Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet – cover design by E.M. Tippetts (http://www.emtippetts.com/)
As I approach the end of the long months of drafting Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (White Soup Press, Summer 2014) and get ready to dive into the nearly as lengthy revising portion of the process, one of the great perks of being at this stage is that, with the plot in place, it’s time for the cover to be revealed!!
Considering just how MANY fabulous suggestions you wonderful Austen friends gave me for what Bingley McNamara should look like (!!), I wanted to share the cover art for the novel with you all here first. 😛 What do you think? Does he look like that breathlessly handsome combination of Matt Bomer/Josh Duhamel/Tom Hiddleston/Richard Armitage (in his youth)/Orlando Bloom that we were hoping to find?! I hope so!! I’ll admit to being quite taken with him, and I think the playfulness of the couple on the cover is indicative of the relationship my very modern Bingley and Jane have with each other.
Back at the end of January, I shared one of the early scenes from the novel, which was in Jane’s point of view. In a few weeks, I’ll post another scene, but from Bingley’s viewpoint this time. He’s been such a fun and flirtatious character to write that I always look forward to the hours I get to spend with him, trying to see the world through his eyes.
Most of you know this, but for those who may not — this novel is the sequel to Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (White Soup Press, January 2013), which was the story of Dr. Will Darcy and Beth Ann Bennet. They met on Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website, although both had motives for seeking online dating that had nothing to do with the search for true love!! Bingley McNamara (the hero of Perfect Bet) is Will’s first cousin. And our heroine, Jane Henderson, is Beth’s best friend. The cousin and the friend are thrown together FAR too frequently for their liking simply because of Beth and Will’s romance and consequent marriage. Jane and Bingley’s story actually starts at the Darcy/Bennet wedding, as they are the maid of honor and best man for the happy couple…
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match – cover design by Rebecca Young
In her everyday life, Jane is an interning school psychologist and a woman who wears an angelic mask in public, but she’s not as sweet tempered as she’d like everyone to believe. Turns out, she may have just crossed paths with the one person who’ll unnerve her enough to get her to reveal her true self. As for Bingley, he’s a wealthy and compulsively social financial guru, who likes to wager on stocks (and, let’s face it, on just about anything that strikes his fancy). But this dedicated ladies’ man may have finally met the woman who’ll challenge his bachelor ways!
Truly, I cannot wait to get to share Bingley and Jane’s love story with you all. Every word has been written for YOU…for every single one of you who read Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, told me you’d enjoyed it and/or asked me for a sequel 🙂 . If all goes as planned, the release of Perfect Bet will be this summer, which is just a few months away!! Until then, I will be revising…and revising…
What are you all doing over the next couple of months? Any special events coming up for any of you in the near future? Family reunions or weddings or baby showers??! I’d love to hear what’s going on!
______
Marilyn Brant is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction, romantic comedy & mystery. She was named the Author of the Year (2013) by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She loves all things Jane Austen, has a passion for Sherlock Holmes, is a travel addict and a music junkie, and lives on chocolate and gelato.
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Lovely! Congrats Marilyn!! I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
~ Liz
Author
Thank you so much, Liz!!!!
And I can’t wait until I can finally share it 😉 .
Sounds great since I have already read P&P and the Perfect Match.
Author
Wendy, thank you! So glad the story sounds good to you, and I really appreciate that you’ve read Perfect Match! Hope you’ll enjoy Jane & Bingley’s tale 😀 .
Hi Marilyn,
I’m so happy by the news you just shared with us. I cannot wait anymore till the book debut. “Are we there, now? Are we there, now? In the Summer?” 🙂 That’s a lovely, lovely book cover. My regards to the illustrator, or who was in charge.
Oh, you asked what are my plans for this summer. Well, if I plan them, they don’t take life.
So I dream them, and wait for the impulse of the day. Of course I’ll be taking some vacation time, but still don’t know where I’ll spend it. But I dream I will meet you, at least for an autograph at the book publishing day. That would be an awesome plan.
“Are we there, now?” <3
Author
LOL, Denisia!!
Thanks so much! I want the release day to be here NOW, too… 🙂 Publishing can be such a long process, particularly for impatient people like me!
I’m thrilled you like the book cover!! I will tell Emily (the cover designer) that it’s gotten your stamp of approval! I know she’ll be delighted, too.
And YES — I’d love to meet you someday in person! Until then, did you know I can sign autographs electronically? This is the “Authorgraph” page: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/marilynbrant
If anyone requests an autograph for one of my books, I can send a personalized one to them online! <3
The cover’s beautiful, Marilyn! Congratulations!
Author
Thanks, Shannon!!
I’m so excited about it 🙂 .
Great cover, Marilyn, and great post! Sounds a fun and fabulous read.
Good luck with the revisions and the run up to the summer launch!
Author
Ha! Thank you, Sandra!! I *do* feel as though I’ll be running to get there…and I’m not very good at that, literally or figuratively 😀 . So glad you liked the cover and the post!
The cover is gorgeous and fits with the theme of romance, love and wedding. I adore the cover and can see that it continues from where the story left off in Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match. I can’t wait for the book to be published.
Good luck in revising and coming up with a perfect story, Marilyn.
Author
Lúthien, I’m absolutely delighted that you like the cover!!
Thank you for taking time to comment on it, and thanks even more for all of your sweet words… I’m so grateful for your kindness and enthusiasm, and I appreciate the luck, too 🙂 .
