The Book Fest Award Goes To…

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

Shannon Winslow, Jenni James, Laurel Ann Nattress, Susan Mason-Milks

Many of you know I spent last weekend at the Northwest Book Festival near Seattle, where I shared a booth with 3 other Austenesque authors – Susan Mason-Milks (Mr. Darcy’s Proposal), Jenni James (Pride and Popularity, etc.) and Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose (Jane Austen Made Me Do It). As you would expect, we sold some books and talked to lots of people about Jane Austen. What you might not expect is just how rowdy four Austen author/fanatics can be when they get together for a weekend. It’s been a long time since I laughed so much or so continuously.

If the organizers of the event were giving an award for the noisiest booth at the festival (which they apparently weren’t), we would have won. I’m sure the people set up back-to-back with us wondered what was going on on the other side of that canvas wall. The folks directly to the side and across from us had front row seats for our collective antics.

So I’ve told you what award(s) the four of us deserve: Noisiest Booth, and Laughing-Out-Loudest Group of Authors. Now, I’d like to give out a few awards of my own.

Susan with our Mr. Darcy

The Star of the Show: Mr. Darcy, hands down, in the form of a life-size poster of Colin Firth decked out in Regency costume and wearing a sly smile. It was fun to watch the expressions when women strolling by first caught sight of him in all his splendor. Then the giggling and blushing commenced when we offered to take their pictures with him. “Oh, no. I couldn’t!” “Of course you could! We’ve all done it. It’ll be fun.” “Well, (sideways glance to check for witnesses) You’re right. I’d love to!” Another satisfied customer.

Most Surprising Counterpoint: We often make the mistake of thinking Austen is just for women, and I’ve been known to ask, “Are you a Jane Austen kind of girl?” as people pass by. But Jane has a lot of male fans as well – discriminating men of exceptional taste and judgement, I might add. One such gentleman was seated in the booth directly across from us, although we didn’t know it. After a day and a half of putting up with our noise and the endless hoop-la over Mr. Darcy, he came over to us wearing a serious expression. “If I ask you very politely…” he began (and we all thought the rest of his sentence was going to be a request that we tone it down) “…could I have my picture taken with Jane Austen?” The Mr. Darcy’s poster had to take a back seat for a minute whilst Jane’s poster moved front and center.

Chris Hornbecker, Time Magazine photographer

Most Interesting Visitor: Chris Hornbecker, photographer for Time magazine. He was there to take pictures of some of the more famous authors presenting workshops at the event, but his instructions were to also get a few shots of “local color.” Figuring that we qualified, someone, who shall remain nameless (but her initials are LAN), chased the guy down to take our picture. He was very gracious and did so, like the pro that he is, then he stayed to talk with us about our publishing efforts and his own aspirations. Very cool!

Most Awkward Moment: I was explaining to a potential customer that the lovely books before her were all in some way inspired or related to Jane Austen’s novels. She aloofly replied that she only reads the classics – Dickens, Faulkner, Austen herself – and wasn’t interested in such “knock-offs.” Ouch! But we all laughed about it later, deciding it was her loss!

Most Rewarding Moment: When a sweet adolescent girl, who had bought one of Jenni James’s books (YA contemporary retellings of JA novels), came back and bought the other two. She had begun reading the first and was already hooked! Lovely to see the next generation so successfully introduced to our favorite author Jane Austen. It reminded me of a similar experience I had just after The Darcys of Pemberley came out. A very excited teenage girl bought a copy from me at a show and then later returned to buy two more as gifts for friends! Runner Up in this category goes to a lady who happened into our booth, saying she had already read and enjoyed my first book (and Susan’s as well)! It’s always a thrill to hear from happy readers!

Best Deadpan Delivery: After Jenni James had just finished assuring a nice lady that nobody dies in any of her books, I told the woman that I couldn’t say the same about mine. “In fact,” I confessed, “I killed Mr. Collins off in the first chapter of  The Darcys of Pemberley.” She touched my arm, looked me straight in the eye, and simply said, “Thank you.” No problem; it’s all part of the service.

