Handmade Copies of Emma & Elton ready for Twisted Austen!

This is the week! The fun begins on Thursday with the first section of Jane and Bingley: Something Slightly Unsettling, a piece of which I will post each day through the end of the month. I'm still fiddling with the story a bit, so I have not yet had an opportunity to treat it in the same manner as last year's Emma and Elton: Something Truly Horrid, which I have hand bound into an extremely limited edition paper back (I only made three). Two of the copies, along with lots of my handmade Halloween cards (see the first completed set here) and copies of my novels will be available for giveaway during my Twisted Austen event. So stop by each day, stay updated on this dark alternative perspective version of Pride & Prejudice, and enter to win fabulous prizes. I can think of few more gratifying manners in which to celebrate Halloween then with Austenesque tricks and treats. Take a gander at the Emma & Elton folios. I'm so please with how they came out!

Elegant Extracts: Memorable Moments in Pride and Prejudice

I just finished my second round of book making, an interactive project composed with the assistance of followers of Austenesque Reviews, Meredith Esparza's awesome blog. As part of a Second Glances giveaway (read all about it here), readers were asked to share their favorite quotes from Pride and Prejudice, which I then proceeded to compile into one of my little folios. I'm so please with how they came out.

Here are the pages before assembly.

Page one and two.

Page four and the inside back cover.

The final product!

While these little volumes are already spoken for, there will be more to come! I'd love to hear your suggestions for other Elegant Extracts volumes.

Second Glances & Elegant Extracts Giveaways

I'm not making a big announcement regarding last week's winner of a handmade copy of Selected Verses by Jane Austen. She will know who she is. My little experiment did not auger well for the future of paper books.

I had intended to do one more March giveaway of Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues, but as the book is/will be soon available through a variety of other venues, (including Goodreads, where I'm giving away five copies), I'm afraid I might be pushing an over saturation point. If you want to win a copy, check out my guest post at The Book Rat (where fairy tales currently abound.You should totally check it out).

The first official review for Second Glances is out, and I'm hugely relieved it's a good one. Only other authors can truly appreciate the anxiety of waiting for feedback. I liken it to singing your heart out before a huge crowd and standing on stage for three weeks before the audience decides whether or not to applaud. Please take a moment to visit Delighted Reader and read Sophia Rose's review:  http://www.delightedreader.com/posts/review-second-glances-by-alexa-adams/

And does anyone out there want to own not only their own Elegant Extracts volume, but also collaborate on its content? Next week I'll be at Austenesque Reviews with a very unique giveaway opportunity. I hope everyone will check it out.

I don't know if I'll get another opportunity to blog this week, as life is pretty hectic between Passover and Easter, but I'll give it a go. Happy holidays to those who have them!

Second Glances Giveaway #2 , Plus Winner of Giveaway #1

It is my great pleasure to announce the winners of last week's giveaway. The winner of the copy of Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues is:

Arjanne!

And the winner of Selected Verses by Jane Austen with the Tea Cup cover is

 Lúthien84!

Congratulations! You will receive emails from me shortly with further details.

Last week I asked participants to guess which Bennet lady was destined for my new hero, Sir James Stratton. The correct answer (though all were good - I loved reading your conjectures!) is Kitty. The biggest criticisms I received on First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice was that I removed too much of the tension from the story. That was, of course, the point, but I tried to address the issue in Second Glances by redistributing those problematic qualities to Kitty and Sir James. In many ways, the plot Second Glances parallels that of Pride and Prejudice far more than First Impressions did, and like Mr. Darcy, Sir James enters our story equipped with an amiable, kindhearted, and eligible friend: Mr. Simon Brooks. He provides a love interest for one of our other young ladies. To win today's giveaway, leave a comment naming who you think it is, but first I'd like to tell you a bit more about Mr. Brooks, an infallibly honest young man of fine fortune. His loyalty to Sir James is unshakable, but his attempts to assist his volatile friend often have the opposite effect. The story begins with one such instance, brought to Sir James' attention in a letter from his aunt:
-->

Barsington, Feb. 17

My Dear Sir James,

While I am not one to credit gossip, news of your recent escapade upon an unstable creature has caused me no small degree of alarm. My dear nephew, can you really have taken such an unwarranted risk? Am I to see the home I grew up in pass to virtual strangers, all because you will insist on hazarding your life before securing your patrimony? The entire fate of the Stratton family rests in your hands: do not be cavalier about your duty!

