AUSTEN IN AUGUST BOOK TOUR and GIVEAWAY: MISS GEORGIANA DARCY OF PEMBERLEY by Shannon Winslow

Welcome to Today's Book Tour with Author SHANNON WINSLOW  featuring Ms Winslow's New Release
* ~ MISS GEORGIANA DARCY
OF PEMBERLEY ~ * Ideally timed for this month's
AUSTEN in AUGUST  Celebration of all things Jane Austen and Austenesque Our Thanks to Shannon's GIVEAWAY generosity of 3 copies of
MISS GEORGIANA DARCY OF PEMBERLEY ~ Full details found below ~ ~*~  It's my pleasure to introduce readers to Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley   for my first Austen in August Tuesday Intro
and Teaser Tuesday. [find links below] ~ ~*~ Here's the Intro ~

“Colonel Fitzwilliam! What do you do here?” I asked in an accusatory tone.

“Delightful to see you too, my dear,” he said lightly, coming round to join me on my side of the palm.

“Sorry. I only meant that I am surprised to find you here since I said you were not needed tonight.”  Now I had only made things worse..."

~*~ And the Teaser... "And are you enjoying the ball so far?”

“Very much so, although I have only recently arrived. I am still getting the lay of the land before plunging in. Despite what you may think, my friend, I do intend to participate in the exercise.”

We both turned back to watch the dancers.

“I am glad to hear it,” I said presently, “For a minute, I thought you might have come only to spy on me.” 

~*~ And for our Austenesque reading pleasure, Shannon is sharing her favourite excerpt from the novel.
Many thanks for this gift , Shannon!  Readers, EnJoy... ~

In my new book, Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley, I had a lot of fun exploring what Georgiana’s first London season might have been like, especially the part after her brother and sister-in-law left town. This book is a variation of my earlier work, The Darcys of Pemberley, filling in all the blanks from Georgiana’s perspective. So whereas TDOP followed Darcy and Elizabeth back to Pemberley at this point in the story, MGDOP stays with Georgiana in London.

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With Charlotte Collins as her very conscientious chaperone and Colonel Fitzwilliam serving as local guardian and watchdog, Georgiana can’t get into too much trouble. But she begins to chafe under all that well-intended supervision. So one night, when the colonel unexpectedly turns up at a ball, apparently to “spy” on her, Georgiana decides to rattle her gilded cage a little. What begins as playful banter between them quickly escalates into Georgiana’s attempt – a rather successful one – to get under his skin.

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Here is an excerpt of that scene – one of my favorites in the book, btw. The novel is written in first person, so me and I = Georgiana speaking/thinking of herself.:

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“Colonel Fitzwilliam! What do you do here?” I asked in an accusatory tone.

“Delightful to see you too, my dear,” he said lightly, coming round to join me on my side of the palm.

“Sorry. I only meant that I am surprised to find you here since I said you were not needed tonight.” Now I had only made things worse, but thankfully the colonel seemed determined to ignore all insults and keep the mood jovial.

“Yes, I recall you were very clear about that. However, I had an invitation of my own, and I suppose I may go where I have been asked, with or without your permission.”

“Of course you may. And are you enjoying the ball so far?”

“Very much so, although I have only recently arrived. I am still getting the lay of the land before plunging in. Despite what you may think, my friend, I do intend to participate in the exercise.”

We both turned back to watch the dancers.

“I am glad to hear it,” I said presently, “For a minute, I thought you might have come only to spy on me.” Though I kept my eyes straight ahead, I made sure I was smiling when he looked round sharply at me. Consequently, he was reassured that I was teasing, and he followed suit.

“Spy on you, eh? Well, I find it interesting that you should think so – revealing even. It makes me wonder if there might not be something you are hiding. Is that why you preferred me not to come tonight?”

“Really, Colonel! You almost make me wish I did have something scandalous for you to discover. What sort of thing did you have in mind?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps you wished me absent so that you could carry on more freely. Some young ladies have been known to flirt outrageously – first with one man and then another – as soon as their guardian’s head is turned. I have even heard that it can become quite a serious entertainment, with bets laid down on the outcome as to who can collect the most marriage proposals in one season.”

“Shocking! I had never heard that such a sport existed. And besides, I am afraid I would hardly be considered competitive with only two proposals so far… although there is always a chance at more. The season is not over yet.” A sideways glance told me I had got his full attention.

“Two proposals! So far?”

“Why, yes, that is correct. But as I say, I think there is a reasonable chance of at least one more, if I am patient. Mr. Frank Osborn has taken an interest.”

“Good god! You cannot be serious!”

Turning to him with a challenge in my voice, I said, “Why? Do you think it so incredible that any man should want to marry me, let alone more than one?”

“No, no, of course not. You are a very… a very desirable young lady, and I am sure there are many… No, I was only just taken off my guard; that is all.” His discomposure then seemed to change to alarm. “You have not actually accepted one of these gentlemen, have you, Georgiana?”

