Take the I Hate Valentine's Day poll

Sorry, but this is truly my least favorite holiday. I loved it when I was a kid and it was all about giving everyone in my classroom one of those sweet paper valentines that came in boxes of 30 or so, with a special one for the teacher. And Conversation Hearts candies.

But when I reached dating age, it was all about whether I had a boyfriend or not. And later, whether I had a husband or not. And what he did to mark the occasion. And whether it was good enough. And what I was supposed to do. And somehow a holiday that was supposed to be all about love became all about pressure and vanity and feeling bad about myself. Yuck.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a romantic, through and through. I just think that celebrating love should be something I do every day, and not something I have to prove--or have it be proved to me.

So where does Jane Austen come in? She is the perfect remedy for your Valentine's Day blues. Read one of her novels and celebrate love. When you're finished, you will close the book and feel good about yourself. And you will believe that if it's not there for you now, it will be. Very soon.

Here's a little treat from PERSUASION, my favorite Austen novel (and then do take the WHY I HATE VALENTINE'S DAY POLL below, just for fun):

You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it... Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.

What do you hate most about Valentine's Day?

It's a holiday designed to make single people feel bad about themselves.Even if I'm in a relationship, I worry about not getting what I want.I feel pressured to mark the occasion but don't know what my partner wants.If I am too extravagant, my boyfriend/girlfriend may get the wrong message.If I'm too low-key, my boyfriend/girlfriend may get the wrong message.I eat way too much chocolate and spend the next day feeling guilty.

pollcode.com free polls

Regency Sports Talk (and a new giveaway)

Yet another reason to wish we lived in Jane Austen's time is that there was no Monday Night Football. No ESPN. No sports talk.

Oh really? Watch Courtney and Jane, time-swapping heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, discover whether men in neckcloths and knee breeches are just as obsessed with sports as men who spend every Saturday in that ancient college football jersey you'd love to throw out.

Watch "Regency Sports Talk," Episode 20 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL , and let us know what you think. AND ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY BY MIDNIGHT SATURDAY PST (JUST AS WE ENTER HALLOWEEN).

Two lucky winners will win signed copies of the novels that inspired the Babelgum original comedy web series SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL:  RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT & CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Watch Episode 20, "Regency Sports Talk," and enter our giveaway!

DO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FOR MULTIPLE CHANCES TO WIN:

1. COMMENT on Episode 20, "Regency Sports Talk," here on the blog.

2. BLOG about this giveaway with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send us the link to your post: giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

3. TWEET about the giveaway @TheAustenGirl or @austen_addict with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com.

4. FACEBOOK POST the giveaway & link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send us the link to your post: giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK'S GIVEAWAY WINNERS!   

[Sex and the Austen Girl stars Arabella Field as Courtney and Fay Masterson as Jane. For more about Sex and the Austen Girl, and to catch up on all the episodes you missed, visit the Sex and the Austen Girl showpage at Babelgum.]

Sex and the Austen Girl Episode 18 "The Art of Flattery" AND Another Giveaway!

Episode 18 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL has posted today, and we're having another giveaway!

Two lucky winners will win signed copies of both RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT & CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Watch Episode 18, "The Art of Flattery," and enter the giveaway!

DO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FOR MULTIPLE CHANCES TO WIN:

1. COMMENT on Episode 18, "The Art of Flattery," here on the blog. Do women today still make flattery a tactic in the game of love? Or did that go out of style with bonnets and horse-drawn carriages?

2. BLOG about this giveaway with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

3. TWEET about the giveaway @TheAustenGirl or @austen_addict with a  link to http://janeaustenaddict.com.

4. FACEBOOK POST the giveaway & link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

This week's giveaway ends midnight PST October 16. Good luck!

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK'S GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

     
[Sex and the Austen Girl stars Arabella Field as Courtney (left) and Fay Masterson as Jane (right). For more about Sex and the Austen Girl, and to catch up on all the episodes you missed, visit the Sex and the Austen Girl showpage at Babelgum.]

 

OMG...iveaway! Win signed copies of the Austen Addict books

Episode 17 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL has just posted today, and we're giving away signed copies of both RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT & CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT to two lucky winners.

Watch Episode 17, "A Matter of Chance," to see Courtney and Jane make sense of divorce, Regency style.

And to enter the giveaway, DO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FOR MULTIPLE CHANCES TO WIN:

1. COMMENT on Episode 17, "A Matter of Chance," here on the blog.

2. BLOG about this giveaway & link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

3. TWEET about the giveaway @TheAustenGirl or @austen_addict & link to http://janeaustenaddict.com.

4. FACEBOOK POST the giveaway & link to http://janeaustenaddict.com. Send the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

This week's giveaway ends midnight PST October 9. Good luck!

