The Book Junkie's Reads . . .: Virtual Tour - Pamela Lynne's Austenesque Novels

A Jane Austen Inspired Novel

by Pamela Lynn

Publisher: Vanity and Pride Press eBook & Paperback

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency

Independent Publishers 2016 IPPY Award Bronze Medal for Romance

Dearest Friends:

A Jane Austen Inspired Novel

Publication Date: November 14^th 2014

From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Dearest Friends: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel . . .

I am awed. I am not sure where to start, but start I must. This was in no way your grandmother's Pride and Prejudice. This was most certainly brought into the current age of readers and what would satisfy some niggling questions in their minds as the various scene took place. There are some serious contrasting moments and characters. There were things that kept you moving forward. If you are a seriously soul deep die hard Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice fan you may take a few steps back but you would also need to stand up and give applause. This inspired novel took the good and added some spice, mischief, and jealousy to make a more intense telling of the growing love story between two of reading history most loved couple.

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The historical romance Dearest Friends retells Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as a sensual adventure that will delight a modern audience. Fitzwilliam Darcy left Hertfordshire following a friend’s betrayal, but his heart remained with Elizabeth Bennet, the impertinent beauty who captured his attention in ways no woman ever had before. When he encounters her unexpectedly in London, he realizes he can no longer live without her and begins his pursuit for her hand. When he finds that Elizabeth is not free to marry, will he again walk away or will he fight for the lady he loves? While Darcy and Elizabeth pursue their own happiness, around them friendships progress to love and infatuation leads to disappointment. Join a group of unlikely friends as they support our dear couple on their journey, each treading unique paths along the way.

"Dearest Friends is an 'excessively diverting' and enthralling Pride and Prejudice variation!"--Austenesque Reviews

"This was a wonderful read and a great 'visit' with my favorite people. Pamela Lynne brings out the best and the worst in some of these people and makes the story so much more. I highly recommend this title to any JAFF lover."--The Ardent Reader

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N

Sketching Character:

A Jane Austen Inspired Novel

Publication Date: September 25^th 2015

From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Sketching Character: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel. . .

What if what you thought was a person character just was a show that was put on for the benefit of others? How would you feel if everything you thought was true became more or less a mask easily removed?

Here in this inspired novel we find that those you love and trust with the world are not exactly what you thought and those you thought to be one way in fact were the opposite. Elizabeth finds her trust, respect, and perhaps love shattered, crushed, concealed. This was very concerning for her. It made her doubt her judgment. There was serious depth and thought put into the various scenes and the way they played out.

I loved most the stepping outside of things that Pamela Lynne did with the various characters. The expansion of some of the original scenes. The depth given to characters that did not have a large role in the original telling. I was allowed to fall in love in a new way with a new telling of an old story.

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What if a tragic event involving a beloved sister shatters Elizabeth Bennet's confidence in her ability to accurately judge a person’s character? When she leaves Longbourn for Kent, Elizabeth’s heart is full of worry for those she left behind. She carries a secret that would ruin her family if exposed and she must deceive the ones closest to her to conceal the truth. She unexpectedly encounters Mr. Darcy on her journey and his gentlemanly behavior confuses, yet comforts her. Their daily encounters in the woods surrounding Rosings soothes Elizabeth’s weathered conscience and she soon falls in love. Her doubts, along with the well-placed words of another, threaten to destroy the peace she finds in Darcy’s company and she wonders if she has again failed to correctly sketch his character. When the truth behind her deception is uncovered, will Darcy shun her as Elizabeth fears, or will his actions prove that he is the very best of men?

"Pamela Lynne is a skilled author and tells a fantastic story. Her book kept me reading and 'held me captive' until the last words on the last page."--More Agreeably Engaged"

"I really enjoyed finding this new-to-me austenesque author. I hope Pamela Lynne has more Austen Inspired Novels up her sleeve, but in the meantime I have her first book to devour."--To Read or Not To Read

"Sketching Character is a brave, intuitive, and skillfully written Pride and Prejudice variation! I appreciated the darker premise, the honest emotions and consequences, and the exquisitely beautiful romance that takes place in a most sheltered and romantic setting!"--Austenesque Reviews

"I highly recommend this title and this author! Every book I've read by Pamela Lynne has been a joy to read and re-read!"--The Ardent Reader

"Wow. Just wow. Everything this woman writes is at a level so far and above what I expect that I have no words. This was sweet, funny, tragic, and so lovely."--Author Elizabeth Adams

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N

Family Portraits:

A Dearest Friends Continuation

Publication Date: Coming Soon!

From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Family Portraits: A Dearest Friends Continuation . . .

I have to say that I had to stop reading and go back to book one (Dearest Friends). I thought I could just jump in but I loved that I went back because now I have the entire picture. A picture that I can go back to again and again. I must caution you to start from the beginning. I made the mistake but fixed it. Now I can warn you to not make that mistake. The journey that you get will be enjoyed that much more if you begin at the beginning.

I was just amazed by the depth and scope of the familial relationship. I got to see into the lives of the Bennett's as each moved on and settled in to their own live. Be it a good one or not so good. Each had to live their own lives. Of course that comes with the meddling of family (mother or sister or even cousin).

