So this being the Risky’s anniversary month, I’m going to join in the celebration even though I’m still a wet-behind-the-ears Risky. I have such fond memories already. Fun with Google books, phosphorus pencils, Megan’s penchant for pictures of handsome men . . . You can’t have too many handsome men, if I do say so myself.
I wish I could give everyone a phosphorus pencil and wait for the stories about desks and papers set on fire. Alas, that is not to be. But I can offer one lucky commenter a copy of my February historical Scandal. If you look over to the right –> you can take a look at the cover — because I haven’t had time to switch the cover to my October historical, Indiscreet. If you already have Scandal and for some reason don’t want two copies (why not?) I would be happy to send you one of my paranormals instead.
To have your chance to win a copy of the book, leave a comment about one of the following things:
- if you had a phosphorus pencil, what would you do with it?
- name your favorite literary blood fucking fiend: Eric, Bill, Edward, LeStat or someone else?
- If you were a Regency heiress would you prefer lots of dainty slippers or an ermine muff? And would your eyes sparkle?
- Something else entirely
I’m leaving a rather long comment about something else completely, but hope you enjoy my book review:
Pemberley Shades by Dorothy Bonavia-Hunt
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when readers fall in love with a literary couple they want to know what happens next. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a classic character study following the manners and mating mores of the gentry during the 19th century, has created such a truth. Since the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice in 1995, the genre of Elizabeth-and-Darcy-inspired fiction has grown. Some of these sequels are much like Mr. Collins, silly and superficial (Truth and Triumph by Norma Gatje-Smith). Others are akin to Wickham, raunchy and racy (Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll). There are also Bingleys that are pastoral and promising (Conviction by Skylar Burris). Then there is Pemberley Shades by Dorothy Bonavia-Hunt, the Mr. Darcy of sequels with $10,000 a year and a beautiful estate in Derbyshire.
Pemberley Shades, back in print after a 30-year hiatus, is considered the first of the Pride and Prejudice sequels since it was first published in 1949. In fact, editor Marsha Morman states that Bonavia-Hunt created fan fiction. The story focuses on the Darcys after three years of marriage. Unlike other novels, Elizabeth has no problem conceiving an heir and the couple lives a happy, simple existence. The problem arises when the rector dies and Darcy must find a replacement. Enter Stephen Acworth, a recently widowed vicar in search of a change. When Acworth arrives Elizabeth feels she has seen him before, but does not confide in Darcy and cannot place Acworth’s face. What follows is a character study in the manner of Pride and Prejudice, where the reader learns first impressions are not always true. Bonavia-Hunt invents new characters and continues the stories of old characters. Mr. Collins, Kitty, Jane, Bingley and Mr. Bennet maintain their identities created by Austen and the new characters are just as quirky as Austen’s own extras. The Miss Robinsons continue with Austen’s beliefs that some members of the clergy act ridiculously and pass that on to their children.
Bonavia-Hunt mimics Austen’s style well and even throws in a quick elopement to Gretna Green for a little excitement, but the true joy in this novel lies in its ability to follow Austen’s thoughts and ideas. While very few action scenes take place in the book, it is still an enjoyable read because, like Austen’s novels, this book is a character study. It follows everyday life in Regency England and gives us a glimpse into gentry life.
Unfortunately, the shades of Pemberley have been thus polluted just like Lady Catherine feared. This particular edition has at least one typo per page, which detracts from the reader’s pleasure. The book does begin with a note explaining that changes have been made to the text for copyright reasons, but this does not excuse the mistakes. Extra punctuation marks, random capital letters and words that do not fit in the sentence are a few of the problems the reader will run into. If proper grammar and punctuation are pet peeves of yours, I suggest going to the library and borrowing the original 1949 publication. As someone who loved this book enough to want to own my own copy and not pay $500 for a used copy, I will put up with the mistakes. It is a small price to pay for reading a book that Austen herself would enjoy. I recommend this book for all Pride and Prejudice fans who want to know what happens next.
