Kara Louise ~ Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hey, Everyone! I'm super excited to have Kara Louise visiting here on So little time...! It's such a pleasure to have her here and you'll see why as you read her post! 

So, without further ado, Kara Louise...

I am delighted to be here with Candy today to wind up my blog tour for the launch of Mr. Darcy’s Rival. I have known Candy for several years, having first met her in 2010 when she drove from Tucson up to Tempe, Arizona for a book signing I did at Barnes and Noble. I also met fellow Arizonians Alexa Cochrane, Roxane Wolff, and author Mary Simonsen that day. At the time, I lived in Kansas, but since I had family who lived in Arizona, some of us met again a couple years later when I visited, joined by another Arizona friend, Linnea Smith, whom I had met a few years earlier. The five of us ate at a restaurant called… Darcy’s! (Actually, it was D’Arcy McGees, but we just called it Darcy’s.) What fun we had! Dare I say we spent three hours talking about all things Austen? Here is a picture. (Unfortunately, Alexa was not able to make that get-together.)

I have been fortunate to have met several from the Jane Austen community, both readers and other authors. When we meet someone else who has been moved by her works in the same way we have, we have an instant connection with them! And just think of how many more are out there that we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet!

What is it about Jane Austen that binds people together from all walks of life? She lived 200 years ago, and her life was very different from ours, society was very different, expectations were different; and how they spent their time was different. Our life is easy compared to what they had to endure. Yet we eagerly pick up one of her novels (or a variation) with great expectations of being transported into that world, and we read them over and over again. 

I spoke at our St. Louis Regional Chapter of JASNA in June, just a week after Mr. Darcy’s Rival came out. (It was perfect timing!) One of the gals I ate lunch with showed me her phone and scrolled down as she showed me the hundreds of Jane Austen ebooks she had purchased. After lunch, someone else came by and introduced herself (aren’t you glad we don’t have to wait for someone to introduce us!) and she told me she had read at least 400 Jane Austen variations. (Are there really that many?) What fun it was to talk about some of the different books we had read and the authors we liked. And they were eager to share with me their favorites of mine they had read, as well.

After lunch, I spoke to the group about my writing. Being a very diverse group of ladies, I knew there would be several who had no idea what a variation was. Many were not even aware of all the books that were being published based on Jane Austen’s works. I had to explain what a variation was, and how it takes her characters on a different journey than what she imagined and penned. While some people love to read the variations, others prefer to read nothing but Jane Austen’s own works. I’m sure there were both preferences in that group, and I reassured them that I was fine with that!

The different journey I take Darcy and Elizabeth on in this new book involves a rival for Elizabeth Bennet’s affections. The book begins with the visit to Rosings. Mr. Rickland, a nephew of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, is also visiting, but he has the advantage over Darcy in that he has already been there for two weeks before Darcy arrives. That means he was able to spend time with Elizabeth, and the two had the opportunity to get to know one another. He also has an advantage in that he has open and easy manners and is engaging and friendly. We know what Elizabeth thinks of Mr. Darcy’s manners.

When Darcy arrives, he is surprised by the presence of Mr. Rickland, but even more surprised when he discovers Elizabeth is just across the lane visiting her friend at the parsonage. 

Here is an excerpt from Mr. Darcy’s Rival. In this segment, Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam have arrived at Rosings, and they join Rickland on a visit to the parsonage.

Elizabeth watched the men and thought to herself she was going to enjoy comparing their differences. Mr. Rickland was obviously the most comfortable and sat leaning slightly forward with his arms resting on his legs, his hands clasped lightly. His engaging smile and the twinkle in his eyes suggested a familiarity and pleasure in his surroundings. And as had been the rule, he was most inclined to enter into conversation with the residents of the parsonage. 

