Be More Jane Blog Tour ~ Guest Post, Deleted Scene & Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend! I sure did! I was a volunteer at the LA Times Festival of Books on Saturday! It was fantastic! To see a few pictures, check out my Instagram! -->

Today it's my pleasure to have Sophie Andrews visiting with us here at So Little Time... with her new book Be More Jane! I'm very excited for Sophie! This is a cute little book that I'm sure many of you will enjoy! The illustrations are just beautiful, and you may recognize the artist Jane Odiwe; author of more than a few Austenesque stories herself! 

Sophie's sharing with us a deleted scene from Be More Jane, and CICO Books is giving away a copy of the book to one of my lucky readers! Details are at the bottom of the page.

Thank you so much, Candy, for welcoming me to your blog today.  Of course, throughout most of my new book, I share light-hearted but genuine advice; lessons I have learned from Jane Austen and her novels and letters.  However, I have also had a little extra fun along the way, by writing as some of Austen's most beloved, often comic, characters - who mistakenly believe they have their own sensible advice to share!  So today, I am excited to share with you something which didn't quite make it into the final book, (due to lack of space!).

I was working to a page and word limit, and I had rather too much inspiration for some of my comic character sections, and a few had to be dropped. So today, I am delighted to share with you and your readers some advice from Mrs Augusta Elton.  

Mrs Elton: How to be fashionable in an unfashionable location

       I have recently changed my name from Hawkins - and you will surely know of the Hawkins family, of Bath society? - to become Mrs Augusta Elton, and wife to the rector of a small and somewhat insignificant little village called Highbury, in Surrey. I cannot deny that Mr E comes from a prettyish sort of little place; after all, we have all heard that Surrey is the garden of England; yet it is all rather ‘countrified’ roundabout. Town is so much more diverting, sociable and modern, and being used to a most fashionable lifestyle in Bath before my marriage, I have had to adapt to the somewhat less.... well, civilised ways of the countryside. I am learning to retain as much style as is possible in such an ordinary place, and who knows, perhaps some of my neighbours may pick up some tips? However, I do feel obliged to share my advice with you, too, in case you have the misfortune to find yourself living in a similarly remote situation and in need of such assistance.

•  When first you are to be seen in your neighbourhood, I recommend you make an entrance. You must ensure people notice you have arrived, remember your arrival, and hopefully mention it to others. Word will soon circulate. You might elect to come suitably late to social gatherings; in fact, should you be the last to arrive, then everyone will have the opportunity to observe your entrance - it does seem to me that in the countryside, people are unfashionably fond of punctuality.

•  It almost goes without saying that you must have your husband acquire for you an elegant and modish means of transport. A lady must have a carriage at her complete disposal, to go calling in the afternoon, and to arrive at soirees and evening parties in the correct manner. Might I suggest the barouche-landau for real comfort? - a most fashionable choice, it cannot fail to impress. My darling sister Selina has one, and she says they fit four perfectly!

•  My next idea is to form a musical club. I absolutely cannot live without something of a musical society, indeed, without music, life would be a blank to me. Therefore do not be forced to give up such cultural activities upon leaving town, indeed, ladies of consequence in society should lead the way by organising such pursuits.

•  If there is to be a ball in the neighbourhood, - there is likely to be one held in your honour -, do be sure to supervise the arrangements, since you will doubtless have greater expertise in the organisation of fine occasions. Ensure that people are made aware that you, as guest of honour, must lead the first dance of the evening, since they will not know this is how it is done in Bath, and other popular towns. I would advise you against filling your dance card, despite the numerous gentlemen who will be seeking your favour, for you cannot possibly perform every dance at the ball with the same high degree of accomplishment. Nor should you be seen to be making yourself too obviously the centre of attention and admiration.

