Hi readers! Happy Friday! Did you see that C. P. Odom has just released his sixth Pride and Prejudice variation with Meryton Press this week?!? And this one is sure to delight readers who are #TeamColonelFitzwilliam and #TeamJaneBennet! 🙌🏼 I am excited for this premise and I can’t wait to see how this romance plays out! 🥰
Colin is here today to share a little bit about what prompted him to write a story with this particular pairing. We hope you enjoy! 🤗
I would first like to thank Meredith for hosting this stop on the Blog Tour for my new novel, Determination. Long-time readers of Jane Austen fan fiction may have previously read a prior version of this novel in 2008 on the lamentably disappeared Hyacinth Garden website. When I decided to prepare the previous story for present publication with Meryton Press, I first did a review of what I had previously written. I did a lot of wincing as I reviewed it, since I was just learning my craft at the time. My main occupation after college was as an Electrical/Software Engineer for Motorola in Arizona, and my college education didn’t include much preparation for literary endeavours!
For this guest post, I decided to fire up the WayBack Machine (any Rocky & Bullwinkle fans out there?) and discuss how I came up with the idea of matching Colonel Fitzwilliam with Jane Bennet. I definitely remember thinking that the pairing of these two was a topic I had not encountered in reading other fan fiction for several years before venturing to write it myself. I’m not saying others hadn’t come up with it, but it was new to me, and one is pleased at the thought of being the first (whether strictly true or not!).
So, what were my reasons? In a nutshell, they break down as follows:
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I had formed the conviction from reading P&P as well as fan fiction that Bingley didn’t deserve Jane.
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I could develop Colonel Fitzwilliam in almost any manner I chose, since he only appears one time in P&P.
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I also wanted to explore the “love at first sight” topic so often used (and probably overused!) throughout literature.
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I wanted my male romantic character to exhibit decisiveness, hence the title of the novel, Determination.
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I wanted to interweave the story of Darcy and Elizabeth as a background thread with a little bit different twist, which was the aid of an unintentional matchmaker (Fitzwilliam).
There seem to be a lot of “I want” in that list, but maybe authors have to be a little arrogant to think that they have something to write that readers want to read! Oh, well—the secret’s out!
So, firstly, Bingley didn’t deserve Jane. In fact, it was my opinion that he acted even more selfishly than Darcy in the way he left Hertfordshire. Yes, Darcy definitely abandoned Elizabeth, but he had never made any public exhibition of his interest other than dancing with her at the Netherfield Ball. Bingley, on the other hand, showed all sorts of interest in Jane from their first introduction when he danced with her twice to the last time she saw him before he left Netherfield, where he seems to have spent virtually all his time with her at his ball. The denizens of the neighbourhood were certainly justified in expecting some kind of resolution to such clear and intent interest, but instead he simply vanishes. At least a note explaining that he wasn’t returning to his leased estate should have been forthcoming, whether a reason for his abandonment would have been included in that note or not.
Then there was the fact that the good colonel was rather a blank slate in Austen’s novel. The reader has no idea of whether he is a serving officer or is unemployed on half-pay after having his commission purchased for him by his father, the earl. We also don’t know how long he’s been a soldier. He’s about thirty, so I always assumed that his father purchased a lieutenant’s commission for him and he advanced through seniority to the rank of lieutenant colonel or to full colonel (the military calls both “colonel”). A lieutenant’s commission was the next to lowest commission that could be purchased. From P&P, we know that Darcy purchased an ensign/coronet’s commission in the infantry for Wickham (which cost about £450, the equivalent of about £41,000 in today’s currency).
As for whether Fitzwilliam is a serving officer, my opinion (based on historical reading) was that he didn’t have a command, since he was more or less at Darcy’s disposal during the visit to Lady Catherine. It doesn’t seem that he is tied down to things that have to be done, since Darcy’s has already extended their visit once and might do so again. This doesn’t look like the character I portray in my novel, but hey! Jane Austen left a big plot hole for me, and I drove an eighteen-wheeler tractor trailer through the hole! And had a lot of fun doing so!
Then there’s the hackneyed use of the “love at first sight” plot line. It’s been used so many times that only the arrogance of a neophyte author let him believe HE could pull it off! But I thought it made sense, since my Colonel Fitzwilliam was not only a man with determination but was also a man with a goodly supply of common sense. I needed to have something to keep him hanging around Jane, since he only visited the Gardiner home to acquaint Elizabeth with her mistaken assessment of Wickham. Given Elizabeth’s nature, he wasn’t going to have much success in changing her mind about Darcy even if he convinced of her error with regard to Wickham. So I needed something to make him want to spend time with Jane, and love at first sight was my excuse. As another reason for coming up with it, I remember seeing a picture of some time back of a girl from one of the Middle East countries who was simply drop-dead beautiful with the biggest violet eyes that just absolutely dominated her face. I could see how a young man could be staggered upon really looking on a lady like that.
