Monday, August 5, 2013

Jeanna Ellsworth ~ Guest Post + GIVEAWAY

Hey everyone! Today it is my pleasure to have Jeanna Ellsworth on my blog! She has just recently published her first book, Mr. Darcy's Promise, and is giving-away a copy to one lucky person! So, be sure to read all the way down to the end!  

Without further ado, may I present Ms Jeanna Ellsworth!

A Single Woman in Possession of a Small Fortune MUST be in Want of a Husband

“NEXT TO BEING MARRIED, A GIRL LIKES TO BE CROSSED IN LOVE NOW AND THEN. IT IS SOMETHING TO THINK OF, AND IT GIVES HER A SORT OF DISTINCTION AMONG HER COMPANIONS.” – Mr. Bennet

I am literally laughing as I prepare for this blog post, as the title came to me in the middle of the night. I find myself somewhat inspired to discuss such things as love, marriage, and finance and the combination of the three. I have been divorced now for nearly three years and it has been the best three years of my life. During that time I have bought my own house, put it up for rent, moved cross country from Oregon to Salt Lake City, found the best job I’ve ever had as a Neurological ICU nurse, fallen in love over 50 times (more on that later), written three JAFF books, bought another house on a 1 acre lot and started a flock of 20 chickens, overhauled me and my daughter’s rabbitry which will hold about 30 rabbits, started a small self-publishing company including maintaining a website and blog (www.HeyLadyPublications.com), self-published my first book, Mr. Darcy’s Promise, and started an exercise routine and have lost 30 lbs. I’m breathless just letting my fingers type it.

I am a single divorced mother dependent on her single source of income as being a nurse. When census is low, I get put on call, when census is high, I pick up shifts. Like many people, I have a car payment, two house payments, random expenses that come up, and a bit of credit card debt.

But somewhere in the back of people’s mind, there is a universal truth acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a small fortune MUST be in want of a husband. Why this is, I do not know. I seem to be doing just fine without a man. But does that mean that I am avoiding love? As Mr. Bennet says, “Girls like to be crossed in love now and then.” He says it gives some “sort of distinction among her companions.” Distinction? I find that humorous. Nevertheless, I thought I would investigate this universally acknowledged truth. So I decided that I would try it; I would let myself fall in love. I would let it happen whenever, and as often, as possible. I would stay up late with the man and lose sleep over him. I decided that I would imagine him in every facet of my life. I decided that I could daydream about him kissing me when I was not with him. I would read his love declarations over and over again. I decided that I needed a man. But just not any man. I need a Mr. Darcy. So with this new found decision to date a Mr. Darcy, I, for the first time in many years, started evaluating the kind of man that I could get crossed in love with.

I made a mental list of the musts. Must be a gentleman. Must be trustworthy. Must be deeply passionate. Must look past my faults. Must respect me and I must respect him. But as I started the list, I also unknowingly realized I was also making a list of deficits that would be acceptable. It would be ok if he was quiet, brutally honest – for I appreciate honesty, fumbled socially, and was madly and obsessively in love with me but didn’t quite know how to show it. My gentleman love match could be imperfect. In fact, I wanted him to be imperfect. But as I made this list of “musts” and “must not’s” I was enlightened with what I saw glaring at me on the page. I had already found my man I could be crossed in love with. I had found that imperfect man who was passionate and could look past my faults. In fact, I realized, since January 2012 and April 2012 I had fallen in love with him over 50 times! I had done everything I said I would do. I stayed up late with him, lost sleep over him, I imagined him in every facet of my life, and I had imagined him kissing me over and over again. I had a love match with Mr. Darcy in every JAFF book I found and was consumed by.

Now, one might ask how in the world, with the things I was doing, could I read 50 books in 4 months? I’d say I rather fancied myself crossed in love. Out of that saturated state of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth tales, I couldn’t stop thinking about the two of them. I had plots coming in every moment of my life both asleep and awake. So I started writing. And I wrote and wrote and wrote. That is where Mr. Darcy’s Promise came out of. I found that I purposely wrote him to be all of those things I made on my list. Most of all, he was not perfect. My Mr. Darcy in Mr. Darcy’s Promise is –– although kind, trustworthy, considerate, generous, and deeply passionate –– was also a little bumbleheaded, anxious to the point of nausea, and so unsure of himself that he was afraid to express his love for Elizabeth until he could contain that love no longer.

