Happy Friday, friends! I am so happy to welcome author Karen Cox to Austenesque Reviews today. Karen is here to celebrate and announce the new editions of 1932 and Find Wonder in All Things! 🙌🏼 I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again for this post – Karen, and her debut release, 1932, are very special to me. 💕Ten years ago, Karen was one of the first authors to approach my newbie blog and request a review. I can’t tell you how excited I was to have an author (who was previously unknown to me) wanting me to read their book! I am so grateful that Karen found my blog and took a chance on me! 📖😍And spoiler alert…I absolutely loved 1932 when I first read it and have loved all of Karen’s stories ever since!
Thank you so much for hosting me today at Austenesque Reviews! I have a special announcement about a project I’ve been working on for several months. Early in 2020, I am releasing the last two of my backlist titles, Find Wonder in All Things, and my debut novel, 1932.
Find Wonder in All Things is a modern (1990s) variation on Jane Austen’s Persuasion, set in the Appalachian foothills. It’s the classic second-chance-at-love story we all love, complete with a heroine who has a hidden spine of steel, a dashing young hero, and bad advice from a trusted someone. It even has a “letter.” Find Wonder in All Things differs from Persuasion in that it chronicles the couple’s romance from the beginning—the part we didn’t see in Austen’s tale.
This is a straight second edition—changes included a new cover and some minor editing and formatting tweaks. The anticipated release date is January 6, 2020.
For those fans of Persuasion out there, or even if you’re just curious about an Austen-inspired tale beyond the fabulous Pride and Prejudice, I think you’ll enjoy Find Wonder in All Things.
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2020 will be the tenth anniversary year of the publication of my first novel, 1932. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! A lot has changed in my life in those ten years: My children finished high school and left home. I changed jobs—twice! My son graduated college, and my daughter will graduate next year. And, I became a grandmother, which has been fabulous.
Because it was my first published work, I have a special fondness for the 1932 story, set during the Great Depression in a small town in Kentucky. 1932 is a tale of pride and prejudice, but as you might expect, the changes in time period and setting result in some different twists and turns on the way to Happy Ever After for our beloved Darcy and Elizabeth.
To celebrate the ten-year anniversary, I have created a second edition of 1932—new cover, new formatting, AND several new scenes to help fill out the story arc. I didn’t think I could love 1932’s Darcy any more than I did already, but… *whispers, with wink and a nod* I do.
The anticipated release date for 1932 is February 17, 2020.
If you were a fan of 1932 on its first journey into the world, I hope you like the updated version. If it’s new to you, I hope you’ll take the story for a spin!
I’m putting together a short blog tour for each book, and some 10th anniversary party events are in the works as well. Stay tuned to my social media for details. I hope you’ll join us. I love talking with readers and other fans of Jane Austen!
Both books will be available in eBook and print formats. (They will also be available in Kindle Unlimited for at least 3 months.)
~ You can pre-order these books now ~
Thank you, Meredith, for letting me share my announcement here at Austenesque Reviews!
My pleasure, Karen! I love your book trailers, I always love when authors make trailers for their books!
And the new covers have such fun colors to them! ! I’m really looking forward to rereading both books and revisiting your lovely characters in the future. I can’t wait to see the new material in 1932! I hope many new readers will pick up both these books and enjoy the wonderful retellings you share with Jane Austen’s characters!
👏🏼Also wanted to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Karen who was just selected as a 2019 Indie Author Project Regional Winner for her story Son of a Preacher Man! 🎉😃📖 Which is an incredible story deserving of praise and recognition – and it might just be our favorite of all of Karen’s stories (it is hard to decide when you love them all!) Congrats on this wonderful recognition, Karen! 👏🏼👏🏼
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~ Author Bio ~
Karen M Cox is an award-winning author of five novels accented with history and romance, a novella, and several short stories.
Karen was born in Everett WA, the daughter of a United States Air Force Officer. She had a nomadic childhood, with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee, and New York State before settling in her family’s home state of Kentucky at age eleven. She lives in a quiet town with her husband and works as a pediatric speech pathologist.
If you would like periodic bits of authorly goodness delivered to your inbox, be sure to get Karen’s News and Muse Letter. Updates, sales, book recommendations, etc. are yours for the asking.
~ Connect with Karen ~
Website ❧ Facebook ❧ Twitter ❧ Instagram
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What do you think readers?
Have you read either of these stories yet?
Ironically I have 1932 in paperback (obviously) sitting by my computer as I wanted to reread it but now will wait for its release on KU. Also read and totally enjoyed Find Wonder in all Things. Good luck with the release of the new versions.
