Bookspotting: Jane Austen's First Love, Blog Tour and Giveaway

I just want to direct the novel-consuming readers out there to the attention of a new Jane Austen inspired novel that may be of interest: Syrie James’ latest book, Jane Austen’s First Love.  Little is known about Austen's  love-interest, Edward Taylor, who may have inspired some of her admired male protagonists, however James has unearthed some new information about him in the process of writing her book.  From the publishers:

In the summer of 1791, fifteen-year-old Miss Jane Austen is determined to accomplish three things: to do something useful, write something worthy, and fall madly in love. While visiting at Goodnestone Park in Kent for a month of festivities in honor of her brother's engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bridges, Jane meets the boy-next-door—the wealthy, worldly, and devilishly handsome Edward Taylor, heir to Bifrons Park, and hopefully her heart! Like many of Jane’s future heroes and heroines, she soon realizes that there are obstacles—social, financial, and otherwise—blocking her path to love and marriage, one of them personified by her beautiful and sweet tempered rival, Charlotte Payler.

Unsure of her own budding romance, but confident in her powers of observation, Jane distracts herself by attempting to maneuver the affections of three other young couples. But when her well-intentioned matchmaking efforts turn into blundering misalliance, Jane must choose between following her own happily-ever-after, or repairing those relationships which, based on erroneous first impressions, she has misaligned.

The book has been receiving great reviews and is currently making the rounds on its blog tour.  There is also an amazing giveaway where you can get all sorts of Austen prizes just by leaving a comment here or on other stops along the tour.  

In the meantime we are lucky enough to have an excerpt from the book on a subject close to my heart: hair powdering:

It is June 1791, and Jane Austen is at Goodnestone Park in Kent visiting the Bridges family. Jane, age fifteen, is not yet “out,” but her mother has allowed her to attend her first ball that evening to celebrate her brother’s engagement to Elizabeth Bridges. Jane is all dressed in her best gown and filled with excitement, her only regret that her mother will not allow her to powder her hair, as her older sister Cassandra and the preponderance of the company is expected to do.

As I emerged into the passage, Louisa and Harriot appeared, attired in their new gowns, their hair elegantly styled with supplementary hair pieces, and fully powdered in bluish gray—the very image of all the fashionable ladies of the age whom I had so long admired.

I had never seen girls so young attired in such a manner except in old paintings, and the picture they presented was very striking. The young girls skipped up to me.

“Do not we look magnificent?” cried Harriot, beaming, as she paused to twirl in all her finery.

“You both look fit to be presented to the queen,” replied I sincerely, to which the girls broke out into giggles and ran off.

I stood still for half a minute, steeped in misery, listening to the laughter from behind the closed doors along the passage, wherein the other young ladies were dressing. Lining the corridor were various ancestral pictures of regal men and ladies, all of them wearing wigs or with powdered hair. I yearned with all my heart to look just like them. My melancholy and despair grew to such a height, that I could no longer bear it. Tears started in my eyes; and, sobbing, I ran down the hall to the bedroom which I knew to be newly occupied by my mother. I rapped urgently on the door, identifying myself; she bid me to come in.

“What is the matter, Jane?” exclaimed my mother from the chair where she was reading. She was fully dressed in her best russet gown and white fichu, her curly hair already powdered beneath her white cap. “What do these tears signify?”

“Oh! Mamma! You cannot mean to humiliate me like this!” I flew to her side and knelt before her, taking one of her hands in mine, as my tears flowed.

She set down her book. “How have I humiliated you?”

In between sobs, I told her about Louisa and Harriot. My mother looked surprised.

“I have wanted this for such a long time, Mamma. It is my only opportunity to feel what it is to be truly grown-up. Will not you consider and relent? Otherwise, I am to be the only person at the ball to-night with natural hair! I will be laughed at!”

My mother was silent for a moment; then she patted my back distractedly. “Well, well, we cannot have that, can we? We are not at Steventon now. If those are the rules of this house—if little Harriot Bridges, at age ten, is to have powdered hair—well!”

I glanced up at her, hope rising. “Do you mean—”

“I have been here but a few hours, Jane, but already I have sized up Lady Bridges. That woman has her nose so high up in the air, it is a wonder she can take a step without falling on her face! We cannot have her looking down on us! Why, her daughters are all so beautiful and accomplished, nobody else’s daughters can hope to hold a candle to them! Even her strawberries are the best in the land, or so she claims, and her precious roses won a prize at some fair or other; well! My own roses are equally as fine, I assure you, for all that they have not been judged and won ribbons! You are a young lady now, Jane! Even if you are not yet out, we cannot have Lady Bridges or any of her ilk looking at you like a child!”

