Happy Monday, friends! I hope you enjoyed a lovely and restful weekend! I’m excited to welcome a debut author to Austenesque Reviews today! If you haven’t already met him, Marley Fulton is a new Austenesque author that just released a Pride and Prejudice variation – In A More Amiable Light! Marley is here today to meet all you lovely readers and share an excerpt from his new novella!
Dear Meredith, Thanks so much for having me – I am honored to visit your excellent 
blog and to introduce myself to your lovely readers. I will start by revealing a few details about me.
My name is Marley Fulton, I am 34, and I am spending my life between business and pleasure… Business is my job – I graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, and I work in an International Pharma company.
Happiness is my family (my wife and my beautiful daughter) and my hobbies – and this is a subject on which I will talk a little more 🙂
I have spent my youth practicing all kinds of sports, but one has brought me enormous satisfaction because I have come to my country’s national football team. I am still doing it – as a hobby – and, although I enjoyed reading, I never imagined I would one day started to write – and even less so Jane Austen inspired stories!
It was an adventure that started most unexcitedly and now I am completely captivated by it. I was impressed by how warm, and supportive the community had been so far, and I am proud and delighted to be part of it.
More about me – only if you are interested. Please feel free to ask me any question, and I will be happy to answer you! Do not be shy – I promise I won’t be either!
My book is called – In a More Amiable Light: A Pride and Prejudice Novella.
In a More Amiable Light is a clean, fresh, romantic novella of approximately 30 000 words, that follows Elizabeth and Jane in London, when they visit their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner.
Both sisters are hurt after Mr. Bingley’s hasty departure from Netherfield, although their suffering differs. One of them is trying to mend her broken heart, and the other one tries to soothe her anger against those who hurt her sister. Jane and Elizabeth are unexpectedly reacquainted with the men who will change their lives forever.
In a More Amiable Light is the first Austenesque attempt of a man who has been in love with reading and with Jane Austen’s books all his life but has tried his pen only in other genres so far.
The author hopes the readers will give this story a try, so he gains enough courage for another more extended and more complex project.
Excerpt from In a More Amiable Light
For half an hour, the ladies enjoyed their mutual company, growing more at ease with each other. From Derbyshire to music and plays and books, the conversation flowed easily.
Jane was still pale, quiet, and slightly intimidated. She was looking around, admiring Miss Darcy’s appearance and her obvious education, while considering that Mr. Bingley had many reasons to favor this young heiress over her.
The animated chatting was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a most unexpected guest, startling and silencing the ladies, leaving at least one of them breathless.
The servant entered and announced ceremoniously: “Mr. Bingley. For Mr. Darcy.” Then he quickly bowed and left the room.
The words struck Jane with such force that she nearly dropped her teacup. Mrs. Gardiner gasped, and Elizabeth abruptly stood up. Georgiana was at a loss as to her guests’ reaction, but she rose to greet the new visitor.
Mr. Bingley entered the drawing room with a large smile on his face, bowed to Georgiana, then his eyes spotted the others. He stopped and turned pale; gulping a few times, his mouth and eyes opened wide in disbelief.
Upon seeing him, the eldest Miss Bennet became very pale and nearly fainted, leaning back into her seat.
Mr. Bingley instantly took steps towards Jane, glancing at the others.
“Miss Bennet? Miss Elizabeth? Are you well? What are you doing here? What an astonishing surprise! What happened? Where is Darcy?” he asked, barely coherent.
“Charles, I believe you know Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. And this is their aunt, Mrs. Gardiner. They came to have tea with me. Please join us,” Georgiana invited him.
As Jane slowly recovered, Bingley searched for a chair, undecided where to sit, glancing at her, then back at Georgiana.
“But, but what are you doing here?” he asked Jane, who, with the help of her sister, had managed to bring herself back into an upright position on her chair.
Elizabeth turned to Mr. Bingley then. “I might ask you the same thing,” she replied, curtly.
Georgiana sat very still and exchanged a look with Mrs. Gardiner. The lady was clearly as shocked as everyone else but managed to keep her countenance.
“I have come to call on my friend, Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Bingley said, still standing in the middle of the drawing room.
The women absorbed his words, as the tension in the room increased. Finally, Georgiana broke the silence and said kindly.
“My brother is not here. He has an appointment at the gentlemen’s club. But we are pleased to see you, nevertheless. ”
“Yes, so am I,” he mumbled, glancing at Jane again, who seemed at the limits of her composure again. Elizabeth glared at him with a harshness that Bingley had never seen before.
Bingley understood that the ladies were shocked to see him, as he was to see them. However, why they were in London, how they met Georgiana and already befriended her, why Elizabeth was so angry, and why Jane was displeased with their encounter, he could not say. He was surely pleased – happy – to see them – to see Jane – so much in fact, that he could hardly keep his eyes from her.
