Everyone welcome avid Austenesque reader, Carole! Carole found Austenesque Reviews in the past year and has been such a wonderful friend, supporter, and participant to all the posts I share here! I’m so happy Carole found this blog and I greatly value and appreciate her conversation!
You: Tell us about yourself
Hello, my name is Carole aka Carole in Canada. I am a happily married (to my own Mr. Darcy) mother of two (daughter and son) and ‘Gran’ of two wonderful grandchildren (grandson (3) and granddaughter (11 months) from my daughter and son-in-law). I was an executive / administrative assistant for many years working in marketing and human resources before stopping work several years after my husband retired in 2005. We moved to our current home to care for his parents in Prince Edward County in the Province of Ontario in 2007. We previously lived in the Greater Toronto Area. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful location unless it was in the Highlands of Scotland! There is nothing nicer than going out in our kayaks on the water and being so connected to nature.
Your Induction:
- When and how did you discover the Austenesque/JAFF genre? I have always been an avid and voracious reader. In my early teens I began reading Tolkien, Tolstoy’s, Jack London, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a way to escape. Then I came upon the Bronte sisters (Jane Eyre being an all-time favourite), Victoria Holt, and others who sparked my love of romance novels. I, unfortunately, didn’t get introduced to Jane Austen until I saw the 1995 A&E version of Pride & Prejudice and proceeded to devour any other movie adaptation I could find. (I am still trying to figure out how I missed out on Jane all these years!) Then I
started reading her books, and the rest they say is history.
- What was the first Austenesque novel you ever read? The first Austenesque novel was Presumption: an Entertainment by Julia Barrett in the mid- 1990’s. It was in the ‘bargain’ section at Chapters and it caught my eye! However, I never really could find another sequel/adaptation/variance after that; but I obviously didn’t look hard enough! It wasn’t until about 2008 that I found my second Austenesque novel…The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke and from there on in I have been on a mission!
- What did you think of it? I felt Presumption was well done considering I had never read an Austenesque novel before. Darcy and Elizabeth are married and it focuses on Georgiana’s growth under the influence of Elizabeth and Georgiana is trying not to ‘fall in love’ as she does not want to fall prey to another Wickham. It has been a very long time since I last read it, so I think I better read it again! This will make it my 3rd reading and that to me means it’s a keeper!
Your Habits:
- About how many Austenesque novels do you read a month? A year? I probably read at least 1-2 Austenesque novels a month now. I have to. It’s as simple as that. I need my fix like my morning coffee. I do, of course, have other favourite authors/genres like Julie Garwood (I own every one of her books), Mary Balogh, Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Lauren Willig, Susanna Kearsley, recently found Anne Perry’s (Pitt series) and Stephanie Laurens. As for how many in a year, probably 12 in the first year and that has been growing ever since!
- Around what percentage of your total reads a year are Austenesque novels? Oh dear, math…not my forte! Let me go ask my husband what he thinks because I have no idea! I’m back, we figure about 65% now.
- Where/how do you obtain the Austenesque books you read? Most I buy and a few I have been fortunate enough to win! Some I get as gifts.
- What is your favorite time of day to read? Any time of day but mostly late afternoon on.
- What is your favorite place to read? I have two favourite places…my chair in the living room in front of the fireplace and my chair on the screened-in veranda.
- What do you like to listen to when you read if anything? Usually, I like it to be quiet so I can immerse myself in my book. However, if my husband has classical music playing, it adds to the atmosphere.
- What do you like to drink or eat when you read if anything? Generally, I have a glass of water on my side table but depending on the time of day, it may be a cup of coffee (morning) or tea (late afternoon) and late evening (herbal tea). The very odd time a nice glass of wine…or maybe a Drambuie…
- Do you read more than one book at a time ever? Yes, if I have a hard time getting into a book or I am half way through and it’s not completely holding me, I will read another book. This then allows me to give the previous book a second chance. Most of the time it works.
- Do you ever read the ending of a book first? No, I like the journey.
- Do you ever reread? Absolutely.
Your Collection:
- Collectively around how many Austenesque works do you own? 147 and growing!
