Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Watercolour of Jane Austen by her sister (1804)

Today is Jane Austen's birthday.  From Biography.com,

The seventh child and second daughter of Cassandra and George Austen, Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England. Jane's parents were well-respected community members. Her father served as the Oxford-educated rector for a nearby Anglican parish. The family was close and the children grew up in an environment that stressed learning and creative thinking. When Jane was young, she and her siblings were encouraged to read from their father's extensive library. The children also authored and put on plays and charades.

In 1801, Jane moved to Bath with her father, mother and Cassandra. Then, in 1805, her father died after a short illness. As a result, the family was thrust into financial straits; the three women moved from place to place, skipping between the homes of various family members to rented flats. It was not until 1809 that they were able to settle into a stable living situation at Jane's brother Edward's cottage in Chawton.

Now in her 30s, Jane started to anonymously publish her works. In the period spanning 1811-16, she pseudonymously published Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice (a work she referred to as her "darling child," which also received critical acclaim), Mansfield Park and Emma.

I did not read Jane Austen in high school .... but I certainly fell in love with the BBC mini series of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  Sigh.  What's not to love about the gorgeous scenery, costumes, and language.  It was not only a romantic story but an action adventure with social commentary.  The cable network A&E broadcast PRIDE AND PREJUDICE in 1996 - the summer before my wedding. Since we were honeymooning in England, I thought it appropriate to take along a print copy of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  I bought Austen's other novels in London.

Jane Austen set the stage for me to fall in love with historical romances .... do you have a favorite Jane Austen book, movie, or inspired story?  What drew you into Romanceland? One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Sunday, December 18, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Monday, December 19.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Lyme Park served as Pemberley in P&P

Aloha to Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - An Audible Book with Rosamund Pike

Aloha!  I am away from home this week with limited internet access. I hope you enjoy the book spotlights in my absence ...

One of Jane Austen's most beloved works, Pride and Prejudice, is vividly brought to life by Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl). In her bright and energetic performance of this British classic, she expertly captures Austen's signature wit and tone. Her attention to detail, her literary background, and her performance in the 2005 feature film version of the novel provide the perfect foundation from which to convey the story of Elizabeth Bennett, her four sisters, and the inimitable Mr. Darcy.

In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennett sisters try to find their way in the repressive strictures of 19th-century society. Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and the experience of falling in love, and she superbly describes a world which, despite being more than two centuries old, still resonates with modern concerns.

Especially in Britain, people want to limit you. - Rosamund Pike

English actress Rosamund Pike starred as Jane, along side Keira Knightley's Elizabeth, in the 2005 film PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  Having worn the corset, and portrayed a English woman limited by society, Rosamund offers a credible voice for the Audible version of this beloved classic.

Released on December 8, 2015 - ten years after the film - the Audible version is 10 discs/11 hours of Pike's delicious accent taking me back to that time we celebrate in historical romance. Listening to the discs during the holiday season gave me the opportunity to savor the pomp and pageantry through Pike's storytelling.   This is my first Audible book - hearing Jane's heartbreak, Darcy's snobbery, and Elizabeth's retorts offered a new experience that was both satisfying and fulfilling.

Recommended listen for fans of Jane Austen who can devote several hours to a step back in history. 

Image courtesy of Audible

I am giving away Regency swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave  a comment about Jane Austen, her books, and her characters.

I did not read Jane Austen in high school.  I discovered her books during my honeymoon in Devon.   I enjoy most adaptions, especially the gorgeous settings in the English countryside.  

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 23, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Groombridge Place, film location for PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Image by Simon Larson (link)

Aloha to Jayne Fresina and HOW TO RESCUE A RAKE (The Book Club Belles Society, No. 3)

Nathaniel Sherringham has returned to Hawcombe Prior a changed man. Gone is the reckless rake who went out on a limb to propose to Diana Makepiece three years ago. Now Nate’s mysterious new wealth has the town’s rumor mill spinning. To stir things up (and get Diana’s attention), Nate boldly announces his plans to marry “any suitable girl” under the age of 25.

Diana, now 27 and still single, is acutely aware of Nate’s return. When her mother suggests a trip to visit a cousin in Bath, Diana leaps at the chance to escape the heartbreak and regret she can’t help but feel in Nate’s presence…and avoid his irritating charade to find a bride.

But for Nate, Diana has always been the one. He might just have to follow her to Bath and once again lay his heart on the line to win her attention—and her heart.