If you must continue at trying to break your neck, at least beget a child first – perhaps two, for good measure – and for that you must marry posthaste, as heaven knows you will soon be engaged in some new escapade. Despite my laments, it's what I always liked about you, James. You keep life interesting, and I was always one for a bit of adventure: the spice and flavor of variety. As Cowper further wrote of there being nothing “in the vale of life half so delightful as a wife”, we can be sure he too would urge you to savor this epicurean delight with all expediency.

It is to this end that I have invited several dear friends, all mothers of eminently eligible ladies, to a house party the second week in March. Your friend Mr. Brooks, who was so kind as to call this morning as he was passing through the area, assures me this will provide more than enough time for you to fully heal. If none of these ladies capture your heart, you will continue on to London for the season, where an endless number of young ladies will be sure to compete for your attention. I know not on what grounds you could possibly object! There can be no excuse for further delay.

Your affectionate aunt,

Augusta Westingham

Sir James sighed. Simon would betray him to his aunt. He was certain his friend had acted with the best of intentions, but being perfectly guileless sometimes led him to share that which need not be said. Nevertheless, he knew Aunt Augusta to be correct, however little he welcomed her involvement in his affairs, and saw no reason to resist her summons. If her house party produced just the right lady, all the better for him, but he would choose his own bride, not have one selected for him. And if, in the meantime, his fancy drove him to ride another unbroken horse, he would just have to do his very best to preserve his neck. It would not do to prove her right, after all, for if there were anyone who could gloat beyond the barrier of death, it would be Augusta Westingham.

Today's giveaway includes three items: a copy of Second Glances, a copy of First Impressions (for those who have not yet read it), and another handmade volume of Selected Verses by Jane Austen, adorned and compiled by yours truly. The version on offer today has a navy floral cover which I'm calling William Morris, though I don't actually know if it's his design or not. To enter to win one of these items (do specify which!), tell me who Mr. Brooks is destined for and leave your email address in a comment. A correct answer increases your chances to win. To enter for two items, share this giveaway on whichever social media site you most prefer, and don't forget to tell me about it in your comment. If you want a chance to win all three books, try and guess which two of Jane Austen's aunts were blended to form Augusta Westingham's character. Winners will be announce next Monday. Good luck!

Second Glances Giveaway #1

If anyone out there recalls the way I conducted giveaways following the release of my first novel, First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice, this should sound kind of familiar. I then asked readers to guess what alternative fate might befall Jane Austen's characters in my hands. The task is a bit more tricky this time, for if you haven't read First Impressions, it is hard to know the starting point in Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues, but I'm going to try to work around that complication. Let me introduce you to my hero, Sir James Stratton:

Position and wealth are largely considered blessings, but as both were attained through the sacrifice of a beloved father, Sir James rather regarded them as burdens. Since inheriting he avoided society, impatient with those who valued him for wealth and position alone. It was his vast preference to remain cloistered at Teggington, interesting himself in his estate and stables, seeking diversion in travel, and only mixing with English society as needed. Nevertheless, his friends would see him married, and such seclusion was not to be tolerated. Maybe, perhaps, if there were a charming daughter of the neighboring house, or another young lady in the area to whom he might attach himself, a season in London would not be of the utmost necessity, but no such ready damsels existed. Thus came the assaults, every person dear to him united in their cause.

Sir James is destined to be the romantic interest of a Miss Bennet. Can you guess which one? Some may already know the correct answer, and that's fine. You can answer however you like, maybe even suggesting other single ladies from Pride and Prejudice than a daughter of Longbourn. Any answer, along with an email address, will get you a chance to win either a copy of Second Glances OR one of my handmade Selected Verses by Jane Austen (read more about these little volumes here). This giveaway will be for the one with the teacups cover. The correct answer gives you two chances to win. If you want BOTH books, you'll need to also spread the word of my giveaway on some social media outlet. Any will do, just be sure to let me know about it. This giveaway is open internationally. The winner will be announced next Monday, March 11th. Good luck!