“I did not know that Darcy would not be at home, just as I certainly did not know that you would be here,” Bingley added.
“I suppose you did not, sir,” Elizabeth said, curtly, as she held Jane’s hand. “I suppose we were the last people you expected or intended to see.”
Elizabeth watched Mr. Bingley’s face turn from surprise to sadness. He began fiddling with the buttons on his waistcoat.
“This is true. I was given no notice that you were in London. But that does not make the surprise less pleasant. I apologize most profoundly if I interrupted your tea. I should leave you know. I will look for Darcy at the club then.”
“No notice?” Elizabeth asked, puzzled and growing angry. “In truth, we expected you were informed about our presence from at least two reliable sources. Your sisters and Mr. Darcy himself.”
Mr. Bingley stared at her, dumbfounded. “But I have not talked to Darcy in quite a while. And my sisters knew you were in London?”
Jane was purposefully not meeting his gaze, which made him feel all the more uneasy. He glanced around, like trying to understand what was happening.
“Jane wrote to your sister herself. And Mr. Darcy also wrote to you. He told her as much,” Elizabeth continued, aware that her voice was cold and almost rude. Jane’s distress was too much to bear, and Mr. Bingley must be held accountable for it.
Mr. Bingley’s confusion was now complete. “I have received no such letters, nor such news. I honestly did not know of your presence in London. If I knew … When did you arrive? How long will you stay?”
“Mr. Bingley, would you like a drink?” Georgiana interjected in that distressing moment.
“I would like a little more tea,” Mrs. Gardiner added, in an obvious attempt to calm the situation.
“We arrived almost a fortnight ago. We had the pleasure of meeting Miss Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam by chance. And Mr. Darcy said he wrote to inform you we were in town,” Elizabeth uttered, but then stopped, struck by a painful revelation. If Mr. Bingley was telling the truth, then surely Mr. Darcy had to lie them. And the proof was right there, in front of their eyes. Mr. Bingley’s sincere shock at seeing Jane spoke the truth, whereas Mr. Darcy’s words did not.
“I received no news… No news at all…” Bingley repeated, now taken aback.
~~~
Oohh! What an intriguing and tension-filled scene!! I wonder what Elizabeth’s feelings towards Mr. Darcy are at the moment??? Did he really lie to her?!? I must admire how Elizabeth is fiercely protecting her sister and taking such a bold move to call Mr. Bingley out!
Thank you so much for sharing, Marley! It was lovely to learn more about you – I especially love hearing that you’ve always enjoyed reading and are a long-time fan of Jane Austen!
~ Connect with Marley ~
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Today Marley brings with him some lovely prizes for me to give away in celebration of her new release!! TWO ebooks of In a More Amiable Light for me to give away to some lucky winners!!! Woot woot!!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, a question, or some love for Marley!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Marley!
- This giveaway ends April 15th!
What an intriguing excerpt! Poor Darcy will I suppose be the main suspect re Bingley not getting his letter but I would be more inclined to blame Caroline! She and Wickham are my usual suspects in cases of trouble 🙂
Congratulations on successfully publishing your first novel and good luck with future books.
I have this on my wish list and look forward to reading it. Thank you for sharing both your story and this excerpt and thanks Meredith as always.
I’m glad it caught your attention …: P
Thank you !
It will be interesting to see the confrontation between E&D!
it sounds interesting: D
Congratulations on your new release! Looking forward to reading this novella.
Thanks a lot Jennifer!
Welcome to the Jane Austen world, Marley, and congrats on your publication! What an amazing achievement.
I’m thrilled to discover a new JAFF writer and a male one, to boot! I loved the excerpt above and look forward to Elizabeth’s confrontation with Darcy!
And I thank you for warm welcome lorijohnston1
I read and enjoyed this book Good luck with that. “Your country’s football team”…? which country is that? Are your talking soccer? We in the USA don’t have a national team so I have to assume it is another country.
sheilalmajczan the national football team of Romania U21 at that time
are you talking – sorry for the error
The excerpt was very enjoyable. I can’t wait to see how Bingley and Jane, and Darcy and Elizabeth get to their HEA. I’m hoping there is one. It is nice to get a male’s perspective of Pride and Prejudice. Congratulations on your release of this book. Hopefully there will be more.
Thanks Mary ! They will definitely follow this year at least two books …
Congratulations on publishing your novella! Please enter me in the drawing.
Done 😉 Thanks !
