, leaving behind the rooms where she had begun her first three novels, and probably finished drafts of at least two. Jane and Cassandra (now twenty-eight) were whisked off to live with their parents in small, rented accommodation in Bath. It could hardly escape Jane’s notice that her own mother and aunt had been taken to Bath in similar circumstances–as marriageable young women who hadn’t yet managed to snag a suitable husband.
 
 
A sketch of Jane Austen’s House drawn by the author
No such men were found and after Mr Austen died, Mrs Austen and her sisters moved from place to place, being housed where family would have them, often with one of the brothers. Finally, in 1808, Jane’s brother Edward, who had been ‘adopted’ by distant and very rich relations who had no heir, offered them one of his houses to live in, the cottage on his estate at Chawton. (Edward reserved the much larger Chawton House for his own use, even though he also possessed the ample estate at Godmersham in Kent). Though very few of Jane’s letters survive, it is generally acknowledged that at Chawton, now the Jane Austen House Museum, she finally felt she had a home, and it was here that she completed or wrote all of her novels.
 
 
Jane’s story, sadly, is not unlike that of many women of the period, who could do very little without the help of a male relation. There were exceptions of course, but the tales of women needing husbands (because it might allow them a degree of independence—depending on the man’s benevolence) or of families being moved out of their homes (e.g., the Dashwoods) because the property is subject to an entailment, were based on a hard reality. Entailment was an ancient legal device that tied property to the nearest male descendent, and Walter Scott also commented, through novels like Waverley, on the harsh circumstances this could force on women who were powerless to object.
 
 
So, to my mind Jane Austen’s obsession with grand houses, while it provides great fodder for costume dramas, is also about a yearning for another life, something beyond the limits of familial control. When we look now at the parlour at Chawton Cottage and think of Jane sat at that very small writing table casting her eye toward the great house down the road, perhaps we should imagine that small sense of freedom, if only in her imagination, rejoicing in the idea at least, of a room of her own.
 
 
 Phyllis Richardson is currently crowd-funding her book House of Fiction through Unbound. You can support here book here. http://unbound.co.uk/books/the-house-of-fiction
 
 
Your affectionate friend,
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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Guest Post: Mr Darcy's Struggle by Martine Roberts - with giveaway!



Today I welcome the lovely Martine Roberts to my blog who has sent me an excerpt from her story, Mr Darcy's Struggle, to post for your enjoyment.  I will also be reviewing this story soon so watch for my review.

"New Revised Edition. What if, after initially refusing Mr Darcy's offer of marriage at the parsonage, Elizabeth finds herself in the position where she is forced to accept his proposal? The proud Mr Darcy has only six weeks to prove himself and make Elizabeth fall in love with him. Taking her reproofs to heart he is determined to woo her and become a better man. Then days before the wedding she receives another offer. Will she meet him at the altar or run to the arms of another?"


Excerpt from Chapter 3

The next morning Elizabeth dressed quietly, and arranging her hair in a simple style. Then noticing the time, she pulled on her bonnet and gloves and crept downstairs. Taking an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table, she turned and gave the young maid a smile, then opened the back door to keep her rendezvous with Mr. Darcy. As she neared the designated meeting place, she spied him standing there, unaware of her approach. He cut such a dashing figure in his fashionable clothes; Elizabeth acknowledged he was an exceedingly handsome man. He could have, and was expected to, select his bride from the very best families that society had to offer. Instead, he had chosen her, the daughter of a simple country gentleman. She lingered to admire his physique, and then blushed furiously when Darcy spun round to greet her. Well aware that she had been caught, Elizabeth lowered her eyes as he strode towards her; he paused and gave her a curt bow.

“Good morning Miss Elizabeth, I am pleased to see you,” he started, “I thought you might resist my entreaty to meet me.”

Returning his greeting with a slight curtsy she replied;

“Good Morning Mr. Darcy. I said I would come and as you can see I am here."

Elizabeth noticed how he constantly fed the rim of his hat through his fingers, betraying his state of nervousness. Finally, he clasped his hands behind his back and began to address her.

