Twisted Austen 2020: The Ladies of Norland

It's that time of year when I insist on overtaxing myself by writing a story that few will read and might prove detrimental to my career. Welcome to Twisted Austen, my annual event conceived in the spirit of Halloween but which really just serves to infuriate and confuse my fellow Janeites. That’s not being totally fair to myself. Some readers do actually seem to really like these stories, but I write them for my own amusement. It’s a space where I can explore ideas that really aren’t marketable.

Now that I have entranced you with that confident pitch, let me inform the uninitiated that this is an eight day event, beginning tomorrow, October 24th, and running through Halloween. I will post one part of this year's story each day, and then I will publish once complete. There are likely to be giveaways, as well (I've always offered them in the past, perhaps too many), if I can pull it together in time. 

Twisted Austen was born in the wake of the monster mash-up craze that overtook this genre after the publication of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Could Austen’s beautiful stories be rendered “horrid” even without imposing monster-filled dystopian realities on her stories? If nothing else, I think I’ve proven the answer to be an emphatic yes. Why would I want to attempt such a thing? I guess I am, myself, a little twisted. I actually treasure some of the worst reviews this series has received, in a way I never could for any of my other works, because the entire point is to be a bit appalling, while provoking the reader's imagination into doing the bulk of the dirty work for me.

I launched Twisted Austen in 2012 with Emma & Elton: Something Truly Horrid. The subtitle was meant as a warning but, nevertheless, many readers were truly dismayed. It is the most disturbing of the collection, exploring what could have happened had Mr. Knightley warned Emma not to be overly attentive to Mr. Elton. Still, I really don’t understand how anyone could expect a happy ending with such a title. My very favorite review for it on Amazon is one sentence long and only two stars: “It was written, but the plot itself is so cringe-worthy and horrifying that there’s really no reason to re-read it.” I know it’s probably against my better interests to further publicize such sentiments, but I just can’t help myself. For this story, cringe-worthy is a compliment. I did, however, listen to the reviews and tone it down a little bit the following year. Jane & Bingley: Something Slightly Unsettling is not nearly so devastating as Emma and Elton in its outcome. In fact, it adheres strictly to canon, which possibly angered readers even more. The most consistent complaint about the book is its abrupt ending, which I’m glad people found unsettling. I took a story my readers know like the back of their hands and offered a different perspective – not necessarily a probable one, just a possible one – and supported it with evidence from Austen’s original text. Readers, equipped with their perfect knowledge of forthcoming events, are then left to their own conclusions. This is where Twisted Austen stories collide with typical Halloween tales, ghost stories and horror films having long exploited the fact that what goes unseen is often what frightens most. At the same time, the concept is quintessentially Austenesque, dependent as it is on the reader's knowledge of Jane’s novels.

In 2014, I wrote Becoming Mrs. Norris, a prequel to Mansfield Park. It attempts to evoke sympathy for a despised character by endowing her with a tragic backstory. I published this story convinced no one would read it. Mansfield Park is notoriously hard to sell to JAFF readers. Little surprise, it pretty much tanked upon release, but when a few reviews finally did trickle in, they were far more positive than I had expected. I guess having the name “Mrs. Norris” in the title is a better deterrent for the feint-hearted than my more expository attempts to ward them off. Those of us who read Mansfield Park fan-fiction are a rare breed, and I think I self-selected an appreciative audience.

*Just a random note about book covers. I repurposed the artwork from Emma & Elton for Becoming Mrs. Norris (who wants to spend money on a book they don’t expect to be able to sell?). Also, and as you may have observed, Twisted Austen comes to you in color this year. I have long been in the process of changing the style of my covers, and this year's story, The Ladies of Norland, is the first publication to roll out the new look. 

For two years I had to abandon Twisted Austen. We relocated to Switzerland in late summer 2015, and it was a long struggle afterwards to reestablish regular writing habits. The fact that Halloween is not widely celebrated here was of little assistance. When I finally resurrected the event in 2017, I was in a decidedly more playful mood than in previous years, even as I continued to try and redeem the unredeemable. Part prequel and part perspective-shift, I am Lady Catherine envisions that lady’s life from the time of her marriage through the end of Pride & Prejudice. The reception for this story was, by far, the most positive of the entire series and a firm reminder to me that no matter how tempting it might be to push people’s buttons, it is way more fun to earn their praise than their censure. In 2018, I tried to build upon that "success," even while delving into a very delicate subject. Young Wickham is a sequel to Pride & Prejudice that relies heavily on the plot of Mansfield Park. Instead of the Bertrams taking in a niece, we find the Darcys inviting Lydia and Wickham’s oldest son to live at Pemberley. A lot of readers were expecting this to be about Wickham's youth and were taken aback to find the action takes place in the Victorian Era. Still, the reception was strong amongst those who read it.

