Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Joana Starnes and the Best Story Ever Told + Giveaway!

It is such a pleasure to have Joana Starnes, author of From This Day Forward; The Darcy's of Pemberley, visit today. She tells us of her love for Pride and Prejudice and how she started writing. She is also generously giving away two eBooks! Thank you, Joana, and welcome!

Hi, Janet, and many thanks for inviting me, it’s great to be here! 

My first encounter with ‘Pride and Prejudice’ dates many years back. It was the first Jane Austen novel I ever read, the first book I fell in love with, and an enduring favourite ever since. Decades down the line, I still think it’s the best story ever written.

Then, twelve years ago, having given up my medical data management job to be a stay-at-home mum, I found myself with enough time on my hands to be able to watch the six-hour 1995 BBC adaptation several times in quick succession, and was left craving more. As other Austen fans said before me, if the book – or the film – finished, there was no reason why the story should, so I started trawling the internet, discovered the Republic of Pemberley and then the Derbyshire Writers Guild – and the rest is history.

After lurking for years and enjoying many stories there, most of which I was delighted to find at Amazon after a while, I showed up at DWG with my first foray into fan fiction, ‘Steady to his Purpose’, a Pride & Prejudice ~ Sense & Sensibility variation, later hosted on Renee Olstrom’s lovely ‘Mrs Darcy’s Story Site’.

With hindsight, ‘Steady to his Purpose’ is rather a first-time effort and, in its original form, does need a lot of work, so I plan to spend some time revising it before making it available later in the year, in a new version and under the new title of ‘The Second Chance’.

As a matter of fact, ‘From This Day Forward’ started life as a sequel to it, but then I somehow drifted towards writing it as a sequel to the real thing.

I think what I enjoyed most was the opportunity – or the excuse – to immerse myself in Jane Austen’s world, to try to understand her way of life, and that of her characters. To walk through some country-house or another and imagine what it must have looked like when it was alive. When the spits were turning in the kitchen, the copper utensils on display were actually in use, when the halls would teem with servants and the drawing-rooms would glitter with candles and jewels, when age-old traditions were upheld and the ‘great house’ was responsible for the welfare of many.

It has been often said that one of the reasons why Jane Austen’s novels are timeless and enduring is that she didn’t anchor them into the details of her physical world. While this might be true for literary critics, I found I craved the very same details, and that I enjoyed sequels and retellings so much more when they did give hints to authentic events and lifestyles because, somehow, that made them so much more relevant and real. Pamela Aidan’s novels were the first to make me feel this way and then, to my great joy, over the years I found so many others.

I don’t know whether living in England has shaped my writing in any particular way. As I said before, it did help to catch glimpses of Pemberley in many of the places that the National Trust looks after – and I don’t mean just the country-houses openly associated with the 1995 and 2005 adaptations.

For those who have read ‘From This Day Forward’ already or intend to read it, there is a wonderful portrait of Lady Isabel Darcy in the Saloon at Sudbury Hall, as there is the most adorable print room papered in caricatures at Calke Abbey, and a lovely cherry-tree orchard in the walled gardens of Buscot Park. And personally, I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than the dining room at Attingham Park, with the enormous table set up for a Regency dinner party – except perhaps The Vyne, decorated for Christmas. And if you ever go cycling in Derbyshire, it’s ever so easy to picture Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley galloping over the very same fields but, if you don’t get to travel so far north, Mr Canning’s house is still standing, at No. 50 Berkeley Square in London, and around the corner, on Piccadilly, there is the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour which, not unreasonably, Miss Bingley who lived in the nearby Grosvenor Square might have visited, and the same could be said of the Darcys.

While being able to see all these did help, and made dreaming up the story so much more enjoyable, I don’t think it matters where we sit down to write. After 200 years of alterations and ‘improvements’, we’re bound to find Jane Austen’s England not as much in the real world as in our hearts and our imagination.

To all who read this, my warmest thanks for your interest in ‘From This Day Forward’, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed my search for the Darcys of Pemberley!


You may find Joana Starnes:
Facebook
Website

Purchase From This Day Forward:
Amazon Paperback and Kindle


Thank you again, Joana, for being my guest. It was so nice to hear of your progression from a love of Jane Austen to a writer of retellings. I have to think that being in England and seeing the beautiful estates and places that the National trust looks after, would inspire one to write most aptly. It would certainly aid in the details which you do so well! Step back in time to Lacock village and you will know you are in Meryton! 

Joana is giving away two eBooks of From This Day Forward, for your eReader. To be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment. The giveaway is international. Good luck to all. 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, June 24.

34 comments:

  1. Can't wait to see your out take as the Darcy's start their lives together.
    I have been bugging my husband for months now to take me to England so I can visit some of the sites that I have read about in these great books. But he isn't convinced yet so I have to continue to just get caught up in these books . Thank you for taking me to England in my dreams...lol
    coolmom715 (at) gmail.com

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    1. Hi, Maria!
      Thanks, and I hope you manage to persuade your husband sometime soon :) and when you do, please get in touch, it would be lovely to visit places like these with like-minded people!
      Joana

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  2. Congratulations on the release of your debut book, Joana. I wish I could visit England and spend time visiting the great heritage of English country homes. Maybe someday I will.

    evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Evangeline, and I hope you will! Some look more 'alive' than others - but if I had it my way, I'd move next door to Sudbury Hall :) (the 1995 'indoor Pemberley').
      Have a great day and thanks for commenting! Joana

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  3. having spent most of my life in Britain I have been to some of these places associated with Jane Austen, glad that I did before we left. Congrats on your book, and thanks for the chance to win a copy

    meikleblog at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting! Good luck! Joana

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. ... because I published it in the wrong place! Ooooops!

