Guest Post with Lory Lilian - Sketching Mr. Darcy + Giveaway!

Hello, my fellow readers! Today brings the lovely Lory Lilian to So little time...! I'm delighted to have her here with us! As many of you know, she has a new book out called Sketching Mr. Darcy! And she's here to tell us a little bit about what inspired her to write it! 

It is my great pleasure to be here, and I want to thank Candy for inviting me and you all for joining us.

I will take this opportunity to share a few things about my latest book “Sketching Mr. Darcy” – without giving away anything from its mystery. Well, it is also true that those who have known me for years can easily guess what is the book: moderate angst, lots of hot mush and lots of scenes/dialogs between our dear couple. Not much an of surprise from me in this area!

The idea of a forced marriage scenario had been twisting in my mind for a very long time; I was rather reluctant to do it because there are already lots of forced marriage JAFF stories. Some of them really excellent. Basically, the scenario is one of two: either Elizabeth accepts Darcy because of her family’s tragic situation, or she is forced due to some unfortunate circumstances that threaten her reputation, or she is forced into it to avoid an even worse fate (marrying Mr. Collins or something similar). So what to do, what to do to add a touch of originality, to make something new, to hold the reader’s interest?

It is my strongest wish to put in each of my books something that had not been done before in JAFF. Something to single out my story, to make the readers remember it. In this, I have the invaluable help of one of my awesome editors: Margaret Fransen (some of you might know her as marliz on jaff sites). So basically, Margaret is an incredible encyclopedia of everything regarding JAFF! She knows all the stories, all the plot lines, all the original characters. So each time, I ask her: had this been done before? I want to be sure it is new and original. Lol 

In Rainy Days I had the cottage, Lady Matlock and little Becky; in Remembrance of the Past – Lady Cassandra and Lady Catherine’s confrontation with Mr. Bennet; in His Uncle’s Favourite – Lord Matlock and Lady Sinclair – who tried to insinuate herself into Darcy’s bed - ending up sleeping with his valet. lol

So, coming back to Sketching Mr. Darcy: what new can be done with a forced marriage E&D scenario? First – we have the prologue, which you might read for free on Kindle. Second: we have Darcy’s past story – and please do not let yourself be distressed by it, as some reviewers did. For me, it is the golden rule that Elizabeth and Darcy can only be in love with each other! Yes, I am strongly convinced that Darcy was an experienced man – any gentleman of the world, at 28, was, IMHO. But I also strongly believe that he had never been in love before Elizabeth – nor she had been before him!

Now back to point number three: there are some rumours that induce their hastened marriage, but both of then enter into it with their heads clear and minds open.  Nobody dies, no tragedy occurs. Elizabeth and Darcy had a long and clarifying discussion before the marriage – and both decided towards it. Nobody forced Elizabeth – quite the contrary. She is a powerful character and – surprisingly – a very rational one. At least in behaviours, if not always in feelings and own thoughts. They often have misunderstandings, but always settle them.

They are both strong and daring – just as they were during their first dance at the Netherfield Ball – a battle of wills, with two opponents with different but equally strong skills.

The rest of their story, why it is called “Sketching Mr. Darcy” and what is the meaning of the beautiful cover? I invite you to find out by reading the book yourself to discover if I did manage to add a trace of originality in it or not.

I am proud and deeply touched to say that many people seemed to like it, as the story has held an incredible rank of 385 in total Amazon Kindle books. And it stays on first positions in 3 categories: Regency, Classics and Historical stories, both on Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Hope you will enjoy it, too.

The morning after the Netherfield Ball, Fitzwilliam Darcy is ready to leave Hertfordshire, taking his friend Bingley away from the lady of his choice and distancing himself from her sister, who has disturbed his tranquility for weeks. 

The path, meant to lead him away, unexpectedly brings him close to the person he most wants to avoid, and saving Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s life becomes not only his immediate goal but also a decision that affects his future. 

A strong and powerful yet forgotten bond from their past—combined with startling events in the present—brings Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy into a marriage not planned but accepted by both, forcing them to break the barriers between them in order to build their future happiness. 

The book includes mature content.

Buy: Amazon
Add to Goodreads.


FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

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* * * GIVEAWAY * * * 

It's giveaway time!! Lory Lilian is generously giving away one paperback and one e-copy of Sketching Mr. Darcy to two lucky people! This giveaway is open Internationally! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment.

Thank you, Lory!

• One person will win a paperback of Sketching Mr. Darcy.
• One person will win an e-copy of Sketching Mr. Darcy.
• Open Internationally.
• Last day to enter: August 13, 2015, midnight PDT

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Many thanks to Lory Lilian for being a guest on So little time...! It's been a pleasure to have you here! Congratulations on your new book and your high rankings on Amazon!

Remember, to enter the giveaway you MUST fill out the Rafflecopter (shown above) and leave a comment below. If you need help entering, email me by clicking on the email icon at the top of the sidebar. Thanks and good luck!