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Welcome to the Author page of Joana Starnes

Here's One I Baked Earlier...

29/1/2020

24 Comments

 
Would you like a little taster of something I prepared earlier 😊?
Well, this is what it's about:
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But before we go to Longbourn, let's go to the Netherfield ball (where some are having much less fun than others).

His lips so stiff that I wonder how he is able to speak, Mr. Darcy declares, “Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends. Whether he may be equally capable of retaining them is less certain.”

I am astounded at his audacity. Mightily provoked, too. So, I heatedly retort, “He has been so unlucky as to lose your friendship―and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life.”

Mr. Darcy makes to speak, as do I. I have a great deal more to say. But I am denied the opportunity thanks to my infernal cousin, who has been stumbling along the dance nearby, hand in hand with Mary.

“The other way, Mr. Collins!” I hear my sister urge him but to no avail. The buffoon does not heed her. He careers into me and his clumsy foot lands heavily on mine.

​I try to not yelp in pain―and fail abysmally.
*****
“My deepest apologies, sir!” Mr. Collins says to my disagreeable partner for the fourth time, as if it had been Mr. Darcy’s foot that he had crushed.

​I dart my eyes heavenward. Some wretched neighbour, whom I cannot detest enough, must have informed my cousin of Mr. Darcy’s connection to Mr. Collins’s revered patroness, and he is now paying more assiduous court to Lady Catherine’s nephew than to Mary.

“Pray allow me, sir,” my cousin pleads, seeking to spare Mr. Darcy the tedious task of supporting me as I hobble ignominiously from the set.


“I would say you have done enough,” Mr. Darcy verily growls, refusing to be supplanted, and for once I am almost glad. I would rather lean on his arm than my cousin’s. Mr. Collins would be so concerned with gaining Mr. Darcy’s pardon that he might steer me into the potted plants or forget about me altogether. “Return to the set, sir, and your partner,” Mr. Darcy orders him, not deigning to acknowledge Mary’s look of gratitude at that suggestion. Nor does he acknowledge Mr. Collins’s fifth apology―or was it the sixth?―as he guides me towards the nearest armchair. He turns it at a better angle, and I lower myself into it―ungainly, I fear, but most gratefully.

I glance up at Mr. Darcy and thank him for his assistance, but he cuts me off with a perfunctory, “Not at all,” then asks, “How badly are you hurt?”

He does not wait for my reply but drops down on one knee for a closer look. I gape. The man has lost his senses! But my discomfort flares into utter horror when he reaches out, as if aiming to raise the hem of my dress and see the damage for himself―along with half the ballroom.

“Stand, sir!” I hiss as I tuck my injured foot under the chair, which only serves to send worse pain shooting through it. I bite my lip and hiss again, “Pray stand and leave be. You are making a scene. Desist, for goodness’ sake!”

“I rather thought that the blame for making a scene lies with Mr. Collins,” he resentfully shoots back.

​​“And do you imagine 
this is helping matters?” I fulminate in a fierce whisper with a gesture of anger and frustration towards his unchanged posture.
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Finally, he rises to his feet.

“Forgive me for thinking of your welfare and not the impertinent curiosity of busybodies,” he says testily, then asks, “Is there anything you wish me to do? Fetch your mother, perhaps?”

“Heavens, no!” I reply without thinking. If Mr. Collins’s blunder and Mr. Darcy kneeling at my feet had not quite managed to attract everyone’s attention, Mama’s ill-judged effusions would surely do the trick.

I look around, hoping against hope that the incident escaped her notice, but a familiar cry of “Oh, Lizzy!” puts paid to such foolish notions.

​I cringe, waiting for the onslaught, and make no reply to Mr. Darcy as he takes his leave.


Cover reveal and preorders coming soon - on Feb 18. 
Stay tuned for #OHG news and other tasty titbits.
24 Comments

Books Books Books and Lots of Goodies!

27/12/2019

2 Comments

 
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To celebrate the holidays, Elizabeth Adams is doing another HOLIDAY BOX!

This one is military-themed, so all the books feature characters in the armed forces, or stories set in wartime, or are written by authors with family connections to the military.
​
EIGHTEEN BOOKS by TWELVE authors (Elizabeth Adams, Leslie L Diamond, Maria Grace, Jack Caldwell, Samantha Whitman, Author Sarah Courtney, Leigh Dreyer, Melanie Rachel, Christina Angel Boyd, Colette L. Saucier, Karen M Cox and yours truly :) ) PLUS lots of other goodies!!!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. It's open until midnight, Jan. 6.

​Happy Holidays and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 Comments

Winners of  the Blog Tour Giveaway

6/10/2019

10 Comments

 
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HUGE THANKS 
to everyone who followed the blog tour for
THE JOURNEY HOME TO PEMBERLEY
and the lovely people who hosted it!


