Regency Christmas Anthology ~ an e-book

December 6, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

I append this post from another blog: the We Write Romance Blog

A Regency Christmas Anthology by Carolynn Carey

When, in the spring of 2008, I was offered the opportunity to submit a novella for a proposed Regency Christmas anthology, I was delighted. After all, I love the Regency period, and I love the traditions of Christmas.

But I realized, of course, that tremendous differences exist between Christmas as it was observed in England in 1816 and Christmas as we celebrate it in America today. I immediately understood that I needed to do considerable research into the traditions of a different time and a different culture.

Fortunately, since I’ve had a long-time interest in the Regency period, I already possessed quite a few research resources. I delved into my files and soon found myself learning about the Christmas traditions during the Regency period. This in turn led to my writing a story called “A Tradition of Love” about Alethea, who adores Christmas, and her new husband, Robert, who says he has no time for trivialities such as Boxing Day, the Wassail Bowl, the Christmas Candle, the Yule Log, and Christmas Dinner. With just three weeks to go before Christmas Eve, Alethea struggles to find a way to teach her solemn husband to accept help with his responsibilities and to join her in creating their very own Christmas traditions.

“A Tradition of Love” is one of four novellas that make up the anthology entitled A Cotillion Country Christmas, to be released December 4, 2008, as an ebook by Cerridwen Press. The first story, “A Christmas Surprise” by Cynthia Moore, features Clara, who has loved Julian since she first saw him at a debutante ball in London. Several years later, Julian is forced to marry Clara because of gambling debts. After traveling to India soon after their marriage, Julian is now returning home for the holidays and Clara uses the magical spirit of Christmas to her advantage.

Amy Corwin is the author of “Christmas Mishaps” in which the magic of Christmas transforms a series of misfortunes into a gift of love for Caroline Bartlett. Now it is up to her to overcome her mistrust of the unexpected offer from a younger man.

And Barbara Miller’s “Country House Christmas” tells the story of Diana Tierney, who is so caught up in the past mystery of why Richard Trent was shipped off to war that she doesn’t realize he is coming to love her as much as she has always loved him.

If you enjoy Christmas stories, especially those set in times and places different from our own, I invite you to check out A Cotillion Country Christmas. Simply visit www.CerridwenPress.com anytime after December 4 and download the anthology. You’ll be in for four Christmas treats!

Books · Collecting Jane Austen · Jane Austen · Regency England · Social Life & Customs

Jane Austen’s Christmas

December 4, 2008December 4, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

In my email today, the latest newsletter from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath: see this link to an article on “Christmas Day with the Austen Family.”

And on my bookshelf … I highly recommend the book Jane Austen’s Christmas: the Festive Season in Georgian England, compiled by Maria Hubert [Sutton Publishing, 1996] (the book is out of print: search at www.biblio.com or www.abebooks.com; available copies are mostly in the UK).

Hubert offers a mix of selections from Austen’s novels and letters, and from other contemporary writers; there are poems about Christmas, along with games and dances and recipes ~ all accompanied by black and white illustrations from various sources. It is a must-have addition to your Austen collection.

You can visit this link at The Christmas Archives for a few excerpts from the book, as well as information on several of the author’s other books on Christmas (Shakespeare’s Christmas; Brontes’ Christmas; Christmas in Wartime are a few examples.]

Here is one of the excerpts ~ a recipe for

BLACK BUTTER

Black Butter would have been a novel recipe indeed, which one of the Austen’s wide circle of seafaring family and friends might have brought them.

Take 4 pounds of full ripe apples, and peel and core them. Meanwhile put into a pan 2 pints of sweet cider, and boil until it reduces by half. Put the apples, chopped small, to the cider. Cook slowly stirring frequently, until the fruit is tender, as you can crush beneath the back of a spoon. Then work the apple through a sieve, and return to the pan adding 1lb beaten (granulated) sugar and spices as following, 1 teaspoon clove well ground, 2 teaspoons cinnamon well ground, 1 saltspoon allspice well ground. Cook over low fire for about ¾ hour, stirring until mixture thickens and turns a rich brown. Pour the butter into into small clean jars, and cover with clarified butter when cold. Seal and keep for three months before using. By this time the butter will have turned almost black, and have a most delicious flavour.

[I will be posting more on the holidays in Jane Austen’s time after our tea this weekend!]

Books · Jane Austen · News

Rejection Letters

December 3, 2008December 3, 2008 BookLady Deb2 Comments

We all know that Jane Austen’s first attempt at getting published [her book was First impressions, later to become Pride & Prejudice), was a humbling experience ~ an outright rejection from the publisher her father had approached; her second book, Susan (Northanger Abbey), sat on a publisher’s shelf for 10 years before she bought it back, and it was not actually published until after her death. So Austen was familiar with rejection…but she went on revising and writing and we are all the better because she persisted.

