Jane Austen Addict Blog

Happy 235th, Miss Austen (+ lots of giveaways)

Welcome to the Jane Austen Birthday Blog Tour, hosted by Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club and Fly High.

Today is Jane Austen's 235th birthday, and each of the bloggers listed at the end of this post, including myself, are posting tributes and challenges and offering lots of fabulous prizes.

 

Leaving a comment here = one chance to win. The more blogs on the tour you comment on (see list below), the more chances you have to win.

My part in the Jane Austen Birthday Blog Tour begins today, 12/16, and ends Wednesday 12/22 at the stroke of midnight, PST. Other bloggers on the list may end a bit earlier or later. All bloggers will submit the names they draw to our host, who will draw the winners from those names on 12/23.

To enter my giveaway, please leave a comment below. And if you're inspired to do so, feel free to include your birthday wishes to Jane Austen .

Here are mine:

Dear Miss Austen,

On this occasion of your 235th birthday, I would like to thank you for all the wisdom, laughter, and insight that your stories provide. Your words have been a constant guide and an abiding inspiration in my life.

I wish that you could know how many millions of people you have made happy with your stories. I wish that you could see the films that have been adapted from your books. I wish that you could read all those sequels, continuations, and inspired-bys. And I wish I could buy you a birthday drink* (or seven) to help you over the shock!

*By the way, did you know that there's a drink named after you? They say it can be quite a restorative.

With gratitude I remain your humble servant,

Laurie Viera Rigler

LIST OF BLOGGERS PARTICIPATING IN THE AUSTEN BIRTHDAY BLOG TOUR:

Adriana Zardini at Jane Austen Sociedad do Brasil

Laurel Ann at Austenprose (who created the Austentini recipe)
Vic Sanborn at Jane Austen's World
Katherine Cox at November’s Autumn
Karen Wasylowski at  her personal blog
Laurie Viera Rigler (that's me) at Jane Austen Addict Blog
Lynn Shepherd at her blog
Jane Greensmith at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
Jane Odiwe at Jane Austen Sequels
Alexa Adams at First Impressions
Regina Jeffers at her blog
Cindy Jones at First Draft
Janet Mullany at Risky Regencies
Meredith at Austenesque Reviews
and our host, Maria Grazia, at My Jane Austen Book Club

PRIZES:

Books – (signed copies):

1. WILLOUGHBY'S RETURN by Jane Odiwe
2.  CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
3. RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
4. MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK by Lynn Shepherd
5. INTIMATIONS OF AUSTEN by Jane Greensmith
6. DARCY'S PASSIONS: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE RETOLD THROUGH HIS EYES by Regina Jeffers
7. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A TALE OF LESS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Alexa Adams
8. JANE AND THE DAMNED by Janet Mullany
9. BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN by Janet Mullany

Other gifts:

1. Austen bag offered by Karen Wasylowski
2. DVD of Pride & Prejudice 2005 offered by Regina Jeffers
3. One package of Bingley’s Tea.  (flavor  ”Marianne’s Wild Abandon” ) offered by Cindy Jones
4. DVD of Jane Austen in Manhattan offered by Maria Grazia
5. Three issues of Jane Austen Regency World offered by Maria Grazia

 

Exciting news for Austen-inspired storytellers everywhere!

Here's your chance to be published in the upcoming anthology entitled JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT, which will be published in Fall 2011 by Ballantine books and edited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.

All you have to do is write a story inspired by the life or works of Jane Austen, and enter a short story contest. The winner will be published in JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT.

Read this post on Austenprose for details on how to enter.

Coming up 12/16: The Austen Birthday Blog Tour

Jane Austen turns 235 on December 16, and we at Austen Addict Central will be joining the Austen Birthday Blog Tour, hosted by Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club and Fly High. There will be tributes and lots of fabulous prizes.

The Austen Birthday Blog Tour begins 12/16 and ends 12/22. Winners will be announced on 12/23. Comment at each of the following blogs starting 12/16 for multiple chances to enter!

