Anne: Hello readers of Austenesque Reviews. My dear cousin Georgiana and I are here at the express request of Mary Simonsen to introduce you to her latest published novel, Mr. Darcy’s Bite.
Georgiana: Because Mrs. Simonsen is much in demand these days promoting her novel and preparing for her journey to the JASNA AGM meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, she has asked us if we could visit Austenesque Reviews in her place. And since we are so well acquainted with this story, we jumped at the opportunity to be of assistance to its wonderful authoress.
Anne: Georgiana and I have been on pins and needles about sharing Mrs. Simonsen’s story because it reveals a Darcy family secret. Some people might refer to it as a deep, dark secret, but that is not how we look at it because we know the truth. So let us get it out into the open: Fitzwilliam Darcy is a werewolf! There, I have said it. The reason we have not shared this information in the past is because we feared for Fitzwilliam’s life if the news became widespread. But because there is now an awareness that wolves and werewolves pay an important role in keeping the population of rodents and other pests down, people are looking at these creatures of the night with a different eye, but not everyone agrees. There are still those who would wish to harm him.
Georgiana: It is such a relief that we no longer have to worry so much about Fitzwilliam when he transforms! I mean, I still do worry for his safety… but I am not as anxious as I used to be! However, I know there is still a large population of people who have never encountered a werewolf, let alone read about one. Perhaps we should explain how my brother came to be one.
Anne: Unbelievably, it was because my cousin answered the call of nature! Will and his father had been traveling from Stuttgart to Baden, and the road took them through the Black Forest. German food did not agree with Fitzwilliam and he needed to go into the woods to… Well, please use your imagination. He had been there a few minutes when he felt something brush against him. Believing it to be the foliage, he reached out to push it out of the way, and in doing so, felt something scratch him near his hip. He quickly looked about him, and what he saw terrified him. A wolf, with blazing blue eyes, was standing less than three feet away from him. Every instinct told Fitzwilliam not to move or to call out, as either might cause the animal to lunge, but no defensive action was necessary. The wolf lay down and started to whimper before turning on her back to expose her belly. It almost seemed as if she were apologizing for their encounter. But what kind of wolf did that? To his misfortune, Fitzwilliam would soon find out.
Georgiana: I’m sure many readers would be surprised to learn that my fastidious and reserved brother quite enjoys his time as a werewolf! Yes, believe it or not, but William loves being away from the social strictures and formalities of or society. Another aspect of being a werewolf that Fitzwilliam enjoys is his heightened sense of smell and sight, even in his human form. These heightened senses become most useful to William as he tries perceive how to win Elizabeth’s heart. Which isn’t so easy a task! If you recall, Elizabeth was not pleased with my brother at the start of this tale.
Anne: No, Lizzy definitely was not pleased. Fitzwilliam had been calling on her at Longbourn for six months, and there were expectations. During each visit, things went along swimmingly, but then my brother would just disappear. Lizzy was anxious and had a right to be. But my cousin had his reasons, and if you wish to know more, you ought to read Mrs. Simonsen’s Mr. Darcy’s Bite. It has love, jealousy, another lady vying for Fitzwilliam’s attention, and danger. Personally, I loved it. But then I’m in it.
Georgiana: And if Will, Elizabeth, Anne, and I are not enough of an inducement to read this book, let me just add that my rakish and scandalous cousin Lord Fitzwilliam, a favorite of many who have read The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy and A Wife for Mr. Darcy by Mrs. Simonsen, puts in an appearance in this novel as well. Readers might also be interested in meeting our Aunt Marguerite, who is perhaps a little bit more formidable than Lady Catherine, but also a little more kind.
Anne: On behalf of the Darcy family, we thank you for visiting us at Austenesque Reviews.
Georgiana: It was such a delight to be here! I do hope we shall encounter each other again sometime!
A very special thanks to Mary Simonsen for her creativity and willingness to collaborate with me and do something unique with this post! We hope you enjoyed it!!!
GIVEAWAY TIME!!! Thanks to Liz from Sourcebooks, Austenesque Reviews has two lovely copies of Mr. Darcy’s Bite to give away to you wonderful readers! (US and Canada only)
To enter this giveaway please leave a comment sharing what you love MOST about Mary Simonsen and her novels!
OR, if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a novel by Mary Simonsen, please share what intrigues you the most about Mr. Darcy’s Bites.
To protect your inbox from unwanted spam, please DON’T leave your email address. Just check back October 19th to see if you won!
