Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Georgiana...Sue Barr

It is a pleasure to welcome Sue Barr back to More Agreeably Engaged. Sue has a new release, Georgiana, and is sharing an excerpt with us from her novel. Before we move on to the excerpt, take a look at the Book Description and the cover. Isn't the cover stunning. The colors are lovely.


BOOK DESCRIPTION
She longs for true love... 
A dowry of thirty thousand pounds places a hefty weight upon the shoulders of Miss Georgiana Darcy. Her tender heart has been broken before by a cad who cared not one whit for who she was, but as a prize to be won, and she fears no man will ever see the worth of her heart.

Duty and honor... 
These are the stalwart columns which hold up the life of Maxwell Kerr, Fifth Duke of Adborough. After rescuing Miss Darcy from an inescapable compromise, an offer of marriage is as natural to him as breathing air. When he discovers this is not the first compromise she has evaded, anger becomes his faithful companion and threatens their tenuous bonds of love and respect.


First and foremost, thank you for hosting me and sharing an excerpt from my latest release, GEORGIANA: Pride & Prejudice continued… Book Three. I’m sharing from near the beginning of the story to lay the foundation of what Georgiana’s family expects from her upcoming curtsy to the Queen and introduction to the social elite of London.


**Read an Excerpt**

Before the week was out, the Darcy’s had arrived in London and were almost immediately beset upon by Lady Matlock and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

“Aunt Lucinda, Richard, you are here at an ungodly hour. We have only begun to break our fast.” Fitz stood and gave their aunt a kiss on the cheek.

Georgiana and Lizzy started to push away from the table to stand, but Lady Matlock waved them down. Richard called out a cheery ‘good morning’ and promptly attended the sideboard. Lady Matlock settled beside Georgiana and accepted a cup of tea from one of the footmen.

“To what do we owe the honor of your company so early, Aunt?” Fitz asked once he’d resumed his place at the table. “Richard, I know, came only to stuff his face with my food.”

He gave his cousin a mild glare as his cousin sat next to Lizzy after filling his plate to near overflowing. Richard’s reply was to raise an eyebrow and take a bite of his fresh baked roll.

“We have no time to waste,” Aunt Lucinda began. “Elizabeth and Georgiana’s presentations are but a scant eight weeks away. Not near enough time to accomplish everything I’d like. I have arranged several fittings at Etienne’s, for which I am eternally grateful to the Duchess of Adborough. Normally, Madame Etienne has a line weaving down the street for her services, but Margaret was able to exert her influence and hire her exclusively to attend all our girls.”

“Caroline and Kitty, as well?” Lizzy asked.

“Oh, yes. Margaret adores both of them and is determined to have them shine this upcoming Season.” Lady Matlock let out a satisfied sigh. “There are rumors the Prince Regent himself may attend in honor of Lord George’s loyalty to the Crown. I would not be surprised if he doesn’t bestow on George his own dukedom.”

Georgiana’s memory briefly touched on the near-scandal a few days before Nathan and Caroline’s wedding. Guests at Pemberley had been informed that a gun accidently discharged in the stables and Viscount Stanhope had been tragically killed. She knew that to be a falsehood as she’d overheard Fitzwilliam and Cousin Richard discussing Stanhope’s treachery.

“I hear the Barwick Duchy is vacant.” Richard volunteered the information around a mouthful of ham. “At least two hundred acres of valuable farmland and long-term tenants.”

“Yes, of course. And there are the secondary titles of Marquis of Glanworth and Viscount Mandeville.” Lady Matlock enthused.

“You are a veritable walking and talking volume of Debrett’s, dear aunt,” Fitz teased.

“You laugh now, Fitzwilliam, but when you and your lovely bride begin to move among London’s finest, you will be glad to know whom to avoid and whom to curry favor with,” she decreed with an elegant sniff. “If not for your sake, then for Georgiana’s. We expect her to make a splendid match this season. Already there are rumors the Marquis of Trevayne is on the hunt this year.”

