Hi friends! It’s an exciting day! Amy D’Orazio from Quills and Quartos is sharing with us the cover reveal for a NEW short story anthology!! Woot woot! I adore anthologies! And Quills and Quartos has already published some fantastic ones – ‘Tis the Season, An Inducement Into Matrimony, Happily Ever After with Mr. Darcy! If you haven’t read these yet, you NEED to!! You are missing out! 💗
To hear that another beautiful anthology filled with 9️⃣ fabulous stories by 9️⃣ creative writers is soon to be released is such an exciting prospect, don’t you think? 🤩
Welcome, Amy! It is so lovely of you to stop by and share the cover reveal of Affections & Wishes! 🤗
~ From the Authors ~
~ Book Description ~
Affections & Wishes is a short story Pride and Prejudice anthology which has something for all readers, including regency romances, contemporary romance and fantasy or romantasy.
Shades of his Character by Jessie Lewis
An enemies-to-lovers romance, in which a begrudging act of collusion in Netherfield’s library awakens Darcy and Elizabeth to their true feelings for each other.
All That Glitters by Julie Cooper
Darcy, believing that Elizabeth is about to marry Mr Collins, must decide what is most important: treasure in the bank, or treasures of the heart.
Pink Party Punch by Amy D’Orazio
Fighting boredom at Jane and Bingley’s baby shower, Darcy bets Elizabeth that he can best her at the baby games for a prize of one date with her. Elizabeth soon realizes it’s a contest she can’t lose—either by winning the game or by winning Darcy’s heart.
Her Charms to Recommend Her by Mary Smythe
When Mr Darcy cannot shake an inexplicable illness, he’s forced to seek out the particular, magical talents of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Orange Roses by Frances Reynolds
Darcy and Bingley re-enter the Bennet sisters’ lives in London, shortly after Elizabeth’s return from Kent.
Darcy & The Blue Devils by Lucy Marin
In Kent, Mr Darcy fights his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet and discovers the connexion between her and the blue devils that plague him.
Perfectly Right by Jan Ashton
Elizabeth’s creation of a fake boyfriend to thwart her mother’s matchmaking schemes inspires a desperately smitten Darcy to propose his own dating challenge.
Actions, Not Words by Barry S Richman
Was it the natural progression of mutual affection, or did others influence events so our dear couple reached their happily ever after? Lady Catherine confronts Fitzwilliam Darcy at Netherfield Park after having castigated Elizabeth Bennet at Longbourn.
Symptoms of Peculiar Regard by Elsie Fulbrook
A fantasy romance where love literally grows, and Jane has a gift which helps her steer Elizabeth and Darcy to their happily ever after.
~ Excerpt from All That Glitters by Julie Cooper ~
Bingley slumped, leant his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed gustily. “Have you ever been in love, Darcy?”
Darcy opened his mouth to reply, ‘No, and neither have you’ but a strange paralysis held his tongue. A couple of days ago, he might have said it, but the hours spent reflecting on Elizabeth’s best qualities made it seem almost…insulting to his feelings for her. Instead of his well-rehearsed lecture on the subject, he heard himself asking a strange question rather than answering Bingley’s.
“How is it different this time, Bingley? You have claimed to be in love before—I have heard you. Is it only that she does not love you in return? The challenge of it?”
Worse still, he very much wanted to hear his friend’s answer.
Bingley leant forward, suddenly eager. “It is precisely the difference between what I have felt in the past and my current feelings that reveal my love to me. My former sentiments were but a pale imitation of what I feel now. Before, it was interest and curiosity and—” He paused, blushing a little. “And desire, I shall admit it. A beautiful female is a fascinating prospect, don’t you think? I hope I always find it so—not for lovemaking, you understand. Beauty for beauty’s sake.”
Darcy had been pursued by beauties for so long, he almost could not remember when the first had coyly dropped her handkerchief at his feet; he could admit that before meeting Elizabeth, he had expected their deference, their attention, as his due. Because Elizabeth was not beautiful in the classic, portrait-perfect sense of many ton diamonds, he had overlooked her. Even insulted her.
Remembering, it was his turn to blush. Had he ever apologised to her for that? With effort, he turned his attention back to his friend.
“Bingley, there is a certain hardness to most great beauties. I do not say it is all their fault—practically from birth, their looks have drawn uncommon attention, until they cannot appear anywhere without being assaulted by it. Early on, they learn to push back against it—usually with dismissive conceit. Their beauty obscures character, fortune, address, and a host of other desirable traits, for it is what their admirers want most. They are viewed more than anyone, yet seldom seen. Can you understand me?” He ran his hand through his hair, searching for the right words. “One cannot trust the practised words they use, the practised charm they exert, because an essential part of them is not really participating. There is no real connexion.”
Bingley’s expression grew thoughtful. “Do you think I learnt nothing from my previous experiences? Why do you believe naught came of any of them? I am not the most perceptive man, certainly, but neither am I stupid. Even I can sense when I am alone in my feelings. I tell you, Miss Bennet is the genuine article.” Abruptly, he stood. “Do you know, Darcy, I do not think we are speaking about beauties. We are talking of you.”
“Me?” Darcy sat back, frowning up at his friend.
“You. Uncommon attention since you were a lad. Distrustful of everyone. Dismissive conceit, and a refusal to truly participate—in love, certainly, but neither much in life itself, because true enjoyment of life requires you to put yourself forward, to take risks in knowing others. The world has disappointed you too often, I suppose.”
Darcy gaped at him.
“Others have disappointed me—there is no question,” Bingley continued. “Miss Bennet, however, has not. It seems wrong of me to treat her as though she has. You say she feels nothing for me, and you may well be correct. I have been mistaken before. Forgive me, however, if I find it difficult to put my sole trust in the word of a man who feels nothing for anyone.”
For a moment they stared at each other incredulously. Then Bingley bowed, mumbled “Forgive me” once again, turned on his heel, and hastily made his exit.
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: July 8th)
Oh what bounteous and beauteous book!! I’m already in love! 😍
The cover is so vibrant and full of an interesting array of flowers and colors! Feels like an apt metaphor for the anthology itself! 🌈
I love this reveal – not only do we see the cover, but we also learn the authors involved, the types of stories they wrote, and the in this case guess the color that inspired the story! 😮
Ooh, that excerpt by Julie Cooper – I love this revealing, open and honest discussion between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley! 🗣️
What do you think, friends? 🤔
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering 3️⃣ ebook copies of Affections & Wishes to 3️⃣ lucky readers who comment on today’s post!
To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Quills and Quartos below.
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
- This giveaway ends June 17th.
~~~
You can preorder Affections & Wishes now!
My sincere gratitude to Amy D’Orazio and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this special post together!
I am so excited for this book to come out! Amy D’Orazio is one of favorite JAFF authors!
Mine too Kristin! You’ll absolutely love this short story from her!
This is wonderful! An anthology with the best JAFF writers! I can’t wait to read it 🙂
You’re so sweet, Tzippy, thank you! You won’t be disappointed with this adorable collection
Thank you, Tzippy! You are going to love it.
Wow!! What a wonderful list of authors. Everyone a favourite, can’t wait to read it.
Thank you Mary — best of luck in the draw!
What a lovely thing to say! Thank you, Mary.
Love the cover, with the beautiful flower bouquet. I love the idea of the anthology, and can’t wait to read it.
The cover is just stunning isn’t it? And perfectly complements all the colourful stories. I hope you enjoy them all!
So SWEET! and Perfect for Spring!
A paperback for my collection 😉
Thank you Sam! It truly is a beautiful cover (and probably about as close to spring as we brits are likely to come with the current weather!)
Thank you, Sam. Mine, too.
So close and yet so far, Affections & Wishes! I’ll be anxiously waiting!
Less than a month! It’s worth the wait, I believe.
I love these anthologies too. They are wonderful adult “bedtime stories.” Thank you authors for sharing your stories.
I have read 2 excerpts from this anthology, and both were tantalizing! And really, you just can’t go wrong with a Quills and Quartos anthology or with these authors! So looking forward to reading it. Love the cover, too!
Thanks Randi! The cover is just perfect for the light, romantic tales inside. Good luck with the draw 🙂
Thank you for reading them, Meg! I hope you enjoy the stories
Thank you for reading, Meg! I hope you enjoy them.
Wow! This is a Who’s Who of JAFF authors. Every one is a must read for me. I too can’t wait to read this anthology.
