Happy Monday readers!

Today we have another new-to-us author visiting and sharing a lovely cover reveal. 🙌🏼

And this one seems quite special because – unless I’m mistaken – I think this is the Quills and Quartos release that is about Jane Austen – as a fictional character!!  😮

G.L. Kriewald is here today to share about his upcoming release A Mad Endeavour: The Last Romance of Jane Austen!! ✨

~ From the Author ~

Greetings, Austen Fans!

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my novel, A Mad Endeavour: The Last Romance of Jane Austen, which represents my first foray into novel-writing. As a retired professor of English, I have written several plays, poems, stories, and critical studies of literary figures, so it seems a novel was the inevitable next step. I first studied Jane Austen’s work in a serious way in college when I took a seminar on her in my first year in grad school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Since that was nearly fifty years ago (yikes!), I remember little about what happened during those three-hour weekly marathons, apart from the copious amounts of coffee and cigarettes consumed, but I do remember coming away from the course with a profound respect (bordering on idolatry) for the genius of our author. I have returned to her novels regularly over the years for the always-unfolding pleasure they provide.

I have no inkling as to how the inspiration (lofty word!) for a novel about Jane Austen came to be; all I can say is that one day, there appeared an image in my mind’s eye of Jane sitting in a garden reading a letter, which she then tosses aside. I raced to my keyboard and recorded that image in as much detail as I could muster. Nearly a year later, I found myself gazing in quiet amazement at a tidy stack of 243 pages that tell of a late-in-life romance featuring all the qualities that make Austen’s tales so appealing. Sparks fly after the first meeting between Jane and Mr. John Wirthemore, a rich and handsome widower and long-lost friend of her brother Edward, but hopes for a full-fledged romance are dashed by the appearance of Miss Lavinia Treadwell, whose scandalous reputation has severely limited her own marriage prospects. There follows a series of obstacles, misunderstanding, machinations, and secrets that threaten to thwart the seemingly perfect match between Jane and John. And that opening scene in the garden?  Turns out the letter which Jane tosses aside is from an obsessed fan, who, convinced that he had detected in her novels coded messages directed at him–one of which is a proposal of marriage–determines to seek her out and spirit her off to his estate in the wilds of Yorkshire!

My thanks to Meredith for hosting this cover reveal as well as Susan Adriani for the wonderfully appropriate cover.

~ Book Description ~

She was much too sensible to entertain notions of there being a second spring of youth and beauty for her, yet sensible enough to recognise that the years had brought contentment, patience, and steadiness of temperament.

HAVING ADVANCED INTO HER FOURTH DECADE OF LIFE, Jane Austen harbours no false hopes about her own romantic prospect. The quietude of a country life, unpunctuated by griefs and vexations, and supplemented by the affection of a dear sister and devoted mother, was her lot. Taken together with her devotion to her writing and her books, she has determined that for some people, like herself, spinsterhood is a blessing.

But into this placid contentment comes a surprise. A widowed gentleman, the former school mate of her brother Edward Austen-Knight, has come into the neighbourhood bringing with him a son and two daughters, and suddenly Jane’s life seems it will take a turn. Perhaps love need not be something she merely reads and writes about.

ALAS BEHIND EVERY WIDOWER is a storied past and when Jane learns of John’s from another lady he has jilted she knows not who to believe. Is Mr Wirthemore her Mr Darcy? Or shall he prove to be a Mr Wickham? Will she be able to trust in him once she learns the truth?

A MAD ENDEAVOUR: THE LAST ROMANCE OF JANE AUSTEN is a look into the life and love our dear authoress might have had if she had not died at a tragically young age. It is a clean, low angst second chance regency romance suitable for any age and excellent for anyone who loves Jane Austen.

~ Excerpt from A Mad Endeavour: The Last Romance of Jane Austen ~

Cassandra entered the front parlour to find Jane seated, as usual, at the little table in the corner; but instead of busily filling the pages before her in her neat hand, she was gazing out the window in a posture of lassitude.

“What do I see before me? A writer who chooses to daydream instead of write?”

Jane turned from the window and smiled. “I fear it is not the result of choice but of necessity.”

“Here is something to fortify your spirits—and perhaps your imagination,” she said, setting a cup of tea on the table. She drew up a chair beside her sister and clasped her hand. “I advise you to set aside your work for a while. We could take a turn in the garden—”

“I am afraid that would not be a sufficient remedy,” said Jane. “I have spent the last two hours crossing out nearly every line I wrote yesterday and finding I have nothing to replace them with.”

“Surely much of a writer’s work consists of crossing out lines that do not meet one’s expectations.”

“That is true, but something new—and most unwelcome—is afoot here.” Jane paused to gaze into her sister’s face, where she found an expression of sympathy mixed with incomprehension. “I know I am not making sense, but I cannot help remembering how, when I was writing all my other books, my thoughts used to crowd in so quickly that my pen could not keep pace with them, while now they appear haltingly, if at all.”

“And what might be the cause of this?”

Jane drew in her breath like one who is about to confess a long-held secret. “I am certain it is because I am trying to—to broaden the scope of my writing.” She laughed at the solemnity of her remark. “Perhaps it is becoming too broad to accommodate my modest talents.”

“I very much doubt that, my dear. If anything, your talents have grown with every book you have written.”

Jane arose and walked to the window, where she gazed out onto the sunlit lawn. “There is little—perhaps nothing—more for me to say about courtship and marriage, I fear—though I daresay I could force myself to create another such tale, perhaps even one that satisfied me. But I want to—to strive beyond that. I want to say something about how our dear country is changing in so many ways, great and small, how those changes seem to occur unnoticed, and how before we realise it, something of incalculable worth will have been lost.” Here she paused, surprised by the force of her outburst. “But giving shape to that something is proving to be more difficult than I could have foreseen.”

Cassandra joined her at the window. “I believe I comprehend your meaning. I have often sensed that in our age something is vanishing—something our forebears had cherished and nurtured and which we are squandering. I sense it every time I see an old half-timbered house torn down and replaced by some gaudy mansion whose owners live in London and inhabit it no more than one or two months in the year. Or some seaside village that used to be the haunt of fishermen and their families being razed to build fashionable cottages ornés and stone crescents—paltry imitations of Bath—and the shore so crowded with bathing-machines that the few remaining fishermen can hardly manoeuvre their boats into the water. This maniacal hankering after the new! What age before ours was so thoroughly in its thrall?” She gave a shudder of contempt.

Jane kissed her sister’s cheek. “Dear Cass. How well you know me.”

“I know you well enough to chide you for doubting your abilities. You will rise to the occasion—whatever it is!”

“In my darker moments, I fear I may have done what every writer of fancy does sooner or later—overwritten myself.”

Cassandra’s expression became suddenly solicitous. “How much of the new work have you completed?”

“Only five chapters…and rather short ones at that.”

“You have scarcely begun—you must not despair so soon. Any new enterprise requires us to summon powers we may never have been called upon to use before—indeed, that we may not know we possess. It will naturally take some time for us to accustom ourselves to their use.”

“Your advice is wise, as always, but—”

“Now promise me” said Cassandra, grasping her sister by the shoulders and giving her a gentle shake. “I will hear no more talk of overwriting yourself,” she said, adding, “Well, perhaps after you have written a dozen novels.”

Jane laughed. “Very well. I shall henceforth use that number as my standard. Which is a great comfort, as I am only halfway there.”

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

(expected release date: February 17th)

I am elated! For this new author, this new book, this new romance, and this stunning new cover! 🤩

This cover sends me to Chawton in the summertime – the lovely sunlight, the flowers, the light and cheery fabrics – I feel the warmth and freshness of such a scene. ☀️

A story about our dear Jane – a romance…a mature romance!? Yes, I cannot wait to envision this for her. 💗

I’m intrigued by Jane’s doubts and worries about her writing – I wonder which direction these thoughts will take her… ✍🏼

What do you think, friends? 🤔

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering  3️⃣ ebook copies of A Mad Endeavour: The Last Romance of Jane Austen to  3️⃣  lucky readers who comment on today’s post!

   

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

• This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos! 
• This giveaway ends January 31st. 

 

You can preorder A Mad Endeavour: The Last Romance of Jane Austen now!

My sincere gratitude to G.L. and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this special post together!