“Not yet. I prefer to keep my options open for the time being. One does not like to rush into such an important decision, especially when one may not yet have considered every possibility.”

He put his hand to his forehead. “And your brother, does he know and approve of all this?”

“Surely what I do and do not tell my brother is my own affair. As to his approval, I fail to see where that enters in. According to my limited experience, young men will rarely be kept from proposing just because somebody would rather they did not, whether that be the lady herself or her father or her brother… or even her guardian. They get carried away by love, I suppose, and no one can stop them.”

“This is your experience, is it? Young men forever getting carried away by love? I wonder, then, that you have been able to hold these ardent suitors at bay.”

“They may be ardent, sir, but they are also gentlemen,” I said very pointedly.

“Of course. Forgive me. That was uncalled for. You must understand that this comes as quite a revelation to me, quite a lot for me to absorb in such a short time. I may not yet be thinking clearly.”

“That is the most sensible thing you have said on the subject.”

Georgiana may have enjoyed needling Colonel Fitzwilliam about the two proposals she has received “so far,” but it really isn’t a joking matter to her. Although she quickly disposed of one of her would-be suitors, she’s losing a lot of sleep over what to do about the other. And then, of course, there’s the one who has yet to make his intentions known.

I have only received one proposal of marriage in my life (which I accepted thirty-something years ago), so it’s a little difficult for me to relate to Georgiana’s exact problem. Well, there was that exceptional summer when I turned sixteen and was dating three guys at the same time… Hmm. Yes. Fun, but I couldn’t carry on like that forever. Just like Georgiana, I had some tough choices to make – keep one and throw the other two back.

In case you’re wondering, the one I chose turned out not to be a “keeper” either. But that was for the best in the end. I had to wait a couple more years for the right guy to come along. We can wish Georgiana a quicker route to her happy ending!  

~*~ I appreciate your insights and backstory, Shannon, and I'm glad for your eventual 'catch'!
Thanks so Much for being with us today and sharing your love of writing Austenesque.
I'm sure there are many Jane Austen in August readers happy to discover your newest contribution and add it to their Austen reading shelves.
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~ From the book's backcover ~

What’s Georgiana Darcy’s story? Jane Austen tells us so little in Pride and Prejudice that we’re left to wonder. How did the early loss of her parents shape Miss Darcy’s character? And what about her near-disastrous affair with Mr. Wickham? Is that the true source of her shyness? She adores her brother and his new wife Elizabeth, but will their guiding influence be enough to steer Georgiana clear of new trouble as she comes of age and falls in love again?

This work is intended as a companion of sorts to The Darcys of Pemberley
(sequel to Pride and Prejudice), with the timelines of the two running parallel. Both novels are unique and complete in themselves, but together they supply a richer reading experience than either one alone. The earlier book focused primarily on Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship during their early married life. There was a third Darcy represented in the title, however. Now she and her courtship story take center stage in Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley.

~*~ Author Bio:   “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody not greatly in fault themselves to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.”
I claim this Jane Austen quote (taken from Mansfield Park, chapter 48) as my motto, in that it illustrates my literary philosophy. I’m interested in books that entertain, that make you feel good, that sweep you away to another world.  I can be trusted to not dwell on guilt or misery any longer than necessary, and to restore the characters I’ve come to care about to tolerable comfort by the end of the book, as Jane Austen always did.

Shannon Winslow specializes in writing fiction for the fans of Jane Austen. Her popular debut novel, The Darcys of Pemberley, immediately established her place in the genre, being particularly praised for authentic Austenesque style and faithfulness to the original characters.  Since that bright beginning, the author has followed with two more  Pride and Prejudice sequels 

Return to Longbourn and Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley, 

a stand-alone Austen-style story For Myself Alone, and a novel starring Jane Austen herself ,  

The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen. [click to read my post]
With no shortage of inspiration, Winslow promises more romance and happy endings to come.

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Her two sons now grown, Shannon Winslow lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.

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Learn more:
  Shannon’s website/blog  |  Follow her on Twitter @ JaneAustenSays..|  and on Facebook.

Link to Find the Complete Blog Tour Schedule ~*~ And now.... Shannon's AUSTEN IN AUGUST GIVEAWAY Offer
August 4 - 25th midnight ~*~ a Rafflecopter giveaway ~*~

~*~ Congratulations Winners! ~*~ A.mee - pb Kym T - ecopy Monica P - ecopy
~*~ Thank You, Shannon, for being here with us,
sharing your writing and lovely Book Gifts!

~*~ Link up to this month's discoveries at Misty's #AusteninAugust   August 18 - 31st

* and at Adam's #AUSTEN in AUGUSTrbr ~

~ ~*~ Shared With :  TUESDAY INTROS at Diane's 1st Chapter 1st Paragraph  
TUESDAY TEASERS at Jenn's
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