I'm trusting that The Ladies of Norland has not such an off-putting title as some of my others. I've experienced another Twisted Austen hiatus, this time triggered by the birth of my son, and it is a small miracle that I managed to complete it at all. It is the first real work that I have accomplish since the pandemic began. As it is, I barely finished it in time, and it is significantly shorter than my other Twisted Austen books, definitely not qualifying for the grandiose title of "novella" to which the others aspire. As you've probably surmised, this one is Sense and Sensibility based. It's a reimagination premised on the idea of old Mr. Dashwood being more generous to our heroines than Austen rendered him. Unfortunately, sometimes adversity is better for us in the long run. It's actually sort of a hopeful theme for our chaotic times. So please, come by, read along, and gasp in shock if you must. A happy Twisted Austen to all! 

Two Months in a Row!

I have had a story voted one of the five best completed at Jaff Recs! The Madness of Mr. Darcy was voted one of the best completed stories in November (it seems an edit at some point skewed the month it was completed), and Becoming Mrs. Norris was honored in October! Here is the really cool thing: the short continuing vignette I just wrote, Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present: The Madness of Mr. Darcy Continues, is up for nomination in the month of December. Voting runs through the end of the month, and there is more competition than in the previous two, but your vote might out me over the type! Cast your vote here: http://www.jaffrecs.com/?page_id=379. Some of my fellow Austen Authors are represented as well.

I just started posting a revised version of Being Mrs. Bennet last week. Sorry I never completed the tale here, but I got disgruntled when I lost half my Pemberley visit. If I can complete draft two in January, I might have a chance of winning four months in a row! Fingers crossed.

Speaking of Austen Authors, a preliminary, teaser post went up yesterday in which several of us share some of our favorite recent posts. Please check it out, and don't forget to enter the grand reopening, mystery prize giveaway! http://austenauthors.net/favorite-blogs/

Happy New Year!

Where did the last several weeks go? 2014 was a wild ride for my family and I, and it went out par for the course when we buried my beloved grandfather. I started the year with a full contingent of grandparents and now I have one. Sad as that is, it was also an amazing year in many ways, and first and foremost in my mind stands the writing, publishing, and warm reception of The Madness of Mr. Darcy. It was book so unlike anything else I have ever even attempted to write. It demanded so much of me emotionally. It was a remarkable experience, but I am looking forward to concentrating on more lighthearted subjects in 2015 with my first children's book, The Prodigal Husband, Being Mrs. Bennet, and The Importance of Being Darcy. More on all these projects to come.

Some of the great treats of my holiday season came in the form of recognition for my writing. It is with pride and excitement I am announcing my inclusion in the new, re-born AustenAuthors.net. My next post will be on that subject. I was delighted to find myself the recipient of a wonderful review of Holidays at Pemberley by Jody at A Spoonful of Happy Endings (read it here). I was even more than delighted to then find myself included in her "Top 10 New To Me Authors" list for 2014. What an honor! Next, Becoming Mrs. Norris was voted one of the top five completed stories on A Happy Assembly in the month of November at jaffrecs.com! So cool, especially as it is Mrs. Norris we are talking about and reader nominated. Last but not least, I received a long coveted place on Meredith at Austenesque Reviews best of 2014 list, when The Madness of Mr. Darcy tied with KaraLynne Mackrory's Haunting Mr. Darcy for favorite Pride and Prejudice variation. Thank you, Meredith! It's absolutely thrilling.

As I look forward to a fresh new year, I have a ton of writing I plan on doing, but I also want to start doing more reviews again. One of the best things about 2014 is a started reading at my regular pace again for the first time since becoming a mother. I hope to now figure out how to balance reading, writing about, and writing books all at the same time. If I can master that by 2016, it will be time for another kid.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and happy New Years celebrations. Here's to 2015!

I'm still here! It's just NaNoWriMo. Twisted Austen winners.

