Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

The Kindle price of Mr. Darcy's Secret has been slashed to £1.89 here in the UK and $2.95 in the US! It's a huge saving, and if you haven't had a chance to read it, I hope you'll be tempted!   After capturing the heart of the most eligible bachelor in England, Elizabeth Bennet believes her happiness is complete-until the day she unearths a stash of anonymous, passionate love letters that may be Darcy's, and she realizes just how little she knows about the guarded, mysterious man she married...  Praise for Jane Odiwe: "Continuing a novel like Pride and Prejudice is a daring enterprise, and Jane Odiwe comes to it steeped in Austen, in all her renditions; Odiwe's sentences often glint with reflections of the great Jane..." -Historical Novel Society  "Odiwe's elegantly stylish writing is seasoned with just the right dash of tart humor. " - Booklist  "Jane Odiwe writes with such eloquence and style that you can't be he...

Free E-books from Sourcebooks on December 16 - One Day Only From Leah Hultenschmidt of Sourcebooks: December 16 is Jane Austen’s birthday and as the world’s leading Jane Austen publisher, Sourcebooks, is throwing a huge one-day-only birthday book bash. We will be offering special ebook pricing on ten of the best Austen-inspired novels – and what better pricing could there be than free? On December 16 only, the following bestselling ebooks will be available free through our retail partners (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc): Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One  by Sharon Lathan  Eliza’s Daughter  by Joan Aiken The Darcy’s & the Bingley’s  by Marsha Altman Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife  by Linda Berdoll What Would Jane Austen Do?  by Laurie Brown The Pemberley Chronicles  by Rebecca Collins The Other Mr. Darcy  by Monica Fairview Mr. Darcy’s Diary  by Amanda Grange Lydia Bennet’s Story  by Jane Odiwe Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy  by Abigail Reynolds  But the party doesn’...

I am very excited to tell you that I can now show you the cover for my new novel, Mr Darcy's Secret. I am absolutely thrilled with it, I think it's the best yet, and I hope you like it too! I love the very curvy Lizzy on the cover, set against a backdrop that could either be Derbyshire or the Lakes where most of the action takes place. Look at those gloves! York tan if I'm not mistaken, and what a gorgeous contrast they make to the beautiful, sheer muslin gown she is wearing. The whole picture is lit by the shaft of light slipping under the curtain highlighting Lizzy's skin and that enigmatic smile. Well, I'm really chuffed, as they say where I come from. Sourcebooks do the most wonderful covers in the world!

Laurel Ann from the fabulous Austenprose blog has very kindly invited me to guest blog as part of her Pride and Prejudice without Zombies Group Read. If you've not been keeping up with all the fascinating posts do head on over there - there's something of interest for all fans of Pride and Prejudice. I was thrilled when Laurel Ann asked me if I'd write about the main hero and heroine of the novel especially as I've just finished a continuation of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are perhaps Jane Austen’s most beloved characters. Pride and Prejudice was written more than two hundred years ago, yet these characters remain as fresh and irresistibly fascinating to us as they were for the first generations that read their tale, and remain the standard by which all other characters in a love story are judged. So, why do we love them so much? Jane Austen tells their story through Elizabeth’s eyes so it’s easy to identify with this heroine who is li...

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 ...

When we first meet Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility he is quickly established as Marianne Dashwood's admirer much to her dismay. At seventeen she considers the thirty five year old colonel to be past his prime: '...he is old enough to be my father; and if he were ever animated enough to be in love, must have long outlived every sensation of the kind. It is too ridiculous! When is a man to be safe from such wit, if age and infirmity will not protect him?" When dashing Mr Willoughby appears on the scene Marianne retreats from the colonel's company altogether and takes as much opportunity to ridicule him alongside her lover. Her sister Elinor values Brandon's friendship and sensible conversation, she can see how much he is attracted to Marianne and knows that with the livelier Willoughby for a rival he does not stand a chance. She warms to him even further when she discovers a little about his past. Elinor's compassion for him (Colonel Brandon) increased, ...