Amazon
Apple
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Indiebound

How to Rescue a Rake, the third in Jayne Fresina’s Austen-inspired Book Club Belles series, comes out this January! For all of you Jane Austen fans, this fun new release is based on Persuasion and it’s a book you don’t want to miss. To celebrate this latest release, the heroine is here to give our readers a tip on how to rescue their own rake and to share an excerpt with us.

Tips for Capturing a Rake's Attention: 
By Diana Makepiece

(Or How to Stay Calm and Capture a Rake)

A tongue-in-cheek guide by one old maid, who has lost her bloom, has let her last chance for happiness pass her by and is now, at twenty-seven, half way to death (according to the parson's wife)... and not at all bitter about it, thank you very much.

When he calls you beautiful, make no response. It is likely that he says this out of habit. Or he might think you can be easily flattered and you do not want the cad to suffer under that misapprehension, or he will never put in any effort.

Jayne Fresina sprouted up in England. Entertained by her father’s colorful tales of growing up in the countryside, and surrounded by opinionated sisters, she’s always had inspiration for her beleaguered heroes and unstoppable heroines. She lives in upstate New York. Learn more about Jayne and her books at jaynefresinaromanceauthor.blogspot.com.

Rescuing the rake ...

Public Domain (link)

Sourcebook is hosting a special giveaway at this link ... and offers and excerpt of HOW TO RESCUE A RAKE:

“I sent you a message the morning I left, Diana,” he said. “I fired it myself through your bedchamber window with a sling.”

“You did what?”

He ran a hand over his face, flattening rain-drenched spears of hair to his brow. “I climbed that damnable oak behind your mother’s cottage. I didn’t want to leave without giving us another chance.”

She tried to think, but her mind wouldn’t cooperate. Don’t believe him, Diana. This is another of his practical jokes, no doubt. Any moment now he will burst his seams with laughter.

Diana sniffed. “What did this supposed note say?”

He frowned.

“And don’t bother making something up, Captain, for I will know you’re fibbing. It comes naturally to you and always did. But I never fell for it, did I?”

The frown broke with exasperation and then reformed with scorn. “Oh, you know me. It was childish nonsense. Just what you would expect. Good thing you never read it.”

“Don’t tell me then,” she grumbled into her handkerchief. “It hardly matters now anyway. The years have passed, and we are both too old for climbing trees.”

“Quite,” he snapped. “Three years is an eternity.”

For me it has been, she longed to say.

Suddenly Nathaniel seized her hand. “We should start again, Miss Diana Makepiece, and put the past behind us.”

“And why, pray, would we do that?”

He lifted her gloved fingers and pressed his lips against her knuckles.

“Captain?” she demanded.

He met her frown with a narrow-eyed, somewhat menacing appraisal. “Your opinion of me might improve.”

“Well, it could hardly get any worse.”

Nathaniel’s hand tightened around hers and tugged her closer. “I am not all bad. We may become friends.”

Skeptical, Diana tried to retrieve her hand, but his grip was too strong. “I wouldn’t hope too hard, Captain.” She admired his spirit; she envied his lively manners and his fearlessness. But to feel more for such a capricious man would be a mistake. “I think you should—” A dark, devious twinkle sizzled in his blue eyes and made her draw an anxious breath. “Do not think of it!”

He blinked, but the wicked sparkle remained. “Do not think of what?”

“That. It is not proper!”

“I’m afraid not. It is, however, necessary.”

“Captain Sherringham, if you dare—”

The words were stolen away as his mouth lowered to hers, claimed her lips. She’d said the wrong thing, of course. In his case, saying “if you dare” was like waving a red rag at a bull.

Diana was almost lifted off her feet, left to hover on her toes as he took his kiss. His tongue touched hers and stroked it gently. A raindrop that fell from his eyelashes to her cheek was warm and soft, tickling her skin as it trickled down the curve like a tear and finally gathered on the ridge of her jaw. Until the tip of his tongue followed it and then licked it away.

She was stunned speechless.

“If you don’t believe me about the note,” he whispered, his lips warm against her ear, “ask Jamie Bridges. It was his sling I used.”

Every inch of his hard body was pressed against her, and in her wet clothes she had little defense. He must feel her heartbeat. She might as well be naked. The wicked thought flashed through her mind as if he had put it there with his kiss.

“Ask him,” he repeated. “Unless you’re afraid.” A flare of white teeth showed as he smiled. Oh, that lethal charm. He would never lose it. “The world might tip upside down if I was proven honest for once.”

Nathaniel’s eyes shone down at her and she was caught up in their brilliance, like a fly trapped in a spider’s web.

“I once fell out of a tree for you,” he whispered, sounding bewildered.

“That would explain these bouts of madness,” she reasoned.

More books in the series ...