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK'S GIVEAWAY WINNERS LOIS & ANA IRIS!

     
[Sex and the Austen Girl stars Arabella Field as Courtney (left) and Fay Masterson as Jane (right). For more about Sex and the Austen Girl, and to catch up on all the episodes you missed, visit the Sex and the Austen Girl showpage at Babelgum.]

 

Enter the Episode 15 Giveaway!

Episode 15 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, "A Good Wedding," is up. Click here to watch the episode and enter this week's giveaway. And let us know what your idea of a good wedding is!

Two winners will each win a signed copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

TO ENTER: Follow the instructions posted each week on the Jane Austen Addict homepage. It's easy to enter. Have fun, and good luck!

 

 SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the Babelgum original comedy web series inspired by RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, stars Arabella Field (L) as Courtney and Fay Masterson (R) as Jane. Visit the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL showpage to watch all the episodes you missed!

 PLEASE DO NOT POST THE ANSWER TO THE EP.15 TRIVIA QUESTION ON THIS BLOG. THANKS!

Enter the Episode 14 Giveaway!

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is back from hiatus, and giveaway madness has begun!

Enter the first of our series of weekly giveaways to celebrate the second half of Season One of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the Babelgum original comedy web series inspired by RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Each week till the end of Season One, two winners will each win a signed copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

TO ENTER: follow the instructions posted each week on the Jane Austen Addict homepage. Have fun, and good luck!

[Arabella Field (L) as Courtney and Fay Masterson (R) as Jane]

Dressed in White

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the comedy web series inspired by CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, is back on Babelgum.com!

Episode 13, "Dressed in White," is all about why Jane is wearing that white gown and what is means to her to wear white as opposed to what it means to Courtney. And how emotionally charged that white, fairy-princess dress can be. Especially if the fairy tale doesn't have a happy ending.

An interesting note on the difference between a wedding dress of Austen's day and a wedding dress of our day: We think of wedding dresses as white, but in Regency England, white was a common color for young women to wear on many occasions.

We also think of a wedding dress as a one-day-only-never-to-be-worn again garment. In Austen's time, a woman would just wear her wedding gown (which could be any color) again and again, like any other dress for special occasions. She'd change it up a bit when she got bored with the trimming or something got frayed. Or maybe she'd eventually cut it up and make a little girl's dress from it for her daughter. I do appreciate the difference between that custom and the ways of our disposable society. Besides, it might be interesting if white became more of a popular evening color than just for brides and debutantes. 

Watch Episode 13 and let us know what you think!

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL stars Arabella Field (R) as Courtney Stone and Fay Masterson (L) as Jane Mansfield.  
 

Love, Money, & Pemberley (Ep.12 of SEX & THE AUSTEN GIRL)

Don't miss this week's episode which is OUR LAST EPISODE TILL SEPTEMBER 5, when we will return with a special MR. DARCY episode. Everyone wants to marry for love, but shouldn't we consider money as well? Where does romance end and practicality begin? And should they be mutually exclusive? Courtney and Jane, our time-swapping heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, explore an issue that has not changed all that much since Jane Austen's time. Watch Episode 12, "Love, Money, & Pemberley." Only on Babelgum. And read all about it on the Babelgum blog. Episode 12, "Love, Money, & Pemberley," premiered Monday, August 2, 2010 on Babelgum. And stays on the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL showpage. Where you can catch up on any other episodes you missed. See you September 5! Till then, we'll be dreaming of Pemberley...   [Pemberley. Now that's something Jane (Fay Masterson, L) and Courtney (Arabella Field, R) can agree on.]
SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

"The 200-Year-Old Virgin" (Ep. 11 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL)

Imagine the shock you'd feel if you were a sheltered lady from 1813 England who woke up one morning in twenty-first-century Los Angeles. In another woman's body. A woman named Courtney Stone. Who is, like you, unmarried. But who is not, like you, a virgin.

Watch Jane Mansfield, that nineteenth-century lady, and Courtney Stone, the twenty-first-century woman who has taken over Jane's life, discuss things a lady should never talk about.

Watch "The 200-Year-Old Virgin," Episode 11 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL.

And read about it on the Babelgum Blog.

"The 200-Year-Old Virgin," premiered Monday, July 26 on Babelgum and stays on the site. Where you can catch up on any other episodes you missed.

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

[Poor Jane (Fay Masterson) is having a hard time wrapping her head around twenty-first-century dating and mating rituals]

Tell-Tale Signs (Episode 10 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL)

Ever wonder how you could have missed the signs (let's face it; the billboards) that screamed "He's just not that into you"?

In this week's episode of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, our time-swapping heroines Courtney and Jane discuss the tell-tale signs of a lack of male interest, both in Regency England and in twenty-first-century Los Angeles.