I have this book on my wish-list and would love to win a copy. This sounds delightful. We don’t usually see Elizabeth confronting Bingley for his actions. I have a feeling the fur is about to hit the fan. Darcy and Bingley’s sisters have some ‘splainin to do. I don’t have a question. I would like to wish you well in this genre and hope it is all you expect. We are always looking for new and different ways to tell our P&P story and give our favorite couple [D&E] their HEA [happy-ever-after]. Blessings as you launch this book. Thanks to Meredith for hosting and say hello to your Mr. Bingley.
Thank you very much J. W. Garrett. Let’s hear only good things.
Love your story so far. Please keep writing!
Just what i got started with 🙂 Thanks for your support!
Enjoyed the excerpt. Noticed small omission, “If Mr. Bingley was telling the truth, then surely Mr. Darcy had to lie them.” Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Thanks for noticing, will check it out. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt
I love the title you chose, Marley! Thanks for sharing the excerpt!
The title came naturally, lasted 1 second 🙂 Thank you!
What a great excerpt! Looking forward to reading more.
Thank you very much Brenda for support!
I think that Elizabeth has already jumped to the wrong conclusion that Darcy never mailed a letter to Bingley; if he did mail a letter, then Caroline took it. Welcome to the world of JAFF. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
I’m glad to meet you Eva !
Welcome, Marley. It will be interesting to read how this variation, Darcy’s lie about sending a letter, if indeed he did so rather than it being a matter of a failed delivery to him, will alter the other stories of Bingley discovering Jane’s presence in London.
Thank you for the drawing, and, especially, thank you for not using Rafflecopter.
thank you very much !
Great excerpt! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity, Meredith and Marley, and congratulations on the release of your first Austenesque novella, Marley!
I’m glad you’re getting this little giveaway with your open hands Thanks Christina.
Has Darcy’s letter gone astray, was it addressed ill, or did he lie?
Everything is shrouded in the mystery! Thank you, Vesper! 😉
Yay a new Austenesque writer! That excerpt has me needing the rest of that story. 🙂
…me too! Thanks for comment Sophia!
Your title caught me! I adore all things amiable and so enjoyed the excerpt. Is your wife also a Jane Austen fan?
:)) … My wife does not, but she does not know what loses: D
Intriguing! I look forward to reading this!
Thank you 😉
Congratulations on your new book and new direction. Always great fun to “discover” new authors esp in the JAFF genre. Wishing you every success.
Thank you 😉 all the best to you toooo 🙂
Congratulations on your first JAFF publication, Mr. Fulton. We fans will always welcome a new author, and Indeed I believe we have been very fortunate with the male authors who have joined the genre.
This excerpt was very interesting to read, yet tense observing the reactions between the players. I am really looking forward to reading more. Thank you for, and best of luck on your newest hobby. 😀 And football, wow!
Thanks as always to you, Meredith. This was a great post! (As usual of course!)
I will try to rise to the level of the other authors already mentioned in this literary genre and I promise not to disappoint you!
Thanks Marley for the excerpt. It is very intriguing and I would like to read more. Welcome to the world of JAFF. It’s so great to meet a new writer and it is always great to read a man’s perspective on Pride and Prejudice. I look forward to reading more of your writing. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thank you lesliegb !!!
Thank you for this excerpt…I can already see tthe fire lighting EB ‘s eyes as she ponder on the reveation. I feel sorry for FD. So looking forward to what EB will throw at him:) Thank you for the giveaway
Yes…i konw … it is my pleasure
What a revealing meeting!! Poor Jane!! I’m sure that Elizabeth’s rudeness did not provide Jane any comfort although at least Elizabeth asked the questions that Jane would never ask while yearning to learn the answers.
And Darcy is in for quite a tongue-lashing when he meets with Elizabeth again! I almost pity the man…or I will if he is not at fault. I wonder if Caroline intercepted the letter from Darcy to Bingley? It’s not difficult to reseal a letter, after all….
I’m really hoping to win an e-copy of Marley’s novella!! Congratulations, Marley, for braving the 99% female world of JAFF!! And congratulations on your new release!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
I would be very happy if you won this giveaway to have the answer to this question
It looks like an interesting book, I’ll put it on my wish list!
Welcome to the Austenesqque community, Marley. It’s rare that a male author would choose to venture into JAFF since it’s dominated by the female species. But nowadays I see more men trying to break in to write Austenesqque literature which bodes well for readers.
The excerpt is excellent. Would love to see Darcy’s reaction when he heard of Elizabeth’s accusation that he lied to them. Will he be able to defend himself without Bingley blaming him for keeping quiet about the Bennet sisters visit to London?
Lúthien84 Lúthien84 is not at all easy to enter a gender-driven genre, but after all, I think ideas and “new blood” brought by men certainly bring new interesting perspectives. Thank you very much !
What an intresting excerpt! Thank you for the chance to win this!