Cover Reveal: The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen

Coming soon from Shannon Winslow:

For every fan who has wished Jane Austen herself might have enjoyed the romance and happy ending she so carefully crafted for all of her heroines…

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00034]

What if the tale Jane Austen told in her last, most poignant novel was actually inspired by momentous events in her own life? Did she in fact intend Persuasion to stand forever in homage to her one true love?

While creating Persuasion, Jane Austen also kept a private journal in which she recorded the story behind the story – her real-life romance with a navy captain of her own. The parallel could only go so far, however. As author of her characters’ lives, but not her own, Jane Austen made sure to fashion a second chance and happy ending for Anne and Captain Wentworth. Then, with her novel complete and her health failing, Jane prepared her simple will and resigned herself to never seeing the love of her life again. Yet fate, it seems, wasn’t quite finished with her. Nor was Captain Devereaux.

The official record says that Jane Austen died at 41, having never been married. But what if that’s only what she wanted people to believe? It’s time she, through her own private journal, revealed the rest of her story.

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So there you have it – the cover and the official blurb about my upcoming release! I’m so excited about this new book. It has been a labor of love, spanning the last three years of my life, to prepare this story about our favorite author for you. It’s dedicated to every Jane Austen fan who has ever wished her a better fate, because that truly was my motivation for writing it. I hope you will enjoy discovering this alternate interpretation of the facts!

The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen officially launches August 11th! Stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, I invite you to brush up on Persuasion itself, read my first chapter (in previous post here at Austen Variations), and peruse a never-before-seen excerpt (Jane meets Captain Devereaux) at Austenprose tomorrow, July 10th. Please also visit my website/blog to learn more about this and my other novels: www.shannonwinslow.com 

Shannon Winslow

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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  1. The cover is stunning, Shannon. The design reminds me of the boards used to bind old books a long ago. I am looking forward to the official release next month as Persuasion is one of my all time favourite novels.

    1. That was the idea, Luthien, to make it look like it’s old enough to actually have been Jane Austen’s journal. Glad to hear you’re a Persuasion buff too!

  2. So excited about this book, Shannon!! Gorgeous cover, too 😉 .

    1. Thanks so much, Marilyn! I’m thrilled how it turned out – the cover AND the book itself.

  3. Brilliant concept, brilliant cover. You strike at the heart of every JA fan, We want a happy ending for Jane.

    Looking forward to release day. Congratulations, Shannon!!!

    1. Yay! I’m delighted you think so, Monica. Thanks for your support.

    • Deborah on July 9, 2014 at 4:57 am
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    I love the old look to the cover, as Luthien84 said. The corners and edges give it the look of a used and worn book that was taken care of but reread/written in often with the added detail of the ribbon to mark her place. I also love Jane’s(?) silhouette on the cover. I am eagerly anticipating the release of this book. Thank you for all the hard work you put into it. It is greatly appreciated.

    1. I’ll pass your compliments on to my graphic designer too. He hasn’t had an easy job trying to interpret my vision for the cover. I’m so glad you like it, Deborah!

    • Cecilia Gray on July 9, 2014 at 11:02 am
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    I have so many feelings from reading the description!! One more month?? Argh. Will try to be patient.

    1. Hi, Cecilia! Its’ good to hear from you!
      Yes, sorry for the delay. I had hoped for a couple weeks sooner. But August still qualifies the book as a “summer read,” right?

      1. Absolutely it does!!! Can’t wait to read it!!!!

    • rae on July 9, 2014 at 12:58 pm
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    I somehow missed the sneak peak and read it just now. Beautiful, sensitive writing – very much like our dear Ms. Austen’s. This is one book I will look forward to with great anticipation. It promises to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Love the cover too!

    1. Thanks for your comments (and compliments!), Rae. Yes, the path of true love often does not run smoothly, but I hope you will be pleased with where it takes our dear Jane in the end!

    • Sheila L. M. on July 9, 2014 at 1:19 pm
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    The cover is inspired and since I don’t take my “summer” vacation until the Labor Day week this would, indeed, be a summer read for me…that and Stanley Hurd’s Vol. III which we are awaiting in August also. I also read another author’s advance copy of Jane Austen’s First Love so this would be a wonderful blend as that was a teenage crush and yours sounds like a mature adult’s more true love.

    1. It parallels the story in Persuasion, so, yes, there are the same elements: youthful error, painful separation, and finally mature love that will not be denied! I’m glad the timing will work out for your vacation, Sheila!

    • Carole in Canada on July 9, 2014 at 3:26 pm
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    Lovely cover and I love the concept! So looking forward to this release Shannon! I too take my vacation in September…it will be my summer read out in Prince Edward Island and the Iles de Madelaines (Magdalen Islands) on the east coast of Canada!

    1. It was such a coincidence, your mentioning Prince Edward Island. Less than 5 minutes ago, my sister and I were talking about Anne of Green Gables! I will enjoy thinking of you reading my book in that lovely place, Carole!

  9. This looks and sounds fantastic! Persuasion is one of my favorites, so I definitely want to read this!

    1. I’m so glad, Anna. Thanks for stopping by and for letting me know!

    • Ann Alchian on July 9, 2014 at 4:50 pm
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    Anticipation! I agree with all the other comments, a great cover, and an intriguing story. Can hardly wait to read your new book. A question though. Who are you releasing it to? B&N, Amazon, iTunes? I hope it is at least two of the three so I can get it on iPad or Nook.

    1. Thanks for your continued interest and support, Ann! As with my other books, I’ll release this one through B&N and Amazon. So you’ll be able to read it in Kindle, Nook, paperback, and later in audio. Trying to cover all the bases. 🙂

        • Ann on July 11, 2014 at 10:07 pm
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        Thank you, thank you, thank you. LOL You can certainly tell I’m a fan. 🙂

        • Deborah on July 12, 2014 at 8:54 am
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        Looking forward to the Nook and audio releases.

    • Stephanie Carrico on July 9, 2014 at 8:17 pm
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    a beautiful cover and a must-have read
    can’t wait

    1. Thanks for your interest and comment, Stephanie. I hope you enjoy the book!

  12. Yes, yes, yes!!! The first sentence of this post said it all! 🙂 I desperately hope she experienced some great romance! Your cover is so stunning, Shannon! Did you design it yourself?

    1. I made sure she got her romance, Meredith! And then I cooked up something surprising (possibly shocking?) and wonderful for the ending. One of my favorite parts of the book, though, is the author’s “postscript,” which YOU inspired. Do you remember that we talked about that?

      Glad you like the cover! The general idea for the design was mine, but my graphic designer contributed a lot and made it happen. It’s been a real collaboration.

  13. I do remember! I’m so happy to hear that it is one of your favorite parts! 🙂 So very excited to read your new release!!

    You painted the covers for TDoP, FMA, and RtL, right? I loved those, so idyllic! and I love the old-treasure-found-in-a-used-bookshop look for this cover! I’ll probably be staring at it a lot when reading! 🙂

    1. Yes, I did the artwork for the other covers, but I knew this one would need to be different. I managed to seek one of my paintings onto the back though. 😉

  14. Love the cover, Shannon! The book sounds excellent. Can’t wait to read it!

    1. Hope you enjoy it , Janet!

  1. […] you saw the cover reveal post here at Austen Variations a few weeks ago, you already know my theory is that, inspired by momentous […]

  2. […] July 9 – Cover Reveal at Austen Variations […]

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