“Dear God, Mama. You make it sound like he’s about to call the hounds.” Richard exclaimed. “Trevayne needs to find a wife, that’s a certainty, but he is not about to stalk the halls of Almack’s and pounce on innocent debutantes their first night out.”

“Be that as it may, I expect the foyer of Darcy house to be filled with flowers and cards when eligible gentlemen discover how beautiful my niece is.” Aunt Lucinda patted her niece’s hand.

Georgiana’s insides shrivelled at her aunt’s sentiments. Her aunt meant well. However, she knew, just knew, many eyes would be on her because she was a Darcy and because she was wealthy. Not for the first time she was grateful Elizabeth, Caroline and Catherine would be by her side the whole season.

“Mama would be in raptures if Kitty became a titled lady in her own right,” Lizzy said with a laugh. “She will be hard put to remain humble if that happens.”

“As soon as you are finished with breaking your fast, we shall meet the Duchess at Etienne’s. With six of us to outfit, she will need all hands-on deck.”

“Mother, where have you learned Navy terms?” Richard slathered more creamy butter on yet another roll. “Your second and most favored son is an army colonel” – Lady Matlock raised an elegant eyebrow – “one would assume you would use terminology more suited for land warfare.”

Lady Matlock waved a hand in Richard’s direction, as though shooing his concerns away from her thoughts. “I do know a few Admirals and Navy Captains, Richard. My social circle is quite wide, which you would know if you attended some functions with me.”

“Ah, but then you’d expect me to dance attendance on some fresh-faced chit of a girl and make polite talk with dewy eyed innocents.”

“Richard!”

“Sorry, Mother. That was quite unchivalrous,” Richard apologized, casting a slight eyeroll in the direction of his cousin, Fitz.



AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

“The prairie dust is in my blood but no longer on my shoes.”

Sue Barr coined that phrase when once asked where she came from. Although it’s been over thirty-seven years since she called Saskatchewan home, her roots to that straight-lined province and childhood friends run deep. The only thing strong enough to entice her to pack up and leave was love. When a handsome Air Force pilot met this small-town girl, he swept her off her feet and they embarked on a fantastic adventure which found them settled in beautiful Southwestern Ontario when hubby retired from the military and began his second career as an airline pilot.

Sue started writing in 2009 and sold her first manuscript in 2010. For four years she was published under the pen name of Madison J. Edwards, and in 2014 began to write sweet contemporary romance under her own name. Always a reader of Regency romance, she discovered Jane Austen Fan Fiction through a childhood friend who writes under the name of Suzan Lauder. Almost immediately a question popped into her head, “Whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and Mr. Darcy became engaged to a Bennet sister?” and the “Pride & Prejudice Continued…” series was launched.

Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and its satellite chapter, The Beau Monde. She is one course away from achieving her Professional Creative Writer’s certificate from the University of Western Ontario’s continuing study curriculum. In her spare time, she cans and preserves her own food, cooks almost everything from scratch and grows herbs to dehydrate and make into seasoning. Hubby has no complaints other than his trousers keep shrinking. At least that’s what he claims…. Oh, the kids and grandkids don’t mind this slight obsession either.


AMAZON BUY LINKS


Be sure to check all the stops for the blog tour. I'm sure Sue will have lots of interesting posts and excerpts for us.


GIVEAWAYS
Sue is also gifting three e-copies of GEORGIANA to three lucky winners via Rafflecopter. Open internationally through March 12.


Thank you for stopping by on your blog tour, Sue. It was great to have you visit again. Thank you to Christina Boyd for organizing the blog tour. 

I wish you much success with your new novel, Sue. It sounds really good, and the cover is so pretty. Thanks for the generous giveaway to all the visitors to the blog tour.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Karen M. Cox...Tenth Anniversary Edition of 1932

More Agreeably Engaged welcomes Karen M. Cox today. She is here to celebrate the 10th Anniversary Edition of 1932. Karen is sharing an excerpt from her book and has a giveaway. The excerpt is intriguing and the giveaway is generous. Enjoy!