Famous author displaying her books and cover art painting

I’m already looking forward to next year’s book fest. Even book sales aside, it was one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve spent in a long time – bonding with my fellow Austenesque authors (by secret rituals too embarassing to divulge here) and talking Jane Austen to anybody who would listen.

They met for the sake of eating, drinking, and laughing together, playing at cards, or consequences, or any other game that was sufficiently noisy. (Sense and Sensibility, chapter 23)

Now, take a mini blog tour about the Northwest Book Fest by visiting each of my cohorts at their sites: Susan Mason-Milks, Jenni James, and Laurel Ann Nattress at Austenprose. Read their posts and see if their books would be perfect for you or someone you know. Christmas is coming, and it’s never too early to start your shopping!

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Four Days in Paradise

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

First, a reminder that I will present at the Northwest BookFest this weekend (Sept. 22 & 23). If you’re going to be in the Seattle area, I would love to have you stop by and visit me and 3 others in the “Austenesque Authors” tent.  (details here)

Now, here’s my new post, written for Austen Authors:

A couple of months ago, my friend Susan Mason-Milks did a lovely ambassador-for-the-Pacific-Northwest post here about Seattle, her home town and mine… sort of. I actually live in the countryside considerably south of the city, in the next county in fact. And whereas King County boasts Seattle and the Space Needle, Pierce County has an even bigger claim to fame, all 14,410 feet of it: Mt. Rainier, and I’m staking bragging rights to it.

Family responsibilities kept me and my husband pretty close to home this summer, but fortunately we have a little slice of heaven – an amazing national park – practically in our backyard. So, two weeks ago, we finally managed to sneak off for a few days to our favorite destination. We hooked up the camp trailer and headed for “the mountain,” as everyone around here simply calls it. No phones. No internet. No job to go to. I took my laptop along so I could do some writing (current work-in-progress: Return to Longbourn), but the main point of the expedition was to get away from it all and enjoy the great outdoors – a mental health holiday.

“I shall soon be rested,” said Fanny; “to sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment.” Mansfield Park

As many times as I’ve been to Mt.Rainier, it still possesses the power to awe me… (continue reading here at Austen Authors)

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Welcome Bibliophiles!

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

Northwest Bookfest 2012

Books! Books! And More Books!

Did your heart skip a beat? Are you hyperventilating? Salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs? Then you are a true bibliophile like me, Jane Austen, and her creation Marianne Dashwood.

“What a happy day for booksellers, music-sellers, and print-shops! …and as for Marianne, I know her greatness of soul, there would not be music enough in London to content her. And Books! – Thomson, Cowper, Scott – she would buy them all over and over again: she would buy up every copy, I believe, to prevent their falling into unworthy hands; and she would have every book that tells her how to admire an old twisted tree.” (Edward, Sense and Sensibility, chapter 17) 

I don’t recall anything in my books about admiring a twisted tree, but I can’t help hoping there will be a few “Mariannes” at the Northwest Book Fest next weekend. What a “happy day” that will be for me and my fellow booksellers!

Even if you aren’t as fanatical as Marianne, I hope you will stop by for a visit if you’re in the Seattle area. I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 22 &23) in a booth with three other Austenesque authors (Laurel Ann Nattress, Susan Mason-Milks, and Jenni James). We would LOVE to chat with fellow Janeites and autograph a few books (new purchases or bring one you already own).

For more information, go to the Northwest Book Fest site, and be sure to read Laurel Ann’s post at Austenprose.

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Summer: It’s All Washed Away Except the Mouse Fur

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

Mt. Rainier at Paradise

For those of you living in parts of the country oppressed by heat waves and wild fires this year, I’m sure summer can’t be over soon enough to suit you. But in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the season is short (typically July 5 through early September) and therefore, precious.

My husband and I took advantage of this last gasp of summer to head to Mt. Rainier National Park – just a couple of hours down the road from us – to spend a few delightful days of hiking, camping, and generally communing with nature. The weather was perfect. The wildflowers were out. Do you see why this place is called Paradise?

