Saturday, September 30, 2017

Blog Tour: Mr Darcy's Guide to Pemberley by Julia B. Grantham - with giveaway!

I am thrilled and very excited to be sharing with you today that my wonderful friend Julia's amazing new book is now available! There is a great giveaway with the post too!  







Mr Darcy’s Guide to Pemberley – OUT NOW!

Hi, my name is Julia B. Grantham and I am delighted to be visiting Sophie’s amazing blog today to announce that the wait is over and the book is finally out!

It is rather symbolic that it is on Sophie’s blog I am making this announcement. Sophie was the first person, who I told that I was an author behind ‘Elizabeth Bennet Darcy’ Facebook page, it is to her tea party I came to Bath for the first time and discovered for myself the surreal and wonderful world of Jane Austen’s Festival and its many excellent participants – talented, kind and dedicated people. Therefore it is only fitting – that it is on Sophie’s blog I am sharing the news that my three-year journey is at its end and the book is ready! Its destiny is now in your hands. 

Watch me unpacking the parcel and seeing the finished book for the first time:





About the book:

One “had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.”

From its very first appearance 200 years ago on the pages of Jane Austen’s masterpiece Pride & Prejudice, Pemberley has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations and fashioned its own army of devoted followers. 

Over the years Pemberley has become synonymous with tasteful grandeur, peaceful comfort and the charm of a well-loved old English stately home. Time and time again millions of Jane Austen‘s devoted readers sigh with Elizabeth‘s feeling that “to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!”

Sumptuously presented, to make sure it does justice to the stunning place it describes, this book is the first and only of its kind. It is only available as a hardback, wrapped in a smooth dustcover with gold emboss. Inside, the book is printed on high quality silky paper with full colour paintings adorning every page. Hand-drawn maps help you to find your way around Mr Darcy’s extensive estate and perfectly imagine every detail as if you were walking the garden paths beside your generous (and handsome!) host.

Specifications:

- hardback, landscape, 28x21 cm.

- Dust cover with gold emboss.

- Satin paper.

- Full colour throughout.

- 108 pages, with illustrations on every page.

You can but today and still save money here: https://gumroad.com/pemberleybooks

The price goes up on 1 October! Tomorrow!


Page Reveal:



***GIVEAWAY - ends October 7th***

Today’s international giveaway is absolutely unique and cannot be replicated or purchased in any shops:

-      a large Limited Edition (1 of only 2 prints) print of an original watercolour from the book, hand-signed by me;



-      a notebook with the portrait of Mr Darcy by an amazing artist E. Tarnovski (brand new edition of the portrait);



-      a gorgeous pendant: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ book in blue, with a bookmark and a silver metal rose attached.

All you need to do to win is to comment on this blog post (include you email please so I can contact you easily if you are they lucky winner) AND like the book’s page:



My question to you today:

If you had to choose a house amongst many grand and not so grand houses described in Jane Austen’s books – what would it be? Actually, I need to change the question, I think – what would be your second choice after Pemberley? :)

Best of luck!








The book is coming to Amazon.co.uk on 1 October at RRP £25 + p&p.

Buy today at https://gumroad.com/pemberleybooks   for £20 + p&p only.

This book looks and sounds amazing and I can't wait to add it to my collection! I thank Julia again for coming here to announce it is now available, and wish her all the best with this book. And good luck in the giveaway!



Wednesday, September 06, 2017

Blog Tour: If I Could Write a Book by Karen M Cox - with giveaway!



“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich…”

Thus began Jane Austen’s classic, a light and lively tale set in an English village two hundred years ago. Yet every era has its share of Emmas: young women trying to find themselves in their own corners of the world.

I Could Write a Book is the story of a self-proclaimed modern woman: Emma Katherine Woodhouse, a 1970s co-ed whose life is pleasant, ordered and predictable, if a bit confining.

Her friend George Knightley is a man of the world who has come home to fulfill his destiny: run his father’s thriving law practice and oversee the sprawling Donwell Farms, his family legacy in Central Kentucky horse country.

Since childhood, George’s and Emma’s lives have meshed and separated time and again. But now they’re adults with grown-up challenges and obligations. As Emma orchestrates life in quaint Highbury, George becomes less amused with her antics and struggles with a growing attraction to the young woman she’s become.

Rich with humor, poignancy and the camaraderie of life in a small, Southern town, I Could Write a Book is a coming of age romance with side helpings of self-discovery, friendship, and finding true love in the most unlikely places.