I've just been sent my full cover design for my new book Willoughby's Return which I love. Here is the blurb on the back cover to give you a little flavour of what is to come! Willoughby's Return will be published in November 2009 - to find out more please click here An old lover is back, determined to make trouble… In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, when Marianne Dashwood marries Colonel Brandon, she puts her heartbreak over dashing scoundrel John Willoughby behind her. Three years later, Willoughby’s return throws Marianne into a tizzy of painful memories and exquisite feelings of uncertainty. Willoughby is as charming, as roguish, and as much in love with her as ever. And the timing couldn’t be worse—with Colonel Brandon away and Willoughby determined to win her back, will Marianne find the strength to save her marriage, or will the temptation of a previous love be too powerful to resist?

Book Review from the Jane Austen Society of North America - Kelly M. McDonald Lydia Bennet's Story was reviewed alongside Carrie Bebris' novel, The Matters at Mansfield so I've extracted the relevant parts of the review which concern my book. A good opening line can instantly vitalize a novel...Jane Odiwe sets her scene exceedingly well: "The true misfortune, which besets any young lady destined for fortune and favour, is to find that she has been born into an unsuitable family." The two books share many characteristics: they grab the reader from the beginning; sustain momentum; and present work of talented authors. They likewise extract from Austen two bad boys everyone loves to hate,...and pivot their denouements upon ill-advised marriages, for ultimately these men stray from the fold. Blending narrative with diary extracts, Jane Odiwe presents Lydia in all her giddy, officer-hungry glory. Odiwe's subtle and pointed conveyance of a character's manners or...

I've just received the cover from my editor at Sourcebooks for my new book Willoughby's Return. I am absolutely thrilled, I think it's gorgeous! Thank you to the designers who have worked on it, you've done a wonderful job, I don't know how I shall manage to wait until November to hold a copy in my hands! There's more information about this book, Lydia Bennet's Story and Effusions of Fancy on my website with extracts and some of my paintings.

My friend Kathryn L Nelson is a very special guest on my blog today. Her book, Pemberley Manor, a new Sourcebooks edition, is to be released in April of 2009. Kathy tells us of her inspiration and about how she came to write her lovely book. Lord, it makes me laugh to think of it… I continue to require the services of a little pinch now and again to remind me that I’m not dreaming, that I have indeed written a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, that it has been published once, and now will be published again by Sourcebooks, all within my lifetime! When the BBC and A&E created yet another production of Pride and Prejudice in 1995, it was as if I were seeing it for the first time. I don’t know if it was my age, my condition in life, or solely the excellence of the screenplay, directing, and acting, but I was suddenly caught up in Jane Austen’s world. When I began to write the rambling story that eventually became Pemberley Manor, I was a partner in our family electrical c...

The reviews are still coming in - I am very grateful for them all. I'd like to thank Michele for this one at Reader's Respite Lydia Bennet's Story: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Odiwe Rating: 4 of 5 stars Book Source: Sourcebooks, Inc . It is my greatest desire to fall in love and catch myself a husband, yet, whilst I am truly proficient in the art of becoming enamoured, so far finding my partner in life eludes me, however vigilant I have been in the endeavor. Lydia Bennet's Story As a true Jane Austen fan, I had until recently shunned all attempted "sequels" to any of Ms. Austen's great works. Fearing disappointment, I did not want to sully what to me is the perfect novel: Pride and Prejudice. As it turns out, I need not have worried. The term "sequel," I am happy to report, has no application whatsoever to Jane Odiwe's delightful novel, Lydia Bennet's Story. The novel explores the life of Lydia, the youngest and arguably most...

