Audio: The Darcy Monologues

“You must allow me to tell you...”

For over two hundred years, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy has captivated readers’ imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is established through Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes, how are we to know what his tortured soul is indeed thinking? How does Darcy progress from “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me” to “I thought only of you”? 

In this romance anthology, fifteen Austen-inspired authors assemble to sketch Darcy’s character through a series of re-imaginings set in the Regency through contemporary times—from faithful narratives to the fanciful. Herein “The Darcy Monologues”, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love—all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm. 

Stories by: Susan Adriani * Sara Angelini * Karen M Cox * J. Marie Croft * Jan Hahn * Jenetta James * Lory Lilian * KaraLynne Mackrory * Beau North * Ruth Phillips Oakland * Natalie Richards * Sophia Rose * Melanie Stanford * Joana Starnes * Caitlin Williams 

Audiobook, 14 h
Published (first published November 7th 2017)
For review
Pride and Prejudice variation

My thoughts:

Audio short stories set in different eras :)

‘Death of a Bachelor’ by Caitlin Williams 

Darcy's thoughts the month before his wedding and after the wedding. A sweet story.

From the Ashes' by J Marie Croft

Darcy as I have not seen him before when he is trying to write THE letter to Lizzy. He was funny

If Only a Dream’ by Joana Starnes 

Oh Darcy, you are such a fool, but being a fool brings him closer to Lizzy at Rosings. So it all works out. I like these sides of him.

‘Clandestiny’ by Karalynne Mackrory

Netherfield Park, the Ball. See what things you can accomplish by talking!

‘The Beast of Pemberley’ by Melanie Stanford 

A Beauty and the beast re-telling :D Fun! Even if Lizzy could have been nicer. I mean Darcy was so sweet.

‘A Resentful Man’ Lory Lilian

I am not the biggest fan of stories which are just through another POV, but it made it up for it at the end cos he was so dang sweet

‘In Terms of Perfect Composure’ by Susan Adriani 

Here they did not get together when Bingley proposed so everything is still unsure and Darcy makes friends with the Gardiners

‘Without Affection’ by Jan Hahn

Darcy looks back at their life together and a few bumps in the road. All cos of him, men are silly.

‘Hot for Teacher’ by Sara Angelini

Present day, everyone are teachers. Darcy was even more proud than usual

“You Don’t Know Me” by Beau North

I think my least fav, as I do not really care for the modern day (fine 60s) variations, and this was not even a variation. It was just people with their names.

‘Reason to Hope’ by Jenetta James 

This "Modern" day ones sure do not follow the story. Just the names. Darcy meets Lizzy during the war. Though no war action.'

Pemberley by Stage’ by Natalie Richards 

1860s, bandits, Darcy to the rescue. Again, no story, just names. WIckham was evil as alwayas, but I did feel sorry for him too.

‘Darcy Strikes Out’ by Sophia Rose

Present day (present day just works so much better than the in betweens because here they are free. I want free or you know 1800s.)

Anyway, it takes place after "lambton" and it worked really well. Could even been its own story without the PP stuff.

‘The Ride Home’ by Ruth Phillips Oakland

This one was short and took place in a car but it was fun and Lizzy was drunk. It was amusing.

‘I, Darcy’ by Karen M Cox

I have come to realise that Lizzy really tends to be an idiot, yes I get that is the whole point with prejudiced bur Lizzy come on! Tsk.

Modern day, not anything from the story except names.

All in all fun stories! I am a classic which means I prefer it to take place around when it should take place. I like the era and how polite everyone has to be. Or not be.

But some modern ones were really fun too cos it changes thing. Oh you know, one does not have to be all proper ;)

ANd even you non pp peeps can enjoy these

Narrator Harry Frost

He did well and I forgot that I listened to a bunch of stories cos it worked so well (

Interview´and Contest: Jack Caldwell - The Three Colonels

Please help me welcome Jack Caldwell to my blog. His new book, The Three Colonels is out now and at the end of the interview there is a chance to win it.

Welcome!

1. Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today! I’m an author, amateur historian, professional economic developer, playwright, and like many Cajuns, considered a darn good cook. I was born and raised in the Bayou County of Louisiana, and I lived there most of my life. My wife, Barbara, and I are Hurricane Katrina victims, and we now make the upper Midwest our home. We have three grown sons.

You may have heard of my nickname—The Cajun Cheesehead. It came from my devotion to my two favorite NFL teams: the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. (Every now and then, I have to play the DVD again to make sure the Saints really won in 2010.)

When I’m not writing or traveling with Barbara, I attempt to play golf. 

2. Could you tell me about your new book, The Three Colonels – Jane Austen’s Fighting Men?

The Three Colonels is a sequel of two of Jane Austen’s novels set during the Regency. I combine Pride & Prejudice with Sense & Sensibility. I find that by doing so, I’ve opened up the Austen universe to unlimited possibilities.