- Where do you store your Austenesque collection? Mostly in my barrister bookcase and in bookshelves my husband built and on my ereader. My books are on the top shelves of the white bookcases he built and the bottom two shelves on the right. The rest are mostly his non-fiction history books. My husband builds model ships as well and has a collection of 19th & 20th century swords. Our hobbies mingle quite nicely together.
- What format are most of your Austenesque books in – paperback, ebook, or audiobook? Paperback is the main format however I got an ereader for Christmas last year and have started buying ebooks by ‘new authors to me’ on it. I have never listened to an audiobook!
- How many Austenesque books are currently in your TBR at this moment? (ones you own and need to read) Four
Your Faves: This is the hard part as I have sooooo many favourites! It has taken me a long time to choose and in some cases I did put two as I couldn’t decide. Even then I wanted to keep adding…
- Pride and Prejudice Variation: Mr. Darcy’s Pledge by Monica Fairview and Impulse and Initiative by Abigail Reynolds
- Pride and Prejudice Sequel: Darcy’s Temptation by Regina Jeffers and Return to Longbourn by Shannon Winslow
- Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation: A Matter of Chance by L.L. Diamond and Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton
- Minor Character Story: Against His Will by Nancy Kelley and The Three Colonels by Jack Caldwell
- Non-Pride and Prejudice Sequel: Willoughby’s Return by Jane Odiwe
- Non-Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation: Searching for Captain Wentworth by Jane Odiwe
- Reference/Nonfiction Work: Jane Austen An Illustrated Treasury by Rebecca Dickson
- Austen-Inspired Original: The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James and The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke
- Original Character: The Passions of Dr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan
- Austenesque Genre: It’s a toss up between Variations and Sequels, mind you I do love a good mystery The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy and The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy both by Regina Jeffers are two of my favourites in that area! (I guess they could be considered sequels though)
Your Desert Island 5: You are about to be stranded on a desert island for unspecified amount of time you must select what you will bring
- Five Austenesque/Jane Austen Movies
- Pride & Prejudice 1995
- Bride & Prejudice
- Sense & Sensibility 2008
- Lost in Austen 2008
- Persuasion 1995
- Five Austenesque Books:
- A Fair Prospect (v 1-3) by Cassandra Grafton
- Brides of Pemberley Box set by Nancy Kelley
- The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins (Could Book 1-10 count as just one? L0L)
- Return to Longbourn by Shannon Winslow
- The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen
Would You Rather?:
- Have Lady Catherine or Mrs. Norris as a mother? Neither if I could help it, but Lady Catherine
would be the lessor of two evils.
- Live in Bath or live in London? Live in Bath and visit London as I do love the museums and architecture!
- Be besties with Eleanor Tilney or Georgiana Darcy? Georgiana Darcy and ride the grounds of Pemberley!
- Dance every set at a ball or go horseback riding through the countryside with friends? Horseback riding!
- Marry Edmund Bertram or Edward Ferrars? Hmmm…if he was just like Dan Stevens in the 2008 version then Edward Ferrars otherwise I’ll keep searching!
- Attend a strawberry-picking party at Donwell Abbey or attend the theatre with the Gardiners? As much as I love the architecture and grounds of Donwell Abbey, I would still choose the theartre with the Gardiners! My manners may slip where Mrs. Elton is concerned!
- Go shopping with Lydia Bennet or have tea with Mrs. Elton? Oh shopping with Lydia Bennet as I could tune her out and it would be a little more enjoyable than being in the presence of Mrs. Elton and giving her any consequence!
- Discover and read the finished manuscript (by Jane Austen) of The Watsons or Sanditon? Oh to discover and read the finished manuscript of either one would be beyond fantastic! Maybe Sanditon would be first though.
You Right Now:
- What Austenesque novel(s) are you currently reading at the moment? None! Aghast! However, I just finished Morning Light by Abigail Reynolds and what a double whammy of emotions that was! Looking forward to her next Woods Hole book! Just before that, I read Searching for Captain Wentworth and was sorry to see that one end!
