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Sasha has written a very eloquent response to a guy’s guest post: The Darcy Syndrome at her blog.

Dear women who adore the Fitzwilliam & all things a la Austen,

I love him, you love him and any self-respectable woman would. No, we are not crazy, we just happen to have standards. Standards that mean we won’t settle and believe we are worth something in this world.

That is what Darcy represents — the brighter side; greener pastures and all that jazz.

I refuse to settle for anything less than Mr. Darcy.

Sincerely,
A ’girl’ xx.

Duty and Desire takes places during the majority of the silent period. It is the second book in the Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman Trilogy. The first is An Assembly Such as This which ended in London at the beginning to the silent period of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Darcy is in quite a pickle. He’s managed to successfully divert his friend from near disaster, but his mind won’t stop resting on the delights of Elizabeth Bennet. Thinking Pemberley will help orient his mind, Darcy finishes his business in London and hies home. There he meets his sister, Georgiana much changed from her misfortunes of last summer. Bright sunny and remarkably mature, Darcy can hardly believe his eyes. He’s worried that one wrong move on his part will ruin all of Georgiana’s progress.

Christmas comes to Pemberley and Darcy is caught more than once daydreaming about Elizabeth’s fine eyes. He knows he must do something about his wandering imagination and fast. Determined to erase her presence from his thoughts, Darcy decides to enter into the hunt for a wife. Leaving his sister in the care of family and his best friend Dy, Darcy goes to a reunion house party of old Cambridge and Oxford mates.

There he meets his cousin’s fiancee and is at once charmed and disturbed by her flirtation. He finds solace in the dark beauty that is his host’s half-sister. As his thoughts war between Sylvanie and Elizabeth, both gray eye beauties, a dark nearly Gothic mystery begins to unfold. His host is in dire need of funds, a piglet is slaughtered and made to look like a human baby, personal affects are stolen, and more. Fletcher, Darcy’s valet, is the only one he can trust to help unwind the threads of this coil.

I guessed immediately who was behind everything, but had not guessed at the second mystery that was present in the writing. It took me by surprise at the end during the revelation. In hind-sight I can see the clues that I could not before. A masterful tale, if a little drawn out. Would have preferred more Bingley in this part of the story, as it was there was very little. I suspect Dy and/or Colonel Fitzwilliam love romantically the sixteen year old Georgiana. My suspicions will have to wait until the next and final chapter of Mr. Fitzwilliam, Darcy Gentleman Trilogy.

Review: 3 Stars

Buy: Duty and Desire

Hello ladies, I know we all obsess over Mr. Darcy but what do guys think of that? I was trying to explain myself to a friend of mine and we got into a debate, where admittedly I was losing (at least from his standpoint). What can I say? I was not on the debate team in high school. In the end, I thought his impression of Darcy was really interesting and I asked him to share his view point with us here in hopes some of you could counter his argument. Heated arguments and debates welcome… no flames, please!

The Darcy Syndrome
(AKA – you women are nuts)

So, I was asked to supply a man’s take on romance to this website. Here it goes, you women are crazy. Not all of you, just the ones who actually look for guys like this, and you let this be your idea of what romance should be. Well, that’s like me looking at an airbrushed playboy centerfold and expecting women to be D cups and enjoy football – it’s not going to happen. Mr. Darcy doesn’t exist, that’s right Virginia, there’s also no Santa Claus.

The way I’ve had it explained to me, is a “Darcy”, is that guy who’s emotionally closed off, snobbish, and generally a prick. But he “changes” or reveals his “true self” (one second while I wait for my contemptuous snicker to subside), due to the love of a good woman. This is why we know Jane Austin and not Steve Austin wrote this book, guys like that don’t exist. If a guy comes of like a prick, he’s a prick. You think you’re going to be good for him? Help him? Reveal that better man? There’s no man underneath ladies, there isn’t even an underneath, and we have no hidden layers, we simply are who we are. The crazy thing is, many of the girls I know who are like this get turned off by a guy who is just simply nice, and not an asshat. They’d rather change a guy into that, than just pick that guy.

Now it’s gotten so bad that you’ve made paranormal romance the next evolution the Darcy. You have to invent imaginary creatures just to cobble together a man that meets your unrealistic expectations – vampires with souls? Vegetarian vampires? What’s next? Werewolves with French accents, Armani suits, and are ever so gentle?

Well, as a reformed “nice guy” a.k.a. the doormat you always complain about your Darcys to, I’ll step up and say it – men don’t suck. They don’t suck for the same reason I’m not talking about all women, it’s you – you unmitigated bundles of confusion, your decision making skills concerning men suck. And if you think that’s bad, imagine the guys who have to put up with this garbage. You know what this psychosis is going to do to the few good men out there? It’s going to turn them into me.

Just think about that.

The place confusion ends, the unabridged truth, what you should know about men but won’t ask.

Sincerely,
-A guy

This novel is Pride and Prejudice retold from Darcy’s POV. He’s very wordy–can you imagine? His version is in three parts! Part one of the Mr. Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, An Assembly Such as This, and the only one I’ve read so far, details his time in Hertfordshire. It starts with the Meryton Assembly and ends after departing Netherfield and before Jane Bennet arrives in London.

I liked the book a lot. The language matches the feel of Pride and Prejudice. It’s written in a slightly more updated fashion than Jane Austen’s original. Purists might dislike that, but it made me happy.

It’s written at a good pace. I was halfway through before I realized the novel couldn’t possibly end with them together. (I hadn’t realized it was part of the trilogy when I started.) That’s not to say it was all easy reading—some parts dragged; getting bogged down in the details. Luckily they are few and far in between and you can skimmed them and still understand what’s happening.

Observing Mr. Darcy fall for Elizabeth was a hoot. His thoughts on the subject of Elizabeth are quite a riot. I loved learning that in some situations when others see a stern visage his mind is more favorably inclined. The duality created many “aw—that’s so cute!” moments for me. Darcy comes to the conclusion he’s in love with Elizabeth at the very end and the very idea terrifies him as much as it exhilarates him.

Rating: 4 Stars

Buy: An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman

This three hour BBC miniseries is just precious. It’s lighthearted, humorous, and perfect. Pride and Prejudice is revisited and reintroduced. Lost in Austen pays homage to Jane Austen’s original masterpiece while reinventing it. My friend, who is not a Pride and Prejudice fan—blasphemous I know!—loved this film. My other friend, who is a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, to the point of being a purist, loved it also. Two endorsements right there! Make that three as it has mine also!

It starts with the heroine, a representative for all modern women, reading the classic tale. She has read it so many times, she can say it by heart, practically see herself there at Pemberley running to Darcy—wait hold up!

Amanda Price thinks she’s going crazy what with Elizabeth Bennet showing up in her bathroom and all. It is just one more sign of impending institutionalization. Really, how could a fictional character appear in her bathroom? The lives of those in Georgian England are made up after all… right?

When a wall opens up in Amanda’s bathroom and Elizabeth affirms it is her house on the other side, Amanda can’t resist stepping through. Like Alice, Amanda has gone through the rabbit hole and is trapped in Wonderland. The door swings shut behind her, but Amanda is filled with only a slight trepidation as she descends into the madness that is the Bennet house right at the beginning of the story.

What follows is a fabulous, wonderful, delicious story of a modern girl trying to make the story happen only to mess it up. Every time Amanda attempts to fix things, it gets worse. Some end up married to the wrong person, new background on characters is revealed, and more. Who could imagine blustering Mrs. Bennett as a ball-buster? One of the things that I loved was how Wickham is redeemed in this version. How? Watch and find out!

I’ve been told that the American version is missing a scene where Amanda is singing. I noticed a jerky transition where it should have occurred. There are also a few minor things left out, so I’ve been told. I wish they hadn’t taken it out, I mean once you’re at three hours, what’s another fifteen or so minutes right? Anyway, it was marvelous. Get it from your library or buy a copy – you’ll love it!

PS: Elliot Cowan, who plays Mr. Darcy, in looks is a cross between Colin Firth and Heath Ledger. Yum! His wet white shirt scene… double yum! Take a look:

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Buy: Lost in Austen

By: Sasha Muradali, guest reviewer

Frederica is a stylish and witty Regency novel by Georgette Heyer.

The novel centers around a young girl named Frederica who brings her younger sister and the rest of their siblings to London. She is determined to secure a fabulous marriage for her astoundingly beautiful, cherub-faced sister named Charis.

If you are looking for a Jane Austen fix, and are not interested in reading any ‘remakes’ or pseudo-Austen novels, you want to read Frederica.

But be warned, like Austen, Heyer enlists the use of old English to convey the feel of her stories. So prepare yourself with the mindset of Regency dialogue.

Enlisting the help of her cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, Frederica embarks on a journey quite distant from the one she initially imagined.

Refreshing, lovely, smart and straight forward, Frederica more than makes a lasting impression on the dashing Marquis.

Quote from chapter 1:

But Alverstoke’s besetting sin was a tendency to become rapidly bored. It had vanquished his sisters; for although neither of them could suppose, reviewing the numerous dazzling barques of frailty who had lived under his protection, that he was impervious to feminine charms, neither was so muttonheaded as to indulge optimism very far when he seemed to be developing a tendre for some diamond of birth, beauty, and fortune, thrust under his nose by one or other of his sisters. He was perfectly capable of making the lady the object of his gallantry for a few weeks, and then of veering off at a tangent, forgetting her very existence.

Agreeing to launch Charis and Frederica into London’s high society, Lord Alverstoke who is normally cautious of his family, finds himself entertained and entranced.

Some of the best scenes in the novel are the interactions between Lord Alverstoke and his two overbearing sisters: two overbearing, shallow women whose sole purpose in life is to manipulate others, especially him, in order to get what they want.

The novel is humorous, light-hearted and smut-free.

It’s really that type of novel, ideally read, on a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea and a scone on the side.

While, Frederica is not Pride and Prejudice, it is a nice, comfortable way to get your Austen-fix.

This book is highly recommended.

Now go watch Lost in Austen and smile.

4.5 stars of 5.

Buy: Frederica

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Keira: I noticed that the title What Would Jane Austen Do? appeared a few times in the book. Was this your original title? If not, what was it? What were some other titles that were possibilities?

Laurie: Yes, that was the original title. I don’t think any others were considered.

Keira: What was your inspiration for WWJAD?

Laurie: I was having coffee with several writer friends when the topic of conversation turned to “If time travel were possible, would you go?” I really had to think about that. Aside from missing my family and friends, there are so many things not available in the Regency that I consider absolute necessities. Although tempted, I realized I’m a modern woman through and through. I’d like to go for short time, like going on a camping trip, but for the rest of my life? I don’t know. And so the idea of a heroine who loves Jane Austen’s books and the fashions of the Regency gets a chance to go back in time where (among other things which I hadn’t figured out at the time) she has to come to term with her modern-ness.

Keira: How did you come up with the names for your characters?

Laurie: Characters names seem to pop into my head in all different sorts of ways. Sometimes, I can see them, or hear them and their name seems obvious. If not, I have a number of name books that I flip through until the right name jumps out at me. I wanted the heroine in WWJAD to feel a bond to JA, so I named her Eleanor after Elinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility. I changed the spelling in case I wanted to use a quote from Elinor later in the book.

Keira: Speaking of characters, did you draw their appearances based on anybody in particular and do you have pictures?

Laurie: I don’t have pictures of them except in my head, and I don’t consciously model them after anyone in particular. Though I admit that occasionally there must be a subconscious association. My hero in Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake looked suspiciously like Hugh Jackman in a high crowned hat, snowy cravat, buff riding breeches, and tall Hessian boots.

Keira: When you started writing WWJAD did you know anything about the JAFF (Jane Austen Fanfiction) community? How do you think the community will receive your offshoot?

Laurie: Actually I didn’t know much about it. After I sold the book I got an inkling of the enormity of the fan base and the variety of fiction that is out there, but by then I couldn’t read any of it for fear that someone else’s vision might color mine. I’ve added a few titles to my TBR pile but I haven’t had much reading time lately.

I sincerely hope the members of the community will enjoy reading my story even though it’s not technically fan fiction. None of JA’s famous characters are characters in the book. It’s more fiction that incorporates a real life person into the story. The heroine recalls bits of her favorite JA stories to help her survive culture shock when she travels back in time to 1814. And she gets to meet Jane Austen in person.

Keira: What are some challenges in writing Austen based romance?

Laurie: When Eleanor meets the real Jane Austen, I had to be careful to remain true to historical fact. For instance, my description of JA’s dress is based on her own words when she describes her dress in a letter to her sister Cassandra. When JA mentions having been in Bath the previous April, she really was in Bath then.

In 1814, Jane Austen was nearing forty, had had two books published, and another soon to be released. My heroine wants to ask her where she got the inspiration for Mr. Darcy, hoping he was based on a real person, and that she will get to meet him at the ball. But because JA had not publicly admitted she was the author, Eleanor had to be circumspect in her questioning, and I had to be very careful constructing that scene.

Keira: What’s one of your favorite Jane Austen inspired novels?

Laurie: I have Pemberley Manor and The Darcys & the Bingleys in my TBR pile. I’m looking forward to the Sept. release of Marilyn Brant’s According To Jane.

Keira: Who are your favorite authors besides Jane Austen?

Laurie: I’m going to take a pass on that question because I’d like to list all my friends who are writers. And if I missed one I’d never forgive myself.

Keira: How do you define love?

Laurie: Love is being the wind beneath each other’s wings.

Keira: What makes a great (written) bedroom scene?

Laurie: I personally like the characters to have some doubts going into the situation. Not necessarily performance issues but questions about the wisdom of continuing. I like female characters with some doubts about their bodies/attractiveness when naked, male characters who second guess their decision/motivation. I’d like the characters to know beforehand that making love will change the relationship, then make the decision to go ahead anyway. I want them to be swept away physically and emotionally like never before. Along the way I like a bit of humor here and there. When it’s over, I want to see that making love has changed everything.

I just reread that paragraph and it sounds rather dry. Maybe I should have just said, I want a love scene to make me smile and leave me breathless.

Keira: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

Laurie: Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to tell you about my new book. It’s been fun.  One last plug: What Would Jane Austen Do? May 2009. Hope you enjoy reading it.

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Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer is enchanting and will assuredly transport you to another world. Georgette Heyer, praised to be the new Jane Austen, was born in 1902 and her tales are quite old but hold the same classic feel as any one of Austen’s novels. I can picture the whole novel as a movie and am surprised that I’ve not seen it made into one. Of course I haven’t checked in at IMDB so I could be quite wrong about its silver screen status.

This is my first time reading Heyer and such I found it tough to start (as such it’s affected my rating). The writing while at first difficult to read and to get into because of the level of vocabulary and particular word phrasing which is unusual for today’s standard’s. However it gets easier the more you read. By the end of the book you’re practically flying through the pages trying to get to the end of the story and see the leads get their happily ever after.

In the true spirit of a Regency novel, this novel includes a secondary romance to entertain us. Neither romance goes to the bedroom, in fact the first and only kiss mentioned is at the very end of the tale. My one fault with the story was there was much too much time spent on ditherings going on around the leads and not nearly enough time focused on them. They were more thrown together in the beginning when Dominic kidnapped poor Mary than later.

Mary Challoner is determined to save her sister from scandal and intercepts a letter from Marquis of Vidal to her sister Sophie arranging an illicit tryst. A daring scheme to take her sister’s place and fool Vidal comes to her and Mary rushes through with it, barely thinking out the consequences.

When Vidal finds out he’s most upset and assuming her to be like her untoward and loose sister, Vidal forcibly takes her the rest of the way to France. Once there, Mary is able to make her true nature known and flummoxed Vidal is forced to do the one thing he never thought to do – propose marriage. Imagine his surprise when Mary refuses! What’s a Marquis to do?

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-09-02 05:43:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter

WWJAD is quick fun read. The story is flirty and cute just like the hero, Lord James Shermont. Read it in the bathtub, on the beach, while waiting in line at the post office, wherever, it’s sure to make you smile and leave you eager to turn the page.

Eleanor Pottinger (yes it is unfortunate that is her real last name) is a fan of Jane Austen. We meet her trying to get a room at a Jane Austen convention only to be told the room she booked has been given to somebody else. Luckily there was a newly renovated suite that was available…if she didn’t mind ghosts!

Of course Eleanor changes her mind about ghosts the minute they materialize. Sisters Deidre and Mina from the time of Jane Austen need Eleanor’s help. They are stuck as ghosts and can’t move on without her help. Eleanor jokingly offers to help if they can guarantee she can meet Jane Austen. They agree and before Eleanor can cry “Just Kidding!” Deidre and Mina have transported Eleanor back into the past.

When Eleanor wakes up she is stuck in the Regency era and is believed to be the girls’ widowed cousin Ellen who was arriving from America. Eleanor plays along and gets away with it because they haven’t seen the real Ellen since childhood. The ghosts tell Eleanor her tasks are to keep them out of the clutches of Lord Shermont, a rakehell of the worst sort, and to make sure their brother, Teddy, doesn’t enter into a duel with Shermont over their reputations.

Eleanor was once foolish enough to try and make a Mr. Darcy out of a Wickham, is she smart enough not to do the opposite? What would Jane Austen do?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Buy: What Would Jane Austen Do?

What is regency romance and how does it differ from historical romance?

You may well recognize Jane Austen as a regency romance writer. She is best known for works such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

So what makes a regency romance?

Well if you look at Pride and Prejudice you can see quite clearly the basic setup of a regency romance. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet stir the hearts of readers as they bicker and dance around each other, but a key element to the novel is that their romance is not the only one. Miss Jane Bennet and Mr. Charles Bingley also fall in love in this classic tale, though perhaps with fewer hindrances on the characters’ part.

To break it down:

Regency romance is based in the early 19^th century and will normally revolve around a comedy of manners. The romances are very chaste and do not include conversations about sex between the main characters. In several cases, there will be a side romance to the main one.

The monarchs you will find in regency romances are George IV and William IV. Some novels may be included in this genre, even if George III is ruling, though technically speaking he is not part of this era. George III is before the regency era. The period starts when he was declared insane by the Parliament Regency Act and his son was placed on the throne as acting king. The regency (and post-regency) period ends prior to Queen Victoria’s reign.

Time Frame: 1810-1820, generally speaking.

Historical Romance on the other hand is considered to be everything prior to WWI in history. Contemporary attitudes usually color the writing enabling the female lead to be more educated, witty, or relatable. There are many sub genres to this type of romance including but not limited to pirate, colonial United States, and western.

In conclusion, regency romance is included in theme of historical romance as a separate genre.

Originally posted 2008-06-11 05:27:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Abigail Reynolds writes Pemberley Variations. For the uninitiated this means that she takes the classic story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and plays a what-if scenario. For instance in From Lambton to Longbourn the what-if is what if Darcy and Elizabeth disclosed their feelings before parting ways after Lydia’s fall from grace? The characters in this what-if scenario all bear the same names, and read fairly familiar, but ultimately are recreated and reintroduced. Attraction is played up and scenes Jane Austen would never write appear involving kissing – great kissing, but a staunch Austen fan will probably feel that even this small break in propriety is too much.

Elizabeth finds out to her dismay how deeply in love with Mr. Darcy she is when the news of Lydia’s foolishness breaks. How could she in all good consciousness expose his sister to her family? She worries a lot about Darcy’s good opinion of her and how the current affairs will certainly provide him with enough ammunition to dislike her from hereafter. To her surprise, Darcy is not at all inclined to think ill of her. He wants her to keep correspondence with his sister, Georgiana, as it his only way to communicate with her. He would marry her tomorrow, no today, if only he could be certain of her regard.

Some provocation on both their parts leads to them sharing their first kiss, part comfort, part passion. One kiss melds into the next and then the worst happens – Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle discover them! Elizabeth does not want to trick Darcy into a connection with her family and he is once again unsure of himself in her affections. This happens a lot actually throughout the novel as they go along their tangent journey toward love and ultimate happiness.

Their insecurities are a little over the top, but ultimately are not distracting from the tale. Reynolds has a way with words and I look forward to reading another Pemberley Variation soon.

Rating: 3.5-4 Stars

Buy: From Lambton to Longbourn: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

Originally posted 2008-12-04 09:22:49. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Today I have the pleasure of introducing to readers Kathryn Nelson, the author of Pemberley Manor, by interviewing her (asking nosy questions.) Grin. Please join me in welcoming her warmly and enthusiastically to Love Romance Passion.

Keira: Why were you drawn to write in Austen’s world?

Kathy: It was a case of being possessed. I really had no lifelong romance with Austen. The 1995 BBC/A&E miniseries of Pride and Prejudice captivated me and led me down the road of reading and watching everything Austen I could get my hands on. Out of the reading came a craving to try her style and delve deeper into the unexplained reaches of her characters.

Keira: Who are your favorite authors besides Jane Austen?

Kathy: John Gardner (not the detective novelist) is hands down my favorite wordsmith next to Jane Austen, but I read everyone. At this moment I’m loving Anne Fadiman, and I’ve spent a lot of time with V.S. Naipaul, John Irving, Lorna Landvik and Toni Morrison. It’s hard to stop…

Keira: What was the hardest part of writing your book, Pemberley Manor?

Kathy: The writing was purely joyful, although I think I strained relationships with family and friends for a couple of years as I was always in a hurry to get back to my story. My business partner (my brother) was especially patient on those days when I just had to pick it up in the middle of the day.

Keira: I noticed the themes of pride and prejudice continued in your novel. Could you expand for readers a little on how you used them to influence Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s actions?