She had the unexpected happiness of an invitation to accompany her uncle and aunt in a tour of pleasure which they proposed taking in the summer… No scheme could have been more agreeable to Elizabeth, and her acceptance of the invitation was most ready and grateful. “Oh, my dear, dear aunt,” she rapturously cried, “what delight! What  felicity! You give me fresh life and vigour. Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are young men to rocks and mountains? Oh, what hours of transport we shall spend?” (Pride and Prejudice, chapter 27) 

Tatoosh Range from Paradise

Like Elizabeth, we looked forward to getting away from the stress of daily life, to recharge our batteries and glimpse again the bigger picture. A magnificent mountain looming before you by day and a universe full of stars blanketing the sky overhead at night tends to put things in clearer perspective. But I digress…

No doubt you are wondering about the odd title of this post, so here’s how the story goes:

View from Faraway Rock

Yesterday morning, we went on another hike (to the viewpoint called Faraway Rock). As usual, my “once a boy scout; always a boy scout” husband was on alert as we strode purposefully along. He was watching for wildlife, or at least wildlife sign. He alertly spotted deer tracks in the dirt. Then he explained that an overturned log we saw in an alpine meadow was proof that a bear had been there, foraging for grubs on the log’s rotten underside. Finally, he pointed to some nondescript debris on the trail.

“What?” I said, unimpressed by the small pile of gray, fuzzy matter.

“Old coyote scat. It’s all washed away except the mouse fur.”

Sign on the Trail

I was amazed. How did he know that? Oh, yeah. I guess any boy scout worth his merit badges knows coyotes frequently dine on mice, and that the indigestible fur subsequently shows up in their excrement, which any true outdoorsman would call “scat.”

I continued to think about that line as we hiked along in silence. It’s all washed away except the mouse fur. Then it struck me that it was a great analogy for the end of summer (stay with me, now), especially with the first precipitation in 50 days forecast. Soon summer would be washed away with the return of the rains, and nothing will be left of it… except the mouse fur?

Okay, I admit that part of the analogy threw me for a minute. Then I realized what the mouse fur symbolized! When we are soon sent spiraling down into the cold, harsh realities of winter once more, the only thing we will have left of our lovely summer just past is the warm, fuzzy memory of happier days. Warm and fuzzy = mouse fur. Get it?

“It’s all washed away except the mouse fur.”

“Why, it’s pure poetry!” you cry out. “Philosophically profound!”

Handsome Boy Scout on the Trail, size XL

Am I right? But remember, I can’t take all the credit. The original words of wisdom came from my darling husband. He had no idea at the time he uttered them that they would inspire me so.

Who knows? I may feature more of his sage sayings in future blog posts! Or maybe I should stick with Jane Austen. What do you think?

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Party Favors

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

It’s usually the person having the birthday who gets the presents. But in this case, it’s some of the guests who came to the Happy Birthday to “The Darcys of Pemberley” party – so I guess we could call them party favors. I appreciate all of you who dropped by and expressed interest in my books. I hope that, whether you won one or not, you will read The Darcys of Pemberley, For Myself Alone, Mr. Collins’s Last Supper, and my future publications. It’s a delight to share my stories and especially to hear that people have enjoyed them!

Now without further ado, Here are the book winners:

  1. Alicia Fontaine
  2. John C. Pelkey
  3. Kelli H.
  4. Danielle C.
  5. Lori

And the grand prize – the hand annotated copy of The Darcys of Pemberley – goes to Amy B.!

Congratulations! You have until September 15th to claim your prize. Email me (shannon(at)shannonwinslow(dot)com) and tell me which book you want and in what format. Give your mailing address for paperbacks (and how you would like your book signed/personalized). If you already own both my current novels (John, this means you) we’ll have to come up with something special. How about an advanced reader copy of Return to Longbourn when it’s available?

They had a very fine day for Box Hill; and all the other outward circumstances of arrangement, accommodation, and punctuality, were in favour of a pleasant party.  (Emma, chapter 43)

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Double Feature

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

If you are of a certain age, you remember (like I do) going to the movie theatre or drive-in and seeing a “double feature.” You paid your money and you got to enjoy two movies! Those days are long gone, I’m afraid. But that term came to mind – and the nostalgic feelings that go with it – when I planned this post, because today I have for you not one but two attractions to offer. As it turned out, I’m featured today in both a guest blog at Indie Jane and also another P&P200 post at Austen Authors. So take your pick below or, preferably, read them both. It’s a rare opportunity to once again go to a “double feature.”