 

 Adriana Zardini at Jane Austen Sociedad do Brasil (who created this graphic)

Laurel Ann at Austenprose
Vic Sanborn at Jane Austen's World
Katherine Cox at November’s Autumn
Karen Wasylowski at  her personal blog
Laurie Viera Rigler (that's me) at Jane Austen Addict Blog
Lynn Shepherd at her blog
Jane Greensmith at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
Jane Odiwe at Jane Austen Sequels
Alexa Adams at First Impressions
Regina Jeffers at her blog
Cindy Jones at First Draft
Janet Mullany at Risky Regencies
Meredith at Austenesque Reviews
and our host, Maria Grazia, at My Jane Austen Book Club

PRIZES:

Books – (signed copies):

1. WILLOUGHBY'S RETURN by Jane Odiwe
2. CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
3. RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler
4. MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK by Lynn Shepherd
5. INTIMATIONS OF AUSTEN by Jane Greensmith
6. DARCY'S PASSIONS: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE RETOLD THROUGH HIS EYES by Regina Jeffers
7. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A TALE OF LESS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Alexa Adams
8. JANE AND THE DAMNED by Janet Mullany
9. BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN by Janet Mullany

Other gifts:

1. Austen bag offered by Karen Wasylowski
2. DVD of Pride & Prejudice 2005 offered by Regina Jeffers
3. One package of Bingley’s Tea.  (flavor  ”Marianne’s Wild Abandon” ) offered by Cindy Jones
4. DVD of Jane Austen in Manhattan offered by Maria Grazia
5. Three issues of Jane Austen Regency World offered by Maria Grazia

 

Austen's Timeless and Ageless Appeal

Today's Wall Street Journal has a fun piece on the ever-expanding Janeiverse on the web and on Austen's growing appeal with the young.

Makes sense, don't you think? After all, Austen wrote what could arguably be called the first classic YA coming-of-age novel, NORTHANGER ABBEY. The oldest heroine of Austen's six major works was 27-28 (Anne Elliot of PERUSASION), and the youngest was 17-18 (Catherine Morland of NORTHANGER ABBEY).

The latest Austen adaptations--both of which this blogger loved--clearly targeted a young demographic.[Romola Garai, L, as Emma Woodhouse; Felicity Jones, R, as Catherine Morland]

I'm just happy that a 27-year-old is no longer considered past her sell-by date, and a 17-year-old is usually more concerned with starting her freshman year of college than starting a family.

And on that note, I shall close with one of my favorite episodes of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, which focuses on this very topic:

[SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, babelgum.com/sexandtheaustengirl, is inspired by the novels "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" and "Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict" and stars Arabella Field and Fay Masterson.]

Join the Holiday #Readathon & Enter the Giveaways, Too!

Shop till you drop? How about you read till you need...to read some more! Really, is there anything better to take the edge off all that holiday stress than a good book?

WhoRuBlog is hosting a fabulous Holiday #Readathon, Dec. 2-5, and the Jane Austen Addict Blog is joining the fun. My mini-challenge for the Holiday #Readathon is:

Name your favorite holiday comfort read and tell us why it works for you. Enter your answer as a comment here on the blog OR as a tweet @austen_addict. Winner of this draw will receive personally inscribed copies of both CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. ENTER BY MIDNIGHT PST DEC. 5.

Go to WhoRuBlog and check out its beautiful mini-challenge that is truly in the spirit of holiday giving. See the wonderful list of bloggers who are holding their own mini-challenges, including lots more giveaways. And there's a Twitter party, too, on December 5th. Why not sign up for them all!

 
                         (Ah, the comfort of a book...)

 

Episode 22 Worldwide Giveaway! or "My other car is a barouche"

Imagine you come from 1813 England, where a carriage going 10 miles per hour is a fast mode of travel (remember John Thorpe bragging in NORTHANGER ABBEY?). And then you land in 21st-century L.A., where half your life is lived in a speeding car. When you're not stuck in rush-hour gridlock, that is. 

Watch our time-swapping heroines Courtney and Jane, the one from today's world and the other from Jane Austen's England, talk about the pros and cons of cars and carriages and the wonders of life in the fast lane--no matter what century you're in. TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY, Watch "Transportation," Episode 22 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL , the Babelgum original comedy web series, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog.

wo 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. ENTER BY MIDNIGHT THIS SUNDAY PST.