Today I see a blog post from the Guardian.co.uk on the “Fine Art of Literary Rejection Letters”by Jean Hannah Edelstein on her own history as an editor writing more than 1000 rejection letters and her discovery of a book to be published by Bill Shapiro (author of Other People’s Love Letters) titled Other People’s Rejection Letters [click here for the author’s request for letters, and here for his letter outlining the book]. See Edelstein’s article for some excellent and humorous comments from rejectees, and this blog link to Literary Rejections on Display where you will find all manner of the polite and impolite “no thank you.”

Jane Austen · JASNA-Vermont events · Query

“Why Jane Austen Matters”

December 2, 2008December 2, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

I am just reading an article in the online Charlotte Observer by Kay McSpadden on Why Jane Austen Matters. McSpadden is a high school English teacher in South Carolina and writes of her student’s love of reading, and how Jane Austen speaks to them. I am reminded again of why Austen matters to me, but I put the question out there to you … as her December 16th birthday approaches, and we here in our Vermont JASNA Chapter prepare for the annual tea celebration on December 7th, I wonder, why does Jane Austen matter to you? Please comment! ~ I would like to share some of your responses at our gathering. Thank you!

Jane Austen · News

Chawton Cottage Request: No More Ashes Please!

December 1, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

It is all over the newswires today that the staff of the Jane Austen House in Chawton, Austen’s home from 1809-1817, have written an open letter to the Jane Austen Society to have devotees refrain from leaving human ashes on the grounds and gardens of the house. See this article at the Daily Mail.co.uk for the full story.

chawton-cottage-garden — Chawton Cottage Gardens

Books · Jane Austen · News

Tidbits of the week… All Things Austen

November 30, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

The Central New Jersey JASNA Chapter posts about the Christmas celebration: “A Jane Austen Christmas: Vignettes of Customs and Traditions,” which will include “holiday recreations as inspired by the writings of Jane Austen.” On December 10 at 7 p.m., Margaret C. Sullivan [author of AustenBlog] will speak about Christmas traditions in Jane Austen’s time and sign copies of her book, The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World. [Click on the Chapter link for more information.]

The Dolphin Hotel, home to Jane Austen’s various balls when she lived in Southampton, is on the market. See this article in The Daily Echo.co.uk

Lady Helga continues her Golden Couple’s Series , this week with Emma and Mr. Knightly.

A new collection of Elizabeth Bowen’s essays includes her words on Jane Austen; read this review of the new book People, Places, Things: Essays by Elizabeth Bowen, edited by Alan Hepburn [Edinburgh, December 2008]

Another Georgette Heyer review at Jane Austen Today: The Reluctant Widow; and also one for Simon the Coldheart

A few bits of Austen movie trivia at the Becoming Jane Fansite: Hugh Grant too handsome for Edward Ferrars?? of course he was!

A few blog posts on Regency weddings: at Historical Romance UK and at Jane Austen’s World

The author of the blog Jane Austen, Here I Come! is sharing all her plans for a trip to England and Austen country in May 2009. The blog has some great links for planning your own such itinerary as well…

A graphic design blog has created two Jane Austen book covers, for Emma and Pride & Prejudice

On the blog History Hoydens, Kathrynn Dennis posts on “Mending the Bodice” and how the term “bodice ripper” came into common use as a derogatory reference to romance novels. There is also an excellent post on this same topic at the Teach Me Tonight blog, as well as a good number of thoughtful comments.

Here is an interesting bit of news that restores my faith in all things technical (I think, anyway … I will forever favor a real book to touch!), but Nintendo has announced the release of its 100 Classic Book Collection, available December 26 in the UK, which features an initial 100 classic books to read from, with 10 additional books available for download from Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. A bookmark feature allows you to save your place in a book, and a suitability feature similar to Cooking Guide allows you to select a novel based on time constraints and subject matter. See this article at N-Europe for information and a listing of the 100 titles: all of Austen’s works are included, as well as many of Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontes, Hardy, Hugo, Alcott, Stevenson, Trollope, Burnett, Twain, and many more. If this is the way to reach young readers, I am all for it!

The JASNA site has added a map of Bath to its “Maps of the Novels” page, as well as the full-text online of Persuasions No. 6 (St. Louis, 1984 and largely on Persuasion). Check the Table of Contents for this early and hard-to-find JASNA journal.

