Cover Reveal + Giveaway for Pemberley!!!

August 19, 2024 • Author Features, Giveaways • 104 Comments

Hi friends! I’m thrilled to welcome back author Mary Smythe to Austenesque Reviews today! 

This is an especially exciting visit with Mary, because we are talking about something new! Her new upcoming release – Pemberley! 🙌🏼

And not only that…we are looking at something new too – the cover reveal for Pemberley!  📖

As you might guess when you see this cover, there are some mystical and spectral elements at play, which makes for a most spellbinding read…✨

~ From the Author ~

Hi Meredith! Thanks for having me again. 😊  It’s always exciting to be back here at your blog; every time feels like the first.
Speaking of, my newest book, Pemberley, was actually my very first foray into JAFF. It’s been heavily edited and expanded, of course, but the base plot remains the same. Back in 2018, my son, Alex, was a newborn and my daughter, Penny, was hogging the TV — sometimes I still hear the haunting refrain of the Peppa Pig theme song in my dreams — so I got back into reading. That led to my discovery of JAFF, which further down the rabbit hole led to me picking up writing again. Pemberley — or “A Haunting at Pemberley,” as it was known then — was the penultimate result.
This story, like all good ghostly tales, begins with our heroine finding herself unexpectedly out of her depth. Visiting the purportedly haunted Pemberley holds more terror for Elizabeth than the usual tourist — what business does she have visiting a house she might have been mistress of if only she had not soundly rejected its master? Then Darcy arrives, Miss Bingley mixes in, and strange happenings arise…Dun dun dunnnn.
(Don’t worry; the book is far more fun than frightening and I can promise an entertaining comeuppance for Miss Bingley.)
Isn’t the cover magical? It sets the scene so perfectly, too, with Elizabeth cautiously venturing into a room of wonders. What — or who — will she discover, do you think?
Many thanks to Pemberley Darcy for creating this wonderful cover!

~ Book Description ~

You need not be afraid, Elizabeth. Nothing will harm you while I am here.

WHEN ELIZABETH BENNET VISITS Pemberley on a summer holiday tour with her aunt and uncle Gardiner, her greatest fear is encountering Mr Darcy. She has been haunted by guilt for her past misjudgment of Mr Darcy, and regrets refusing his proposal. She can only imagine how he might act were he to see her on the grounds of his estate.

WHEN FITZWILLIAM DARCY UNEXPECTEDLY meets Elizabeth Bennet at Pemberley, his second impression shows little improvement over his first—but surely all is not lost? Her mystifying appearance cannot be mere happenstance. Certainly, the hand of Fate must be guiding their reunion, and Darcy believes he has been granted another opportunity to woo her properly.

BUT IS IT THE HAND OF FATE, or perhaps something more supernatural, which aims to bring them together and protect them from the forces which seek to tear them apart? Darcy and Elizabeth find themselves subject to the whims of powers beyond the natural world in this second chance romance

PEMBERLEY is a regency romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice as well as the gothic novels popular in the time of Jane Austen.

~ Excerpt from Pemberley ~

Mr George Darcy was irrefutably handsome, just like his son, with a touch of grey at his temples that was nothing if not distinguished. She suspected that Mr George Darcy, with the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and the gentle smile he had also passed down to his progeny, would have known better than to offer an insulting proposal and expect acceptance.

Lady Anne Darcy, seated before her husband on an embroidered sofa with a pug lounging on her lap, was much younger by comparison, perhaps no older than Elizabeth was now. Her own hand, resting upon her husband’s as he touched her shoulder, bespoke genuine affection, and the lady’s eyes showed a certain merriment that seemed unfeigned to Elizabeth.

“Would they have approved of their son’s choice?” Elizabeth wondered aloud to the painting as much as to herself, gazing upon the faces of what could have been her in-laws. “Or would they have shared Mr Darcy’s opinion—that I am beneath their consequence?”

