Woohoo! It’s book launch day for Prayer and Praise: A Jane Austen Devotional!
It’s been well over a year since I had a new release, not because I haven’t been writing, but because, for a change, I’ve been working on more than one project at once – a short story, a play, and another novel alongside this devotional, which is inspired by Jane Austen’s prayers.
Did you know that Austen wrote prayers as well as stories? She did! And three have survived for us to read. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:
May we now, and on each return of night, consider how the past day has been spent by us, what have been our prevailing Thoughts, Words, and Actions during it, and how far we can acquit ourselves of Evil. Have we thought irreverently of Thee, have we disobeyed thy Commandments, have we neglected any known Duty, or willingly given pain to any human Being? Incline us to ask our Hearts these questions, Oh! God, and save us from deceiving ourselves by Pride or Vanity.
Seeing the words “pride” and “vanity” together, does your mind, like mine, go straight to a certain contentious conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy?
As I read through Jane Austen’s prayers, ideas like this kept popping into my head – associations to her stories and characters. That’s how this devotional developed. I ended up breaking down Austen’s prayers into fifty individual petitions, allowing each one to form the basis for a separate message using characters and situations from her novels as illustrations. So Emma teaches us about repentance, Fanny Price about gratitude, Elinor about forgiveness, and so forth.
Writing this devotional was an entirely new challenge for me – one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m so pleased with the result and can’t wait to share it with you! (If you’ve missed the lead-up posts, you may want to read Jane Austen’s Devotion, here at Austen Variations, and a sample segment here on my blog.)
Prayer and Praise is available in Kindle and paperback. (The two haven’t synced up yet.) Both have the “Look Inside” feature activated, where you can read another sample.
PS – I deliberately used a little larger font than usual for this book, so that it will be easier for older eyes, like mine, to read!
Below are the official book blurb followed by the blog tour stops I have planned, some of which will be featuring book giveaways. But let’s start that ball rolling right now! I will be drawing 2 winners from this post. Just leave a comment by November 8th. I’d love to know what you think of the concept for this devotional or if you have any questions!
Did you know that Jane Austen wrote prayers in addition to her six classic novels? She was not only a woman of celebrated humor, intellect, and insight; she was a woman of faith.
Prayer & Praise is a treasure trove of thought-provoking messages inspired by the lines of Austen’s three preserved prayers. Atop a solid foundation of scripture, these 50 devotional segments (each finishing with prayer and praise) enlist familiar characters and situations from Austen novels to illustrate spiritual principles – in creative, often surprising, ways!
Which one of Austen’s characters developed a god complex? Who was really pulling Henry Crawford’s strings? Where do we see examples of true repentance, a redeemer at work, light overcoming darkness? With a Biblical perspective, Austen’s beloved stories reveal new lessons about life, truth, hope, and faith.
Blog Tour for Prayer and Praise: A Jane Austen Devotional
(November 4 – simultaneous launch here and at my website/blog , which also has a giveaway)
November 7 – So Little Time interviews Shannon Winslow
November 11 – Meditative Meanderings – writing this devotional
November 14 – Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen – free sample segment
November 18 – Austenesque Reviews – Lady Catherine objects!
November 21 – The Calico Critic – spotlights sample segment
December 3 – Darcyholic Diversions – Mr. Collins interviews Shannon Winslow!
TBA – More Agreeably Engaged
38 comments
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I love devotionals and I love Jane Austen, so putting them together is a treat. The concept is unique and intriguing.
Author
Same for me, Denise! This project offered me the chance to combine things I care a lot about into one.
Yay!!!!
Congrats, Shannon!
So excited for you & for this wonderful release :-).
xo
Author
Thanks, Marilyn! I appreciate your support. 😀
I have to admit that through discovering Austen earlier this year, I’ve come back to Christianity. I am quite excited to see this book, and congratulations to you for finally putting it out there!
Author
Very good to hear it, Jen. Jane Austen is a good influence, and I hope you find this devotional is a blessing too!
Congratulations on this new release!