Is your other car a BMW, or a barouche? Is it cheaper, relatively speaking, to own a car today than it was to own a carriage in Jane Austen's day? (Sure, gas is expensive, but what about having to have a stable, feed for the horse, and a servant to care for it--remember Elinor's words to Marianne when Willoughby wanted to give her a horse in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY?)

Or just tell us what you like about the episode! FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN, SEE BELOW.

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

1. COMMENT on Episode 22, "Transportation," 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, Carl and Susan!

[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.]

Chamberpot vs. Toilet (& a giveaway)

What to do when the urge arrives to go to the bathroom during Regency times? Our time-swapping heroines, Jane and Courtney, debate the pros and cons of modern plumbing in Episode 21 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL , the Babelgum original comedy web series.

To enter this week's giveaway, watch "Chamberpot vs. Toilet," and leave a comment here on the blog. wo 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.

ENTER BY MIDNIGHT THIS SATURDAY PST. For more chances to win, see below.

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

1. COMMENT on Episode 21, "Chamberpot vs. Toilet," 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.]

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.]

Clothes Make the Man (and give you a chance to win books!)

Do you ever wish the men in our twenty-first-century world dressed like Mr. Darcy instead of "like farmers and workmen," as Jane, one of our time-swapping heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, would put it?

Watch "Clothes Make the Man," Episode 19 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL , and let us know what you think. And enter our giveaway by midnight Saturday, October 23, PST!

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 19, "Clothes Make the Man," and enter the giveaway!

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

1. COMMENT on Episode 19, "Clothes Make the Man," here on the blog.

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 Saturday October 23 at midnight PST . 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.]

 

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.]

 

"Snip, Snip": Enter the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL Episode 16 Giveaway

The Episode 16 giveaway has begun, and it's easier than ever to enter.

Here's what you do for a chance to win signed copies of the novels that inspired the series, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Each of the following equals one chance to win):

1. Watch Episode 16 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, "Snip, Snip," (below) and post a comment here on the blog. In two minutes you'll see two women from two different centuries tackling the issue of extreme makeovers.

 

AND/OR

2. Blog about our giveaway with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com AND send us the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com with "Episode 16 Giveaway" in the subject line

AND/OR

3. Tweet about our giveaway @TheAustenGirl with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com

AND/OR

4. Post on Facebook about our giveaway with a link to http://janeaustenaddict.com AND send us the link to your post to giveaways@janeaustenaddict.com.

Have fun, good luck, and catch up on all the episodes you missed at the SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL showpage!

[On the set of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, starring Fay Masterson as Jane (L) and Arabella Field as Courtney (R)]

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.  
 

By a Reader: An Austen Addict Collage

A very sweet surprise in my inbox: In addition to a lovely email from a 16-year-old reader named Tara, she made this Polyvore collage inspired by CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

I could definitely see curling up in that robe and reading NORTHANGER ABBEY (gotta get ready for the JASNA AGM coming up end of October. Or watching CLUELESS. Again.

Thank you, Tara!

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.]

It's stuff like this that reminds me why I write.

A friend explained double happiness to me recently. It's when we are so happy that we bring that happiness to someone else. And then I came across this little gem the other day.

To know that one's work has brought happiness to another is the greatest gift of all.

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.]

Interview Part 2 + ANOTHER Giveaway!

Check out Part 2 of my interview at the lovely Maria Grazia's blog, My Jane Austen Book Club, in which I talk about--you guessed it--Jane Austen, SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, and the Austen Addict novels.

Speaking of which, enter a comment with your email address at My Jane Austen Book Club, and you will have a chance to win either a signed copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, or a signed copy of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Enjoy, and good luck!

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.]

Interview + Giveaway of Confessions AND Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

Check out  Part I of my interview and a big giveaway on the lovely Maria Grazia's My Jane Austen Book Club blog.

And don't forget to leave a comment there so that you have a chance to win a signed copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A  JANE AUSTEN ADDICT or 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.]

Vote for the Jane Austen Awards

Yes, we at Austen Addict Central have a vested interest.

Because we're bursting with pride that both this blog and one of our books RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, have been nominated. Click on the badge below to go to the polls!

And don't forget to check out our web series, SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIR!

No Make-up? No Way. (Guest post on the Babelgum blog)

Ever fantasized about meeting Mr. Darcy? How about without your lipstick on?

