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;

Victoria Kincaid 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.