Selected Verses by Jane Austen, Compiled and Adorned by Alexa Adams

I gave a preview of this project in my last post, when I announced the publication of Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues.

We do not have many poems from Jane Austen. Presumably, she wrote far more than what survives, but those that do display the same wit and taste that characterize her prose. I selected eight short verses that hold particular appeal to me as the subject of the five small folios I made out of card stock, bound with a modified Japanese technique, and decorated with paper images I cut using stencils. I think they came out quite handsome.

Like me, I'm sure many of you do not have time for as much Austen as you want. It is as big of a problem as not having enough Austen to read in the first place. Often I only have a few minutes to spare, and craving the company of my dear friend, I turn to her shorter writings. I hope my Selected Verses by Jane Austen may be counted on for a quick smile during a hectic day.

I plan to give away four of the five copies (must keep one for myself) as part of a series of giveaways in promotion of Second Glances, but first let's take the time to discuss the contents. The inside cover is embellished with a profile of Miss Austen, and the title page was created to resemble those of her novels.

I have not taken a picture of the first page of verse, for it is unadorned. It is the only page to contain more than one verse. The subject of the first, unsurprisingly, is love and marriage:

Maria, good-humoured, and handsome, and tall,
For a husband was at her last stake;
And having in vain danced at many a ball,
Is now happy to jump at a Wake.

Mr. Wake was the successful suitor of Maria. Austen manipulates his name to convey amusement at the lady's lowered standards and her advancing age, all while shinning light on a very real and troubling concern for unmarried ladies, is absolutely superb. Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas come vividly to mind.

The next, composed for Mary Loyd and enclosed with the housewife Austen made for her when the family moved, is the earliest piece I've included. It provides insight into Austen's qualities as a friend, for the gift could not have been nearly so valuable without the sentiments conveyed in the verse:

This little bag I hope will prove
To be not vainly made—
For, if you should a needle want
It will afford you aid.

And as we are about to part
T'will serve another end,
For when you look upon the Bag
You'll recollect your friend. 

The last poem on this page reminds me of Mr. Woodhouse and displays the ease of Austen's wit:  

'I am in a Dilemma, for want of an Emma,' 

Escaped from the Lips, of Henry Gipps- 

That always make me feel good.

Page two features a stencil design I recently used in my Valentine's Day cards and the following lines, said to be inspired by the newspaper announcement of strangers:

At Eastbourn, Mr. Gell, From being perfectly well,

Became dreadfully ill, For the love of Miss Gill.

So he said, with some sighs, I'm the slave of your iis,

Oh restore, if you please, By accepting my ees.

 

The pun is twofold, involving both the vowels differentiating the lovers' names and a play on "eyes" and "ease". Clever Miss Austen!

The next poem is one of my favorites, and I had a lot of fun working with the new church stencil I found for it:

Happy the lab'rer in his Sunday Clothes!
In light-drab coat, smart waistcoat, well-darn'd hose,
And hat upon his head, to church he goes;
As oft, with conscious pride, he downward throws
A glance upon the ample cabbage rose
That, stuck in button-hole, regales his nose,
He envies not the gayest London beaux.
In church he takes his seat among the rows,
Pays to the place the reverence he owes,
Likes best the prayers whose meaning least he knows,
Lists to the sermon in a softening doze,
And rouses joyous at the welcome close. 

The forth page is unadorned, but the poem is priceless. In the unfinished novel Sanditon, we get a strong sense of Austen's views on doctoring. This verse captures well the fine line its practitioners walked between science and quackery, illness and hypochondria:

 'I've a pain in my head'
Said the suffering Beckford;
To her Doctor so dread.
'Oh! What shall I take for't?'

Said this Doctor so dread
Whose name it was Newnham.
'For this pain in your head
Ah! What can you do Ma'am?'