Read my latest guest post on the Babelgum blog.

And watch Episode 6,  "Concealer & Mascara," the latest episode of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL. Only on Babelgum.

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

The super fabulous Everything Austen Challenge is back!

Austenmania is here just in time for summer at Stephanie's Written Word, where the Everything Austen Challenge II is just starting up. 

Stephanie's got lots of choices for challenge participants, from Austen's own works to Austen-inspired novels (like those by yours truly) to sequels and continuations, movies, and even crafts.

I wonder if taking English country dance lessons counts? Or playing with my Jane Austen Action Figures??

And did I say there were lots of giveaways? 

Here's what I'm going to do (not necessarily in this order):

• Read A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGED: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen (just got this and can't wait to read it)
• Re-read five of Austen's own, because I just can't stop doing it
• SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
• NORTHANGER ABBEY
• PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
• PERSUASION
• MANSFIELD PARK

Oh, and I want to read so many others on this list. I don't think I can keep it down to six!

Tip: If anyone's looking for a really fun, lovely Austen nonfiction, Margaret Sullivan's JANE AUSTEN HANDBOOK (also on Stephanie's list) is excellent. And did I say funny? There's one line on page 92 that will make you howl with laughter.

Make haste to the Everything Austen Challenge II!

Scents and Sensibility (guest post on the Babelgum blog)

Could it be possible that we have taken our ideas of “clean” too far? Have we scrubbed, deodorized, and perfumed away our very essence, and maybe even our sex appeal along with it? What would someone from Jane Austen's time think about our ideas of "clean"?

Read my guest post on the Babelgum blog.

And watch Jane and Courtney, the time-swapping heroines of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, explore these and other fragrant questions in this week’s episode, “Is Clean Sexy?”

Available now for your viewing pleasure. Only on Babelgum.

[Arabella Field (L) as Courtney Stone, and Fay Masterson (R) as Jane Mansfield in "Sex and the Austen Girl"]

Do One Nice Thing, Jane Austen Style.

I am reading a lovely book by my friend Debbie Tenzer, called DO ONE NICE THING. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by all the suffering in the world and felt powerless to do anything about it, this book will help change all that.

Because there is something you can do. Even if you're as busy as most people are in this crazy multi-tasking overly scheduled world. Even if you don't have deep pockets.

From grocery shopping for a sick friend to organizing donations of canned goods to a local food bank to making a $25 micro-loan that changes a life in a remote part of the planet, there are dozens of accessible Nice Things that you can do in this book.

And on Debbie's website, too.

So what does all this have to do with Jane Austen? Aside from the fact that in my world, everything has something to do with Jane Austen?

A lot, actually.

Jane Austen had plenty to say about everyday acts of kindness towards our fellow humans. Ladies of Austen's class were expected to care for the poor and relieve their sufferings through gifts of food, money, and clothes, and through personal visits to needy families in the parish.

But that didn't mean one had to be a saint then--or today--in order to  Do One Nice Thing. Nor did one have to be a saint in Jane Austen's day. Consider the vain, deluded, matchmaking-obsessed heroine of EMMA. Helping those in need is one of the qualities that make her loveable in spite of her flaws:

Emma was very compassionate; and the distresses of the poor were as sure of relief from her personal attention and kindness, her counsel and her patience, as from her purse.

Even the relatively impoverished, disabled Mrs. Smith in PERSUASION was making thread-cases that she sold in order to help those less fortunate than she.

Contrast that with the selfishness of Elizabeth Elliot in PERSUASION, who, upon hearing that her family is in debt and must make reductions to its customary state of luxury, responds as follows:

Elizabeth, to do her justice, had, in the first ardour of female alarm, set seriously to think what could be done, and had finally proposed these two branches of economy, to cut off some unnecessary charities, and to refrain from new furnishing the drawing-room.

In Jane Austen's world, kindness did not end with charitable acts to one's neighbors. Care for the well-being of one's friends and family was as essential then as it is today. Which is why the selfish and miserly John and Fanny Dashwood of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY are comic figures as they debate John's deathbed promise to his father to help provide for the dying man's widow and three daughters.

