Greetings, dear readers! I’m so delighted to welcome back the lovely Lory Lilian to Austenesque Reviews today! Lory is such a beloved author in this genre – her variations are creative and full of exquisite romance! Lory is here to share with you some exciting news about one of her previously-published variations, TORN, and a wonderfully tender and nuanced excerpt. ❣️
We hope you enjoy! 🤗
Hello everyone,
Dear Meredith, thank you for having me, I missed being here and being in touch with your readers. In the last years, I was not as active on blogs as I used to be, because of some personal health problems – but I love to be back. Blog posts are always a lovely experience!
Today I would like to “talk” about my book TORN, which was re-released three days ago. This book is very dear to me and it has a peculiar story; I still wonder how I managed to write it 🙂
Being an angst wimp, I can hardly read books that keep Elizabeth and Darcy separated, or bond them to someone else. It is my strongest belief that E&D only belong to each other, that they could only “ardently love and admire” each other. This is what (I think) make their story special and immortal. So basically, TORN apparently broke my golden rules. Only apparently 🙂
The particularity of this story is that there are practically no villains; the readers became aware of the strong love between the couple earlier than the characters, and they have nobody to hate or to blame for Elizabeth and Darcy’s grief. 🙂 The couple is kept apart by their excellent characters, their honour and by promises they have made to the benefit of others. They are loyal to each other, but not selfish enough to be disloyal to those who need them.
When I first wrote and publish TORN, I was in a delicate moment in RL (health-related) so everything was rushed. The ending was too hasty, too short and unsatisfying for the readers, who waited for the reunion for so long. Also, there were some major editing issues, so, despite some fabulous reviews, the book needed a complete make-over :-). Taking the readers’ feedback into consideration, I decided to work on it. I added four chapters to the end (about 20 K words!) all focused on Elizabeth and Darcy, followed by professional editing and a new cover. I am very happy with the final result and I look forward to the readers’ feedback.
Here is an excerpt that takes place five months after Elizabeth became a widow. It is a small scene at the theatre (the premiere of Romeo and Juliet, with the famous actress Elizabeth O’Neill actually took place on October 1814!) and the moment of revelation and admission of her relationship with Darcy.
~ Excerpt from Torn ~
Once in the box, Darcy was met with joy by his sister and with some timidity by the other girls; his presence
was still intimidating to them, regardless of their long acquaintance, just as much as his mere proximity calmed Elizabeth and soothed her prior anxiety.
The ladies were all on the first row in the box, and Darcy, together with Mr Gardiner, sat on the second row. He was placed behind Elizabeth, with his sister on her left and Lady Kendal on her right. It was the perfect spot for him to exchange opinions with Georgiana, Lady Kendal and Mr Gardiner. Mrs Gardiner was charmed by the performance, while Elizabeth was silent most of the time, and Darcy was uncertain whether she was simply enjoying the play or was uncomfortable with his nearness. He was not comfortable either, as her closeness allowed him to be intoxicated by her scent, observe the lock of hair dancing on her nape at every move, and admire her neck and her shoulders, covered by the shawl of black lace.
Yes, the colonel had estimated correctly: on her first evening out, Elizabeth was already the centre of attention. During the play, many eyes turned to her repeatedly and probably plans for pursuing her were already being made by single men and their families. No, it was not Elizabeth who was their point of interest, but Lady Alveston—the beautiful widow with a significant fortune and connections to the highest circles. She could probably marry any man she chose, and he could not deny feeling the sharp bite of jealousy. But his fears had disappeared when their eyes met during the first act, and then again during the interval. Even without words, his heart was certain of what his mind still doubted at times: she was still his dearest Elizabeth, who had once rejected his ardent love, only to return it and to share it in the most painful moment. There were certainly many better gentlemen that she could attain from her present position, but he hoped and prayed that she did not wish for another. For him, she was the only woman in the world.
Darcy was startled from his reflections by a gentle touch on his legs, and he saw Elizabeth’s shawl had fallen from her shoulders. She did not seem to notice, so captivated was she by the actors’ performance.
He stretched out his hand and picked up the soft fabric, holding it in his hands for a moment with the realisation that it had touched Elizabeth’s skin. Embarrassed by his own thoughts, he leant forwards and placed it back around her, whispering, “Lady Alveston, you dropped your shawl…”
His hands lingered on her shoulders for an instant, and she turned her head only a little, to whisper back, “Thank you. I felt the chill.”
She held the shawl with her hands and in doing so, her fingers brushed over his. They both stilled for only a heartbeat. Then he withdrew from her, and she turned her head back to the stage, both bewitched by the small incident that had passed almost unnoticed. Almost.