- What Austenesque novels are on your wish-list? I actually have twowishlists at two separate stores and both are very lengthy – to name a few:
- Mrs. Darcy’s Diamonds by Jane Odiwe
- Darcy’s Tale (V 1-3) by Stanley Michael Hurd
- The Companion of His Future Life by Jack Caldwell
- The Subsequent Proposal by Joanna Starnes
- A Father’s Sins by J. Dawn King
- Jane Austen’s First Love by Syrie James
- Remember the Past by Maria Grace
- Haunting Mr. Darcy by KaraLynne Mackrory
- The Madness of Mr. Darcy by Alexa Adams
- What Austenesque novel do you wish someone would write? After Elizabeth and Darcy, I am partial to Kitty in Pride and Prejudice. I would love to see more stories about her growth and her HEA. I also think it would be amusing to see a story written from Mrs. Bennet’s POV!
- What do you love most about Austenesque novels? To be able to continue reading about our favourite characters in so many different scenarios but still have their HEA and to be able to give the minor characters their stories. I just never grow tired of reading them.
- Where can we find you? I may be one of the few who are not on any of the social media sites but I love to visit Austenesque Reviews and Austen Variations and comment.
I have the book Undressing Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos (in excellent condition) that I would like to pass on to another Austenesque fan…worldwide.
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
I have the book Undressing Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos (in excellent condition) that I would like to pass on to another Austenesque fan…worldwide.
Awesome, Carole!! Greatly enjoyed your thoughtful and entertaining answers to all my questions!! Thank you for taking the time to participate in this feature and share your love and admiration of Austenesque literature with us!!
To enter this giveaway, leave a question, a comment, or some love for Carole below!
- This giveaway is open to worldwide!! Thank you, Carole!
- This giveaway ends December 5th!
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Want to see some more Ardent Austenesqe Admirers? CLICK HERE!
Great post, Carole! Your descriptions are wonderful and thorough. I will make a note of the books you listed that i haven’t read yet!
Thank you Erna! I apologize for the delay in responding to everyone but I was visiting my sister in the U.S. for Thanksgiving. I do love reading the ‘Ardent Admirers’ as I too find new books to read!
I’m so flattered to have a book on your faves list, Carole! Thanks for a nice boost to my day!
You are more than welcome! I so enjoyed this story for it’s relevance to a subject that needs to be addressed as well as for the way you created a modern day Elizabeth and Darcy!
Hi Carole and Meredith.
Lovely to get to know you a bit better, Carole. The place you live in sounds wonderful. We’ve only visited Canada once, many years ago, and then it was a short trip whilst we were in the USA. We crossed the border on foot at Niagra Falls and then took the train to Toronto to visit an old University friend. Had a great time, despite the shortness of the visit.
Your Desert Island 5 movies are almost exactly the same as mine. One difference but I’ll leave that till I get my submission for this finished.
Hi Anji, I am looking forward to your post and getting to know you better too. I certainly can’t complain about where I live. It was tough deciding on my movies and I’m now curious what the one difference will be on your list.
So nice to hear your story in full. I began visiting this site less than a year ago but I noted your name frequently during that period. We have 2 grandchildren in common and also – I discovered JA after the 1995 movie came out. I did note some of your favorites as I always am looking for books to add to my list. Love this community of Ardent Austenesque Admirers to which Meredith is introducing us. My father’s family (Lambert) has many relatives in Canada but nearer to Quebec. We have visited there several times and my oldest was married in Victoria BC.
Hi Sheila, It’s certainly fun getting to know a little about everyone we post with on Meredith’s wonderful blog! It truly is amazing how much we do have in common. We must have a certain DNA make-up that we all share! Yes, the 1995 P&P movie is truly my favourite and the standard to which I judge all other movie versions.
Can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know you all are enjoying this series! 🙂 But the big thanks goes to all of YOU! You are the ones participating and making everyone feel so welcome! Thank you!
Love the dogs on your bookshelves, Carole! Am guessing: a borzoi (right) and a lurcher (left)? I had a lurcher once, and constantly felt Mr. Rochester must be right around the corner. And Mr. Darcy makes some lovely model ships!
