Friends…this is a magnificent day! 🌟

Why? Because author Jan Hahn is visiting!  🙌🏼

For the uninitiated, Jan Hahn has penned some incredibly inventive and memorable Pride and Prejudice variations – An Arranged Marriage, The Child, A Peculiar Connection, and a big fan-favorite – The Journey! 📚

The Journey first appeared in print in 2012, and now twelve years later Jan is giving us a sequel for it – Belle Lisette! 😮

And not. just. any. sequel – one with Nate Morgan! Who I would list up there as one of the most significant, well-drawn, and popular original characters in the Austenesque universe. 😍

Jan is here to share an excerpt from Belle Lisette. 🎉

We hope you enjoy! 🤗

~ Book Description ~

Sequel to THE JOURNEY

Haunted by a secret from the past, will Darcy be forced to relive his worst memory?

Almost thirty years after Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy encountered Nate Morgan in Jan Hahn’s The Journey, their paths cross once again in New Orleans, where Morgan lives in an elegant plantation he named Belle Lisette.

Set in the Antebellum Era of the American South, this novel sends the Darcys and the Bingleys abroad to help their sons seek their fortunes in the land in which Henry Darcy fell in love during a previous visit. It is there that they discover Morgan who, free from his indenture, has established himself as a prosperous land and business owner.

Hoping never to see the rogue again, Darcy finds that his enemy not only still harbours tender feelings for Elizabeth, but he has two sons, both of whom are attracted to the Darcys’ only daughter, the free-spirited Beth.

Whether or not you have read The Journey, you will find Jan Hahn’s sequel, Belle Lisette, a compelling read on its own filled with simmering secrets, excitement, and romance.

~ Excerpt from Belle Lisette ~

Darcy’s son, Henry, and Bingley’s son, Francis, received permission from their mothers to escort their sisters, Beth and Louisa, on a walk through downtown New Orleans. The excerpt is from Beth’s viewpoint and found in Chapter Three.

New Orleans was a city like no other I had ever experienced. The mixture of French, Spanish, English, and slaves created an energy that made the town feel even more exciting than London and much more mysterious. We walked down Canal Street to Chartres before we rounded the square and made our way down Decatur. From there, I could see the muddy water not far ahead.

Harsh shouting from across the street caught our attention, and seeing that it emanated from a slave auction, Henry moved to hinder my view by walking on the outside. I shuddered at the sight, however, for it was impossible not to see the negro men stripped to the waist standing on a raised platform while the planters called out their bids. How could anyone buy another human? I had been shocked at Madame Lambre’s establishment to see that even free negroes owned slaves.

The institution of slavery had been one more reason my father disapproved of my brother settling in this new land. He admitted that England had not been innocent in prospering from the slave trade by any means, but at least it was now outlawed in our country. As a child, I had rarely seen anyone use slaves instead of servants in Derbyshire. None of my parents’ friends or family had ever had them. Father had argued against Uncle Charles investing in the sugar plantation because of his views against slavery. He knew it was almost impossible for a plantation to prosper in this country without the benefit of their back-breaking labour.

“Avert your gaze, Beth,” Henry said. “Father would not wish you to see such degradation.”

“Come now, Henry, it is impossible to live in this city without viewing such sights,” Francis said.

Henry took my arm and began to walk faster. “My father would describe such a sight as ‘man’s inhumanity to man,’ a phrase from Robert Burns, one of his favourite poets. Our sisters need not be subjected to such encounters. Let us turn the corner and walk in the opposite direction.”

A short walk farther, we reached the port area. The odors of freshly caught fish assaulted our senses while we watched the sailors unloading cargo from a large schooner. A strong breeze had blown in, and I retied the ribbons to my bonnet when I felt its strength. Unfortunately, Louisa had left her ribbons loose, and before I could caution her, the hat went flying into the distance.

She cried and started after it, but Henry raced around her and chased the wayward bonnet. Just as he bent to retrieve it, another man did the same and snatched it up before my brother. I saw Henry laugh in obvious recognition and clasp the man’s hand. They spoke a few words to each other before the two of them returned together.

Henry began to introduce us to his acquaintance but not before I realized I had recently seen him. He handed the bonnet to my cousin with a smile and a deep bow.

“We saw you earlier at the dressmaker’s shop,” Louisa said.

“You did, indeed, ma’am. I could hardly forget such lovely ladies,” he said smiling broadly. He spoke with the slow Southern drawl that most Americans in that area possessed. I found it most pleasant to the ear.

“This is Jubal Morgan,” Henry said. “I met him the last time I visited New Orleans.”

“Were you picking up a dress for your wife, sir?” Louisa asked, smiling and blushing.

Mr Morgan chuckled. “No, Miss Bingley, I don’t yet claim the privilege of having a wife. I was merely searching out some ribbons to send to my sister in Texas.”

Louisa pinked even deeper, and I knew she had secured the knowledge she sought. The handsome young man was single—a very good thing in her eyes. Mr Morgan, however, turned his attention to me.

“So, you’re the dear little sister Henry spoke of so often.”

“When she is not trying my patience,” Henry said.

I glared at him and smiled at his friend. “How did you come to meet my brother, Mr Morgan?”

He glanced at Henry. “Will I be telling tales if I confess it was over a game of cards? A game I lost, I might add.”

Francis glanced at Henry and interrupted. “No need to acquaint our sisters with our vices, Morgan.”

“We know them all too well,” I added which made everyone laugh.

“Will you attend the Riverside Plantation ball, Mr Morgan?” Louisa asked.

Jubal raised his eyebrows. “The Riverside Plantation ball. Indeed, I will if you and your cousin will be in attendance.” Louisa glanced at me, and her smile grew even wider. “And may I take this opportunity to request a dance with each of you fair ladies?”

Louisa readily agreed, and I nodded. Jubal Morgan was a charming man. There was no denying the fact.

It seems like Jubal inherited Nate’s charm… I can’t wait to see what develops. 🤗

This sounds like quite the adventure – New Orleans, plantation homes, romantic intrigues of the younger generation, and Mr. Darcy and Nate Morgan encountering each other again! 🤩

Congrats on your upcoming release, Jan!!

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Belle Lisette is available for pre-order now! 

and will be released on November 29th!

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Meryton Press is generously giving away  1️⃣ ebook copy of Belle Lisette in conjunction with Jan’s visit today!  

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

• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Jan!

• This giveaway ends December 2nd!