Says Fanny Dashwood of the widow and children's financial state:

"Five hundred a year! I am sure I cannot imagine how they will spend half of it; and as to your giving them more, it is quite absurd to think of it. They will be much more able to give you something."

Despite Austen's skewering of the selfish and miserly, she is always practical in her sensibilities. Take this line from Emma:

"If we feel for the wretched, enough to do all we can for them, the rest is empty sympathy, only distressing to ourselves."

So stop distressing yourself and do something. Just DO ONE NICE THING. Start here. Start now. You'll feel so much better. And more important, you will spread happiness to others. And they to others. And so on.

 

 

Shopping con Jane Austen

The Italian edition of "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" is out. Let the shopping begin!

[Published by Sperling & Kupfer]

Why all the fuss about Jane Austen? (guest post on the Babelgum blog)

Here's my first guest post on the Babelgum Blog to introduce Jane Austen and Sex and the Austen Girl.

If you haven't yet seen Sex and the Austen Girl, the web series inspired by the Austen Addict novels, Episode 4 has just posted today. In fact, Episodes 1-4 are all ready for your viewing pleasure.

New episodes post every Monday. Only on Babelgum.

Enjoy!

[Actors Arabella Field as Courtney (L) and Fay Masterson as Jane (R) getting finishing touches on hair and makeup by hairstylist Hazel Hartman (L) and hairstylist/make-up artist Alma Anguiano (R)]

Watch Episode 3 of Sex and the Austen Girl

If you meet Mr. Darcy in a forest and there's no way to tweet it or put it on your Facebook, did it really happen?

Find out in Episode 3 of Sex and the Austen Girl:

Helicopters, air conditioning, cars, and a little picture-box called TV. Everything you always wanted to know when traveling to 2010 Los Angeles from the Regency Era. In this Freaky Friday-meets-Masterpiece Theatre comedy, two women have inexplicably switched bodies, time periods, and lives: One from Regency England, the other from 21st-century Los Angeles— they debate the pros and cons of life and love in today's world vs. Jane Austen's world.

Sex and the Austen Girl is inspired by RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

A new episode posts every Monday. Only on the fabulous Babelgum.

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

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]

Pride and Pantylines (guest post on the Penguin Blog)

Ever wondered about undies in the time of Jane Austen? Read this guest post on the Penguin Blog.

And watch Episode 2 of Sex and the Austen Girl. Only on Babelgum.

 
[Courtney Stone (Arabella Field, R) explains to Jane Mansfield (Fay Masterson, L) that strange 21st-century garment called a thong.]

Jane in the 21st Century (guest post on the Penguin Blog)

Ever wonder why we are so attracted to the world of Jane Austen, despite all the freedom and conveniences we have in the 21st century? And what would a lady of Jane Austen's time think of ours? Read my guest post on the Penguin Blog.

[Arabella Field as Courtney Stone (L) and Fay Masterson as Jane Mansfield (R) in the new comedy web series on Babelgum, Sex and the Austen Girl]

The 200-year-old Virgin (guest post on the Penguin blog)

The next in my series of guest posts takes a humorous look at the so-called sexual revolution for women and its effect on Miss Jane Mansfield, the 19th-century heroine of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT who finds herself inhabiting the body and life of 21st-century Courtney Stone, the heroine of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Who has a very different sort of romantic history from Jane's.

Read the full post here.

And watch SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the comedy web series inspired by the Austen Addict books.

[Fay Masterson as Miss Jane Mansfield in SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL]

[Arabella Field as Courtney Stone in SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL]

The Austen Girl's Guide to Meeting Men (guest post on the Penguin Blog)

If you think it's challenging for a single woman to meet her Mr. Darcy in today's world, imagine what it was like for a single woman in Jane Austen's time.

But are we really better off today?

RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, and Episode 1 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the new web series inspired by the novels, explore that very question.

Check out more on this in my guest post on the Penguin blog.

And watch Episode 1 of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL.

[Co-director Thomas Rigler working with actors Arabella Field (L) and Fay Masterson (R)]

More about Sex and the Austen Girl on the Penguin Blog

This week I've been doing a series of guest posts on the Penguin blog (as in publisher, not cute arctic birds in tuxedos).

The first one is all about the birth of the new comedy web series that premiered on Monday, May 17, SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, which is inspired by the Austen Addict novels.

