My guest today is debut author, Jadie Brooks. Her book, Mr. Darcy's Dilemma and Delight, was released in October. Jadie shares an excerpt below and also tells us how this story originated. The picture of Jadie Brooks is taken in Bath on the steps of the house where Jane Austen resided when she first lived in Bath. I love the picture and think it is perfect for the post! Ms. Brooks is also having a giveaway so be sure and check out the details below. Welcome, Jadie Brooks.
Thank you, Janet
for having me here on More Agreeably
Engaged. It is wonderful to be where so many wonderful writers have been.
I started writing
stories in my teens, but I have been a story teller most of my life. I can
remember convincing a third-grade school friend that a place quite close to my
home was where the character in our favourite book must have lived. I was
nearly convinced myself since that was what I imagined as we listened to the
teacher read to us.
I didn't finish
many of my earlier stories, but the year 2000, just about the time my daughter
left for college, I started writing again. At first, I wrote sci-fi fanfiction,
but sometime around 2009, I discovered the wonderful world of Jane Austen
variations, particularly the Pride and
Prejudice variety. I had loved the Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth version for
many years, but it was not until I read Linda Berdoll's Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife did I
understand what I was missing.
At first, I didn't
think I would ever write a variation of Pride
and Prejudice of my own until an idea popped into my head. I had read
countless stories by then and had not read one like it, so I ventured into
Austenesque fiction. During writing of the pages of that story, another idea
grabbed me and would not let go. What if Elizabeth
were assaulted? What would her reaction be? What would Mr. Darcy's be? I put
aside the first story and started writing to answer those questions. The
resulting story was Mr. Darcy's Dilemma
and Delight.
The story begins
after Jane is ill at Netherfield and before the Netherfield Ball. Elizabeth is brutally
attacked and Darcy comes to her rescue. What follows is a hard-fought journey
for them both. They learn to deal with the aftermath of the attack and through
prayer and persistence, to find love and joy. It tells a story of healing.
Here is just a taste of the first chapter of Mr. Darcy's
Dilemma and Delight.
Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in
Derbyshire inhaled deeply of the crisp autumn air as he stood in the paddock
waiting for his horse to be brought to him.
The day was perfect for his desired solitary ride. The morning sky shone
bright, clear, and the air was cold. He had left the house eager for a good
gallop away from the insipid, overly flattering attentions of Miss Caroline
Bingley. Since he was a guest at Netherfield, the house her brother and Darcy's
good friend Charles had leased, there were few places inside where he could
avoid her.
The groom finally brought Darcy's horse,
Paladin, to the mounting block. As soon as Darcy was in the saddle and out of
the yard, the large bay obliged his master by galloping quickly over
Netherfield's pastures. The two travelled with great pleasure over many acres
of land before Paladin slowed and began to favour his left front foot. Darcy
quickly pulled the animal to a stop and dismounted. After examining the horse's
leg, he found that his mount had a loosened shoe. He knew he could not ride anymore without the
risk of injury to the stallion.
Taking stock of his surroundings for the
first time, Darcy realized he could see the spire of Longbourn church at not
too great a distance. The road to Meryton lay between his location and the
Longbourn estate. Grabbing up the reins, he guided his horse down the rise
toward the road.
Darcy understood that most of his
morning would be spent in the pursuit of a new shoe for his mount. He kicked at
the grass and then upbraided himself for his irritation. Nothing could be
gained in allowing free rein to the frustration caused by the inconvenience of
having to find a blacksmith. Only aggravation and a bad mood would be the
result. His father had never shown such a negative attitude, so he decided to
follow his parent's example once again.
The late Mr. Darcy would also have been
ashamed of his son's conduct during the past few weeks. He had allowed his
distress about his young sister's near elopement to colour his dealings with
the people of the small Hertfordshire village. Lifting his eyes heavenward, he
asked for patience and understanding of why this inconvenience should happen on
such a fine day for riding. Drawing upon the sudden infusion of strength
resulting from the prayer, Darcy moved on with resolve.
When he arrived at the fence that
separated the field and the lane, he could find no gate through which to pass.
To his left he spied a copse of oaks with a brook running through it. Paladin
could use the refreshment after such a ride, as could I, he thought.
Guiding his horse toward the bubbling
stream, Darcy thought he heard a woman cry out. He stopped and strained his
ears to listen. Perceiving no other sound, he shook his head. It must have been
a magpie, he told himself, remembering several swooping and diving across his
path as he rode.
Darcy tethered Paladin within reach of
grass and the stream before he stuffed his gloves into his coat pocket and
crouched to scoop up a drink for himself. When he finally stood up again, he
became conscious of the fact that he could not see the road from his position
amongst the trees. Leaving his horse, he walked toward the place where he knew
the lane to be. As he reached the edge of the grove, he viewed the road through
a tall hedge of wild roses growing over the fence.
Pulling a face that expressed his
annoyance at not being able to find a place from which to gain the road, Darcy
made to turn back to his horse when he heard the sound of rapid foot steps on
the lane. Curiosity got the better of him, and once more he peered through the
gap in the hedge. He was astonished by what he saw.
George
Wickham strode quickly up the lane toward the village of Meryton.
He was buttoning his fall, which in most circumstances would not have seemed
too unusual. Darcy knew of men who relieved themselves by the side of a road,
however ungentlemanlike the action was. On the other hand, because of the
bright, bloody scratches on Wickham's cheeks and the leering, smug expression
upon his face as he straightened his uniform jacket, Darcy came to a completely
different conclusion.
Contact Jadie Brooks on her Facebook page or by email at: author.jadiebrooks@gmail.com
Thank you for taking time to visit More Agreeably Engaged, and telling us about your love for Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. I always enjoy learning how a writer found that spark and turned it into a published novel.
Thank you also for allowing me to host a giveaway of your book. This giveaway is for a paperback or eBook for an eReader, winner's choice, to one lucky winner in the USA. The second giveaway is for an eBook for an eReader to a lucky winner worldwide. Good luck to all. Leave a comment to be entered. We want to hear your say in the conversation. Be sure to include your email address in the comment. To prevent unwanted spam, put your email address with an (at) instead of @. Winner will be chosen in a random drawing. Giveaway ends at midnight, November 25.
