Thursday, February 28, 2013

200th Anniversary Pride and Prejudice Calendar Giveaway

Even though it is already past the actual anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, people will be celebrating it for all of 2013. In honor of that celebration and as a tribute to Jane Austen and the 200th Anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, I will be giving away one of my keepsake commemorative calendars. To be entered in the contest, please leave a comment below stating what scene in Pride and Prejudice is your favorite. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing of all who have left a comment.  The contest will run from today, February 28, through midnight, Thursday, March 7, 2013.

Please stop by my website and take a look at the drawings that make up the calendar, JT Originals or to see the complete calendar in a slide show, look at the video below.

I will soon have the theme music playing with my slide show. The lovely Meredith Esparza has agreed to add her musical talents. We can enjoy her piano playing as the pages turn! Thanks, Meredith. I can hardly wait!










Tuesday, February 26, 2013

My Share in the Conversation...the Darcys & the Bingleys


The Darcys & the Bingleys by Marsha Altman  

Book One begins three days before the double wedding of the two Bennet sisters, Jane and Lizzy, to the two most eligible bachelors, Bingley and Darcy. Charles Bingley is concerned about the intimate aspects of marriage and seeks advice from his best friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy’s help for Bingley is a copy of The Kama Sutra, which he orders for him. Although
The Kama Sutra
is mentioned here and other places throughout the book, there is no explicit sex depicted.  This is a fun and informative one hundred or so pages about the hectic events and happenings leading up to the wedding. Thrown into the mix is a little history of the friendship between Darcy and Bingley that goes back to their days at University. They develop a brotherly rivalry that is not always so brotherly, or then again, maybe it is.

The marriage of these two couples and the year that follows was sweet, sometimes funny and made for good reading. With the birth of a child for each couple, the first book comes to a close.

Although all the main characters are still in Book Two, it centers more on a tolerable and sometimes likeable, Caroline Bingley and her new suitor. This is where the intrigue begins. There is much to discover about this man, his brother and the doctor who is helping Mr. Hurst. The means of discovery and the adventures that follow kept me turning the pages.

What I didn’t like as much about the book was the portrayal of Darcy and Jane.  I felt they were not true to character. Darcy drank too much and couldn’t hold his liquor. His past was not as proper as I would like to think that Darcy’s was. Jane was too outspoken and not so mild mannered. That said, when I read Austenesque novels, I expect there to be some deviation of character and I allow for that. I was just not as comfortable with these two transformations.  Yes, Caroline Bingley was also different but it was a nice difference for her!

Overall it was a good book and entertaining.  I liked how the story of Caroline Bingley developed.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review. 

The Darcys & the Bingleys completes my first selection for the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge.