Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

An event not to be missed! I was contacted recently by Caroline Jane Knight who wrote to tell me of a new Literacy Foundation she is setting up in her 'Great Aunt Jane's' name. She is hoping to raise money to fund projects across the world, and is inviting everyone to the launch of this amazing foundation in Oxford. The event will take place on 16th April, at Holywell Music Room, Wadham College, Oxford University , Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PN from 10.30 to 12.30. This is such a worthwhile and incredibly exciting venture - one I shall be supporting wholeheartedly! For more details see below, and for tickets log onto  www.eventbrite.co.uk   You can also follow on Facebook.com/janeaustenlf

Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating over at Austen Variations with some writing - excerpts from our books and a poem by Diana Birchall, plus there are links to authors' websites for their special contributions! Here's an excerpt from Project Darcy which follows on from my piece at Austen Variations - I hope you enjoy it. Jane Austen and her friend, Tom Lefroy, are falling in love at the Manydown Ball! My spirits were dancing in silent rapture just as much as my feet when Tom escorted me to the dance floor. I think something of the joy we felt on the occasion pervaded the whole room like the fragrance lingering on the air as the atmosphere lightened. There was laughter and movement and flurries of white muslin as dashing young men spun their partners round, satin slippers kicking up the chalk. As the musicians played faster the handclaps and boot stomping grew louder. Everywhere looked a blaze of colour and sparkle under glittering chandeli...

I'm thrilled with this review from Laura Gerold of Laura's Reviews!  I read Project Darcy right before Christmas and it was a perfect book to read at that time of year.    Author Jane Odiwe is also a wonderful artist and I loved her illustration of an old-fashioned house in winter in a small circle on the cover.  Looking at that picture whenever I picked up the book, I found it southing and put me in the mood for the novel.  I wish I could actually get more copies of her artwork.  I need to look into this! Project Darcy is a time travels with Jane Austen novel. Ellie Bentley joins an archaeological dig at the childhood home (Steventon rectory) of Jane Austen for the summer while in college.   This isn’t really how she wanted to spend the summer, but her good friend Jess has survived cancer and this dig is one of her dreams.  Together with their other friends, Martha, Cara, and Liberty, they travel ...