[Arabella Field (L) as Courtney Stone, and Fay Masterson (R) as Jane Mansfield.]

Watch the Austen Addict Web Series Trailer

A couple  of weeks ago, I posted about SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL, the upcoming comedy web series inspired by my novels, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Now I've got more exciting news to report: The SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL teaser trailer is up!

Watch the trailer here, and please link, embed, post, and share!

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL premieres on the broadband network Babelgum.com on May 17. For more about the show, go to  babelgum.com/sexandtheaustengirl.

 
[Arabella Field (left), plays Courtney Stone; Fay Masterson (right), plays Jane Mansfield. They're perfect!]

RUDE AWAKENINGS paperback AND the BBC P&P95 remastered DVD both out today (+ a book giveaway)

RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is out in paperback today.

Enter this contest at Austenprose for a chance to win a signed copy: http://austenprose.com/2010/04/27/the-bbc-pride-and-prejudice-it-does-get-better-than-this-a-book-giveaway/

And get yourself a copy of the newly remastered P&P95 DVD--also out today!

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! 

 

Read & Hear Jane Austen's HISTORY OF ENGLAND

The British Library has scanned its copy of Jane Austen's HISTORY OF ENGLAND, which you can read in her own hand AND hear read aloud by an excellent reader. (Just click on the "Listen" button.)

Jane Austen wrote the HISTORY OF ENGLAND when she was only 15 years old. It is "a lively parody that makes fun of the popular schoolroom books of the time."

There are many other manuscripts in the British Library's collection that have this feature, including ALICE'S ADVENTURES UNDER GROUND and Mozart's diary; scroll down the page for the Austen manuscript.

Many thanks to my friend Glenn Lambert for alerting me to this! What a perfect gift for National Library Week!

NORTHANGER ABBEY, Twitter Version, Chapter 16

Could Catherine possibly be more fortunate? Her best friend Isabella is engaged to her brother, she is completely oblivious to John Thorpe's clumsy moves, and she is to have dinner at the Tilneys. Except that...    

Catherine has dinner at the Tilney's & finds the anticipation of the event was pleasanter than the event itself.  

"In spite of [General Tilney's] great civilities to her…it had been a release to get away from him… "

[Liam Cunningham as General Tilney in the ITV NORTHANGER ABBEY]

 

Catherine cannot account for her feelings. "It could not be General Tilney's fault….She could only attribute [it] to her own stupidity."  

As for Henry, "he had never said so little, nor been so little agreeable." But Catherine is eager to give him another chance.  

Later, at the ball: "The evening rewarded her confidence…Miss Tilney took pains to be near her, and Henry asked her to dance."  

Catherine dances w/Henry, "listening with sparkling eyes to everything he said; and, in finding him irresistible, becoming so herself."  

Henry's brother, Capt. Tilney, wants to dance w/ Isabella. Catherine tells Henry that Isabella said she won't dance w/anyone tonight.  

But, says Catherine, "it was very good-natured in him…I suppose he saw Isabella sitting down, and fancied she might wish for a partner."  

"Henry smiled, and said, 'How very little trouble it can give you to understand the motive of other people's actions.'"  

Henry: "With you, it is not…What is the inducement most likely to act upon such a person…but…what would be my inducement in acting…?"  

Catherine: "I do not understand you." Henry: "Then we are on very unequal terms, for I understand you perfectly well."  

Catherine: "Me? -- yes; I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible." Henry: "Bravo! -- an excellent satire on modern language."  

Catherine sees Isabella dancing with Capt. Tilney. "I cannot think how it could happen! Isabella was so determined not to dance."  

Later, Isabella explains: "I refused him as long as I possibly could, but he would take no denial… Amazingly conceited, I am sure."  

[Carey Mulligan as Isabella Thorpe and Mark Dymond as Captain Frederick Tilney in the ITV NORTHANGER ABBEY.]

Alas, Isabella learns what James's father can give them. Not enough to marry on. At least not for 2 ½ years.  

Isabella: "Nobody can think better of Mr. Morland than I do...But every body has their failing."  

"Catherine was hurt by these insinuations. 'I am very sure,' said she, 'that my father has promised to do as much as he can afford.'"  