I am thrilled today to be part of the blog tour for Karen M Cox's latest release, If I Could Write a Book. My thanks also goes to Claudine Pepe for inviting me to take part.




Hello, gentle readers, and welcome to the I Could Write a Book blog tour! I want to give a big shout out to Miss Lizzie for hosting me on this first stop.





I Could Write a Book is an atypical step in the Jane Austen Fan Fiction world for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a quasi-modern variation of Emma, whereas most JAFF centers around Pride and Prejudice. Second, it’s neither Regency nor modern era; it takes place during what was a socially turbulent time in the 20th Century U.S. – the 1970s.


But never fear, the cast of characters are all here in I Could Write a Book’s Highbury: We have a Miss Smith, a Mr. Martin, a Mr. and Mrs. Elton, a Mrs. and Miss Bates, a Frank Churchill, a Jane Fairfax, and a Mr. Woodhouse—all up to their usual shenanigans.





To me, the major theme of Austen’s Emma is the redemptive character arc of one Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who (unlike her Austen novel contemporaries) has the money and the time to royally mess up her life, and tries to mess up everyone else’s. But in true Austen style, once she faces her foibles, she gets the Austen HEA trifecta: self-awareness, the great estate (although she already has one), and the man (and what a man he is!) This journey is what I’ve tried to adapt to the 20th Century, because it’s a journey that is still relevant today, and I believe will be relevant for as long as human beings are human. That’s why Jane Austen was a genius, and why she will live on through the generations.





So, onward to today’s fun and games. During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a cringe-worthy game show called “The Dating Game”, where three bachelors (or bachelorettes, in some cases) were put behind a screen and asked questions by a bachelorette (or bachelor). After they answered, she would choose one to take her on a date, paid for by the show. It was kind of like online dating sites, or speed dating, but much…slower. And played out in front of a lot of voyeuristic TV viewers – ha.



While thinking of blog tour post ideas, I imagined Miss Woodhouse in that bachelorette chair and wondered how she’d do with three bachelors of her own to question. Here is the result of that flight of fancy… 






Announcer: From Hollywood, California, the dating capital of the world, it’s The Dating Game!



Jim: Thank you and welcome to the Dating Game. Well, it’s time to meet our first three bachelors for game number one—and he-e-e-re they are!



Our first bachelor works in state government and has political aspirations for the US Senate and beyond. He likes small towns, college basketball and playing tennis. He calls Leitchfield, Kentucky his hometown. Please welcome Tim Elton.

(applause)

Our second young man is an attorney and gentleman farmer. He likes various forms of leisure, such as tennis, horseback riding and jogging. He hails from Highbury, Kentucky, please give a hearty round of applause for George Knightley.

(applause)

Bachelor # 3 has just finished his business degree, and is currently working in the restaurant supply business. He was a college baseball player, likes fast horses and beautiful women, and is a fan of off-Broadway theater. Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, please welcome Frank Weston.

(applause)



Welcome, and good luck, gentlemen.



Now, to prevent our young lady from hearing about today’s bachelors, we have kept her isolated off-stage, in a soundproof room. Let’s bring her out right now. She’s a college co-ed who enjoys giving her friends advice, indulging in night-time swimming, and engaging in a variety of arts and projects she doesn’t finish. She’s a self-proclaimed modern woman and a health nut. Bachelors, meet Emma Woodhouse.

(applause)



Jim: Welcome, Emma.



Emma: Thank you, Jim.



Jim: I see you have some questions ready to help you pick the man you think you’d like. Are you ready?



Emma: Yes, I am. I know exactly what I want to ask to find the best man for me. I’m very good at reading people.



Jim: Then let’s get started.



Emma: Bachelor #1, I believe that people are always self-conscious when they arrive in a way that is beneath them. In other words, a true gentleman should arrive in style. What kind of car would you drive to a big party—or on our date—if you could choose any vehicle you wanted?



Bachelor Elton: I’d drive the newest Cadillac. Nothing says success like a Caddy. That’s what my father says. 



Emma: A Cadillac man. Interesting. How about you, Bachelor #2?



Bachelor Knightley: Well, Emma, I do have my choice of vehicles, and if the weather is nice, I would drive my convertible. If not, I would drive the Volvo. A true gentleman keeps in mind what car is appropriate for the situation—and who will be along for the ride.



Emma: I love a convertible with the wind blowing in my hair. And you, Bachelor #3?