Thank you Abigail! We had a Whippet for 14 years (he died in 2010) and the statute on the left was a gift to us. He had the same colouring too. The one on the right is a Greyhound and I got him at an auction. I would love to have a Scottish Deerhound or Irish Wolfhound and name him ‘Mr. Darcy’ but unfortunately they only live about 6-8 years and that would just break my heart. So one day in the future, we will get another Whippet as we do love the breed and maybe if I’m lucky two. I’d name them ‘Jane’ and ‘Mr. Bingley’! I will pass on your compliments to my ‘Mr. Darcy’. He is currently working on the rigging to the HMS Victory!
Nice to ‘meet’ you Carole! I had the pleasure of visiting your lovely country a few years ago and loved it. I’ve got a soft spot for Canada which started when I was young reading Anne of Green Gables.
I’m the same as you – I can’t get enough of JAFF. I’m constantly surprised that I haven’t tired of it yet!
Nice to ‘meet’ you too Brenda! Yes, Canada is a beautiful country and I haven’t seen all of it yet! There are a couple of provinces that I still need to go visit. It’s true, I can’t get enough JAFF and when I change up my reading, it’s a joy to come back to ‘Jane’!
Hi Carole, I’m Teresa from Spain. I’ve enjoyed with your words. Sorry for my ignorance but prince edward county refers to prince edward island?. In any case, how lucky you are, living in such a beautiful country like Canada 🙂
“Presumption” was too one of my first austenesque novels and I liked it very much. Your little ships are very well done and they look charming. I agree with you: I would like to see more Kitty’ s novels. See you in Austenesque Reviews!. Thanks for the giveaway and thanks Meredith for connecting us 🙂
Hola Teresa! Thank you for kind words. Actually, Prince Edward County is an island near the south east end of the province of Ontario by Lake Ontario. Prince Edward Island is on the east coast of Canada. We recently visited Prince Edward Island for the first time this past September and it is similar to where we live except they have beautiful red cliffs and red sandy beaches.
I will pass on your compliments to my husband. He has such patience for all the details! Yes, Kitty is a favourite of mine and I love to read stories where she gets to shine! Good luck on the giveaway!
Thank you for stopping by Teresa! So glad you enjoyed the post!
Nice to meet you, Carole! It was fun reading through your favorite books and reading habits. I saw some that I enjoy too, but a few that I’ll have to go look up because they’re new to me. Gorgeous shelves, btw!
Meredith, please don’t enter me in giveaway.
Hi Sophia Rose! I was encouraged by your wonderful post to do one too. It is nice to be able to see what others are reading and find new books and authors. It truly is amazing how alike we all are in our tastes. I recently was able to get a few more shelves for my books! We boxed up the ‘VHS tapes’ to make more room!
There are several books on your list I have not been able to read yet that are on my TBR list, so I’m encouraged that they are some of your favorites. Hopefully you can get to Haunting Mr Darcy soon, it was fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Colleen! With Christmas coming, I usually pick out a couple of books from my ‘wishlists’ for my husband to give to me. Since you feel ‘Haunting Mr. Darcy’ was fabulous, I will make that one of the books I get! Thank you!
Thank you for the interview, Carole and Meredith. I always love getting to know other bloggers and readers.
And thanks to Carole, I have new Austenesque books to add to my wishlist!
Yes, Lori it is great getting to know other bloggers, readers and authors! Meredith has given all of us a wonderful venue for reaching out, learning and connecting with others. Glad I could help with new Austenesque books to add to your wishlist!
Thank you, ladies! I’m so glad you enjoyed Carole’s post, Lori! Carole, thank you for being so willing to participate! I’m thrilled to host you!
Carole, I loved reading this! I think your barrister bookcase is gorgeous!!!
Thank you so much for including my story on your desert island list – I am very touched and extremely honoured when there are so many fabulous books out there. I totally understand your difficulties in choosing your favourites for each category. 😀
Searching for Captain Wentworth is also one of my faves too! And I love your 5 movie list. Much as I love the 1995 S&S, and always will, the 2008 is my preference too, and I just adore Lost in Austen! It just makes me laugh so much and has my all time favourite Mr and Mrs Bennet in it (thank goodness for someone finally casting them at an appropriate age)!!!