PS – A reminder: Today is the last day to enter for a free book here in the month-long celebration “Happy Birthday to The Darcys of Pemberley.”

Austen Authors P&P200 post: Lydia’s Letter. In chapter 51 of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen gives the account of Lydia’s return to her family at Longbourn after her belated wedding to Wickham. Austen shows us how all the awkwardness and embarrassment of the situation is felt, not by the two who should be ashamed, but by the others. Lydia is blissfully oblivious, and blindly infatuated with her new husband. I thought it might be fun to glimpse this moment in time through her eyes as she tells the story to her friend, Mrs. Forster, in a letter. Read it here.

Indie Jane post: Name that Jane Austen Quote! How much of a Jane Austen aficionado are you? See how many of these 20 JA quotes (some of the over 40 I tucked away inside the text of For Myself Alone) that you can identify. Play the game here. 

He saw you then at Lyme, and liked you so well as to be exceedingly pleased to meet with you again in Camden Place, as Miss Anne Elliot, and from that moment, I have no doubt, had a double motive in his visits there. (Persuasion, chapter 21)

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Try It; You’ll Like It

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

 

 

I was at Costco today about noon, and my timing was perfect. You know what I mean. Stationed around every other corner was a demonstrator, card table set up and offering samples of new culinary delicacies. The highlights? Chicken tenders, tortilla chips and salsa, with vitamin water to wash it all down – in other words, lunch!

They give you a taste of their product in the hope you’ll like it enough to want more, that you’ll then plunk down $12.95 to buy a Costco-sized package of P&Q garbonzo beans or whatever. They do the same thing with books at online stores like Amazon and B&N. You might be wavering about buying a particular book, even if you’ve heard good things about it. But if you get to read and like the sample chapters, you’ll feel more confident it will suit your literary tastes and perhaps go ahead.

That’s kind of what’s happening this week with my second Austen-inspired novel, “For Myself Alone.” There’s a free sample available at two separate locations.

My new post on Austen Authors (“Jane’s Next Novel”) tells about my inspiration for the book and how it relates to Jane Austen’s writings. Then there’s an excerpt – prologue plus part of chapter 1. To read the post and excerpt, please visit here.

If you want a bigger taste, go to Austenticity, where For Myself Alone is the featured novel this week. You can read all the way to the end of chapter 5 there if you hurry. It should be available for a few more days.

Speaking of a few days, that’s all the longer you have to enter my little book give-away here. If you like your free sample, I might even be able to save you the cost of buying the rest. Good luck!

“You are speaking of London. I am speaking of the nation at large.” “The metropolis, I imagine, is a pretty fair sample of the rest.” (Mansfield Park, chapter 9)

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Giving Some Account

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

“My Dear Cassandra:  Having half-an-hour before breakfast (very snug in my own room, lovely morning, excellent fire — fancy me!) I will give you some account of the last two days. And yet, what is there to be told? I shall get foolishly minute unless I cut the matter short.”  (from a letter, November 6, 1813)

Like Jane, I am very snug in my own room – my studio – but with no fire (in August, I’ll take a/c instead). It is a lovely morning, and my idea is to give you “some account” of what’s been happening the last couple weeks, as well as what’s coming up.

August 1st was a special day in that it represented the one-year anniversary of the successful release of The Darcys of Pemberley, something that has changed my life tremendously! In honor of the event, I’m doing a special give-away (see the post and enter to win here).