“Miss Bennet, I must offer you my profound apologies for my behaviour yesterday, it was unforgivable. I fear as a result of my actions, I have put you in an untenable position. I know and understand your sentiments in regard to my offer; indeed you made your feeling perfectly clear yesterday. But I feel under the circumstances, and with Mr. Collins untimely intrusion, there is no recourse left open to us but to marry.” 

Darcy searched her face to gauge the impact of his words. He expected her to raise any number of objections, or to berate him most severely at the very least, but instead she was smiling.

“Are you laughing at me Madam?” he said stiffly.

Elizabeth raised her eyes to meet his, and let her smile linger a little longer before saying,

“Why Mr. Darcy, what an eloquent speech, have you been rehearsing while you waited for me?” she asked playfully.

The truth was Elizabeth had been awake most of the night herself, turning the events over in her mind, and she too had come to the same conclusion. There was no point in fighting the inevitable, so she had decided to go forward with a positive frame of mind. Still, she could not help but tease him a little.

“It appears your days as an eligible bachelor are numbered Mr Darcy.”

“Then we are agreed?” He asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice, “The engagement stands?”

Elizabeth treated Darcy to a full smile, then continued along the path, only to glanced back over her shoulder and add,

“The engagement stands.”

Elizabeth was not party to the expression of great relief on his face, or the sagging of his shoulders as the tension left his body. He was sure that she would protest his actions, his intolerable high handedness; instead she was in full agreement. Also she was right in her surmise; he had been rehearsing his address to her. He had been so utterly wrong in his previous proposal; he could not risk alienating her again. But what had caught his attention the most was her smile. It had been just for him. Quickly he caught up with her and stood afore her, blocking the path. Elizabeth gave an inward sign. She had hoped to escape further discussion on the subject, but clearly Mr. Darcy had other ideas.

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” he said using her full name “you never cease to surprise me. Do you know how much pleasure it brings me being in your company?” he asked with a smile of his own.

Momentarily taken aback by his sudden declaration of emotion, Elizabeth could not help herself. Raising her eyebrows she retorted slyly,

“After the occurrence of yesterday afternoon, I think you leave me in little doubt as to how much you savour my company sir,” and she walked on.

Darcy threw back his head and gave a raucous laugh. He knew their life together would never be dull; her quick wit was just another reason he loved her. Yes, Elizabeth Bennet was the perfect woman for him, and he could not fault his taste. Taking the few strides needed to catch up with her he took her hand and gently kissed it. She tried to withdraw it, but he would not oblige. Instead, he caressed her fingers with his thumb as they continued along the path. Elizabeth was no longer aware of her surroundings; her mind was completely focused on the sensations Darcy’s attention to her hand was creating. She was amazed at the effects such a small caress could have on her body. Her heart began to race as a tingling warmth radiate from the area Darcy stroked. Suddenly, she became aware that they had stopped walking. Darcy was looking at her, his head slightly tilted as he studied her face. She lowered her gaze, fearful he would see the effect his closeness was having on her. Then he softly said her name,

“Elizabeth, we have walked far enough. I must make haste to Longbourn. Before I do so, would you permit me to kiss you goodbye?”

Elizabeth knew she should be shocked at this blatant disregard for propriety. Instead she coyly gave her reply.

“I feel that on this occasion, it is acceptable for us to affirm our betrothal in the manner you request Mr. Darcy,” and she waited for him to claim her lips.

In a soft whisper Darcy said,

“Elizabeth, look at me Elizabeth.”

Suddenly feeling shy, she was reluctant to meet his gaze. Sensing this reluctance, he ran a finger lightly down her cheek, coming to rest under her chin. Gently he tilted her head up. The smouldering desire he felt was unmistakably visible in his eyes, and suddenly she felt breathless. As she parted her lips, he bent his head and let his lips gently caress hers. The sensation his brief caress evoked, seemed to spark through her entire body. She raised her face a little more, and Darcy was encouraged to deepen the kiss.