Thank you for hosting me today at More Agreeably Engaged to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary Edition of 1932: Pride and Prejudice Revisited! I’m so excited about this re-release because there are several new scenes added, giving readers even more Elizabeth and Darcy time. Which is always a good thing, right?
For those who aren’t familiar with the story of 1932, it takes place in the US South during the Great Depression (you might have guessed that from the title.)
In this excerpt, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet have been at Netherfield for several days, sewing evening dresses for Caroline and Louisa Bingley (no Mr. Hurst in this story.) Mr. Darcy has become intrigued by Elizabeth Bennet and has ventured another visit to Netherfield before the sisters return to Longbourn…

Darcy strode by the hedge separating the driveway from the flower garden. He made a beeline for his roadster, halting in mid-step when he heard female voices. He froze in place, hoping he remained unseen. The last person he wanted to see him escaping was Caroline Bingley. The woman always made him squirm, like his tie was too tight. Louisa was less problematic; she actually seemed to realize she was too old for him. Caroline, though, was only a few years older than he—and for her, that meant he was fair game. In another life, he might have even considered her had she not been such a cold, detached shrew.
As the voices continued, he realized that they didn’t belong to the Bingley sisters but to the Bennet sisters. Now he froze for a completely different reason. He strained to hear their conversation, chastising himself for eavesdropping. As he listened, he realized, from their conversation, they hadn’t seen him at all.
“I sent a message to Uncle Ed this morning.” That was Jane’s voice. “He should be here around one o’clock tomorrow.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Oh, Jane.” He glanced around guiltily and closed his eyes. He was going to indulge himself in the sound of her voice, just this one last time. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’ll be glad to get back home.”
“It hasn’t been so bad, has it?”
“No, I suppose not so bad. Your charming friend Mr. Bingley is very kind and attentive.”
“He’s not my friend, really. Although he is charming.”
“But his aunts seem to want little company at all, except for Mr. Darcy. They certainly don’t seem to be very fond of us. I keep waiting for Miss Caroline to bark at me to serve her tea until I see poor sweet Nan appear. Boy, wouldn’t you hate to have that job?”
Jane giggled.
Elizabeth lowered her voice. “I tell you one thing I will miss, though.” Darcy leaned closer to the hedge, his hope rising. Might she say she would miss his company? 
“What?” 
“The bathtub.”
Darcy could hear the smile in her voice, and unexpectedly, he smiled too.
“I know the housekeeper must think I’m crazy. I’ve been in that tub every night—warm running water, lavender soap, soaking as long as I want.”
Darcy found himself visualizing the scene—sensations all but forgotten igniting his blood. 
“It’s heavenly.” Elizabeth’s voice was as warm and fluid as the water in the tub.
He audibly swallowed.
“That crunched-up little metal tub in the kitchen at home just won’t be the same.”
Darcy’s eyes opened. Of course, old farmhouse, not lived in for years. No indoor plumbing. No bath. His hand reached up and touched the hedge. The wistfulness in her voice tugged some place deep inside him.
He remained still, letting the rest of their conversation wash over him. Jane and Elizabeth’s voices slowly moved away, leaving him alone beside the hedge. A cold, sharp wind kicked up, and he turned toward his car, feeling all the heaviness of the world in his bones.

*****
So, Mr. Darcy isn’t above eavesdropping on the woman who’s captured his attention. As fans of Pride and Prejudice, we’re all pretty sure he’s going to act on those feelings at some point. The question is…

How? 

Book Description:

“…do anything rather than marry without affection.”
Pride and Prejudice

During the upheaval of the Great Depression, Elizabeth Bennet’s life is torn asunder. Her family’s relocation from the bustle of the big city to a quiet family farm has changed her future, and now, she must build a new life in rural Meryton, Kentucky.

