The cover is fascinating and an excellent depiction for the premise! As many of you know, I'm all about the cover fitting the story! This one seems to do just that!
We are truly privileged today because the authors are sharing an exclusive vignette with us! Don't we feel special!? I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did! I adore vignettes! Thank you, thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~
Our thanks to Janet and the readers at More Agreeably
Engaged for the warm welcome on our blog tour! We have been so overwhelmed by
the response so far and would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has
followed the tour thus far.
When the idea of a vignette was suggested to us, we leapt at
the opportunity. There is one character in particular we felt needed a bit more
time in the sun (so to speak) and that was Colonel Fitzwilliam. In this book,
Darcy truly finds himself in need of a steadying hand, and there is no one he
trusts more than the colonel. In his predicament, Darcy is able to observe his
friends and relations with a closer eye than they suspect, and it is revealed
in time that Colonel Fitzwilliam may be harboring a secret of his own. We hope
you enjoy this glimpse into his character!
Vignette
The brandy poured smoothly despite the slight tremor in his
hand. Colonel Fitzwilliam was not inexperienced in the ways of the world. He’d
seen men torn apart by war—injuries to the mind that one might never recover
from—but this time was different. Those men were soldiers, never his own
family. He knew that Darcy had borne his fair share of suffering since the
death of his father and in the unseemly business with Wickham, but Fitzwilliam
never thought he would live to see the man so broken. It felt unnatural
somehow, Darcy was the most stalwart person he knew.
With a deep breath, Fitzwilliam schooled his features into
his usual, pleasantly affable mein before turning and handing a glass to Darcy.
“Here, take your medicine and there’s a good lad,” he
commanded. Darcy’s own hand shook as he raised the glass to his lips and drank.
Fitzwilliam observed there was still grass on his trousers from the scene in
the park and suppressed a shudder at the memory of it. He refused to acknowledge
Darcy’s claim that he had gone “quite mad.” Distressed, yes, but madness?
He had, of course, observed some unusual behavior from Darcy
during this visit. It had not taken Fitzwilliam long to identify Miss Elizabeth
Bennet as Darcy’s la belle mystère. When
Darcy was not near her, he became sullen and distracted. When he was in her
presence he was struck silent, watching her from a distance. Fitzwilliam’s
suspicions were confirmed when Darcy delayed their return to London not once
but twice. Only the most hopeless of love could keep Darcy at Rosings for such
an extended visit. Not that Fitzwilliam had minded the delay so much. He’d had
his own struggles to endure, temptations of his own to overcome. His nights
became increasingly more restless, closing his eyes only to see a serious gaze
from a pair of changeable grey eyes.
Damn and blast, man,
that is not for you, he reminded himself once again. It had been some time
since he had last visited Rosings as he’d been dispatched to Spain with his
regiment the previous Easter. The year prior, an obligation to his father had
kept him from Kent. When he’d arrived at Rosings Park with Darcy, it had been
several years since he had set eyes on Anne. He remembered her as thin and
sickly, but in the years since he had seen her last, she had blossomed into an
elegant creature.
He never could have imagined the surprise he felt when she
raised her eyes to his, sending a shock through him, followed by an ache he had
only just begun to understand. It was a whisper in the dark, a beacon that
became clearer as he mapped the paths of his own dutiful heart.
Perhaps the war had changed him, winnowing away his youthful
indolence and allowing him to see what had always been in front of him. Anne de
Bourgh was still quiet and reserved, but he’d seen flashes of humor and cunning
when she thought herself unobserved. He knew her mind to be sharp and her
opinions well-reasoned and steadfast. She would make an excellent mistress of
Rosing Park one day and a superior wife to whatever fool was lucky enough to
marry her. Fitzwilliam was certain now more than ever that it would not be
Darcy, hopelessly smitten with Miss Elizabeth Bennet as he was. But he also
knew that it could not be him, a penniless soldier and second son. His jaw
flexed in silent frustration.
Shoving his own struggles aside, Fitzwilliam focused on his other
cousin, the one currently in extreme distress. Once he had calmed somewhat,
Darcy managed to recount a tale so fantastical that Fitzwilliam found himself
caught up in it.
“. . . and that is how you find me in such a state now.”
Darcy finished his story, staring morosely into his empty glass. Fitzwilliam
paused before speaking, taking a moment to admire the rather stunning detail of
the world that Darcy’s mind had created.
Fitzwilliam considered Darcy’s predicament before an idea
struck him. And while he could not say that he believed his cousin’s tale, the light of hope in Darcy’s eyes as he
explained his strategy was enough to make him want to try.
He did not know if Darcy was going mad or if his plan would
meet with any success. He only knew that it was going to be a long night.
~~~~~~~~~~
Book Description
“He could no longer
claim to be Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire, brother to Georgiana, master of
Pemberley. In that moment, he was but a man. A man filled with more frustration
than most souls could bear. A man torn asunder by his desperation, his
fruitless dreams and desires.”
After Elizabeth Bennet rejects his marriage proposal,
Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself in the most unusual of circumstances. At first
believing the extraordinary turn of events has granted him an inexplicable
boon, he is eager to put the humiliating proposal behind him.
He soon discovers that he is trapped in the same waking
dream with no end in sight and no possible escape. All that he holds dear—his
name, his home, his love—remains ever out of reach. How will he find his way
back to his normal life? Will one mistake haunt the rest of his days? It will
take all of his fortitude to weather the storms of his strange new fate, and
all of his courage to grasp the promise of his future.
~~~~~~~~~~
Book Title: The
Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy
Authors: Beau North &
Brooke West
Tour Dates: October 8-20, 2016
Genre: Fiction-Romance,
Historical-Regency and Fiction-Historical
Purchase Link: Amazon
Goodreads Link: The
Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy Goodreads Page
~~~~~~~~~~
Author Links:
__________________________________________________________
Facebook: Beau North Writes
Instagram:Miznorth
Newsletter: tinyletter.com/BeauNorth
Podcasts: http://rhymeswithnerdy.com/
Blog: beaunorthwrites.com (coming soon)
Goodreads: Goodreads Author Page: Beau North
Amazon: Amazon
Author Page: Beau North
Brooke West
Facebook: Brooke West
@WordyWest and @BrookeWest
Goodreads: Goodreads Author Page: Brooke West
Amazon: Amazon Author Page: Brooke West
Author Biographies
__________________________________________________________
Beau North is the author of Longbourn’s Songbird and a contributor to the anthology Then Comes Winter. Beau is a native
southerner who now calls Portland, Oregon home with her husband and two cats.
She attended the University of South Carolina where she began a lifelong
obsession with Literature. In her spare time, Beau is the brains behind Rhymes With Nerdy, a pop culture podcast
and website, and a contributor at the San Francisco Book Review.
Brooke West is a contributing author to the anthology Then Comes Winter. Brooke has a
naturally creative soul that pulls her into myriad artistic endeavors. While writing fiction always has been her
life's passion, Brooke also finds joy in silversmithing, sculpting, and
costuming. Between projects, she runs and practices yoga. She lives in South Carolina with her fiancé,
son, and three cats.
~~~~~~~~~~
After Fitzwilliam Darcy finds
his suit rejected by the only woman in the world he would ever marry, he looks
to make a quick exit out of Kent and go back to his life before he met
Elizabeth Bennet. Yet, when he wakes the next day he discovers that getting
back to everything he still holds dear may be more challenging than he ever
imagined. What if finding his way back means getting another chance to win
Elizabeth’s love?
Beau North and Brooke West,
co-authors of Holiday Mix Tape from
the Meryton Press winter anthology, Then
Comes Winter, tour the blogosphere from October 8-October 19, 2016, to share
their latest collaboration, The Many
Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Thirteen book bloggers, specializing in
Austenesque fiction and romance stories, will share excerpts, guest posts, an
exclusive interview with the authors and book reviews from this highly
anticipated Austen-inspired novel. Four ebooks and four paperbacks are also
being included in our giveaways and entry is available to anyone who
participates in this blog tour.
__________________________________________________________
Beau and Brooke are giving away 8 copies
of their book, which includes 4 ebooks and 4 paperback copies. To win a
paperback copy, the winners must have a U.S. mailing address. Be sure and check the Rafflecopter at the blogs with giveaways listed below.
~~~~~~~~~~
Blog Tour Schedule
____________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~
To vote for your favorite image of Fitzwilliam Darcy from the images shown below, go to The Many Faces of Fitzwilliam Darcy Contest Link. The winning image and the winner will be announced on October 20, 2016, at our last blog stop, So Little Time… So Much to Read.
The reader whose image receives the most votes will win the following prizes: A paperback copy of Then Comes Winter by Meryton Press, edited by Christina Boyd, a paperback copy of Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North, a paperback copy of The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Beau North & Brooke West, a $15.00 Amazon gift card, assorted Jane Austen postcards and Pride and Prejudice Post-its by Girl of All Work. (The details of this contest were also announced on Just Jane 1813.)
For readers who wish to vote in our The Many Faces of Fitzwilliam Darcy contest, the choices are shown below:
A special 'thank you' goes to Claudine Pepe of Just Jane 1813. She does a fabulous job of organizing her blog tours. She makes it easy on us as bloggers. I do appreciate you, Claudine!
Yay! Thanks so much for hosting us, Janet!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Beau! It is a pleasure.
DeleteI love when any extra sun shines on the colonel! Love.
ReplyDeleteI do too, Christina. I love the Colonel!
DeleteJanet,I've read this book and from the very first page fell under its magical spell!! I simply adored it and cannot recommend it enough!
ReplyDeleteThe ending is so beautifully done,you'll read it with a mixture of tears and laughter. Yes,it's that good!
Treat yourself to this book,you won't regret it!
Thank you for the fantastic recommendation, Mary! I will treat myself to this one! I think I am already under its spell.
DeleteI voted for Matt Bomer. I'd like a paperback copy if I win, since I really can't do e-books.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle, for commenting and good luck!
DeleteAh, that vignette hit the spot. Love your version of the Colonel. Thanks, ladies!
ReplyDeleteYes, it did. I liked reading of the new feeling that the Colonel is experiencing. Wonder where they will lead?
DeleteThank you, Janet, for hosting this post and always extending your friendship to the JAFF community! I loved reading this vignette again and enjoying this manly exchange between two of my favorite characters. I hope your readers love it too!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Claudine. I was happy to be included! Thank you, also for letting me have the vignette for my spot. Wasn't it great! I loved it too and I'm sure my readers are enjoying it. I always love reading more about the Colonel and this contained a neat surprise.
DeleteThe colonel! *Sigh* You just have to get all swoony over a red coat. I would like to read the rest of the scene, where Mr Perfect Darcy falls apart!
ReplyDeleteThat will be entertaining, won't it? I look forward to reading that too.
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of this scene plays out too. Anything that expands the role of the good Colonel can only be a good thing and if it also brings Anne out of the shadows too, then that's even better.
ReplyDeleteI know this isn't the final stop on the tour but I've got things a bit out of order so this is my final comment. Thanks so much to all of you lovely bloggers for taking part, to Claudine for organising it and finally to Beau and Brooke for writing what looks to become a classic.
Between the two of you, there's excellent plotting, quotable prose, masterful character development, a great sense of timing, a funny podcaster, and a lawyer. Ugh. How can measly authors compete? Hahaha! Cool that we were hosted on each others' blog tour organizers' sites the same day! Loved this when it posted, and can't wait to read the Xtna approved version. Have fun on the rest of your blog tour!
ReplyDelete