How to Mend a Broken Heart Blog Tour ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

Hello, Friends! Today is my turn in the How to Mend a Broken Heart Blog Tour! I'm delighted to have L.S. Parsons visiting us to talk about the men in her book How to Mend a Broken Heart! -Always a good topic, if you ask me! 

Also, Meryton Press is giving away 8 copies of the book! Awesome! 

Details are at the bottom of the page. :)

Thank you, Candy and your readers, for dropping by today to hear a bit about the men of How to Mend a Broken Heart. There are four gentlemen who play a significant role in this story: Charles Bingley, Lord Matlock Edward Fitzwilliam, General Richard Fitzwilliam, and of course Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Most readers believe Charles Bingley a bit of a wimp because of his treatment of Jane Bennet, even though they eventually marry in Pride and Prejudice. In How to Mend a Broken Heart, after Elizabeth Bennet informs Bingley that her sister Jane is married, he goes on a soul-searching journey and emerges with self-confidence and a vow not to let others guide his choices in life. With Jane no longer available, he seeks to find a wife who will allow him to realize his dreams. It does not take long for him to find the young lady he is determined to marry. However, he is not sure of her feelings toward him, so he begins a clandestine courtship to gain her favorable regard and perhaps her hand in marriage. He has learned his lesson with his loss of Jane Bennet and is determined to secure this lady’s affection before he has gained the consent of her family.

Edward Fitzwilliam, the new Earl of Matlock, is the Dowager Lady Matlock’s oldest son, General Fitzwilliam’s brother (yes, Richard has gotten a promotion), and Darcy’s cousin. Edward was a rake before his marriage to his wife Julia. However, after their marriage, he has found he was not only in lust with his wife, but he also loved her. The couple finds it hard to keep their hands off each other and have five children and a sixth is on the way to prove that fact. Julia Fitzwilliam is friends with Virginia Wagstaff, the lady to whom Darcy has become engaged. She knows most of Virginia’s secrets which she has shared with her husband. When Edward is too late to stop Darcy from offering for Virginia, he works hard to find a way out for his cousin for he knows Darcy will not want a woman with Virginia’s peccadillos.

Richard Fitzwilliam is fond of the ladies and has what might be termed a harem of married ladies eager for his company in their bed, so it is safe to say the general rarely sleeps alone. In How to Mend a Broken Heart, we find him recovering from an accident which has left his leg broken and the muscles damaged. Richard, like Edward, is also trying to devise a way to help Darcy out of his engagement. Whether either brother is successful will be revealed when you read How to Mend a Broken Heart.

And last, but certainly not least, is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the man with a broken heart. Soon after making an offer of marriage to Virginia Wagstaff, an old flame, he encounters his one true love, Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who broke his heart three years prior when she rejected him. Heedless of the fact that he has already pledged himself to Virginia, he embarks on the path of courting Elizabeth in an effort to change her low opinion of him. When Mrs. Wagstaff begins to see Elizabeth as a threat to her upcoming marriage, how will Darcy extricate himself and find the happiness he so longs to have with his true love?

This story is a non-canon variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and is meant for mature audiences.

Ooh! Sounds exciting! I'm delighted that Edward Fitzwilliam loves his wife! So often he is portrayed as a rake and overall bad person. 

Thank you, Ms. Parson, for this insight to the men of your story! It's a pleasure to have you here! 

Book Blurb: 

Three years after Mr. Darcy’s disastrous marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, they meet again. Due to an unexpected twist of fate, Elizabeth finds herself a guest in the home of the Mr. Darcy’s aunt, the Dowager Lady Matlock. Long believing Elizabeth lost to him, Darcy has recently proposed marriage to an old flame, the widow of his friend. Now newly engaged Darcy encounters Elizabeth again and realizes she still owns his heart.   

Although bound by honour to another, Darcy sets out to improve Elizabeth’s opinion of him. Tension mounts between Darcy and Elizabeth in that pursuit, and Darcy’s betrothed begins to see Elizabeth as a threat to her upcoming marriage. How will Darcy and Elizabeth ever reach their happily ever after?     

How to Mend a Broken Heart is a non-canon variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and is intended for mature readers.

Buy: Amazon
Free Kindle book preview.
Add to Goodreads 

FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

 About the Author

L.S. Parsons recently retired from a major computer company where she was employed as an Information Technology Specialist. She lives with her husband of 30 + years in the DFW area of Texas. They have one dog. She has been writing Pride and Prejudice fanfiction for over ten years, mainly as a hobby.

Blog • Facebook • Twitter

Many thanks to Jakki @ Leatherbound Reviews for organizing this blog tour, and to Meryton Press for this generous giveaway! 

How to Mend a Broken Heart Blog Tour Schedule

3/21: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club 

3/22: Excerpt & Giveaway at Romance Novel Giveaways 

3/23: Review at Margie’s Must Reads

3/24: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars 

3/25: Guest Post & Giveaway at Skipping Midnight 

3/26: Review at From Milton to Pemberley

3/26: Excerpt & Giveaway at Liz’s Reading Life 

3/27: Guest Post & Giveaway at Babblings of A Bookworm 

3/28: Excerpt & Giveaway at More Agreeably Engaged 

3/29: Review at Half Agony, Half Hope 

3/30: Review at Just Jane 1813

3/31: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time… 

4/1: Guest Post & Giveaway at Austenesque Reviews 

4/1: Review at Tomorrow is Another Day

4/2: Review at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice

4/3: Excerpt & Giveaway at Jennifer Vido 

4/4: Review at Diary of an Eccentric

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time!! Meryton Press is doing a group giveaway! There are FOUR paperbacks and FOUR e-copies up for grabs, and EIGHT different people will win! Giveaway is open Internationally! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment.

• Only one copy of How to Mend a Broken Heart per winner.
• Winners picked randomly by Rafflecopter at the end of the Blog Tour.
• Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post for the tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented (which will be verified). If an entrant does not do so, that entry will be disqualified.
• Open Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Remember, to enter the giveaway you must fill out the Rafflecopter above and leave a comment.

Again, many thanks to L.S. Parsons for visiting with us today! I'm very intrigued and I look forward to reading How to Mend a Broken Heart. I just hope I can take the angst of Darcy being engaged to another woman! How about you? 

What are you Reading? ~ March 30, 2016

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finish reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Here's my list: 


I'm still reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. It's so good!! With Easter last weekend, I didn't read as much as I usually do. But I had a very lovely Easter! I hope if you celebrated the holiday that you did also. :)







I did finish reading The House of Closed Doors by Jane Steen. It was really good! I enjoyed the mystery and suspense. The ending didn't feel satisfying to me, though. Oh, don't get me wrong, the mysteries wrapped up nicely, but I just would have like to see it end a little differently. So, I may have to read the sequel, Eternal Deception, for the rest of Nell's story! 





What's next? Right now, I have no idea. Lol! 

FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

I'm linking up with This Week In Books hosted by Lipsyy Lost & Found.

Check out what she's reading! 

Let me know in the comments what you are reading! Have a great week, everyone!  

A Man of Genius by Janet Todd ~ My Review

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

A Man of Genius by Janet Todd 

Expected Publication Date: April 12th, 2016 
Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press 
Pages: 352 
Received: I received an ARC from the publisher. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Book Blurb: 

A Man of Genius portrays a psychological journey from safety into obsession and secrecy. It mirrors a physical passage from flamboyant Regency England through a Europe conquered by Napoleon. 

Ann, a successful writer of cheap Gothic novels, becomes obsessed with Robert James, regarded by many, including himself, as a genius, with his ideas, his talk, and his band of male followers. However, their relationship becomes tortuous, as Robert descends into violence and madness. 

The pair leaves London for occupied Venice, where Ann tries to cope with the monstrous ego of her lover. Forced to flee with a stranger, she delves into her past, to be jolted by a series of revelations--about her lover, her parentage, the stranger, and herself. (blurb from Goodreads)

My Review:

A Man of Genius is a dark and mysterious work of literary fiction. Set in the early 1800s London and Venice, the story has the tone of a book written in the same period, with a feel of a classic.

Ann St. Clair, a writer of Gothic novels, lives alone in London. She has no family except for a cousin she has recently become acquainted with and an estranged mother. Her childhood was not a happy one. Her mother did not approve of her and often called her stupid. She never knew her father except through bits and pieces her mother told her. After leaving her mother’s house,  Ann supported herself well enough writing her novels. 

When Ann meets Robert James, she becomes infatuated with him. Robert James is a great thinker, a philosopher, a genius. Soon they become lovers. As their relationship goes on, Robert becomes moodier and physically abusive. Ann knows this is wrong but won’t leave him. The thought of losing him is unbearable. They travel together to Venice where things only become worse. 

