Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley Book Launch with Author Shannon Winslow

Tuesdays are special days in the book world. They are the designated release days in publishing—and today is the debut of Austenesque author Shannon Winslow’s latest novel, Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley.

I am very pleased to welcome Shannon to Austenprose today in celebration of the release and official opening of her blog tour sponsored by her publisher Heather Ridge Arts. Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley is a new Austenesque novel told from the point of view of its eponymous heroine. The story parallels Winslow’s best-selling The Darcys of Pemberley.   

Shannon has generously offered a guest blog sharing her inspiration to write her new novel—and to add to the festivities—we will be offering an amazing selection of giveaway prizes. Just leave a comment following this blog post to enter. The contest details are listed below. Good luck to all.

Please join us in welcoming Shannon Winslow:

Thank you, Laurel Ann, for generously offering to host the launch of my new novel! I’m very excited to be here at Austenprose again and to share with your readers my inspiration for writing Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley.

After spending a very satisfying year in the world of Persuasion, researching and writing The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen, I felt a strong pull to return to my first love: Pride and Prejudice. But what could I write about it? I had two sequels already, and with all the lose ends tied neatly up in bows by the end of the second (Return to Longbourn), I didn’t immediately see any opening for a third. So I was considering a variation instead when the idea hit me; I could write a variation of my own popular novel – The Darcys of Pemberley – this time from Georgiana’s point of view!

In The Darcys of Pemberley (my first Pride and Prejudice sequel), I told the story primarily through Elizabeth’s eyes and focused more than anything else on her relationship with her intriguing husband during their early married life. But there was a third Darcy represented in the title: Miss Georgiana. The tale of her courtship played only a secondary role in the book, however, and I sometimes worried I had shortchanged her by making it so.

I suppose, when I first wrote the book, I could have switched back and forth between the two Darcy ladies’ points of view, to give Georgiana more space on the page. Many modern authors skillfully do that kind of thing. Jane Austen never did, however, and her example was my model for The Darcys of Pemberley.

But four years later, I was still thinking there might be more to Georgiana’s side of the story that deserved to be told, and still wondering what I should do about it. Simmering on the back burner, I had the idea that I might eventually attempt a second edition – longer this time, to accommodate an expansion of Georgiana’s part.

Then I happened to remember a pair of novels by Julia Quinn that I had read and enjoyed a few years earlier: The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. It was essentially the same storyline in both books, just told from the widely divergent viewpoints of the two gentlemen involved. One filled in the hidden thoughts and the “off-camera” scenes of the other. What’s more, it worked beautifully! Each novel stood well on its own merit, but together they made a fuller, more complete story.

There was my answer, I realized, both for what to write next and for how to do better justice to Georgiana’s character. Instead of planning a second edition of The Darcys of Pemberley, therefore, I decided to write this new novel from her point of view, as a companion piece.

So I set about exploring for the rest of the story, poking through Georgiana’s mind for what she’d been thinking and doing all those times she’d been out of our sight before. What childhood trauma contributed most to shaping her character? Were Darcy and Elizabeth the perfect guardians and surrogate parents in her opinion, or not so much? Under Georgiana’s calm exterior, was there a dangerous storm of discontent brewing? And what secret ambition had she not revealed even to her closest friend?

Turns out I was right; there was a lot more to Georgiana’s story worth knowing!

Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley can certainly be appreciated on its own. But for those who have already read The Darcys of Pemberley, perhaps a few years ago now, this companion novel will feel like a visit home with old friends who have new tales to tell. You’ll find fresh views of Darcy and Elizabeth along with a few flashbacks to Pride and Prejudice as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Miss Georgiana better through this book. I hope you will too!

Thank you again Shannon for visiting with us today. Best wishes with your new book!

AUTHOR BIO

Shannon Winslow specializes in writing fiction for the fans of Jane Austen. Her popular debut novel, The Darcys of Pemberley, immediately established her place in the genre, being particularly praised for authentic Austenesque style and faithfulness to the original characters. Since that bright beginning, the author has followed with two more Pride and Prejudice sequels (Return to Longbourn and Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley), a stand-alone Austen-style story (For Myself Alone), and a novel starring Jane Austen herself (The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen). With no shortage of inspiration, Winslow promises more romance and happy endings to come.

Her two sons now grown, Shannon Winslow lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.

Learn more at Shannon’s website/blog (www.shannonwinslow.com). Follow her on Twitter as @JaneAustenSays, and on Facebook.

Thank you for joining in the celebration of the release of Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley. Please visit other stops along the blog tour in July and August, 2015, where you will find additional guest blogs by Shannon Winslow, book reviews and giveaway chances.

TOUR SCHEDULE

• July 21 – Austenprose
• July 22 – Austen Variations
• July 28 – So Little Time… So Much to Read
• July 31 – My Jane Austen Book Club
• Aug 04 – Faith, Hope, and Cherry Tea
• Aug 11 – More Agreeably Engaged
• Aug 19 – Austenesque Reviews
• Aug 24 – The Book Rat

Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley, by Shannon Winslow
Heather Ridge Arts (2015)
Trade paperback & eBook (280) pages
ISBN: 978-0989025911

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

• Read an exclusive excerpt of Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley
• Read our review of The Darcy’s of Pemberley
• Read our review of For Myself Alone
• Read our review of Return to Longbourn
• Read our review of The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen

Cover image courtesy of Heather Ridge Arts © 2015, text Shannon Winslow © 2015, Austenprose.com