Nothing else particular happened between the two of them. The play continued, with stunning performances from the actors, countless applause and cheers, as well as occasional conversations. During the following interval, Elizabeth exchanged greetings with more people. Her distress dissipated while her self-confidence increased. She kept the shawl wrapped around her shoulders, with the strange sensation that she could feel Darcy’s touch upon it.
Just like the soft fabric, heartfelt joy slowly enveloped Elizabeth. She was happy she had accepted the invitation that day. The lead actress’s talent and the overall performance were worthy of all the praise and deeply gratifying, even for those who had read the play many times and had seen it on the stage previously. When the spectacle ended it was already dark outside, but her heart was light and warm.
The entire party finally reunited outside, waiting for their carriages while they exchanged favourable opinions. Elizabeth had the chance to exchange greetings with the Matlocks, as well as with the viscount and his wife. Bingley’s sisters were the first to depart, and Miss Pemberton was so offended by Darcy’s lack of attention that she was as eager to leave as Caroline and Louisa.
Elizabeth had no other opportunity to speak to Darcy as he stood close to the gentlemen. But what they had shared was enough—more than she had expected.
Since Lydia, Kitty, and Mary had chosen to spend the night at the Bingleys’, Elizabeth returned home alone with Lady Kendal. They entered the carriage after a warm farewell from the others, and Elizabeth sighed, with a long glance through the window. After the din and uproar, the silence seemed heavy and slightly awkward.
Neither of them spoke for a while, but Elizabeth felt Lady Kendal scrutinising her.
“Grandmamma, is anything wrong?”
“No, my dear,” the lady said in a low voice that worried Elizabeth. “Nothing is wrong, no more than it was before…but I finally understand.”
Elizabeth watched her, waiting for her to continue, too afraid to enquire further.
“It was him, was it not?” Lady Kendal eventually asked. “Not Colonel Fitzwilliam, as I foolishly assumed last summer. It was Darcy. His love for you kept him away all this time.”
Elizabeth forgot to breathe. She stared at the lady, the words to deny her claim refusing to come out of her trembling lips, so she only nodded in admission.
Oh, this is a most stirring excerpt! I love how you conveyed all the emotions swirling around Darcy and Elizabeth, even with something as simple and ordinary as picking up a shawl! And I love that you portrayed both Darcy and Elizabeth full of good principles and honor. And big applause to you, Lory, for pushing yourself to write out of your comfort zone! 🥰
~ Book Description ~
TORN is a romantic, Regency “Pride and Prejudice” Variation, full of angst and drama, filled with emotions. A story about different types of love, about honour and loyalty, about one’s own happiness and that of others.
The road to “Happily Ever After” is set with obstacles to overcome, making the journey more arduous for our beloved characters—and for the readers.
Divided by pride, prejudice, and misunderstandings, betrayed by their temper and wounded by vanity, Elizabeth and Darcy take separate paths in the heat of anger—and are tormented when they must reap what they have sown.
Darcy struggles to avoid the woman he loves most ardently, but fate keeps bringing them together. Elizabeth’s thoughts wander to Mr Darcy and, even in his absence, her feelings improve, until she realises he is the only man in the world with whom she could be truly happy. Such revelations come too late when both are bound by promises to others. Can they live a lifetime torn between love and duty?
Stealing a moment of passion one hot summer night, how can Elizabeth and Darcy continue without each other after tasting the delight of being together?
There are no real “villains” in this story to interfere between ODC, there is nobody for the readers to blame and to hate. Elizabeth and Darcy’s deep, powerful love is mutually acknowledged but they are still kept apart by their excellent characters, their honour and by promises they have made to the benefit of others. They are loyal to each other, but not selfish enough to be disloyal to those who need them.
Eventually, they will find the strength to satisfy their desires and to reach the well-deserved fulfilment of their passionate love, while continuing to generously use their influence and wealth.
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Today Lory is offering a chance for TWO lucky readers to win an ebook their choice from any of her available ebook titles (winner’s choice!) 🙌🏼
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment, question, or some love for Lory!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Lory!
- This giveaway ends February 7th!
Oh, my! I remember reading Torn when it was first published, but this will be an entirely new experience. One can feel the passion between Elizabeth and Darcy. Thank you for the excerpt and generous giveaway. I have read and own many of Lory’s books. Torn will be a wonderful book to read curled up during the winter.
Eva E Thank you for the comment and kind words- it’s good to be here again 🙂 Yes, I hope re-reading Torn would be a new experrience and worth the effort. Looking forward to you feedback and good luck with the giveaway!