There are a few mysteries to be solved here. Who is Ann’s father? What happened to Robert James before she met him? Then there is the stranger who helps Ann in a most desperate moment. Who is he? And why did he help Ann? Was he somehow connected to Robert James or herself? Throughout the story, Ann wrestles with these questions. 

I was fascinated by the fact that a woman could support and live by herself at that time in history. I always thought a woman had to be under the control of a man whether it be father, husband, relative or employer.  Also, the mention of passports and the documentation needed to travel during the early 1800s was very interesting to me - I didn't realize such things were necessary at that time.  Of course, they could not go together unmarried, so they needed false documents.  

I did have a hard time at the beginning of the story, with Robert James. His views on politics and religion were a bit above me or just plain nonsense. Ann often described his ramblings as “rich nonsense” or “marble words” as they would just roll around not making sense. 

A Man of Genius is a story of madness, obsession, and abuse, but also of reflection and personal growth.  If you like dark historical fiction, I think you will enjoy this one! 

FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the story from the publisher for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Free Kindle preview
Add to Goodreads

FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

About the Author

Janet Margaret Todd is a Welsh-born academic and a well-respected author of many books on women in literature. Todd was educated at Cambridge University and the University of Florida, where she undertook a doctorate on the poet John Clare.

She is currently the Herbert JC Grierson Professor of English Literature at the University of Aberdeen. On 1 September 2008, Professor Todd took up the post of President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. She is the seventh President of the college.

Janet Todd's research concerns literature and culture of the Restoration and eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Over a long career, primarily in the US and the UK at Cambridge University, University of East Anglia, Glasgow University and University of Aberdeen, she has published and contributed to more than 38 books, mainly on women's writing, cultural history and the development of fiction. She also edited full scale editions of Mary Wollstonecraft (with Marilyn Butler) and Aphra Behn, as well as individual works of women such as Helen Maria Williams, Mary Shelley, Mary Carleton and Eliza Fenwick.

She is the General Editor of the nine-volume The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen, editing the volume Jane Austen in Context and co-editing Persuasion and Later Manuscripts.

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

What are you Reading? ~ March 23, 2016

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finish reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Here's my list: 

I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Actually, I've just started, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it! ;)








I'm also listening to The House of Closed Doors by Jane Steen. I decided to try listening to an audiobook while running. So far, so good. Although, I've noticed my pace is a little slower. I'm enjoying the story, though! 







I recently finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. It was really good, but I didn't cry like I thought I would. Maybe, because I was expecting to, or maybe because I figured out what was going to happen. But I really liked the story. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would! It was also a very interesting topic, and good to see both sides of the issue. 






I also finished reading Starflight by Melissa Landers. I loved this! It was just plain fun! Loved Solara and Doran, and the crew of the Banshee. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Starfall!





What's next? I'm not sure! I'll let you know! 

FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

I'm linking up with This Week In Books hosted by Lipsyy Lost & Found.

Check out what she's reading!

So, that's what I'm reading. What are you reading? Feel free to leave your link! 

What are you Reading? ~ March 16, 2016

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finish reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Here's my list: 

I'm currently reading Starflight by Melissa Landers. This is a fun story with space pirates, adventure, and a little romance! I'm truly enjoying it. 








I recently finished reading A Man of Genius by Janet Todd. This was an interesting story! I liked it. I hope to have a review up soon. 








What's next? I think I would like to read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. 



FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

I'm linking up with Lipsyy Lost & Found.

Check out what she's reading!  

My Spring Break is flying by and I haven't got as much done as I had hoped. Although, I'm enjoying sleeping in! :) 

How was your week?

What are you Reading? ~ March 9, 2016

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finish reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Here's my list: 

I'm currently reading A Man of Genius by Janet Todd. I've just started, and I'm not quite into it yet, but it has an interesting old feeling to it. 









I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Wow! I didn't think I'd get it read so fast - it's such a long book, but it was so good! I think it's my favorite of the series so far! :)







What's next? I would like to read Starflight by Melissa Landers. This was February's Uppercase subscription box book.  







FTC Disclaimer: Links 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! 


On the fitness front, I've run a total of 16 miles already this month! Yes! 

I'm linking up with Lipsyy Lost & Found.

Check out what she's reading! 

So tell me, what are you reading? 