Bachelor Weston: I think style is important too, Emma. I once drove two hours from my house, just to get a haircut.



Emma: Impressive. rolls eyes and smiles at Jim So, what car would you drive on our date?



Bachelor Weston: It’s an obvious choice. I’d drive my ‘Stang, baby!



Jim: All great answers, gentlemen. Here comes question two.



Emma: Okay then. Bachelor #2, if you were a wild animal, what animal would you be and why?



Bachelor Knightley: I’d be a lion.



Emma: Why is that?



Bachelor Knightley: grins Because I’m king of the jungle.



Emma: Intriguing. Bachelor #3?



Bachelor Weston: I think I’d be a black panther because he’s sleek and stealthy and—looks at audience and winks—handsome.



Emma: I see. Bachelor #1?



Bachelor Elton: Bachelor #2 took my answer. So um, a cheetah, I guess. Because he’s the fastest animal alive.

The other two look at him, puzzled



Jim: Okay, Emma. This is your final question, so make it a good one.



Emma: I plan on it, Jim. Bachelor #3, if your house caught on fire, what would be the first thing you’d grab on your way out the door?



Bachelor Weston: Hmm…probably my baseball trophies. Those are really irreplaceable.



Emma: I can see why they would be important to you. Bachelor # 1?



Bachelor Elton: My tennis racket?



Emma: I’m sensing a sports theme here.



Jim: Our bachelors are pretty athletic-looking guys.



Emma: Oh, that’s good. I like a man who stays fit. How about you Bachelor #2? Would you save your sports equipment first?



Bachelor Knightley: I do enjoy my sports, but that’s not what I’d save first if my house was on fire.



Emma: What would you save?



Bachelor Knightley: Why, I’d grab you, honey!



Emma: whispers to self  Excellent answer, number two.



Jim: (music riff) Well, there’s the signal that it’s time to make your choice, Emma. You’ll have sixty seconds to decide which lucky bachelor it will be. (camera pans the contestants) Bachelor #1? (Elton grins self-consciously at the camera) Bachelor #2? (Knightley looks toward the dividing wall, trying to get a glimpse of Emma) or Bachelor #3? (Weston winks at someone off-stage).

***

So, readers, which bachelor will our Emma choose? Who would be the most fun? Who would be the worst date? Who would be the best?



You know, it occurs to me that if Emma had done The Dating Game for real, she would have made the correct choice right off the bat. Or do you think Emma Woodhouse has to learn most things the hard way?



Thanks so much for stopping by Laughing with Lizzie, and helping me kick off the I Could Write a Book blog tour! We’ve got some fun stops ahead in the next few weeks, so I hope you join us!



Karen blows big kiss, Dating Game style

 
via GIPHY
















Karen M Cox is an award-winning author of novels accented with romance and history, including 1932 and its companion ebook novella The Journey Home, and the novels Find Wonder in All Things and Undeceived. She also contributed a short story, “Northanger Revisited 2015”, to the anthology, Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer, and a story titled, “I, Darcy” to The Darcy Monologues.

Karen was born in Everett WA, which was the result of coming into the world as the daughter of a United States Air Force Officer. She had a nomadic childhood, with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee and New York State before finally settling in her family’s home state of Kentucky at the age of eleven. She lives in a quiet little town with her husband, where she works as a pediatric speech pathologist, encourages her children, and spoils her granddaughter.



Connect with Karen:

Website: www.karenmcox.com

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/karenmcox

Visit with Karen on several of the usual social media haunts such as Facebook, (karenmcox1932), Twitter (@karenmcox1932), Pinterest (karenmc1932), Instagram (karenmcox1932), and Tumblr (karenmcox).



If you would like bits of authorly goodness in your inbox once a month (updates, sales, book recommendations, etc.) sign up for News & Muse Letter

Karen loves to hear from readers, so don’t be shy. Contact her through social media, her website, or online sites like Amazon and Goodreads.



Giveaway Time!



Karen is giving away two themed prizes during the blog tour, tokens of appreciation for readers of I Could Write a Book, and for supporters of the wonderful sites on the blog tour.



Tea Prize Basket includes: A signed copy of I Could Write a Book, Mr. Knightley’s Reserve and Emma’s Perfect Match teas from Bingley’s Teas, a set of Jane Austen Book Coasters, and a Jane Austen Quotes mug.




Pretty Things Basket includes: A signed copy of I Could Write a Book, an “Emma” quote pendant, an Emma bangle bracelet, Regency cameo earrings, and a jewelry roll.



Readers can enter for chances to win these prizes here. There are bonus entries for social media shares and visits, if you’re on social media. This is one big giveaway with two prizes.
Good luck, everyone!





a Rafflecopter giveaway


My thanks again goes to Karen for this fun excerpt! My thanks also to Claudine for setting up this tour.

I wish Karen all the best with this release as well as any stories in the future!




Blog Tour Schedule


Laughing with Lizzie / September 6 / Launch Post/Dating Game / Giveaway

So little time… / September 7 / Book Excerpt / Giveaway

Book Lover in Florida / September 8 / Guest post / Giveaway

Austenesque Reviews / September 15 / Book Review/ Giveaway

My Love for Jane Austen / September 16 / Guest Post / Giveaway

Granny Loves to Read  / September 17 / Book Review / Giveaway

My Jane Austen Book Club / September 18/ Guest Post/Mr. Knightley / Giveaway

Just Jane 1813 / September 19 / Author Interview / Giveaway

Sophia’s Sofa Chat / September 21 / An Interview with Karen M Cox on Goodreads

Babblings of a Bookworm/ / September 22 / Book Review/ Giveaway

Silver Petticoat Review / September 23/ Guest Post/ Giveaway

From Pemberley to Milton / September 25 / Book Excerpt / Giveaway

Margie’s Must Reads / September 27 / Book Review / Giveaway

Obsessed with Mr Darcy / September 28 / Book Review

My Vices and Weaknesses / September 30 / Book Review / Giveaway

Diary of an Eccentric / October 2 / Book Review / Giveaway

More Agreeably Engaged / October 4 / Book Excerpt / Giveaway




Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Blog Tour: Pride and Prejudice (Restored) by Jane Austen; Annotated by Sophie Turner - with giveaway!




The novel needs no introduction. But readers may not have realised that we have been losing “Pride and Prejudice” over the years, particularly digitally. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation have eroded significantly from the 1813 Egerton first edition, and many digital copies suffer from poor formatting.

In 2017, the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, her “darling Child” has been painstakingly restored to the three-volume 1813 first edition. Adjustments have only been made where there were errors in the 1813 text, and are noted in detailed annotations at the end of the novel.

Please enjoy this beloved story, restored to Jane Austen’s original voice.

I am thrilled today to be part of the blog tour for Sophie Turner's new book, Pride and Prejudice (Restored). My thanks also goes to Claudine Pepe for inviting me to take part in this tour.


Thank you so much for hosting me here at Laughing With Lizzie! I’m really excited to share this project with readers, and particularly to share some excerpts, as these show why it was necessary to create a restored edition of Pride and Prejudice, taking it back to the grammar, spelling, and punctuation of the 1813 edition, save errors.



One of the biggest things that had eroded was commas, which you can see in my “before” copy, the Republic of Pemberley’s online text, vs. the “after” edited version.



Before:

The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.



After:

The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.



Before:

"If my children are silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it."



After:

“If my children are silly I must hope to be always sensible of it.”



Jane Austen had a very particular timing with her commas, and her sentences tend to suffer when we shift the comma to the “modern” location, as shown above. They also suffer when inserted to interrupt the flow of her light prose, as in the below examples.



Before:

"You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet, with civil self-command, to Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingley's first choice."



After:

You began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet with civil self-command to Miss Lucas. “You were Mr. Bingley’s first choice.”



Before:

She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter's proposal of being carried home; neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable.



After:

She would not listen therefore to her daughter’s proposal of being carried home; neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable.



Before:

"I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen through, I am afraid, is pitiful."



After:

“I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen through I am afraid is pitiful.”



Before:

Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet give up the point. She talked to Elizabeth again and again; coaxed and threatened her by turns. She endeavoured to secure Jane in her interest; but Jane, with all possible mildness, declined interfering; and Elizabeth, sometimes with real earnestness, and sometimes with playful gaiety, replied to her attacks. Though her manner varied, however, her determination never did.



After:

Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet give up the point. She talked to Elizabeth again and again; coaxed and threatened her by turns. She endeavoured to secure Jane in her interest, but Jane with all possible mildness declined interfering;—and Elizabeth sometimes with real earnestness and sometimes with playful gaiety replied to her attacks. Though her manner varied however, her determination never did.



The last example shows that there were often multiple instances of punctuation that needed to be corrected, even within one sentence. Austen often used mdashes in conjunction with other punctuation, and these often tended to get “lost” from digital editions, or formatted as double hyphens, as shown below, where the punctuation should not even be any sort of dash, but instead a comma leading into the dialogue, which Austen very frequently used.



Before:

About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for the walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and, after listening a moment, she heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door and met Maria in the landing-place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out --



"Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment."





After

“About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and after listening a moment, she heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door, and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out,



“Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment.”



Here is another instance of improperly formatted and missing dashes, and I think it begins to show how this not only diminishes Austen’s voice, but also degrades the experience for the reader, to not have nice, clean punctuation. It’s also a great example of misplaced commas; with the commas restored you can see Austen’s true rhythm of prose.



Before:

On his quitting the room she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her, or to refrain from saying, in a tone of gentleness and commiseration, "Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take to give you present relief? A glass of wine; -- shall I get you one? You are very ill."



After:

On his quitting the room, she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her, or to refrain from saying, in a tone of gentleness and commiseration, “Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take, to give you present relief?—A glass of wine;—shall I get you one?—You are very ill.”



There were also a vast number of instances where commas were substituted for semicolons, or vice versa, as shown in the next example. Austen was decidedly not afraid of using a semicolon, but again there is a certain rhythm to how she uses them. And you can see again a number of instances of commas out of place.



Before:
The good news quickly spread through the house, and with proportionate speed through the neighbourhood. It was borne in the latter with decent philosophy. To be sure, it would have been more for the advantage of conversation had Miss Lydia Bennet come upon the town; or, as the happiest alternative, been secluded from the world, in some distant farm house. But there was much to be talked of in marrying her; and the good-natured wishes of her well-doing which had proceeded before from all the spiteful old ladies in Meryton, lost but little of their spirit in this change of circumstances, because with such an husband her misery was considered certain.

After:
The good news quickly spread through the house; and with proportionate speed through the neighbourhood. It was borne in the latter with decent philosophy. To be sure it would have been more for the advantage of conversation, had Miss Lydia Bennet come upon the town; or, as the happiest alternative, been secluded from the world, in some distant farm house. But there was much to be talked of, in marrying her; and the good-natured wishes for her well-doing, which had proceeded before, from all the spiteful old ladies in Meryton, lost but little of their spirit in this change of circumstances, because with such an husband, her misery was considered certain.


I hope this and my other excerpt posts along the blog tour will give readers an understanding of why I felt doing the restored edition was necessary. These differences may be subtle, but as I wrote in the forward, over time, they eroded Austen’s voice. For the 200th anniversary of her death, I wanted to give her that voice back.


Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo



 












Sophie Turner worked as an online editor before delving even more fully into the tech world. Writing, researching the Regency era, and occasionally dreaming about living in Britain are her escapes from her day job.



She was afraid of long series until she ventured upon Patrick O’Brian’s 20-book Aubrey-Maturin masterpiece, something she might have repeated five times through.



Alas, her Constant Love series is only planned to be seven books right now, and consists of A Constant Love, A Change of Legacies, and the in-progress A Season Lost.



She blogs about her writing endeavours at sophie-turner-acl.blogspot.com, where readers can find direction for the various social drawing-rooms across the Internet where she may be called upon.



** GIVEAWAY - ends Wednesday 20th September **

Sophie has been kind enough to offer a giveaway of an ebook copy of her story, open internationally

Please leave a comment for a chance to win. The giveaway ends on 20th September. I will be in touch with the winner, so please leave your email in your comment. The very best of luck! 



My thanks again goes to Sophie for this interesting explanation about her restoration of a most beloved novel! My thanks also to Claudine for setting up this tour.



Blog Tour Schedule

July 27 / My Vices and Weaknesses/ Guest Post & Giveaway

July 28 / Austenesque Reviews/Book Excerpt & Giveaway

July 29 / My Love for Jane Austen/ Guest Post & Giveaway

August 3 /Just Jane 1813 / Book Review & Giveaway

August 4 / My Jane Austen Book Club/ Guest Post & Giveaway

September 4 / Diary of an Eccentric/ Guest Post & Giveaway

September 5 / Laughing with Lizzie / Book Excerpt & Giveaway

September 6 / Savvy Verse & Wit / Book Review & Giveaway

September 12 / Margie’s Must Reads /Book Review & Giveaway

September 14 / More Agreeably Engaged /Guest Post & Giveaway

September 15 / Babblings of a Bookworm/ Book Excerpt & Giveaway