She sighed, unaccountably saddened by the thought that these long-dead strangers might have disliked her. Mr George Darcy, like his son, came from a long line of wealthy gentlemen, originating at the time of William the Conqueror, as detailed by Mrs Reynolds earlier in the afternoon. Lady Anne, of course, was the daughter of an earl and entitled to her share of pride. She hardly looked as haughty as her sister, Lady Catherine, but she surely would have considered herself above a nobody from Hertfordshire.

“And what would they have thought of my refusal?”

Thump.

Elizabeth jumped several inches off the floor and spun around, looking for the source of the noise that had startled her—a frequent occurrence since finding herself alone in this maze of a house. With her hands both braced upon the desk at her back, she surveyed the room but found nothing that immediately looked out of place. No servant come to chase her away. Only…a book. On the floor.

Quivering slightly from the fright, Elizabeth released her hold on the desk and crossed the room to approach the displaced leather-bound tome that rested in front of the hearth. It appeared to be the Darcy family Bible, and it lay splayed open along its binding, its pages spread for perusal. Its stand, from which it had apparently fallen, stood stoically to one side of the great fireplace, empty of its charge.

Elizabeth knelt down, intending to pick it up and return it to its place, and her eyes caught some of the words on the page.

We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.

Elizabeth, who had been reaching for the Bible, retracted her hand as if she had mistakenly placed it in the fire. Her heart thudded against the inside of her ribs as she stood up and backed away a pace. Of all the verses in all of Christendom, how could the tome have opened to that one just as she was contemplating how the elder Darcys would have considered her as a prospective daughter-in-law? It was a perfectly respectable verse, one that might even have been comforting to her were she not suddenly worried that, far from being alone, her steps were being stalked by an invisible presence. Elizabeth rubbed at her arms, still encased in the sleeves of her spencer, feeling goose-flesh erupt across her skin.

I must leave. Now.

Abandoning the book where it lay, Elizabeth rushed to the glass doors, wrenched one open, and virtually threw herself out onto the lawn.

And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!

(expected release date: September 23rd)

Positively phantasmal!! A beautiful combination of enchanting and eerie. ✨

I’m entranced by all the gold and gilding, and architecture of this library is a beautiful work of art. ⚜️

I love Elizabeth’s boldness – and I can easily believe it. I would cautiously venture into this room too! 🤩

I can’t wait to learn more about these supernatural forces and see Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s reactions to them! 😯

What do you think, friends? 🤔

 

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering  3️⃣ ebook copies of Pemberley  to  3️⃣  lucky readers who comment on today’s post!

To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Mary below.

  • This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos! 
  • This giveaway ends August 26th.

~~~

You can preorder Pemberley now!

My sincere gratitude to Mary Smythe and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this special post together! 

 

~~~

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

104 comments

  1. Lovely cover. The supernatural vibe is perfect.
    Pemberley definitely has hidden undercurrents.
    Congratulations!!

    Reply

    3. This is the quintessential Lizzy; her hair falling down, gown tied messily. She holds her hands as though aching to touch the books in the enchanted and forbidden library.
      This cover is tantalizing and provocative. Thank you for the revealing!

      Reply

  2. Wow, I love fun more than scary, and never wish to meet a Caroline comeuppance! The cover looks beautiful and Mary is on my list of “must buy authors”. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!

    Reply

    1. I love fun and scary equally, but I especially delight in mashups. 🙂 Thanks so much, Robin!! Good luck in the contest.

      Reply

  3. Love the cover… can’t wait to read it… I love all of Mary Smythes books!!! I’m a paranormal investigater so this book is right up my alley lol…

    Reply

    1. Isn’t it amazing? And thank you! I hope you enjoy it.

      Ooh, a paranormal investigator? That’s so cool! I collect regional ghost stories, but I don’t actually go looking for them; kudos to your sense of adventure. 🙂

      Reply

  5. This sounds like a wonderful book. I am looking forward to reading it. The cover is beautiful…magical even!

    Reply

    1. Thank you!! I hope it lives up to your expectations. Magical is definitely the word for this cover! Pemberley Darcy is amazing.