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s “determination” was the counterpart to Bingley’s wishy-washy personality and enabled him to simply steamroller the other, more gentlemanly character. He needed something to offset the other’s fortune (£5,000 a year is a really nice sum, on the order of about half a million pounds a year in today’s money). Considering that all the young gentlemen of Jane’s acquaintance were probably similar to Bingley (though not nearly as amiable), Fitzwilliam made a striking contrast with all other potential suitors (once she was certain that he could support her and their children—Austen portrayed Jane as prudent, though her father did describe her and Bingley as being so amiable that the servants would always cheat them!).
Finally, I wanted the story I wanted to tell in the foreground to mesh with the Darcy-Elizabeth story in the background, and I used the idea of Fitzwilliam once (before he left for Egypt with his regiment) being closer to Darcy than to his own brothers. It gave a reason for why he was willing to go so far out of his way to rehabilitate Darcy’s reputation with Elizabeth. He hoped that the right wife and companion might resurrect the Darcy he once knew instead of the cold, reserved Darcy that he found upon returning to England.
So there you have the reasons I decided to match Colonel Fitzwilliam and Jane. And I got back at Bingley by matching him up with a younger and more amiable version of Lady Catherine to be his guide much as Lady Catherine was to her late husband, Sir Lewis de Bourgh.
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I love it, Colin! Thank you so much for sharing! I always love seeing either of these characters in the spotlight and to see them paired together will be great fun to explore. I especially love that Colonel Fitzwilliam is such a strong contrast to Charles Bingley – it will be interesting to see what Jane thinks of him and if that contrast brings about a change in her. ☺️
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~ Connect with Colin ~
~ About Colin ~
By training, I’m a retired engineer, born in Texas, raised in Oklahoma, and graduated from the University 
of Oklahoma. Sandwiched in there was a stint in the Marines, and I’ve lived in Arizona since 1977, working first for Motorola and then General Dynamics.
I raised two sons with my first wife, Margaret, before her untimely death from cancer, and my second wife, Jeanine, and I adopted two girls from China. The older of my daughters recently graduated with an engineering degree and is working in Phoenix, and the younger girl is heading toward a nursing degree.
I’ve always been a voracious reader and collector of books, and my favorite genres are science fiction, historical fiction, histories, and, in recent years, reading (and later writing) Jane Austen romantic fiction. This late-developing interest was indirectly stimulated when I read my late wife’s beloved Jane Austen books after her passing. One thing led to another, and I now have four novels published: A Most Civil Proposal (2013), Consequences (2014), Pride, Prejudice, and Secrets (2015), Perilous Siege (2019), A Covenant of Marriage (2020). Four of my books are now audiobooks, A Most Civil Proposal and Pride, Prejudice, and Secrets, Consequences, and A Covenant of Marriage
I retired from engineering in 2011, but I still live in Arizona with my family, a pair of dogs (one of which is stubbornly untrainable), and a pair of rather strange cats. My hobbies are reading, woodworking, and watching college football and LPGA golf (the girls are much nicer than the guys, as well as being fiendishly good putters). Lately I’ve reverted back to my younger years and have taken up building plastic model aircraft and ships (when I can find the time).
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Meryton Press is generously giving away 8 ebook editions of Determination in conjunction with this blog tour!! Woot woot!
Commenting on this post and filling out the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends January 28th!
Thank you to Janet Taylor, Meryton Press, and C.P. Odom for making this blog tour possible!!
I’m adding this to my TBR list!
Thanks for being interested, Keara. I hope the book lives up to your expectations.
Thank you for the background. I agree that Bingley is weak and doesn’t deserve Jane. Sounds like a great read!
Clearly, great minds think alike! Thanks for stopping by, and good luck on the giveaway!
I love your reasoning! I definitely have to read this soon and at least I don’t have to worry about winning a copy after I’ve bought it as has happened to me before!
I hope you find “Determination” an enjoyable read, Glynis. Thanks for your comment.
I’m about to find out as it’s just downloaded on my kindle and is my next read. 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Meredith! Your support is much appreciated. Colin, I enjoyed reading your reasons for the plot twist. I loved the story and am in great favor of the pairing! Congratulations and best wishes on this book.