And finally, as Jane Austen’s birthday on December 16th is fast approaching, the Becoming Jane Fansite is requesting anyone who would like to submit birthday wishes or gift ideas for Jane to their site prior to December 16, when they will post all submissions.

Jane Austen · Movies · News

A few tidbits…

November 22, 2008November 22, 2008 BookLady Deb1 Comment

Lady Helga at the Jane Austen Podnovel has announced that each week shall be dedicated to one of Austen’s “golden couples” with new videos posted everyday. She starts with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy…

And speaking of Mr. Darcy, the blog on Colin Firth has returned … see Colin Firth – An Appreciation Redux.

And Laurel Ann at Austenprose wants to know which of the film adaptations has captured best the Mr. Darcy of YOUR imagination (as Dear Jane leaves it up to each of her readers to decide!) See her post and vote!

But enough of Mr. Darcy …. who do YOU see as the next Mr. Knightley? Mags at Austenblog is rooting for Richard Armitage (and all the comments seem to concur!)…and I must indeed follow suit- I believe he was born for the role!

Which leads me to the PBS schedule for the upcoming Masterpiece Classics…a perfect winter adventure! and Dickens wins by a long shot! [please note that this is the full schedule from PBS; check your local listings for times]

January 4 and 11th: Tess of the D’Urbervilles [Thomas Hardy]
January 18 and 25th: Wuthering Heights [Emily Bronte]
Feb 1 and 8th: Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen] – repeat from last season
February 15 and 22nd: Oliver Twist [Charles Dickens]
March 15 and 22nd: David Copperfield [Charles Dickens]
March 29 to April 26: Little Dorrit [Charles Dickens] ~ with Matthew MacFadyen!
May 3: The Old Curiosity Shop [Charles Dickens]
May 10: Persuasion [Jane Austen] – repeat from last season
May 17: My Boy Jack [about Kipling]- repeat from last season

Makes one ALMOST look forward to winter!

Jane Austen

Quote of the Day

November 21, 2008November 21, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

“Let us read and let us dance … two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.”

(on Garrison Keiller’s Writer’s Almanac this morning….) Jane Austen may have lived it, but Voltaire said it! (his birthday was today, in 1694)

Books · Jane Austen

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen set on sale…

November 20, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

Oxford University Press has the 6-volume set of the Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen [3rd edition, edited by R.W. Chapman] on sale from $175. to $43.75. Click here for ordering information…

Books · Jane Austen

In My Mailbox Today

November 17, 2008 BookLady DebLeave a comment

A treat today in my mailbox ~ the November-December 2008 issue of Jane Austen’s Regency World, the cover graced with the latest Darcy incarnation, Colin Donnell, from the new Pride & Prejudice, the Musical.

A quick summary of the table of contents:

Austen Bank Goes Bust: the story of Henry Austen’s bank failure, a regency economic crisis
P&P-the new Musical: by Tim Bullamore with the story behind the story.
One for the Ladies: by Ian Kelly, author of a new biography of Casanova, on his importance as a chronicler of 18th century London life.
Lost in Austen: a review of the series by Hugo Rifkind and JARW editor Sue Hughes.
The Jane Austen Font and the Missing X: by Pia Frauss (see more below)
The English Type: by Philip Jansseune, on the type of William Caslon, chosen for the new design of JARW.
Christmas in Regency England: by Tim Bullamore.
Putting on the Ballroom Blues: by Chris Coyle on Bath’s assembly rooms paint makeover (and in my favorite color!)
Elizabeth Inchbald’s Lover’s Vows: by Caroline Fitton on the novelist and actress and the play that formed the pivotal scenes in Mansfield Park.
Finding Pemberley: by JASNA’s own Iris Lutz on her visit to Chatsworth and other Austen-related houses on the JASNA-sponsored tour “Jane Austen’s Great Houses in Fact and Fiction.”
Lichfield Conference – Jane Austen and Dr. Johnson: by Marilyn Joice on the JAS conference in September 2008.
Book reviews: by Joceline Bury on Jane Odiwe’s Lydia Bennet’s Story, Carol Shield’s Jane Austen, and Penelope Byrd’s Jane Austen Fashion.

I like this new format and the in-depth articles…there are letters, news, news from Nov-Dec 1800, and of course, fabulous pictures throughout!

The article by Pia Frauss, the creator of the Jane Austen font (and the one that JASNA uses in its logo), writes that she had to invent the capital letter X, as Jane never penned the letter. You can read the article and learn more at her website: Pia Frauss’ Fonts

I highly recommend that you subscribe…a perfect holiday gift for yourself or your favorite Austen lover!