So most of my friends, family, neighbors, and church goers, all have at some point asked if I am dating someone. A few have expressed their deep desire for me to find a man. A few have made it their quest to set me up with eligible bachelors. But in all honesty? I have a man. A man who I get to hear say all the right things at all the right times. A man who will do everything I could possibly want him to do. A man who at the touch of a keyboard, could be exactly what I am looking for. I have fallen in love with my Mr. Darcy, from Mr. Darcy’s Promise. What a love story it is too!

For more on Mr. Darcy’s Promise, just released in July, you can read about it on my website, http://www.heyladypublications.com/mr-darcys-promise.html. I am pleased to allow any and all of you to use and abuse the man of my dreams and fall in love with him too. Yummy breeches and all. I do promise a sexy Mr. Darcy in a wet shirt. I do promise a mud fight. I do promise tender words and tender touches, but most of all, I promise that you too will fall in love with my Mr. Darcy in Mr. Darcy’s Promise. I will be giving away either a paperback or an ebook of my book, so enter the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment for a chance to win! This giveaway is open Internationally. Last day to enter is August 12, 2013. Good luck! 

And when it comes to the truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a small fortune MUST be in want of a husband, well, I will settle for the imperfect man on my laptop and kindle but that doesn’t mean that if you show up at my door in breeches and sexy knee high boots that I wouldn’t let you in.



Jeanna Ellsworth


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you! 

**Remember, you must fill out the Rafflecopter form above to enter the giveaway. The winner will have 72 hours to respond to my email. If I don't receive a response a new winner will be picked. Thanks!** 

34 comments:

  1. Good luck with the book. it sounds really engaging. Will definitely keep my eyes open for it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope you do! Amazon has the paperback on sale right now. I had so much fun writing it!
    Jeanna

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounding really good and congratulations on it being published

    meikleblog at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It was a fabulous experience! Definitely rewarding.

      Delete
  4. The title of the book sounds promising. I wonder what Mr Darcy has promise. Congrats on your debut novel, Jeanna.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Out of 21 reviews on Amazon, no one has commented on the actual title or promise that was made... I find that interesting. It takes several chapters for the title to be understood but it is a very romantic, honorable promise... one that becomes nearly impossible for Darcy to keep and quite vexing for Elizabeth.

      Delete
  5. I loved this post - so funny, so true! - and the hints about 'Mr. Darcy's Promise' are so tantalising. Congrats on the debut novel!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I could say I came up with the idea while conscious but the title literally came to me at 2:00 am and I tried to write it down like any author when an idea comes. By the time I woke up the next morning I could barely read my handwriting. My second book came out of a wake/sleep mode too but it turned out pretty good. I had to call all my sisters and my mom and dad after writing this because I had so much fun writing it.

      Delete
  6. I enjoyed your post a lot, Jeanna! Very fun and enlightening! I also enjoyed your book very much! :)

    Thanks for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh how happy that makes me! I'm so glad you liked both the post and my book! I love to hear how people view it although sometimes I have to hold my nervous stomach in....I'm hoping I grow some tough skin soon. Ha ha. I'm more like Jane than Elizabeth and it gets me in trouble sometimes.

      Jeanna

      Delete
  7. Jeanna, thank you so much for being a guest on So little time... and for generously offering to give away a copy of your book! I just finished it yesterday, and it was so good!!

    Thanks, Everyone for stopping by! I've been on vacation the last 12 days, and just got back this morning. I've been quite busy catching up with stuff around here! It's back to reality! ;) LOL!

    Good luck with the giveaway everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been my pleasure! It has been so fun to hear people's comments and be a guest on your blog! What an adventure this has been. Thank you for having me and I'm thrilled you enjoyed the book! I'm glad you had enough time in your vacation to sit back and fall in love with Mr. Darcy all over again!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  8. I definitely want to read this one! I wish you much success :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee hee.....I hope you do read it! Then of course tell me if it was all I "promised". Enjoy it! Thank you all for your well wishes for success! I am blown away with its success so far!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  9. fallen in love over 50 times

    Whoa, you scared me there! But falling in love with 50 versions of Darcy is a definite good thing. I hope you find your Darcy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Over 50 times! (I'm not counting the online books....) I do believe I paid my kids handsomely to clean the bathrooms and other essential tasks that needed done around the house. They didn't mind the extra cash. They thought those 4 months of reading was bad until I started writing...now that was true obsession.
      I hope I find my Mr. Darcy too. A girl can dream. I've done a bit of dreaming of late with a man whose name is Wilder. My oldest and wisest daughter (who is most humble and certainly not encouraging my description of her) has nicknamed him "Fitzwilder". Ha Ha. Too early to give up my fictitious affair of mine.
      Jeanna