Watch Episode 10 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL. Only on Babelgum.

And read about it on the Babelgum Blog.

Episode 10, "Tell-Tale Signs," premiered Monday July 19 and stays on the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL showpage. Where you can catch up on any other episodes you missed.

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

[Arabella Field (L) is Courtney, and Fay Masterson (R) is Jane.]

Is He For Real? (Episode 9 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL)

Wouldn't it be great if there were a foolproof decoder of male behavior, a dog-meter, if you will, that tells us if he's for real? Or, as Jane Mansfield, one of the heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL would put it, is there anything that indicates his intentions are honorable?

Watch Courtney and Jane, time-swapping heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, figure it all out in Episode 9, "Is He For Real?" 

And read all about it on the Babelgum Blog.

"Is He For Real?" premiered Monday, July 12 and stays on the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL showpage. Where you can catch up on any other episodes you missed.

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

[On the set of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, from left to right: Director Thomas Rigler, Director of Photography Roman Jakobi, Gaffer Ken Wales, Arabella Field as Courtney, and Fay Masterson as Jane.]

Regency Dream Date: Episode 8 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL

Watch & read about Episode 8 on the Babelgum blog. And tell us what your dream date is, Regency or otherwise.

[Arabella Field as Courtney Stone in SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the comedy web series inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.]

How many dates before you sleep with someone?

To wait or not to wait. To pursue or not to pursue. Those are the questions our time-swapping heroines explore in this week's episode of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, "Lady in Waiting."

Watch this week's episode now.

Read this week's guest post on the Babelgum blog.

Discuss.

And let us know what YOU think.

[Could the answers be found on the props table at the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL set??]

[SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL is the new comedy web series inspired by the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, in which two young women, one from Regency England and the other from 21st-century Los Angeles, swap bodies, time periods, and lives. In SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL the two ladies come together to debate the pros and cons of life and love and being a woman in today's world versus Jane Austen's time.]

Still think Jane Austen isn't for men? Think again.

And read this piece in the Telegraph by Jay McInerney entitled Beautiful Minds: Jane Austen's Heroines, in which "Jay McInerney, novelist and ladies' man, describes his serial crushes on Jane Austen's heroines - and how they shaped his romantic life."

[Jay McInerney]

Sex & The Austen Girl: an original comedy web series on Babelgum.com

 Last week I went shopping for a chamberpot.

Not something I ever imagined myself doing.

So what possessed me? I was donning the hat of propmaster for SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the exciting new web series inspired by my Austen Addict novels, which we just finished shooting.

That's right: In May you'll be able to see the first episodes of Season One of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL. An original comedy series on the fabulous Babelgum.com. Air dates to be announced very soon!

THE CONCEPT:

 In CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, two young women, Courtney Stone of present-day Los Angeles, and Jane Mansfield of 1813 England, inexplicably switch bodies, time periods, and lives.

Now, together for the first time, Courtney and Jane face off to debate the pros and cons of life, love, and being a woman in today's world vs. Jane Austen's world.

THE TOPICS: Love, sex, courtship, fidelity, marriage, manners, morals, hygiene, Facebook status updates, and more.

The core of it all is this: Are we better off now, or were we better off then?

The actors are amazing:

 
On the left is Arabella Field as Courtney Stone, a 21st-century Los Angeleno stuck in Regency England and holding the above-mentioned chamber pot. On the right is Fay Masterson as Jane Mansfield, a gentleman's daughter from 1813 England, stuck in 21st-century Los Angeles and trying to phone home. [photo credit: Deborah Zeitman]

[photo credit: Deborah Zeitman]

Behind the scenes we've got Roman Jakobi on camera, fresh from a gig as second unit director of photography for UNKNOWN WHITE MALE, the Liam Neeson/Diane Kruger thriller; Deborah Zeitman editing (she's cut everything from Peter Weir films to Robert Greenwald documentaries); Dave The Rave Emmendorfer on visual effects (he did the RUDE AWAKENINGS book trailer fx). And best of all, my very own Mr. Darcy, Thomas Rigler, and his partner, Brian Gerber, co-directing.  Between the two of them they've produced and/or directed everything from music videos to features.

Stay tuned for details about where and when to watch SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL on Babelgum.com's comedy line-up.

 In the meantime, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is out in paperback April 27 and available for order now! 

 

Sex and the Austen Girl

Check out my guest post on the pros and cons of courtship today vs. courtship in Jane Austen's world. It's a question I pondered constantly while writing my latest novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

The post is on Stephanie's Written Word as part of her Everything Austen Challenge.

Oh yeah, and there's a BIG giveaway: Dutton is providing three copies of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, and I'm providing three copies of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

So head on over to Stephanie's Written Word and enter!

 
[Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam in EMMA.]