A Searing Acquaintance Blog Tour ~ Guest Post with J.L. Ashton & Giveaway!

* * Post contains affiliate links. * * 

Hello, Friends! As part of the A Searing Acquaintance Blog Tour, I'm excited to have author J.L. Ashton here today! Her first novel, A Searing Acquaintance, is being published by Meryton Press, and she's here to tell us a little about what inspired her to write JAFF. So, please, welcome Jan! (Details of the giveaway are at the bottom of the post!) 

Thanks so much to Candy for hosting me and my first novel on So Little Time.

I fell in love with JAFF more than ten years ago. Much as I adore Jane Austen’s books, I wanted more…I wanted to know where her characters, most especially those from Pride and Prejudice, would end up, or how they would react to shifts in plot or circumstance. Much as I adored regencies, though, I especially enjoyed seeing how a modern version of our beloved Darcy and Elizabeth might spark and fight and fall in love, and face obstacles together and apart.

I love to read modern interpretations of my favorite book because I am always interested in how authors update these iconic characters. How does one translate the personalities of this couple and their very complicated relationship from the stricter social structure of the early 19^th century into a parallel 21^st century couple? How does one capture Jane Austen’s wit and her smart social commentary? How can a guy walk around in 2016 with a name like Fitzwilliam Darcy?

So inspired by some fantastic authors, I started writing my own stories. A Searing Acquaintance is a modern re-telling of Pride and Prejudice, set in New York, featuring American graduate student Elizabeth Bennet and wealthy businessman Fitzwilliam Darcy, born to a British father and his much younger American wife. Each has complicated family dynamics, both tragic and comic, and each is deeply affected, even haunted, by those relationships—or the loss of them.

I’ll be honest: I am especially fascinated by Fitzwilliam Darcy and everything Jane Austen doesn’t tell us about him. We readers get to fill in the blanks and shade in his character based on knowing only a few facts or observations about him: He is tall, he is wealthy, he is proud and intelligent, he has a sister, and a grand estate. We are giving so much more information on Elizabeth Bennet’s life and family relationships. My interest in their backstories, and how their childhoods and families affect them as adults and color their view of relationships propelled me to write A Searing Acquaintance.

But first, creating the gap between a modern Darcy and Elizabeth isn’t as dictated by society as it was in 1811-12. The Social Register means far less, and money and educational and career achievements are more prominent markers of social class. So if the social gulf that propels their pride and prejudice is harder to recreate, the misunderstandings between them are ever more important. Yes, that means my least favorite character, George Wickham, shows up. And a very difficult, very different kind of Mrs. Bennet.

I’m making this book sound way more serious than it is! Jane Austen wrote a great love story within her social comedy of manners, and I tried to do that as well. I have a weakness for screwball comedies, so there is a lot of funny banter, pop culture references, and teasing to go along with the angst (and possible tears).

For example, not long after they meet, Elizabeth teases Darcy about his name:

“Oh, come on. It’s like the name of a subdivision or a sofa at Pottery Barn. ‘Please note the extra firm cushions on The Fitzwilliam.’”

Darcy chuckled. Wow, he can laugh?

 “So, do you have extra-firm cushions? Do you carry extra padding?” She smirked at him and waggled her eyebrows. “Or are your springs sprung?”

She makes up nicknames for him, such as Mr. Noir and Nurse Darcy. Darcy finds her greatly amusing but cluelessly upsets her when an interlude on a sofa goes awry. Yes, even rich, handsome men with British accents can be stupidly awkward in romance. And women with difficult families can have huge trust issues.

Of course those who feel deeply will fall deeply in love, and these two don’t fix all their issues right away. They work them out together during their happily ever after.

Whether or not you love a modern variation of Pride and Prejudice, I hope readers will give the book a try.

Thanks again to Candy for spotlighting A Searing Acquaintance and giving me space to write a bit about it.

It is a pleasure to have you here, Jan! Thanks so much for sharing a little about your journey that inspired you to write, A Searing Acquaintance! 

Book Blurb: 

“I don’t know why I ever thought we made sense.” Smart, educated people are fools in love, especially when they’re mired in denial and misunderstanding. 