Three of Austen’s female characters are trying to find their happy ever after with their men. The former Marianne Dashwood has started a family with Colonel Brandon, Anne de Bourgh loves Colonel Fitzwilliam (to the displeasure of Lady Catherine), and Caroline Bingley enters into a marriage of convenience with a notorious war hero, Colonel Sir John Buford. Then everything goes to heck when Napoleon escapes from exile and Europe is at war again. The three colonels are sent to Waterloo and our ladies—Marianne, Anne, and Caroline—must face the possibility that their men might not return.

3. How did you come up with the idea to write about Colonels Brandon and Fitzwilliam?

Austen had several military characters, both major and minor, who served during the Napoleonic Wars. It would be realistic that in any sequel to Austen’s novels, one or more of her heroes would be caught up in Waterloo.

I decided to write about that. My plot would revolve around the Hundred Days Crisis, the epic turning point of the Regency, and that having a soldier in the family was not all wine and roses, because at any time they might be called upon to serve king and country. There is a price to pay for wearing the uniform; soldiers, sailors—and their loved ones—pay it just like the families of our service members pay it today. 

The first two characters that came to mind were Brandon and Fitzwilliam. Both actually fought, unlike Colonel Forster of the ----shire militia. Of course, to make Brandon work, I had to tweak his career a bit. He served not only in India and the East Indies, but also in Italy, where he met Fitzwilliam and Buford.

4. Are you interested in war history?

Yes. I enjoy Napoleonic War fiction, particularly CS Forester’s Hornblower series and Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin nautical adventures. Unfortunately, history is made by conflict. It changes our world forever. We may not like it, but it’s the truth. Waterloo in 1815 was one of those titanic battles where nothing is the same afterwards, like William the Conqueror’s Battle of Hastings in 1066, Gettysburg in 1863 during the American Civil War, and 1942’s Midway in World War II. To understand why wars happen is to understand us.

5.  Sadly I have not seen many men love the books by Jane Austen, but how did you find your way to these books?

I was first introduced to Austen, like many people, by one of the filmed adaptations. Mine was the 1981 BBC mini-series starring Elizabeth Garvie shown in the US on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre. It’s still the best version, IMHO. I went out and got a copy of The Collected Works of Jane Austen and read all of her major works. She is fantastic—you really ought to read her. Years later, around 2000, I discovered Jane Austen Fan Fiction, and the rest was history.

6. What’s up next from you?

I have several manuscripts being reviewed by my publisher, and I am currently writing a sequel to The Three Colonels entitled Rosings Park.

Thanks!

GIVEAWAY
1 copy of The Three Colonels

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends March 22

3. Just go ahead and enter

Or ask a question or tell me who you would choose, Brandon, Fitzwilliam or Buford

Jack Caldwell's blog postings—The Cajun Cheesehead Chronicles—appear regularly at Austen Authors.

Web site – Ramblings of a Cajun in Exile 

Blog – Austen Authors 

Facebook 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/JCaldwell25

PEMBERLEY RANCH VIDEO PREVIEW - 

THE THREE COLONELS VIDEO PREVIEW -

Review: The Three Colonels: Jane Austen's Fighting Men - Jack Caldwell

Love reigns supreme for our three brave colonels at the start of this epic tale. Colonels Fitzwilliam, Buford, and Brandon are enjoying their courtships and their early married lives with three beloved Jane Austen heroines. The couples lead tranquil lives - until Napoleon escapes from exile. While the military men set out to meet their destiny on the fields of Waterloo, Anne, Caroline, and Marianne defend their hearts against the fear of losing their loved ones.

Genre: Jane Austen variation, Pages: 384, Published: March 1, 2012,  Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, Source: For review

My thoughts:

Now this one was a bit different from the JA books I usually read, and that is always something I approve of. I do like change.

This book is all about Colonel Fitzwilliam and the lady he loves (yes yes we can all figure it is Anne), Colonel Brandon and Marianne, and Colonel Buford who falls for Caroline. Really Caroline?! That was my first thought, but if Darcy can change then so can Caroline and she does change. She actually becomes a really sweet person and I liked her. Which I never thought would happen.

I felt that the book was mostly about Buford and Caroline, then came Fitz and Anne and last the Brandons. But then these two were settled and happy so no drama there. While there sure was drama around Anne and Richard. And of course the romance of Buford and Caroline. What was also fun was that everyone knew each other. Lizzy was friend with the Marianne and Elinor. There is a mention of Tilney and the Elliott family and I do love that. Like they all were there and could have met.