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  5. That is so neat that you have access to the countryside, home and towns to really spark your imagination about Jane Austen's characters. I look forward to reading your book, Joana.

    sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you so much, Sophia! I wish I was a P&P 2005 fan, the place they used for Netherfield is just down the road - but I HAD to become addicted to the 1995 version, didn't I! :) Take care and thanks for visiting and commenting! Joana

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  6. we’re bound to find Jane Austen’s England not as much in the real world as in our hearts and our imagination.

    Hear, hear! It's fun to identify places that might have inspired JA, but our imaginations will always run wild. Thanks for the post!

    ~ junewilliams7 {at} yahoo {dot} com

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    1. Thanks, June!

      At least, in our own imagination, we won't be disappointed! I went to Steventon a few years ago, when I was down with the JA bug at its worst :) and then I soooo wish I didn't. The church where her father must have preached was beautiful and peaceful, but the house she lived in when she wrote the first version of P&P had been demolished years ago (which I knew) but what I didn't know was that in order to get to Steventon I had to drive through a horrible tunnel-like thing under a train-line that some clever cloggs thought it would be good to build there (GAH! The Victorians!!!!). Take care, and thanks for visiting!

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  7. I will have to make some time to go and see these lovely places. I live quite close to a National Trust property, got married there, in fact, and in my head I was Lizzy Bennet the whole time I was there! I could easily do a day trip to Bath, but Derbyshire is a bit further, I'll get there one day though :)

    Thank you for the giveaway opportunity. Frawli1978(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Ceri, are you going to get to Bath during the Jane Austen Festival? Joana and I will both be there on the opening weekend!

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    2. 'I could easily do a day trip to Bath'
      Yay, do, and maybe we could get together at the festival, as Cassasndra said, that would be great!

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  8. Sigh...one of these days I'll make it to England. I'd love to spend months just wandering and seeing EVERYthing!

    I remember reading and enjoying the first few chapters of From This Day Forward on DWG. I just recently noticed it on Amazon. I look forward to reading it in its entirety and I thank you for the chance to win a copy.

    monicaperry00 at gmail dot com
    twitter: @jaffobsession

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    1. I'm glad you spotted it at DWG, wasn't sure if many people were reading it there. Thanks for commenting and good luck!

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  9. Another really good and very interesting Blog post, Janet.

    Joana, it was lovely to read about your writing inspiration and the wonderful places that influenced you.

    I am currently reading the book so no need to include me in the giveaway - I love it! It's written with such beautiful attention to detail.

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    1. Thanks, Cassandra, and I'm SOOOOO glad you like it :)

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    2. Thank you, Cassandra. I am very privileged to have so many wonderful people to be my guests. I found Joana Starnes' post delightful! I loved hearing all about the places in England.

      She does have a way with detail, doesn't she! Very descriptive indeed! I enjoyed it too.

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  10. I am sooooo lucky that my Brother owns the most adorable guest house in Derbyshire. I have had the pleasure of these wonderful settings often. Cannot wait to read this.
    tonicarte(at)yahoo.co.uk
    twitter: @WriterToniC

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    1. Hi, Toni - that's one great stroke of luck! Wish I had a brother like that :) Thanks for visiting and commenting!

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    2. You are very lucky, Toni! I know you will enjoy the book.

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  11. I would so love to visit England and all of Jane's favorite spots...maybe one day! From this Day Forward sounds like a great book that will be at the top of my TBR list.

    hms7213(at)Comcast(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Heidi! I think you will love the book. I just reviewed it so be sure and read my review. That will give you more chances to win an eBook too!

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    2. Hi, Heidi! Hope you will visit one day, but in the meantime, thanks for visiting here!

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  12. I would truly love to win an ebook so that I can relax this summer and be an arm chair visitor to England.
    emedmondsatmyactv.net

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    1. Good luck in the giveaway, Eva. If you read and comment at the review I just posted, that will give you more chances to win!

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    2. Hi, Eva! Do post again at Janet's share in the conversation, for more chances to win. Good luck!

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  13. Cannot wait to purchase. :-)angelbrimom@optonline.net

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and good luck in the giveaway. If you leave a comment at my review that will enter you in another giveaway for this wonderful book.

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    2. Thanks for visiting and commenting and good luck!

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  14. Joana, thank you so much for being my guest. It has truly been a privilege to have you and get to know you a bit. I enjoyed your book so much and wish you the very best. I know it will be a big success. I hope to read more from you in the future and look forward to 'The Second Chance'. Thank you again, for your generosity and please come back anytime for another post!

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    1. Janet, I'm the one who should thank you for hosting me on your lovely site, and for your kind review! It's been a great pleasure to meet you and to be here. Many thanks!

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