Kathy: I see Darcy and Elizabeth both as fully formed, flawed humans, and I start from the assumption that getting over the hurdle of the wedding is not going to significantly change their basic characters. Both were guilty of rapid and inaccurate judgments and they were equally stubborn about giving up a hastily-formed opinion. I’m a bit like that myself, so it was easy to envision how that might get in the way of marital bliss.

Keira: Do you consider yourself to be a plotter (knows every detail before writing) or pantser (make it up almost completely as you go along)?

Kathy: Oh, pantser all the way. I had no idea where I was heading with this story when I started.

Keira: Oh goody there’s another one! I’m a panster myself. If you could be one of your characters - who would you be?

Kathy: That’s a great question. As I scan through the list, I realize that I’m really all of them in one way or another. Maybe that’s why I was so drawn to Austen’s characters in the first place - they have such recognizable human traits. I’d love to be as optimistic as Elizabeth, and sometimes I am, but I can find a little snarky Caroline Bingley in my tone of voice at times.

Keira: What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken?

Kathy: Admitting that I’d actually written a sequel to Pride and Prejudice would top the list. It has literally taken me years to come out of that closet, especially at a Jane Austen Society meeting. If it weren’t for the company and encouragement of delightful authors like Jane Odiwe and Diana Birchall, I would still have the manuscript hidden under my bed.

Keira: How do you define love?

Kathy: I’ve been married for thirty-three years, so my perspective is all about the long haul. It was so easy to be passionately attracted, and so difficult to sustain that through the inevitable rollercoaster ride. The kind of feeling of wholeness, one-ness with another person, an ability to share even the most horrible flaws of our character - that is, to me, the fullness of  love.

Keira: What are some challenges in writing Austen based romance?

Kathy: Oh, the delicious difficulty of learning a new (old) language, trying to get it just right. Then the awful responsibility to not mess up her characters. I was terrified of hearing that Austen fans would find me lacking or disrespectful in either sense.

Keira: Got any pet peeves when it comes to reading or writing romance?

Kathy: For those who’ve read Pemberley Manor you might guess that explicit sex scenes are not my thing. I am much more stimulated by the suggestion of great sex than I am by a blow-by-blow that leaves me with nothing to imagine.

Keira: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

Kathy: I want to thank you for inviting me to your site. Until recently, the world of blogs was a complete mystery to me, and I’m having a wonderful time romping around these days. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve repeated the phrase “Who knew?” in the last few years. It started with the revelation, after I’d finished my book, that there were not only other sequel writers, there were dozens of them! Now it applies to the amazing network of readers and writers that gather day after day to share stories and opinions. What a hoot!

Thanks, Kathy

Keira: Thank you Kathy for joining me and talking shop! I am wishing many happy sales coming your way. You can learn more about Pemberley Manor at Kathy’s website or by checking out LRP’s review.

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Today’s article is written by Kathryn Nelson, author of Pemberley Manor. Thanks so much for joining us today at Love Romance Passion Kathryn!

Of all of the dozens of sequels to and adaptations of Jane Austen’s work, none, including mine, claim to approach her extraordinary style and ability to delight and endure, but I see my book as an entertaining adjunct to her work.  The reader is quickly drawn into a maze of confusions and missteps which leads them, Jane Austen style, to a happy ending - or does it?

From a review by Laura Boyle in the Jane Austen Regency World Online Magazine:

Scenes of marital felicity between Darcy and Elizabeth abound and are explored in a delicate and tasteful way. Sometimes heartbreaking and often humorous, the story will keep readers intrigued to the last… “

I recently heard a writer interviewed who said he doesn’t like to read, and doesn’t have time for it anyway. I can’t wrap my mind around either of those thoughts, and when the two are put together, I’m lost. If I didn’t read, I don’t think I would write. My writing is the product of being poked and prodded by things I’ve read or heard into a new direction of thought. Every answer creates a question for me.

I have to admit that writing a sequel to someone else’s story is taking that concept a bit further than I ever imagined. The writing of Pemberley Manor was an obsession that took hold of me after watching the BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice in 1995. Jane Austen’s works seem to call out for sequels unlike any other author I know. The works of other great authors often call for adaptations, interpretations, modernizations. Austen has garnered more than her share of those too, but no other author living or dead has, to my knowledge, inspired as many direct sequels - continuations of the lives of her characters - as she has.

I have at times wondered if Jane herself is channeling, stirring the pot to see what people make of her couples. Surely she knew that their lives after marriage would be a different story, and if it wasn’t her story to tell, it doesn’t necessarily follow that she wouldn’t have found it interesting to contemplate.