On the weekend of August 3-5, I participated in an outdoor art show in the nearby community of Eatonville, WA. After feeling smug and comfortable during the mild start to our Seattle summer, we finally caught up with the rest of the country that weekend, which meant I spent 3 days roasting out in the heat. Still, it was an opportunity to hang out with my mom (pictured) and to talk art and books with friends and visitors, something I will endure considerable inconvenience to do! (photo courtesy of John Pelkey)

Everything answered; it was all gaiety and good-humour, the heat only supplying inconvenience enough to be talked of with pleasure. (Mansfield Park, chapter 7)

Image 1

This past weekend (Aug 10-12) was even more eventful, starting off with a trip to the Queen Mary Tea Room in Seattle with fellow Austen author types Laurel Ann Nattress, Syrie James, Diana Birchall, and Susan Mason-Milks. We talked, ate, and drank tea for two hours and I daresay we could have gone on much longer – the talking at least. It was delightful to get to know these lovely ladies in person, most of our previous communication having taken place online. (photo courtesy of Susan Mason-Milk)

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The five of us, plus a few dozen other Janeites, reconvened two days later at the Seattle area JASNA meeting, where Syrie and Diana presented a highly amusing original playlet (titled You are Passionate, Jane) about a heavenly confrontation/conversation between Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. A special highlight for me was meeting one of my official fans afterward. Thanks, Julie, for making my day! (photo courtesy of Sallie Tierney)

Upcoming events: I’m participating remotely (my books, with pre-signed bookplates, will be there but I will not) at the Decatur Book Festival in Georgia over Labor Day weekend (look for the Jane Austen tent). I will be physically present at the Northwest Bookfest Sept. 22 & 23 (details here). 

Book Updates: The Darcys of Pemberley continues to do very well in the American market and overseas (1/3 of all sales coming from the UK). I hope more of that book’s fans will soon discover my second release, For Myself Alone, is just as well worth reading. No, it doesn’t have Mr. Darcy in it, but there’s a couple other interesting leading men you should get to know. Return to Longbourn (the next installment of my P&P saga) is coming along nicely. I should have the first draft finished in a couple of weeks, and I hope (fingers crossed) to have the book out by the end of the year.

One more interesting development to mention. This past week, I was offered my old “day job” back. For a long time, that had been exactly what I had hoped for. So I thought about it. What do you think my answer was?

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Midnight Express for Longbourn

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Shannon Winslow
 

Here’s another vignette I wrote for the Austen Authors P&P200 project, which follows the story of Pride and Prejudice in “real time” and supplementing it with different view points and “missing scenes.” The is one of the latter.

In the book, we (Jane Austen’s readers) are traveling merrily along with the Gardeners in Derbyshire, visiting Pemberley and watching the first hopeful hints of understanding blossom between Darcy and Elizabeth. We are not present at Longbourn when the fateful letter from Colonel Forster arrives, informing the Bennets of Lydia’s elopement. We only learn what has happened there belatedly and second hand (some through Jane’s letters and some through her further explanation once Lizzy returns). This is that “missing scene.” Read it here or at Austen Authors.

 

Midnight Express for Longbourn

The Bennet household had just settled down for the night after a day of industrious occupation. Mrs. Bennet had been to Meryton and argued not only with the butcher about her bill, but also with various ones of her neighbors who seemed to be circulating malicious rumors about that handsome officer she and her girls so much admired: Mr. Wickham. After exhausting herself in this manner, Mrs. Bennet had retired early, saying her head was very ill indeed.

Jane and Kitty had once again spent the entire day entertaining the lively Gardiner children whilst their parents were away to Derbyshire on holiday with Elizabeth Bennet in tow. 

Mr. Bennet alone had been able to preserve himself from excessive exertion, and had thus found he was quite able to stay up late, reading once again his favourite of Shakespeare’s plays (Much Ado About Nothing) and chuckling to himself at the silliness and absurdity he found there. Upon finishing, he thanked his lucky stars that his own household suffered no such dramas, and then he likewise retired to a gentle slumber.

Shortly after twelve, however, such a pounding came at the front door as would surely have awakened the dead. One by one, the Bennets tumbled out of their beds and down the stairs to see what the cause of all this unwelcome commotion was. It was an express, the contents of which turned out to be even more unwelcome.

Mr. Bennet, after paying the man and closing the door again, in silence read the letter, which was addressed to him:

 

My Dear Mr. Bennet,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you with news that must bring you considerable distress. But I am afraid of alarming you. Be assured that your daughter is well, so far as it is within my power to judge. I am sorry to say that Miss Bennet last night removed herself from my house and from my protection. She has in fact eloped with one of my officers – Lieutenant George Wickham, whom you will remember.