“Oh! Thank you, Mamma!” I threw my arms around her, so filled with relief and happiness that I thought I might burst.

“There, there, Jane,” said my mother, “you will ruin my ensemble. Now dry your tears, and go get your hair powdered. Mind you, this indulgence will apply this one night only.”

“I understand.”

“One thing further: remember what I said, you are not to dance to-night with any strange men, only your brothers or your cousins.”

“Only brothers and cousins?” cried I, distressed once again. “But Mamma, there are but a handful of young men who meet that description! I have been here some days already. I have become good friends with some of the Bridgeses’s friends, and in particular with their cousin, Edward Taylor. He is a remarkable young man, Mamma. I would give anything to dance with him.”

“Edward Taylor?” She pursed her lips. “Is he the young man just come back from abroad, who is heir to that big house down the road, what is it called?”

“Bifrons. Yes. That is he.”

“Well, Lady Bridges has her cap in a twist about that young gentleman; she seems to perceive anyone who is musical, well-educated, or well-travelled as a threat to her own precious progeny. Let us give her something else to fret about, Jane! He is, in any case, soon to be our cousin through marriage, is not he? You have my permission, my dear; you may dance with him—and I suppose with anyone else you call a friend. But I still say: no strangers.”

“Thank you!” cried I again, kissing her cheek with relief; and I flew from the chamber.

I returned to my own room, where the scent of lavender hung heavy in the air, and I found that my sister had been transformed into a regal beauty.

“You look stunning,” cried I, and without pausing added, “and you will never guess what has happened! Mamma has just given her consent for me to powder my hair! And to dance with any friends I like!”

“Has she?” replied Cassandra. “I am happy for you, Jane.”

“Well done, miss,” said Sally, beaming.

I resumed my seat at the dressing-table, my heart drumming with anticipation, as Sally covered my shoulders and upper body with a protective drape; she then applied pomatum to my hair, and liberally added the fragrant, bluish gray starch with a puff. Very quickly, powder filled the air and got up my nose and into my mouth, causing me to choke and sneeze. When she had finished and removed the drape, I was so enveloped by the flowery aroma, I felt slightly ill.

Cassandra, who had been watching from a chair by the hearth, said:

“There, you have achieved your goal. Are you content?”

“I am not sure.” Coughing and brushing off the excess powder from my gown, I added, “I did not realise it was such a messy business.”

“I tried to tell you.” She smiled. “You look very elegant, Jane.”

“Do I?” Turning and glancing in the mirror again, I viewed my reflection with a start. “I hope so. For in truth, I do not recognise myself.”

Jane Austen's First Love is out now where all good books are sold.

Book Givaway: How to Create the Perfect Wife

I hope you are feeling lucky because it is time for a long-awaited book giveaway, and what a fabulous giveaway it is!

Wendy Moore, author of The Knife Man, and one of my personal recommended reads, Wedlock, the biography of Mary Eleanor Bowes has just finished her newest book, How to Create the Perfect Wife:

This is the story of how Thomas Day, a young man of means, decided he could never marry a woman with brains, spirit or fortune. Instead, he adopted two orphan girls from a Foundling Hospital, and set about educating them to become the meek, docile women he considered marriage material.
Unsurprisingly, Day's marriage plans did not run smoothly. Having returned one orphan early on, his girl of choice, Sabrina Sidney, would also fall foul of the experiment. From then on, she led a difficult life, inhabiting a curious half-world - an ex-orphan, and not quite a ward; a governess, and not quite a fiancée. But Sabrina also ended up figuring in the life of scientists and luminaries as disparate as Erasmus Darwin and Joseph Priestley, as well as that pioneering generation of women writers who included Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth and Anna Seward.

In HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT WIFE, Wendy has found a story that echoes her concerns about women's historic powerlessness, and captures a moment when ideas of human development and childraising underwent radical change.

That Thomas Day sounds like a real catch, doesn't he?
Anyone who would like a chance to win a hardcover copy of How to Create the Perfect Wife only needs to leave a comment on this post by May 8.  Winners shall be announced the following day.  Good luck!

The Small(ish) Print:
This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses in North America and Europe. The winner will be drawn at random and is responsible for emailing me back within the week with their mailing address so don't forget to check back!

Boook Giveaway: Radicals and Royalists

The lovely Emily Jacobs wrote to tell me of her newest book, Radicals & Royalists which is now available from Amazon.  Needless to say, it sounds like something many of you bookworms would be interested in:

After a childhood spent learning about abolition, self-government, and the rights of humankind, Lydia Jameson is now an independent-minded young woman who hopes to change the world. As Britain and France wage war over tradition and revolution in 1793, Lydia works with her widowed father Nicholas, operating a bookshop and printing business in Portsmouth, England. Although they live in relative safety, their disdain for the status quo carries the constant risk of arrest. When Lydia's best friend marries a naval officer--against her advice--she must suffer the company of Tories in uniform who consider her a treasonous rebel. Lydia soon finds herself immersed in romance, political conflict, and family drama, as she begins to learn that not all officers are created equal.

Emily has been kind enough to agree to let one reader win a copy of this exciting Georgian tale (so you can read about it and gush all about it to us).  I myself, will be living vicariously through you since, reading for pleasure seems to be a long-lost dream le sigh.

The Rules:
Just leave a comment on this post to be eligible and I will pick out a name at random and announce the winner on June 11.  The winner is then responsible for emailing me back within the week with their mailing address- Sorry, for this giveaway the winner must having a mailing address in the US or Canada.  Good luck!

Finally! An Illustrated Evelina for the Modern Reader

Not too long ago I was bemoaning the fact that it was difficult to come by a hard copy of Fanny Burney's Evelina, particularly one with the fabulous illustrations of Hugh Thomson.  As if reading my mind, Laura at GirleBooks somehow managed to get her hands on the Thomson illustrations and update the GirleBooks version of Evelina into an illustrated edition of the tale.

For those who can't resist having a bit of artwork to accompany a good book I would highly recommend you checking out this deal of an ebook which is a mere $1.  I got a sneak peek of the book and it is quite lovely; keeping the tradition of captioned illustration plates in classic literature.

GirleBook's Evelina Illustrated

Books For Sale

Ladies and Gents,

There are catladies and bookladies.  Both collect something until their house is overrun with it, and the only solution is to send those things out to better, more loving homes.  I am a booklady.  My shelf is overrun and I sadly have to give up some books in anticipation of a move to come later in the year.  But I hate the thought of trading them in to my local Book Barn without giving you readers a look through them first.  That way, I would know they'd be going to a good home!

Most of these books are barely broken into (by me at least) and some I received as gifts or promotional items (for those I only charge shipping).  The prices listed include shipping within the US; for overseas orders I will have to tack on a couple extra dollars.  If you are interested in any of the books (or have questions about them) please email me at GeorgianaGossip@gmail.com and make sure you have a valid paypal account.

Up for grabs (in a wonky layout)

$6

Audiobook, $7

$3

$3

$4

$3, Please note, different cover

Also,
English Painting by R. H. Wilenski (a very old, fat book) $7

Bookspotting: Mistress of My Fate

Some of you may be well aware of my love for Hallie Rubenhold's biography on the scandalous Lady Worsley, Lady Worsley's Whim (The Lady in Red, in the US) which I just couldn't put down.  Fans of Rubenhold's work and historical fiction lovers alike should be pleased to know that Ms Rubenhold has taken a small break from her nonfiction writing to pen a novel set in our favorite century, Mistress of My Fate: The Confessions of Henrietta Lightfoot.  Says the author:

"[Mistress of My Fate] the first in a series of French Revolutionary / Napoleonic era novels which features the adventures of Henrietta Lightfoot, accidental courtesan, card sharp, actress - and later - spy, governess and art forger as she winds her way through a Europe in upheaval."

Accidental courtesan and spy? No, that doesn't sound like something this group of polite readers would enjoy at all! To further whet your appetite the book has a fun website that has 18th century recipes, beauty tips, and a quiz to find out what kind of courtesan of the time you would be. 

What has my curiosity going is that some of our favorite tart-ish friends make appearances in the book.  From my examinations of the website, Lady Lade and Gertrude Mahon are characters that appear in the book, and given Ms Rubenhold's excellent grip on the century, I am sure she will paint a fabulous portrayal of these most colorful and interesting women of the time.

Mistress of My Fate is now available to UK readers, but never-fear US readers, this tartly tale is due to hhit shelves next year.

Hugh Thomson, Victorian Illustrator of Evelina

Not too long ago I was looking for a proper hardcover copy of Evelina. My, are they hard to come by!  I found the perfect one, it just happens to be a rare copy, difficult to come by.  It was also published in 1903.

The illustrations are done by the talented Hugh Thomson who was no stranger to Austen's work.  It's difficult to find the illustrations online but here are a few that I have come across.

Eugenie, or Men Suck

Before Pierre Beaumarchais wrote his most famous play, The Barber of Seville, centering around the famous character of Figaro and his antics, he had created a play of almost equal popularity with a female lead.  The play, Eugenie and centered on the popular 18th century theme of a moralistic woman battling against an immoral world.