After reading the previous two books, in rather close proximity, I looked at this one as a compilation of shorts. Each new divide giving me a detailed accounting of where each family landed or direction their lives took. Some cause havoc no matter where they landed. This was a more believable direction to me. Not everyone of them could have truly lived a life that was and HEA at every turn of events.

There was heartbreaking moments. Along with heartwarming encounters. There were moments of woe and sorrow. There are things that turn you around and make you truly sit and think. Pamela Lynne has done an outstanding job making a classic blossom not just once, with Dearest Friends, or twice, with Sketching Characters, but three times rounding it all out with Family Portraits. I will keep all three on the shelf with my Jane Austen collection.

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In Dearest Friends, Pamela Lynne drew complex and interesting characters who joined Darcy and Elizabeth on their road to happily ever after. But, what happened after ‘the end’? Did Lydia survive her time at Rosings? Did Jane find fulfillment as Mrs. Bingley? Did Mary and Sebastian adhere to duty or allow their hearts to lead them? Follow the Fitzwilliams, Bennets, Gardiners and Darcys through portraits of their lives at two, five and ten years after the Darcys’ marriage. Their canvas is studded with heartbreaking loss, new beginnings and, through it all, the indelible bond of family.

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N

Author Info

Pamela Lynne grew up in the American South, surrounded by Southern Gothic works by Faulkner, O’Connor and the like. These authors helped shape her evolving mind and continue to influence everything she produces as an adult. It was a Regency-era wit from across the Atlantic, however, who seeped into her being. She often describes her developing years as “Longbourn, The White Trash Version,” and credits Jane Austen for what little sense she brought away from that time. She has met her share of Willoughbys and Wickhams, Bingleys and Tilneys, and writes about them all. Pamela currently lives among the rolling hills of Tennessee with her husband of more than a decade, three kids, two cats and one very blond dog. She is still a Marianne hoping to grow into Elinor, or Clairee from Steel Magnolias.

Author Links:

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MY INTERVIEW WITH PAMELA LYNNE

1. How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?

I received a review once that stated that my books are filled with witty dialogue and mature, thought-provoking narrative. I hope I live up to that. I would describe my writing as an updated Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. Though all my novels are set in Regency England, the themes running throughout are ones modern readers can relate to.

2. What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?

Though I am attempting to rewire my brain so that I might be more productive, I do need to be in an ‘artsy’ kind of mood when I write. What helps me get into that mindset is reading, either other authors’ works or my own, and music. My latest release, Family Portraits, was written with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, and a lot of Prince in the background.

3. Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?

Yes to all of the above. My novels are primarily character driven so getting them right is essential. I have a tendency to live with them for months before I ever put them on paper. My favorite scene in any of my books is in Dearest Friends when Mary and Sebastian have a short, seemingly meaningless conversation. It seemed I had been waiting a lifetime to get them in the same room and develop them into who they were meant to be, even though I had just begun writing a few months prior. Nothing in this book world makes me happier than when a reader says they relate to a character because those characters are what I work the hardest to create.

4. Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character? If so which one(s)?

I bond with almost all of them on some level. The ones I relate to the most are Mary and Anne from Dearest Friends and Family Portraits. Both these women have lived their lives on the periphery, with people’s perceptions of them dominating over who they actually are.

5. Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?

My next book was set aside in my mind this past year so I could finish Family Portraits. However, it has pushed through that I have gotten to know one of the main characters pretty well and I am anxious to develop him. Darcy’s cousin Fitzwilliam has a minor role in Pride and Prejudice, but in my next novel, he will shine. He is complex, honorable, and tormented over his father’s betrothal to a beautiful young woman from Hertfordshire. I am so excited!

6. Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?

I had to smile at this question because controlled is exactly how would describe all the things inside of me. Having given over to emotion too many times early in my life, I have learned to compartmentalize pretty much everything and keep a tight lid on the things that could otherwise rule over sense. When I write, those lids come off, and I am able to work through things in a safe space. So, what has become uncountable is the need to write and express what would normally lay dormant.

7. I got this one from a friend. If you could have dinner with 7 fictional characters, who would they be?

I thought about this for a couple of days and kept changing my mind. I finally settled on a theme dinner—bold, loud, brassy, ‘difficult’ women. The guest list includes Shakespeare’s Beatrice and Kate, Mary Crawford, Sophy Stanton-Lacy, and Daisy Buchanan (though not bold or brassy, she could certainly be called difficult). To add balance and a calming influence, I would include Elinor Dashwood and Marmee. Now, what to serve?

8. Can you share your next creative project? If yes, can you give a few details?

My next book is another Austen variation but is a departure from what I have done before. It is a suspenseful tale of facing personal demons and rising to do what is right, in spite of the consequences. There is romance, of course, but there is also intrigue, suspense, and an escape from London. I am so excited about this one!

Thank you, Pamela,

You have shared with me much and delighted me with the reads offered. I loved travelling through your Jane Austen Inspired novels. Each brought a little something extra. It allowed for the mind to expand on the much loved classic.

Thanks again,

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Giveaway

To win a set of all three books by Pamela Lynne, please enter via the Gleam form Pamela Lynne Blog Tour

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