When Mr. Darcy First Spoke to Me

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

originally published on Darcyholic Diversions

The First Time Mr. Darcy Spoke to Me

When I was twelve, I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time. My mother, may she rest in peace, was a great reader, and like the character of Marti in Love Comes Softly, Peggie Jeffers was a firm believer that books held great adventures. Because of her model, I have always read voraciously. Therefore, Pride and Prejudice was just the latest in a long line of classic novels in my reading repertoire. Or so I thought at the time. Little did I know that this novel would speak to me of how personal conduct can be seen as a bridge between private moral order and social order.

As a girl, head and shoulders taller than many of the boys in her junior high, I discovered a time when women were prided on their sense and men on their reasoning abilities. As I devoured each page, Mr. Darcy spoke to me. 

He said, “I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these.” (I totally agreed with this idea. I have on more than one occasion said that I could live in a library or a bookstore and never feel the want of anything more than food and water and the occasional ray of sunshine.)

“Your list of the common extent of accomplishments has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it not otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen; but I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished.” (I admit to having no artistic inclinations. If Mr. Darcy detested those who feign artistic skills when none exist, he and I would do well together.)

“And to all this she must yet add something more substantial in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” (Caroline Bingley had described a woman who could sing well, who walked with grace, and who spoke with elegance. I did none of those. I was a gangly seventh grader, but I was a READER. Mr. Darcy recognized my great advantage.)

“There is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.” (Woohoo! At last, a man who did not fall for a woman who batted her eyes and spoke in a syrupy tone. At age 12, I had had my heart broken several times because some idiot could not discern my true worth.)

Miss Bingley said, “I can guess the subject of your reverie.” To which, Mr. Darcy says, “I should imagine not.” (My goodness! I do so love the man’s tongue-in-cheek attitude. I often cannot resist delivering a deadpan response to someone who does not see what I do.)

“This is no very striking resemblance of your own character, I am sure. How near it may be to mine, I cannot pretend to say. You think it a faithful portrait, undoubtedly.” (Good! The man is no namby-pamby. He can be a bit testy when someone pushes him. That means he will forgive my sometimes very snarky remarks.)

“I have no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe too little yielding; certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost forever.” (I am from West Virginia. Did you ever hear of the Hatfields and the McCoys? Resentful natures are part of the makeup. LOL!!!)

“A man who felt less might.” (Enough said! Mr. Darcy’s passions run deep.)

“What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.” (Mr. Darcy would not permit his pride to stand in the way of finding true love. *Sighs Deeply*)

“If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements, which led me on I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owes me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.” (AT LAST!!!! Although it was fiction that I read, I bought into the idea that a man would put the woman he loved first.)

“When I wrote that letter, I believed myself perfectly calm and cool; but I am since convinced that it was written in a dreadful bitterness of spirit.” (I have always been of the persuasion that placing one’s angry thoughts on paper is very therapeutic. I have also written more than one letter that I thought to be reasonable, but later realized they oozed contempt.)

And so my list could go on and on. Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy has been a part of my psyche for over fifty years. I hear the story’s lines in my head when I discuss politics or religion or romance. So, tell me, dear Readers. When has Mr. Darcy spoken to you?

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

1816: The Year Without Summer

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Regina Jeffers
A Year Without Summer:
Benjamin Franklin was the first to establish the link between volcanic eruptions and climate change when he suggested the bitterly cold winter of 1783-84 in Europe was a result of the dust cloud from the massive eruption of Iceland’s Mt. Laki in 1783.
Mount Tambora, which is on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, erupted on April 5, 1815, and resulted in an extremely cold spring and summer in 1816, which became known as the ‘year without a summer.’
Tambora’s explosion threw so much material into the atmosphere that, as it spread around the world, it changed the climate of the entire planet. In 1816, it snowed in June in the United States and Europe. Crops failed, there was starvation, people lost their farms, and it touched off the wave of emigration that led to the settlement of what is now the American Midwest. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands more starved around the world. Rioting and looting was common. Europe, following the devastation of the Napoleonic Wars, was exceptionally hard hit, as was the U.S. with the hardships brought on by the War of 1812.
In both Europe and New England, snowfalls and frost occurred in June, July and August, and only the hardiest of grains survived. Destruction of the corn crop forced farmers to slaughter their animals. Soup kitchens were opened to feed the hungry. Sea ice migrated across Atlantic shipping lanes, and alpine glaciers advanced down mountain slopes to exceptionally low elevations.
The large amount of sulfuric acid, eventually produced in the stratosphere by sulfur-rich gases, released during the eruption, blocked sunlight with gases and particles and resulted in a cooling of the Earth’s surface for several years after the eruption.
Low temperatures and prolonged rain caused crop failures in Britain. It was the third coldest summer recorded since record-keeping started in 1659. Parts of Europe suffered famine. Many rivers flooded due to higher than normal rainfall. It is estimated that 200,000 people died in Eastern and Southern Europe from hunger and from a typhus epidemic. Some countries had ash mixed in with snow.
Reportedly, Tambora gave us Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The late frosts of 1816 kept Mary and Percy Shelley holed up on the shores of Lake Geneva at Lord Byron’s house. Bored with nothing to do, Bryon suggested a ghost writing contest, but he and Percy soon abandoned their efforts. Meanwhile, Mary wrote her Gothic masterpiece during this time. The conditions also influenced artists such as JMW Turner, who tried to capture the beautiful colors of the sunsets. 
In western England, Wales, and Ireland, farm laborers found themselves out of work in greater numbers than any of them could have imagined. Returning soldiers caused unemployment to rise sharply as famine threatened. Basic food prices soared, and starvation, disease, and infection rose because of malnutrition, as well as the constantly damp conditions.
Riots became commonplace. In one notorious riot, mobs ransacked 100 food shops. The Luddite movement, which had been suppressed by 1813, regained power. In one attack on a factory in Loughbrough, over £6,000 worth of machinery was broken.
Tambora’s eruption was mixed with two other natural phenomena to bring on the catastrophic effects. 1816 marked the midpoint of one of the Sun’s extended periods of low magnetic activity, which is called a Dalton Minimum. This particular Minimum lasted from 1795 to the late 1820s. This was a period of abnormally cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, during this period, the Sun shifted its place in the solar system. This is a common occurrence, happening every 180 years or so. Known as “inertial solar motion,” the Sun moves its position around the solar system’s center of mass. Many believe the Dalton Minimum and the inertia solar motion contributed to the destruction found worldwide.
My latest novel, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, is set in 1815, but the Tambora eruption is introduced as part of the plot. Darcy and Mr. Bennet prepare for the possible impact on their estates. The devastation that followed the eruption will take a prominent role in the next book in this Pemberley series.
About the Novel:
 
Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.
Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.
How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Will Reading Fiction Make You Smarter?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

MID the squawks and pings of our digital devices, the old-fashioned virtues of reading novels can seem faded, even futile. But new support for the value of fiction is arriving from an unexpected quarter: neuroscience.

Brain scans are revealing what happens in our heads when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters. Stories, this research is showing, stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life.

Researchers have long known that the “classical” language regions, like Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, are involved in how the brain interprets written words. What scientists have come to realize in the last few years is that narratives activate many other parts of our brains as well, suggesting why the experience of reading can feel so alive. Words like “lavender,” “cinnamon” and “soap,” for example, elicit a response not only from the language-processing areas of our brains, but also those devoted to dealing with smells.

In a 2006 study published in the journal NeuroImage, researchers in Spain asked participants to read words with strong odor associations, along with neutral words, while their brains were being scanned by a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine. When subjects looked at the Spanish words for “perfume” and “coffee,” their primary olfactory cortex lit up; when they saw the words that mean “chair” and “key,” this region remained dark. The way the brain handles metaphors has also received extensive study; some scientists have contended that figures of speech like “a rough day” are so familiar that they are treated simply as words and no more. Last month, however, a team of researchers from Emory University reported in Brain & Language that when subjects in their laboratory read a metaphor involving texture, the sensory cortex, responsible for perceiving texture through touch, became active. Metaphors like “The singer had a velvet voice” and “He had leathery hands” roused the sensory cortex, while phrases matched for meaning, like “The singer had a pleasing voice” and “He had strong hands,” did not.

To read the complete article, visit The New York Times‘ Sunday Review at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?_r=3

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The Cost of Selling eBooks Too Cheaply

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

By Melissa Foster for IndieReader

There’s a lot of controversy circulating throughout the publishing industry about the pricing of ebooks, and it’s a significant topic that warrants discussion. Independent authors are rallying around the controversial 99-cent price point. Some authors feel the 99-cent price point devalues their hard work, while others feel that readers will not take a chance on new authors at a higher price point. To further complicate the matter, it’s not just new authors that are using the 99-cent strategy, and the issue doesn’t only affect independent authors, but publishing houses and agents as well.

Readers are scooping up ebooks for 99 cents, that alone speaks of a demand for material at that price point. After all, to some readers, an ebook is seen as nothing more than a download. Many authors spend a year or more writing their books, and 99 cents seems ridiculously low and unfair. At the same time, an ebook for $9.99 seems equally unfair to the reader.

Let’s look at the dollars and cents of the 99-cent price point for independent authors. If an author is self-published through Amazon KDP, he or she earns 34 cents per 99-cent book sold. Not only do authors put time and energy into their writing, there are other associated costs to publishing a quality book, including cover artists ($125-3000), editors ($800-5000), marketing, etc. If you add up the average cover cost of $350, average editing job of $1400, then divide by 34 cents, the author would have to sell 5,134 books just to break even, and that’s nearly impossible without an additional amount for advertising. This would also assume that the author receives no income for actually writing the book. Most independent authors will sell less than 100 copies of their ebooks.

What about the author published through a small press? For that author, that 34 cents in earnings is reduced to roughly 12 cents per book.

Traditional publishers cannot even begin to price books at 99-cents, as they have far too much overhead to do so. In addition, how can a publisher sell a hardback book for $26 if the ebook version is 99 cents?