As for the story there was romance, drama and then last, Waterloo. I liked to see all the characters I love and to see new people find happiness and to hear what happened to others. One thing though, something happened that I did not like one bit, I am still a bit upset, sadly I can't say what. Then again another thing also happened which made me really glad so I guess those two things take themselves out. And there was also a love scene that felt a bit awkward. But I have never been one for details. All in all a fun Jane Austen variation. Though even if not a colonel, I still missed Wenthworth, he is a fighting man after all.

Conclusion:

If you want more than just Lizzy and Darcy then this might be JA variation for you. Jane Austen's fighting men sure needs love too.

Cover:

Ok

Novella Reviews: Friendly Fire - Megan Hart + JA variation

Genre: Contemporary romance
Pages: Ebook, 53
Published: 2011 (2004) 
Publisher: Carina Press
Source: My own shelf

After Agent Kendall Frasier's partner is shot in "friendly fire" during a drug bust, she agrees to take a week's vacation on a tropical island as part of her psychiatric evaluation. Sand, sun, sea—what could be better to help her work through her guilt? Even if the presence of the man responsible for the shooting, Agent Zane Vincent, seems counterproductive to her mental health. As Kendall gets to know Zane, and realizes he feels worse about what happened than she does, it becomes impossible to hate him. And their mutual attraction becomes impossible to deny.
Kendall and Zane soon agree to put the event that brought them together in the past—and spend the present exploring their most erotic desires. Do they have a future in the real world when their week in paradise is over?

My thoughts:
This was a short and hot novella. Maybe I should take out that flashing sign I found that made that clear, cos yes, hot.

Since it is very short there is not much to say about it. Kendall and Zane comes to a wonderful island, not to have a vacation but to get a psych evaluation since they were involved in a shooting and her partner died. She feels sad and responsible, and Zane who pulled the trigger has stuff to deal with too. They really do not like each other, but that island is a paradise and they can't help to feel lust.

So yes, they are like cats in heat. And then they spot each other and there is passion everywhere. But there is also something else growing.

Sure it all happened fast, but this is a novella, it has to. And it also felt real. It was a nice enough short story.

Maria Lucas: A Short Story in the Personages of Pride & Prejudice Collection by Jennifer Becton
Genre: Jane Austen Variation
Pages: 20, ebook
Published: 2011
Source: I think it was a freebie from smashwords

After a great deal of romantic strife, Maria Lucas finds herself married to Mr. Jonas Card in a desperate attempt to extricate herself and her sister Charlotte from a dire financial situation. Mr. Card, however, truly loves Maria and has vowed to woo her. Alas, she views him only in friendly terms. But when it seems that Mr. Card’s feelings have changed, Maria sets out to discover why. And through a series of unexpected events, Mr. Card succeeds in wooing his wife without saying a word.

My thoughts:
There is not much to say really since this story is really short.

Maria Lucas married but did not love her husband who tried to woe her. Now she has been sent away and she is sad. She tries to find out what is going on and doing that she falls in love with him, because perhaps she always was.

I did like the story because I always felt Maria should have a story too and here she got her HEA. Her husband was nice and I am sure they will be very happy together.

A fun short story about a minor character.


 

Review: The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy - Mary Lydon Simonsen

Genre: Historical, romance, Pride and prejudice variation
Pages: 384
Published: January 2011 Sourcebooks Landmark

Convinced that the lovely Elizabeth Bennet is her brother's soul mate, Georgiana Darcy enlists her clever and not at all snobbish cousin Anne de Bourgh in ensuring that pride and prejudice aren't able to keep these two hearts apart. All is going according to plan until Lydia Bennet brings scandal on the family by eloping with George Wickham, and Darcy is called away from Elizabeth's side before he has a chance to propose. It will take all Georgiana and Anne's considerable matchmaking talents to ensure that Elizabeth and Darcy are reunited in time to claim their happily ever after.

Plot:

It is Anne who is the matchmaker in this one, after she finds out that Darcy loves Lizzy she puts a plan in motion to get these two together. While Georgiana starts to figure out the clues and later wants to help to see her brother happy.

My thoughts:

I do love my Jane Austen variations, and this one introduces Anne in such a new light. She is quiet, but that is mostly because of her mother. When she is with her cousins she is another woman, but still she is ill and will therefore never marry. I did like this new portrait of Anne. Georgiana was different too, not at all shy but lively and could easily speak with others.

But the rest was just as usual, Lizzy and Darcy were true to the original story, Wickham a scoundrel as usual. One thing happened though and that is that Jane got another suitor. What happened with that you just have to read and find out.

This was a nice variation that kept close to the real story, just that instead of them finding their way to each other we see that someone else is pushing behind the scenes. Kind of made me wish that Anne could find love too, but alas no, she can't. Still she is a strong woman.

Mr Darcy was as lovely as usual, and honestly can anyone be more horrible than Caroline Bingley? That woman drives me crazy.