And thank you for your wonderful cover, Janet! I was reading a comment by an author who self-publishes science fiction novels on Amazon, and he said that he and his co-author have learned that a covers that POPS is essential to getting a reader to at least take a look at his books. I think that a lot of the interest we’re seeing in “Determination” falls in line with that opinion. Congratulations to you and your son, who executed the 3D Art that you used!
I’ve always thought Jane deserved better than Bingley. Glad to see I’m not alone in thinking that!
For a long time, I thought like most readers, that Bingley was a good match for Jane because he was so amiable (and Darcy wasn’t!). But time and repeated exposure to P&P changed my mind. Thanks for stopping by, Pam.
I completely agree that Bingley did not deserve Jane. He was too easy to manipulate by his sisters and Darcy. At least Col Fitzwilliam could be counted upon to love and protect her. It’s a win for both of them.
My take is just a little bit different, ForeverHis. His sisters tried to manipulate him, but I think it was primarily Darcy that Bingley depended on. Remember how Caroline was not at all in favor of the Netherfield Ball, but Bingley simply ignored her? There were other instances where he didn’t openly confront his sisters but didn’t listen to their complaints. It was Darcy who could change his mind.
Thank you for going through your thought process. I agree, Bingley doesn’t deserve Jane, and she takes him back too easily.
I can understand why she takes him back, given her character. She doesn’t get offended and hold lifelong grudges like some of us mortals do, and he is her First Love. That’s always special. And while she isn’t a fortune hunter, a Regency daughter in her situation has to think of supporting her children. But I write Colonel Fitzwilliam differently. He strikes passion in her, while Bingley would have just been . . . comfortable.
Thank you, Meredith and Colin. It’s always interesting to me to hear how writers came upon the idea for their plot. This story sounds like a wonderful read!
Thanks for reading my rambles, Kelly, and thanks for thinking “Determination” will be a wonderful read. I hope is is and you enjoy it.
As a fellow engineer, I appreciate your reasoning, Colin – lots of good, sequential thought there! Thank you for your wonderful contributions to JAFF (I’ve read them all!) and also for your service to our country – Semper Fi!
Ah, a fellow engineer! We do have a tendency to follow the will-o-the-wisp of logic, don’t we? And I am honored that you’ve read all my efforts. For your information, I’ve finished the first draft of another fanfic from the past, “Georgiana’s Friend,” and I’m slogging through the final self-edit before submitting it.
But most of all, I appreciate your appreciation for my service in the good old USMC. Semper Fi back atya!
This is definitely on my to read list, the outline already has me smiling.
And your comment has me smiling at another prospective reader, Catriona! Thanks for stopping by Meredith’s blog today!
I’ve enjoyed CP’s work in the past and look forward to this new story. It’s fascinating learn how he developed the background of Col Fitzwilliam. Much success!
Thanks for your comment’s about my work, Luisa, and I’ll respond by wishing you success in the giveaway! Cheers!
Sounds like you have put some good twists into the original. I agree that Bingley is a wimp! Jane DID deserve a better match. Look forward to reading this.
I think I feel the most condemnatory toward Bingley when I think of the ten months of despair he put her through by disappearing without even a goodbye. That is selfishness even more extreme than Darcy’s. Only a young lady with the good heart of Jane Bennet could have accepted him back in P&P.
I am in the midst (seems something in those words could serve as a declaration of sorts…oh well) of reading Determination right now. Loving it. Although…there is work waiting for me! Great job.
I hope you continue to like it, Don. As for work . . . I’m sure you’ve seen the tee-shirt that says, “So many books, so little time.” I sometimes think I ought to throw out all my non-dress up shirts and buy 20 versions of that shirt in various colors for casual dress!
I have always… always loved JAFF stories that portray our dear Colonel. I just love him and certainly want a love match for him. He is large-and-in-charge where Bingley is… what did you say… wishy-washy? Yep, that’s him. He doesn’t deserve Jane. I read this as a WIP and can’t wait to read it again. Congratulations on bringing it back into the light and publishing it. Oh, I am so excited. And, I must say, that cover is to die for. The back is even better. That is one of my favorite scenes. Yeah, Wickham, you SBRB [scum-bag-rat-bastard], you better quake in your boots. This is our Colonel confronting you… not Darcy. Well done, Colin, blessings on it’s success. Thanks to Meredith for hosting and to Meryton Press for the generous giveaway. Good luck to all in the drawing. Everyone stay safe and healthy.
Thanks for some really encouraging good wishes, J.W. I think that cover is just absolutely perfectly executed and really catches the eye. I’m informed that the cover reveal by Meryton Press was the best they’d ever had, so I again want to thank Janet Taylor and her artist son. Great job! But I’m glad she put the Jane-Richard image on the front rather than the confrontation in the streets of Meryton. It catches the heart of the story more accurately. Thanks for your thoughtful comments and good luck in the giveaway.