To read the complete article, visit the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/ebooks-cheap-price_n_1160383.html

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Cost of Selling eBooks Too Cheaply

“Mirror, Mirror” – Use of Filmic Devices to Tell a Story

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

“Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall” (Previously Posted on PrideandPrejudice05 Blog)

Often in the visual representations of Jane Austen’s works, the media employs props or artifacts as visual cues to Austen’s themes of flawed impressions, misconceptions, and false interpretations. For example in Austen’s Emma, Harriet’s sketch serves as a means to reveal how the other characters feel about Emma’s friend. Mr. Elton flatters Emma’s representation of her subject rather than remark on Harriet. Mr. Woodhouse’s sensibility and his need for fires in all the hearths shows through when he says that Harriet has been subjected to the elements when she is portrayed without a shawl. Even Mr. Knightley gives the viewer a clue to how he feels about Emma’s efforts to raise Harriet up in Society. Upon observing the sketch, he says that Emma has made Harriet “too tall.”

The resetting of the miniature of Captain Benwick in Persuasion serves as a the perfect symbol for Captain Harville’s and Anne’s “debate” over the constancy of females and males in love. In Mansfield Park, the distorted and mistaken impressions of the characters plays out in theatricals. Edward Ferrars’ ring is a prime example. In Sense and Sensibility, Elinor Dashwood mistakenly believes that it is a lock of her hair that in encased within. In truth, the lock belongs to Lucy Steele.

These “mistaken interpretations” and many more of Austen’s subtle thematic layers appear in the film versions of Austen’s works in the form of a mirror. It is a bit of irony that Austen never uses the prop as part of her story lines (except in the case of Sir Walter Elliot in Persuasion). Yet, Hollywood loves a good prop, and a mirror can tell the viewer so many unspoken tales. The mirror is often used in film to double a shot’s space or to display a character’s feelings or even to take on metaphorical dimensions. Film history gives up multiple examples of the use of the mirror as important role (Orson Welles’s 1948 The Lady from Shanghai; Walt Disney’s 1939 Snow White, etc.).

 

A mirror in its stillness reflects a “fundamental absence,” as Christian Metz terms the prop’s use. It is a reflection within a reflection. Ariane Hudelet says in “Deciphering Appearances in Jane Austen’s Novels and Films” that “To look at a heroine looking at herself transforms the character into a self-spectacle, a motif we could link with the emphasis on interiority in Austen’s novels. The mirror objects can thus stand for conflicting notions of blindness or introspection, vanity or revelation, according to the films and sequences. Whether it is used as a symbol to reflect the characters’ thoughts or nature, or as a metaphor of the relationships between the characters which can sometimes contrast with the contents of the dialogue and reveal ironic distance, the mirror image constitutes a privileged example of the way Austen’s very modern questioning of the perception of reality can become a post-modern questioning of the reception and distortion of images.”

So, when we as viewers encounter a filmic scene in which the director has used a mirror, we immediately translate the prop’s use to represent introspection on the part of the character. Or we may immediately interpret the character’s self-absorption. Or we may recognize the illusory blindness of the character. In Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the scene where Elizabeth Bennet “reflects” on Mr. Darcy’s letter is a very poignant one in the film. She discovers her own misconstructions. Those are summarized by Elizabeth’s response to Charlotte Lucas’s inquiry to her mindset. “I hardly know.”

Wright’s film relies on stillness to create the conflict. Following the proposal scene in the pouring rain, the viewer follows Elizabeth’s slow progression through Hunsford cottage to stand before the mirror. We, the viewers, are on the inside of the mirror, looking back at Elizabeth’s inner journey. The scene begins with Elizabeth sitting on her bed. This is what is known as a medium close shot. She does not move. It is a back lit shot to create a claire-obscure effect. Elizabeth moves along a narrow corridor to stand before the mirror. In his commentary on the DVD, Joe Wright says, “We are her,” in referring to the viewing audience becoming Elizabeth’s reflection.

Time progresses behind Elizabeth, but she remains still and expressionless. Darcy appears behind her to deliver his letter. Images are purposely blurred to tell the viewer that these characters have often misconstrued the other.

Elizabeth is learning about Mr. Darcy but also about herself. Her “vision” is both blurred and clear. She turns around to find what she now sees clearly as having disappeared. When she can finally recognize Darcy for the man he is, he is no longer available. Wright uses the mirror as an image of revelation. In the novel, Elizabeth looks long and hard at an image of Darcy in the Pemberley gallery. She recognizes the man she should have seen from the beginning.

 

Now, it is your turn. Tell me other instances of when the mirror is used as a prop in an Austen adaptation. I, personally, can think of several others, but I’ll leave it to you to list some before I pour forth others. We can even explore the use of the mirror in other modern films if you like.

 

As I leave you, I would like to introduce you to my latest Austen-inspired novel, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy. It is in the warehouse and ready for release. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

Book Blurb:

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

 

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

 

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

 

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on “Mirror, Mirror” – Use of Filmic Devices to Tell a Story

Why Are Sequels to the Classics So Popular?

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Why Are Sequels to the Classics So Popular?

As the past is always being reinvented, it should not surprise anyone that there is publishing market niche for reimagining the classics, whether the remake is one from Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Brontes, or Shakespeare. My writing career began with a Jane Austen retelling, and although I have branched out to Regency romances, I still regularly write Austen sequels. What appeal do these novels have for a modern reading public?

Truthfully, I cannot speak to the other authors, but Austen’s works maintain their timeliness because the subject matter is universal. They focus on themes that never die: marriage and social pressures. Jane Austen’s stories inspire self-reflection. Despite containing no war, no violence, no political intrigue, and no poverty, Austen’s stories are loaded with witty dialogue, irony, interesting back stories, and an epigrammatic style. In the early 1800s, the novel was written for a female audience. The subject matter was realistic, and the setting was recognizable.

Austen’s works are what are known as “formula fiction.” On the surface, that term sounds boring, but most readers seek out the same genre over and over. If one enjoys mysteries, he will attempt to solve the dilemma before the resolution is revealed. We all know people who exclusively read science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, inspirational, romance, or historical genres. The formula behind Austen’s stories involves a developing relationship between the hero and heroine. The hero is nearly a decade older than the heroine. He is masterful, mysteriously moody, refined, and passionate. The heroine has a profound transformation. Representing rational love, she is a woman of sense.

So, what do all these facts say for the Austen sequel? First, they say that little has changed in regards to a socially mobile culture. People are still trying to find their places in the world. They also say that Jane Austen’s analysis of the vicissitudes of class is timely. They speak of the appeal of the Byronic hero. They say there is a distinction between simple and complex personalities.

Small, perfect life stories are as compelling as those loaded with action scenes. The canon and its past are complemented by contemporary culture. In Ian Watt’s Rise of the Novel, the author says, “She [Austen] was able to combine into a harmonious unity the advantages both of realism of presentation and realism of assessment, of the internal and external approaches to character; her novels have authenticity without diffuseness or trickery, wisdom of social comment without a garrulous essayist, and a sense of the social order which is not achieve at the expense of the individuality and autonomy of the characters.”

Biting humor and delving insight pepper Austen’s works, and her romance enchants us. There is an undeniable potential for our species as long as love is an important part of our society.

Jane Austen was an expert in plot-driven fiction–a story line or turning point that branches out like the head of a broccoli. Her subject was common, ordinary, middling life, and she rendered it in minute detail. Her works are concerned with the 3 P’s + M: patriotism, paternalism, pastoralism, and the moral responsibility of the individual.

Many readers are under the mistaken impression that Jane Austen wrote character-driven works. Yet, characters are not really what drives Austen’s works. Jane Austen’s work is theme-driven. She wrote thematic masterpieces. Nuance upon nuance of a single idea is built around a central truism–very much like peeling away the layers of an onion. Theme permeates whatever it touches. Austen is not just clever with theme; she is a master.

Critics of these remakes refer to the phenomenon as “nostalgia.” But I beg to question for what are we nostalgic? The answer lies hidden beneath our contemporary need to view the world through a narrow lens–one buried in the past.

So, if you are looking for Austen-inspired literature, please join 19 of my closest friends and me at http://austenauthor.net. We’ll provide you with a ton of ideas. I have seven Austen sequels to my credit: Darcy’s Passions; Darcy’s Temptation; The Phantom of Pemberley; Vampire Darcy’s Desire; Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion; Christmas at Pemberley, and The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy. I will release another Austen cozy mystery in Spring 2013.

Book Blurb:

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

 

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

 

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

 

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why Are Sequels to the Classics So Popular?

New Interview with Austen Author, Regina Jeffers

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Posted previously on the Historical Hussies Blog 

Q: What genre or sub-genre do you write? Why did you choose this genre?

A: I write Jane Austen adaptations/sequels, as well as Regency Romance. As far as the Jane Austen books, my career began with my Advanced Placement English Language and Composition class. I was explaining to the class the nuances of dating in Regency England. In the midst of my explanation, I spoke of the many Austen-inspired novels I had read, giving my personal critique of whether the author achieved what I believed to be a viable continuation of Austen’s tales. When I remarked about tossing a particular title across the room in disgust, one of my students said, “If you know how to do this, why not do it yourself?” At first, I laughed with the possibility, but the more I thought of it, the more it made sense. I wrote Darcy’s Passions, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. I never thought it the first step of a new career. Permitting the students to edit (Cringe!!!) and to do the cover art, I self published the book. It was a way of saying, “I met your challenge, now you must meet mine” to my students. The Amazon sales were strong, and Ulysses Press contacted me. I have published works with them since 2007.

For Regency-based pieces, what can I say? I have read historical romance for pleasure since I was a teen. (My mother was the one to hook me on the genre.) I have always preferred Regency England or Civil War based American pieces. With writing Jane Austen sequels, Regency England seemed a natural choice.

Q: What difficulties does writing this genre present?

A: The difficulty with writing Regency pieces is that the Regency was really only ten years in length – from 1811 to 1820. Most readers of the period will accept events from 1800 – 1830, but my pieces tend to fall between 1810 and 1820. This compacting of time means that a writer is dealing with a limited number of actual events to use as the backdrop for his/her story line. Another complication in writing Regency is the “strict” guidelines under which the aristocracy performed. It takes a skillful writer to give the heroine a bit of “independence” when she must operate in a Society that permitted few opportunities for her to express her personality.

Q: How much time do you devote to writing each day?

A: When I was still teaching school, I spent on average 2-3 hours per evening on a story line. Then two years ago, I retired, and I managed to crank out 3 books that first year. I was spending 6 – 8 hours per day. At present, I am babysitting my first grandchild for nine hours daily. By the time his mother picks him up, I am exhausted, and I admit that my writing has suffered.

