Joking with Jane — and my daughter!

Greetings, friends! Happy 2022! I’m sorry I disappeared from Austen Variations (and from the Internet more generally) these past few months. In late July, I was asked, unexpectedly, to teach high school English. What an adventure! Though I often feel as if I don’t know what I’m doing, I’ve had a great experience so far. …

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Threads of Magic: Excerpt

Hello everyone. I hope your New Year has been going well so far. I know some of you have been having an unexpectedly snowy time of it, but I hope it’s been a pleasant experience overall. Personally, I’m looking forward to Spring and longer days.  I dropped off my daughter yesterday at her university, Royal …

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Joking with Jane Austen in January by Diana Birchall

Of all the many reasons why I have loved Jane Austen for so long, one of the very greatest is her sublime brilliance as a humorist. This quality in her naturally appeals to me so much because, like Lizzy, I “dearly love a laugh.” But there’s more to it than that. It’s not just her …

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Pride, Prejudice and New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year, dear readers!  Many of us enjoy Pride and Prejudice as an insight into the Georgian culture; a romance with refinement; a testament to the sharp wit of a female writer. However, did we ever consider it to be a compass for New Year’s resolutions? Have you begun writing yours? Jane Austen gave …

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January Jigsaw by Jennifer Altman

Hello, friends! Happy 2022! I hope the new year is off to a good start for one and all. For today’s post, I thought I’d do something simple and fun. 🙂 Below you will find three images for your jigsaw puzzling pleasure. Simply click on the image, click OK, and begin puzzling! Hope you enjoy! …

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Happy New Year! Dangerous Magic Giveaway Winners

Announcing the giveaway winners!  I originally was planning to give away only TWO e-books, but there were so many people who were interested, I decided to give away not two but SIX copies! Hey, it’s the New Year, so I’m feeling generous… 😉 I hope you enjoy Dangerous Magic! Eva Edmonds tgruy Sabrina Cathi Susanne …

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Her Sisterly Love–Cover Reveal, Excerpt, & Giveaway!

Happy Thursday! Can you believe 2021 is almost over? I’ll be starting 2022 by releasing a novella, as you may have seen on social media. Her Sisterly Love releases on Monday, 24 January, and I am so excited about it. Today, I will show you the gorgeous cover and share an excerpt. On top of …

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2021 Deck the Shelves in the Closet Book Sale

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! The Holiday season is in full swing. We’ve finished Thanksgiving (in the US) and Chanukkah, and Christmas Day is here. Our halls are decked and presents opened. How about something for those gift cards to tide you over in your quiet hours as you await New Year’s Day 2022? Like a great …

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Twas the night before…

Dragons and children at Christmas? It’s bound to get interesting.

Great (Christmas) Expectations

Christmas image

It starts when we’re kids: all the build-up to Christmas (or what ever holiday you celebrate this time of year): the decorations, the wish lists, the family traditions, the idea that magic can happen!  But the higher our unreasonable expectations, the more likely they are to be disappointed. On the other hand, sometimes what happens …

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