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 fifteen 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. Here's what Shannon says about her unique approach to writing JAFF: "Since I’m just sappy enough to believe there’s only one true story for the characters I’ve grown to love (and Jane Austen wrote it), I amuse myself with adding onto rather than varying from canon - expanding on what Jane Austen gave us and filling in the blanks in the record with prequel, sequel, and supplemental views. What was Mr. Darcy doing all the time he’s absent from the page? What happened to Colonel Brandon in India? And how did our favorite couples fare after the wedding? Inquiring minds want to know, and I’m happy to deliver the answers!"

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Author's posts

The Ladies of Rosings Park – Chapter 4

Every Monday I will post another installment of my upcoming novel, The Ladies of Rosings Park, here at Austen Variations. The book (which will publish in March) primarily tells Anne de Bourgh’s story, beginning with the period covered in Pride and Prejudice (the part I will be sharing here) and then carrying well beyond to her own happy ending. These early chapters, …

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The Ladies of Rosings Park – Chapter 3

Every Monday I will post another installment of my upcoming novel, The Ladies of Rosings Park, here at Austen Variations. The book (which will publish in March) primarily tells Anne de Bourgh’s story, beginning with the period covered in Pride and Prejudice (the part I will be sharing here) and then carrying well beyond to her own happy ending. These early chapters, …

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The Ladies of Rosings Park – Chapter 2

I’m excited to continue sharing weekly chapters of my upcoming novel with you! Every Monday I will post another installment of The Ladies of Rosings Park here at Austen Variations. The book (which will publish in March) primarily tells Anne de Bourgh’s story, beginning with the period covered in Pride and Prejudice (the part I will be sharing here) and then carrying well …

Continue reading

The Ladies of Rosings Park – Chapter 1

I’m so excited to begin sharing weekly chapters of my upcoming novel with you! Every Monday I will post another installment of The Ladies of Rosings Park here at Austen Variations. The book primarily tells Anne de Bourgh’s story, beginning with the period covered in Pride and Prejudice (the part I will be sharing here). So these …

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Jane in January and You – Knowing Your Un-Leading Ladies

How well do you think Jane Austen knew her more minor characters? How well do you? Authors spend most of their time exploring the minds and activities of their main characters – what Elizabeth’s thinking and saying, why Darcy does what he does. They’ve worked out their backstories and motivations – what makes them tick. …

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Jane Austen’s Advent Calendar – Day 15

Only ten days until Christmas now! I hope you are more prepared than I am. (I had to borrow pictures from a previous year, because I haven’t done much in the way of decorating yet.) But I’m glad you’re taking as few minutes out of your busy day to open another window on your Jane …

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Previewing “The Ladies of Rosings Park”

  The ink was barely dry on novels number six and seven (Leap of Hope and Leap of Faith) when I started work on number eight, entitled The Ladies of Rosings Park – my favorite story with a fresh take! I wanted to tell events during the timelines of P&P and then on into The Darcys of Pemberley as …

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Painting a Picture of Autumn

Summer is definitely over. October is here and time to turn our minds to a new season. It’s Austen in Autumn!    Yesterday, when I went out for my morning constitutional, I had multicolored maple leaves crunching underfoot and the occasional spider web hitting me in the face.  I also took a plastic bag along …

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But What Happens Next?

“But don’t you want to know what happens next?” That’s the question I often ask when I meet someone who tells me how much they love Jane Austen’s books, especially Pride and Prejudice. Their answer is usually the same as my own: yes, yes, YES! We’ve fallen in love with the characters, and we’re not ready …

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A Better Fate For Jane

Have you recovered yet from the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death a week ago? Although it was gratifying to see how many people and groups think enough of her to offer special tributes and commemorations, it was still a dark date on the calendar. Heart-wrenching, really. We were reminded all over again of the …

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