Hello readers! We have an extra-special treat for you today on Austenesque Reviews. Susan Adriani, author of The Truth About Mr. Darcy – a Pride and Prejudice variation that is a favorite of many, is touring the blogsphere and celebrating her second release Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley! If you haven’t heard of it yet – Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley is a paranormal novella (with vampyres!) How perfect for this time of year! I hope you enjoy this preview and excerpt Susan has kindly shared with us today! (Darcy caught in a rain storm? yes, please!)
Is there any doubt that Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley was attracted to Elizabeth Bennet of 
Longbourn? I would say not. She was witty, intelligent, and vivacious, not to mention in possession of a pair of very fine eyes and a pleasing figure. But was there more to it than that?
When I wrote Darkness Falls upon Pemberley the Halloween season was approaching, and with it, the promise of every variety of spooky entity and supernatural creature emerging in full force. We all have our favorites, but mine, by far, is the vampire.
Throughout history vampires have been painted in a very passionate light. Their powers of persuasion–their often otherworldly beauty and ability to seduce–are not only instrumental in attracting their would-be victims, but in claiming them as well. Many of us have even read books where Mr. Darcy was destined to spend eternity as a vampire, but there were none I knew of that portrayed Elizabeth in such a light. I decided to have a little fun.
In an alternate universe, it could be quite plausible. After all, Darcy attempts to thwart his attraction to Elizabeth at every turn. But what would happen if he couldn’t? What if it was impossible to do so because she harbored a secret, and that secret was that she was a vampire? Resistance would be futile, and Darcy would be powerless against her, no matter his staunch resolve to do otherwise. Perhaps he might even harbor a secret as well?
This is the premise behind Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley. Because it’s a novella and not a novel, I decided to keep it short and sweet, and without any of the horror and gore usually associated with vampire stories. I hope you’ll enjoy it in the way I intended it: as a little bit of romantic fluff for the holiday season. (Trick or treat!)
Along with a giveaway, where one lucky winner will win an autographed copy of Darkness Falls upon Pemberley, I’ve included an excerpt, so you can have a taste of it for yourselves.
I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to Meredith for being kind enough to have me as her guest, and to all of you as well. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here with you today!
~~~
Excerpt, Chapter Three
By the time his horse was saddled and ready the rain had grown heavier, but Darcy mounted without giving the rapidly worsening weather a second thought. He flicked his reins and set off at a slow trot until he reached the crest of a nearby hill, where he took several deep, cleansing breaths. The air there was crisp and cold and helped clear some of the fog in his head, just as his journey to higher ground had led him above the fog below. With renewed focus he dug his heels into his horse’s sides, urging him onward at a punishing pace, intent on exorcising his demons, or at the very least resolved to give them a good, hard run for their money.
He knew not how long he rode, nor how far, when his mount became spooked by some unseen apparition and reared. Darcy held fast to the reins, determined to keep his seat, and after some effort managed to get the stallion under control.
His exhalation as he dismounted was harsh. After cinching the reins tightly, Darcy stroked the animal’s thick neck, murmuring words of assuagement. They did little to soothe man or beast, however, and Darcy squinted into the pouring rain, wondering whether there was real danger afoot. For the most part he was on open road, but the road was unfamiliar, flanked by several meters of hay with thick woods bordering either side. The trees within appeared dense and overgrown, littered with briars and dead brush; a veritable fortress that Darcy speculated could not be easily penetrated by humans unless they wielded torches, pitchforks, and sickles.
A loud crack of thunder sounded, resonating through the countryside, shaking the very ground beneath his feet. Lightening followed swiftly on its heels—several great, blinding flashes that set the leaden sky ablaze. Darcy’s horse tossed his head with a terrified squeal, nostrils flared and eyes wide as the freezing rain assaulted them with renewed determination.
For one wild moment, out of the corner of his eye Darcy imagined he saw an all-too-familiar set of eyes watching him intently from between the trees, as bewitching and dark as ever—as dark as the surrounding woods. But rather than lips the colour of pale rose petals on her beloved face, these lips were dyed a deep crimson; bright, and slick, and wet.
