The Darcys of New Orleans ~ Guest Post with Maggie Mooha

Hello, my friends! Today I have Maggie Mooha visiting us with her new book The Darcy's of New Orleans! It sounds amazing! Maggie is also giving away an e-copy of both books in the series! Details are at the bottom of the page! 

What “Happily Ever After” Looks Like – The Darcys of New Orleans by Maggie Mooha

It was a little daunting for me when I began The Darcys

of New Orleans to keep the romance alive between Darcy and Elizabeth twenty years after the flowering of their great love affair. It wasn’t until I was halfway through writing the novel that I realized that their relationship needed to be the center of the story, even though the book has two romances running through it. 

How do two people who were so much in love at the beginning of their relationship fare twenty years down the road? Their lives have taken on a routine, children have been born, the weight of adult obligations are on their shoulders. Do they drift apart? Does the fire burn brightly at first and then die out and find them trapped in the mundane tasks of everyday life?  Or, does their relationship deepen, and they become friends and helpmeets as well as lovers? 



For those of you who haven’t read Elizabeth in the New World, the first novel in this 2-novel series, I will try to avoid spoilers from the first book when talking about the second. In the first book, Darcy goes through a transformation that opens his eyes to the lives of people beneath his social class. This growth enables him to find something worthwhile to do with his life instead of being a member of the class of the idle rich. Also, he sees the value of choosing a wife who married him for love, not money and social position. He sees her as an equal to him in temperament and intellect, regardless of her social standing. He falls more in love with her as the years go by, not less.

Elizabeth also has endured her share of trauma and angst. Her strength of character enables her to come through to the other side, and the support and acceptance of Darcy only deepens her love for him. Do they marry and then live “happily ever after”? I think they do. There are still crushing disappointments to endure, and the undeniable fact that, no matter how much you love someone, you are sometimes helpless to come to their aid when they are in pain.


So, how do the Darcys end up in New Orleans?  Suffice it to say that the Darcys travel there to see an old friend of Elizabeth’s, one upon whom she relied for her life. There, Elizabeth begins to heal after a miscarriage that ends her childbearing years. As you can see, these books stray from the drawing-room and assembly room romances of Austen’s writings. My books are about romance, no doubt about it, but also about the realities of the time.


I also like to interweave actual historical events into my stories to give them a dose of reality. I know Austen was known for capturing the reality of class structure in her books, but there were many subjects that were only to be hinted at in her time. That was her strength. Everyone knew what she was talking about, even though she didn’t come right out and say it. I learned some of that too. When you are too “on the nose” and bang people over the head with something, it isn’t as effective as if you rely on them to connect the dots.


I hope, for those of you who haven’t read either Elizabeth in the New World or the sequel, The Darcys of New Orleans, that you will put them on your reading list. Please read “Elizabeth” first. The sequel will make much more sense if you do. For those of you who have read the first book, I believe you will enjoy the second. If you are an unrepentant romantic like myself, I think you will find in these two novels Darcy and Elizabeth’s “happily ever after”.

The Darcys of New Orleans
by Maggie Mooha


Blurb: 

In this sequel to Elizabeth in the New World, Elizabeth and Darcy's romance endures and deepens. After Elizabeth suffers a devastating loss, Darcy decides to take her, their daughter Emma, and their son, Bennet, to visit Elizabeth’s dear friend Poppy in New Orleans. Now a free woman of means, Poppy lives on a plantation with her husband, daughters, and son, Phillipe. 

As the visit begins to work a tonic on Elizabeth’s wounded spirit, Emma and Phillipe have taken an instant dislike to one another. A free man of color who was educated in France, Phillipe harbors ill will toward the English. He sees Emma as a spoiled heiress who knows nothing of the struggles his family has endured. Despite their turbulent beginning, they fall in love, and learn that even in New Orleans mixed society, what they have together is forbidden. When yellow fever strikes both families, Elizabeth and Darcy face losing their son, and Poppy her beloved husband. Tragedy is compounded when the English fleet makes a surprise attack on New Orleans. Once again, Darcy and Elizabeth find themselves in the midst of conflict, and the young lovers are torn apart not only by society, but also by war.

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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! 

About the Author

Maggie was born in Chicago, Illinois and spent her formative years in the suburbs. Most of her career was spent teaching music, which she is still doing. Maggie is well-traveled, having lived in Tanzania, East Africa, and in the Philippines. During her time in Africa, she began writing. Elizabeth in the New World is her first published novel.

Elizabeth in the New World is a Pride and Prejudice variation that takes place during an uprising on the island of Grenada that took place in 1795. The book delves into the realities of the Regency period that go beyond the parlors and assemblies of Austen's England.

One of the wonderful things about writing is research. No, it really is. Traveling to Grenada to see the actual places where the historical events took place was eye-opening to say the least. A trip to New Orleans was on the agenda for Maggie this year and was instrumental in creating the sequel to Elizabeth in the New World, The Darcys of New Orleans.

The best part of life is learning. Maggie hopes that readers not only enjoy the adventure and romance of her books but enjoy learning a little history too.

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Maggie Mooha is generously giving away two e-books to one of my lucky readers!  The Darcys of New Orleans and Elizabeth in the New World! 

• One person will win an e-copy of both Elizabeth in the New World and The Darcys of New Orleans.
• To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and include your e-mail with parentheses around (at) and (dot).
• The winner will be picked randomly.
• Open Internationally
• The last day to enter the giveaway is Feb. 13th, 2020 by the end of the day. 

Good luck! 

Thank you, Maggie, for being a guest here today, and congratulations on the release of your new book, The Darcys of New Orleans! And a big thanks for the lovely giveaway! 

So, friends, what are your thoughts? We'd love to hear! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions for Maggie below!