What Are You Reading? ~ Feb. 12, 2020

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

Happy Wednesday, friends! I hope you all had a fantastic reading week!

Current Read

I'm currently re-reading Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix* by JK Rowlings. I'm about halfway through, so that's like a whole book, right? Haha! It's fabulous as always! 






Recently Finished

I finished The War Outside* by Monica Hesse. It was a great book. I never really thought about the internment camps of WWII much before. I mean, I knew it happen and thought it was terrible, but to learn more about it and see it from a teenage girl's eyes - it was interesting. And I never knew they had German-Americans and Japanese-Americans together at the same camp. It was very thought-provoking, and sad really. ~ 4 stars.



What's next? 

I really need to re-read The Jane Austen Project* for the reading group! Yikes! We meet this Saturday. Fortunately, we are only discussing the first ten chapters.







*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!


Please, leave a comment and let us know what you've been reading! 😃📚

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.

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! 

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! 

What Are You Reading? ~ Feb. 5th, 2020

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

Happy Wednesday, my friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. Did you watch the Super Bowl? It was on here, but I spent most of my time cooking for the family! That's okay, I'm not much of a football fan. I did stop to watch the commercials on occasion. :)

Current Read

I'm just starting The War Outside* by Monica Hesse. It's about a Japanese-American girl and a German-American girl who meet in an internment camp in Texas during WWII. It sounds fascinating. I really enjoyed Hesse's The Girl in the Blue Coat, so I thought I'd give this one a try.

I love the cover!



Recently Finished

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* by J.K Rowlings. Of course, I loved it! 

I also finished reading Foul is Fair* by Hannah Capin. I enjoyed this modern Macbeth and something like Mean Girls mash-up. My review is coming soon! 







What's next?

I need to start re-reading The Jane Austen Project* by  Kathleen A. Flynn for February's JASNA reading group meeting. :) 







And I'll probably start the next Harry Potter book. :) 

*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 hope you had a great week! Let me know in the comments what you've been reading! :)

Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match Blog Tour! ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! I'm very excited to be part of the Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match Blog Tour! Author Kelly Miller is here today with a lovely excerpt. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to enter the giveaway! Details are at the bottom of the page.

This excerpt takes place at Rosings Park shortly after Darcy gave Elizabeth his letter.


Upon his return to the house, Darcy went to the bedchamber of his cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. He hesitated with his hand raised at the door. This conversation was certain to bring discomfort. If he could avoid it, he would, but it needed to be done—the sooner, the better. He straightened his shoulders, knocked, and entered upon his cousin’s cheerful invitation.

Richard sat beside a table set up with a pot of coffee and a plate of morning buns. A mug of the steaming beverage balanced upon his thigh. “Cousin, how are you on this fine—" Richard tilted his head as his eyes settled upon Darcy’s countenance. “Are you well? You look terrible, as though you have been up all night.”

“Yes, I am well.” Darcy picked up the other chair in the room and moved it to face his cousin before sitting upon it. “When I was in Hertfordshire last autumn, I encountered Wickham.”

A fiery gleam entered his cousin’s eyes. “Did you have words with him?”

“Not at all. I scarcely acknowledged him. At any rate, the scoundrel had obtained an officer’s position with the militia camped at Meryton.” Darcy took in Richard’s passive expression. Thus far his cousin was letting him off easily, rather than hurl questions at him as he was apt to do. “Wickham managed to make a favourable impression on many in the neighbourhood—including Miss Bennet. The lady may question you in regard to Wickham. If she does, I want you to answer any questions she may have with complete honesty.”

A line of tension arose across Richard’s brow. “I see. Everything, of course, excluding the events of last summer.”

Darcy’s breath quickened. He swallowed against his dense, parched throat. “No, I mean everything including Ramsgate.”

Richard moved his mug to the table with a thump, heedless of the resultant splattering of hot coffee upon the wood. “You told Miss Bennet what happened to Georgiana last summer? What is the lady to you? Have you an understanding with her?”

He braced against the back of the chair, steeling his posture as he crossed his arms before his chest. “No, there is nothing of the kind between us. Miss Bennet is naught but an acquaintance, but since she was taken in by Wickham’s lies and does not have a high opinion of me, I could think of no other way to be certain of convincing her to take my word.”