I have never read this pairing before and am excited to give it a go as I’ve often thought Bingley didn’t deserve Jane.
It looks like I’m riding a cresting wave here on the “Jane was too good for Bingley” point of view! Thanks for your thoughts, darcybennet!
Love premise! Can’t wait to read.
I hope it lives up to you expectations, Reta! Good to hear from you!
I’m looking forward to reading this. Although I can concede that Mr. Bingley is amiable and outgoing, I think he needs some time to grow up and gain confidence in himself before he makes good husband material. Jane also needs someone who sees the world more realistically to counter her “rose-colored glasses” viewpoint of the world around her. So… I’m fully behind the Colonel/Jane pairing!
Here’s a rather heretical thought in the P&P universe that I’ve expressed previously: Could it be that “amiability” is an overrated attribute?
After all, used car salesmen are amiable! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your opinion, Jan. Have you heard the saying that a person’s genius is directly proportional to the degree in which she agrees with you?
There is no such thing as coincidence and today I had a light bulb moment while jotting down thoughts for a new plot bunny. It concerns Bingley and Jane. I’m so glad to know others share my (hidden) anger with Bingley. Then… I read this blog post. We are on the same wavelength. Here is a portion of my notes.
Does it not bother anyone else that Jane waited TEN freaking MONTHS for Bingley’s return?
November 26, 1811 – Sep 23 1812 (approx) Everyone still loved him. And Jane was soooo glad to see him and accepted his proposal without any qualms or throwing some kind of (serene Jane) hissy fit?????
How do YOU spell Regency Doormat?
I am ALL IN on a Jane/Colonel pairing!!!
Well put, Sue! I think that the P&P readership gave Bingley a pass because they all blamed Darcy (who definitely wasn’t amiable outside his close circle). Given the time frame and courtship rules of the Regency, Bingley treated Jane abominably. He deserved to have the door to Longbourn closed in his face when he finally came to his senses.
But he IS amiable, so I came up with a fitting match for him.
I have always loved a P&P variation that introduces another love interest,colonel Fitzwilliam especially for Jane. This book is definitely on my TBR list!
Thanks for wanting to read my book, Tzippy. I agree with you about another love interest, as long as it doesn’t involve D & E!
Colin, I wonder if the girl with the beautiful eyes who makes you think of love at first sight was the famous Afghan girl from the 1985 National Geographic? Those eyes could launch a thousand ships. But her eyes were green, not violet, so it may be someone else. In any case, I enjoyed your thought process and agree with your logic, particularly regarding Bingley’s unstable loyalty. Another great blog tour stop down. Thanks to Meredith for hosting.
Suzan, I was thinking in the same afghan girl!. Her eyes are so amazing and beautiful!
Suzan, you are indeed correct! It was the National Geographic cover! Those eyes are simply amazing. I had thought they were blue, not green, and when I just now looked up the cover, they’re hard to describe. First there’s that striking dark outline around the iris which then shades to a kind of yellowish-green around the pupil. But I wanted to make Jane’s eyes violet, because Elizabeth Taylor’s violet eyes were always so striking.
Good catch, and good insight on Bingley’s loyalty or lack thereof. I wonder if that might have presaged trouble in the Jane-Bingley marriage down the road?
Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes are stunning. You can especially appreciate them in National Velvet when she’s so young and innocent in appearance. Jane in your book will be arresting!
Hi Colin! You’ve been really brave coming up with this match: Jane and Colonel, WOW, I never imagined something like that…but now, I think: why not?
It’s a total challenge because Mr Bingley is a good fellow but Colonel too!. I pity for Bingley but reading you’ve given him a happy end, I reconcile myself and give all my blessings to Colonel and Jane LOL!
I think, like Meredith, that Jane can develop a stronger character and I’m very curious of the result of this “chemistry” 😉
Congrats Colin for your great idea!
Thanks Meredith for hosting and to Meryton Press for being so generous 🙂
These are well-expressed thoughts, Teresa. As for Bingley’s “happy end,” he needs someone to guide his life and it can’t always be Darcy. In my previous novel, “A Covenant of Marriage,” I had Georgiana fill that role and manage him, which gives every appearance of making him happy. Something similar happens here.
Thanks for stoppy by, and good luck in the giveaway.
Love, love the Colonel!! This premise has me salivating. Thank you for the opportunity at winning a copy!!!
Your enthusiasm is appreciated, Sharon, but let me caution you about salivating over a physical book or the keyboard of your laptop. Bad things could happen . . . 🙂
Good luck in the giveaway!