A shock of fear shot through his breast before he realized the absurdity of such a thing and shook his head, irritated and angry with himself. At last, he thought darkly, the madness has set in. Grabbing hold of his horse’s mane, Darcy jammed his foot into the stirrup and mounted, more than willing to return to the warmth of Netherfield and the devil he knew.
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Today, Susan generously brings with her ONE signed copy of Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley for me to give away to ONE lucky winner!
(isn’t this cover gorgeous?)
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for Susan!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Susan!
- This giveaway ends October 7th!
That is a beautiful cover! I love vampires, especially around this time of year 🙂 Adding to my to-read list!
Thank you, Shannon, for reading. This story isn’t your typical vampire tale and is told only from Darcy’s point of view, but it’s a romantic one. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
A perfect read for Halloween. I agree, the cover looks great!
Thank you, L.L.!
love to win as I have yet to read a Pride and Prejudice story with vampires
A captivating and unique story which would be enjoyed and appreciated.
This sounds so memorable and very special. Thanks.
I love vampires! (Well, in books – I never met any personally. Yet 😉 And mixed with P&P characters – yes please! I already know this is going to be muy romantico, because it’s Susan, and I’d love to win a copy 🙂
Yes, this is totally perfect for the holiday. I confess that romantic vampires are more my speed than scary ones. Congrats on the release of your novella, Susan.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Sounds lovely! Vampirestories are always exciting…
I am just wondering if there is a happy ending, I am a sucker (groan!!) for a Happy Ever After 🙂
haha! Good one, Ceri.
Vesper, I’d love for you to win, too. This is a nice, easy read, and definitely more on the romantic side, told from Darcy’s point of view. 😉
Thank you so much, Anne – that’s so nice of you to say!
Thank you to you, too, Ellie, for stopping by!
Monica, you are the best! (I think I’ve said that before, though, haven’t I?) 😉 And yes, no horror, but romantic. It’s actually a little longer than what I originally shared on Austen Authors, but the content is the same, just cleaned up. I hope you approve! 🙂
Sophia, thank you again! It’s always so nice to see you, and incidentally, I love giveaways, too!
arjanne, thank you so much!
Yes, Ceri, there is definitely a happy ending. I couldn’t write a romance any other way, especially one between Darcy and Elizabeth!
For some reason, my response to Shannon and L.L. never made it, but I’d like to say thank you to you both for such lovely comments about my cover – I appreciate the time you took to say hello!
without any of the horror and gore usually associated with vampire stories.
Whew, that means I can read this without hiding under a sofa! Sounds like a fun read, Susan.
June, I’m not an angst girl, so this one is safe! I definitely prefer romance. 😉
Can’t wait to read the rest of the story!
Lora, that’s so nice of you – thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
I just love the re-telling of P&P!!!! will be putting on my list to read!!!
Thank you so much, Desiree!
Thank you for this opportunity. I hope a chance to win.
You’re very welcome, Kattia! Thank YOU for saying hello!
I like very much the vampires, and I look forward to reading it. I have been following en your web this story, Susan, and I was enjoying it so much, and I can hope to continue with it. I am sure that yes 😉
The cover is precious. I like all its colors, the composition, and the fonts used are great.
Congratulations, Susan!!!
WArmisunqu’s Austen, you are so sweet – thank you so much, not only for stopping by, but for taking the time to let me know you’d been enjoying my story. It means a lot to me!
This is such a great idea for a book! I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for the great giveaway!!
Thank you, Wendy! It’s a shorty, so it’s perfect for a nice, relaxing afternoon read. 🙂
Would love to win….always looking for new and interesting P&P stories…vampires would be perfect for Halloween…love the cover….beautiful…..would pick it up on looks alone…
That’s so nice of you to say, Stephanie – thank you so much for stopping by!
This looks like a great P&P read for October!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
What a perfect time of year for a vampire story! Although I much prefer a romantic Darcy vampire to a scary Darcy vampires 🙂 I like P&P adaptations from Darcy’s POV, so I’m eager to give this one a try. Thank you for the teaser and the giveaway opportunity.