Savouring her timid response, Darcy permitted a fraction of urgency to creep in as he tasted her lips. They were delicious beyond belief, and he wanted to prolong the experience for as long as he dare. He craved to awaken the passion and desire still dormant in her, but he knew she did not love him, and that was the one thing he desired above all else. With reluctance Darcy pulled away, mindful of Elizabeth’s innocence. He was pleased she had permitted such an intimate embrace before they were married. As she tried to catch her breath, and to restore a modicum of composure, Elizabeth realized she would need to be on her guard when in close proximity to Darcy. She enjoyed his kisses far too much!

“You are a hard man to resist Mr. Darcy,” she said breathlessly.

“And I find you irresistible Miss Bennet,” he replied.

 This time Elizabeth did not shy away as he took her hand, and together they made their way back to the parsonage.


I am very much looking forward to reading this book, especially after that excerpt!


** GIVEAWAY - ends Wednesday 8th October**

Martine has provided me a giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive this beautiful set of Jane Austen novels, The Collector's Library edition. (Or if preferred an amazon gift card or Jane Austen Centre Gift Shop gift card to the value of £25.) This giveaway is open internationally. 

To enter, leave a comment below and the winner will be picked randomly.

Please leave your email address (and if you would prefer one of the alternative gift card prizes then please say so.) If you are the lucky winner, I will pass on your email to Martine who will be in touch.

Good luck!

 
Thank you again to Martine for this giveaway and for the lovely excerpt! I wish you all the best with this story as well as any future ones! As I said, watch for my review in the next few weeks!



Your affectionate friend,

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Jane and Austen by Stephanie Fowers




Today I am going to be reviewing the fun story, Jane and Austen, by the lovely Stephanie Fowers. (*I given a review copy of this story but this is my honest unbiased opinion.*)

 "Meet Jane and Austen. First there's Jane—an impractical, starry-eyed wedding planner; if love can’t match what she’s read in a book, she doesn't want it. And then there’s Austen—a pragmatic, logical-to-a-fault financial consultant; even if he were interested in someone, he wouldn't know. The two have one thing in common: they can’t leave each other alone. Jane believes that if Austen could just experience a fairy tale romance, he would secretly love it. And Austen’s pretty sure that if one of Jane’s beloved heroes escaped from the pages of her dog-eared novels, she’d run and hide. Both are about to be proven right. When the rivals are called on to help a friend plan the biggest wedding of the year, an entire resort full of colorful wedding guests descends upon them—many sharing uncanny similarities to characters in a Jane Austen novel. It doesn't take long before Jane gets everything she thinks she wants. After all, too much of a good thing can’t be all that bad, right? But when Jane’s life turns upside down, the only one she can turn to is Austen; though he’s got his own troubles of the heart…and she's afraid that he's enjoying them more than he should."


While this book wasn't completely up my street - I am not one for contemporary stories - it was still an enjoyable read with many laugh out loud moments! It was a real comedy of errors!

It was well written on the whole but you do have to concentrate! It is very fast moving and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, particularly in the first few chapters when they are all introduced to us. Luckily, there is a glossary of the characters at the back to remind us if we do forget or get confused between characters.

The main characters, Jane and Austen, were pretty relatable. I am very much like Jane, a hopeless romantic wanting her own storybook romance, and from my (limited!) experience most guys I have come across have not a romantic bone in their body, just like Austen does not! Their relationship has many ups and downs but the journey each of them experience through the story was interesting to read.

As to the other characters there are too many to go into details of them all, as I usually do, but I have to say that the author was very clever in the way that she incorporated as many characters from all of Jane Austen's novels as she could, and the way in which she twisted the storylines and events we know from the novels was not as you expect - I had no idea who was going to end up with who! It does mess around with beloved characters and their stories and who they should be matched with, however, this didn't bother me as much as it could have given that they are NOT the characters from Jane's novels, and also 1. all the names are slightly different, and 2. this is set in the modern era!  The references to Jane Austen's novels was also very clever and fun to spot while reading.

As I said, this wasn't my favourite type of story, but it was good for a laugh, as things got very out of hand and times and you couldn't help but laugh (or cringe!) for poor Jane, and poor Austen who gets dragged along for the ride!