      Delete
  10. Great post, Jeanna! I love how you have fallen in love over and over again with Mr. Darcy! :)
    Thanks for the giveaway! :)
    Jakki36 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hasn't every JAFF addict fallen in love over and over again? Haven't you? I'm beginning to have a complex. I figured every JAFF addict was like me, whining if they do not have three books lined up to read....always searching for the next book, always looking at the men in her life as possible Darcys. I must be worse off than I thought! Oh dear!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  11. I have read and loved Mr Darcy's Promise. I would love to win a copy of my own. Great post and thank you for the giveaway.

    cherringtonmb at sbcglobal dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Becky! I enjoyed reading Mr. Darcy's Promise also! Thanks for stopping by and good luck in giveaway!

      Delete
    2. I've been internet and cell phone free in the mountains of Colorado and just now getting to see all the posts. I'm thrilled you loved it! Now go write a review! I'm so excited to give away a book and I'm so grateful for Candy for allowing this to happen! So cool! Good luck in the giveaway!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  12. Jeanna, I have your book on my list of to reads already. I got across your publication-blogpost and loved how excited you were/are.
    Your book sounds lovely and I´m really looking forward to reading it.
    Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

    kewinkler at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know what? My very manly brother-in-law was the second in my enormous family to finish my book. He very carefully chose his words when I asked him what he thought. "A chick book" I almost asked what he was expecting? He said when he was 3/4 the way through that nothing yet everything has happened and all they have to show for it is a kiss! Apparently he was hoping for a bit more than tender touches and a sweet romance! But if that is what you are looking for, then Mr. Darcy's Promise is perfect! "Lovely" is not how he would have described it but more than a few women have described it that way! Good luck on the giveaway!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  13. God, I love you. Though I hope for the paperbook copy, because honestly I can't wait 5 days to read it so I'm going to buy the ebook version right now :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Laurie! LOL! It sounds like you can relate to Jeanna!I hope you enjoy reading Mr. Darcy's Promise! Good luck in the giveaway, and thanks for following me! :)

      Delete
    2. I love you too! But poor Mr. Darcy has such a difficult time saying those darn words but when he does! It is like a dam breaking! Watch out for chapter 12! I'm glad you like my post. Thanks for the ebook, hope you win an autographed copy!

      Delete
  14. All the best of luck with your book! Were you the lady who wrote the story on A Happy Assembly about Mr Darcy getting a head injury and proposing to Elizabeth about a dozen times?

    Best of luck with finding a real life Mr Darcy too. I read once that the only way to find a perfect man is to make him up. At least if you're a writer you can do that :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I wrote Pride and Persistence where Darcy gets a head injury that makes him somewhat perserverate in the fact that he wants to propose, unfortunately he also forgets that he already did and it ends up being a light funny take on "50 first proposals". I call it Pride and Persistence and will be the next of my books to be published! We will start working on in in October. I'm hoping for a March 1st publication. So glad you remembered it!

      After writing this book, Mr. Darcy's Promise, I actually considered even looking and putting myself out there and date! Since I wrote this post a month ago (Candy and I had vacations to work around so it had to be done early) I have gotten to know a wonderful guy who we correspond by email a lot when we can't be together....so ironically, I still get to see a guy say all the right things at the touch of a keyboard! His name is Wilder but my daughters have named him Fitzwilder since we have known each other a year and have dated off and on multiple times and our relationship has been riddled with a bit of pride and a bit of prejudice. ha ha. no joke, I very well might have something from real life to write about for my next book! Hey, I just realized that we met at a dance too!

      Delete
    2. That is really funny, Jeanna! I love that you call him Fitzwilder! We'll be looking out for that modern P&P! I hope it turns out as good as the original! :D

      Delete
    3. I thought was such an unusual idea for a variation that it stuck in my mind. It was very entertaining too :)

      Delete
  15. Congratulations on your publication, Jeanna! I really enjoyed the post. It was so much fun to read!!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you liked it! The sleepy mind can come up with some interesting posts! I've learned to write down the ideas however or else you WILL forget! Thanks so much for commenting! Good luck in the give away!
      Jeanna

      Delete
  16. Congrats on your new book. I can't wait to read it and find out what Mr Darcy`s promise it. I look forward to your future works as well.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. It sounds like you have a new lease on life. Congrats! Your new book sounds great. I love reading P&P variations and I'm intrigued about Darcy's mysterious promise to Lizzy.

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...