      Reply

  6. I love JAFF and supernatural reads. Thank you Ms Smythe for combining both. Love everything you write. Good Luck!

    Reply

  9. I adore the cover. It appears to be a good representative of the story. Mary Smythe is a talented writer and I look forward to reading her newest work. Congratulations!

    Reply

    1. Isn’t it incredible? It’s DEFINITELY a good representation of the story; Elizabeth spends a not inconsequential portion of the book wandering into rooms she doesn’t belong in, lolz. And thank you so much!

      Reply

  11. I do love this cover. Book 1? Is this a series to be continued or is it a stand alone story? I’m intrigued by this story as it seems that ODC will get together sooner rather than later to solve this mystery. I love that Miss Bingley gets her just desserts!

    Reply

    1. Yes! I’m trying my hand at a series, although I swear there’s no cliffhanger at the end (well…maybe a tiny one to set up the next book). No spoilers, though. If you’re looking for Miss Bingley to get what’s coming to her, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, lolz. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

      1. Mary Smythe is on my must-buy list. I’m so excited to see a new one! And any book in which the Shades of Pemberley play a role is bound to be fun.

        Thank you, Mary, for making an effort to get Lizzy’s dress and hair accurate for the time. I’m not expecting fashion historian-level accuracy, but when I see hoop skirts, low buns with center parts and coal-scuttle bonnets on Regency heroines I have to groan. This cover is lovely. The simple gown against the fancy library really highlights the social difference between Lizzy and Darcy. Well done!

        Reply

        1. Aw, thank you so much. That’s so wonderful of you to say. 🙂

          I can’t take any credit for the cover, though, that was all the lovely Pemberley Darcy’s doing. Didn’t she do an excellent job? It’s just gorgeous and fits the theme and mood of the story so well! Plus, of course, you’re absolutely right about the simple dress against an ornate backdrop; our Lizzy is absolutely out of her element (at least initially).

          Reply

  12. I vaguely remember reading this story, at least that Georgianna retelling of story. Love the cover! Can’t wait to read it again.

    Reply

    1. It was up on the boards for quite a while until I decided to take it down and polish it up for publishing. I hope you enjoy it even more the second time around!

      Reply

  15. What a hauntingly beautiful cover! The first couple chapters are such a tease, and the book doesn’t come out for another month,how cruel! Mary is now on my author list, her grasp of Pemberley, Elizabeth, Darcy and Pride and Prejudice itself is amazing. I can hardly wait for the book!

    Reply

    1. “Hauntingly beautiful” is a great way to describe it! I’m just in love with it.

      I’m sorry you have to wait!! It’ll be worth it, promise.

      Aw, thank you. You’re making me blush!

      Reply

  16. This is an absolutely gorgeous cover! I look forward toreading this one, with its whole supernatural vibe. Thank you forthe opportunity to win! Fingers crossed!

    Reply

  19. What a mystical, beautiful cover! I always eagerly await any new offerings from Mary and am never disappointed. Can’t wait to read this newest (oldest?) book!

    Reply

    1. It’s so, so lovely, I just adore it! And thank you, I hope you enjoy it. It’s a little old, a little new, a little borrowed, even a bit blue. 😉

      Reply

  21. I love this cover almost as much as I loved reading the ARC! (I don’t need a free E-book as I plan on buying the hardcopy when it is released)

    Reply

    1. Aw, thank you! I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed it. I’m absolutely honored that you intend to purchase a hard copy. 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Reply

  22. Well, I look forward to reading the book as I like most of this author’s other books, but I am disappointed in the image chosen for the cover. Why do I see that same woman in the same dress on dozens of JAFF covers? The dress color and hair color change, but it’s the same image. I’m tired of seeing it.

    Reply

  24. Ooooo! That excerpt was so good! I’m looking forward to reading this is in tje upcoming weeks. Perfect for a fall / October read. Love your cover choice, too!

    Reply

    1. Aw, thank you. I hope you like the rest of it. It’s just right for the spooky season, I promise. 😉

      Reply

  25. Lovely idea!! I am a fan of magical twists of Pride and Prejudice, and this one is also ghostly!! I hope I get lucky!!