What a lovely idea Lory. I loved this book the first time round but I can only imagine how much more I will love it now it has extra Darcy and Elizabeth time at the end! The level of emotion in the theatre in this excerpt really moved me! I look forward to this version.
Dear Glynis, I am pretty sure you will enjoy the new additions. Let me know what you think of it once you read it.
This excerpt caused me to get bumps. I hope I get lucky and win one of the e-books!
I am glad you liked the excerpt. Thanks for the comment and good luck in the giveaway!
I finished reading it and loved this new edition too. Congratulations Lory! Don’t enter me into the giveaway, as I already own all your books!
Dear Marie – thank you so much! Hugs!
Congrats on your re-release of Torn. It sounds interesting, I’m especially glad that there are no other people trying to keep ODC apart.
Thank you! Yes, it is special sort of angst in this story; if you want to tak a look, the story is also available in KU. Hi angst but also high romance. 🙂
Congrats on the re-release of Torn! The excerpt is filled with emotion, and I am looking forward to reading it. Actually, I’m not sure how I missed it the first time. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
Thank you, Robin. Well, maybe the first time you skipped it due to the high angst :-). Some of my jaff friends did LOL, but with the new aditions, I promise it is a good balance between angst and romance. The book is also available in KU, if you want to take a look. Good luck with the giveaway
Oh what an excerpt. Wow! I haven’t read Torn previously, but love all my Lori Lilian titles in my shelf at home. I’d love to read it soon and will put it on my goodreads shelf immediately! Happy 2nd publication day!
Wow, congratulations. I have read Torn, but will add it to my TBR pile for rereading!
Thank you! Hope you will enjoy the new version too.
Congratulations on your re-release! You have som e wonderul books!
Thank you for your lovely words ! And thanks for being here – good luck in the giveaway!
I’m so glad to hear Lory is doing well and writing. I have read Sketching Mr. Darcy and Rainy Days and enjoyed them both. I loved the excerpt of Torn and look forward to reading more. –Leslie
Hi Leslie! Thanks for your comment, I am am pretty well – improving – and I am writing! To be honest, I have several WIP’s almost ready, working on them for more than a year. 🙂 My next one is pretty similar to Sketching Mr Darcy – a forced marriage scenario with lots of twists. Hope you will enjoy Torn – the book is also availablle in KU.
Wonderful excerpt! I can’t wait to read the new version of Torn! Thanks for the chance to win it!
Pam, thanks so much for your kind words and I wish you good luck in the giveaway!
Congratulations on the rerelease of your story! I hope you manage to keep writing for many years to come because your books are always so enjoyable.
Michelle – thank you so much, your kind words mean a lot to me! Hugs and good luck in the giveaway!
Swoon. I’ve never read “Torn”, but am anxious to read the new and improved version. Thanks for the chance – how kind of you.
Good luck in this giveaway, hope you will win and enjoy this very romantic story. Until then, the book is available in Kindle Unlimited too, if you want to check it there. 🙂
I’m a Lory Lilian fan–my current favorite is The Painting. I am looking forward to reading your revised and expanded Torn. I hope your chronic health issues resolve or at least stabilize.
Maddy, thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I am actually feeling better now. Good luck with the giveaway! Until then, if you have subscription, the book is available in KU too.
Very excited giveaway from one of my very favorite JAFF Authors! Looking forward to reading Torn and the one or two others I have not yet had the chance to read. 😉
I have all of Lory’s books, including this one, so don’t put me in the drawing. I haven’t had time to read it but I am looking forward to it! Congrats on getting it republished girl.
Dear Brenda, thanks so much! Hugs and lots of love!
The book sounds good. I don’t have too many of your books yet. I think I’d enjoy His Uncle’s Favorite.
Michelle, glad you liked “His Uncle”. If you have subscription, all my books are available in Kindle Unlimited. Good luck with the giveaway – if you win, you may chose any e-book you want!
This was quite melting and beautiful, to say the least. Thank you for the excerpt.
Jen, I am glad you enjoyed the little piece. 🙂 Thank you for your comment and good luck in the giveaway!
Thanks Meredith for hosting. Welcome back, Lory. I hope your health has improved and you are much better. We are glad to see you. Now, about this book. OMG! I love the new cover. What an excerpt. Whew! My heart was beating so hard. Of course that might have been from the Mt. Dew I was drinking. I’ve got to read this new and updated version. What a generous giveaway. Good luck to all in the drawing. Blessings on the new release.
Thank you so, so much for your warm greeting and kind wishes! I noticed your constant support on all my books and I heartily appreciate it! I am soooo happy you like the new cover – can you believe I made it myself? I improved on this area too 🙂 Very glad you liked the new version, hope it was worth reading it again. And – ha ha – I like Mt. Dew too but I am not allowed to drink as much as I want.