It is an extraordinary thought for me to contemplate, that an idea for a book which started in my head here in High Barnet, England, and was transmitted by e-mail 'over the ether' should now be sitting on shelves in book form all over the United States. You can imagine how much a new writer wishes to see her book on a shelf in a bookshop and here it is, kindly sent by Laurel Ann of Austenprose at my cheeky request. Thank you so much Laurel Ann, I can't tell you what it means to see Lydia on a bookshelf. I only must add that I am feeling very envious of her adventure and can only hope that one day I will get the opportunity to follow her! I wanted to thank all those people who have taken the time to write to me about my book and I am absolutely thrilled to find that not only has Lydia visited the United States but several other countries too. I am very touched by all your good wishes. Also, thank you very much to the lovely, hard-working Danielle at Sourcebooks who sends ...

What excitement! When a large parcel arrived from Sourcebooks in America, I could scarcely contain myself. Seeing an image of my book is nothing to actually having the pleasure of seeing it and holding it in my hands at last. I am absolutely thrilled and I can't thank enough all the people who have worked on Lydia Bennet's Story to make my dreams come true. Thank you to the design department - I love the size of the book and the cover - the illustration and text have a gloss finish, which set against the rhubarb and custard matt finish of the rest looks really yummy! Inside, the decorations are very pretty on the chapter headings, and the whole book smells wonderful. I know that might seem a bit of a strange thing to say, but I love the smell of books, especially new ones. Thank you to everyone who worked on it, but especially to Deb Werksman for believing in me. I thought this morning we'd see if Jane is in at her home in Chawton. Let's pass by the front door and peep ...

I am really thrilled to be able to tell you that my second novel, Mrs Brandon's Invitation will be published by Sourcebooks next year. It will be coming out in September, which seems such a long time to wait to see it in print, but will fit so perfectly within the time frame of the book, that I will just have to learn to be more patient. As the title suggests, Mrs Brandon's Invitation is a sequel to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. The story principally centres around Marianne (nee Dashwood) who has been married to Colonel Brandon for three years and that of her younger sister Margaret, but most of the characters are there with a few new ones. I have so enjoyed writing this one, interweaving the stories of two heroines against the backdrops of Delaford in the Autumn, Lyme and London in winter. It was such fun to write the characters of Mrs Jennings and Lucy Ferrars, along with her sister Anne Steele. Colonel Brandon's sister, husband and son make an appearance at W...

I must admit I was really thrilled when I read this review of the Sourcebooks edition of Lydia Bennet's Story. Lydia Bennet’s one goal in life is to be the first of her sisters to marry. That dream seems to come true when dashing regimental soldier George Wickham asks her to elope with him. It takes a bit of time—and some active involvement from one of her sisters’ suitors, a certain Mr. Darcy—before Lydia and George are actually married. Soon after the wedding, though, Lydia discovers married life is not quite the round of social events, nonstop shopping, and the attention of a devoted husband that she imagined. Snippets from Lydia’s “diary” are interspersed in each chapter as Odiwe re-creates her version of what happened to the “wild” Bennet sister from Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. While Lydia’s story might be sexier than what Austen would have written, Odiwe emulates Austen’s famous wit, and manages to give Lydia a happily-ever-after ending worthy of any Regency r...

This is the new cover for Lydia Bennet's Story which is being published in October by Sourcebooks. I am absolutely thrilled with it; I think the designers have done a wonderful job. The illustration is by Brock and shows Lydia and Kitty being introduced to Mr Wickham. The following extract is from Lydia's journal when Lydia learns that her favourites are about to leave for Brighton. Saturday, May 8th My world as I know it has ended! I have received such dreadful news today that I do not think I shall ever recover! I met with Mr Wickham (who looked as handsome as ever in his scarlet coat) in the High Street in Meryton this morning, and he informed me that the regiment is leaving to be encamped at Brighton for the summer! I could not believe it, nor disguise my disappointment, and asked him what on earth we shall all do without the society of all the officers we have come to know so well. His replies were gentlemanly and thoughtful, yet he seems keen to be gone and spoke of littl...