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, though it sometimes feels like it. Twisted Austen seems a million years ago already, and I am only getting around to announcing winners now. Rafflecopter seems really glitchy for some reason, and I am sorry if it inconvenienced anyone. With no further ado the winners are:

Day 1: Chiara L.

Day 2: Angela W.

Day 3: Susan M.

Day 4: Ceri T.

Day 5: carmen

Day 6: Jan S.

Day 7: Luthien84

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you so much for celebrating Halloween with me this year! I have no idea what next year will bring. Maybe I'll tackle Northanger.

Two more exciting announcements to make:

There is an amazing review of The Madness of Mr. Darcy posted at Austenesque Reviews! My favorite line: "I highly recommend this exquisitely crafted variation!" Perfect! DO check it out: http://austenesquereviews.com/2014/11/madness-mr-darcy-alexa-adams.html.

There is also an excerpt from The Madness of Mr. Darcy as well as an international giveaway going on at The Calico Critic. Giveaway ends on 12/7: http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/2014/11/excerpt-and-giveaway-madness-of-mr.html.

Regarding Being Mrs. Bennet: the last chapter posted somehow got chopped in half, right when they were at Pemberley, and I lost the rest of it. Disheartened and insanely busy, I have not tried to rewrite what was lost, but I will. Just not sure when. We're almost at the end of the story. I plan to post a second draft at AHA late winter/early spring.

Looking ahead: I am way behind on reviews. Hoping to catch up on some of those before the end of the year. I am also going to be putting together a Christmas vignette, following up on The Madness of Mr. Darcy a few years after the end of the book. This will probably be in lieu of my usual Christmas offering, though I have some aspiration to hurry up and illustrate last year's Twelve Days of Christmas. We'll see how December transpires.

NaNoWriMo is going great! Currently in just over 45,000 words, but as I have a personla goal of 60,000 words, there is still a bit to go. I have not been sharing excerpts like I did last year. Not sure why, just haven't felt particularly compelled. The Prodigal Husband is my first straight regency romance, though there is still a lot of JA influence, of course. It is also a great deal more sexy than what I'm used to writing. Maybe that is why I'm keeping it closer this year. I'm sure there will be excerpts to come.

Happy Thanksgiving to the american Janeites out there! I'll catch back up with you all in December.

The Madness of Mr. Darcy at Austenesque Reviews

There is a guest post about some of the characters from Austen's other novels that appear in The Madness of Mr. Darcy at the fabulous Austenesque Reviews along with a giveaway! Don't miss it!

http://austenesquereviews.com/2014/10/guest-post-giveaway-author-alexa-adams.html#more-14378

I've been rather busy lately and as usual it is my blog that suffers. Look for more Being Mrs. Bennet soon (it is almost done!). I also haven't forgotten Francis Hodgson Burnet and Charlotte Lennox. I cannot say when the next posts in those series will appear. Before the end of the year? Honestly, between NaNoWriMo bearing down on me like a steam engine and all my other commitments, it is hard to predict what will and wont get done. How about a few final quarter writing/blogging goals?

1. Have an awesome Twisted Austen with Becoming Mrs. Norris. Posts start the 25th.
2. Write 50,000 words of The Prodigal Husband, my first non-austenesque, regency romance 
3. Finish Being Mrs. Bennet
4. Write a much requested short sequel to The Madness of Mr. Darcy, a Christmas gift to my readers.

Those are the main items. We'll see what else gets done. There are, of course, my real life commitments too. Case in point, the guessing game for the school book fair. How many gemstones so you see?

If Cinderella & Elsa were roommates ...

Constructed entirely of cardboard & hot glue

And many many plastic gemstones.

Little secret passageway 

Just had to share.

Makes a cozy reading nook

The Madness of Mr. Darcy at My Jane Austen Book Club!