I read and reviewed the first edition of this book. I will have to reread it. Thanks for your generosity here.
Sheila – I take this opportunity to tell you how much I like your reviews. Every time I publish a new book, I hope to see your review 🙂 . I know the old version had lots of errors; thank you for giving the new version a chance and hope you will find it worth reading again.
Thank you for offering the giveaway. I haven’t read Torn, because I felt I couldn’t enjoy a book where they were apart. But reading the excerpt has brought home the excellence of your writing. I would love to have the opportunity to winnthis book.
The giveaway is my pleasure and I am glad to be here. Oh, I can sooo well understand your reason for not reading TORN 🙂 Trust me, I am the biggest advocate of seeing E & D always and only together! 🙂 In this version they are not separated for too long, and even when they are, they are connected by heart. 🙂
In the old version, the ending was 4000 words. Now is over 20 000 – enough to compensate for the angst 🙂
What a beautiful moment in that excerpt.
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I have been a fan of Lory’s books for many years. I can’t wait to read “Torn” and hope to add it to my collection. So happy to have you back.Congratulations and best wishes!
Thanks so much! It’s great to be here again! Best wishes to you too and congrats with the giveaway!
What a beautiful excerpt! I could feel their love for each other in their interactions with the shawl. I will definitely read this. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
You are most welcome and I wish you the best of luck with the giveaway! If you have subscription, the book also available in KU.
Really enjoyed the excerpt!
Thank you!
I have enjoyed many of Lory’s books–Torn being one of them! This makes me want to read it again!
Thanks so much! Hope you will enjoy the new edition.
Your books have given me pleasure since the first one, years ago, when had not knowledge of fan fiction and had access to half a dozen of so printed books. I read the earliest nearly a dozen times each. Thank you for sharing your stories..
Oh my God, what lovely memories ! I remember those old times, too – You really made my day! If you want to chat, send me an email or a private message on Facebook. 🙂
I always enjoy your books so much and am excited to read your newest!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thanks so much, Susanne! 🙂 Good luck with the giveaway! I hope you will read the book and enjoy it; if you have subscription, you can find the book in kU, too.
I have not yet read any of your books. But after reading this excerpt, I am definitely putting “Torn” on my TBR list!
Hi Catherine, thank you for being here ! Oh dear, I have been for so long in Jaff (since 2003, my first book written in 2005) that I am pretty excited to meet someone who had not read any of my books 🙂 🙂 . All of them are in Kindle Unlimited, so if you have a subscription you can easily find them. Good luck with the giveaway.
This is a story I have not read before, will put it on my to read list.
Thank you for giving it a try – I hope you will enjoy it. Good luck with the giveaway!
What a gorgeous new cover and yay, 20K more of D&E! Wonderful news, Lory! I can’t wait to treat myself. Please don’t enter me in the giveaway, I just wanted to pop by to say Yippee and Best of luck.
Wonderful excerpt! This book is already on my wish list, and I want to thank you for putting it KU–for those of us who love to read but have limited book budgets. I really appreciate authors like you. Your give away is more than generous. Thanks for adding me to the drawing.
Thanks so much for your kind words! I really like Kindle Unlimited too! As a reader, it allows me read much more books than I could afford to purchase and as writer it helps me to offer my books to a larger audience ,which is great! This giveaway is my pleasure – good luck with it!
sounds like a good one
Thanks!
I love your books. Having to choose just one becomes a difficult task. Torn really stands out from many others precisely because of the obstacles that Elizabeth and Darcy have to face and is very sensitive precisely because of that. Reviewing my files, I discovered not only that Sketching Mr. Darcy was the first book you wrote that I read and Torn was the second one. I would like to get one of the two if possible.
Thanks so much for you lovely words – I truly appreciate it! You are right about Torn – it is a sensitive story and some are still reluctant to read it – which I perfectly understand. Good luck with the giveaway – I hope you win and may choose one of the two books you want.
Wow, that was such a moving excerpt. I felt their longing for each other. thank oyu for sharing and the giveaway
I pray for your continuous recovery/good health. Glad you are better
Thank you for your good wishes and support. Glad you liked the excerpt- good luck with the giveaway!
What a beautiful excerpt and good for you with a re-write and new publication. I’m looking forward to reading this book. Thanks ladies.
I commend you for finding the courage to re-write the book, Lory. And I hope your health is getting better now. Thank you for sharing this tender and poignant excerpt. I cannot wait to read this new edition of Torn.
I am actually reading “TORN” now for the first time, and I do have the KU subscription. I am enjoying your book, and I hope you recover your health completely.