William Darcy suffered family turmoil of his own, but he has settled into a peaceful life at Pemberley, the largest farm in the county. Single, rich, and seemingly content, he remains aloof—immune to any woman’s charms.

Until Elizabeth Bennet moves to town.

As Darcy begins to yearn for something he knows is missing, Elizabeth’s circumstances become more dire. Can the two put aside their pride and prejudices long enough to find their way to each other?

1932, Karen M Cox’s award-winning debut novel, is a matchless variation on Jane Austen’s classic tale. 


Winner of the Bronze Independent Publishers Book Award in Romance, 2011

Author Bio:

Karen M Cox is an award-winning author of five novels accented with history and romance, a novella, and several short stories.
Karen was born in Everett WA, the daughter of a United States Air Force Officer. She had a nomadic childhood, with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee, and New York State before settling in her family’s home state of Kentucky at age eleven. She lives in a quiet town with her husband and works as a pediatric speech pathologist.

If you would like periodic bits of authorly goodness delivered to your inbox, be sure to get Karen’s News and Muse Letter. Updates, sales, book recommendations, etc. are yours for the asking.


Social Media Links:


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Giveaway:


1932 Tenth Anniversary Edition Launch and Birthday Party
To celebrate the 10th anniversary edition of 1932, Karen is giving away
a signed copy of the book and some Jane Austen swag: fun notecards
from The Quill Ink, What Would Jane Do? book of quotes, and Austen
coffee mug (if US winner) or an ebook copy of the book and 25$
Amazon Gift Card (if International Winner - cause #shipping :)

To enter the giveaway, click this link.
























Oooh, I enjoyed that excerpt. Hmm, I wonder...will Elizabeth get running water and a new bath tub? My curiosity is raised. :)  Thank you for asking me to be a part of your tour, Karen. I wish you the best with your Tenth Anniversary Edition  of 1932.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match...Kelly Miller

Happy February to everyone. I can't believe that January is already gone for 2020! It was a busy month for me. How about you?

*****
I guess everything is going too fast for me. I'm a day behind this week. I had it in my mind that tomorrow was the 3rd of February and was getting my post ready to go. Then I got an email from Kelly asking me if all is okay and when might my post go live? UGH! I organized the blog tour and missed my own stop! That's pretty bad! I apologize to you, Kelly Miller, and to all of you readers! 

Now on with the post below!

*****
I'm taking part in Kelly Miller's blog tour for her newest release, Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match. Sophia Rose is giving us her "First Impressions" of Kelly's book, with a full review to follow at another time. Before posting her thoughts on what she has read to date, I'll give you the book description.

Book Description:

When secrets are revealed and a family agenda works against him, can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover his damaged spirits and find happiness?

Following his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to London from Kent broken-hearted and dejected. One bright spot penetrates his sea of despair: his sister, Georgiana, has finally recovered her spirits from the grievous events at Ramsgate the previous summer. She has forged a new friendship with Miss Hester Drake, a lady who appears to be an ideal friend. In fact, Lady Matlock believes Miss Drake is Darcy’s perfect match.

Upon Elizabeth Bennet’s arrival at the Gardiners’ home from Kent, she finds that her sister Jane remains despondent over her abandonment by Mr. Bingley. But Elizabeth has information that might bring them together. She convinces her Uncle Gardiner to write a letter to Mr. Bingley providing key facts supplied to her by Mr. Darcy.


When Mr. Bingley discovers that his friend and sisters colluded to keep Jane’s presence in London from him, how will he respond? Given the chance, will Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their past misunderstandings? What will Darcy do when his beloved sister becomes a hindrance towards winning the lady he loves?