    Reply

    1. Thank you! I love my JAFF with a magical/paranormal twist, too (obviously). Two tastes that taste great together, IMO. Good luck in the contest!

      Reply

  28. I love the exerpt, Mary! And your cover is perfect. I’m looking forward to diving into this story headfirst.

    Reply

  29. The cover is gorgeous and I love the except!! A bit of ghostly assistance to ODC just in time for spooky season sounds amazing!! I look forward to reading this!!! And like others have shared Book 1 is always intriguing as it means more fun reads in the future! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

    1. Thank you! Even the ghosts are getting in on the matchmaking, lolz. And, yes, this is the first book in a series, so there will be more to come in the future. I hope you enjoy this one and all the rest. 🙂

      Reply

  31. Wow. While I love my sci fi and fantasy I’m not one who typically mixes it with my JAFF; however, the excerpt has completely drawn me in! I can’t wait to read this and I’m sad the wait is so long!

    Reply

    1. Aw, thank you. I hope Pemberley proves to be a general exception to your mashup rule. I know it feels like a long wait, but it’ll be here before you know it. 😉

      Reply

  33. Can’t wait to read it! I’m all about a ghost story right now. Even better if Darcy, Elizabeth & a Quills & Quartos author are involved!

    Reply

    1. Aw, thank you! I’m ready for the spooky season myself (cool weather, please). Enjoy with a warm beverage. 🙂

      Reply

    1. Aw, thank you! I love magical, paranormal, fantasy, etc JAFF myself (obviously). I’ve got a whole shelf devoted to it in my office. Enjoy!

      Reply

  35. Lovely cover. Good luck with the release. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. Meanwhile it is on my Wish List.

    Reply

  38. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who commented and offered me their best wishes! Good luck in the contest and I dearly hope that y’all enjoy reading Pemberley as much as I enjoyed writing it. 🙂 Cozy up with your favorite warm beverage (pumpkin spice or otherwise) and savor the start of the spooky season with Darcy and Elizabeth.

    Reply

  41. A very interesting premise and unique too. The cover is beautiful, and I look forward to reading more. –Leslie

    Reply

  43. Thank you for sharing this wonderful excerpt!! The cover is also beautiful and I’m eagerly waiting to read this. Congratulations on what seems to be an amazing book!

    Reply

    1. Just gorgeous, I agree. Another thing I agree on is seeing Caroline getting her comeuppance, which I can promise you she will. 😉

      Reply

  47. The cover is stunning and mystical. The bright, shining gold star really captured my attention. I am a big fan for Miss Bingley getting her just dues. I wonder if Anne and George Darcy will play a role as the supernatural in this novel? A good idea to incorporate the Gothic novel with P&P. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.

    Reply

    1. There’s nothing quite like sparkly ambience to catch the eye, is there? As for the rest…no spoilers. 😉 Good luck in the contest and thanks so much for your lovely comments.

      Reply

  48. That is a very beautiful cover . Thank you the opportunity to win the book but I have already pre ordered it to pop into my kindle on release. To nestle with your other works Mary of which I have many.

    Reply

    1. It’s light, bright, and definitely sparkling, isn’t it? And thank you so much for your pre-order! You’re too kind. 🙂

      Reply

  49. I am intrigued and look forward to the story. Hopefully it will come out as an audio as well?
    Of course, I would love to win an ebook 🙂

    Reply

  51. The cover is amazing, Mary. I think the powers that are guiding Elizabeth to Darcy are his parents. Hopefully she won’t be spooked off and decided to leave Pemberley before she meets him again. Btw, thanks for the chance to win your upcoming release.

    Reply

  52. I don’t read excerpts on books yet to be released. It leaves me drooling at the
    bit for too long and spots the screen on my tablet. But I do pay attention to the identity of the author. And you are definitely on my list of favorites.
    The cover is beautiful. Thank you for not using the increasing mode that makes the
    characters look like paper cut-outs.
    Goodness, I hope I don’t sound like Lady Catherine with my opinions.
    Thanks for sharing your talent, Mary.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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