Happy Monday, friends! It will be another fun and busy week at Austenesque Reviews, and I am excited to start my week with welcoming Hunter Quinn, a new Meryton Press author to Austenesque Reviews!
As you may have seen, Hunter just released a debut story with Meryton Press titled – The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Which sounds interesting, because in this premise Mr. Darcy doesn’t write Elizabeth a letter and yet she ends up turning to him for help with the whole Lydia/Wickham debacle!
Hunter is here to share an excerpt from her novel The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, we hope you enjoy! 😌
First, I would like to thank Meredith for hosting me. I am very grateful for your invitation. 😊
Second, I want to take a moment to thank Janet Taylor and the entire Meryton Press community for their warm welcome, hard work, and caring enthusiasm. I also want to thank everyone who has followed my blog tour. I am so deeply touched and grateful for your interest and support!
I believe it is fitting for me to divulge a little more of my Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and my reason for deciding to portray their characters as I have. I think there is one aspect of my life that has always been missing: having lost my father at a very young age, I have lacked that male figure and protector. Growing up in a household of women, I have always been drawn to dashing gentlemen who are inherently good and heroic figures—but with a little spice added to the mix.
I have exaggerated certain of Elizabeth’s traits as I have always been keen to see how the story would play out if the tables turned between Elizabeth and Darcy. Meanwhile, I lessened certain traits of Mr. Darcy’s to see how he might react if he did not have such iron-grip control over his emotions and actions.
And of course, visually my Mr. Darcy is Colin Firth, and my Elizabeth is Jennifer Ehle. Although, in
homage to both film adaptations, I have merged features such as eye colours, etc. in my book.
As this is the final stop of my blog tour, I wanted to leave you with a particular excerpt that is part of one of my favourite scenes and one I enjoyed writing. I picked it because it is fast paced and packed with humour, emotion, and some action thrown in for good measure. Who doesn’t love a Darcy who takes charge?!
Bless you and thank you for stopping by and following my blog tour. I have loved every part of it! I hope you enjoy this next installment and my debut book: The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
~ Excerpt from The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet ~
Mrs Younge paled when she opened the door and found Darcy on the threshold. She quickly went to shut the door, but Darcy anticipated her move and placed his boot in the way. It was then that she noticed Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Gardiner behind him, along with Sam and John on either side of them. Further back, poised and ready to act, were the five men from the colonel’s regiment. Darcy took advantage of her distraction and pushed his way inside.
“What do you mean by coming here in this manner, Mr Darcy?” Mrs Younge tried to mask her shock, but her body was quaking. Darcy’s countenance darkened as he fixed her with a menacing glare.
“Tell me which room he is in,” Darcy demanded.
“Who do you mean, sir? This is a reputable boarding house for women. If you are looking for that kind of entertainment, I suggest that you and your friends—”
“Pray, do not play the innocent with me. You know I mean George Wickham. And before you try to deny that he is here, we have men watching every door and window of this establishment. It would be much easier—and less costly—for you if you would simply tell me which room he is in.”
Darcy mentally counted to five before his patience ran out. “Fine, have it your way.” He turned to the Wilson brothers behind him and said, “Will you please kick open the door to each room and let us know when you have located Mr Wickham?”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison and moved towards the stairway. When they were just shy of the first step, Mrs Younge grabbed Darcy’s arm and shouted in panic, halting the footmen’s steps.
“Yes, Mrs Younge?” asked Darcy as he looked disdainfully at the hand still grasping his arm. She quickly snatched her hand back.
“Changed your mind, have you?” asked the colonel with a bored expression.
“Very well! I will tell you which room he is in.” She yielded with a calculating gleam in her eyes.
“Well?” prompted the colonel when she did not elaborate.
Mrs Younge threw the colonel a cross look before turning back to Darcy. “But first, I wish to know what I get for telling you where he is.”
“Mrs Younge, you are in no position to make demands. Given our past dealings, I am treating you very kindly. Do not try my patience further,” Darcy replied curtly.