Wales must have been considered the country of naive country girls in the Georgian age.  Georgiana's heroine from The Sylph, Julia, and Eugenie both share a commonality of being from Wales and getting mixed up with rakes.  In the play, Eugenie has secretly married the Earl of Claredon and is pregnant with his child.  She leaves Wales to visit him in London and is perplexed when he is a difficult man to get in contact with, despite her husband's knowledge of her visit.  What Eugenie doesn't know is that her wedding to the Earl was staged and that he is in the midst of planning his upcoming nuptials to the daughter of the Duke of Winchester (doesn't that sound like a grand family).  The result of this mess is webs of lies, duels, and risks of estrangement from fathers culminating in Eungenie's near death from the Earl's betrayal.

When the play first premiered it was a bit long-winded, creating a few yawns in the audience.  Baumarchais and the cast noted this and then quickly made alterations so the play wouldn't be as long which did the trick.  Instant success!  Although the play took place in England it took a while to adapt to English due to Baumarchais messing up many facts about British culture that certainly would set English audiences talking during the play.  It was Elizabeth Griffith who managed to create an adaption for the play in 1769, renaming it The School for Rakes.

If you would like to read Eugenie, a new translation has just hit the shelves of Amazon.  Talia Felix, whose amazingly illustrated version of Fanny Hill I enjoyed, put together this new edition of Eugenie.  If there aren't enough rakes or rakish antics in your life you might just have to check this play out!

Amanda Foreman's New Book, Different Century but Perhaps Just as Interesting

More than ten years after her breakthrough biography, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, Amanda Foreman is celebrating the release of her new book this week.

Ever since Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire hit shelves in 1998, Foreman has received rightfully deserved acclaim and has lent her pen to numerous forewords and historical research.  The year 2008 saw her research become transformed into a movie, The Duchess which sent the historian on whirlwind trip of red carpets and press tours.  Somehow, between all these demanding projects Foreman managed to write her meticulously researched new book, A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided which tells the story of Britain's role in the American Civil War from politics to individual Englishmen fighting on either side.

Fans of the colorful Duchess' biography may be confused by the subject matter which is so different from Foreman's first book.  But the answer, I believe, lies in Foreman's background.  When she originally enrolled in Oxford for her PhD, her original dissertation idea, before she became smitten with Georgiana's story, had to do with the abolition of slavery.  Foreman herself has both English and American roots; being born in London, raised in the US and then receiving schooling in both England and the US.  Knowing this, it only seems natural that Foreman would take on this little-known, yet interesting topic.

A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided is out now in the UK and won't make it to the States until next summer.  Tonight is the launch party for the book which is appropriately being held at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador to the Court of St James.  Wouldn't you just love to crash that party?


Guardian: A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided by Amanda Foreman: review
Independant: Amanda Foreman: The queen of historical biography
Telegraph: A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided by Amanda Foreman: review

The Sylph Now on Amazon

Ta-da! Look what has made its way to Amazon.com and qualifies for Super Saver Shipping! It's the most fabulous edition of The Syph. Order yours today and it should arrive just in time for our first salon in the The Sylph Group Read. Haven't signed up yet? Why not! You can do that here, or wander in at any time! The audiobook will hopefully be out soon but I can't decide between readers; either Dame Judi Dench or Dame Edna, decisions, decisions!*
In other Sylph Group Read news check out Girlebooks's latest blog post on The Sylph, which contains a sneak preview! The group read even made it into the Austen Tattler.

I can't tell you how excited I am for the impending salons. It's not often I have someone to discuss my current read with so, as always, I am looking forward to the gossip.
The Sylph is now available in both print and ebook format so why don't you grab your copy today!

The Sylph on Amazon.com


Girlebooks for Free

20% off with code 95Y8NF33

*Heather wishes

A Very Special Announcement

I am extremely excited to announce the Librifiles edition of The Sylph is now available to order. This is the same edition as the Girlebooks ebook now available to download for free, but in print form for those who enjoy a good old fashioned book. I had a wonderful experience working together with the fabulous Laura of Girlebooks to put this out and was overwhelmingly flattered when she suggested distributing a print version with a introduction by myself. You can immediately begin to order The Sylph on Createspace.com now and for those Amazon.com addicts like myself, the book will soon be available to purchase there as well.

For those who are interested, especially participants in The Sylph Group Read next month this is great opportunity to get your hands on a print copy of the book that also supports humble bloggers, and more importantly, independent publishers.

Don't forget to use discount code 95Y8NF33 at checkout with CreatesSpace to get 20% off!