THE WINNERS ARE:

'The Journey Home to Pemberley' Paperback:
KATE B

Kindle copies of 'The Journey Home to Pemberley':
DARCYBENNET
VESPER M.
JANET B
SHELLEY H.
GINNA
SHARON H.
SERENA A.
EVA E.

The Austen and P&P Goodie-bag:
DUNG

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kate and Dung, could you please contact me
​on Facebook Messenger or send me an email via the Contact tab here,
to let me know your mailing address?


DarcyBennet, Vesper, Janet, Shelley, Ginna, Sharon, Serena and Eva,
I hope it's OK for me to use the email address
associated with your Rafflecopter entries to send you your prize.
If you'd like me to contact you at a different address,
please let me know.

Many thanks again
for all your lovely comments and wonderful support on the blog tour! I hope you liked the posts and that you'll like the book as well.
All the best and have a sunny and beautiful autumn!

10 Comments

Now out

14/9/2019

0 Comments

 
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​The Journey Home
To Pemberley

is now out in Kindle Unlimited on Amazon!


Stay tuned for the ​Blog Tour.
​
It's coming soon,
with Guest Posts, Reviews
and Giveaways!

0 Comments

COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH...

10/9/2019

0 Comments

 
I love reading and writing JAFF, it's an irresistible addiction! I love scenarios where misunderstandings abound and, as my dear friend Jami so beautifully put it, our favourite characters hurt each other's feelings in a rich variety of ways. But then it's wonderful to see them talk – talk openly, without holding back – until all those dreadful misunderstandings are cleared and the path to their happily-ever-after opens wide and bright before them.
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In my upcoming book, there is both angst and joy for our dear couple, and that’s thanks to the generous feedback I received over the years from my friends and readers, and often from readers who have become my very special friends. 

​
Once again, HUGE thanks to you all for sharing your thoughts and for making me see that once the heart-wrenching conflict is resolved, it would be nice to bask in the happily-ever-after.

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So my new book is meant to be rather like a Victoria sponge cake (or a piece of death-by-chocolate): sweet layer 
​of courtship at the bottom; dark angst in the middle and another sweet layer of 
happily-ever-after on top.

​I hope you’ll like the layered cake with a nice hot cuppa.

The book will be released in a couple of days, but in the meantime please pop by to Austenesque Reviews for a chance to win one of the prizes in the Cover Reveal Giveaway.
 
All the best and thanks for reading!
 
0 Comments

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

17/7/2018

3 Comments

 
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HUGE THANKS
to everyone who followed The Darcy Legacy blog tour, and the lovely people who hosted it, much appreciated!!


Hope you had fun! I loved reading and replying to your comments. Thank you all so very much!

So now, without further ado -
THE WINNERS
of the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
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Leah Pruett 
is the winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card.





Leah, please let me know if the email address entered in Rafflecopter is the one I could use to send you the prize.

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Kindle versions of
The Darcy Legacy

Denise M
Shirley S
Kate B
Jo's Daughter
Denise D S M
DarcyBennet
Glynis W
Beth R W
Agnes N
Maureen C


​Please let me know if the email address entered in Rafflecopter is the one I could use to send you the prize.


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Audible codes for your very own copy
of one of my audio-books,
exquisitely narrated by
Stevie Zimmerman
 


The codes are redeemable on Audible.COM. 

If you're using Audible UK, please let me know.

Also, please let me know if the email address entered in Rafflecopter is the one I could use
​to send you the code.


The winners are:

​Christin
Krystyna H.
Vesper M.
Sarah M.
Carol S. R.
Victoria A.
James R.
Claire F.
Steve W.
Lúthien84
Ria
Dung
Robin R.
Bethanie I.
Bridgett W.
Ginna
Rachel G.
Colleen L.
Patricia F.
Denise


​
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Many thanks again for taking part in the giveaway and for following the blog tour for the launch of The Darcy Legacy
3 Comments

NOW OUT: 'THE DARCY LEGACY'

29/6/2018

4 Comments

 
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Hello again!

This page hasn't had (m)any updates this year (sorry about that!) because apart from a couple of memorable trips    with wonderful friends, I spent the last 4-5 months beavering away on my WIP.
At last, today I have some news to share:
THE DARCY LEGACY
​is finally out at Amazon!
Many thanks to everyone who visited Claudine Pepe's
 Just Jane 1813 yesterday and had a peek at the cover.


Once again, Claudine, HUGE THANKS for hosting
the cover reveal and for organising a fabulous blog tour
for the launch of my new novel,
and 
HUGE THANKS thanks to all the wonderful people who are kindly hosting me on their blogs this July!

You can find the blog tour details at Just Jane 1813 
​and also below:
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July 2 / Austenesque Reviews/Excerpt Post & Giveaway
July 3 / Diary of an Eccentric/ Guest Post & Giveaway
July 4 / More Agreeably Engaged/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 5 / Of Pens & Pages / Guest Post & Giveaway
July 6 / So Little Time… So Much to Read/ Guest Post & Giveaway
July 7 / My Love for Jane Austen / Excerpt Post & Giveaway
July 8 / Babblings of a Bookworm/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 9 / My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 10/ Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 11 / Pemberley to Milton/Book Review & Giveaway
July 12 / Just Jane 1813/ Tour Finale & Giveaway
Please visit, and I hope you'll like what you see!
Don't miss the chance to enter
the Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY!
You can enter here and also along the blog tour

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL
and will be open until 


the end of Monday, 16 Jul 2018
(midnight Pacific EST)


You can win 

one of the 10 Kindle versions of The Darcy Legacy
or
one of the 20 Audible codes with which you can listen for free to your choice of
Stevie Zimmerman’s exquisite productions
​of my other books
or
or a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
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Best of luck and thanks for taking part!
4 Comments

Happy New Year and tales of a great city

4/1/2018

8 Comments

 
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful festive season, and a lovely and relaxing time. 

My family and I spent the end of 2017 with a large group of friends in a village near York, and we had the chance to visit that beautiful city to my heart’s content.
​ 
York is a magical place, and even more so at Christmas. 
(Photos © Joana Starnes)
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Enclosed within the medieval walls, still largely intact, you can find layer upon layer of history, 2000 years of it and more, with gems to discover at every corner.

​York Minster awes the visitor with its grandeur, and no less with the secrets it had revealed over the centuries, of times gone by, when a Roman fortress that had stood on its site, later replaced by a Norman cathedral, and then by more and more grandiose structures.

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Around the corner is the house where Guy Fawkes was born; also, the famous Shambles that, among other things, have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley...
​... and dozens of old ale-houses and coaching inns that have welcomed the weary traveller for over 300 years. Some of those weary travellers reputedly never left, and are to this very day haunting some of those ale-houses – or so the story goes.
The Treasurer’s House, a beautiful National Trust house near York Minster was unfortunately closed at that time of year...
...​but the absolute gem that is Fairfax House was open, and I spent hours absorbing the atmosphere of a Georgian Christmas in one of the finest townhouses in England.
Just like Basildon Park (which, incidentally, was built by the same architect, John Carr of York) Fairfax House has seen years of great affluence followed by sad neglect and unsympathetic uses, yet the stories of both houses have happy endings.

After decades of being used as a gentlemen’s club, a dance hall and an adjunct to a 1000-seat cinema (with part of the house demolished and the main bedrooms converted into toilets) an impressive conservation project has brought it back to its original glory.

Photography is not allowed, but the Fairfax House website will give you tantalising glimpses of the exquisite place.

​I think it looks at its best at Christmas, when garlands of greenery and flowers adorn the columns, the bannisters, the portraits and mantelpieces, and the dining room is a delight.

The table is laid for the dessert course, with a large temple as the centrepiece, surrounded by a ‘parterre’ made of sugar paste, as well as by bowlfuls of sweetmeats and wonderfully realistic marzipan fruits, while an impressive Twelfth Night cake sits proudly on the dresser along with an array of drinks, and elaborate flower arrangements.

The breakfast table, set in the library, is no less impressive, with its array of ‘shred pies’, rolls, jam, tea, coffee, a vast Yorkshire Pie that seems to have come straight from the hands of Hannah Glasse, and a wheel of cheese that fills the air with its aroma because, as most of the food on display, it’s real, not just artfully decorated plaster and silicone. Again, I so wished I could take a photo (or hundreds) but you can get a very good idea here of what the Yorkshire Pie looked like.
 
I could have spent days in Fairfax House and still find intriguing and beautiful little details I missed, and I could have also spent days in the amazing treasure-chest that was this gorgeous bookshop on Minster Street, with several storeys full of hundreds of books and old prints.
A week would not have been enough to absorb the beauty of Castle Howard, once the home of the eldest daughter of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. 
What can be more inspiring for Regency and JAFF writers than the great country houses where Mr and Mrs Darcy might have stayed in the delightful season of their courtship, or as blissfully happy newlyweds?

​As always, I find them everywhere I go, and I love to sit and scribble in some quiet corner and imagine them strolling along secluded paths or seeking refuge in some walled garden to steal a kiss or two.
 
The snow-covered grounds of Castle Howard were lovely even on a dreary and overcast day, but they must be an absolute delight in the spring and summer.

It’s been a very long time since my last trip to Yorkshire - over twenty years, ever since my own season of courtship' 😉- but something tells me I’ll persuade my family to return very soon!
Happy New Year and happy trails in 2018!
8 Comments

And the Winners are...

11/12/2017

1 Comment

 
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Many thanks to all the entrants in the Rafflecopter Giveaway for the launch of 'Miss Darcy's Companion' in Audible, on my blog page and at 'Austenesque Reviews', 'Just Jane 1813', 'From Pemberley to Milton' and 'Obsessed with Mr Darcy'!

Drum roll for the Winners!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners of the signed paperbacks (Leah and Glynis) and of the Pemberley, Bath & Chawton goodie bag (DarcyBennet) - please contact me on Facebook Messenger or via the 'Contact' tab on my website (www.joanastarnes.co.uk) with your mailing address.

Winners of the Audible download codes for Stevie Zimmerman's production of 'Miss Darcy's Companion' (Gabriela, Kasia, Sheila, Susanne, Denise, Laurie, Desiree, Bethany, Stephanie, Sonia) - please contact me by Facebook Messenger or via my website to let me know if you are using Audible.com or Audible UK, and I will send the site-specific codes by email, at the address provided in the Rafflecopter giveaway (or please let me know if you'd like me to use a different email address).

Many thanks again for taking part in the giveaway, have a wonderful December and a very happy New Year!


1 Comment

'Tis the Season for a GIVEAWAY

24/11/2017

18 Comments

 
Now that the days are short and they start with mist and end with rain, and you’re wondering how on earth you’ll be able to finish everything that needs doing at this time of year, maybe a little spell in our happy place will take your mind off the festive season conundrums, and drive the winter chill away, too.
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Photo © Joana Starnes
PicturePhoto © Joana Starnes
What works for me every time is Pemberley and the Darcys (now that’s a surprise – not!)

Will we ever tire of their beautiful love-story, and of imagining all sorts of ways their courtship could progress towards the happily ever after?

I don’t think so – after all, we haven’t managed to in 200 years, and the what if’s are so tantalising!

PicturePhoto: Audible
I can’t wait for the holidays, so that I finally get the chance to catch up with my ever-growing TBR list, and thank goodness for audio-books!

One amazing Christmas present in 2016 opened the door into that magical land for me (WOW, Mira!), and in 2017, thanks to Rita Deodato and Stevie Zimmerman, my own books made it into the world of Audible.


​In her narrations, Stevie Zimmerman brings the story and the characters to life, her inimitable style enhances their every emotion, and her Mr Darcy is utterly irresistible! â€‹She portrays      his trademark blend of passion and restraint to perfection, and in doing so, touches every chord of your heart.

That was the case for all of my books that she has narrated, and the sample from the latest, 
Miss Darcy’s Companion, will show you what I mean.

You can
listen to it here, to hear Darcy’s reaction when he discovers his true feelings, in a moment of crisis.
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Exploring the premise of Miss Darcy’s Companion was very rewarding. I always love to imagine them cutting to the chase, bypassing some of the obstacles and getting to bask in their happily ever after just that little bit sooner. Take for instance the Meryton Assembly. It was masterful, from beginning to end: the embarrassing Bennets, the arrogant newcomers (except sweet, lovely Mr Bingley) and of course the gratuitous insult that, from the very beginning, tainted Elizabeth’s view of Mr Darcy. But I must admit, I love the variations where they don’t get off on the wrong foot, which is one of the reasons I couldn’t resist the temptation to write one where Elizabeth meets Darcy at his best, not his worst. She sees him on his own territory, where he isn’t weighed and measured as a potential prize, where he has no need to play a part, and is free to be himself: a loving brother, a fair and considerate master, and an eminently nice man (albeit a little too masterful and self-confident, but who can blame him?)
 
Of course, that premise introduces other obstacles, such as the even greater disparity in their stations, which would influence the battle between head and heart.
 
Stevie Zimmerman exquisitely gives voice to Mr Darcy’s dilemma, as both he and Elizabeth embark on their separate journeys of self-discovery, while alongside them Georgiana blossoms from a shy girl into a confident young woman (and Wickham can’t resist throwing a few spanners in the works).
 
For a chance to sit back while Stevie brings the story to life, or win a signed paperback of 'Miss Darcy’s Companion,' please enter the international GIVEAWAY, and the very best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Please follow the blog tour for more chances to win. The posts, kindly hosted by Meredith Esparza, Claudine Dimuzio Pepe, Rita Deodato and Mira Magdo, will take you on a trip into Darcy Wonderland, reveal a conversation with Miss Darcy, tell you more about the audio-book backstory and what comes next, and ensure you’re all prepared for THE Chocolate Rating.
 
You can find out more on:
 
27 Nov 2017 – Austenesque Reviews
29 Nov 2017 – Just Jane 1813
30 Nov 2017 – From Pemberley to Milton
2 Dec 2017 – Obsessed with Mr Darcy

 

Thanks for reading, best of luck in the Giveaway, and have a magical December!
18 Comments
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