His cousin rose from his chair and paced before him, shaking his head. His tone conveyed equal parts scorn and incredulity while his thrashing arms marked each sentence. “You could think of no other way? Instead of revealing such private personal information involving your own sister, who is as much my responsibility as yours I might add, you could have asked me to speak to the lady first. From what I have observed, Miss Bennet’s response to you has been at best one of tolerance and at worst as one might react to a fly in one’s soup; yet I dare say lady likes me quite well. The list of Wickham’s unsavoury propensities is long; it would have been no great feat to convince Miss Bennet of Wickham’s poor character without any mention of last summer.”

His cousin’s words ripped through Darcy like a blade. Even Richard had known of her disapprobation for him? What a fool he had been!

Richard paused in front of him to shake a finger in his face. “You and I agreed that other than my brother, Henry, we would tell no one of that incident. No one else! You know the sort of damage that could occur to Georgiana’s reputation if this became common knowledge. Miss Bennet is nothing to you, a mere acquaintance by your own words, and yet you gave her this confidential information!”

Darcy’s mask of confidence slipped in the face of his cousin’s vehement words of reproof. Richard’s response was valid. Would he not have reacted the same way—or worse—if his cousin had revealed the details of Wickham’s plot to elope with Georgiana to another?

“Why? Why did you do this?”

How Darcy had agonized over the question of how much to reveal to Miss Elizabeth last night! Had he made a dreadful mistake? No, the lady had a benevolent character. Since the episode at Ramsgate, Georgiana had been quiet and withdrawn―so much so that his sister had become a subject of anxiety. Upon making his decision to offer for Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy had never doubted that he would be giving Georgiana a loving, caring sister whom she would adore, but it was not to be. “Miss Bennet is trustworthy.”

His cousin resumed pacing. “You cannot be certain! How could you have been so reckless? Damn it, this is not like you.”

“Nevertheless, it serves no purpose to argue over the matter; it is done and cannot be undone. Do you agree to confirm the information should Miss Bennet ask you of it?”

“Did she seduce you? Does she hold some power over you? Is this some sort of coercion?”

A crushing weight of rage rumbled through his chest. He stood and confronted Richard with his hands fisted at his sides. “Miss Bennet is a lady, a gentleman’s daughter. You have no cause for making such outrageous statements about her!”

His cousin’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “Excuse me for having more concern for your sister than for a lady so unconnected to me.”

Darcy ground his teeth in an effort to settle his disordered emotions. “You have not answered my question. Will you or will you not agree to confirm the truth about Wickham to Miss Bennet should she ask you?”

With a noisy, rushed expulsion of breath, Richard threw his hands in the air. “Fine, why not? As you said, the damage has already been done. This is evidently so important to you that you have risked your sister’s reputation, so yes. You and I shall call at the parsonage after breakfast and take our leave of them. While we are there, I shall ask Miss Bennet to take a walk in the garden. If she asks me of Wickham, I shall tell her the truth.”

“I thank you.” With a brusque nod, Darcy left the room. Having garnered his cousin’s cooperation, his tumultuous thoughts centred on the item of most importance: he was to see her one final time.

*

Darcy and his cousin marched in a mutual brooding silence to the parsonage. The exercise did nothing to soothe his chafed spirits. He held back several feet behind Richard as they passed through the entryway of the parsonage. His heart beat at a frenetic pace as he endeavoured to prepare himself for his final time in her presence. But it was all for naught. As his eyes skimmed the room without finding their object, Mrs. Collins spoke, lamenting upon the fact that Miss Bennet had gone for a walk that morning and had not yet returned.


Fifteen minutes into the intolerable visit, during which Darcy had flinched at the slightest noise made within or without the house, he stood and stated a need to take his leave. Richard expressed a wish to stay in the interest of making his farewell to Miss Bennet. Darcy nodded his thanks to his cousin and bowed to the ladies before departing with undignified haste from the house.

Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match
by Kelly Miller

Blurb: 

When secrets are revealed and a family agenda works against him, can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover his damaged spirits and find happiness? 

Following his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to London from Kent broken-hearted and dejected. One bright spot penetrates his sea of despair: his sister, Georgiana, has finally recovered her spirits from the grievous events at Ramsgate the previous summer. She has forged a new friendship with Miss Hester Drake, a lady who appears to be an ideal friend. In fact, Lady Matlock believes Miss Drake is Darcy’s perfect match. 

Upon Elizabeth Bennet’s arrival at the Gardiners’ home from Kent, she finds that her sister Jane remains despondent over her abandonment by Mr. Bingley. But Elizabeth has information that might bring them together. She convinces her Uncle Gardiner to write a letter to Mr. Bingley providing key facts supplied to her by Mr. Darcy. 

When Mr. Bingley discovers that his friend and sisters colluded to keep Jane’s presence in London from him, how will he respond? Given the chance, will Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their past misunderstandings? What will Darcy do when his beloved sister becomes a hindrance towards winning the lady he loves?

Buy: Amazon US (paid link) • 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

Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made

her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano (although like Elizabeth Bennet, she is errant when it comes to practicing), singing, and walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets.


Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match is her second novel published by Meryton Press. Her first was the Regency novel Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice romantic sequel with a touch of fantasy. Her third novel, Accusing Mr. Darcy, will be released later in 2020.

Connect with Kelly Miller

Blog • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads Author Page • Facebook • Twitter

Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match Blog Schedule

January 27 Austenesque Reviews 

January 28 My Jane Austen Book Club 

January 29 Austenprose

January 30 So Little Time…

January 31 Babblings of a Bookworm

February 3 More Agreeably Engaged

February 4 Savvy Verse & Wit

February 6 Donadee’s Corner

February 7 Diary of an Eccentric

February 10 From Pemberley to Milton

February 11 My Vices and Weaknesses

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Meryton Press is giving away 8 eBook copies of Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match! Enter through the Rafflecopter below. Open Internationally! Thank you, Meryton Press!! 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kelly, thank you for that lovely excerpt! My favorite secondary character is Colonel Fitzwilliam. I loved seeing him here! :)

Many thanks to Janet Taylor @ More Agreeably Engaged for organizing this blog tour! Also, I love the cover design you did for this book! It's beautiful!

So, friends, what did you think of the excerpt? Please, feel free to leave any comments or questions for Kelly here!  

What Are You Reading? ~ Jan. 29, 2020

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

Current Read

I'm a little over halfway through Foul is Fair* by Hannah Capin. I can't really say how it's going. I love a good revenge story, but I'm not sure I like how Jade is going about it. Maybe as I read on, there will be a twist I didn't see coming. 






Recently Finished

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* by J.K. Rowling. I don't need to say anything here! It's just so good! :)







What's next? 

I'll probably start Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* by J.K. Rowling. :) 








*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!


It looks like I've come back to my usual reading speed! Well, it was a great start to the new year! I'm ahead on my Goodreads reading challenge now. :) I still need to set up my Jane Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2020 with Sophia Rose on Goodreads!

I hope you've had a good week! Be sure to share what you've been reading! Or any reading challenges you are doing this year.

What Are You Reading? ~ Jan. 22, 2020

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

Happy Wednesday, friends! It's been another good reading week for me! Although to be fair, Lady Susan is a short story. :)

Current Read

I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* by J. K. Rowling. I wasn't going to start this one yet, but I couldn't help myself! Lol! 








Recently Finished

I recently finished Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets* by J.K. Rowling. Of course, it was fabulous! I love reading this series.

I also read Call It What You Want* by Brigid Kemmerer. This was really good! I flew through it. ~ 4 stars

And I finished Lady Susan* by Jane Austen. Haha, Jane must have had a good time writing this one! Lady Susan is a trip. What a smooth talker, she is good at manipulating everything to her own advantage.







What's next? 

I would like to read Foul is Fair* by Hannah Capin. I've already read the first couple of pages, and it looks pretty good, although very dark. I read somewhere that it's supposed to be a modern retelling of Macbeth. In February, I'll have an excerpt for you to read as part of a blog tour for the book!






*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!



Please, share what you've been reading! I'd love to hear!