Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Lisa Galek: There’s so much we don’t know about Jane Austen. Her sister, Cassandra, burned many of Jane’s letters when she died leaving many details of her life lost to time. Is it possible that the author of many of the world’s most memorable stories on love and marriage never married... Continue Reading →
For those who are in the doldrums after last week’s final episode of season five of Downton Abbey and in need of another English country manor house upstairs/downstairs story, Tessa Arlen’s debut novel could fit the bill. Set at the fictional estate of Iyntwood in the summer of 1913, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder: What would you do if you realized your entire childhood was a farce? Of course, we occasionally hear of stories of children who are mistakenly switched at birth, or whose families raise them in oppressive cults or religions that distort their very realities. It would be quite a lot... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Monica Perry: When I first heard that some of the authors from austenvariations.com were planning a Pride and Prejudice: Readers’ Choice collaborative story wherein Mr. Darcy had a younger brother, I was all excited curiosity--a story with two Mr. Darcys? Yes, please! Would Mr. Theophilus Darcy be strong and stoic like... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Jenny Haggerty: Those who don’t enjoy reading may assume it’s a solitary activity, and they’d be partly correct because page-turning (physical or virtual) is usually done alone. But we literature lovers crave community as much as any social animal. It’s why we join book clubs and haunt web sites like Goodreads,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Christina Boyd: In this wild, wild west of the new publishing world, we are seeing more books being published and through many different avenues. No longer are traditional publishers the only way to get a book into the hands of readers as there are smaller independent presses, hybrid publishers and many... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell: Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot’s romance in Jane Austen’s Persuasion is one of the most captivating in classic literature. Opinion varies as to what it is that makes their romance so satisfying, but something almost all fans of Persuasion can agree with is the complete beauty that is found... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Lisa Galek: When most people think of Jane Austen, they probably don’t think of ballet. I know I certainly didn’t. That was until I read The Muse. With her contemporary reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, Jessica Evans proves that the demanding and competitive world of a professional ballet company is exactly... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Tracy Hickman: The Grove was a large country house and estate in Chiswick, England owned by Humphrey Morice, the son a highly successful London merchant and slave trader. Morice was an animal lover, and in contrast to the common practices of his day, did not destroy animals that were unable to... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder:Â Last year I had the pleasure of being introduced to Jane Austen fan fiction author C. P. Odom via his novel Consequences. His writing invoked deep feelings, as he was able to draw me in completely to his story. He had me fully enveloped in his characters and their... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder: In my opinion, the true sign of loving a book is owning multiple copies and versions of it. For example, I myself own six different copies of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Over the years, I’ve found annotated versions, paperbacks, hardcovers, illustrated, vintage, and many other types... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell A young vicar trapped in a country village, dreaming of exotic lands. A woman pressured to marry the next eligible gentleman that comes along, yet yearning for freedom and true love. Whether or not the hero and heroine attain their dreams can be discovered in Charlotte Brentwood’s 2014 debut,... Continue Reading →