Thanks, Sheila! I hope you enjoy the added scenes in 1932 🙂
Such great stories, both of these – I’m glad you’re re-releasing! And in such beautiful covers to boot. 🙂
Thanks, Anniina! I’m excited for the release of “Thaw” too.
I also loved 1932 and subsequent books. Looking forward to reading the additional chapters and your new book.
Hope you like them 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Gorgeous new covers! Two of my favorite books. Well done you.
Thanks so much for your support!
Hold on now…you’ve added more scene to 1932?! This news has made my day. The covers (and trailers) are terrific, Karen. And congrats on the award!!
I did! I wanted to round out the story a little more. Glad you enjoyed the trailers 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Love how these covers will match your Emma, Karen. Gorgeous!
I can’t wait to read both especially the 10th anniversary edition of 1932.
Thanks, Sophia. They aren’t really a “series” – more of a “collection”, a Kentucky 20th century Austen-inspired collection 😀
I haven’t read any of them but your post has caught my attention so much that I’m very curious about both novels! 🙂
What a beautiful thing that Karen was one of your first authors in Austenesque Reviews! This is something to remember always.
Congrats Karen on your success!
And I agree with you, Meredith: love the new covers and the book trailers with those inspiring images and soundtracks 😉
lol – I was intrigued by Meredith’s blog; I really liked what she was doing with Austen fiction, so I just emailed her out of the blue! I was kind of nervous about it. When I met her at a book fair in Decatur a while after that, I realized what a gracious, lovely person she was. I didn’t need to be nervous at all 🙂 Hope you enjoy the books, Teresa.
Oh I think you will love both these stories, Teresa!! They both take place in different time periods that aren’t modern-day and that is so much fun to explore. Karen does such a wonderful job of creating a vivid backdrop full of historical nostalgia with her stories! Hope you get the chance to read one of these stories soon!
Oh-My-Gosh! Those trailers were amazing. The music was so appropriate and the pictures captivating. I kept hitting replay just so I could listen to it again. I have put both on my wish-list and although I wish every good luck in winning a copy… I’m selfish enough to want to win one for myself. I look forward to this release.
Note to Meredith: I love your new blog photos. I especially like the one where I can see your fuzzy house slippers. Or was that your fuzzy dog? LOL!! Say hello to your Mr. Bingley and thanks for hosting this marvelous post.
So glad you liked the trailers! I like making playlists for my books too – just all part of making it a fun process 🙂
wonderful trailers and covers
Thank you, Denise!
Congratulations Karen. Love your stories. I have the first edition but looking forward to these new editions.
Thanks for your comment! I hope you like the additions I made 🙂
Beautiful new covers. I need to read both of these! I about swooned when I saw the picture of Gregory Peck, sigh… Now I’ll picture him as Darcy when I read 1932. Congratulations on your recognition for Son of a Preacher Man!
😀 I always see young Gregory Peck as 1932’s Darcy (circa A Gentleman’s Agreement time period). Someone recently mentioned Aidan Turner (of Poldark fame) as a modern actor for Darcy – and I can see it. Thanks for your comment!
Our last MAJOR P&P remake was 15 yrs ago, and only 10 yrs since the previous, so I’m surprised no one has that in the works as we speak (unless they do, and then smak! I’m embarrassed, so anyway I think we’re due. And since Gregory isn’t available, I can definitely see Aidan Turner as Darcy….now if that doesn’t set off a storm of alternate opinions I don’t know what would.
I’m so excited about the re-release, particularly the chance to see more of ‘Mr Serious’ aka Mr Darcy in 1932 <3
I really hope you enjoy the second edition, Ceri!
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, Laura 🙂
Congratulations, Karen! I absolutely adore the new covers and how they fit perfectly with I Could Write a Book, which I absolutely loved. Definitely will have to read these two as well.
Thank you, Anna! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I loved both stories when I read them online and have both original versions. I look forward to revisiting old favourites in new versions. Congrats, Karen!
Thank you, Lucy 🙂
It is a charming cover, but it looks exactly like the charming cover on “I could write a book.” Does KC use the same cover for all her books? That certainly would make them easier to find in a print library.
I am pretty sure it was a conscious decision for her “Kentucky P&P Other Era Collection” if you look at “Find Wonder In All Things”, “1932”, and “I Could write a Book”. If you take a good look at the covers, there is the obvious similarity of silhouette and posture but the differences are in the details like the butterfly from an early scene in FWIAT, Emma’s charm bracelet and charms in ICWAB, etc. and color schemes. Karen is nothing if not thoughtful in her intent, and I like the mood her and her designers have created.