The thing about writing, at least for today’s marketplace, is one cannot simply write his/her next novel. There is time each day on social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc. There are emails, maintaining a website and a blog, and LOTS of self promotion. There are edits and revision. An author is likely to spend 2-4 hours with these each day.

Q: Tell us about your other works, books, stories, etc. 

A: I have seven Jane Austen-inspired pieces. As I said earlier, Darcy’s Passions was the first. Darcy’s Temptation (a Booksellers’ Best Award Finalist 2009) was “Passions” sequel, and it begins the day after “Passions” ends. Next came Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, which tells Austen’s Persuasion from Captain Wentworth’s POV. Ulysses then asked for a vampire version of Pride and Prejudice, and Vampire Darcy’s Desire came about. It is set in a time 80 years before the release of Dracula. Therefore, it uses the more traditional vampiric folk literature. The Phantom of Pemberley followed. It is a cozy mystery based on the legend of the “Shadow Man.” “Phantom” took third in Romantic Suspense in one of RWA’s chapter contests. Christmas at Pemberley was released in November 2011. It is set two years after the end of Pride and Prejudice, and it takes a more “inspirational” slant than many sequels. The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy hit shelves on March 26. It is another cozy mystery based on a Scottish folk tale, the legend of Sawney Bean.

In writing Regencies, I have a series of books based on a covert governmental group, known as the Realm. A Baloch warlord, who believes that one of Realm has stolen a fist-sized emerald, is hunting them. The first book was originally titled A Touch of Gold. With the Ulysses’ release, the book was changed to The Scandal of Lady Eleanor. Book 2 is called A Touch of Velvet, which is followed by A Touch of Cashémere. I am currently working on Book 4, A Touch of Grace. The first book in my First Wives Club trilogy is also available. Each of the ladies in this series begin their time in Society pretending to be a “widow,” which gives them more status than they would possess if they entered the “marriage mart” as a genteel lady with no connections. And believe it or not, I do have two contemporary romances: Honor and Hope (which is a contemporary romantica based on Pride and Prejudice) and Second Chances: The Courtship Wars (a sweet romance set around a reality TV show). Books 2 and 3 of the Realm series and First Wives’ Club, along with Honor and Hope are slated for release in the next couple of months. Currently, they are available on my website.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: As I said previously, I am writing Book 4 of the Realm series. A Touch of Grace is the tale of Gabriel Crowden and Grace Nelson, and I love creating a back story for Crowden, who is a bit standoffish. Women “bore” him, but why? I have also started a new novel Angel and the Devil Duke. As far as my Austen titles are concerned, I will be writing another project for Ulysses Press. I would like to do another Christmas title that follows up on events in The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy. At the end of that piece, Georgiana is pregnant and due during Christmastide. It would the perfect situation to carry her story forward. With the success of The Phantom of Pemberley, we are also discussing another cozy mystery.

Q: How do you write?  Are you a pantser or a plotter?  Is it your characters or your plot that influences you the most?

A: I am truly a pantser. I have a “list” of events that will occur in my piece, but I do not outline and plot each detail. I open a spiral notebook and begin to write. Often times (ALWAYS!!!!), the story takes on a life of its own. It plays (as if it is a movie I can rewind over and over until I get it right) in my head as I seek sleep each night. I’m constantly saying, “He wouldn’t say that” or “She would act more surprised” or “That would be so cool.” The plot is the key through which the characters are defined.

Q: How do you choose your characters’ names?

A: Obviously, for my Austen pieces, many of the characters are already well known to the reading audience. Those readers know the characters’ names, the individual characteristics, and what they think should be the outcome of the interactions of certain characters. Minor characters are named with appropriate Christian and surnames that fit the period. As both the Austen titles and my historical romances are set in the Regency Period, names must be apposite for the time period. For example, I love the name “Joshua.” Heck, I named my only child “Joshua.” However, it does not truly fit the time period in which I write.

Occasionally, the names are thrust upon me. I met a young man named Brantley Fowler at a local Enterprise car rental outlet. I told him I was going to “steal” his name and make him famous. Brantley Fowler is the main character in A Touch of Velvet. His “lady” is a young woman named Velvet Aldridge. Years ago, I had a student named “Velvet.” It was the perfect name for that young lady and for my character.

And the power round:

Favorite food? I am a vegetarian. Any fruit or vegetable works for me, but my comfort food is mashed potatoes.

Favorite dessert? An old-fashioned hot fudge sundae

Jeans and T-shirt, or designer clothes? Designer clothes

Guilty pleasure? I am very much Anne Elliot of Persuasion in this matter. I love the company “of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.”

One word that describes you? Focused

Favorite flower? Yellow rose

Favorite sport? (tie) NFL football and distance running

Book Blurb:

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on New Interview with Austen Author, Regina Jeffers

Lawsuit Will Change How the Publishing Companies Do Business

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Apple and five of the “Big Six” trade publishers are reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice for antitrust violations. The point of concern is the five publishers’ staggered but identical move to an agency rather than a wholesale pricing model, not just for Apple, but for all e-book retailers — a move that caused e-book prices for consumers to rise.