The fast paced nature of the story meant you had to be alert to keep up with the events and situations and match making which is going on, but it also meant this story never dragged! This story would be enjoyed by someone who likes a good laugh and needs a light hearted, fun, easy read. Jane Austen fans would also enjoy the clever and fun links to her novels, especially those who enjoy her stories being applied in some way to the modern day.
 
Good luck to Stephanie with this book and any future stories!


Your affectionate friend,
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Monday, September 22, 2014

Guest Post: The Madness of Mr Darcy by Alexa Adams


 
Today I welcome the lovely Alexa Adams to my blog to tell us a little more about her newest story, The Madness of Mr Darcy, which sounds fascinating and very unique!  I will also be reviewing this story soon so watch for my review.
 
"The year is 1832 and regrets beleaguer Fitzwilliam Darcy. All he ever cared for has been taken from him: his pride, his sister, and his true love, Elizabeth Bennet. Now, having nearly murdered a man in a fit of rage, he might lose Pemberley, too. More than just his home, his very identity is at stake. In desperation, he seeks the help of Dr. Frederick Wilson, owner and proprietor of Ramsey House, a madhouse for fine ladies and gentlemen. Is Darcy’s confinement the inevitable end to his tortured descent, or will he rediscover what he lost in the most unlikely of places?" 


Thank you, Mrs. Darcy, for inviting me back to your blog!


"The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. - Pride & Prejudice"
 
 
 
We all make judgements based upon appearances and first impressions. It is an inherent human instinct and provides the major theme of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel. If a devoted reader learns nothing else from Austen, they should understand that looks can be deceiving. Wickham, Willoughby, Isabella Thorpe: again and again she tells us to trust in a person’s behavior, not their appearance and professions. Yet in this Austen was distinctly unfashionable for her time, when physiognomy, the science of judging a person’s character by their facial features, was all the rage. When Elizabeth Bennet says of Wickham “there was truth in his looks,” she is doing no more than echoing the wisdom of her age, which Austen repeatedly and systematically debunks in each of her novels.
 
A woman in four stages of Puerperal Mania,
now known as Postpartum Depression.
I could wax rhapsodically on the gall of Austen’s intellectual confidence (ironically, the chief proponent of phrenology, physiognomy weird little sister, was a man named Joseph Francis Gall) and glory in the justification time has provided for it, but the purpose of this post is to introduce my new novel, The Madness of Mr. Darcy, and discuss how physiognomy informed the treatment of insanity in the 19th century. The notion of the lunatic (the technical term of the day) as a patient in need of a cure is a modern one, derived in the 18th century, and inspired professionals working in this field to develop a medley of new treatments intended to replace the chains and shackles of yore (though the vast majority of institutions did and do continued to use restraints, if only rarely). Identifying the correct cause of a lunatic’s distemper became essential to prescribing the correct treatment, just as in conventional medicine. My personal favorite of all the contemporary diagnostic tools were images (later photographs) documenting different types of insanity, each labeled with the appropriate ailment: alcoholic, melancholic, erotomaniac, sometimes  just “Ophelia.” I could not resist incorporating them into my story, which takes place in the early 1830’s, twenty years after the events of Pride & Prejudice.

“Interesting.” He took a few more notes. “Does your insomnia usually come in the middle of the night, or do you have trouble going to sleep in the first place?”

“Not really,” Mr. Darcy replied. “It is staying asleep that has always proven impossible, until recently.”

“Go on,” the doctor urged.

“Since you were with us at Pemberley, I have not found the bed conducive to sleep.”

“Hmmm. Is this the reason for the couch request?”

“It is.”

“And how did you get on last night?”

Mr. Darcy averted his eyes. “I slept on the floor last night.”


The doctor gave him a searching look. “Nightmares?”

“Yes.”

“About what?”

“All kinds of things.”

“Any recurring dreams?”

“Yes.” Mr. Darcy grew thoughtful. “I dream of my sister and others whom I have failed.”

“Do you dream of George Wickham?”