•  Beware of trimming. Nobody can think less of dress in general than I do, for a simple style of dress is so infinitely preferable to finery. Mr E is of the same mind, but I do fear I am quite in the minority; - few people seem to value simplicity of dress, - show and finery are everything. Yet I have the greatest dislike of being over trimmed. However, there are of course exceptions, and at times you must think in great detail about your appearance. At the Highbury Ball held in my honour when every body's eyes were so much upon me, I would not have wished to be inferior to others. However, I need not have worried, for I saw very few pearls in the room except mine. At a recent wedding, that of the daughter of supposedly the foremost family in the neighbourhood, I must confess I thought it all extremely shabby, and very inferior to my own. (Very little white satin, very few lace veils; a most pitiful business!)

•  If an outdoor pursuit is to take place, (which is inevitable when one is in the countryside where there is little else to do), you must be dressed in an entirely appropriate manner, which may well require some new dress or pelisse. This is a good opportunity to show you are adapting to country life, whilst retaining your sense of stylish attire. We had the most pleasant day, strawberry picking on the estate of one of Mr E's dearest friends, Knightley, and I was quite pleased with my outfit for that occasion; I wore a straw bonnet, and had trimmed my basket with a pink ribbon. I considered riding on a donkey, which would have made for a noteworthy arrival. I really must talk to Mr E about purchasing a donkey, as I conceive it to be a sort of necessity for dusty country lanes.

       I do hope I have encouraged you to introduce some style to your little neighbourhood and to retain a sense of fashion, even if, like me and my caro sposo, your situation requires you to live in an unfamiliar and less important society.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you again, very much, for hosting me here today. I really hope you liked this little vignette, which didn't quite make the final edit, and that you all enjoy reading  my new book, 'Be More Jane'.

Be More Jane
by Sophie Andrews


Are you more Marianne than Elinor, Lydia rather than Lizzy? Be More Jane will teach you to address life with more sense and less prejudice, taking useful lessons from the novels and letters of Jane Austen, one of the world’s best-loved writers. Times may change, but many of our problems remain the same. Sophie Andrews, a young Janeite, knows from personal experience that in times of trouble, or just on matters of friendship, family, and love, answers are to be found in the pages of Miss Austen’s novels.

Buy: Amazon US • Amazon UK
Add to Goodreads.

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon US. 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

Sophie Andrews is a founder member of the Jane Austen Pineapple Appreciation Society, and organises events such as picnics, balls and house parties for her fellow Austenites. Sophie started her blog, Laughing with Lizzie, in 2012, aged 16, after studying Pride and Prejudice at school. She has been attending Austen-themed events since then, and was featured in the BBC documentary “My Friend Jane” which focused on the fun and friendship she has found with her fellow Janeites. She lives in Berkshire and has over 100 different editions of Pride and Prejudice on her bookshelves.

Connect with Sophie Andrews

Facebook • Instagram • Twitter

Be More Jane Blog Tour Schedule

April 8 Regency History/Q&A & Giveaway

April 9 Diary of an Eccentric/Book review & Giveaway

April 10 More Agreeably Engaged/Book review & Giveaway

April 11 Babblings of a Bookworm/Excerpt & Giveaway

April 12 My Love for Jane Austen/Guest Post & Giveaway

April 14 My Jane Austen Book Club/Book review & Giveaway

April 15 So Little Time/Guest Post & Giveaway

April 16 Austenesque Reviews/Book review & Giveaway

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! CICO Books is giving away a copy of Be More Jane to one of my US, Canada or European readers! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

• One person will win a copy of Be More Jane by Sophie Andrews.
• To enter the giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter below.
• Rafflecopter will randomly select the winner.
• Open to US, Canada, or European readers.
• Last day to enter the giveaway is April 22, 2019, at 11:59 PM, Pacific Time.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, please check out the other stops on this tour. Each site is giving away a copy of Be More Jane!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Sophie Andrews on her book! Also, I want to thank her for being a guest on my blog!

Many thanks to CICO books for including me in this book tour and for the wonderful giveaway! 

So, friends, what do you think? Isn't there so much we can learn from Jane?