Shannon Winslow claims she was minding her own business – raising two sons and pursuing a very sensible career – when an ordinary trip to Costco about a dozen years ago changed her life. That was the day a copy of the ’95 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice fairly leapt off the shelf and into her oversized shopping cart. After watching the mini-series, Shannon was hopelessly hooked on the story, Colin Firth’s Darcy, and all things Jane Austen. One may guess what followed – compulsive reading, late-night trips to the library and video store, secret rendezvous with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley. Finally, only one thing remained. Her dedication (or obsession, as it could more rightly be described) ultimately inspired her to begin writing her own stories a la Austen.

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Cover Prototypes for “Mr. Knightley in His Own Words”

Yay! I finally finished writing Mr. Knightley in His Own Words, my third Austen hero story, and now it’s time to think about the cover. How exciting! Cover design is one of my favorite parts of the process, bringing together my love of art and my love of books. And I thought it would be …

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Happy 10th Birthday, “Return to Longbourn”!

Return to Longbourn is 10 years old, and I want to celebrate with a short story, games, and prizes! I’ll never forget the fun I had writing this book, even though (or actually, especially because) it didn’t go at all the way I had planned. I set out to following up my first very successful …

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William, Fitzwilliam, and Fitzwilliam

Is it possible to have too many Williams? I like the name – very much, in fact. Even so, there ought to be a limit as to number. One thing I’ve learned as a novelist is that you shouldn’t confuse your readers with character names that are too similar. If you’ve already got a Terry …

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Rebirth and Rejuvenation: a Second Chance for Hope

Spring is my favorite season! It’s all about new life – baby animals (I saw a fawn just yesterday) and green growing things. The birds return from their winter latitudes and start to sing. And flowers begin blooming everywhere. It means I’ve made it through another winter, and I feel hopeful and rejuvenated. When I …

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When We Were Young – Eliza and Col. Brandon

Although I don’t think anybody’s used it yet, the optional theme for this month is “When We Were Young.” So today I have an excerpt of a young Eliza and Colonel Brandon, taken from Colonel Brandon in His Own Words. In Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen gives us just a teaser about their relationship, so …

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Guess Whose Book Just Joined Club 1000!

Celebrate with me! I’ve joined Club 1000! Never heard of it? I’m not surprised, since I just made it up.  But I hope you’ll agree that it’s a prestigious honor nonetheless. The Club is for books that have been purchased, read, and enjoyed by enough people to collect at least 1000 ratings/reviews on Amazon, and …

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A Sneak Peek at Mr. Knightley’s Story

It took me a while to get started, but now I’m making steady progress on what will become my 12th novel: Mr. Knightley in His Own Words. So today I want to share a brand new excerpt with you! – a scene from chapter one. This book won’t be simply a retelling of Emma from Mr. Knightley’s …

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“Fashionable Goodness” and Jane Austen’s use of “faith words”

Here at Austen Variations, WE’RE ALL ABOUT FICTION, as you know. But occasionally one of us will feature a non-fiction book we think will be of interest to our readers. So today, I want to do just that! I want tell you about a fascinating book that I had the privilege of, in my own …

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Adventures at the AGM, Part 1

I’ve been to Victoria and back, and so now here is your promised report on the JASNA AGM! – at least the first part. Turns out there was too much good stuff to pack into one post, so Diana will pick up with part 2 tomorrow. But I’m going to start  with some pictures and …

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Meet Me in Victoria!

In just a couple of weeks (Sept. 29th), people from far and wide will begin gathering in Victoria, British Columbia, for the 2022 Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting (JASNA AGM). In other words, it’s a Jane Austen convention! What could be better? Around 700 fully-vaccinated Austen addicts congregating to learn more …

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