Another great Blog post! Super idea, Meredith. I love reading these posts from your Austenesque admirers!
Hi Cassandra! Thank you for kind words. I hope you noticed the card you sent me has pride of place in my barrister bookcase! It puts a smile on my face every morning. I hope things are going well for you and I so look forward to your next book.
Yes, I too loved the 1995 S&S movie version but the 2008 gave me just that little bit more. I was actually in Scotland when I first was introduced to ‘Lost in Austen’. Both my husband and I loved it. So once we came back from vacation, I went on the hunt to get my own copy as I did miss some episodes. Yes, Mr. and Mrs Bennet were perfectly portrayed and I felt all the characters were cast beautifully. I actually liked ‘Wickham’ in this one!
Hi Carole. I enjoyed reading your post and your bookshelves are fantastic! Loved your ‘would you rather…’ answers. The books on your TBR are excellent reads! I still have Darcy’s Tale and The Companion of His Future Life on my TBR as well. It’s been fun getting to know you better. Thank you for this series, Meredith. It’s been so much fun getting to know other JAFF readers.
Hi Deborah! I too am enjoying the ‘Ardent Admirers’ postings. It’s great to learn a little about each other and see how much we have in common through our reading. Yes, I am pretty partial to my bookshelves and I will let my husband know how much everyone likes them too! I have finally read Darcy’s Tale (V 1-3) before this got posted and would totally agree that it was excellent…another favourite added to my list! I hope Mr. Hurd will be writing more!
I now have a couple books to put on my TBR list thank you. I have said the same thing about discovering Jane Austen later in my life. Thanks for the giveaway.
You are welcome Tresha! I too love when I can add new books to my TBR list. Maybe it’s a good thing we found Jane Austen later in life. Now we have more stories continuing the lives of our favourite characters! Good luck in the giveaway!
Hi Carole, PEI has outstanding landscape from whatI saw on pictures. I have the chance to visist your country which I leave today actually. I am very impressed to see your paperback collection of books, I am thinking if oen night you can’t sleep, you have a very rich choice of books that you dwell into XD I love your book
Meredith it’s always a pleasureto read your post and to meet(read) others Janeites’ experiences thanks to you.
Hello Mariam! I hope you have a wonderful trip and that you enjoy your visit. I do love reading an actual book and collecting my favourite authors works. The e-reader though is turning out to be very handy though. I do like to go back and re-read and it’s like visiting a good friend you haven’t seen in a long time.
Thank you for the interview, Carole. It is so reassuring to know that I am not the only JAFF person in the universe! I am always surprised that many of my favorite books are also yours. Thank you for the giveaway, and this is a book that I haven’t read. Oh, to undress Mr. Darcy!!!!!
It was alot of fun to do Eva. I too was delighted to know there are others out there like me who love Jane Austen and JAFF! Good luck in the giveaway too!
I’m surprised that you are not on Facebook as I found many of Austenesque fans there. Nevertheless it is nice to see you on Austen Variations. I love the bookshelves and bookcase you have and wish I have a customed built-in shelves to store my books. Thanks for sharing some of the books you love. I’m adding a few to my wish list.
Hello Luthien84! I’ve always enjoyed your comments when reading the posts on Austen Variations and here. Personally, I am not a fan of Facebook for many reasons, but think it is a great venue for businesses. I am very fortunate in having a husband who is very handy. I will pass on your compliments! Glad I could help in adding to your wishlist!
Hi Carole, it’s lovely to hear a bit more about you, I’ve seen your comments in the past. I love all your bookshelves, and you made me smile with your desert island choices, as many boxed sets as you could!
Hi Ceri, I certainly wouldn’t be bored having those boxed sets with me! I am a rather private person so putting myself out there was a bit daunting. However, I felt comfortable with the encouragement from Meredith and the seeing how others have responded as well. It’s a very warm and inviting community. Thank you!
Hello Carole in Canada! I love your barrister book case! And you’re right your husband’s ship building hobby goes along very nicely with your Jane Austen collection! 🙂 There was so many books from your favorite and desert island lists that I thought, oh yes, I should have put that one on my list! There are just so many I would consider a favorite! LOL!