"Isabella recollected herself…'It is not the want of more money that makes me just at present a little out of spirits; I hate money.'"  

Isabella: "If our union could take place now upon only fifty pounds a year, I should not have a wish unsatisfied."  

"Catherine's uncomfortable feelings began to lessen… James soon followed his letter," & Isabella was back to her usual cheerful self.

[This Twitter presentation of NORTHANGER ABBEY is brought to you by Jane Austen: "Disguise of every sort is my abhorrence."] 

Follow me on Twitter.

Take the RUDE AWAKENINGS Poll

Ever wonder what it would be like for someone from Jane Austen's world to live in the 21st century? That's just what Jane Mansfield, the protagonist of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, must learn to do.

What do you think would be her biggest challenge? Take the RUDE AWAKENINGS poll. And if you haven't read the book yet, the new paperback edition is available for pre-order now and will hit bookstores by April 27th.

 

What would be the biggest challenge for a woman from Regency England who finds herself stuck in today's world?

Gentlemen who wear neither a coat nor a neckcloth.Ladies who bare their arms and legs--and the prospect of attiring oneself in a like manner.Gentlemen who take any number of unspeakable liberties with ladies.The expectation that a lady is to "have sex" with a gentleman without a license of marriage.Speeding carriages that race in the street without benefit of horses.Learning to drive one of those horseless carriages.Gentlemen and ladies talking as if to the air whilst holding a small object against their ears.A general lack of manners and a plentitude of vulgarity.

pollcode.com free polls

RUDE AWAKENINGS to be published in the UK

The good folks of Bloomsbury UK, who have just launched the paperback of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, will also be publishing RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

And I just want to be all gushingly American about it. Okay, I'll settle for Mrs. Bennet: "Good gracious! ...What will become of me. I shall go distracted."

[Bloomsbury's logo. Very cool.]

NORTHANGER ABBEY, Twitter Version, Chapter 15

Time for another recap of NORTHANGER ABBEY tweets. When last we left our fair heroine, she had finally taken the long-anticipated country walk with Eleanor and Henry Tilney (sigh).

And now, fresh from her triumph on Beechen Cliff, here is Catherine in Chapter 15 of Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY:

Soon Catherine receives the delightful news that she & Isabella are to be sisters--Isabella & James are engaged!

Isabella says Catherine "will be so infinitely dearer to" her than her own sisters.  "This was a pitch of friendship beyond Catherine."

"You are so like your dear brother," continued Isabella, "that I quite doated on you the first moment I saw you."

"The very first moment I beheld [James] -- my heart was irrecoverably gone…I thought I never saw any body so handsome before."

"Catherine secretly acknowledged the power of love; for, though exceedingly fond of her brother…she had never…thought him handsome."

Isabella fears Catherine's parents will oppose the marriage, for Isabella is poor. "I am sure they will consent," says Catherine.

Isabella: "For my own part…the smallest income in nature would be enough... Where people are really attached, poverty itself is wealth…"

James's parents consent to his marrying Isabella—she's ecstatic. All that is TBD is how much Mr. Morland will give them.

Says John Thorpe to Catherine, "A famous good thing this marrying scheme, upon my soul!...What do you think of it, Miss Morland?"

"I am sure I think it a very good one." Thorpe: "Do you? --that's honest, by heavens!"

Thorpe: "Did you ever hear the old song 'Going to One Wedding Brings on Another?' say, you will come to Belle's wedding, I hope."

[William Beck as John Thorpe in the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey.]

Catherine: "Yes; I have promised your sister to be with her, if possible."

'Forcing a foolish laugh' Thorpe says,: "Then you know, we may try the truth of this same old song."

Thorpe's "song" is one that Catherine would be horrified to think of singing, were she not happily oblivious to his hints.

This Twitter presentation of NORTHANGER ABBEY is brought to you by Beechen Cliff, "a little of the south of France right here in Bath."   

 

CONFESSIONS is now in paperback in the UK

AND it got reviewed in The Independent.  Bloomsbury, you rock!

What You Don't Know Can Help You

Check out my guest post on the wonderful blog, Journeys in Ink, where I talk about how to use what you don't know to go from the state of being blocked to the state of flow.

RUDE AWAKENINGS out in paperback April 27

Don't you love the new cover?