This contest ends October 18th! Thanks for entering and best of luck!
The whole paranormal aspect really intrigues me about this book. I would not have thought of that angle for a Jane Austen novels but I do think that Mr. Darcy will fit this quite well. He has always seemed not just arrogant but like he has a secret. Thanks for the giveaway!
Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com
If I had not already read the book, all you had to do was mention Lord Fitzwilliam and I would have jumped all over it! 😉
After reading your wonderful blog tour, I am trying to find time to read Mr. Darcy’s Bite again-soon! It has me wanting more!
I enjoyed reading the conversation between Georgiana and Anne! Thanks, Mary
BTW, Meredith, I am not entering the giveaway! Thanks! 🙂
what i love most about MarySimondsen & her novels is that imagination to create something more on such a classic & treasured story!!!!!!
please continue to do what you do!!!
cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com
I love the idea of Darcy as a werewolf. I am intrigued by the storyline. I have followed Mary for some time. I have enjoyed her online and published. Her characters have depth and she never disappoints.
Congratulations on your release and have fun in Texas!
Thank you, Ladies, for your comments. What a nice way to start the week!
Where to begin on her books….! I love the way Mary takes a classic and puts her own unique twist to it. The same characters but a whole new ending! I love the idea of a paranormal aspect… plus the the thought of discovering Dary’s dark secret.. Sign me up, I’m there! Thank you for doing this giveaway!
Emily, What a lovely comment. Thank you so much.
Angie, My next story on Lord Fitzwilliam will definitely be his wedding night.
Mary’s books never disappoint. I love how she finds creative ways to show the budding love between D&E. Looking forward to reading the latest book! And hope you are having fun in Texas!
I have read two of Ms. Simonsen’s books. I enjoyed both of them. She had romance but without intense sex scenes. I don’t want so many intimate details. I think things left to the imagination are much better. The romance is good. She is able to tell a story about my favorite characters and keep it interesting and new at the same time. Thanks, Mary!
October is the perfect month for a paranormal romance…would love to win…Have read a few of Ms Simonsens book, really enjoyed her take on Darcy/Elizabeths romance..
Stephanie C
I’m getting a big head here. Thanks. I needed it. Thanks Colleen and Janet. I appreciate your comments.
Anne and Georgiana – two delightful ladies indeed. So nice of them to take time out of their busy day and fill in for Mary. The story of how Darcy first came into contact with a wolf is hilarious! I can’t wait to read the whole story. And I could see where escaping into the wild for a couple days a month would be fun for him. I wouldn’t mind doing that myself sometimes.
I have loved all Mary’s stories so far. She has a great sense of humor that comes through and all her characters have depth.
I love Mary’s novels. She is always very creative with her premises. I also really like her involvement of minor characters such as Anne and Georgiana. She writes my favorite version of Anne. I’m really looking forward to reading this novel.
That was a neat way to do the posting!
I like this author for the characters she creates and for the depth she gives to the existing characters. I get so engaged in the story while I am reading that I always feel bereft when the story ends.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Thank you, Monica, Nicole and Sophia. I appreciate the kind words.
I love Anne’s and Georgiana’s perspectives. Congratulations on the new release, Mary.
I’ve only read a few of Mary’s stories on fanfiction sites, but I like that she takes a different approach (for example, “The Language of the Fan”) in her methods of getting E/D together. I find her stories refreshing — they’re not the same-old, same-old. “Mr. Darcy’s Bite” intrigues me because I’d like to see what a werewolf Mr. Darcy would have to do to convince Elizabeth to marry him!
Susan R. K.
Thanks, Regina, for stopping by.
Susan, Thank you for your compliment. I really enjoyed writing The Language of the Fan.
Mary’s book are captivating for the depth of the characters and the portrayal of each individual as well as her wonderful locales. Ellie.elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
What do I love most about Mary’s novels? I think she has a unique voice in a popular genre, while staying true to Austen’s original vision. Her affection for Austen comes through on each page.
Thanks for the fun post, Meredith and Mary!
(Meredith, this is not an entry – – I was lucky enough to snag a review copy 🙂 )
I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything by Mary Simonsen yet, but Anne and Georgiana have convinced me to give paranormal JAFFF a try!
I haven’t read a book by Mary Simonsen yet, but what intrigues me the most about ‘Mr. Darcy’s Bites’ is the fact that Darcy is a werewolf. I have added this book to my TBR list.
~Megan~
lovetoread205 [at] gmail [dot] com