No need to enter me in the drawing, as I already have Undressing Mr. Darcy. A book I enjoyed, btw! 🙂
Hello Candy! Yes, we both like the same time period and he is a huge fan of Lord Nelson. He has already done a cross section of the HMS Victory and is currently working on a full model of the HMS Victory (now on the rigging). As for the books I selected, I found I wanted to keep adding more!
Carole, I enjoyed your wonderful post, the interesting photos, learning about your reading and life. Love Canada and Ontario. Your area is beautiful having lived in Canada many years. Best wishes.
Thank you so much Elaina. I too love Canada and Ontario, though the Highlands of Scotland have a very special place in my heart after finally getting to visit them in 2008. It had been a life long dream to go there and it exceeded my expectations.
Carole, it’s a pleasure getting to know you better and how you started with JAFF.
It’s always exciting to know that I’ve read some of a reader’s favorite JAFF books or what they would bring on the desert island with them… It just puts a smile on face just thinking about the stories and the wonderful authors!
I’ve added the other novels to my never ending TBR list if they aren’t on there already! Meredith, thank you for another wonderful blog!
Thank you Dung Vu! It has certainly been a journey and I have thoroughly enjoyed it! My husband knows when I’m reading a JAFF novel, as I always have this little smile of delight on my face when reading. It’s probably hard for others to imagine how much pleasure we derive from reading these books. Yes, my TBR list is always growing as is my wishlist. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
Carole, I’ve never heard of the book that got you started – Presumption. I will have to go online and check it out. Thank you so much for participating in this segment of Meredith’s blog. It is lovely getting to know you. And, thank you so much for putting A Father’s Sins on your wish list. I believe that I can take care of that for you.
Just a quick question – which Jane Austen book will you recommend to your granddaughter first when she becomes a teen?
Thanks, again, for sharing your home and preferences with us.
Hello jdawnking! I chuckled over your question…I have already gifted my granddaughter last Christmas with her first Jane Austen book when she was one month old! It was the ‘BabyLit’ Pride & Prejudice book that came with cardboard cut outs! I figured why wait! I plan to get myself my own box set too. My daughter actually sent me a photo of her playing with them last week! Not that she really knows what to do with them at 1 year old, but she got into the box and just picked them up and examined them. This Christmas I bought her ‘Sense and Sensibility’. I will continue to add to the collection. However, when the time comes to read Jane Austen on her own, I would give her ‘Pride and Prejudice’ first.
I always enjoy your comments here and on Austen Variations and look forward to reading your book. I certainly like the premise. Thank you so much for your very kind offer too.
How kind of you to have a giveaway open to worldwide!
When I read your interview, I said: ” This happened to me!!”, because I “met” Jane Austen only after “Pride and Prejudice” movie 2005, and after reading the book and others novels, I said exactly: “I am still trying to figure out how I missed out on Jane all these years!”.
Hello Carmen! You are very welcome and I just wanted to give back to such a wonderful community of Jane Austen fans! Not only have these books provided me with countless hours of pleasure but the authors, bloggers and other readers have shared so much of themselves. I know, why did it take us so long! I’m just glad that I did ‘find’ Jane! Good luck in the draw!
Meredith, I just want to “Thank You” for this wonderful opportunity and having the brilliant idea of finding out more about each other. As much as I was nervous about putting myself ‘out there’, I truly enjoyed the experience. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming. Again, thank you.
Hi Carole! Nice to “meet” you! 🙂 I enjoyed reading the interview and thank you for your generous giveaway! I loved Searching for Captain Wentworth, too! It was my first book by Jane Odiwe and she is one of my favourite Austen authors!
Thank you Maria! It is nice to ‘meet’ you too! Yes, I love Jane Odiwe’s books and can’t wait to read her novella ‘Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Calendar’. Good luck in the draw!
Great post! I really love to see your bookshelves, I think that we can know a person watching the cure in placing her books. Thank you for sharing them with us!
Thank you Loren! Yes, we really treasure our books and have taught our children and grandchildren to care for theirs as well.