In the middle sat Mr. Darcy, upright and stiff, and not at all inclined to smile. Elizabeth caught his eyes fixed upon her when she occasionally glanced at him, but he seemed distracted. He did not seem engaged by any of the conversation. His hands rested upon his legs, his fingers tapping lightly; likely a habit he exhibited when ill at ease. He remained, for the most part, silent. 

On his other side sat Colonel Fitzwilliam, an odd mixture of the other two. He sat as upright as his cousin, but it was likely due more to his military training. He entered into conversation directly, and Elizabeth noticed a smile appeared readily and frequently. While he would not be described as particularly handsome, he had a rugged friendliness and gentlemanly politeness that was quite attractive. 

They spoke of the pleasant weather, the upcoming Easter holiday, and a musical soiree the Collinses and their guests had been invited to attend the Saturday following Easter. Elizabeth smiled as she began to consider the men seated on either side of Mr. Darcy. In her mind’s eye, they served as bookends, propping him up. The thought of them being quite stylish bookends, with the unfortunate task of holding up a large, dull book, brought a smile to her lips.

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Do you think Mr. Darcy has the slightest chance to secure Elizabeth’s affections when someone like Mr. Rickland is possibly vying for them? I hope you are intrigued enough to find out!

I am offering a paperback (US) and an ebook (international) in a giveaway, drawn from the names of anyone who comments. Share what it is you enjoy about reading Regency stories (Jane Austen’s or variations) or tell us about an experience where you actually met another Jane Austen fan face to face and felt as if you had always known them!

Thanks, Candy, for allowing me to come and share today!

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You are welcome anytime, Kara! It was fun having you here. Thanks so much for sharing the picture of us! We had a great time at lunch, and we certainly had plenty to talk about! I of course, knew and read both yours and Mary's books, but I had no idea that I had also read one of Linnea's! Lol! I was blown away. Fun day!

Book Blurb

Mr. Darcy has learned he must prepare himself when he and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, make their yearly visit to his aunt, particularly when it comes to Lady Catherine’s expectation that he marry her daughter, Anne.

This year, however, will throw in a few additional obstacles to Darcy’s peace of mind with the presence of a nephew on the de Bourgh side of the family, and quite unexpectedly, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

An interrupted proposal, a letter written and unknowingly lost, a harsh accusation, and a rival all conspire to thwart Mr. Darcy in securing Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s affections when he visits his aunt at Rosings.

Will Elizabeth find the handsome and engaging Mr. Rickland more suited to her than Mr. Darcy? And will a novel she reads that was written secretly by Miss Anne de Bourgh help smooth the path to the couple finding true love?

Author Bio:

Kara Louise began writing Jane Austen inspired stories in 2001 and has currently written nine novels, including "Darcy's Voyage" and "Only Mr. Darcy Will Do," which were both published by Sourcebooks. Her seven other novels are self-published, including the most recent release, "Mr. Darcy's Rival." She is also one of the contributing authors from the austenvariations.com blog.

Kara grew up in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. She and her family moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1991, which was quite a (pleasant) change for them. They left the hectic, crowded busyness of LA and found themselves in a medium sized city with a small town feel. In September, 2013, she and her husband moved to the bustling St. Louis area to be near their son and his wife. In May, 2014, they were blessed with their first granddaughter, whom they love and spoil endlessly. They live on five acres in a wooded area with their five cats, one dog, and a Shetland Pony.

Connect with Kara Louise

Twitter • Facebook • Website

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time!! As you read above, Kara is giving away one paperback (U.S. only) and one e-copy (International). 


Thank you, Kara!

• One will win a paperback of Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ U.S. only.
• One person will win an e-copy of Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ open International.
• Leave a comment to enter with your email or twitter name. (If you leave your email, please substitute (at) for @ and (dot) for . .  Thanks!)
• Last day to enter is July 14, 2015, @ midnight pacific time. 

Good luck!

Remember to leave a comment and share what you enjoy about reading Jane Austen or JAFF, OR share if you've ever met a JAFF friend in real life!