But the DoJ’s investigation and a related civil lawsuit touch on issues bigger than rising e-book prices or even collusion between publishers. The cases are also about who has the right to sue e-book publishers, the nature of publishers’ bilateral interactions with Apple and other retailers, and whether it’s even possible for a true agency model to exist for virtual goods like e-books.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal’s Thomas Catan, Justice Department antitrust official Sharis Pozen outlines the framework guiding the agency’s investigation. The real issue, Pozen says, isn’t the agency model, but secret agreements between competitors.

“We don’t pick business models — that’s not our job,” Pozen told the WSJ. “But when you see collusive behavior at the highest levels of companies, you know something’s wrong. And you’ve got to do something about it.”

To read the complete article, visit WIRED at http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/03/case-against-apple-publishers

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lawsuit Will Change How the Publishing Companies Do Business

Regina Jeffers’ Interview and Excerpt from “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

posted previously on Diary of an Eccentric Blog 

How do you research your novels?

The research is based on what would and would not be acceptable for the Regency Period, the time period in which the majority of my novels are set. The true Regency Period lasted only ten years, from 1811 to 1820. Most writers of the period place their stories somewhere between 1800 and 1820; however, a few feature everything from the French Revolution to the Reform. When I am creating a Jane Austen adaptation, my setting is defined by Austen’s original story line. For example, Pride and Prejudice is set in 1812. If I am writing an Austen sequel, I must be aware of the events that happened in the years after 1812. In my latest novel, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam is returning from service with Wellington at Waterloo. Therefore, the book must be true to June 1815. In my unique Regencies, I tend to place my characters in situations that occur between 1810 and 1815. It is the time period of which I am most familiar.

I have a stash of Regency related books to which I often turn for assistance. The Internet is helpful, but there is so much misinformation on the Web that a person must look for sites that verify the content found upon the page. One of the biggest issues is anachronistic phrases. I am more aware of those issues in my Austen-inspired works. Miss Austen has a distinct style, which is difficult to replicate, and I make a point of adding her actual wording to the story lines. In most Regencies on the mass market, in the publishing business, a certain number of anachronistic phrases are acceptable. Those serve as a segue between what is often seen as the stilted language of the period and modern phrasing. However, I do attempt to be true to the language of the period.

What is a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write?

This is only my second year of retirement. I spent 40 years in the classrooms of three different states. During those years, I would teach all day, set at my desk and grade papers until about 7 each evening (English teachers always have tons of papers to grade.), then go home to eat, shower, and write for 2-3 hours.

One would think that now that I am retired that I would have more time to write. However, my “free” time has been limited by the birth of my first grandchild, James. As my son and daughter-in-law are both teachers, I am babysitting James each day for 9 hours. Many days when he leaves me, I am too exhausted to move from the sofa. I do not wish to appear to be complaining; I love the little “monster” more than words can express, but I had forgotten how exhausting raising a baby can be. I am nearing 65 years of age, and it shows. Thus said, my writing has suffered. I feel less structured, and I would admit to a bit of frustration because the stories NEVER leave my head, even if I am too tired to put them on paper. Hopefully, I will recover a bit my life once the school year ends, and my darling Jayme becomes a child can simply spoil (like all good grandparents) and then send home to his parents.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I still hand write my novels. I write with a black ink pen and use a wide ruled spiral notebook. Then I word process the pages. By that time, the book has had several rewrites (arrows up and down the page, White Out, scratched out lines, inserted words, etc.). All these checks and rechecks affect the writing process. When the novel goes to print, there are few major rewrites with which to deal.

Have you ever written a character you did not like? What did you do about it?

I did not like my take on Anne De Bourgh in Darcy’s Temptation. She was TOO meek, and I thought her quite undeserving of Colonel Fitzwilliam, a character I absolutely adored. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to add her to The Phantom of Pemberley, I gave Miss De Bourgh a “rebellious” streak. I certainly liked her better, and so did my readers, who responded with delightful anticipation of what might follow for her.

In my Regency series based on the men of the Realm, a covert governmental group, I had originally planned to bring Satiné Aldridge and Aidan Kimbolt together; but as I set up their joining, I again grew weary of Satiné’s lack of a backbone (Yes, I realize it was I who gave her no spine). The Regency heroine needs more in her life that fashion and manners. Plus, Satiné was like my original Miss De Bourgh, not good enough for the hero. Aidan Kimbolt required a woman who could bring him happiness. For the moment, in the series, Satiné is in Europe. I have not decided whether to add her to a future book or, perhaps, kill her off. I may, just for fun, let my readers vote on what to do about Miss Satiné.

What makes Jane Austen adaptations/sequels/retellings so special?

I seriously believe that Austen’s intertextual reinscriptions of Restoration comedy have echoes in contemporary literature. Reading a historical novel in its period requires the reader to understand the period, as well as the social distance from the present. Despite Austen being a part of the Society of which she wrote, her works display a “distance” from the time period, and that “distance” marks Austen’s voice as one more distinct than others of her time. Jane Austen was sophisticated, subtle, and very intelligent in her handling of complex issues. Austen’s women were women of sense; they embodied the notion of rational love. Today’s audience has paradoxically maintained Austen’s “formula.”