From her own information – a brief letter left for my wife – we do at least know that she departed with him of her own accord and in very high spirits, stating that the couple’s intention was to make for Gretna Green and there to wed. I have no real reason for doubting this, only a general uneasiness over the gentleman’s character. He at first seemed to me to be as fine a young man as ever one could hope to meet with. On closer acquaintance, however, I have observed in him a worrying trend toward imprudence, this event being yet another evidence of it.

I feel myself in part responsible for what has occurred. You entrusted your daughter to my care, and I have failed to keep her safe from harm. I now pledge myself to do everything within my power to assist you in recovering her. I will closely question the men under my command, especially Wickham’s particular friends, to see what is to be learned here. Then I plan to come to you directly at Longbourn, to offer whatever service I may render you. Till then, please extend my humble apology and sincere respects to all your family.

 Yours, etc. Col. Forster

 

 

 

“Oh! What is it, Mr. Bennet?” cried his wife when he let his hand and the letter drop to his side. “Tell me at once. Have you no compassion for my nerves?” Thunderstruck and thoroughly incapable of speech, Mr. Bennet gave the letter to his wife, who in turn passed it on to her eldest daughter. “You read it to me, Jane. I am in too much of a tremble.”

But hearing the letter only increased Mrs. Bennet’s agitation. She was taken ill with hysterics immediately, and the whole house disintegrated into a state of utter confusion not soon to be recovered from. Moreover, there was nary a servant belonging to the business who did not know the whole of the story before the day was out. Within two more days the whole community knew of the Bennets’ troubles. Half their neighbors then had the goodness to pity them their great misfortune, and the other half were only too proud to say they had always predicted such an unfavorable outcome for the family.

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Happy Birthday to “The Darcys of Pemberley”

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Shannon Winslow

It’s official! My first-born literary child just turned one! It’s been a full year since The Darcys of Pemberley began hitting bookshelves and e-readers around the world, and its success has far exceeded my expectations. So I feel like celebrating!

If you are a parent, you know what it’s like to send your child off on a new venture – be it kindergarten, college, an audition, or a job interview. You’re proud of your kid and you’re anxious that s/he should be well received by the world. It’s the same for an author. Your book is your “baby” and you want everybody to love it like you do.

Okay, so not quite everybody has read The Darcys of Pemberley (not yet, at least), but I’m so grateful for all those who have – especially for those who enjoyed it enough to recommend it to friends. I’m honored to think that something I wrote with much TLC may have been the topic of conversation over your girls-lunch-out, at book club, or at the gym.

To express my appreciation, I’m throwing a little party. I wish I could have you all over for birthday cake (chocolate, of course) and a spirited game of charades or whist, but my house is a little too small for that. So I’ll do what authors usually do and give away books to celebrate!

The main drawing is open to everybody, with five winners having their choice of prizes – any one of my books in your preferred format, or whatever other goodies I can come up with. Simply leave a lovely comment below and check back September 1st to see if you’ve won. Then I’ll contact you to find out your choice of prize.

But in addition, I want to do something kind of special for one true DOP fan. I’m offering a signed copy with hand-written annotations. Would you like to know the derivation of the names Sanditon and Heatheridge used in the book? Did you catch all the inside jokes? There’s actually a quote from The Godfather contained in the book. Did anybody notice that? Here’s your chance to find out all the inside scoop.

So, if you’ve already read The Darcys of Pemberley (or will have before the end of August), you can also enter to a win the specially annotated copy by sending me an e-mail (subject line: annotated DOP) at shannon(at)shannonwinslow(dot)com. In it, quote the opening sentence of chapter 32 to confirm you own the book.

I wish my budget could afford giving away and all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii, but a virtual visit to Regency England through the pages of a book will have to do. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me through this past year. You really have helped to make my dream come true!

I wish you joy of your birthday twenty times over. I shall be able to send this to the post today, which exalts me to the utmost pinnacle of human felicity, and makes me bask in the sunshine of prosperity, or gives me any other sensation of pleasure in studied language which you may prefer. ( from a letter to her sister Cassandra, dated January 8, 1799)

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