In this modern spin on Jane Austen’s classic tale, Elizabeth Bennet, a grad student with literary aspirations, has found her big career break—and broken up with yet another forgettable boyfriend. While grateful for the professional lifeline thrown by sports agent George Wickham, she is intrigued by the man she calls Mr. Noir.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, marked by tragedy, is a man accustomed to living his life in the spotlight even as his heart dwells on the dark side of loneliness. When he first meets Elizabeth, he thinks she looks like “a bloody pumpkin,” but he soon sees so much more. She, however, can’t even decide what to call him. Mr. Noir? Nurse Darcy? Sleazy British playboy? Ferdinand? 

“So, it’s Fitzwilliam, right? That’s an amazing name, you know. Which came first—the name or the accent?” 

He looked at her. 

“Oh, come on. It’s like the name of a subdivision or a sofa at Pottery Barn. `Please note the extra firm cushions on The Fitzwilliam.’” 

Can an accidental encounter that leads to shocking intimacy change the course they’ve both set and bring them into love’s light? Or will they stay mired in cold words and angry misunderstandings, overshadowing the deep connection they each feel? Getting beyond their own mistakes to find each other again is one thing; they also have to heal the wounds of their pasts. Can they do that together?

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! 

J.L. Ashton Bio

J.L. Ashton didn’t meet Jane Austen until she was in her late teens, but in a happy coincidence, she

shares a similarity of name with the author and celebrates her birthday on the same day Pride & Prejudice was first published. Sadly, she’s yet to find any Darcy and Elizabeth candles on her cake, but she does own the action figures.

Like so many Austen fans, Jan was an early and avid reader with a vivid imagination and a well-used library card. Her family’s frequent moves in the U.S and abroad encouraged her to think of books and their authors as reliable friends. It took summers in London, a history degree, and another decade or two for her to start imagining variations on Pride & Prejudice, and another decade—filled with career, marriage, kids, and a menagerie of pets—to discover the world of JAFF. Today, in between writing Jane Austen variations, Jan lives and works in the Chicago area, where she volunteers far too often and is a member of the local and national chapters of the Jane Austen Society of North America. 

A Searing Acquaintance is her first book.

Connect with J.L. Ashton

Twitter • Blog • Facebook

As always, I would like to thank Jakki @ Leatherbound Reviews for organizing this tour, and Meryton Press for the generous giveaway! 

Make sure to visit other stops on the tour!

A Searing Acquaintance Blog Tour Schedule

3/7: Excerpt & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club 

3/8: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time… 

3/9: Review at Tomorrow is Another Day

3/10: Author Interview & Giveaway at From Pemberley to Milton 

3/11: Character Interview & Giveaway at Leatherbound Reviews 

3/12: Excerpt & Giveaway at Babblings of A Bookworm 

3/13: Review at Liz’s Reading Life

3/14: Review at Half Agony, Half Hope 

3/15: Review at Margie’s Must Reads

3/16: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars 

3/17: Guest Post at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice 

3/18: Review at Diary of an Eccentric

3/19: Review at Just Jane 1813

3/20: Excerpt & Giveaway at Delighted Reader 

3/21: Guest Post & Giveaway at Austenesque Reviews 

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time!! Meryton Press is doing a group giveaway! There are FOUR paperbacks and FOUR e-copies up for grabs, and EIGHT different people will win! Giveaway is open Internationally! To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment.

• Only one copy of A Searing Acquaintance per winner.
• Winners picked randomly by Rafflecopter at the end of the Blog Tour.
• Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once a day and daily commenting on a blog post for the tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented (which will be verified). If an entrant does not do so, that entry will be disqualified.
• Open Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Again, many thanks Jan for being here today! It was delightful getting to know you! Congratulations on the publication of A Searing Acquaintance! I look forward to reading it! 

What are you Reading? ~ March 2, 2016

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finish reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Here's my list: 


I'm currently reading Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Yes! I'm happy to be back in Potter World! :) 






I finished reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I enjoyed reading this! It took me about two-thirds of the book to connect with Tally, which seems like a long time, but I'm hooked now! I've got to read Pretties, to find out what happens next!

I also finished reading Denial of Conscience: A Modern Darcy and Elizabeth Adventure by Cat Gardiner. I LOVED it!! It was definitely an adventure! It's been a while since I've been into a book so much that I couldn't put it down. 



What's next? I'm not sure. I was sent an ARC of A Man of Genius by Janet Todd that looks really good! A gothic novel set in Venice during the nineteenth century. So, I may read that! 






FTC Disclaimer: Links 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!

For an update on my running: I ran a total of 42 miles in February! :) 

So tell me, what are you reading?