Hello readers! I’m very excited to be participating in the Suddenly Mrs. Darcy Blog Tour and to be able to welcome back author Jenetta James to Austenesque Reviews today! Last month you may remember we participated in a cover reveal for Ms. James’s upcoming release, Suddenly Mrs. Darcy, and we all had a lot of fun speculating about her story given the clues we surmised in the title, blurb, and cover image. Today Jenetta shares with us her feelings about creating original characters in a Jane Austen work.
The business of adding new characters to the stories of Jane Austen is something I find extremely stressful. I guess the characters sketched in the original are so excellent, so well beloved amongst readers, so convincing and so multi-dimensional – that adding to their number is fraught with the potential for failure. On the other hand, when writing any story which continues Darcy and Lizzy’s life after their marriage, it is pretty much a necessity. So, in Suddenly Mrs Darcy, I have done my best, but I quake with fear at what Austen lovers may think of my fresh inventions.
Probably the most prominent new character is Lizzy’s maid, Hannah. From a practical perspective Lizzy requires a maid at Pemberley but I also think that she needs a friend and confidante. There needs to be some replacement for Charlotte Collins in Meryton or Hunsford and Jane at Longbourn and in Suddenly Mrs Darcy, it is Hannah.
Now, featuring servants as main characters is an obviously thorny issue because Jane Austen didn’t do it. Servants appeared in her work – but never as proper characters – they were just people coming in and out of the narrative, doing their various jobs, saying nothing. But when you 
stop and think of all the things that a personal servant would have done with their master or mistress including dressing and bathing it is hard not to conclude that there must have been some really close relationships. At the same time, there is also a clear danger of romanticising these relationships and making them unrealistically close. I guess that in the case of Hannah and Mrs Darcy – the reader will have to be the judge.
There are other significant new characters in Suddenly Mrs Darcy, rich and poor – respectable and scandalous; but for reasons of suspense, I am keeping them under wraps for the moment.
I can’t wait to meet Hannah and your other original characters, Jenetta! I can think of many times where I’ve grown quite fond of an original character created by other authors. Lord Dyfed Brougham and Fletcher by Pamela Aidan, Patrick McGillvary by Susan Kaye and Laura Hile, Lady Cassandra by Lory Lilian, and Sebastian Montgomery by Nancy Kelley to name a few! I think many readers in general are accepting of new and original characters! They are so much fun to explore! Thank you for sharing!
~ Book Blurb ~
Elizabeth Bennet never imagined her own parents would force her to marry a virtual stranger. But when Mrs. Bennet accuses Fitzwilliam Darcy of compromising her daughter, that is exactly the outcome. Trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage and far from home, she grows suspicious of her new husband’s heart and further, suspects he is hiding a great secret. Is there even a chance at love given the happenstance of their hasty marriage?
Connect with Jenetta
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
Michele and the lovely people at Meryton Press have kindly donated 1 paperback copy of Suddenly Mrs. Darcy for me to giveaway to 1 lucky winner! Woot Woot!
To enter this giveaway leave a comment, question, or some love for Jenetta below!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends May 4th!
Click image to check out the rest of the tour!
I am looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the author insight on the creation of new characters! I could see how it could be very challenging. When I really love an Austenesque book it is usually because the original characters were really well done. Meredith’s examples were perfect 🙂 Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Dear Shannon – well I hope that you like my creations, I have been very worried about them! Happy reading, Jenetta
I am hoping this has been released so I can purchase the kindle copy but I wouldn’t mind having a paperback copy also. I prefer paperback but can purchase more when using kindle as it is cheaper.
I am still not sure of a date I’m afraid but it will be very soon! I will tweet/fb when it is available. I know what you mean about paperbacks, there is something lovely about them but I probably read more on my kindle these days. happy reading (in whatever format!), Jenetta
I would love to win this book! For some reason I really like arranged marriage scenarios. Thanks for the giveaway!
Good luck in the giveaway & happy reading, Jenetta
I won on another blog, so don’t include me in the drawing! Good luck to everyone!
Congratulations on the publication of your first novel – when my husband had his first book published he was a very happy person for a long time
Thank you:-) I still can’t quite believe it. Happy reading, Jenetta
I look forward to seeing how you integrate these new characters.
Hi Ginna – I hope that you enjoy. I think that integration is as much of a challenge as invention! Jenetta
This is a fascinating book and a wonderful posy. Thanks. Congratulations.
Thank you & I hope that you enjoy it. Jenetta
I hope I have the chance to read this soon. Good luck with it!
