Jane Austen Addict Blog

Chat with me on August 12 and win a book

Vic and Laurel Ann of Jane Austen Today, two of my favorite bloggers, have asked me to participate in a live chat on August 12th. We'll be talking about my novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and this is your chance to ask me questions about the book, the great author who inspired it, about writing and publishing, and about the sequel. Please join me!

How to participate:

Just before the scheduled chat, which is on Tuesday, August 12,  from 10 PM - 12 AM EST, and 7 - 9 PM Pacific time, go to Jane Austen Today, where you will see the link to the chat room. Simply click on the link and join in our chat.

And maybe even win a book:

You could win one of five autographed copies of the new paperback edition of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

There are two ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Post a question for me at Jane Austen Today. If you have questions about the book and its inspiration, the research, writing techniques, or the publishing process, please post your question as a comment on Jane Austen Today's post about this upcoming chat.

On August 12th, Jane Austen Today will draw the winning name. In the meantime, I will do my best to answer your questions.

2. Be the first in the chatroom or the last to leave. The first two people to sign into the chatroom and begin talking will win books. So will the last two people in the chatroom.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 12, 10 PM - 12 AM EST, and 7 - 9 PM Pacific time.

I'll be looking forward to chatting with you!

A Feline Austen Addict

Jane Austen didn't write much about cats. In fact, the only reference I can find in her major works is a single line in Sense and Sensibility, in which Mrs. Jennings complains to Colonel Brandon about losing Elinor and Marianne as guests:

"Ah! Colonel, I do not know what you and I shall do without the Miss Dashwoods;"… Lord! we shall sit and gape at one another as dull as two cats." [Vol. III, Chapter III (39)]

I don't think my lively little feline, Phoebe Georgiana (after Georgiana Darcy of Pride and Prejudice) would approve of being characterized as dull. But then again, this did come from Mrs. Jennings, who clearly did not have the good fortune to cohabitate with a kitty.

For life with a cat is anything but dull. Phoebe is always surprising me by taking up new pursuits. For example, just the other day she embarked on her summer reading program, which commenced with her cracking my book.

Which she then devoured in a single sitting.

To top it off, Phoebe was chosen today by one of my favorite publishing industry blogs, GalleyCat, for the Galleycat Summer Cat competition. Please click here to vote for Phoebe before 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) Monday morning.

And If you'd like to read the Galleycat piece about Phoebe, click here.

If you'd like to see more photos of Phoebe, click here.

Phoebe and I thank you for your vote!

And many thanks to Deborah Zeitman, fine writer and Phoebe's personal wildlife photographer, for snapping these pictures.

Blog Talk Radio, part 2

For those of you whose browsers don't show the Blog Talk Radio widget from my last post, here is the link to the show.

Potential spoiler alert: For those of you who haven't read the book, I start talking about the ending around halfway through.

Thanks again to Book Club Girl and everyone who called in and listened!