Guest Post + Giveaway with Author Shannon Winslow!!!

October 13, 2023 • Author Features, Giveaways • 45 Comments

Hi friends! Did you see that Shannon Winslow recently published the newest installment in her ...In His Own Words series? ✨

And once again, she is channeling and writing from the perspective of one of my top favorite Austen men – Mr. Knightley! 🤗

He claims he is no good at making speeches, but Mr. Knightley makes me swoon! 🥰

Today Shannon is stopping by to share a little about Mr. Knightley falling in love with Emma. 💗

We hope you enjoy!

Learning to Love (or at least like) Emma

I realize that an Emma book may be a bit of a tough sell. First, it’s not Pride and Prejudice. And second, as Jane Austen predicted, Emma is a heroine that nobody but herself would like. (Of course, you really only have to like Mr. Knightley to enjoy this new book, and who doesn’t?)

Besides, it’s not quite true that Emma is unlikable. Mr. Knightley likes her, and I think the rest of us can learn to like her more if we look a little deeper, if not at the beginning then by the end of the story, because she does grow and change. She learns from her painful mistakes. So now, with the help of excerpts from his book, Mr. Knightley and I are going to try to win you over!

Mr. Knightley is not blind to Emma’s faults. As you know, he often tries to correct her behavior (with limited success), not because he despises her but because he cares about her. He always has, long before he fell in love with her. As he points out, Emma has many excellent qualities: 

I am not always finding fault with Emma. Even when she was young, I hope I was as quick to praise as to correct… She has a quick mind, ready wit, and general good sense, although in the inexperience of youth, sometimes misapplied. She is very compassionate too. The distresses of the poor are as sure of relief from her personal kindness, counsel, and patience, as from her purse. And never has there been a more loving and dutiful daughter; of that I am perfectly convinced.

From an early age, Mr. Knightley tried to help fill the void left in Emma’s life by an absent mother, an over-indulgent father, and a governess with little control. He’s aware of Emma’s great potential and can’t bear to see it wasted.

What an excellent creature [Emma] is – flawed, like the rest of us, but excellent nonetheless! Head and shoulders above most other women at her worst, and at her best, showing signs of fulfilling all the potential inherited from her mother.

In this book, Mr. Knightley makes much of Emma’s mother, the deceased Mrs. Woodhouse, whom we get to know early on. He holds Mrs. Woodhouse up as the example of the feminine ideal, and he wants to see those same virtues blossom in her daughter.

“It has always seemed so unfair to me, Mr. Knightley, that you remember my mother much better than I do. Tell me again what she was like. You know Papa cannot bear to speak of her.” Emma was right; it was not fair that she should have no more than a few indistinct remembrances of her own mother… In any case, the topic often incited a reoccurring conversation between us, one pleasurable for us both. Emma would ask about her mother, and I would spend the next ten or fifteen minutes talking about old times and trying to conjure up some new anecdote to relate to her. It was not an onerous task, for Mrs. Woodhouse had been one of my favorite people, and I wanted Emma to know what kind of woman had given her life. I saw so much of her mother in her, so much potential, some of it not yet fully realized.

Over the course of the story, Emma begins living up to that potential. She learns from her mistakes. She actually admits where she has been wrong (with Harriet and Miss Bates), and she determines to change her ways. In evidence of her new-found humility, I offer this snippet of conversation with Mr. Knightley near the end of the book, concerning Harriet’s engagement to Robert Martin (taken nearly verbatim from Emma).

“I am perfectly satisfied and most sincerely wish them happy.”

“My dearest Emma, you are materially changed since we talked on this subject before,” I say, still a bit incredulous at her reaction.

“I hope so! – for at that time I was a fool,” she says, laughing merrily again.

So don’t you think, by virtue of her reformed character, that Emma deserves a little more respect? Don’t you think we should be able to wish her and Mr. Knightley well together? Don’t you think you should be open minded enough to give an Emma story a chance? I hope so! If you’re still not convinced, though, I will leave you with this quote from one of my fabulous beta readers: 

“I loved this book…You did something I did not think was possible. You made me like the Emma-Knightley love story. I never cared for Emma; it was my least-liked Austen book. But you fixed it! 🙂”

I so agree, Shannon! Just like we love and admire Mr. Darcy for changing his behavior and reforming some of his ways, we should feel the same towards Emma! And I already do! I feel like her errors and flaws are very much the product of her upbringing and that greater experience and internal growth shapes her character into someone that we could all like! 🫶🏼

Thank you so much for sharing some of Mr. Knightley’s sentiments with us! 📖

I wish you all the best with your release of Mr. Knightley…in his own words! ✨

~ Book Description ~

Mr. George Knightley. According to Emma Woodhouse, you won’t see one in a hundred who is so clearly the gentleman. Respected by all, he’s kind, unpretentious, and scrupulously honest, with an air so remarkably good that it’s unfair to compare other men to him. We also know he’s been his “own master” from a young age. But Jane Austen tells us little more.

What were his early years like, and how did he lose his parents? A man in his mid-thirties, he must have had at least one romance along the way. Did it end badly? Is that why he’s never married? When and how did his relationship with Emma shift from friendship to love? And what can explain his incredible forbearance towards the eccentric Mr. Woodhouse? Now, Mr. Knightley reveals these answers and more in His Own Words.

