Monica Fairview's Blog, page 84

Sonnets and Bonnets: an Ode to Mr. Collins

This month’s theme is Sonnets and Bonnets, as you may know. And although I intend to focus on the sonnet (poetry) aspect, I couldn’t resist throwing in a few pictures and one quote on the other side of the equation, just to be fair.  Besides, we must have pictures, and hats make better pictures than poems!

This quote is from a 1798 Jane Austen letter, which sums up her opinion of the importance of that article of fashion:

“…next week shall begin my operations on my hat, on which you know my prin...

Introducing Jane Austen’s Dragons: Beyond the Pale

Dragons: Beyond the Pale

The newest addition to Jane Austen’s Dragons is nearly ready to launch! Enjoy a first sneak peek at what’s in store for Darcy, Elizabeth, Wentworth and Anne.

January 10, 1815, London

“Elizabeth, Elizabeth!”

No, please, just a little more sleep.

A heavy, warm hand weighed on her shoulder, shaking her firmly enough to dislodge the dream from her head. Botheration! That one seemed worth remembering.

Where was she?

She rubbed her eyes with the back o...

A Bitter Pill-A Rain and Retribution Vignette

Hi there, everyone! I hope you are hanging in there and well. Today, I am resurrecting an older vignette I wrote once upon a time. After publishing Rain and Retribution, I had a lot of people asking for an epilogue of sorts, which I did put in the comments at the time. This was sort of a fun comeuppance of sorts for Jane, who was not the sweet angel Mr. Bingley thought she was.

When I dug it out this weekend, I did go back over it a couple of times and do a sort of mini-rewrite. So, if you don’t...

The Recovery of Fitzwilliam Darcy: Another sneak peak!

I’m back with one more sneak peak from The Recovery of Fitzwilliam Darcy, which will be released in one week! This bit is from Chapter 2. You can find my previous sneak peaks here and here. I hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 2

Gracechurch Street

19 October 1811

My dear Fanny,

Rest assured, I am well, as are the Gardiners. I had a chance encounter with an old friend of mine today, Mr Frederick Darcy, with whom I was at school. Finding that he soon travels to Norfolk to see his family, I invited ...

A New Face for an Old Friend

Anyone up for a stroll down Memory Lane with me?

It was September of 2014. We had barely started our homeschool year with a fourth-grader, a third-grader, and a first-grader, and my husband and I had just finished liquidating the last of our small business. And I was obsessed with John Thornton and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Like, OBSESSED.

I really don’t know why this sickness began. I wasn’t dissatisfied with my man (in fact, maybe what I liked best about JT and FD was that they reminded me of him?...

What is to become of Me?

A new deleted scene (or maybe not…) from the upcoming book!

Walker slipped through the open passage door, silent and dark as death. Had he been prey, Darcy would have been dead. Leaving the door to the dragon passages open was one of those little acts of trust that marked the decades of their Friendship.

Walker glided to the mantle, above the low fire warming Darcy’s chamber at the Blue Order offices. A little show of dominance, being over Darcy’s head, that both was and was not a demo...

The Recovery of Fitzwilliam Darcy Sneak Peak 2

Another week, another sneak peak from The Recovery of Fitzwilliam Darcy. I revealed the cover here  and posted the prologue and the first part of chapter 1 here. Today, let’s join Elizabeth and William on their walk. Are you ready for a bit of foreshadowing?

Chapter 1, Part II

Once outside, Charlotte said, “Come, Jane. Let us wander together. My brother and your sister no doubt have a great deal to say to each other.” She turned to Elizabeth and William and, with mock solemnity, shook a finger....

A Collection of Comeuppances

Elizabeth stands up to Lady Catherine

Jane Austen was a most judicious punisher of her least deserving characters. She had a high moral sense, as well as a wicked wit, and loved to mete out comeuppances as well as happy endings. Her comeuppances are generally very plausible and very fair, and the ones that might not seem entirely satisfactory, generally have an ironic twist to them that laughs at the way life sometimes turns out.

Going through the novels: In Pride and Prejudice Lady Catherine’s ...

Comeuppances: A Sneak Peek from my WIP

Of course every JAFF writers favorite person to give a comeuppance to is Miss Bingley (well one of the favorites!) and being that I have one in my current book-in-progress, I thought a sneak peek might be in order! Hope you enjoy! So Material a Change is one that many might remember from the boards but the published form will be available soon!!

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She gently laid one shaking hand on the outside of his door. Her heart pounded so, she wondered that he did not hear it, nor the so...

Of course, there were dragons

Of course there were dragons—that’s how I introduce Jane Austen’s Dragons.

How can you say that? It is rather a bold claim. I confess, you’re not the first person to ask me that with a decidedly skeptical look. After all, you’ve devoured ever one of Austen’s works cover to cover, multiple times and there’s nary a dragon scale from “It’s a truth universally acknowledged to… “With they Gardiners they were on most intimate terms…”

On the surface, I would agree, it seems that way. But, there is more...