Price: $14.95
Paperback: 319 pages
Publisher: Laughing Man Publication (2007)
ISBN 13: 9780979564505
ISBN 10: 0979564505
Rachel Stevenson works at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and holds a “Tea with Jane Austen” every March. She is also an avid Austen fan and has read any sequel or update of Austen’s novels available.
Hi 🙂
Congratulations on your 4th Anniversary!
Did you really mean ‘blood “fucking” fiend’?
🙂
My favorite literary blood fucking fiend is Eric from Mary Janice Davidson’s Queen Betsy series.
🙂
All the best,
@RKCharron
xoxo
I think I’ll save the phosphorus pencil to send as a gift to the first reviewer who gets great pleasure from ripping my (yet-to-be-published) book to shreds.
Sebastian Wroth from Kresley Cole’s No Rest For The Wicked is my favorite fiend. Oh-so-tortured.
Slippers! And I’m already known for a having quite the pair of fine eyes, thank you. 🙂
I like to think my eyes already sparkle but if they don’t then they would. And they would be sparkling because I am a shoe horse and I would have LOTs of dainty slippers!
Happy Anniversary! Its funny how these things happen huh?
# if you had a phosphorus pencil, what would you do with it?
–That’s easy, send it to my worst enemy and then watch as she doesn’t follow the warning note.
# name your favorite literary blood fucking fiend: Eric, Bill, Edward, LeStat or someone else?
–ERIC NORTHMAN from the Sookie Stackhouse books. Even before Alexander Skarsgard made him look hotter then hot, I liked Eric. I never liked Bill, he was so…good it was teeth-grinding.
# If you were a Regency heiress would you prefer lots of dainty slippers or an ermine muff? And would your eyes sparkle?
–Slippers, my hands are pretty good, but I have issues with my feet. My eyes only sparkle when I plan on doing violence to someone XD
# Something else entirely
In Victorian England, the formerly nude Cupid was redesigned wearing a skirt 😀
Lexie
Lexie.Cenni(@)gmail.com
If I were a Regency heiress I would like an Ermine muff – so soft and fluffy. And of course my eyes would sparkle :o)
And my current favorite vampire would have to be Eric the Norseman from Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books. He’s way more awesome than Bill.
Dear megan: How interesting. Eric is winning.
bwahahahah!
You guys crack me up. And how nice that so many of you Sparkle!
RK, yes, I did mean blood fucking. I have a post about that here. A riff on the fact that google books renders the fancy 17-18thc S into an F so that words like “blood sucking” appear in Google books as “blood fucking”. I’m so immature I’m still laughing about it.
Lexie: Cupid in a skirt?
If I was a Regency Heirest I would have it all. The sparkling eyes all kinds of danty slippers and the muffs to go alone with them. Oh and men would be crawling at my feet!
Happy Anniversary!
If I was given a phosphorus pencil I’d have to give it to an enemy & watch them burn.
My fave blood fucking fiend would have to be Zsadist from book 3 of the black dagger brotherhood series by J R Ward. I have a soft spot for all the vamps in that series but also love the Lara Adrian midnight breed series, Lucan in particular.
If I was Regency heiress I’d need lots of dainty slippers to satisfy my shoe addiction. Of course my eyes would sparkle – I couldn’t star in my own fantasies if they didn’t lol
Not sure I can handle a fire so I’ll keep the phosphorus pencil in water. My favorite blood fucking fiend is Eric Northman. I would rather have a closet full of dainty slippers. My eyes do indeed sparkle.
Jeez, I feel so out-of-it. I know who Eric and Bill are, thanks to HBO, and, of course, LeStat from the movie, but all the rest are mysteries to me. I’m so not in to Vampires. Methinks that makes me a certified Old Fogy.
I’m not too big on literary sequels either, although I admit I haven’t read any. Jane Austen gives a great review though.
OTOH, if I were a Regency heroine, my eyes would sparkle as I gazed at my ermine muff and danced in my new slippers.
