Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!
His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen’s legendary hero. And she’s falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?
Eliza’s doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them?
Praise for Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen
O’Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief – even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best. Clever, charming and affectionate.
~Jocelyn Bury
…the reader must tenaciously read on rather than put the book down to satisfy their hunger for the story to resolve, which it does in characteristically Jane Austen fashion.
~Erin Murdock
In Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, author Sally Smith O’Rourke creates a compelling story that investigates what and who might have inspired Jane Austen. While the story line is certainly far-fetched, it is a truly unique idea, one that captivated this reader until the very last page.
~Meg Massey
Purchase
Audio Book Excerpt
Get the audio book:
Book Excerpt
In the deep
shadows at the edge of the wood, Jane waited as the moon started its descent,
casting an iridescent glow on the meadow. The tall American steered his great
horse off the road and into the soft grass. He rode straight and tall as though
he’d been born astride the animal. He was looking around, obviously in search of
her but also making sure he had not been followed. When he was within a few feet
she stepped into the moonlight.
He dismounted
and cautiously walked toward her. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.” He stopped
no more than two feet away from her, still holding Lord Nelson’s reins. He
looked handsome and vital even in Edward’s ill-fitting suit. She pushed aside
the thought and the romantic notions she’d been entertaining since receiving his
note and questioned his choice of time and place.
He apologized
and added, “I believe dawn, the sunrise, is the crucial time for me to go
back.”
“Go back?
Where?”
Darcy
hesitated, unsure how much he should reveal about his situation.
Taking his
pause as evidence that what would follow would be a carefully crafted story—a
lie—Jane was surprised when he said, "Back to... back to the place where I
fell."
She was
irritated by his evasion and certain that he knew precisely what she wanted to
know. "It is close. I will gladly show you exactly where it is... after
you tell me where you came from, why you are here and why you're behaving so
oddly."
“Miss Austen, I
really can’t explain. You wouldn’t understand.” He paused briefly. “I’m not at
all sure I do.”
Ignoring his
apologetic admission, Jane spat, “What? Because I am a woman you think me too
stupid to understand?” She turned and walked away. "Feel free to stumble around
in the dark and find the place yourself!"
Almost
panicked, he dropped Nelson’s reins and went after her. “Miss Austen… Jane,
please wait.”
Expecting yet
another insult but ready with a few of her own, she stopped and turned toward
him. But he hurled no aspersion.
“Miss Austen, I
believe you are one of the most intelligent women—in fact, one of the most
intelligent people I’ve ever met."
Cautiously she
returned and stood toe to toe, looking up at him. Her eyes glistened in the
moonlight with a combination of suspicion and curiosity, and before she could
say anything he began to tell her about her books.
“I know that
Sense and Sensibility will be published early next year and it will do
very well.”
Suspiciously
she asked, “Why would my brother tell you that?”
“He didn’t, nor
did he tell me about the one you’re working on now, First Impressions,
the story of five sisters hoping to marry well. It will be published in three
years, after you re-title it.”
His knowledge
of First Impressions, on which she was still working, caused her
curiosity to flare into anger at the reasonable assumption that he had rifled
through her personal papers when he was alone in her room feigning his head
injury.
Before she had
the chance to throw any well-deserved invectives at him he told her about
another book. “Mansfield Park. It will be considered your masterpiece by
many people although, Pri—” He cleared his throat. “First Impressions
will be the most popular, then and now.”
Mansfield
Park was but an idea in her head, she had not yet put pen to paper. How did
he know? Jane accused him of madness as she took a few steps backward away from
him.
Afraid she
might bolt before he got the information he needed, he grabbed her arm. She
tried to pull away but he held firm, “Jane, please…”
What had she
been thinking meeting this mercurial and possibly dangerous man in the middle of
the night?
Overwhelmed
with guilt at having caused the fear he saw on her face, Darcy released her.
“I’m sorry.”
Suppressing the
fear she said, “I have no idea how you know so much of my past but you cannot
know what my future holds. No one can tell the future!”
Quietly, he
said, "Yes... and that is my secret... it's all in the past for me." Sadly he
looked away, then directly into her eyes. She saw the truth reflected there as
he said, “This is the past for me. I came from the future.”
Author Sally Smith O'Rourke
Sally Smith O’Rourke is a surgical scrub nurse at the City of Hope national cancer research hospital in Duarte, California and resides in the near-by Victorian village of Monrovia.
With her late husband, author Michael O’Rourke (aka F.M. O’Rourke) Smith O’Rourke owned and operated a medical advertising company where she used her diverse talents to produce and co-write teaching films and videos. Working not only with major medical and surgical manufacturing companies but also network television. These endeavors ultimately led to a collaboration on two feature films (direct to video) and three published novels.
The wife and husband writing team of Sally Smith and Michael O’Rourke, being long-time fans of Jane Austen, wrote The Man Who Loved Jane Austen released by Kensington Books in 2006. Kensington followed that very successful effort with The Maidenstone Lighthouse in 2007 and Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage in 2009, both also collaborative projects by Smith and O’Rourke. Published after her partner and spouse’s untimely death in 2001, the publisher chose not to use the names Michael O’Rourke and Sally Smith (as the manuscripts were presented), releasing all three books under Sally Smith O’Rourke. Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is Sally Smith O’Rourke’s first solo novel.
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/27/13
Sharon x
http://www.beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com
The Facebook one has a blocked link, thus could not friend or like her!
ReplyDeleteThanks I'll pass that on xx
ReplyDeletehow does one enter this giveaway?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteif it's via Rafflecopter, there isn't one........
Seems to be working ok now xx Must have been a blip xx
Deleteyolanda DAVIS; I LOVE TO READ, BRING ON MORE BOOKS
DeleteNice! I must read this book! :)
ReplyDelete