Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

In 1811, Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility was published on October 30th by Thomas Egerton. Jane paid for the privilege and awarded her publisher a commission on sales. She made a profit of £140 on the first edition, which sold all 750 printed copies by July 1813. A second edition was advertised in October 1813. Note the title page in the last illustration - there is no reference to Jane as the author. It simply states - By a Lady - it was not considered quite the done thing to be a lady novelist and so keeping her name a secret was preferred. On April 25th of that year she was doing the last edits to her book. I love this snippet to Cassandra in a letter sent whilst she was staying at her brother Henry's house in Sloane Street, London. If you remember, this was the brother who had married Eliza de Feuillide. Jane writes: No, indeed, I am never too busy to think of S. and S. I can no more forget it than a mother can forget her sucking child; and I am much obliged...

It's always lovely to go visiting places associated with Jane - what a brilliant idea to turn a hobby you love into an activity that will give others pleasure too. I'm very tempted by the tours offered on the P&P Tours website, and now their newsletter is tempting me even more. Why not give a P&P Tours voucher as the perfect Christmas gift? Delivered in gift vellum with a letter from Jane herself and tied with ribbon, each comes with a complimentary upgrade to a Darcy, or Lady Catherine package - or an equivalent superior on our other tours. Redeemable until December 2012. Priced from £25 up to as much as you like! There's even a chance to win £100 off the next tour! Visit the website and e-mail for a subscription to the newsletter for more details. Never mind the P&P tour, I'd love to go on the Sense and Sensibility tour! Do you think if I drop enough hints, the lovely ladies Helen Wilkinson and Maddy Hall who run these splendid tours might invite me a...

I've been having a lovely time visiting the blogs of Lori Hedgpeth Psychotic State blogspot and Mandi Schreiner Smexy Books Click the links above to read their interviews!

Thank you to Barbara, Bella, and Mandi, who have taken the time to read and review Willoughby's Return on their blogs. I'm looking forward to their interviews! Everything Victorian and More... In this new sequel to Sense and Sensibility, Ms. Odiwe has captured Jane Austen's style with ease and eloquence, making this book a rare reading delight. A Bibliophile's Bookshelf I openly admit that I’m a Pride and Prejudice fan. I know Pride and Prejudice inside out, and it is one of my most beloved books in my bookcase. Having said that I do have a soft spot for Jane Austen’s other novels, and in particular to the tale of Sense and Sensibility. Of all of Jane Austen’s heroine’s Elinor Dashwood is right up there alongside Eliza Bennet as one of my favorites. Imagine my delight when I was asked to review an upcoming sequel to Sense and Sensibility called Willoughby’s Return by the lovely Jane Odiwe. A chance to dive back into the sweet story of Sense and Sensibility, with the ...

My author copies have arrived! I can't tell you how exciting it is when the box of books arrives - so much more thrilling because they have travelled 3963 miles to get here. I love the look of the book, it sounds silly, I know, but I can't stop stroking the cover - Sourcebooks have the most wonderful book designers. Thank you, Brenden Hitt, for an amazing cover, I couldn't have imagined anything as fabulous. Thank you very much to everyone at Sourcebooks - Dominique Raccah, Deb Werksman, Danielle Jackson, and to everyone else who has worked so hard to realise another of my dreams of seeing my work in print. It's always very strange to think as I sit in my little room, here in England, sending files through the internet to America on the other side of the world, that they will be turned into a book that I can hold in my hands. My Sourcebooks publisher, Dominique Raccah, invited me and some of the othor Sourcebooks authors to dinner at the Reform Club last week. It was a ...

There's a review up on Everything Victorian and More... for Willoughby's Return. I shall be interviewed by Barbara on November 3rd, so I hope to see you there!

Follow this link for a real treat! Mr Willoughby reads Persuasion

Last night Monica Fairview (The Other Mr Darcy) and I went to the book launch of Dancing with Mr Darcy. If you haven't heard about this book before it's a selection of short stories inspired by Chawton and connections to Jane Austen. What is really worthwhile, I think, is that the proceeds of the book go back into Chawton House, which I'm sure you know was rescued, restored and turned into a library, which collects women's literature from 1600 - 1830 by the fabulous lady Sandy Lerner. The book started as a competition where anyone who felt inspired could submit their short story with a chance of being published. I've bought the book, and very good it is too - it was lovely to meet some of the authors - I now have a signed copy! We thought you'd enjoy seeing the pictures as so many of you who visit my blog live so far away. I'm always fascinated by the number of different countries that visitors to my blog come from - UK, America, Sweden, Italy, France, B...

There are just fifteen days left before Willoughby's Return comes out on November 1st. It's an exciting time, but two weeks seems such a very long time at this point. The cover picture is now up on Amazon - hopefully, my author copies will be arriving soon! Seeing the book cover go up on the internet is wonderful but nothing compares to getting your hands on a real copy. I am going to be doing a blog tour - Here are some of the blogs I shall be visiting - I'm looking forward to it all very much. Jane Austen's World Smexy Books Book Nerd Extraordinaire Everything Victorian Savvy, Verse and Wit A Bibliophile's Bookshelf The Bookworm Blogspot Books Like Breathing Fresh Fiction I'm going to be doing interviews and 'talking' about the inspiration behind the book, as well as my artwork, which I must admit has been a little neglected of late. In celebration of the publication there will be some new paintings, some fun stuff, quizzes and the like, as well as p...

Pictures from Lacock - the pretty, typically English village that has been used so many times in Jane Austen adaptations. I thought I'd show you some of the less familiar scenes away from the main street. Lacock has been used in many BBC productions and films - when I visited, the locals in the teashop told me about their experiences as extras which sounded great fun! Lacock was used in the lovely 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice for the town of Meryton. Here's how Jane Austen first introduces Meryton. The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner's shop just over the way. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions; their minds were more vacant than their sisters', and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse t...

I love going to Bath as you've probably gathered if you read my blog - it's a bit like Jane Austen fairyland for me. From the minute you see the signs on the motorway and make the turning onto the winding, leafy road which descends into Bath itself, I always feel as if I've left the real world and made my escape! Part of the pleasure is the feeling that you are going back in time as you travel past the Tollgate tea shop, which is always busy at any time of day, Dyrham Park, a lovely 17th century Baroque house, and little villages, no more than a few houses each with tantalising names like Pennsylvania - yes, really! This top photo shows a view looking toward the Cross Bath - the view from the other end was used in the filming of Persuasion. There is something so elegant about the line of columns - so pleasing to the eye! I don't think there is anywhere else in England where there are so many examples of Georgian houses and buildings all in one place. Although I've ...

Here I am at Uppercross - at least, the location where they filmed the 1995 and 2008 adaptations of Persuasion. If you remember, the Musgrove family live here and in the book there are some hilarious moments as Anne finds herself party to all the complaints from everyone who wishes to take her into their confidence! I must admit the 1995 version is my favourite of all the adaptations, I think because it is so true to the book. All the actors did a wonderful job - Amanda Root is perfect as Anne Elliot and Ciaran Hinds her perfect complement as Captain Frederick Wentworth (swoon!) But there are memorable performances from a delightful cast who give me huge pleasure every time I watch this BBC classic. From Jane Austen's wonderful book, I have selected two extracts for your delight:- Chapter 6 Anne had not wanted this visit to Uppercross, to learn that a removal from one set of people to another, though at a distance of only three miles, will often include a total change of conversa...