Adorable cover! I love the tie it has to the first one (love when they match). I look forward to Bingley and Jane’s story.
Sophia,
Thank you!!
The matching element was something I’d wanted for the covers, too — I really like it when related novels have that design connection 😉 .
Beautiful cover, Marilyn! Congrats!
Thanks so much, Kara!!
🙂
Marilyn, your selections for both Bingley and Jane are perfect… just that playful attitude and attractiveness I imagined them to be from your Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match! I don’t usually think I’ll enjoy modern stories based on P&P, but I did love yours and will look forward to the sequel! I loved how Jane was supportive and such a good friend to Beth… though at first I didn’t think her advice about the column was helpful, but it made for a good story! 🙂 And Bingley was definitely charming, so am happy to get more of him!
Oh, Carol, I’m thrilled you enjoyed Perfect Match, especially as a modern story, and am just delighted that you’re looking forward to Perfect Bet. THANK YOU!
LOL about what you said in regards to Jane’s advice toward Beth with that Love Match profile 😉 . This Jane has got a little more of a devious streak than Austen’s sweet original, doesn’t she?! And this Bingley…well… 😀
You got him right! A very handsome combination of all our choices!
I loved will and Beth’s story so can’t wait to read bingley and janes.
As for summer, a new beginning for me and spend qUAlity time with my children and grandchildren .
Try to enjoy the next process as much as you can . It will bring much joy for us who are waiting to read it!
Carol, YAY!!!!
I’m so glad you approve of the photos! When I saw this couple together I thought, “Ohhh, there they are! And Bingley had better behave himself because Jane’s teeth look strong…LOL” 🙂
Thank you for your kind thoughts on both stories — I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it — and I’m excited for you to get to spend more time with your loved ones this summer. That’s the BEST gift in the world!
Congratulations, fantastic cover, look forward to reading it.
Hazel, many thanks for the congrats!!
I hope you’ll enjoy the story this summer 🙂 .
Ooh nice! I really liked Bingley in PP&tPM, and I feel you’ve captured him well here. Loved Jane too, she was such a wonderful friend to Beth Ann, single mums with limited family assistance really need a friend like her in their corner, helping out with practicalities as well as emotional support, I thought their relationship was very touching. I’ll look forward to reading Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet 🙂
Ceri,
Thanks so much for being so supportive of *all* of my stories, whether they’re Austen-inspired or not! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that <3 . And I'm thrilled you liked Jane and Beth Ann's scenes together in Perfect Match! I really loved getting to show a friendship like theirs that was so genuine. I think we all need a few wonderful girlfriends like that in real life… 😉
Love the cover! I have your ‘Perfect Match’ on my wish list and will make sure I read it before this one comes out!
We have the Christening of our two grandchildren coming up at the end of May. In September, we are off to visit Prince Edward Island and the Iles de Madelaine (Magdalen Islands) 5 hours off the coast by ferry from PEI. So looking forward to that!
Carole, first of all, thank you for wanting to read both Perfect Match and this new one! I hope you’ll like them both!!
As for your trip to PEI…I’m so envious!!! I’ve wanted to visit there ever since I was a teen and got hooked on the Anne of Green Gables series 😉 . I know you’ll have a wonderful time there and on the Magdalen Islands. Sounds like a fabulous trip! And congrats to your grandkids on the Christenings!
Congrats, Marilyn!
The cover is gorgeous and the couple absolutely adorable!
Best of luck with your upcoming release!
Joana,
Thank you!!! I’m delighted you liked the couple, too, and I’m extra grateful for the luck!
🙂
I think the cover is great! Bingly reminds me of Major Nelson from the 60’s sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie, whom I had a crush on.
Deborah,
Ohhh, my goodness! I used to LOVE watching “I Dream of Jeannie”!!
It’s been such a long while since I’ve seen an episode, but I think you’re right about that resemblance to Major Nelson 😀 .
The 3rd picture down on this page (with Jeannie sitting in his lap) was especially similar, I thought! http://www.neatorama.com/2012/05/02/the-story-of-i-dream-of-jeannie/
Yes! I totally agree! 🙂
🙂 🙂 !!
Wonderful cover and description! I’m already eager to read it!
Edie,
Thank you, lovely friend!!
You know how much I appreciate you 🙂 .
xox
Love the cover. “Bingley” is very Matt/Josh and that’s just fine. =D I look forward to your releases always. Yours are about the only modern adaptations I read!
My summer will be spent learning Spanish for school (oh boy), my adopted baby sister having her first child (cartwheels and woo hoo!) and hopefully finding some time to sneak away with my hubby for a few days (I hope I hope…). In and amongst that I plan on finding sippets of time to just sit in the sun after this brutal winter and read. That is my hugs summer plan.
that would be “snippets” and not “sippets”…… and “huge” not “hugs”, typing too fast, editing too slow.
*sigh*
Stephanie,
I’m glad you like the Bingley/Jane picture and I’m so honored that you enjoy my modern stories! Thank you!!! That makes my day 😉 .
Huge congrats to you, your sister and the whole family on the new addition coming soon! And good luck on the Spanish… I took a semester of it during college and I think I remember about 4 words, LOL.
I hear you about the dteadful winter — ugh! So grateful spring is finally here 🙂 .