Thank you! It was a fun project, and the team at Q&Q did a lot to pull us all together for it. Hope you enjoy!
What a GREAT idea! A “Who’s Who” guide of JAFF authors. Hmm…
So many of my favorite authors are represented in this new anthology. I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks so much Elizabeth, I hope you’ll enjoy!
I look forward to reading a new story from all of these authors. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!
We appreciate your support! Thanks Robin!
Goodness, an anthology from some of my absolute favorite authors! I love anthologies and can’t wait to get ahold of this one. So many stories. Yay! The cover is amazing and so spring-like. Congratulations to the authors on their upcoming releases. So excited!
Thanks so very much Melissa! I agree about the lovely cover!
Thank you, Melissa.
Ooooo such a lovely cover reveal with all the beautiful flowers!!! I’m excited for this anthology to come out; a great group of authors, some of my favorites!!!
Your enthusiasm is awesome Kaidi! Thank you for the love!
This is an amazing collection, and I am excited to have some of my all-time favorites all in one place! Looking forward to having a copy for myself. Beautiful cover too!
Thank you so much Amy! We appreciate your support!
Lovely cover! I’m looking forward to being introduced to a few new-to-me authors in this anthology.
It is beautiful, isn’t it? I hope you discover some new favourites!
Nicole, thank you (again!) We appreciate you and your love of JAFF so much!
Hope you enjoy this anthology. My first as an author.
Oh, such a happy, colorful and joy inspiring cover. A collaboration of such amazing writers is a sure recipe for literary delight for us JAFF lovers. Really excited and looking forward to reading it. ❤️
What a joyful comment, Raluca! Thank you. I hope you enjoy discovering all the stories.
That cover is so perfect! I love it!
I’m a huge fan of anthologies – both as a reader and a writer – and definitely adding this one to the TBR!
Thanks for the chance to win a copy ❤️
Thank you Rebecca! The cover really is lovely, isn’t it? I hope you enjoy exploring all the stories in the anthology.
These are tried and true JAFF writers – I always download and read their work. I am eagerly looking forward to reading these stories.
Thank for bringing these works to our attention.
Thanks so much Frankie! We are grateful for you!
Thank you, Frankie! I hope you enjoy the stories. I sure did!
Can’t wait for it to be released!!
I hope you enjoy it, Elaine!
What a lovely idea for a collection of stories!
I agree, Audny. The colour theme was a great way to get a realy varied collection of tales together. Hope you enjoy them!
Beautiful artwork for this cover! Cant wait for this to be released! Many of my favorite authors. What a treat!
I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I did. Thanks for commenting, and good luck in the draw!
The cover is beautiful! Truly stunning. I’m not usually one for anthologies, but the excerpts given are intriguing. Will look forward to reading these delicious tidbits.
It is such a lovely cover. I hope you enjoy the stories. I think they are terrific.
Tidbits they certainly are. Tantalizing, for sure. Enjoy.
A lovely cover for what promises to be a lovely compilation of stories, and I’m looking forward to reading every single one. Best wishes for a wonderful release, all of you!
Thank you, Susan! ❤️
All the short stories sound so interesting!!
They are a lot of fun, speaking as someone who was fortunate enough to get a sneak peak! Thanks for commenting, Lisa.
I love the cover, so cheerful. I can’t wait to read this bounty of little treasures.
I love the cover too. It is just so pretty. Good luck in the draw, EV!
Love the cover!!! So beautiful… can’t wait to read this!!!! Congratulations to all the authors who contributed..
Thank you, Susan. Good luck in the draw!
That cover is PERFECT for this book! The colors of the flowers against a soothing background. It is a cover that will be remembered, both for its unique style and that it contains many stories. Congratulations to Q&Q Publishing for including so many of its best authors–authors that we all want to read! I look forward to reading the stories within.
I completely agree about the cover, Jeannette! I was really excited to take part in this project, and I have to say, the collection of stories is really wonderful.
The cover is amazing. The colours speak to the content within. Enjoy.
So pretty! I love it! And looking forward to reading the stories from these amazing authors.
I’m sure I speak for my fellow authors when I say I hope you enjoy it. Good luck in the draw, Ree!
That is one stunning cover! Those colors are simply gorgeous. Congratulations to the authors!
I know! It is so romantic and vibrant. Perfect for a spring reveal! Thanks for commenting, Katie.
