Cover reveal time! But there’s a problem. A blizzard has blown in from the arctic and obscured the view! Sort of reminds me of this quote from Emma, chapter 13:

The cold, however, was severe; and by the time the second carriage was in motion, a few flakes of snow were finding their way down, and the sky had the appearance of being so overcharged as to want only a milder air to produce a very white world in a very short time.

So while we wait for conditions to improve, I’m going to share the official book blurb with you, here, for the first time anywhere:

Imagine a world without Mr. Darcy. How would things have been different if he had never been born? In a moment of despair over Elizabeth’s rejection, the iconic hero of Pride and Prejudice wishes his life away. Now, on a tour with a surprising celestial guide, he must face up to the results. Instead of everybody being better off, as he had supposed, there have been unexpected consequences for his closest friends. Darcy realizes, too late, that his presence made a positive difference in the world, and that he really had a wonderful life. Is it all lost and gone forever?

A snow storm is actually pretty appropriate for introducing this book, because that’s what’s been happening when it opens on Christmas Day. Darcy himself tells the story:

We woke to a blanket of white resting an inch or two thick on the ground – enough to delight everybody but not enough to create much inconvenience. So we were still able to safely reach Kympton to attend divine services on this holy day. Afterward, the Gardiner children played on the lawn, throwing snowballs and building what they could with the limited supply of the white stuff. Some of the adults braved the chilly air again as well, joining in the children’s play or just strolling about in the wintery scene, all of us bundled up in our warmest clothing.

But it looks like things are beginning to clear a little now. Through the flakes, I can just make out the outline of a house and some words. I believe is says something about a Wonderful Life. And the author’s name at the bottom perhaps.

Just a little more time and hopefully we’ll see the cover clearly. Or perhaps if we blow real hard, the rest of the snow will fly away. Are you ready? Okay, BLOW! Good job. That’s much better. Thanks for your help and your patience!

So here it is, revealed for the first time anywhere, the Kindle cover for It’s a Wonderful Life, Mr. Darcy! At 65 pages, it’s a long short story or a short novella, presented in a Christmas framework and coming very soon!

I have an official launch post at Austen Variations planned for the 24th (read now here), but the story may well be available before that on Kindle. The audio version, narrated by the incomparable Harry Frost, is already in production and will follow shortly thereafter! Check back here for updates or monitor my Facebook posts for the latest info. In the meantime, you can read excerpts here and here.

This is a fun little story with a Christmas flavor, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

1l/13/24 UPDATE: The KINDLE and AUDIO versions are now available at Amazon! And, due to popular demand, I decided to do a PAPERBACK edition as well! So you will find that option there also. Wouldn’t it make a lovely Christmas gift?