The Rosarian

“The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la, Breathe promise of merry sunshine — As we merrily dance and we sing, tra-la We welcome the hope that they bring, tra-la Of a summer of roses and wine…” I’ve always loved that tongue-in-cheek tribute to springtime from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado”, but as it …

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May Flowers: When a Rose is More Than Just a Rose

We have a new month and a new theme here at Austen Variations! You’ve heard that April showers bring May flowers. I’m counting on it. We’ve certainly paid our dues here in Seattle with our wettest October through April on record. Now we deserve flowers in equally generous proportions. With that hope in mind, here’s …

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Darcy and Wickham: The Duties of Friendship Part III

The plundering of the papers of Mr Wickham have yielded a most illuminating correspondence with his old friend and brother-in-law, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Imagine our delight to discover that it extended to include correspondence from Mr Wickham’s grandson, Harry*, too. If you missed the first instalments of this series, you can read part one here and part two here. We hope …

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In Darcy’s Arms

April Showers bring May Flowers… and for Elizabeth Bennet, they might just bring romance, as well. On this particular April day, she has an unexpected (and stormy) encounter with Mr. Darcy…   “Odious, despicable man!” Elizabeth Bennet flung herself out of the kitchen door and hurtled down the path, narrowly missing the watering-can and sending …

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Launch Day for Longbourn: Dragon Entail

At last, it’s done! Book 2 of Jane Austen’s Dragons is here! Longbourn: Dragon Entail is live on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Scribd, and soon on Barnes and Noble! And I can’t wait to give away a copy! Leave a comment below for a chance to win an ebook copy. How about one more installment to …

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Darcy and Wickham: The Duties of Friendship Part II

If you have been following the unearthing of Mr Wickham’s journals by his archivist and biographer, Catherine Curzon, you may have noted that in his later years, the self-professed scoundrel seems to have been reconciled to his boyhood companion and brother-in-law, Fitzwilliam Darcy. It seems that the two became somewhat regular correspondants, despite the *ahem* …

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April Showers – Elizabeth’s Walk

After a week of rain, Elizabeth is eager to get outside and walk. When a letter from Jane arrives, who is in the Lake District with her aunt and uncle, she decides to head up to Oakham Mount so she can read it in privacy. The theme this month is April Showers, and while this …

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Longbourn: Dragon Entail Ch 10

Ok, so I’m not being very patient. I can’t wait to share these with you. So, I’ll be posting a new chapter every two weeks on Monday until the book is published. (Don’t forget, comments really do inspire me to write faster…just saying…) Find other chapters HERE. Elizabeth counted the stairs as she went, making …

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Darcy and Wickham: The Duties of Friendship

The plundering of Mr Wickham’s private correspondance continues this month, with a newly discovered series of letters exchanged with his boyhood companion, Fitzwilliam Darcy. It seems that the gentlemen were at an advanced stage of life when these exchanges are penned, and while much water has flowed under the bridges and old grievances have become …

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April Showers – A Dash in the Rain (from Return to Longbourn)

The “April Showers” theme immediately brought certain images to my mind – two in particular: the scene in the rain at the end of “Wives and Daughters” and one that I wrote myself in “Return to Longbourn.” In both cases, the romantic overtones and the sense of as-yet-unfulfilled longing seem to be heightened by the …

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