Oooh! There are some stories by some wonderful authors in here! Cannot wait to read it!
It is a fantastic collection. I hope you enjoy it too! Good luck in the draw, Rebecca.
I can’t wait to read Affections and Wishes! So rarely is Elizabeth shown with an illness!
Thanks for commenting, Jean. Best of luck in the draw!
Beautiful cover! As someone else said, these anthologies have great “bedtime stories” and I can’t wait to read these by many of my very favorite authors. I love the variety and every story sounds wonderful !
It is a gorgeous cover, isn’t it? I nearly swooned what I first saw it. Thanks so much for commenting, Gail!
The variety of short stories sounds perfect! I think this is a terrific travel book as one would be able to read a story and then begin a new one when one’s time is broken up. The gentle pink of the cover with the variety of fragile flowers sets the tone for our authors. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
What a lovely description. A “Travel Book.” I will have my wife drive so I can test your theory!
Thank you, Eva. Anthologies really are great for dipping into as and when time allows. Hope you enjoy the stories!
I definitely look forward to this! It’s always fun to get anthologies from favorite authors.
Thanks so much Shannon! We appreciate you!
I put this on my wish list. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. Great authors.
Best of luck in the drawing, Sheila! We appreciate your interest.
I loved the excerpt! So Bingley actually has a backbone after all? . This anthology sounds wonderful. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
Heh heh, Darcy asked for his opinion (for once) and thus he heard it! Fingers crossed that ODB takes it to heart. Best of luck in the drawing Pam!
What a happy, delightful cover. And what a collection of works by several of my not-to-be-missed P&P variation authors. I do look forward to reading this collection.
Thanks to you all for sharing your work.
Isn’t it just lovely? A bouquet of flowers for a bouquet of stories. We hope you enjoy!
My favorite JAFF authors in one book! How lucky are we? Great cover too. Can’t wait to read the anthology.
Aw, thank you. We hope you enjoy it!
They are some of my favourite authors too! 😀 Good luck in the draw.
What a beautiful cover! The beautiful flowers make me want to cozy up with this anthology and a cup of tea and enjoy so many of my favorite authors. I’m excited it will be out soon!
That’s the perfect way to enjoy a book! I hope you love this one.
I have the other anthologies mentioned. I like this cover better. I read ebooks on my Kindle app on my phone and it is frustrating to try and read book titles when the cover is an inch tall in the appand the font or color contrast is poorly chosen. This cover looks like it will be okay. I already have this in my Amazon book list, so I’ll be acquiring it when it publishes.
It’s a gorgeous cover, isn’t it? So much color! I hope you enjoy the anthology when it releases.
The cover is so lovely I ordered three paperbacks! Enjoy.
All my favorite JAFF authors + a beautiful cover = I can’t wait!!
Thank you! We all hope you enjoy the collection.
Enjoy & thank you!
That’s the perfect way to enjoy a book! I hope you love this one.
Always excited for a new Quills and Quartos release!
Thanks, Kate! It’s a gorgeous cover and chock full of great stories. I love these anthologies.
Anxious to nibble on these tasty story bites by many of my fav authors! Beautiful floral cover– are there any subtle references to the language of flowers?
Thanks, Kate! It’s a gorgeous cover and chock full of great stories. I love these anthologies.
Brilliant metaphorical comment, Lisa! You sum it up beautifully. Hope you love the stories.
Such a beautiful cover. I too love anthologies and look forward to reading this. –Leslie
Hope you’ll love this anthology too, Leslie! Thanks for your kind words.
I love anthologies and many of my favorite authors are featured. Sounds like a fantastic collection and the cover is very eye-catching.
Isn’t it gorgeous? Like a summer garden. Good luck in the drawing!
I love the cover! I am doing an ARC read for it right now & am enjoying it, so no need to enter me in the drawing. If I was not doing an ARC it would be one I would buy. I would in the future buy the paperback or audiobook if those come out too.
Had I not been a contributing author, I would have asked to ARC read! Enjoy.
I love the posy of flowers on the cover: fidelity, passion, friendship — I can’t wait to read all about it in the stories inside.
The language of flowers can never be written enough of. Enjoy.
Can’t wait to read it!
It is a spectacular collection. Enjoy.
Wow! What a cover, it is gorgeous!