My final thoughts and recommendation:

Yes for the Austen fans, and for the rest of you too. I liked the fact that this one stayed very true to the course of the story, well fairly close. A 3,5 since it was amusing, sweet, and a good dose of Austen. I enjoyed the tale, and especially Miss Anne de Bourgh.

Reason for reading:

I love JA variations!

Cover:

Not liking it actually

Copy from the publisher

Review: A Darcy Christmas - Amanda Grange, Sharon Lathan, Carol Eberhart

Genre: Historical, romance
Pages: 304
Published: October 2010 Sourcebooks

From two bestselling and a debut author comes heartwarming Christmas tales sure to delight Jane Austen fans

From Amanda Grange, the bestselling author of Mr. Darcy's Diary and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, Christmas finds the Darcy's celebrating the holiday with preparations for a ball, but the festivities are interrupted by the arrival of a very special gift... Ever sensual and romantic, Sharon Lathan highlights everything that's best and most precious in the celebrations of the holiday season. After a quarter of a century together, Darcy and Elizabeth reminisce... Jane Austen meets Charles Dickens! Carol Eberhart's Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol finds Darcy encountering ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who show him his life if pride keeps him from his one true love.

Plot:

There are three stories in this book. Mr Darcy's Christmas Carol by Eberhart is the story where Mr Darcy meets three spirits of Christmas, sounds familiar, well it is. He sees the past, the present, and a future he does not want. He better make amends.

The Christmas Present by Amanda Grange has the couple visiting the Bingley's over Christmas, and Lissy is pregnant and then there is a special gift coming.

A Darcy Christmas by Sharon Lathan portrays the family over many years, always on Christmas.

My thoughts:

Ahh the Christmas feeling is over me now. I will start with the first one because I can so see Mr Darcy as a sort of Scrooge. He is pining for Lizzy and then he sees what he have done. And the future, poor Mr Darcy, he would not want that. It was fun to see the story with Mr Darcy in it. I kind of wish they would make a little Christmas tv show out of it.

The Christmas present was sweet, they truly love each other and it's always heartwarming to see it.

In A Darcy Christmas I meet the characters I know from Lathan's Darcy series, and I especially liked the story where one daughter sets her eyes on the boy she wants when she is 3. No I wonder how many more books there will be in this series of hers, because there are sure a lot to write about with all the kids they get.

This was something sweet before the holidays, Lizzy and Darcy in love and spending Christmas together.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

For those that enjoy the Lathan books then this one should be read too since it's the same Darcy world. But all in all they can all also be read like this. Short stories filled with love, and Mr Darcy. Something fun for the Darcy lover out there. Because that is what they all were, sweet. It gets a 3,25, hard to say more since they all are short, and I felt different about all of them.

Reason for reading: 
I like Austen sequels.

Cover: Ok

Copy from the publisher

Review: Mr Darcy's Little Sister - C. Allyn Pierson

Genre: Historical fiction romance Austen variation
Pages: 480
Published: September 2010 Sourcebooks Landmark

Darcy and Elizabeth have found their happily ever after - now it's Georgiana Darcy's turn! Joining her brother and his new bride, Elizabeth in London is a dream come true for the shy, sweet Georgiana Darcy. Eager to learn to negotiate polite society from her graceful and composed new sister-in-law, Georgiana is ready to make her entrance into the matchmaking and intrigue filled ballrooms of London. Making her way through the sea of rogues and fortune hunters, Georgiana will make the transition from being simply Mr. Darcy's little sister to a confident young woman with her own engaging story to tell.

I sure like my Austen books, and of course those about Lizzy and Darcy. This book was good because it was about Georgiana, and what happened to her.

Lizzy and Darcy are married and it's time for Georgiana's first season. She is really nervous, and she is still very shy. In this book she will find love, and Darcy will have an adventure of his own.

I think she did well with portraying Georgiana. She was still that shy young woman from the books, and she has a hard time in this book. And of course we met the Darcy's, in love and happy, Colonel Fitzwilliam his normal smiling self, the Bingley family (Caroline hunting for a husband), Kitty, and some new characters.

This book will have a man trying to win her hand, and he is not a nice man. She is trying to figure out what love is, and Darcy is sent to a mission to France. That part we didn't get to read about, and I think it was for the best. Cos I couldn't really see him being sent on any mission.

I loved that she got a book of her own, and it only made me want more like this. I do think Kitty deserve a book, she is sure to be very much more well behaved after Lydia is gone.

The negative part was also positive. She fell in love, he was in love, everyone was happy, but there was this one thing, I can't say it, you have to read it and see what I mean.

All in all a good book, and all my Austen characters were as they should be.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Fitting

Reason for reading: From Sourcebooks

Final thoughts: For romance lovers and Austen addicts.