Voila, and tra-la! Here is the cover of my new book, The Bride of Northanger…
The portrait of the girl is by the French painter Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun, and is of Corisande Armandine Léonie Sophie de Gramont, Countess of Tankerville (1783 – 1865). It was painted in 1800, when she was eighteen, exactly the age of Catherine Morland at the time of my story. Corisande was a granddaughter of the Duchesse de Polignac, the favorite of Marie Antoinette. She married an English Member of Parliament, Charles Augustus Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville, and lived in England. (Note spelling of Bennet – obviously a connection here!)
The decorative Abbey painting on my cover is by John Constable, titled Netley Abbey by Moonlight. The painter and his wife visited Netley Abbey in 1816, on their honeymoon, though the watercolor painting was done later. Jane Austen herself visited Netley Abbey when staying in Southampton, and mentioned it in a letter to Cassandra in 1808. It must have been in her mind when she invented Northanger Abbey. Netley is on Southampton Water, and is said to be haunted by ghosts. I thank Tony Grant for his writing on the subject, which aided my own research.
My most heartfelt thanks for putting these gorgeous paintings together in such an entirely felicitous and artful fashion go to my brilliant book designer, Rebecca Young. I owe her gratitude for her kind shepherding of my book through publication – and words can’t express my debt to our own Abigail Reynolds, who in addition to her manifold talents and possessing such cats as the angelic Pfefferneuse, also brought up such a talented daughter as Rebecca.
A Poem to Publication:
Here is my beautiful cover reveal!
I am so happy, that I could squeal!
Now that I have delighted your eye
Read the book, a delicious buy!
The Bride of Northanger is its name
Inspired by Jane Austen, the very same
Who wrote Pride and Prejudice, Emma and all
You’ve heard of her. Her fame is not small.
It’s Jane who’s inspired me, her wisdom and laughter
And made me write about “what comes after.”
Emulation can be a thing of beauty and pride
As you’ll see if you read my Northanger Bride…
The Bride of Northanger, which is published by White Soup Press, will shortly be available on Amazon as both a Kindle ebook and as a beautiful paperback. Thursday, September 19 is the official publication day, and I will be posting an excerpt here in celebration.
Diana Birchall
42 comments
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Your cover is lovely! Congratulations to you and Rebecca Young. The information about the paintings was fascinating, too. I agree. There has to be a connection with Bennet! 🙂
I loved your poem and your book sounds great! Best wishes on its success.
Author
Thank you, Janet! I can hardly believe it is really here.
Congratulations Diana. I love the blue and green tones and the selection of images. Truly stunning.
Author
Thanks so much, Laurel Ann, that means a lot! 🙂
A beautiful cover showing the lovely lady Bennet at 18 years. I don’t believe that that name was used by Jane accidentally. I must visit Nettley Abbey in Southampton. But only after I have read your book. congratulations on your new novel.
Author
I’m so pleased you like my cover, Stella! I wish you would visit Netley Abbey, you might make some discoveries. Jane Austen spent time in Southampton in her youth, in fact her eighteenth birthday was spent at a ball at the Dolphin Hotel there, and I’ve always meant to go. And I hope you will enjoy my novel – thank you!
Beautiful cover – the paintings are really inspiring, show a loveable heroine and set an atmosphere of mystery. The poem is great fun! I look forward to the publication…
Author
Agnes, Catherine really is loveable, and whatever else might be said, the book definitely does have an atmosphere of mystery. I hope you will like it! 🙂
I love the cover reveal, and I look forward to reading your excerpt! I usually base whether or not I purchase a book on the excerpt or a chapter.
That’s good feedback, Joan, thanks. I hope you’ll like the excerpts I post, and which will be seen when it’s on Amazon next week.
It’s a lovely cover, look forward to the release of the book
Thanks! The cover’s a good start, hope folks will like what’s inside too!
Lovely, as others have said. The use of a portrait brings to mind a Penguin paperback!
Best with this!
Author
Diane, I love your comment because that is exactly what I was hoping for! A classy, beautiful look, like my Onoto Watanna book, NOT like the hideous picture Sourcebooks foisted on Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma. Like Penguin or Virago things.
I love your poem! And I do think you found the perfect Catherine Morland in that portrait. I didn’t know the Jane Austen connection to Netley Abbey, but that makes it just perfect! Can’t wait for the book to be ready to go.
Author
Thanks, Abigail! Weirdly, I’ve never seen anything anywhere about Netley Abbey “being” Northanger, but I am convinced. And she DID go there!
Congratulations on this new book and what a cover… simply beautiful. Well, you’re a poet and now we know it. LOL!! Delicious! Blessings on the launch of this new work.
Author
Thanks so much for the blessings, very grateful! Poet, hah! I do like to write silly doggerel, and when I realized this was such a SERIOUS moment, releasing my first new book in years, I thought I’d just throw in a dollop of silliness. It felt good!
Congratulations! Beautiful cover! I love the paintings by Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun and this one is perfect for your cover along with Netley Abbey. I actually have a miniature portrait of Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun. Your excitement for your book shines through and I am thrilled for you! Your poem was just perfect! Well I will have to grab myself a copy!
Author
Thanks dearly, Carole! Yes, I am excited and I am glad you share my liking for Vigee Le Brun. It was a real pleasure to find that painting, I can tell you. I look forward to you reading the book!
I adore the cover and I love Catherine Morland. Cannot wait to read your latest.
Author
I’m so glad, Shae! I do think I did some justice to Catherine Morland in this. Most people focus on Henry! (grin) I hope you like it.
Diana, it is so pretty. I look forward to reading your book
Author
Hollis, thank you!
So beautiful and very inviting!
Author
Thanks, Amanda!
What a beautiful cover image! Looking forward to reading your new book Diana!
Author
Glad you like how it looks, thanks, Joan!
A truly gorgeous cover. Good luck with the book. Loved the poem!!
Author
Thanks, Teresa, purty, isn’t it?! 🙂
Beautiful Cover! Congratulations on your new publication!
Author
Thanks, Jennifer, it feels so good to have my new publication looking so attractive!
The cover is lovely. Can’t wait to read it, Diane.
Are you going to Williamsburg next month? If so, I will see you there.
Yes, Barbara, I am going to Williamsburg! I will be part of a panel called “The Company of Clever, Well-Informed People” on Friday morning, with Juliet McMaster, talking about the early days of JASNA. And then I will be signing my books at the Author Signing on Saturday morning. It’s not a launch but it’s my “debut,” and notice how a sequel to Northanger Abbey ties in with the conference theme! So I look forward to seeing you there. Not that many people from the West Coast are coming, and travel is difficult to that location, are you finding that the case?
I ADORE the artwork, Diana!! 🙂 I am such a fan of Constable’s work, and the portrait is absolutely perfect!! (And that Bennet connection is irrefutable!)
I can’t wait to read the upcoming excerpt!! Yay!! 😀
Congratulations!!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
I’m so glad you like the artwork, Susanne, that is what makes it look so pretty – that and Rebecca’s amazing design work. I could hardly be more pleased with my delicious cover! Thanks for your warm support!
Yes! I will be part of a panel called “The Company of Clever, Well-Informed People” on Friday morning, with Juliet McMaster, talking about the early days of JASNA. And then I will be signing my books at the Author Signing on Saturday morning. It’s not a launch but it’s my “debut,” and notice how a sequel to Northanger Abbey ties in with the conference theme! So I look forward to seeing you there. Not that many people from the West Coast are coming, and travel is difficult to that location, are you finding that the case?
What a beautiful cover! I adore Northanger Abbey, and I have yet to read a variation focused on Catherine and Henry. I can’t wait to read this 🙂
Glad you like the cover, Brigid, and that was exactly my feeling – that there wasn’t enough (practically nothing) written about Catherine and Henry! Everybody loves a Darcy and Elizabeth variation, and I do too, but Catherine and Henry are lovely too!
How fantastic! I love everything about this post! The cover is breathtaking and I love that you are publishing a new book, Diana! Thrilled to hear this, and Northanger Abbey?! Yes, yes, yes, – I cannot wait to see what adventures you take Catherine and Henry on!
The poem was delightful! Well done on such a lovely cover, Rebecca! Congrats to you, Diana!!
I thank you so very much for your enthusiasm, Meredith, and it does feel SO wonderful to be out with a fresh new book – containing plenty of adventures! I would like to visit you soon, if I may (bloggily if not physically!) And didn’t Rebecca pull off a miracle!
NA is my favourite of Jane’s stories, so I am looking forward to this. Enticing cover!