Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth...Victoria Kincaid

Victoria Kincaid, author of The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth, is my guest today. It is always such a pleasure to have a new author talk to us about how she started writing. Victoria's book has a very unique premise and is one that I found especially fascinating. By the looks of the sheer number of reviews it has garnered on Amazon, it must be a popular novel to many! 

Congratulations, Victoria, and thank you for stopping by today. Thank you also for your generous giveaway. Now, please welcome Victoria Kincaid.

Purchase at Amazon
I didn’t set out to write a Pride & Prejudice variation!  A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon some of the sequels and alternative versions and got addicted to reading them.  But I am writer, so as I was reading different variations I would start to think, “wouldn’t it be neat if…and then….”  Before I knew it, I had the workings of a plot in my head. 

Another inspiration was an interesting moment during the war between France and Britain.  Following the signing of the Treaty of Amiens, there was a brief moment of peace. In 1803, hundreds of English citizens (who were huge fans of French fashion and French wine despite the war) flocked to Paris.  When the war broke out again, these travelers were desperate to escape the country. 

I thought it would be fascinating to put Elizabeth and Darcy among these English citizens. Austen doesn’t deal much with the war or politics, but I liked the idea of complicating their romance with these outside events.  I tried to remain true to Austen’s characters—since I appreciate that kind of fidelity in other variations—while putting them in new situations outside their comfort zones.   

Traditionally, P&P variations have been set in 1813, the year the book was published, but Austen actually wrote the first draft long before 1800, so I didn’t think that changing the setting to 1803 was that big a stretch.

~Blurb~

In this Pride and Prejudice variation, a despondent Darcy travels to Paris in the hopes of forgetting the disastrous proposal at Hunsford. Paris is teeming with English visitors during a brief moment of peace in the Napoleonic Wars, but Darcy’s spirits don’t lift until he attends a ball and unexpectedly encounters…Elizabeth Bennet!  Darcy seizes the opportunity to correct misunderstandings and initiate a courtship.

Their moment of peace is interrupted by the news that England has again declared war on France, and hundreds of English travelers must flee Paris immediately. Circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to escape on their own, despite the risk to her reputation. Even as they face dangers from street gangs and French soldiers, romantic feelings blossom during their flight to the coast. But then Elizabeth falls ill, and the French are arresting all the English men they can find….

When Elizabeth and Darcy finally return to England, their relationship has changed, and they face new crises.  However, they have secrets they must conceal—even from their own families.

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To read more about Victoria Kincaid and her book, please visit her blog;

Book may be purchased at Amazon

Victoria Kincaid is allowing me to host a lovely giveaway of three electronic books of  The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth, and the giveaway is international. Thank you, Victoria.  To be entered leave a comment below as I always love reading your 'share in the conversation'!  Good luck to all. Be sure to include your email address in the comment. To prevent unwanted spam, put your email address with (at) instead of @. Winners will be chosen in a random drawing. Giveaway will end at midnight, July 1, 2014.   

24 comments:

  1. This looks so good - I love that they have to navigate such a sticky situation together. I already have this on my kindle so please don't put me in the giveaway. Hopefully I'll get to read it soon. My reading time seems to have dwindled to almost nothing the past few weeks. Unacceptable! ;)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Monica. I hope you soon have more reading time but I understand fully. I have very little right now myself and it is unacceptable! lol

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  2. Please do not enter me in the giveaway as I already have the eBook. I enjoyed it & read it straight through. I couldn't put it down. I thought it was true to character.

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    1. So glad you stopped by and let us know how you felt about the book. Thanks, Deborah Ann.

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  3. Sounds like a fascinating.read! I love the historical aspects and would love to win a copy (gailwarner @ verizon.net)

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    1. The historical part of the book was very interesting and added much to the drama of the book. Good luck with the giveaway.

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  4. I am always very intrigued when writers give us a chance to see our beloved characters surrounded by new people and in different places. If they remain true to the original ones, the outcome cannot be negative! Thanks for the giveaway!

    newyorkgirl82(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I enjoyed reading your thoughts, Maria. Thanks for visiting and good luck.

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  5. Can't wait until it comes out in print as I really don't like e-books.

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    1. Maybe soon! I will check and let you know.

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  6. War refugees! I love it. This sounds really good, Victoria. I look forward to reading this one. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

    sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you Sophia Rose. I think you will like this one too!

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  7. Thank you, ladies, for a great post!
    I am fascinated by this premise, Victoria! It promises a lot of excitement and a completely new angle. Thanks for the opportunity to take part in the giveaway, I wouldn't miss it!

    joana[underscore]sw[at]yahoo.co.uk

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    1. So glad you popped in, Joana. There is much excitement and it has some very different twists to it!

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  8. Sounds like a good twist on the tale. Thanks for the giveaway! Lesliebdougherty at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for dropping by, Leslie and good luck in the giveaway.

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  9. It sounds good!! I would like to read this novels! Thank you for the giveaway.
    My email: chiarapiccirilla (at) hotmail (doc)it

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  10. Congratulations Victoria on your debut and best wishes for continued success. Please do not enter me as I have this on my Kindle and enjoyed it.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Joy. I'm glad you enjoyed this book. I hope to be reviewing it soon.

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  11. This sounds like an interesting variation. I love variations that connect to some real historic event. Can't wait to read it! Thanks for the giveaway.
    Catherine Commons
    catcommons(at)Comcast(dot)com

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    1. I think you will like this one, Catherine. It is very different and has a good story.

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  12. I have this on my kindle and cannot wait to read it, I do enjoy a different scene :)

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  13. Glad you stopped by, Tamara. I hope you get a chance to read it soon. Would love to know your thoughts!

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