For me, the struggles and disastrous misunderstandings, the unfolding of a deeper understanding between two people, can’t really happen until the happily ever after is well on its way. And Jane Austen gives us scant help in judging how this marriage will work. One day, well into the ramble that eventually became Pemberley Manor I actually spent a day copying out the words of Fitzwilliam Darcy to try to make out his character, following Elizabeth ’s example when she danced with him at the Netherfield Ball. Taken altogether, Darcy’s words in Pride and Prejudice amount to a very few pages, including one disastrous monologue meant to serve as a marriage proposal and one terribly long letter, only marginally better.

In both cases, Darcy admits unapologetically that he persuaded his friend Bingley to stop romancing Elizabeth ’s beloved sister Jane. Did he think that would endear him to her? Did she forget that small detail when she visited his estate in Derbyshire and blushed at the thought of being Mistress of Pemberley?

I find Darcy impenetrable, just as Elizabeth did initially. She, in the meantime, uses her arsenal of alternately witty and angry retorts to hide her own feelings, which she surely must have noticed some time before she saw the extent of his property. Right up until the wedding brings everything around right, Jane takes her characters only a small step toward mutual understanding, from shredding one another to a gentle teasing. Their only serious conversation happens during his second proposal, and once Darcy has laid his soul bare, Elizabeth jumps into the breach and begins to joke again.

I’m banking on a difficult marriage here. Nick and Nora Charles meet Catherine and Heathcliff. Take the wedding night, for instance. Darcy behaves in a most ungentleman-like manner, not for the first time, and Elizabeth throws in the towel, leaping to a conclusion in her usual style:

“Mr Darcy, pray allow me to suggest a remedy for your most evident distress. Since our marriage has not yet been consummated, I believe you would find little difficulty in securing the offices of a good clergyman in the neighbourhood to perform an annulment immediately. It can serve neither of us to continue as man and wife when there are so little grounds to suppose we could offer one another any reasonable hope of future happiness. Indeed, it seems certain that our expectations of one another are wholly irreconcilable.”

She was not prepared for the anguish that met her eyes when he raised his head.

“Is that your wish, madam?” he asked hoarsely.

Well, of course that’s not her wish, or Pemberley Manor would have been a very short novel. I hope I’ll be forgiven for treading on sacred ground. The truth is, I just couldn’t stop myself. Thanks for allowing me on board. I’d welcome feedback from your readers on the subject of sequels: are they flattering or flagrant abuse of an author’s property?

As a special treat Kathryn Nelson is giving away one copy of Pemberley Manor to one lucky person. Enter by answering her question above or asking her one of your own. This giveaway is open to US and Canada readers only. Winner will be announced April 2, 2009.

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Emily Albright is a 29 year old romantic whose first love was Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This love affair started when she was 12 and no man has ever reached the bar that Mr. Darcy set. Of course if you were to look at her string of pathetic dates, you would agree with me when I say who in their right mind would want them? After a disastrous date with Mr. Hair-Plugs, Emily decides never again. She’s tired of dating the worst of lot and refuses to put herself through another Dutch pizza date.

When Stella, her best friend and coworker hears this, she is shocked. Determined to put Emily back on the horse she insists that they go on a 18-30 vacation to Mexico. With images of wet T-shirt contests, drunken frat boys, and too much tequila in mind Emily grasps for an excuse to not go. A brochure to Jane Austen’s England catches her eye and the idea is born. Better still there’s an opening for the week of New Year’s the time of the trip to Mexico and Emily leaps on the idea.

What follows is a story written with humor on par with a Stephenie Plum novel…delicious and wickedly witty. My one complaint with the tale is Spike and I’ll explain. Spike is the only other young person on this tour and he’s there to write a report on the incredible sexy Mr. Darcy, the one man all women would date and hop into bed with given the chance. Spike is set up to be a modern day Mr. Darcy, but let me tell you he is far from the dashing figure cut by the broodingly reserved Mr. Darcy. Spike has a flabby belly, is only kinda cute, and his style of clothing is far from impeccable. Same goes for his manners.

Meanwhile Emily has the incredible chance of meeting the real Mr. Darcy in a series of out of time experiences. Getting her in own way, she finds herself cross with Mr. Darcy for his 19th century mannerisms and breeding and feels self-conscious and foolish by her own 21st century idiosyncrasies. Instead of explaining to him that she’s an American from the 21st and that from her perspective things have changed from style of dress to turn of phrases and what is considered good manners, she leaves him in the dark and always takes his silences as negative non-comments. The truth of the matter is, he finds her American “19th century” ways a breath of fresh air and falls in love with her. When he says as much Emily contridicts him and thinks to herself that the fantasy of Mr. Darcy is not as good as the reality of Mr. Darcy.