Excerpt from The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy

(Situation: Lydia and George Wickham have unexpectedly appeared uninvited on Pemberley’s doorstep. Elizabeth has tried to send them away before Darcy becomes aware of their inviting themselves into his home. However, Darcy’s appearance in the drawing room escalates the situation.)

“It does not surprise,” Wickham grumbled. he caught Lydia’s elbow and turned his wife toward the still-open door. however, when he reached Darcy’s rigid form, he mockingly said, “Please give Miss Darcy my regards. I understand the last four years have been very good to her.” With a slight nod, Wickham took a step to depart.

However, Darcy’s anger had never receded—not today, not four years prior when Wickham had staged the elopement, which would have devastated Georgiana—not through the years of falsehoods, and not when the man had purposely ruined Lydia Bennet and had crushed Darcy’s hopes of claiming Elizabeth as his wife. The memory of every degrading moment seemed to course through his veins, and without considering his actions, his right arm wound up for a perfectly executed uppercut to Wickham’s finely chiseled jaw. A left jab to Wickham’s nose followed the right, and the man went sprawling backward to rest at Elizabeth’s feet. Blood gushed from Lieutenant Wickham’s nose upon the man’s crisp uniform.

“Bloody hell, Darcy!” Wickham exclaimed as he dug in his pocket for a handkerchief. “You are a case for Bedlam!”

Darcy growled, “Curse in my wife’s presence again, and those

imprecations will be the last words that you utter.”

Elizabeth stepped around Wickham’s efforts at recovery and

slipped into Darcy’s one-armed embrace. “Tell me you are well,” she whispered as she caressed his chin.

Darcy did not remove his eyes from the scuttled figure bleeding onto his Persian rug, but he tightened his hold. “As long as you are safe,” he said softly.

Meanwhile, Lydia’s loud protestations were added to the clamor. “Lizzy, look what you have started.” She avoided her husband’s bloody hands when she cuddled his head. “What kind of man have you married?” she accused.

“The best kind, Lydia.” Elizabeth looked lovingly into Darcy’s eyes. “A man of honor. A man of integrity.” She turned in Darcy’s embrace. “Mr. Nathan, would you ask Jasper and Thomas to escort Lieutenant and Mrs. Wickham safely from Pemberley’s grounds?”

“Certainly, Mrs. Darcy.” he snapped his fingers, and the two footmen appeared.

“I cannot believe it has come to this,” Lydia lamented. “You would turn your own sister away? Your flesh and blood?”

Elizabeth’s mouth turned downward. “As my marriage vows require, I would cling to my husband above all others.” She shook her head in sadness. “I never wished it to come to this. In the future, should you choose to return to Pemberley, I shall welcome you with open arms, but I shall never subjugate Mr. Darcy’s desire to sever relations with Lieutenant Wickham to my desire to maintain sisterly affection. If you cannot accept those terms, then we shall communicate through the post.”

As she supported her husband’s rise from the floor, Lydia exclaimed, “You have turned Kitty against me.”

Elizabeth shot a quick glance to the downcast countenance of a sister she dearly adored, and she noted how Kitty’s mouth twitched with the desire to smile. Kitty, too, had found all the drama quite amusing. Miss Catherine Bennet had grown into a sage young woman. “I hope not. I would never place Kitty in a position to have to choose between us.” She silently thought, as you have just required. “And I hope to see you regain the family and friends you have so carelessly sacrificed. The nuptials are a public gathering. You must choose whether you shall stay until Monday for the service. Yet, Pemberley is my home, and I shall determine the events we celebrate and the guests who participate.”

“I see.” Lydia straightened her clothing. “We shall await my parents at the Lambton inn.”

Wickham staggered to his feet. “That may not be the best idea.”

“Why ever not?” Lydia demanded. “There is no coach until tomorrow.”

Darcy eyed Wickham carefully. The man’s nervous mannerisms made him an open book. “If your husband’s demeanor is any indication, Lieutenant Wickham expects to meet those in the area who still hold his markers.” Everyone turned to stare at the wastrel in the King’s uniform.

“I simply prefer not to importune Father Bennet for the cost of our room and return passage,” Wickham said smoothly.

Darcy laughed sarcastically. “Did you hear, Mrs. Darcy? Your father’s debts grow. You suggested that Mr. Bennet would assume the unexpected cost of an inn stay, but your assumption included the notion that Lieutenant Wickham had previously arranged a return journey to Carlisle. Now, we find that not to be the case. Our brother in marriage requires both passage and room, and I suspect board, as well.”

Elizabeth said accusingly, “I expect the accuracy of your words, but that is my father’s issue.”

Kitty said softly. “Mr. Saunders is at Kympton. Perhaps Lydia and Lieutenant Wickham could share the curate’s quarters for the evening. Should I speak to Mr. Winkler? I would not wish Lydia to know any public humiliation.”

“You do what you consider best, Kitty.” Elizabeth admired how Kitty had handled herself. Her sister had demonstrated a firm resolve, but she had also shown charity, a quality Mr. Winkler had recognized in the young Catherine Bennet—a quality he required in his wife. “Why do you not speak privately to Mr. Winkler and then ask Papa to join us here?”

“Yes, Lizzy.” Kitty dropped a quick curtsy and then disappeared from the room.