A Note About the Cover
Thomas Gainsborough, Elizabeth Linley (later Sheridan), ca. 1775
The portrait of Elizabeth Linley was not only selected for the beauty of both the sitter and the painting but for Elizabeth's many similarities with the main character of The Sylph, Julia. In the many images Gainsborough painted of Elizabeth, she is portrayed with her curly locks loose and a natural glow. In this portrayal of the singer, she is made up with the high hair and makeup of the latest fashions and therefore, looks slightly out of her element, and almost uncomfortable. The process of this primping process is described in detail in the book from the perspective of a girl who had lived her life in the country, unused to the extreme fashions and unable to cope with them. Julia's similar discomforts with a rake husband, a malicious high society, and leaving a loving family match those of Elizabeth Linley Sheridan's, making her portrait an appropriate selection for the book's cover.

The Harlot's Progress: New Low Price and International Shipping

For those in the Colonies just clamoring to get their paws on Peter Mottley's The Harlot's Progress: Yorkshire Molly here is your chance. While to book has yet to hit US bookshelves, and no date in sight, you can now get it shipped to you from the publisher, Carnevale Publishing for the sale price of £3.99. Together with shipping this should you run you around $15; well-worth it, if you ask me!

If you recall, I am not the biggest reader of historical fiction but I absolutely ADORED this book. I finished it in less than a week, despite lack of time, because I literally could not put it down.

To be a part of this great deal go here and click on more buying choices in the box on the right side of the page and you will see the option to get a new copy of the book from Carnevale for £3.99. And please do it too, because I am still dying to talk to someone about the book!

Implanting 18th Century Love Early-On

I know I never post anything for the kiddies; blame it on being a single gal! But I found some great 18th century books today that I know the little ones will totally be into.

Tea for Ruby by the original Fergie, Sarah Duchess of York
This girly tale, wondrously illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser, is about a little girl who can't wait to go have tea with the queen. However, others are concerned about her manners, which they hope will improve by the time she has her tea party. It takes place in modern times but Ruby's imagination as to what the tea party will look takes place in our favourite era. The illustrations make this book (just check out the fab inside!), and it's fun for both big girls and little girls. Recognize that dress by the way?

The Beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen
Transformed from the book that 12 year old Jane wrote for fun, this is an adorably illustrated version that I fell in love with when I saw it at the Morgan Library. Historian Julian McMaster wanted this book to reach more than just the Austen clan and illustrated it for our enjoyment. Cassandra is no longer Jane's sister but a little mouse whose adventures still take place in Regency England. You can get a great preview here. A perfect book for children and Janeites alike.

Magic Tree House #41: Moonlight on the Magic Flute by Mary Pope Osborne
The elementary school kiddies adore these books, and its no wonder, Mary Pope Osbourne has been writing fantasy books for kids for ages. In this book the kids are transported to the imperial Vienese court for a magical mission to look for a certain composer. I wonder if Maria Theresa makes an appearance. This would be a fabulous gift for kids just beginning to get into chapter books.

Christmas Book List

My Christmas list always consists of books, clothes, books, beauty products, and books. Before it's too late to add to your list, here are my books of 2009 recommendations for you!




The Lady in Red
Review
One of the best biographies I've had the joy to review at the Gossip Guide.

Wedlock
Review
Mary Eleanor Bowes' story is truly jaw-dropping.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies -- Deluxe Edition
Review (Regular Edition)
I was lucky enough to get my hands on this heirloom edition which had a great foreword and afterword, fabulous illustrations, and of course, 30% more zombie mayhem!

Yorkshire Molly
Review
I tend to avoid historic fiction, but this book absolutely blew my mind, it is not to be missed!

Behind Closed Doors
Review to Come Soon
I am in the middle of this book right now but am loving it! A perfect book for your Christmas list.

Coming Soon

As if Pride and Prejudice and Zombies wasn't enough, two weeks from now Quirk Books will be releasing an heirloom edition to add a certain dignity to your bookshelf. This hardcover edition contains more colour illustrations the previous did not have (and more historically accurate, I might add!). I should hopefully have more info on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Deluxe Edition in the oncoming weeks to let any fans know any gruesome details!

Also out now from Quirk is Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters which I still haven't gotten my tentacles on but am still very eager to read. Are there any readers out there who can give their review of this latest Austen monster mash?

Out Today!

...Well, yesterday. I'm a day late. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is now available. I haven't had the pleasure yet but I am sure that anyone who enjoyed the humor of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies might just enjoy Quirk's latest. I must admit, I am very curious Ben H. Winter's Austen monster adaption. I'll add it to that never-ending reading list I always talk about. In the meantime there's always the hilarious trailer: