1. Marissa won our Austen in August giveaway. Congratulations, Marissa!!
2. janeaustenaddict.com will soon be moving to a new home on the interwebs. We'll have a new blog, but this one will still be available as an easily accessible archive.
3.
So nothing's really changed.
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The biggest virtual party this side of the Janeiverse may have ended, but there is still plenty of fun to be had. Read our guest post on EMMA (it’s the 200th anniversary of its publication), and see if there’s a little bit of Emma in you. There are lots more guest posts and hilarious roundtable discussions, and much more.
Hosted by The Book Rat.
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"This year is going to be different. This year I refuse to get stressed out during the holidays."
This year we at Austen Addict Central would like to help you keep that promise.
We've got tips to help you melt away the stress of the holidays. And we've got a HOLIDAY READATHON DE-STRESSING PRIZE PACK that may just have your name on it:
**I've got Merry Christmas blend diffusing as I write this. Cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon, and mandarin essential oils blended into an indescribably comforting melange of scent. I can just feel the stress melting away...
IT'S SUPER EASY TO ENTER: Just visit the Rafflecopter below.
FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN: Post a blog comment here that tells us about your favorite holiday de-stressors. (My list is after the Rafflecopter.) a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is international and ends at midnight, Dec. 7th.
HERE's MY LIST:
My go-to read(s) that make me feel right with the world again:
My favorite relaxing indulgence(s) that help me remember what this season is all about:
My favorite ways to shine happiness on others:
Check out more mini-challenges, giveaways, and ways to give back at the annual Holiday Readathon, hosted by WhoRUblog.com.
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When I first read what many consider to be Austen’s most controversial novel, I wasn’t thrilled. Although I have developed, over the years, a deep admiration for this work, in some respects my first impressions of Mansfield Park remain intact today. For Mansfield Park differs from Austen’s other major works in a few significant ways.
The most striking, and, to this reader, the most challenging difference, is its heroine, Fanny Price. She, unlike all of the other Austen heroines, is not someone that most readers would like to be. Even those who admire Fanny’s moral fortitude are more likely to imagine themselves as the “light, and bright, and sparkling” Elizabeth Bennet or the quietly steadfast Anne Elliot. Austen may have thought of Emma as “a heroine whom no one but myself will much like,” but at least the self-important, self-appointed queen of Highbury has an enviable degree of autonomy and power that few ladies of her day could boast, while Fanny is, as Mrs. Norris enjoys reminding her, always “the lowest and last.” She is also not remotely what anyone would call the life of the party. In fact, I can think of but one instance in the entire novel where the timid, fearful, and nearly humorless Fanny Price is even tempted to laugh at a joke.
In Fanny’s defense, she didn’t exactly choose the path that formed her personality. Not only was she torn from her childhood home (and her horribly negligent parents) at a young age, she was then systematically suppressed and oppressed by the powers-that-be at Mansfield Park. It’s no wonder that such early and continuing life experiences would produce the antithesis of a lighthearted young woman. Fanny thinks seriously, enjoys seriously, suffers seriously.
Mary Crawford, however, is a different story. Lively and brimming with humor, Mary is Fanny’s polar opposite. Although she is set up as Fanny’s rival in love and the anti-heroine of the piece, Mary has a definite appeal that plays with reader loyalties. She may be the worst sort of material girl, but at least she’s up front about it. And despite her self-confessed selfishness, Mary has a great capacity for affection, especially for her brother and sister. She is also compassionate towards Fanny (though her kindness is often cluelessly misdirected). Most important, at least for this reader, Mary has a sense of humor. And quite a wicked one. Who could forget her infamous pun on “rears and vices” or her “What gentleman among you am I to have the pleasure of making love to?” It is interesting to note that Austen scholar Emily Auerbach, author of Searching for Jane Austen, has compared several lines of Mary’s dialogue with lines from Jane Austen’s own letters and makes a convincing argument that in some respects, Mary’s lively social persona may indeed bear a stronger resemblance to the author than her morally upright heroine.
[The lion and the lamb: Fanny Price (played by Frances O'Connor) and Mary Crawford (played by Embeth Davidtz) in the adaptation by Patricia Rozema]
Mary is, above all, a social firecracker, and lord knows the staid atmosphere of Mansfield Park could do with a bit of shaking up. After all, this is a place where the introduction of home theatricals (Quick, fetch my aromatic vinegar!) not only gets Fanny’s knickers in a twist, but also those of her like-minded cousin, Edmund Bertram, the elusive object of her affections.
Which brings to mind two more significant differences between this novel and Austen’s other major works.
First and foremost of the two is Edmund, the hero of Mansfield Park. Second is the aforementioned play. Edmund was, and still is, at least for this reader, the most unappealing of Austen’s heroes. Even Sense and Sensibility’s Edward Ferrars, who not only had the poor taste to engage himself to Lucy Steele, but also misled Elinor into believing he was still on the market, doesn’t even come close to Edmund. Yes, Edmund was kind to Fanny when she was a child. But his obliviousness to her romantic feelings for him, his throwing in her face his blind preference for Mary Crawford, and his self-righteous prudishness, outweigh his often powerless attempts to mitigate Fanny’s subservient role at Mansfield Park.
Then there is the play. While one of the delights of reading Austen is the timelessness of its themes, so is the exoticism of its long-ago manners, mores, and window dressing. Guys in tight pants and long-tailed coats? Yes, please. Carriage rides? Count me in. Entailing an estate? Okay, that needed a bit of explaining. But putting on a play at home for one’s family and a couple of neighbors equals highway to hell? That just doesn’t translate to a modern reader. Even the Mansfield Park characters themselves are split as to whether or not they are doing anything objectionable. One needs to do considerable cultural detective work for any of it to make sense to a twenty-first-century reader. It is only then that one has any chance of understanding that putting on this particular play (Lovers’ Vows) with this particular group of people in this particular situation (especially the female players, who are single, one newly engaged, and whose father is far from home) would be the modern equivalent of a group of sheltered teens planning an unauthorized and semi-wild party in their strict parent's home while said parent was out of town.
Not that I understood any of that when I first read Mansfield Park.
Despite my issues with the novel, I was so smitten with Austen’s other five major works that I knew in my heart to stick with Mansfield Park until it began to reveal its treasures. It is, after all, a work by Jane Austen, whose other productions have continued to delight and reveal new layers of storytelling mastery and wisdom with each successive reading. Which is why I faithfully reread Mansfield Park again and again, trusting that Austen’s genius would eventually become clear to me in this work.
After several readings, new vistas began to open up. Slowly I began to see Mansfield Park as uniquely masterful, despite its challenging heroine and hero. Slowly I began to understand that, in fact, the very act of juxtaposing such a pair with their amoral counterparts in the form of Mary Crawford and her brother Henry was a great part of its genius.
Fanny and Edmund may be a pretty unexciting pair on their own, but coupled with Mary and Henry Crawford, who are unendingly fascinating to watch, Fanny and Edmund are rendered interesting. The respective effects that these two paragons of virtue have on the bad boy and bad girl of Mansfield Park give the story its engine, and thus Mansfield Park takes us on a complex and fascinating journey of rivalries, jealousies, and unlikely pairings and unpairings between Fanny, Edmund, and the Crawfords, with a good deal of conflict thrown into the mix in the form of Edmund’s sisters vying for Henry’s affections. There is an incomparable sophistication to the plotting and style of this novel, which is filled with suspense, a suspense that transports this reader no matter how many times it is read. That suspense is such that I have often wondered to what degree the author herself might have been in the dark as to how the book would end, and which characters would end up with one another.
While the other books in the canon could have only ended as they did, Mansfield Parkstands alone as the one novel that truly “could have all turned out differently,” as stated in the voice-over of the much-debated film adaptation by Patricia Rozema.Mansfield Park is the only one of the canon where we as readers can spend hours, days, or weeks hotly speculating alternate histories and defending our respective points of view: What if Fanny had said yes to Henry? Would he have reformed? Would he have resisted the impulse to soothe his vanity by flirting with Maria? Or would he have carried on as before once he completed his conquest of Fanny? Can true love reform a rake? Or tame a material girl? If, indeed, what they feel is true love? What if Edmund had married Mary? Would he have loosened up a bit more, and would she have learned to be a bit more comfortable with the idea of being the wife of a clergyman? Or would she be forever nagging Edmund to live a more expensive and worldly life?
These are questions we can debate forever, for Mansfield Park cleverly does not provide us with definitive answers but rather leaves those questions tantalizing open.
Mansfield Park also has some powerful sensory description—only Persuasion comes close to it. This element of style is particularly noteworthy, as Austen has often been admired for her economy of words, and her works are typically spare of physical detail. She did, after all, write for her contemporaries, who could fill in the rest with their experiential knowledge of the period. In Mansfield Park, there is still that controlled economy of words, but the physical descriptions which Austen chose to include are woven so skillfully and organically into the plot that they enhance rather than slow down the action. Take the amber cross and the chains, which serve as metaphors for which of Fanny’s friends is all flash and deception, and which is the perfect fit. Or the locked gate and the oppressive heat of the grounds of Sotherton, which denote Maria’s feelings of being closed in and foreshadow her recklessness in freeing herself. Or the treasures in Fanny’s freezing attic room reminding her of the kindnesses of her family and her feelings of obligation to them, while at the same time underscoring the coldness of her isolation and inferior position in the household.
In the face of all that isolation, I grew to respect and even admire Fanny Price. Here is a woman who has been told since childhood that she is the lowest of the low, and yet she has the backbone to stand up to the biggest and most formidable male authority figure in her life, the person under whose very roof she lives, and say No to what he and everyone around her wants her to do—simply because she follows her inner guide. “We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” These are Fanny’s words, and they comprise what is perhaps my favorite Austen quotation of all.
It is not only Fanny’s strength that earned my respect, it is her flawed humanity. The more I thought about this troubled heroine, and the more I understood about The Play in its cultural and social context, the less I was able to dismiss Fanny as nothing more than a buzz-killing Miss Perfect. After all, for much of the story, she is eaten up with jealousy as she watches Edmund fall for Mary, most especially during their interactions regarding said play—and who among us has not struggled with that singularly ugly emotion? Fanny’s jealousy and insecurity make her far from perfect, and all too human.
Fanny may not be the life of the party, but she’s got generosity and compassion, even for her worst oppressors. Most of all, she possesses a strength that few could rival. She even has the courage to risk bringing up the slave trade as a topic of conversation with a family who likely benefits from that trade—and is answered with the resultant “dead silence.” She may not excel in the sort of sparkling social conversation that Mary has mastered, but in the final analysis, Fanny’s qualities count for a great deal more.
[NOTE: There is a giveaway connected with this post, which was written for the Jane Austen Society of the Netherlands' celebration of the bicentennial of Mansfield Park. To enter the giveaway of the British editions of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, go to janeaustensociety.nl)
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Several writers, including myself, explored this question in honor of Jane Austen's birthday yesterday. Head on over to My Jane Austen Book Club to check out our answers and to enter a HUGE giveaway.
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UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: Michelle of The True Book Addict! Thanks to everyone who entered, and happy holidays to all.
At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in stress. At this time of year, it is easy to forget that this time of year is really all about love. To help me remember, I turn to my favorite books and films. They melt away my stress and affirm my faith in love.
During the holidays, what is your go-to book or film for affirming your faith in love?
Your answer could win you signed copies of both of my Austen Addict novels.
Leave your answer in the comments below.
Tweet your answer @austen_addict for an extra chance to win.
This giveaway is international.
Here are just of a few of my go-to's for affirming my faith in love:
What are yours? Enter your answer below, tweet for another chance, and good luck!
Go to WhoRuBlog, sign up for the Holiday Readathon, and enter a lot more giveaways!
(If anyone encounters a glitch while posting a comment, please contact me at laurieATjaneaustenaddict.com)
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Can you believe it's that time again? The annual Holiday Readathon, hosted by WhoRuBlog, is all about celebrating the joy of reading and sharing that happiness with others. Plus there are tons of prizes you can win.
Sign up for the fun at WhoRublog. Be inspired. Answer the mini-challenges of participating guest authors and bloggers. I'll be participating and doing a giveaway, too, so stay tuned...
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What are your favorite Austen moments? Here are mine from the novels and the films. Enjoy my guest post, and enter the giveaway!
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It's that time of year again: Austen in August! Giveaways, chats, best-of lists, read-alongs, movie-viewing parties, and more! It's like a two-week slumber party where it's all-Austen-all-the-time, and you don't even have to leave your computer.
Want to join the fun? Head on over to The Book Rat to see the official invitation. You can sign up now if you want to contribute a guest post, giveaway, or other fun stuff. Or you can just visit The Book Rat from August 18-31 for daily Austen activities and freebies. I'll be posting and giving away books, along with lots of other Austen lovers.
See you at Austen in August!
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Musings of a Book Lover posted their Top Ten Books For Those Who Love Jane Austen. And Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is on the list! Check it out for ten great book recommendations and more in the comments!
It's a list for people who have stuff like this:
And don't forget to enter my giveaway of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict. Plus The Journeys of John and Julia by Aurelia. Enter on The Bookworm blog.
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Read my guest post on The Bookworm and enter for a chance to win three novels:
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by me,
and The Journeys of John and Julia: Genesis (book one of a series) by Aurelia
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From a really wonderful interview in the Goodreads Young Adult Book Club with Aurelia Haslboeck, author of THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA: GENESIS (book 1 of the series):
The most difficult part for me [about writing] is having the discipline to sit down and do it. There is really nothing romantic about the process of writing itself.
I'd like to think that my characters all speak for themselves and I only take dictation.
Talk about getting yourself out of the way! Seriously the best advice ever. I am definitely going to remember this.
There are loads more gems in the interview, so do read it, and enter the giveaway! You may just win a copy of THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA: GENESIS! It's brilliant.
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THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED, BUT THESE HIGHLY IMAGINATIVE ENTRIES ARE WELL WORTH READING! ENJOY, AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED HERE, ON FACEBOOK, AND ON TWITTER!
It’s that time of year again, the Holiday Readathon hosted by Whorublog, from Dec. 7-9th and featuring lots of cool prizes!
WHAT IF…
…you could be Lizzie Bennet’s BFF? Explore the spring flowers of Avonlea with Anne Shirley? Or invite Jo March and her family to Christmas dinner?
But that would mean that your favorite characters are real. (And who said they aren’t? You did read the Velveteen Rabbit, didn’t you?)
Imagine how cool it would be to merge your world with theirs and have some serious friend time together…
So, tell me:
Which of your favorite characters would you love to have as a friend, and how would you spend your time together?
Answer in the form of a comment below, or on Twitter or Facebook, for a chance to win!
THE PRIZE PACK:
Two winners will receive this prize pack: a signed two-book set of my Austen Addict novels, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, PLUS a signed copy of JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT, which includes my short story INTOLERABLE STUPIDITY, in which fictional characters are not only real, they will see you in court! :)
OFFICIAL DATES ARE DEC. 7-9, BUT FEEL FREE TO ENTER EARLY.
Open to US, Canada, and UK. Ends Sunday, Dec. 9 at midnight PST.
FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN :
Tweet this post @austen_addict.
Share this post on Facebook and let me know.
Reblog this post.
AND DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE HOLIDAY READATHON FOR A CHANCE AT MORE PRIZES:
EVERYONE
who signs up for the Holiday Readathon on Mr.
Linky at Whorublog, no matter how much or how little they read, will be automatically entered to choose
two signed books from BOOKS OF WONDER or a $40 gift certificate from THE BOOK
DEPOSITORY, if out of the US.
Twitter Party!!!
#Readathon. Sunday night, Dec. 9th, from 9-10 PM EST.
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via austenprose.com
Make haste to Austenprose, answer some fun questions, and you could win one of three books by authors who contributed to the Austen-inspired anthology "Jane Austen Made Me Do It":
"The Darcy Connection" by Elizabeth Aston
"Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict" by Laurie Viera Rigler
"The Matters at Mansfield" by Carrie Bebris
Books will be shipped internationally. Contest ends 11:59 Pacific, Sept. 30, 2012. Enter at Austenprose!
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2 winners will receive signed copies of both Austen Addict books, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addictopen to US/CAN/UK Ends September 5thFill out the Rafflecopter to enter!Make sure to leave your answers to Laurie's quiz in the comments (or whether you answered mostly A/B)
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The Book Rat is hosting a read-along of my favorite Austen novel, PERSUASION, as part of its Austen in August extravaganza. Sign up and join the fun! Viewing parties, discussions, guest posts, and giveaways abound at Austen in August!
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We all like to escape into a good novel and enter the lives of our favorite characters, especially during the holiday season.
But did you ever wonder what your favorite characters read when they feel like entering another world? (There are no limits of time period.)
For example, in Book One of THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA, a brilliant new fantasy series by debut novelist Aurelia, one of the characters curls up with my novel RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
From this comes my 2011 Holiday Readathon challenge:
Choose a character from one of your favorite books, and ask yourself which novel he or she would turn to for the perfect getaway read. (Remember: Time period is no limit--let your imagination go wild.)
Post your answer to enter my Holiday Readathon Giveaway.
Two lucky winners will each win two novels: THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA IN CHAPTER ONE: GENESIS by Aurelia, and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by me.
THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA IN CHAPTER ONE: GENESIS is sure to become one of your absolute favorite novels. It is is a must-read, whether or not you win this giveaway.
About THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA IN CHAPTER ONE: GENESIS
Secretly guided by a magical collective of superbeings called The Twenty-Two, a pair of teens crack open the door to another reality—and unwittingly awaken the sleeping beast of their nemesis-to-be, the beyond evil Niem Vidalgo Oten.
“Cool new series…Anyone who is a fan of 'Heroes' will definitely enjoy Genesis.”—Tim Kring, creator of the NBC TV series "Heroes"
TO ENTER, YOU CAN:
Post your answer here in the form of a comment.
Post your answer on my Facebook page.
Post your answer on my Twitter feed with the hashtag #Readathon.
Post all three, and you'll have three chances to win THE JOURNEYS OF JOHN AND JULIA IN CHAPTER ONE: GENESIS and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
This giveaway is open to the US, UK, and Europe. Ends Sunday, Dec. 4 at midnight PST.
Good luck, happy holidays, and don't forget to sign up for the Holiday Readathon at WhoRuBlog, aka Holiday Readathon Central!
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Do you turn to a favorite novel for escape? Check out my guest post on Fiction Therapy at the Chick Lit Central blog, and enter the giveaway:
Two lucky winners will each receive a personally inscribed copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
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The magazine I most look forward to finding in my mailbox is Jane Austen's Regency World, and this time it's a very special issue.
Not only is it the magazine's fiftieth issue, but there is also a wonderful piece about Sandy Lerner, patroness of Chawton House and founder of The Centre for the the Study of Early English Women's Writing. And lots more that Austenblog details here.
But that's not all I found exciting about this issue: There's a review of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which debuted in the UK on Feb. 7. AND there's a quiz with a chance to win a copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS on the inside back cover.
Don't have a subscription yet? What are you waiting for?
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October 2011 will be the bicentenary of the publication of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, and My Jane Austen Book Club is hosting a blog tour to celebrate.
Each month a different author will post on My Jane Austen Book Club about Sense and Sensibility. Along with the post there will be a monthly giveaway: your comment on the blog will give you the chance to win a book or DVD.
Here's the schedule:
1. January: Jennifer Becton Marriage and money in Sense and Sensibility
2. February: Alexa Adams Sense and Sensibility on screen
3. March: C. Allyn Pierson Inheritance laws and their consequences in Sense & Sensibility
4. April: Beth Pattillo Lost in Sense and Sensibility
5. May: Jane Odiwe Willoughby: a rogue on trial
6. June Deb of Jane Austen in Vermont
Secrets in Sense and Sensibility
7. July: Laurie Viera Rigler Interview with Lucy Steele
8. August: Regina Jeffers Settling for the Compromise Marriage
9. September: Lynn Shepherd
The origins of S&S: Richardson, Jane Austen, Elinore & Marianne
10. October: Meredith @Austenesque Reviews
Sense and Sensibility fanfiction
11. November: Vic @Jane Austen's World
Minor characters in Sense and Sensibility
12. December: Laurel Ann @Austenprose
Marianne Dashwood: A passion for dead Leaves and other Sensibilities
JANUARY GIVEAWAY:
If you comment on Jennifer Becton's upcoming post at My Jane Austen Book Club, you'll be entered in the giveaway of The Three Weissmans of Westport by Cathleen Shine. This novel, published by Picador, is a new modern re-telling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.
Many thanks to Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club for hosting this blog tour. See you all at Barton Cottage!
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It's the season finale of SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL! Watch our time-swapping heroines swoon over the man who launched a thousand sequels--and especially that version of him played by Colin Firth.
Comment on what you love about Darcy--on or off-screen-- to enter a giveaway of signed copies of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Giveaway ends Thursday, January 6th, at midnight PST .
Has there ever been a greater specimen of the male sex than that ultimate romantic hero, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE? And is there anything more satisfying than watching "the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world" humbled by the realization that it takes a lot more than a big bank balance to win the girl?
Yes indeed, there is a Santa Claus. And he's brought us Mr. Darcy. So what if you think Darcy's a fictional character? That's your problem!
[SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL 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. Catch up on all the episodes you missed.]
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Part 1 of a two-part interview has been posted. Comment on the post at the Pride and Prejudice (2005) Blog to enter the giveaway of signed copies of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
Enjoy a chance to voice your thoughts about your favorite Jane Austen-inspired movies. And good luck!
Here's one of my favorites:
[Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, and Gemma Jones in "Sense and Sensibility," directed by Ang Lee and adapted by Thompson]
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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):
Other gifts:
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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.
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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):
Other gifts:
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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...)
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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: [email protected].
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: [email protected].
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.]
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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: [email protected].
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: [email protected].
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.]
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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: [email protected].
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: [email protected].
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.]
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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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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.]
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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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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.]
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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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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.]
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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 [email protected] 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 [email protected].
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)]
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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!
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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]
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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!
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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!
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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):
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!
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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!
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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.]
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The fabulous College Candy has made RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT its Saturday Read and is offering three signed copies as a giveaway!
To enter, see rules at the end of the review. It involves tweets & RT's about the giveaway with @CollegeCandy. Whoever gets the most RTs by August 1st wins!
And check out RUDE AWAKENINGS' cutest fan, on the cover of College Candy:
By the way, if you want your pet to look like a rock star, too, check out the website of Deborah Zeitman, who took this photo of the lovely Speck, Chihuahua extraordinaire.
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The giveaway madness continues! Check out my Q&A on Living Read Girl, and enter to win a copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT or CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
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Please check out my guest post on Peeking Between the Pages, where I discuss some of the most common myths about writers and writing.
And there is yet another chance to win a copy of my new novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, plus a copy of my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Enter to win at Peeking Between the Pages!
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Come read my Q&A on Jane Austen Today and enter to win a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict!
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The list of giveaways is growing. I've already posted about a number of giveaways in June, most of which are still taking entries.
Now there are even more chances to win a copy of my new book, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, at these fine blogs:
DATES ARE WHEN ENTRIES BEGIN. PLEASE CHECK EACH BLOG FOR ENTRY DEADLINES AND RULES:
Jane Austen Today (began June 25)
Historical Fiction (began June 25, with Q&A)
Brant Flakes*(begins June 29 with Q&A)
Austenblog (begins late June or early July; check Austenblog for details.)
Jane Austen Today (begins July 15, with Q&A)
Peeking Between the Pages (begins July 16, with guest post)
Living Read Girl (begins July 20, with Q&A)
And coming up in early August (exact date TBD; check the Austen Addict homepage for further details):
Stephanie's Written Word (guest post)
Stephanie is hosting the Everything Austen Challenge, which runs from July 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010. The challenge
is to read, listen to, and/or watch six Jane Austen-related things.
Check out Stephanie's Written Word
for a list of suggestions. The challenge kicks off on July 1 with a
review of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Stephanie's got lots of giveaways
scheduled, so keep checking back.
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What does that mean, you might ask?
BrantFlakes is the blog of author Marilyn Brant, whose upcoming Austen-inspired book, ACCORDING TO JANE: A NOVEL ABOUT PRIDE, PREJUDICE, & THE PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT GUY, comes out October 2009. ACCORDING TO JANE is already a winner—it won the 2007 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.
So what is AustenFest?
AustenFest is a series of Q&A's and giveaways of Austen-inspired books and more on Marilyn's blog.
Here is the AustenFest lineup:
6/22/09: Syrie James, author of THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, which was nominated for a 2008 Regency World Award for Best New Fiction; and her new novel, THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE.
6/24/09: Kim Wilson, author of TEA WITH JANE AUSTEN and IN THE GARDEN WITH JANE AUSTEN, which is nominated for a 2009 Regency World Award for Best New Nonfiction.
6/26/09: Abigail Reynolds, author of THE PEMBERLEY VARIATIONS series of novels.
6/29/09: Laurie Viera Rigler (that's me), author of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which comes out June 25; and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which is nominated for a 2009 Regency World Award http://www.janeausten.co.uk/awardsurvey.ihtml for Best New Fiction.
Although Marilyn Brant won't be doing a Q&A herself, she just received the ARCs of ACCORDING TO JANE and will be giving away at least one of them.
Each of these authors is giving away at least one book, so be sure to go to AustenFest to enter!
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To celebrate the release of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT on June 25, there are lots of book giveaways coming up:
June 21: Lipstick Chronicles
June 25 (approx.): Austenblog
June 25: Historical Fiction
June 29: AustenFest, hosted by Brant Flakes*
But wait, there's more!
Check back here on the Austen Addict Blog and on the Austen Addict homepage for more RUDE AWAKENINGS giveaways in July and August.
*Brant Flakes is hosting a series of giveaways and Q&As called AustenFest. Check out AustenFest starting June 22 to win books by Syrie James, Kim Wilson, Abigail Reynolds, Marilyn Brant, and me.
More details about AustenFest in my next post...
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Another giveaway: Send an email to Austenblog (see rules here) by noon on December 21 to be eligible for a random drawing. The winner will received an inscribed copy of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
Even if you don't win the book, you'll be happy you stopped by Austenblog, It's the perfect respite from holiday madness and one of my favorite spots in the Janeiverse.
Happy Holidays, and good luck!
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Check out my guest post at Book Club Girl, which is one of my absolute favorite blogs. I talk about giving books for the holidays and, in particular, giving a book by Jane Austen.
If you post a comment at Book Club Girl by Thursday, December 18, you'll be eligible to enter a drawing for one of two signed copies of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, which I'm giving away in honor of the holiday season and Jane Austen's birthday (that's today, December 16th).
Happy Holidays, and happy birthday, Jane Austen!
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I've done a Q&A on a cool literary blog called Scobberblotch, which is the blog of Karen Harrington, author of the fascinating novel Janeology (nothing to do with Jane Austen).
Check out my Q&A for insights on writing, Austen, and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Please post a comment on Scobberlotch if you'd like to be entered in the drawing for a signed copy of Confessions.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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