He hung his head. “Yes.”

“And monsters under the bed?” the doctor asked with a smile.

“Ancestors,” Darcy replied seriously.

“I see.” The doctor studied him contemplatively. “Rather a classic melancholic. Amazing I missed it at first!”

“And why is that?”

“Because it is inscribed in your countenance! Look here.” He rose and took a book from a shelf, flipping through the pages for a few moments until he found what he was looking for. Finally, and with flourish, he presented Mr. Darcy with an illustration labelled ‘Melancholia,’ depicting two images of the same man. In the first, he was dishevelled: neck tie undone, posture sloping, and hair wild. In the second, he was perfectly groomed and unexceptionable, even to the Bible clenched under his arm. “Note the broad forehead and patrician nose are much like yours, Fitzwilliam. Sunken eyes, careworn mouth – it is all there, plain as the nose on your face,” he laughed.

“The lines in my face are the foundations of my problems?” he asked skeptically.

“No, but they do reveal your predisposition towards melancholia. Life took care of the rest.” He made a last flourish with the pen and closed his notebook.


There are many more oddities of 19th century mental health to be discovered in The Madness of Mr. Darcy, but as it is primarily a romance, I’d like to provide the conclusion to the above scene, which begins to point us in that direction. Thanks again for having me, Mrs. Darcy! It’s always an honor.


“Just one thing more, Dr. Wilson.”

“Yes?” He paused with his hand on the door.

“When I last met Mrs. Bennet, she was a Miss Bennet, and I do not recall her having any male cousins on her father’s side.”


Dr. Wilson laughed. “You are a keen observer, too, Mr. Darcy! Miss Bennet found her position much easier to fulfill as a Mrs. Bennet, and so she adopted the more authoritative title before I even met her. I trust you will not expose her to the other guests?”

“Certainly not.”

“Very good.”

“Would you mind telling me how she came to be here, Dr. Wilson?” he asked, instantly regretting the impulse. “It is impossible to conceive how the genteel young lady I once knew found herself in such a profession.”

“It is Mrs. Bennet’s tale to tell, Fitzwilliam,” he said, studying Darcy as closely as a specimen at the end of a microscope. “You will have to ask her if you wish to hear it, but I suggest you put your prior association behind you. It cannot help you adapt to the relationship you must now have with her if you dwell too heavily on what she once was.”

“I understand,” he said, feeling secure in the knowledge that she already indicated she would confide to him the truth.

“There is one more thing I wish you would keep in mind, Fitzwilliam. Just as your curiosity is roused in regards to Mrs. Bennet, so is that of every other guest of the house, as well as a few employees. Her obvious gentility begs an explanation. Quite a few have been bandied about over the years, but I believe I remain the only person at Ramsey House who knows the entirety of the tale. She has not even confided in Mrs. Prescott, her closest companion. Her past has nothing to do with the here and now.”

Mr. Darcy looked at the odd man before him – this combination of doctor and baronet in whom he had entrusted his entire self – and knew him mistaken. The past was everything to the present.  


 
Author biography:
A devoted reader of Jane Austen since her childhood, Alexa Adams is the author of Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice, Emma & Elton: Something Truly Horrid, Jane & Bingley: Something Slightly Unsettling, and the short story collection And Who Can be in Doubt of What Followed?: The Novels of Jane Austen Continued. Alexa resides in Delaware with her husband, daughter, and cat. She blogs about Austen and Austenesque literature at alexaadams.blogspot.com.
 

** GIVEAWAY - ends Monday 29th September**

Alexa has provided me a giveaway!  Two lucky winners will receive an ebook copy of The Madness of Mr Darcy. This giveaway is open internationally. 

To enter, leave a comment below and the winners will be picked randomly.

Please leave your email address and which format you would like for the ebook. If you are one of the lucky winners, I will pass on your email to Alexa who will be in touch.

Good luck!
 
Thank you again to Alexa for this giveaway and for this fascinating post! I wish you all the best with this story as well as any future ones! As I said, watch for my review in the next few weeks!

Your affectionate friend,
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