Launch of Conversations with Mr. Darcy by Mary Simonsen

2016! It was quite the year. And it made for some intense discussions. There were a few ways one could escape the angst-inducing news. You could go on a vacation to the Amazon or other exotic locales where there are no radios, newspapers, or internet. You could train for marathons or take up mountain climbing. Or you could drink lots and lots of wine. My problem is that I don’t do exotic vacations. For me, camping is staying in a nice hotel near a national park. I can’t climb Mt. McKinley because I have wonky knees, and I’m old enough to be on Medicare. And I don’t drink. But I do write!

In a challenging year, I relaxed by writing about our beloved couple, Darcy and Elizabeth. Conversations with Mr. Darcy is a P&P “what if” where polite conversation replaces pugilistics. Here is the book blurb:

It did not begin well. At the Meryton assembly, Fitzwilliam Darcy was rude, and Elizabeth Bennet was offended. But what if, through a series of conversations, Darcy and Lizzy come to recognize the virtues that lay hidden beneath his pride and her prejudice? Even though the lovers walk a smoother path, there are obstacles, including other suitors for Lizzy and societal hurdles for Mr. Darcy. 

In the novella, Darcy finds inspiration in a long-ago love story from his own family. His Great Aunt Marie had eloped with her music instructor and had been banished for her disobedience. Here is an excerpt:

Georgiana took hold of her brother’s hand. “The lesson I take from Aunt Marie’s life is not the one Papa was trying to make: disobeying a parent never ends well. Her story speaks not to my head but to my heart. Marie knew what she had was so special, so eternal, that she was willing to undergo any trial to be with the man she loved… What I want for you, my dear brother, is for you to be more like Aunt Marie and less like the Fitzwilliam Darcy who is ruled too much by his head and too little by his heart. Life is too full of uncertainty to go through it alone. If you love Miss Bennet, then find a way to be with her.”

The novella is available on Kindle and Nook for $2.99. (There will be no paperback.) I hope you will want to check out Conversations with Mr. Darcy. If you do, and you enjoy it, please consider writing a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and/or Goodreads. Reviews are the only way I have of getting the word out. As always, I am truly appreciative of my readers and their support.

And speaking of readers, a sharp-eyed reader found two typos in my novella on the day of its release. So, if you were an early purchaser of Conversations with Mr. Darcy, I apologize. I do want you to know that I read and re-read the manuscript until my eyes bleed, but even with that, a few get by. I appreciate your understanding.

Conversations with Mr. Darcy is available on Kindle and Nook.

I wish you a happy and successful 2017!