Caroline...with Sue Barr

Today my guest, Sue Barr, is a new author to the JAFF community and has recently published her very first JAFF story, which is titled "Caroline: Pride and Prejudice continued… Book One" Her story allows us to explore Caroline Bingley’s own journey to love after she learns about the engagement between Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Below is a recent interview with Sue. She shares some of her background and allows us the privilege of getting to know her a little better. Thank you, Sue, for your time and for your visit during you busy blog tour.

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Sue, I know you’re new to the JAFF community, but you’ve been a published writer for a while now. Can you share with us some of your background and tell us about the person behind the writer?

I started writing in 2009 under a pen name - Madison J Edwards. My genre was erotic romance, my publisher Turquoise Morning Press (TMP) and I had a total of nine works published. In 2014, when I gave my heart to the Lord, I changed my genre focus to inspirational sweet romance. My publisher graciously reverted my rights back to me and Madison died a natural death.

I almost stopped writing at that time and didn’t do anything for almost a year, but the voices inside my head would not be quiet. Really - totally rude. So, in 2015 I revised my first print book with TMP and republished the title under my own name, then followed up with two small town contemporary romances which were super fun to write. Later that year, I reconnected with a high school friend. You may know her as Suzan Lauder and she indirectly steered me toward the world of JAFF.

Please share with us the premise of your new book, “Caroline,” along with your plans for this series.

Caroline Bingley has been dealt a devastating blow to not only her ego, but to her life plans. She dreads the upcoming nuptials for Charles and Darcy but has to attend. During this trying time she meets Lord Nathan, unaware that he is Darcy’s vicar, Mr. Kerr. He both intrigues and vexes her greatly.

Lord Nathan, a reformed Rake, gave up his worldly life to become a minister. He meets Caroline Bingley and immediately recognizes her for the woman she is - a beautiful social climber. But he is drawn to her and struggles to reconcile his interest in her with what type of woman he should marry.

My next story WAS going to be about Georgiana, but when I started plotting the time line, I realized Katherine (Kitty’s story) had to come first. Right now, that’s all I have planned, but Mary has been whispering to me. She’s not happy that in the original canon she was relegated to stay at Longbourn...

What inspired you to write a JAFF series and how did you gain the courage to begin with the haughty and scheming Caroline Bingley?

Suzan introduced me to A Happy Assembly website and I started reading some of the fan fiction. Almost everybody vilified Caroline Bingley, the villain we all love to hate.

CAROLINE came about from one simple question. Whatever happened to her at the end of Pride & Prejudice? All her hopes and dreams were ripped away. She wanted to marry Darcy. She wanted her brother to marry Georgiana. And she detested Elizabeth Bennet and all Hertfordshire society. Anything that could go wrong in her life, did.

The minute I started thinking of how her life must have changed, I knew immediately I wanted to write a story where not only her physical life took a different course, but also the person she was inside. She had nowhere to go. She couldn’t live with Charles, as Jane would be mistress, running the house, and I threw in a wrinkle with Louisa so she couldn’t stay with them.

Why do think after 200 years, so many people are still reading Jane Austen’s books?

Time honored plots and premises. With Jane Austen we see a slice of society that isn’t glossed over. Her dialogue and scenes give us a glimpse of how a gentleman’s daughter lived, how woman were at the mercy of men and societal laws.

It also doesn’t hurt we can watch adaptations through television and film. All this helps keep the dream alive.

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Sue, here’s the short-answer portion of this interview. Can you answer the following questions for my readers?

Favorite book of all-time?

Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning *le sigh*

Favorite Austen heroine or anti-heroine?

Willoughby. He totally lived at the mercy of Society’s expectations, turning his back on true love.

What’s your go-to place or item when sit down to enjoy a book?

My couch.

Ereader or reader of paper-based books?

All of them. I have an e-reader for ease and convenience, but sometimes… you have to hold those pages in your hand.

Love at first sight or slow-burning love?

I’ve had both. Met hubby in 1981 and it was instantaneous for both of us. We’ve been married for over 34 years and I still get all bubbly over him.

What can readers do to support your work?

Other than purchase my books, the best thing a reader can do is give a review. Also, tell your friends. The most effective advertisement is by word of mouth. I can blab until I’m blue in the face about my stories, but when two or three BFF’s get together and talk about a book, any recommendations are believed.

I have a newsletter, which I use only for announcements - so no Spam. Pinky swear. You can find the link on my website or on my blog.

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“Caroline” General Info

Book Title: Caroline
Author: Sue Barr
Tour Dates: March 12 – March 26, 2017

Genre: Historical Christian Romance, Historical Christian Romance Fiction, & Christian 
Historical Fiction

Purchase Links: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

This book is also available through Amazon’s KindleUnlimited

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Book Description:

Whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and unrequited love interest married a Bennet sister? Join me in this story of redemptive love and the healing of broken dreams.

Caroline Bingley, beyond frustrated with her brother, Charles and Mr. Darcy both proposing to the Bennet sisters, dreads their upcoming nuptials. For three years, her sole focus has been on attaining a marriage proposal from one Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, only to be foiled by a country miss with ‘fine eyes’.  Adrift and not sure of her place in life, she meets the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Lord Nathan, who equally vexes and intrigues her.

Lord Nathan Kerr, third in line to a Dukedom, had a well-earned reputation as a Rake. He cast all that and his noble title aside to become Mr. Darcy’s vicar in Kympton, finding contentment in leading his small flock and doing the Lord’s work. His plan for a quiet, country life is thrown into upheaval when he meets the fiery Miss Bingley. Can he reconcile his rising desire for the spoiled miss with how a vicar’s wife ‘should’ behave?

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Author Links:

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

Sue Barr’s Blog

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Author Biography:

Sue Barr resides in beautiful Southwestern Ontario with her retired Air Force hubby, two sons and their families. She’s also an indentured servant to three cats and has been known to rescue a kitten or two, or three…in an attempt to keep her ‘cat-lady-in-training’ status current. Although, she has deviated from appointed path and rescued a few dogs as well.

Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and their affiliate chapter, Love, Hope and Faith as well as American Christian Fiction Writers.

For more information about her other books, visit her website: http://www.suebarrauthor.com/

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Blog Tour Schedule

March 12 / My Jane Austen Book Club/Launch Post & Giveaway

March 13/ From Pemberley to Milton/ Book Review & Excerpt & Giveaway

March 14/ More Agreeably Engaged/Author Spotlight & Giveaway

March 15/ Every Savage Can Dance/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 16/ Just Jane 1813/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 17/ Babblings of a Bookworm/ Vignette Post & Giveaway

March 18/ My Love for Jane Austen/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 19/ Every Savage Can Dance/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 20/ Austenesque Reviews/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 21/ My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 22 / Savvy Verse & Wit/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 23 /Diary of an Eccentric/Book Review & Giveaway

March 24/ So Little Time…/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 25/ Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 26/ Of Pens & Pages/ Book Review & Giveaway

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Giveaways

Three winners will receive a paperback copy of “Caroline” and a Jane Austen Journal and three separate winners will receive an ebook copy of this book. (All giveaways are open to international winners.)

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Thank you for visiting More Agreeably Engaged, today, Ms. Barr. It is such a pleasure to have you stop by. I enjoyed your interview answers and learning more about you. Welcome to the publishing world of JAFF. Your book sounds very interesting and I look forward to reading it. I have to tell you, I love your cover! It is lovely and the background is my favorite color! :) I wish you much success and I hope you will visit again when you have another book released. 

Dear Readers, be sure to make the stops at the other blogs. There are some lovely prizes and posts to enjoy.