Early Impressions Post by Sophia Rose:

Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match by Kelly Miller

Without glimpse of cover or blurb, I eagerly accepted Janet’s invitation to share my impressions at the start of Kelly Miller’s latest, a Pride and Prejudice variation story.  This will be one that depends on the reader to already be familiar with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to some extent because it assumes the reader knows what has come before the point when Mr. Darcy approaches a hostile Miss Lizzy in Rosings’ grounds to deliver his fateful letter.

The title told me to anticipate a luscious amount of time with Mr. Darcy and, from the first sentence, I saw this to be true.  Darcy is narrating and the reader feels his sorrow and bit of anger at being rejected and the shame for his own previous conduct.  He must win back the good opinion of his lady even if he can never hold her heart.  So he is prepared to deliver his defense in a letter.

And, this is where the story blazes a new trail. 

Right when I anticipated Darcy getting comfort from his cousin, his friend, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy have a falling out over Darcy’s unilateral decision to share Georgiana’s secret with a woman who is the barest of acquaintances to the Colonel. 

Next, Georgiana takes the narration in their London home as she excitedly tells her brother about a new friend, Miss Drake, and at the same time notices her brother’s melancholic state. 

Miss Drake’s name comes up again when Darcy wisely checks out her credentials with Georgiana’s companion and his aunt, Lady Matlock, who introduced the girls.  He does not notice the gleam in Lady Matlock’s eye over his interest quite like the reader does.  Look out Darcy, she’s matchmaking.

But, just as the reader believes Georgiana has made a lovely new friend who isn’t cozying up to get to her brother, Miss Drake gets to narrate and we learn that this fresh-faced, pretty mannered lady is no better than Caroline Bingley- merely more cunning and clever.  What will she get up to in order to bag her prey?  Stay tuned, gentle reader!

Meanwhile, the readers rejoice when Lizzy arrives in London and lands upon a fantastic scheme to bring about her sister, Jane, and Bingley’s happiness.  Darcy gave her the intel for what action was needed in his letter.  Ouch!  Every time she recalls the letter and the letter writer, she feels shame and remorse for her behavior and words.  She doesn’t love him and can’t because he was arrogant, but she is well aware that she was no better and possibly worse.

Charles might have come across as wishy-washy in the original, but when he gets all the facts, boy howdy, did the man leap into action to gain his lady love.  And, wasn’t that a brazen encounter when he crossed swords with his sisters and came out the winner of that skirmish.

What is this?  Oh no, Georgie… spilling secrets and trusting the wrong party!!!!

And, that was where I left it off.  Twenty five percent in and I was captivated.  My mind is racing over where this story will take me.  Such fantastic foreshadowing of the conflict that is to come.  Such engaging characters!  And, I love getting all those perspectives and changes of scenes so I could get inside the heads of so many.

My early impression leads me to predict that Ms. Miller’s latest will be a ‘perfect match’ for many readers who adore Austenesque historical romance.  And, with that last bit, I’m off to finish the rest of Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match.

Thanks for letting me stop by today, Janet!

Author Bio:
Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano (although like Elizabeth Bennet, she is errant when it comes to practicing), singing, and walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets.
Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match is her second novel published by Meryton Press. Her first was the Regency novel Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice romantic sequel with a touch of fantasy. Her third novel, Accusing Mr. Darcy, will be released later in 2020.
Contact Info:

Buy Info:




Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match Blog Schedule             

January 27 Austenesque Reviews
January 29 Austenprose
January 30 So Little Time…
February 4 Savvy Verse & Wit
February 6 Donadee’s Corner


Giveaway:
Meryton Press is giving away 8 eBooks of Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway. Good luck to all.

Thank you for sharing your first impressions with us, Sophia Rose. I'm glad to read your thoughts. I felt the same way about the entire book. It grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go until I finished it. I hope everyone gets a chance to read it soon. 

If you have missed any of the stops, be sure to go back and read the excerpts, interesting guest posts, and vignette that Kelly has written for us.

Best wishes to you, Kelly, with this new release. I look forward to your next book! I'll try to keep my days straight next time around! :)

Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway