The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen has been out almost a month now, and what a busy month it has been! Since the official launch, I have traveled (virtually) back and forth across the country and across the globe on my book tour, writing more for other people’s blogs than for my own. I hope you’ve been following along. If you missed it, the schedule is listed on the previous post.

Each tour post has something to do with the new book, but they’re all different. On August 18th, I wrote a post titled “What did Austen do in August?” where I reported an eerie coincidence I discovered between the writing of my book and Persuasion itself, the original it parallels. On the 25th, I posted about the letters Jane Austen included in her books and how the famous one in Persuasion from Captain Wentworth translated into the story I wrote for Jane. Read my version of that letter here. Then, on September 2nd, the subject was my “Top Ten Favorite Quotes” from The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen. Some of the words are hers, some mine, and some a collaboration between the two of us.

Also during this month, I’ve been working with an extremely talented narrator – the incomparable Elizabeth Klett – on the audio version of the new book. The production is finished now and I’m delighted with the result! It should be available soon, in case that’s the format you prefer. [Update: now available here]

The biggest thrill of the last few weeks, though, had to be reading the first professional review of TPMJA at Austenprose on September 1st. Five stars! And I’m still basking in the afterglow of all the complimentary things the reviewer had to say. A few highlights: “Definitely Winslow’s best work to date.” “Winslow is one of the few authors who can channel Austen’s style of prose so well that I could not tell the two apart if I tried.” “The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen is one of the most moving, soul-filling, and beautiful stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.”

[Update 9/12/14: Second review is in from Austenesque Reviews – also 5 stars, also filled with lovely superlatives describing the book. “Utterly brilliant – this story is utterly brilliant!”]

*blushing but smiling ear-to-hear*

Three more blog tour stops to go, and another review is due out on the 12th! Oh, and I’m also presenting a class at a small writer’s conference this weekend. Keeping busy, travelling and staying home.

Colonel Fitzwilliam… now seated himself by her, and talked so agreeably of Kent and Hertfordshire, of travelling and staying at home, of new books and music, that Elizabeth had never been half so well entertained in that room before. (Pride and Prejudice)