If I was a Regency heroine, my eyes would sparkle as I gazed upon my hero, a tall, dark, handsome and well-propertied genteman of rank with a noble heart and a penchant for gifting me with slippers and Ermine muffs just to see my eyes sparkle. 🙂
Eric, of course 🙂
And I do love Jane George’s idea of sending a phosphorous pencil to less than enthusiastic reviewers, LOL
Diane,
Thanks. I was proud of my review and I recently asked CNN if I could review books for their website since they haven’t updated their books page since April 6, 2009. They have yet to respond, however if they say yes I might see if I can do more than just reviews and perhaps a few feature articles like “If you want to improve your vocabulary read a romance novel.”
Another one of my articles is “Little White Lies or Why I sold my soul to the Devil Wears Prada and stopped keeping up with current events.” It’s about how everything I need to know about current events I’ve learned from chick lit. It’s tongue in cheek. I like it though. Have no where to publish it, but hey half the fun is writing anyway.
LOL, Kathy!
Oh, another Erik N. fan here. Yum.
Jane, I like the way your mind works. I have someone in particular I’d send that pencil to, though.
I like sparkling eyes in my heroines, so I’d go for it. I think I’d be more interested in my gowns, though, than my slippers. I really need to get a gorgeous gown a la Amanda!
If I were a Regency heiress I’d prefer lots of dainty slippers because I love shoes/slippers/flip flops. 🙂 and yes my eyes would sparkle because I’d have so many pairs of them 😀
romancebookaddict(at)hotmail(dot)com
I’m with Jane on giving the phosphorus pencil to a reviewer !!
My favorite fiend ? That’s a tough one. I LOVE Eric from MJD’s Undead and Unwed series. Too suave, too British and too in love with Betsy. (Gotta love a man who apologizes by sending box after box of designer shoes!)
But I also love Erik from the Sookie Stackhouse series.
As Regency heiress I would tend to be like the Divine One – fabulous slippers, a warm FAUX ermine muff and eyes that sparkle, especially when I am up to no good!
Something else … hmmm …. is anyone else excited about the release of Wolverine on DVD? Yes, I am shallow enough to buy a DVD just because it features Hugh Jackman’s naked behind. Oh the shame of it all.
Never fear, Louisa. I bought my DVD yesterday. You are not alone. 😀
I cannot lie. Hugh Jackman makes my eyes sparkle. 😉
Happy Anniversary! Very exciting!
My fiend would have to be… Spike, from Buffy. I mean… British accent AND a vampire? No contest as all!
If I were a Regency heiress, of course my eyes would sparkle. Ermine muff or many pairs of dainty slippers? I’m an heiress, I’d have both.
Wonderful post, “Jane Austen.” Will have to check on those books for our library, especially Pemberley Shades.
I’d like an ermine muff, cloak, and hat, first, please, then my eyes will not only sparkle, but they’ll glitter, twinkle, shine, and be light from within with the milk of human kindness.
In other words, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RISKIES!! Looking forward to another year of fun posts.
Thats Funny Blood Fucking Fiend=So Ok Mine Fav is Makhail Dubrinsky From Christine feehan’s Dark Prince
sasluvbooks@yahoo.com
That should be “lit,” not “light”… Sigh! But you know me and my typos.
I am sooo glad I decided to pop in. I know it’s been a spell.
Happy Anniversary, my darling Riskies!
I am old school in my Vampire lore and so I’d have to say I would have to say Armand is the one for me. He appears in Interview but his own story is told in Pandora’s Box. He’s a delicious Russian.
In that same vein, I’d have to go with the ermine muff. Hey, it gets cold up there!
Once again, congrats on four wonderful years!
Happy anniversary!
I have two favorite blood sucking fiends and they are Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Darkhunter series and Zsadist from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
Dear Carolyn:
That just means more Bill for me.
My favorite blood fucking fiend might be Meljean Brook’s Colin from Demon Moon. He is so delicious, and totally foxy, to boot.