There is an excerpt and giveaway - a paperback and international ebook - of The Madness of Mr. Darcy at My Jane Austen Book Club! Is this the first paperback I've given away on a blog so far? No, the second, but there haven't been many. Usually I giveaway a bunch of copies here when my books release, but I've been so busy this time that it hasn't happened. There will be several more opportunities to win it, however, during Twisted Austen. Come spend Halloween with Aunt Norris and me. The fun (?) starts October 25th!

http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.it/2014/10/spotlight-on-madness-of-mr-darcy-by.html

The Madness of Mr. Darcy at Diary of an Eccentric, plus Twisted Austen

There is an excerpt of The Madness of Mr. Darcy post at Diary of an Eccentric and an intentional giveaway of two ebooks to enter. I would have asked Anna Horner, to whom the blog belongs, to review the book, but that might be a bit questionable as she edited the book for me instead! And did a phenomenal job, I might add. One of the biggest and most consistent criticisms I have received of my work regards the lack of professional editing: not any more! Two of the five people who have reviewed the book on Amazon have explicitly commended the editing. Well done, Anna, and thank you so much!

http://diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/ive-been-busy-editing-a-book-the-madness-of-mr-darcy-by-alexa-adams/

That announcement aside, happy October 1st! That means I am neck deep trying to finish this year's Twisted Austen offering: Becoming Mrs. Norris. What better way to celebrate the Halloween than with Austen's most Mansfield Park geeks climbing out of the woodwork. I wonder if anyone will have the stomach to read this story. We shall see. In the meantime, here's a excerpt from the work in progress:
ghoulish character? And here come all the

Knowing her privileged position within the household, Miss Ward did her best to protect Maria and Francis from their uncle's rage, and over the years she had learned how to minimize his fits of temper. At 21, having survived 11 years in his care, she knew how to best engage his meager supply of sympathy.

Knocking on the open door, "Sir? May I claim a moment of your time?"

He looked up through a cloud of pipe smoke and fixed her with an angry stare before consulting his pocket watch. "You have two minutes."

She stepped into the terrible glare emanating from the great windows behind the desk, but she willed her eyes not to blink. Better to water mercilessly than display such a weakness before her guardian. "I request your permission to invite a gentleman to dinner tomorrow evening. He is calling upon Miss Maria now. This is the third time he has called since they were introduced at last week's assembly."

He sneered, eyes still on his watch. "I suppose I shall have to bear the expense of feeding all the foolish gentlemen who are susceptible to a pretty face and empty head. Who is he?"

"Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park." She tried to hide the satisfaction in the words.

He looked up. "Mr. Norris' guest? The baronet?"

"The same."

"He should not be bothering with Maria. She's at least three thousand pounds short of being worthy of his interest."

"You underestimate the appeal of becoming manners and complaisance, Uncle."

"I doubt it," he snorted, "but if Sir Thomas fancies an empty headed wife, I shall not be the one to throw a rub in his way. Invite him for Thursday next, when Richards dines. That will minimize the expense."

"Yes, Uncle," she replied and retreated, before he had the opportunity to scold that her two minutes had expired.

The home stretch, Mrs. Darcy's Diamonds, and more ...

Sorry to have gone silent again. I just finished the sixth and final draft of The Madness of Mr. Darcy. Enormous thanks and gratitude to Anna over at Diary of an Eccentric, who did a marvelous job editing the text. Paperbacks won't be available until early next month, I'm guessing, but the ebook might be out as soon as next week! It's time to switch gears and start marketing. Plus I need to finish writing Becoming Mrs. Norris for this years Twisted Austen offering. Right now it stands at 3,000 words ... there is much to be done, and moving into November I plan on conquering NaNoWriMo once more with my first regency romance, The Prodigal Husband.

For these reasons and more, there looks to be no Being Mrs. Bennet chapter this week. Maybe early next. Gotta get my bearings. She's probably going to have to go on hiatus again in November, but I hope to wrap this first draft of the story up in the first quarter of 2015.

There is also a children's book I'm toying with. More to come. Busy, busy, busy!

I want to make sure I mention, before things get even more out of hand, that I received a copy of Mrs. Darcy's Diamonds from one of my favorite Janeites, Jane Odiwe. I love the way she paints a scene with words, and her powers are nicely displayed in this sweet novella. Reading it helped keep me sane while waiting to get my book back from Anna. This is the first in a series of short tales Ms. Odiwe will be regaling us with over the next year. Look for Mr. Darcy's Christmas Calendar in November, and Mrs. Darcy's Parisian Pin next spring! Can't wait!

Mansfield Park Read Along Part Three: Becoming Mrs. Norris

You can read the beginning of Becoming Mrs. Norris: A Prequel here, and the second part here. Future posts will be disassociated from the Austen in August Read Along, which is sadly behind us, so keep an eye out for the continuing story.