“Mr. Darcy, we shall await my father in the main foyer. Mr. Nathan shall attend Lieutenant and Mrs. Wickham. We should rejoin our guests.” She reached for Darcy’s hand, and he came willingly.

Within seconds, they were at the foot of the main staircase and in each other’s arms. “Thank you,” Darcy rasped as he pulled her closer.

Elizabeth clung to him. “For what? For loving you beyond reason? I fear that my heart is fully engaged, Mr. Darcy.”

“As is mine,” he whispered into her ear. “Yet, I am chagrined that my previous acquaintances have tainted your family’s life.”

“I shall hear none of this regret, Mr. Darcy. You, Sir, are exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, most suits me. Your understanding and temper, though unlike my own, has answered all my wishes. You are as generous as the most generous of your sex.”

Before she could say more, her father appeared on the landing. “Kitty tells me that you require my assistance,” he said suspiciously. Elizabeth blushed at having been caught in an intimate embrace, but she quickly explained what had transpired. “And your mother never indicated to anyone that she had invited Lydia and Lieutenant Wickham?” his disbelief showed. “I tolerated her maneuverings with Mr. Grange at Christmastide because Grange is harmless and unassuming. No one could object to Grange, but Lieutenant Wickham is a different story.” he turned to Darcy. “I swear, Mr. Darcy, that I held no prior knowledge of this situation, but I will deal with the Wickhams and with Mrs. Bennet. “

“We will escort the others to Derby while you see to your youngest child.”

With a reluctant shrug, Mr. Bennet agreed. “Mrs. Bennet will miss the journey. During your absence, my wife and I will have a serious discussion.”

Book Blurb:

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/  

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Regina Jeffers’ Interview and Excerpt from “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

Jane Austen’s Current Relevance

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Jane Austen’s Current Relevance

As we celebrate Jane Austen in modern settings this month, I thought it prudent to examine what makes “our” Jane so popular. Austen’s influence proves that the past is always in the process of being reinvented. There have been over 300 continuations, retellings, adaptations, and sequels to Austen’s works.

Ian Watt’s Rise of the Novel, the author says that Austen combines the internal and external approaches to character, that she has authenticity without diffuseness or trickery, and that Austen offers a sense of social order, which is not achieved at the expense of individuality and autonomy of the characters.

As we all know, Austen conveys life stories, which are small, but perfect. Her subjects are common, ordinary families. Austen sees things as they are and as they ought to be. Her happy endings translate the heroine’s moral assets into material ones.

So, what are some characteristics of Austen that are easily translated into modern times?

Theme/Plot/Style

**   Jane Austen wrote about the mundane, interior lives of deliberately prosaic characters.

**   Austen’s stories are filled with strong irony and rigorous social critique.

** The ironic take on society is delivered in a reassuring, sisterly voice.

**  Her works deal with the believable, timeless obstacles of class, money, and misunderstandings, which make her works adaptable to any era.

**   Austen’s witty, satirical approach to her subjects resonates with contemporary readers.

**  Jane Austen looks at society through a comedic screen, examining the problems of a male dominated society.

**   Jane Austen’s novels focus on personal conduct and that within a complex system of estates, incomes, and social position, personal conduct is seen to create a bridge between private moral order and social order.

**   “Family” is the building block of society.

**   Subject matter is universal.

**  Focuses on themes that never die: marriage; social pressure; generation gap.

**   Ordinary people can have interesting lives.

**   Her novels focus on the tenuous position of women who accept the fact that they must marry in order to achieve social acceptance.

**   Adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels hold a mirror to our own society – Jane Austen’s keen analysis of the vicissitudes of class.

Female Characters

**  The reader is presented with a protagonist whose life and social position was similar to her own.

**  Austen’s women are women of sense; they embody the notion of rational love.

**  Her characters speak to what we were, what we are, and what we want to be.

Male Characters

** Courtship offers the hero a paradoxical challenge in that he must follow normalizing rules of public behavior in order to create uniquely personal emotional connections.

** The visual text escapes Austen’s verbal control and encourages her audience to interpret it.

** Modern readers appreciate the male hero’s displaying his struggle to achieve emotional expression, which will bring him into balance. He physically displays the emotions that he cannot speak.

** We create “masculine balance” according to our own emotion-based criteria, while Austen creates our ideas of masculinity. Her characters’ internal contradictions become harmonized.

Book Blurb: 

Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds herself falling in love with her captor – the estate’s master. Yet, placing her trust in him before she regains her memory and unravels the castle’s wicked truths would be a catastrophe.

Far away at Pemberley, the Darcys happily gather to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Bennet. But a dark cloud sweeps through the festivities: Georgiana Darcy has disappeared without a trace. Upon receiving word of his sister’s likely demise, Darcy and wife, Elizabeth, set off across the English countryside, seeking answers in the unfamiliar and menacing Scottish moors.

How can Darcy keep his sister safe from the most sinister threat she has ever faced when he doesn’t even know if she’s alive? True to Austen’s style and rife with malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, this suspense-packed mystery places Darcy and Elizabeth in the most harrowing situation they have ever faced – finding Georgiana before it is too late.

Website – www.rjeffers.com

Blog – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Twitter – @reginajeffers

Publisher – Ulysses Press http://ulyssespress.com/

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments