Category: Diana Birchall

Advent Calendar Day 13: Miss Bingley’s Christmas

PART II of a Three Part Story, to appear on Successive Sundays in Advent. The first episode, “St. Nicholas Day at Pemberley,” was published on December 6, and told of a Rich Jane Austen Christmas, set at Pemberley.  This second treat, “Miss Bingley’s Christmas,” is about a Poor Jane Austen Christmas, spent with the cold-hearted …

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Advent Calendar Day 6: St. Nicholas Day at Pemberley

PART I of a Three Part Story, to appear on Successive Sundays in Advent. This first episode tells of a Rich Jane Austen Christmas, and is set at Pemberley.  The second treat, on Sunday, December 13, is about a Poor Jane Austen Christmas, spent with the cold-hearted Miss Bingley and her sister Mrs. Hurst. On …

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After the Wedding – a Dialogue between Emma and Mrs. Elton

“Now, my dear Mrs. Knightley,” began Mrs. Elton eagerly, hitching herself forward in her chair in Emma’s pretty sitting-room, “Do tell me, there’s a dear, where it was that you and Mr. K went on your honey-moon?” There was so much to offend in this question, that Emma was silent a moment. That gave the …

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Austen Variations Recipe Roundup!

Hi, friends! As some of you may know, we’ve been celebrating all things food over the past couple of months here at Austen Variations. With everything that’s going on in the world, it seems like many of us have been turning to cooking and baking for comfort–whether it’s dusting off our favorite recipes, or branching …

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Fabulous Food: Mr. Darcy’s Dinner

Before [Elizabeth] had been three minutes in her own room, her mother followed her. “My dearest child,” she cried, “I can think of nothing else! Ten thousand a year, and very likely more! ‘Tis as good as a Lord! And a special licence! You must and shall be married by a special licence! But, my …

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Through Kitty’s Eyes: A New Proposal Scene

Bingley, who wanted to be alone with Jane, proposed their all walking out. It was agreed to. Mrs. Bennet was not in the habit of walking. Mary could never spare time, but the remaining five set off together. Bingley and Jane, however, soon allowed the others to outstrip them. They lagged behind, while Elizabeth, Kitty, …

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Leap into Love – an Excerpt by Diana Birchall

In my newest novel, The Bride of Northanger,  the hero and heroine,  Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland respectively, are a romantic pair who have fought against many obstacles (mostly in the shape of his ogre-like father, General Tilney) on their path to love.  This sequel to Northanger Abbey has plenty of Gothic thrills and mysteries, but …

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12 Days of Christmas – Day 12

  A performance! Twelfth Night was always a festive event for Jane Austen, her family and friends. They loved to brighten up the winter season and celebrate the traditional Epiphany with a variety of parties, balls, children’s festivities, and most especially theatricals. As we might expect, Jane Austen was at the heart of these activities …

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Jane Austen’s Decembers

Jane Austen wrote very little about Christmas directly, though we may remember such fictional moments as the “fine family piece” of a Christmas scene in Persuasion, with little girls cutting up silver paper and little boys reveling over plates of brawn and cold pies, and Lady Russell being annoyed by the noise. Or Mr. Elton …

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Nosy November at Northanger: The Making of a Blog Tour

With my first published book (Onoto Watanna, a biography of my novelist grandmother, in 2001), there was no such thing as a blog tour in existence, so I was innocent of the subject. The book was published by a university press, and since my grandmother was something of a pioneer, being the first Asian American …

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