“Oh, very well,” she huffed after a brief pause before surrendering the information desired. “He is upstairs—third door on the left.”
“After you,” said Darcy as he gestured towards the stairs. With a resigned sigh, she led the way up to Mr Wickham’s room.
“There you go, sir.” She clasped her hands in front of her and gave Darcy a vexed look.
“Thank you, madam.” He reached into an inner pocket of his greatcoat and handed her a small handful of coins. She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Oohh! Mr. Darcy is saving the day!! I love how he isn’t about to take any of Mrs. Younge’s nonsense and shows some impatience! That was kind of him to compensate her for her information, though. I wonder if he will find Wickham inside. 🙌🏼
Thank you so much for sharing, Hunter. I am intrigued by your portrayals of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and look forward to seeing how you turn the tables with them! 🤔
~ Book Description ~
An insulting proposal without an explanatory letter…how can they possibly reconcile?
When her sister Lydia elopes without a trace, Elizabeth Bennet must put aside her predisposition against Mr. Darcy—the man whose hand she refused months earlier—and plead for his assistance in locating the wayward couple. As a result, they face daunting hurdles with help from well-loved friends and interference from old rivals. Will their struggles result in permanent estrangement or a love match?
~ About the Author ~
Hunter Quinn is a British writer, residing in the southwest of England. She is an avid reader, no doubt
due to the influence of her mother, an English classics’ professor and lecturer.
Having grown up a stone’s throw from Bath and always surrounded by the words of literary greats, Hunter first discovered Jane Austen at a young age. But it was the ubiquitous scene where Mr. Darcy—portrayed by Colin Firth (a moment of silence and applause)—first emerged from the lake in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that cemented her love for Jane Austen and the regency romance genre of spirited damsels, dashing gentleman, and glittering ballrooms. Afterwards, Hunter walked through life daydreaming and writing ‘what if’ scenarios between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy but never had the courage to share them.
Once the lockdown went into effect, Hunter took the plunge and sharing her first novel on well-known JAFF sites. The praise and interest of readers gave her the confidence to submit The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Meryton Press Publishing…and the rest is history!
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
In conjunction with this blog tour visit, Meryton Press is giving away 1️⃣ ebook copy of The Predisposition of Miss Elizabeth Bennet to 1️⃣ lucky winner!!
To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Hunter below!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends May 2nd.
Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. It is a surprise that Mr. Gardiner is there, too. How kind of Darcy to reward Mrs. Younge even though she relented in asking for a reward. Darcy is certainly the white knight who comes to the rescue!
Hi Eva – thank you so much for stopping by. I am glad you enjoyed the excerpt and I hope you enjoy the book.
Good luck with the giveaway!
Thank you for this entertaining excerpt, Hunter, and thank you for hosting, Meredith!
Thank you, Kelly. I am very grateful for your continued support !
Thank you for stopping by, Kelly! I am so happy to have Hunter visit!
Meredith – Thank you for hosting me, and for such a wonderful post! I’m so grateful to end my blog tour here and to share this final excerpt 🙂
It is MY pleasure, Hunter! Congrats on your debut release! I am so happy to be a part of the celebration!
Whoa! I think some ass is about to be kicked!
This comment made me smile – thank you for following my blog tour Ginna 🙂
OMG! Sitting on the edge of my seat! I have read and seen this scene a few times (lol) but reading sent a thrill of glee look out, Mrs Younge, don’t mess with Mr. D! Love it, gonna read this one! Thanks
Hi Char – I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I can’t wait for you to read what happens next!
I read the book and really enjoyed it! Congrats 🙂
Sam H – This is such wonderful news! Thank you for reading and for stopping by 🙂
Great excerpt! This book is on my wish list. Thanks so much for the chance to win a copy!
Hi Pam – I’m so happy you enjoyed this excerpt. Good luck with the giveaway!
Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway! I can’t wait to see what happens when Darcy and company open the door and find Wickham. I’m looking forward to reading the entire book!
I can’t wait for you to find out! Best of luck with the giveaway and thank you for stopping by!
Hmm, I’m also curious to see how Darcy and Elizabeth reconcile. And how does she come to tell Darcy about Lydia and Wickham? Definitely looking forward to finding out!
Hi Amanda – I hope you get to find out soon. Good luck with the giveaway!!
I love it when Darcy is purposefully intimidating! No messing with him!
Me too! I’m glad you like this excerpt 🙂
Looks like winner–for you and for your readers. Thank you.
That’s great to hear! Thank you 🙂
I wonder about the significance of the small coins? Not for the bus or the laundromat! Thanks, Hunter, for another fine excerpt. Thanks, Meredith, for hosting.
Thank you for your support Suzan! 🙂
Thanks for reading this excerpt and sharing your thoughts, Suzan!
Hi Hunter!
I’ve enjoyed this scene with such a resolutive Darcy and I wonder how he will react when having Wickham in front of him… I wouldn’t mind if he used his fists, although knowing Darcy is a gentleman I’m afraid Wickham will receive a better treatment than he deserves LOL
Congrats on your release, I wish you the best and thanks to Meryton Press for giving you this chance. And thanks for the giveaway!
P.S: I love the cover!
Congratulations on publishing, Hunter! I love this premise 🙂
Enjoyed the excerpt and wonder what happens next with Wickham.
I read and enjoyed this story.
I am looking forward to reading this.
I just read another excerpt, which encouraged me to seek out this & others on the blog tour. I can’t wait to read the whole book! Thank you for the chance to win. Congratulations on your publishing debut – what a strong start as an author!
What could be better than Darcy to the rescue!
I really like this assertive Darcy, entering Mrs. Younge’s boarding house fully in control and in charge!! Yet he is kind in paying her when he didn’t really need to do so, especially after her machinations with Georgiana!
This books looks extremely intriguing; I hope I win a copy! 🙂
And congratulations on publishing your first book!! Yay!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thank you for hosting Hunter for her last stop of the blog tour, Meredith! We appreciate you. Hunter, loved the excerpt. I’m like everyone else. I like seeing Darcy assertive and in charge. 🙂 Thank you for sharing one of your favorite scenes.
My pleasure, Janet! Thank you so much for putting this tour together and for letting me celebrate Hunter’s release with everyone!
Wonder who’s actually behind the door?
denise
Thanks for the excerpt. I’ve caught several of the ones posted at various stops, and look forward to reading the book.
How generous of Mr. D to still give her something…
Thank you for the execrept and the chance t win a copy
Excellent excerpt! I have this book queued up to read after I finish reading a mystery. I have ordered it, and I wish much success for the lucky winner.
I really loved the excerpt so thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading more. Congratulations on your book!! –Leslie
Oh, my! [fanning self] Mr. Darcy is wonderful! I look forward to reading the book. Congratulations and good luck with your debut novel!
Please do not enter me into the contest, but I really enjoyed the pacing of the action there. Congratulations on your new book and thank you for sharing that excerpt.
OOOOOOOhhhhhh, good scene to dangle out there. Now I must know the rest of the story! LOL. Looking forward to it. Good luck!!
Great excerpt and an intriguing premise. I’m looking forward to reading it. Congratulations
Intriguing scene! Wishing you all the best with this book and the future ones you will write.
The summary and excerpt sound intriguing. With their characters changed and without the letter explain Darcy’s proposal the will have an extra hurdle for Elizabeth to climb. I’m curious how you handle the issue. I haven’t read a variation with this idea before. Plus I love a Mr. Darcy in charge in contrast to the reserved gentlemen we know.
The book sounds like a great read, and I’m looking forward to it. I wish Hunter Quinn the best of luck on this book’s launch. I hope she will be happily encouraged to keep on writing.