I really look forward to reading it and seeing the connections to faith you were able to draw. I think the fact that Austen was able to so naturally integrate those themes into her writing is one reason her books have withstood the test of time.
Author
Good insight, Maureen! Hope you enjoy the book. 🙂
Congratulations for your hard work in producing this book and for sharing this loving part of Jane Austen.
Author
Thank you very much for your encouragement, Diana!
I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since I first noticed one of your posts about its plans. It’s great that you successfully finsihed this project and it’s finally out! Congratulations and thanks for the giveaway chance!
Author
You’re welcome, Agnes. Good luck on winning!
What a wonderful concept. I have always thought that JA was devout–she must have had some Christian influences at home. Thank you for putting together this book, and for the larger print.
Author
Glad you like the concept! Yes, with her father a (by all accounts) dedicated Anglican minister, Christian faith would have been a big part of her upbringing and home life.
PS – the book isn’t doesn’t qualify as “large print,” but it is definitely larger font than most books are printed in.
I had no idea she wrote prayers! This will be a welcome addition to my quiet time. Thank you for putting this together—and in a larger print!
Author
Oh, good! I’m glad I could enlarge your view of Jane Austen, and I hope you enjoy the devotional, Stephanie. 😀
I hope the larger-than-average print helps too.
I’m so glad to see this release as it is a wonderful idea.
Author
It’s so good to hear you like the concept, especially since this is a new type of book for me. 🙂
Congratulations, Shannon. I would love to begin these devotions of Jane Austen’s prayers as we begin 2020. I commend you for this new endeavor. Thank you for the giveaway.
Author
What a lovely idea, Eva! I would be gratified to know I helped get your new year off to a good start.
Wonderful, Shannon!! I am so excited about this release and am also thrilled to be part of the blog tour!!
Brava!!! 😀 This devotional is truly amazing, so brilliant and deep and amazing!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Author
Thank you for your support and your kind words, Susanne!
Oops! Didn’t mean to use “amazing” twice in one sentence, but truly…it IS *amazing*!! 😀
Blushing,
Susanne 🙂
Author
No need to apologize for gushing, Susanne! I don’t mind one bit that the devotional inspired two “amazing”s. Haha!
Looking forward to this! As a Christian with great respect for Austen, and fan of Shannon’s, this is definitely on my aquire list – hard copy for keeping! I have been watching for this since she was deciding on the cover. Excited!!! 📖🕇❤
Author
Yay! Glad you’re so enthused, Darcy. And thanks for hanging with me through all my angst and indecision over the cover!
Jane Austen certainly had a gift of weaving together a story that revealed both positive and negative character traits to teach a moral lesson. Looking at the spiritual component completes the picture, giving us the reason why we strive to overcome our flaws and embrace who God made us to be. I am so excited to read this character devotional.
Author
Good analysis, Bess! I’m pleased you like the idea of this devotional. 🙂
I love the idea of building a devotional from Jane Austen’s prayers! I am actually a big fan of anything Jane Austen, so winning a copy of this devotional would add so much to my daily time with the Lord!
Author
I’m glad to hear you like the concept, Abigail. Good luck on winning a book. To double your chances, you can leave a comment on the launch post on my blog too! https://shannonwinslow.com/2019/11/03/book-launch-and-giveaway/
It seems like I’ve been looking forward to this devotional forever, Shannon! Looking forward to reading it!
Author
Yes, it’s finally here! Hope it lives up to all your anticipations, Laurie!
Congratulations on the release of another book, Shannon! This devotional concept is not new as a few books has been published so far like Praying with Jane, The Prayers of Jane Austen and A Jane Austen Devotional. But your cover is among the prettiest to look at. I would love to read it.
Thank you. Yes, I know there are a few other JA devotionals out there, but one can never have too many! Besides, no two will be alike. So glad you admire the cover. 😀
Congrats, Shannon! An uplifting devonational is certainly needed esp. these days. Can’t wait to read💕
Author
Thanks, Sharon! I hope it will do just that: uplift. 😀
Just sent an email to you. I’m so happy to be one of the winners, thanks so much!
Congratulations!