It was my pleasure to tease, Heather. 😉 I, too prefer a romantic vampire Darcy to a scary one. I usually write from Darcy’s POV AND Elizabeth’s, so this is the first time I tried only Darcy’s – I hope you enjoy it!
Hello Susan, your excerpt seems very intriguing and the stormy atmosphere is really well described!. It´s perfect for Halloween and I like it because it´s romantic without the typical gore of vampires stories. Congratulations and thanks for the giveaway!
Hi, Teresa, and thank you! I love romance, and anyone who knows me will tell you I am not a horror gal at all. Give me a romantic Darcy any day.
PS: I love description, as my nine year old will tell you. The other day while I was working on a novel I’m writing for her she looked over my shoulder and said, “Good, Mom! That’s very good use of elaborative detail! 😉
This sounds so tempting!!!!! OK, so I’m a (closet) Twilight fan, so it WOULD appeal to me! Thanks for sharing, Meredith and Susan!
Joana, you’re in good company – I’m a closet Twilight fan, too. And now I guess I’m outted, lol! While I didn’t base this story on those vampires, I do hope you’ll enjoy it.
Really loved your book Susan & this Halloween romance spunds rather tempting too 😀
Oops, that should be Sounds, not spunds… Sorry!
Hi, Jo’s Daughter! I’m happy to be able to tempt you – and no worries. I’ve been mistyping myself all day! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
Who wouldn’t want to meet Mr. Darcy as a vampire and live happily ever after????
Who indeed, Eva? Thank you so much for stopping by!
Your The Truth About Mr. Darcy is my all time favorite re-telling of the P & P story. I have only read one other “vampire” variation; I would certainly welcome the opportunity to read yours!
Hi Regina, and thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed The Truth About Mr. Darcy so much! I can’t begin to tell you how much that means to me to hear that, but rest assured it’s a lot. 🙂 Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley is a novella, so it’s much shorter, but the writing style is still very much the same as my other work. I hope you’ll enjoy this one, too.
I love the excerpt, Susan. I would like to win the copy and read your more polished novella. Previously I read the installments on Austen Authors and fell in love with your wonderful story.
Hello to you, too, Evangeline! It’s always so nice to see you! I’m so happy that you enjoyed Darkness so much when I posted it on AuAu – thank you! The published version is much the same, except more polished, so it’s about 6,000 words or so longer. I didn’t really expand it, but worked on refining what I had already done.
Gorgeous cover! And what a fun spin on Darcy and Elizabeth – can’t wait!! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
You’re very welcome, TIffany – thank you for stopping by!
congrats & continued success to Susan!!
thank you for the giveaway!!
Hi, Cyn! Thank you so much – it’s always nice to see you!
I love your writing! I have read some of your posts as Austen Authors as well as your book “The Truth About Mr. Darcy” & loved it.
Thanks for the giveaway!
crystal_dark[at]att[dot]net
Chelsea, I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my writing – thank you so much! This story is a little different than my previous novel – much shorter since it’s a novella, and told only from Darcy’s POV, but I do hope you like it just as much.
I think it’s a sort of perfect and funny plot with Elizabeth as a vampire. I think you have the same witty style that Jane Austen had, but with a modern flair. Hugs!
Loren, thank you so much for such an incredible compliment – I’m beyond flattered! Hugs to you, too!
Hi Susan, that’s a great excerpt there, it left me hanging, wanting to read more! If I’m lucky with this giveaway I’ll definitely give the prize to my gf, she’s madly in love with everything Jane’s!
Gabriel, you sound like the perfect friend! With any luck she’ll read it to you, so you’re not left hanging any more. 😉 Thank you so much for stopping by and saying hello, and good luck in the giveaway.
I have this on my list. Since it doesn’t come in Nook form, I’m going to order the book. I’ve told Susan a couple times that she got me on this one because vampire stories are not my thing…she’s just that good. 😉
Stephanie, you’re so nice – thank you so much! What you read on Austen Authors is very much what you’ll find in this published version, except it’s been edited and refined. The story isn’t different, so you wouldn’t be missing out on much, just so you know.
I think romantic fluff is perfect for this kind of novella!
And that’s exactly what this is, Anna! It’s nice to see you – thank you so much for stopping by and saying hello.