Blog Tour: Mr. Darcy's Rival by Kara Louise

Today I am pleased to be part of the blog tour for the lovely Kara Louise's release, Mr Darcy's Rival. And there is a giveaway, which I will tell you about at the end of this post! I love Kara's stories, and I am looking forward to this latest story!

My Journey To and With Jane Austen

I regret that I am one of those people who came to Jane Austen relatively late in life. I never had the opportunity to read her in school and never took the opportunity to read her on my own when I was younger. In school I had read Jane Eyre and loved it, but I have to admit I struggled through other classics we had to read.

In the mid-nineties, I was finally introduced to the works of Jane Austen through the films Emma and Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed those films as I enjoy most period pieces, but they did not move me enough to seek out the books and read them.

Then in 2011, a friend loaned me her DVD of the 1995 film Pride and Prejudice, and assured me I would love it. And I did. I could not get enough of it of that six-hour film, and watched either all or parts of it every day for at least a month. When we were about to take a road trip to Yellowstone, I wondered how I would survive without my daily fix. Fortunately, I had the sense to realize I could read the book. I purchased a small, Penguin-classics book that was very helpful to me as it also containedexplanatory notes at the back.

I devoured that book, realizing that even though the film was wonderful, the book was even better. Jane Austen’s writing jumped out from the page. It was clever and witty, and she had such a way with words. From there, I purchased a complete set of her works and read each one, along with watching a film version if I could find one. Within about 3 months, I had read each one, and Jane Austen had become my favorite author.

I went online one day just to see what I could find on P&P. I had no idea what was out there, and I have to say that I was quite surprised! I found communities of people who felt the same way I did! People were talking about her novels, characters, plots, and her writing. People had been as deeply moved as I had been!

What really surprised, me however, was discovering that people were writing continuations of her works. They were writing prequels and sequels, variations, and moderns! I suddenly found myself immersed in the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction. I no longer had to worry about there being no more books penned by her. Others had taken up the task, and I read the good along with the bad.

After about a month of reading dozens of stories, I got an inspiration for a story of my own. What I plotted out to be about seven chapters turned into a twenty chapter book, Assumed Engagement. From there I wrote others, receiving a fairly positive response. I was now journeying with Jane Austen, who at one point in her life plotted out how Darcy and Elizabeth would get together. I was now doing the same.

I began self-publishing my novels in 2006, and my recent release, Mr. Darcy’s Rival, is my ninth novel. In this variation, a nephew of the late Sir Lewis de Bourgh is visiting his aunt at Rosings when Elizabeth arrives to visit her friend, Charlotte Collins. Mr. Rickland is open and lively and very much the kind of gentleman who might easily touch Elizabeth’s heart. When Mr. Darcy arrives a few weeks later, she cannot help but compare the two men.

Here is the blurb for Mr. Darcy’s Rival:

Mr.Darcy has learned he must prepare himself when he and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, make their yearly visit to his aunt, particularly when it comes to Lady Catherine’s expectation that he marry her daughter, Anne.

This year, however, will throw in a few additional obstacles to Darcy’s peace of mind with the presence of a nephew on the de Bourgh side of the family, and quite unexpectedly, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

An interrupted proposal, a letter written and unknowingly lost, a harsh accusation, and a rival all conspire to thwart Mr. Darcy in securing Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s affections when he visits his aunt at Rosings.

Will Elizabeth find the handsome and engaging Mr. Rickland more suited to her than Mr. Darcy? And will a novel she reads that was written secretly by Miss Anne de Bourgh help smooth the path to the couple finding true love?

*~*~*

I hope you will be intrigued enough to discover for yourself whether Mr. Darcy will improve upon acquaintance before Elizabeth loses her heart to Mr. Rickland. There are several changes to the events at Rosings that I hope will keep readers interested.

There are often times I wonder what Jane would think about her fame two hundred years later. Would she shrug it off, laugh at it, or be a little envious of the authors who are now receiving the notice she ought to have received when her novels were first published? Would she be angry or jealous that her characters, fictional towns and homes, and plot elements were now in hundreds of other novels? Would she mind the vampires, zombies, moderns, and other ways her novels had been turned upside down?

I would hope she would not mind, and instead feel honored. My hope in writing Jane Austen variations is that it might prompt someone to turn to Jane Austen’s own novels, possibly for the first time. I visited a book club once that had read my book Darcy’s Voyage, and I was a little dismayed that more than half of them had not read Pride and Prejudice or even seen a film version. I told them quite bluntly that P&P needed to be one of the next novels the book club read! And if anyone reading this had not picked up a Jane Austen novel, I would beg of you to please do!

I am well aware that I do not write like Miss Austen, or even come close, but I hope my readers will enjoy the journey I take Darcy and Elizabeth on. It has been a journey that I have enjoyed taking with Jane Austen, as well.

Thank you Sophie, for allowing me to come and share with your readers! I am offering an ebook giveaway internationally.

Kara Louise

 

About Me:

Kara Louise began writing Jane Austen inspired stories in 2001 and has currently written nine novels, including "Darcy's Voyage" and "Only Mr. Darcy Will Do," which were both published by Sourcebooks. Her seven other novels are self-published, including the most recent release, "Mr. Darcy's Rival." She is also one of the contributing authors from the austenvariations.com blog.

Kara grew up in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. She and her family moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1991, which was quite a (pleasant) change for them. They left the hectic, crowded busyness of LA and found themselves in a medium sized city with a small town feel. In September, 2013, she and her husband moved to the bustling St. Louis area to be near their son and his wife. In May, 2014, they were blessed with their first granddaughter, whom they love and spoil endlessly. They live on five acres in a wooded area with their five cats, one dog, and a Shetland Pony.

Links

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/karalouise.214

Website - http://www.karalouise.net/

Twitter - @2karalouise

Mr. Darcy’s Rival Available at:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Rival-Kara-Louise-ebook/dp/B00Y7DDD4Q

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Rival-Kara-Louise/dp/1512053538/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mr-darcys-rival-kara-louise/1122023131?ean=2940151361309

 

 

 ***GIVEAWAY***  

 

As I mentioned above, I am very lucky to be able to offer a giveaway of an ebook copy of Mr Darcy's Rival, and this is open internationally. 

To enter please leave a comment below and include your email address so that I can contact the randomly selected winner.

The giveaway will end on the 7th of July, and I will be in contact with the winner!




Good luck! My thanks again goes to Kara for the giveaway and the lovely guest post!

I wish Kara all the best with any stories in the future!

 

 

Your affectionate friend,