Meredith, thanks for hosting me today. It looks like we drew a good spectrum of contributors — my fingers started to get tired from responding!
I want to express my appreciation for all your hard work in starting and maintaining this blog about our favorite subject. I don’t think I’d have as much success without the assistance of you and the others like you who keep the topic of Austenesque fiction alive. Thank you.
Colin
Such an intriguing premise, Colin!! I love the way you have indeed driven an eighteen-wheeler through Austen’s plot hole!! 😀
And I very much agree with you that Bingley does not deserve Jane!! 🙂
Isn’t it fun to go back and reshape something written previously?
Congratulations on this sixth book!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thanks, Susanne! I love your 18-wheeler metaphor! But I will say that going back and rewriting something for publication that you wrote more than a decade earlier can be humbling. I remember thinking that I was a better writer than your usual run-of-the-mill engineer, but the last fifteen years have been both instructive and humbling. My editors from Meryton Press have really, really improved my writing. But there’s always more to learn . . . 🙂
I too think Jane and Col Fitzwilliam make a better couple. Thanks for the story and thanks for the giveaway.
And thank you for stopping by, maomac. Good luck with the giveaway, and I hope you read and enjoy “Determination.”
Thank you for sharing how you formed the story. Love that 2 love stories woven in one book.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy
Thanks for your interest, buturot. I have to admit that my thoughts back in 2007 and 2008 when I was first plotting and writing this story weren’t as consciously formed and clear-cut as what I wrote in my post. It was when I was going through the re-write process that a lot of those thoughts came floating up and I said to myself, “So THAT’S what I was trying to do!” Hindsight is wonderful, isn’t it?
I’m looking forward to reading. I tend to agree with your assessment of Bingley.
It’s good to have you visit Meredith’s blog today, Lois. I hope you enjoy your read!
Yay, a new book by C. P. Odom!! Thanks, for the fabulous news, Meredith and Colin, and for this great post. Loved every word and wholeheartedly agree, Jane deserves better. Can’t wait to see how our dear colonel wins his lady. Congrats, Colin, and please keep writing!
Thanks, Joana. This past year was difficult, and my editor and I struggled to get through “Determination.” He lives in the UK and was doing hospital work caring for victims of Covid. He couldn’t do much editing, especially since he was working away from home. But I am preparing another fanfic novel, “Georgiana’s Friend,” for publication. I’ve finished an extensive re-write — I was really unhappy with some parts of the plot — and I’m starting to slog through the self-edit before submitting it. Hopefully, 2021 will turn out better than 2020.
As much as I like Jane and Bingley together, I think I like the idea of Jane and the Colonel together even better! I look forward to reading this and thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
The colonel may not be as comfortable as Bingley, but I hope he’ll be a lot less boring! Thanks for visiting Meredith’s blog for “Determination,” Carole.
I do want to read this story and thanks for a chance to win it. Thanks also for sharing here.
And thank you for being interested enough to read my post, Sheila. Good luck with the lottery!
Very clever and NEW plot line! Sounds delicious!
Thanks, Lily! When writing P&P variations, an author always wants to shake up the plotline a bit. Luckily, Austen gave us all sorts of coincidences — the way D & E meet at Pemberley is probably the best example of a coincidence where 10 minutes either way could have led to catastrophe! — so I’ve had a rich set of choices to do “What if” variations.
I really enjoyed Consequences and A Covenant of Marriage, and I have always thought that Bingley did not deserve jane, so I am looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
Thanks for reading two of my books, Cyndy, and also thanks for stopping by Meredith’s blog. Good luck in the giveaway!
I won’t be in the contest, but this would be loads of fun for me! I will eventually get to reading it 🙂
Thanks for your interest, Jen. I hope you get to it soon and enjoy it! Cheers!
I love stories with more of Col. Fitzwilliam in them and the idea of Jane and the Colonel is strange at fisrt, yes, but on the other hand, why not. I´m looking forward to reading it soon!
When I first encountered Jane Austen fan fiction, I noted that there were all kinds of variations with Darcy and Elizabeth (I remember on well-written but bittersweet story where Darcy marries a prominent young lady with a fortune while Elizabeth and Jane never married and had to accept employment as governesses). But the match between Bingley and Jane was simply accepted by everyone as the only possible variation. But Austen told us so little about Fitzwilliam that I could flesh out his character any way I wanted to, so matching him and Jane just kind of appeared in my mind one day back in 2007.
I am happy to see that Colonel Fitzwilliam is paired with Jane. He deserves as lovely a lady as Darcy has. Wishing you much success with your new book. I have read and enjoyed all of your others. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.
Thanks for your kind wishes, Mary, and good luck with the lottery!