This is not a variation from but a supplement to the original story of Emma, chronicled in the hero’s point of view. Two-thirds completely new material, it features key events in Mr. Knightley’s past – events that still haunt him and yet have shaped who he’s become, the superior man Emma can’t help falling in love with.

Connect with Shannon

Blog    ❧    Twitter    ❧    Facebook    ❧    Austen Variations

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Today Shannon is generously giving away a Kindle ebook OR an audiobook from her …In His Own Words series (winner’s choice!) to  5️⃣  lucky readers! Woot woot!

What a fantastic opportunity to start or add to your collection of this series!! 🙌🏼

To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Shannon!

  • This giveaway is open worldwide (Kindle is US only, Audiobook must be able to redeem through Audible US or Audible UK.  Thank you, Shannon!
  • This giveaway ends October 20th.

~~~

Disclaimer: The Amazon links used in this post are affiliate links. 

45 comments

  3. I love all the books!!! I have read them all and cannot wait to read Mr. Knightleys book. Congratulations on your new book!! Love the cover!!!

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Susan! As you may know, the cover was a great dilemma – whose likeness to use, which Mr. Knightley? But I’m delighted with the way it turned out! Glad you like it too. 🙂

      Reply

  4. I think that hearing Mr. Knightly’s words concerning Emma will, maybe, let us like her more. I have always felt that Emma always wins because even Mr. Knightly moves into her home when they first wed! It will be good to see Emma from a new perspective. All of Shannon’s books have been a great read. Thank you for the giveaway.

    Reply

    1. I’m delighted you’ve enjoyed my books, Eva!

      As for Mr. K moving to Hartfield when he marries Emma, he doesn’t see it as a concession to Emma at all, but as a kindness to Mr. Woodhouse. My book shows why Mr. K is so kind and loyal to the old gentleman, putting his needs and wishes above his own at all times .

      Reply

  6. I have loved this collection by Shannon. I have the audiobooks of Fitzwilliam Darcy in His Own Words and Col Brandon in His Own Words and have loved both of them. Emma is probably my least favorite Jane Austen book, mainly because of Emma’s character, but I love Mr. Knightly and how he “handles” Emma’s antics. I look forward to reading this latest JAFF. –Leslie

    Reply

  7. Congrats to Shannon on another great book! (No need to enter me into the giveaway; just wanted to send my appreciation along for this series.) As for Emma, I love her dearly! Yes, she’s flawed and thinks a little too highly of herself, perhaps, but it’s great to see a heroine lean into her strengths and learn from her weaknesses. Also, she can be a very loyal and caring daughter, sister, and friend (at least to Mrs. Weston; she means to be a good friend to Harriet, even if that doesn’t quite play out as it should). I think George Knightley loves her for that combination of spirit, wit, and loyalty. Meredith, I believe you love Highbury, so I’m sure you’re as excited as I am to read Mr. Knightley’s perspective on all the happenings there! My best to you both, Shannon and Meredith!

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for the good wishes, Christina! As alluded to above, Knightley sees so much potential in Emma because she’s so like her mother, just not matured yet. I adored Mrs. Woodhouse, and I would have spared her life if I could have! But I’ve sworn to abide by Jane Austen’s version of things.

      Reply

  8. I always liked Emma with all her faults. To see how Mr. Knightley felt behind the scenes would be a treat. Best of luck with this release, Shannon!

    Reply

  9. I must admit, this is the first I’ve seen of these books and just can’t wait to add them to my collection!

    Reply

  14. I am about 3/4 of the way reading through this book. I have read all of Shannon’s JAFF stories and several not JAFF. I recommend her to all. I will be writing a review.

    Reply

  15. Have already devoured this book. So good luck to those that enter the giveaway. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading Mr. Knightley’s tale. He and Emma are two of my favorites; their story rarely gets a retelling. And this one is marvelous.

    Reply

  17. Hi Shannon!!!

    Well, I truly despise the book Emma aa well as the character of Emma; she gives me so much secondhand embarrassment!! I cringed as I read the novel (even tried it again a few years ago after hating it in my twenties), and I can’t sit through any of the film adaptations except for Clueless. 😉 So I am very much hoping that you can “fix Emma” also for me!!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    Reply

    1. No pressure there, Susanne! Haha!
      “Fixing Emma” wasn’t my intention with this book, so that comment surprised (but delighted) me. Yes, Emma makes me cringe too, but she’s worth redeeming, and I think that’s what JA set out to do by starting with such an obviously flawed character and them humbling her. Ultimately, though, the focus is on Mr. Knightley in this book, and he’ll never make you cringe by behaving badly!

      Reply

  20. I am interested to read this, as Mr. Knightley is absolutely swoon-worthy! It doesn’t hurt that Shannon is the author. Thank you for the giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!

    Reply

  24. Thank you for sharing snippets from your new release, Shannon. I can’t help but love Mr Knightley too, although not as much as Darcy and Wentworth, my two favourite Austen men. I don’t think Emma is unlikable, she may be arrogant and too full of herself but she has a kind heart.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your conversation and participation are always welcome; please feel free to "have your share."