I love the brief story summaries, I’m very much looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the giveaway and good luck to everyone.
Thank you, Toni. Good luck with the drawing.
I am so looking forward to reading this book ,not a fan of short stories but love an anthogy. With such great authors can’t go wrong.
Aw, thanks! We all hope you’ll like these short stories. Good luck on the drawing!
I’m excited to see another anthology released. I’m looking forward to reading it. Congratulations
Thank you. Good luck with the drawing.
Love anthology books!
I love them, too. It’s like a literary tasting!
Anthology comprised of my favorite JAFF authors?! Yes, please. The cover is beautiful and I am most excited to read all of the stories. The perfect summer diversion.
We hope you enjoy it! Good luck in the drawing.
This looks amazing. I love the cover. Do you like writing short stories for anthologies or do you prefer the long ones?
What a great question, Debra! I can speak only for myself, but I love the chance to write short stories exploring small moments and different settings for ODC. Such a great opportunity for the imagination!
I agree with Jan! I like being able to speed things up a bit and get to the happily ever after more quickly!
Brilliant question! I actually find it easier to write a longer story, because it gives much more time for the character arcs to properly develop. But by the same token, that means a short story is a gauntlet thrown! One has to ensure a fully fleshed-out character arc within a much tighter scope, and a challenge is always fun.
That is such a good question, Debra! Personally, I appreciate the opportunity to write something shorter every now and again. It’s a break from the longer, much more involved stories. I really enjoy being given a prompt—as we were for this project—and seeing what I can do with it.
Thanks for asking this – I’m enjoying reading all the different replies as well as thinking of my own! I’ve not written enough longer stories yet to feel I can really compare the two, but I do find the challenge of writing short stories satisfying.
This anthology looks & sounds wonderful.
Thank you Karen! So happy you like it!
Beautiful cover! What an amazing line up! Looking forward to reading. Thank you for the giveaway.
Thank you Becky! We appreciate your support.
I love the cover and the excerpt was great – it seems as if Bingley has a backbone after all!! I’m looking forward to reading all the stories!
Thank you Satu! In a short story with a quicker arc, it’s fun to change up Bingley a bit!
Oooh! I almost missed this post . That cover is amazing, so vibrant and eye catching, I would love it for that alone. But add in the list of authors and the story ideas and it’s definitely a winner in my eyes
Thank you for your kind comment, Glynis. The cover is gorgeous and the stories are wonderful. Good luck in the draw!
What a beautiful cover. Bingley’s comment is wiser than he sometimes appears. Darcy is wise to be surprised. I have already noted the title to orders, but if I am a winner, well then!
I completely agree about the cover, and I like seeing Bingley be wiser every now and then. (Just as I like seeing different characterizations for many of the other characters.) Best of luck in the draw!
I’m so excited for this. I love a good anthology – especially when I’m trying to sneak reading in on my lunch breaks. I also think the cover is beautiful and love the color pallet.
It is such a lovely cover, isn’t it? Short stories are great for dipping in and out of, I hope you this collection makes for good company on your breaks!
A lovely collection of some of my favourite JAFF authors. Cant wait to read it!
Thanks Michelle, I hope you get the chance to enjoy the anthology. Good luck in the draw!
I’ve enjoyed the previous Q&Q anthologies, so sign me up for a chance to win this one!
Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the previous anthologies, Jennie! Hope you’ll like all the great stories this one as well. Best of luck in the drawing!
The cover is beautiful, and I love all the colors. I can’t wait to see how the stories reflect the inspirational color. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
I love the cover! And with such great authors, this has got to be a great book! I can’t wait to read it!
So excited for this anthology! So many great JAFF authors, and the cover is gorgeous
This is exciting. I too love anthologies, and I’ll bet most of your readers do too. And such a line-up of authors. It’s a win-win all around. Can’t wait. What a gorgeous cover. Best all luck, authors.
I don’t have too many JAFF collections — or short stories — so this will be a delight to add to my library!
This has to be the most beautiful & inviting book cover I’ve ever seen… I can’t wait to drive right in!!
Yeah for another anthology of P&P short stories. This is one of the type of beautiful cover with colourful flowers that I love. I don’t think Bingley has it in him to stand up to Darcy’s ways but this excerpt proves me wrong. July can’t come soon enough.