What an incredible nit-wit! She throws away the good catch because she can’t be bothered to speak plainly to Mr. Darcy. I find it hard to believe that any woman greeted with a flesh and blood Mr. Darcy would not make the effort to be on the same page with him. Sure she thought he was a period actor for a time but when she discovered the truth Emily should have persevered to explain why she thought he was not telling the truth. Even if he thought she was crazy he would have come around, after all he loved her for her American ways already. So for the ridiculously stupid move on the heroine’s part I have to rate the story below average, because I just can’t reconcile myself to Spike the modern Mr. Darcy Emily Albright wanted.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-11-24 07:44:58. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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In the fashion that orange is the new pink, is Edward Cullen to be touted as the ideal man for future generations in the same manner Mr. Darcy has been glorified? I’m not saying that Edward Cullen is a Darcy Double or Darcy Reincarnated or even a Darcy Sequel. Edward Cullen is as far from Darcy as a literary romantic hero can be – he’s the undead after all.

Women of all ages and ethnicities have fallen at the feet of the passionate and feral Edward Cullen. He is as impossible a character as Mr. Darcy with his moodiness, aloofness, and let’s face it overbearing behavior. Elizabeth Bennet would not have stood for it, but Bella is enchanted by it. What Edward Cullen can get away with on paper no man in his right mind would try in real life. It is one thing to love Edward’s protective stalker tendencies and quite another to experience it first hand. I’ll be the first to admit I love every aspect of Edward Cullen’s character, so by pointing out the obvious I’m not dismissing his infinite appeal.

Edward Cullen watches over Bella Swan in a similar manner that Angel watched over Buffy in season one. Of course when Angel loses his soul in season two and hovers over Buffy while she sleeps it’s seen as creepy and more than slightly unnerving. Naturally, there is a dramatic difference between being watched over by a protective presence than a sinister one. I’m quite sure Buffy would not have minded Angel watching her; it was Angelus that was the demonic and unwanted presence. Edward does not behave like Angelus and of course Bella wants him around. She thrives off his very presence and noticeably misses his absence awake or asleep. It also helps that as the reader we are enlightened to Edward’s true motivations and can be sure of him. Edward is seen as a guardian angel… and who would tell a guardian angel to go away? That would indeed be madness.

Speaking of madness, this brings me to the next point; to be desired as Bella or Elizabeth is every woman’s secret fantasy. Darcy loved Elizabeth ardently; Edward loved Bella fiercely. It is a heady thing to be wanted so much that to be parted from you is sheer agony of spirit and body. Darcy would do anything for Elizabeth, including reunite her sister with the man she loved or patch up one seriously incriminating scandal; Edward would kill for Bella… he would even leave her if he thought it best… and he did. Both. Edward even tolerated the presence of his competition, Jacob, because to do otherwise caused Bella great distress.

Darcy and Edward share many characteristics, being men born to a similar time. They are strong-willed, powerful, imposing and dependable. Despite their good qualities, both literary heroes exhibit some very negative qualities that at the whim of one stroke of a pen or tap of the keyboard could easily have alienated them permanently from their loves. Including a severe lack of the society grace for small talking, Darcy showed the character flaws of pride and prejudice. Also suffering under a lack of social graces, Edward’s more serious flaws are arrogance and a stubborn certainty that he is always right. He is so determined to protect Bella from himself he fails to admit her feelings or opinions have merit. This grossly unacceptable behavior throws the star-crossed lovers into intensely charged conversations and months of grief stricken paralysis, where both are unable to function because of their emotional wounds.

Luckily for both men they get out of their own way and win against all odds love, happiness, and peace. Nothing could be sweeter to readers or more potent. As I’ve demonstrated, Edward while similar to Darcy is distinctly set apart and it’s not just because he’s immortal. His very presence has rocked the foundations of the great romantic literary heroes and they have shifted aside to give him space. It’s yet to be seen if Edward will match Darcy’s fame in the generations to come or perhaps to even eclipse the brooding figure all together.

For those who have read both love stories what are your thoughts on the subject? If you haven’t you need to read them right away!

Buy: Pride and Prejudice Novel, Pride and Prejudice Movie.

Buy: The Twilight Saga Collection, Twilight Movie.