"You wished to speak to me, Uncle?" Miss Ward nervously questioned from the entrance, trying to control her unease.

"Yes. Come in and close the door," commanded the blinding cloud of smoke.

Usually her conferences with Mr. Ward were brief and impersonal, requiring no semblance of privacy, much to her preference. As soon as the knob clicked shut, the smoke began to concentrate. She struggled to suppress the urge to cough and looked in the direction where she knew her uncle sat, camouflaged by smoggy light, there to await her fate.

"Sir Thomas Bertram will propose to Maria," his voice boomed ponderously. "She will say yes!" 

It was more an order than a question, but still she replied, "Yes. She has not a thought otherwise." It was far more information than she needed to supply, and instantly she regretted having said anything at all, but the prospect of his own added consequence upon the acquisition of a baronet for son-in-law had rendered her uncle unusually high-spirited.

"I had not thought you girls would turn off so well. Your father was a numbskull, from birth to death, and your mother precisely the kind of lady to which one always expected Edmund to saddle himself: cherubic on the surface with the instincts of a trollop in her heart." He smiled at his niece's grimace. "I dare say Maria takes after her, though being as empty headed as my brother, it's impossible to impute the slightest intelligence to her maneuvers. She must act entirely by instinct, like any animal. I applaud her breeding!"

Her uncle laughed, and Miss Ward willed herself not to faint. He saw her struggle, like a worm on a hook, and savored the moment. "It struck me with force as I considered the matter last night that I have sadly undervalued my brother's children. If Maria, with not a brain in her head, can catch a baronet, than you, my dear, might marry a deal higher than poor Richards."

She coughed, and he knew triumph. "Sir?" she managed to sputter, reaching out for knowledge of what awaited her at the bottom of the hole through which she was falling.

"I know you have an agreement with him, but as it was never formalized, it matters little. Much more challenging is finding someone to replace him."

It was like being buried. "Sir?" she gasped, incautiously displaying her alarm.

"After all this time, I can't very well keep him around and expect the two of you to behave properly, can I?" He waited for a moment before barking, "Well?"

She jumped and a startled "No!" broke from her throat.

"Indeed, not! I let him go this morning. You will not see him again."

"But ..."

"There is nothing more to be said. You may go," and with the wave of his hand, he sent her from the room.

Miss Ward knew not how her legs conveyed her without fail through the door and down hall to the parlor where her sisters sat, but somehow she made it there before succumbing to the overwhelming sensation to swoon.

"Sister! Sister!" she heard them cry, as four arms lifted her into a chair and smelling salts assaulted her senses.

"I am fine," she said weakly, instinctively attending their needs, even when her's were the most pressing.

"You are not!" Frances asserted with unaccustomed firmness. "Do not try to stand. I'll summon Abby."

"No!" she insisted, sitting up straighter. "I want to talk to you both freely. Mr. Ward has shared information with me of the greatest importance."

Maria's face turned pale. Making use of the smelling salts for herself, she asked nervously, "Sir Thomas isn't going to propose?" 

Miss Ward, still weak, could not help but smile fondly at her. "No, my dear. That's not it at all. You are assured your baronet. Had he not been engaged with Mr. Norris today, I'm sure he would have been here to secure your hand. We will surely see him tomorrow."

"Thank goodness," she sighed. Miss Ward observed the slight agitation of her features fade into the accustomed serenity. It must me marvelous to be Maria, she thought.

"If all goes well with Sir Thomas," Frances pursued, "then what is it that so upset you, Sister?"

She looked at her hands and fiddled the handkerchief they clutched with unwarranted attention. "My Uncle has dismissed Mr. Richards."

"What?" both sisters replied in simultaneous astonishment.

"It's true," she muttered, as her tears began to fall. "Since Maria is to marry so high, it is Mr. Ward's opinion that I could do much better myself."

"But you have loved him for years!" Frances cried in shock, while Maria silently struggled to imagine how her sister must feel. Though only just assured her of her own heart's security, it was hard to imagine the blackness of doubt and disappointment.  

"Ever since he first came to dinner and was so kind to me!" Words being impossible and unnecessary, the elder sister wept while the younger provided comfort, a most perverse inverse, Miss Ward thought bitterly, of the tableau frozen in her memory of their second night in Mr. Ward's guardianship, when she returned for the very first time, disconsolate but determined to persevere, from her uncle's office.