Said Miss Beckford, 'Suppose
If you think there's no risk,
I take a good Dose
Of calomel brisk.'--

'What a praise worthy Notion.'
Replied Mr. Newnham.
'You shall have such a potion
And so will I too Ma'am.' 

Calomel is mercury chloride. It was commonly used as a purgative. Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Next comes "Poor Brag". Brag and Speculation were both round card games, meaning they could involve more than four players, unlike Whist, which required two sets of partners (think Bridge). This poem was written while spending the holidays at Godmersham Park, the home of Jane's brother, Edward Austen Knight. I love how she personifies the games:

'Alas! poor Brag, thou boastful Game!-What now avails thine empty name?
Where now thy more distinguished fame?-My day is o'er, and Thine the same,
For thou, like me, art thrown aside, At Godmersham, this Christmas Tide;
And now across the Table wide, Each Game, save Brag or Spec. is tried.'-
Such is the mild Ejaculation, Of tender-hearted Speculation.-

The final poem is Austen's second ode to cambric (yes. she wrote two), which may or may not, like it's predecessor, have been composed for Miss Catherine Bigg (though I think it was), six years after Austen broke a very brief engagement to her brother. Cambric is a finely woven fabric, made of linen or cotton, and was commonly used for linens and needlework. Whoever was the recipient of this particular bundle, they apparently intended to use it for handkercheifs:

Cambrick! Thou'st been to me a good,
And I would bless thee if I could.
Go, serve thy mistress with delight,
Be small in compass, soft and white;
Enjoy thy fortune, honour'd much
To bear her name and feel her touch;
And that thy worth may last for years,
Slight be her colds, and few her tears.


And so ends my little book. I have not completely worked out how the giveaways will work, but please check back soon as I intend to announce the first no latter than Tuesday (hopefully over the weekend, time allowing). Along with a chance to be the owner of one of these lovingly constructed volumes, I will also be sharing a great deal of information about Second Glances and giving away copies of both it and First Impressions. If I get a good response to Selected Verses, I will probably produce different collections, as I had a great deal of enjoyment putting these together. Of my regard, they are assured. Have they succeeded in securing yours?

Second Glances Published!

I have been waiting for so long to make this announcement. After months of doubt and torment, Second Glances: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice Continues is finally published. Thank goodness! Of course, it's still going to be six to ten days before I actually can hold a book in my hand or give it to anyone else, and, as of this precise moment, Amazon has it listed as out of stock. Every rose has its thorn, yada yada yada.

In writing Second Glances, I tried to maintain the lighthearted tone of First Impressions while addressing criticisms that the book needed more conflict. The story focuses primarily on Kitty. Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

A year has passed since the conclusion of First Impressions, and the marriages made by the three eldest Bennet ladies are prospering. Expectations are high for the two youngest sisters to do equally well. Kitty, having excelled in school, receives an invitation to join Georgiana Darcy in her first London season, leaving Lydia to bear the burden of the classroom alone. Will the most forward Bennet tolerate such inequity? 

Kitty arrives in London prepared to be happy, but her delight is marred when she finds a most unwelcome gentleman on intimate terms with her hosts. She has met the reckless Sir James Stratton before and would like nothing more than to never encounter him again, but his acquaintance she is forced to endure. Struggling for firm footing amidst the whirlwind of London society, will Kitty be allowed to follow her heart, or will her family force her hand? Join the reimagined cast of Pride and Prejudice as they pursue happiness amidst the ongoing obstacles of life, love, and interfering relations.

As careful readers of this blog should expect, this novel has a lot of Heyer influence in it. The hero is very much in her mode, with some Henry Tilney and Frank Churchill tossed into the mix. I hope readers will like Sir James. He is the first original character I created, and I'm half in love with him myself.  

You can read the first chapters of the novel here.

In midst of my publication torments, I have recently delved into a bit of book making myself. These little homages to Jane Austen will play a part in the several giveaways of Second Glances (and a few of First Impressions) that I will offer in celebration of the book's release. Check back soon to learn more!