Thank you & I hope that you enjoy – thanks for your interest. Jenetta
Congrats on publishing your first novel, Jenetta. I look forward to reading Suddenly Mrs. Darcy and getting to know the original characters featured in the book.
Thank you, I am more than excited about it & just hope that readers enjoy it. Jenetta
Congratulations on your new book. It sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
Good luck in the giveaway & enjoy the story, Jenetta
This sounds fun! I’d love to read it!
I hope that you enjoy:-) Jenetta
Hi Jenetta,
In my case, you don´t have to worry about my opinion of creating new characters, I enjoy a lot with the new ones so I´m looking forward to reading your novel. It´s really intriguing!, what secret does Mr Darcy hide behind the door?… I can imagine a lot of things!. Thanks for the giveaway!. And Meredith, I agree with you: Lord Brougham and Fletcher are a very special characters 😉
I hope that you enjoy & thanks for your interest & as for Mr Darcy’s secret – he has a few I hope that you enjoy the guess work! Jenetta
Congratulations on publishing your first novel! I really like the arranged marriage
plot. Thank you for the giveaway.
I’ve been eager to read this since the cover reveal!!!!! The title alone grabbed me.
I can´t wait to read this book!
I hope that you will not have to wait long… update on the release date coming soon! Best, Jenetta
I would love to be entered in the giveaway! Sounds like a good read!
Sounds wonderful!
Love seeing new characters and how authors incorporate them into the story. So looking forward to reading your book. Thank you for your generosity.
Sounds interesting and different with the servants. Glad that Elizabeth and Darcy are in it.
Congratulations and welcome from the readers who appreciate Jane Austen’s characters as well as new ones. Looking forward to reading your novel. Thank you for the chance to enter. Good luck in all future endeavors!
I really like the cover image and I am intrigued to find out what secret Mr. Darcy might possibly have.
Looking forward to reading your novel! I agree with Meredith, there are some great original characters and they enhance the storyline. Thank you for the giveaway!
I am interested in your new characters. I like seeing the relationship between The Darcy’s and their staff. I think they would have had close bonds with them.
Just finished “My Pride, His Prejudice”……loved…and looking forward to this release also…I am a P&P variation addict, hello, my name Adrienne. Love the view from the maids, valets, etc…only adds perspective. Will never tire of your work in this area as you are very good at it…so, here’s to you and your continued success, and thank you. Cheers!!!
OOh I cannot wait! It will be having a get together of old friends along with new acquaintances.
I’m wondering if elizabeth has many secrets that Hannah is now privy too. I think the cover has me intrigued also. That mysterious Darcy. Oooh I can hardly wait to figure out what he’s not sharing.
Personally I don’t mind having new original characters in P&P variations as long as they don’t start to play very significant roles and take much of the book and as long as they don’t look or sound out of place. Recently I finished one P&P variations where the Matlocks got some stage (not purely original characters, I know). They were fine, really, and interesting, but their first names sounded rather non-regency (or maybe I am simply not familiar with all names used in Regency period:))
Look forward to aquainting myself with original characters from Suddenly Mrs.Darcy:)
And thank you for the opportunity to enter into wonderful giveaway!
I’m stalking you through the blog giveaways Jenetta 🙂 Can’t wait to read your book!
The more I read about this story, the more I want to read it. I am now looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Hannah and Elizabeth develops and how close it becomes. Thank you for the generous give away.
Sounds like an intresting book. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
Cant wait to read this book.
would LOVE to read this!!
thank you for the giveaway……….
This book sounds wonderful, great to have added characters to give depth to it 😀 I would love to win a copy, so please count me in, thanks!!
I always love Reading about Darcy and Elizabeth, but I also enjoy Reading about some new character who is important For the Development of the story. Thank For the giveaway.
This sounds like a fun read! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
I love it when I have the chance to meet new characters, too. They make the stories engaging and interesting because since I never saw them, I am even more intrigued by what will happen to my beloved characters! Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Looking forward to reading Suddenly Mrs. Darcy and please enter me in the giveaway. 😀
Congratulations for the first book! I really hope that I win!!! 🙂
I like that this story is coming from a different point of view than from we typically see!
Lord Dyfed Brougham and Fletcher from Pamela Aiden’s books are two of my favourite original characters on Austenesque literature, too, Meredith. Jenetta’s book sounds really interesting and I’m looking forward to meeting Hannah from what she’s said about her.
Jenetta’s first outing as an author looks to be an excellent one.
Can’t wait to read this and “meet” Hannah! It’s fun to read about new characters interacting with our beloved Austen characters.
Thanks for the giveaway!