This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Morgan Blake will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
So how do I intend to do the entertaining?
By giving you some practical tips on how to write like an Austenesque darling—who is completely, entirely, and quite ardently obsessed with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy!
Step 1: You will need a good cup of tea.
Preferably one that has been made the *proper way* by boiling water in a kettle, over fire. No microwave shenanigans, thank you!
Then—it is important to note that this is still Step 1—stand by a window and gaze longingly at the trees, bees, and pastoral greens outside.
All while sipping from said cup of *properly prepared* steaming tea.
In case one finds oneself stuck in concrete quagmire with not a single tree in sight, this is the point where the tea drinking and longingly gazing routine must be turned towards one’s computer so one can vicariously watch a tomato gardener (with a side hustle of growing giant pumpkins) wax eloquently about their little patch of backyard greens on Youtube.
How else is one supposed to channel their inner 19th century British, sharp-sighted and quick-witted, satirical Austen?
After all, too much grime and not enough greens has been known to cause one’s writing spirit to enter a Dickensian realm. Or find itself in the gothic archways and airs of faraway moorlands and meadow deeps, à la Emily Brontë.
No, no! One must go pastoral to get the austenesque spirit just right.
And bonus points if said pastoral quest becomes a momentary escape from squabbling neighbors or family members who just cannot keep their opinions to themselves if their life depended on it!
Step 2: (Of course) deals with the above-mentioned squabbling neighbors and family members.
…because one cannot write Austenesque romance if there isn’t a healthy dose of ridiculousness occurring everywhere at once!
After all, to have incisive wit, one must first be in the presence of people who demand your wit to rise to the occasion. Perhaps with perfect politeness, much like the British. It’s the dealer’s choice.
Step 3: Sit down and write a basic plot outline.
Well, the procrastination had to end at some point and matters taken into hand.
And the best way to do so is to channel your favourite Austen novel, without forgetting that you are to bring something new to the table, for the delight and fascination of an ardently engaged Austenesque community all over the world.
Fear not though!
Austenesque folks will gladly attend a Regency ball, as they would show up for a lecture on the parallels between Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Knightley in Emma, as they would rewatch their favourite Austen BBC series for the thirty thousandth time, or visit Bath or Chatsworth House or Lyme Regis, like they would read genre-bending stories about their favourite Austen characters from new authors, both historical and modern alike.
The only requirement is that one retains the Austenesque spirit while one ventures into realms heretofore unexplored, or re-explored.
…and that one do so decisively, wittily, intriguingly, and intelligently!
Step 4: Read something Austenesque.
Because of course I have to shamelessly plug my book The Cherry Trees of Rosings in my book tour!
How else is one to make a living?
To be clear though, the slightly spooky plot of The Cherry Trees of Rosings is my version of bringing something new to the table. (As mentioned in Step 3.) All while mashing my favourite trope of ghost x human romance to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice… where the ghostly Mr. Darcy is not a ghost at all, but simply stuck between life and death in an unfortunate string of events.
I mean, can it get hotter than a handsome Mr. Darcy popping out of the blue in the most inconvenient of places right beside Lizzy?
Or any more slow burn than Lizzy finally developing feelings for the man, but neither being able to touch the other, or even hold hands?
All of which occurs while Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Collins keep up their endless shenanigans and petty villainy. (Oof!)
The Cherry Trees of Rosings is a novella-length quick read for all who love themselves an Austenesque good time, complete with a happy ending and an intense kiss.
You can grab yourself a copy for your home library, or borrow to read The Cherry Trees of Rosings on Kindle Unlimited.
A Pride & Prejudice variation with a slightly paranormal, mainly comic twist!
When Elizabeth Bennet visits her newly-married friend, Charlotte Collins, at the Hunsford parsonage, she has no idea that Mr. Darcy (he of the arrogant demeanor and perpetual cause of annoyance!) shall turn up to ruin her blissful, idyllic days.
Only, Mr. Darcy is not himself. And then Elizabeth stumbles straight through him one day… like one would an apparition! Goodness gracious!
“Mr. Darcy, I do not know what you mean, but I would appreciate it if you would desist from haunting me!”
“I apologize, Miss Bennet, for scaring you,” Mr. Darcy said, almost regretfully.
To solve her haunting problem, Elizabeth must team up with Mr. Darcy to find out what happened to him, and along the way discover that maybe he is not all that he seemed at first. And that maybe… she doesn’t hate him after all.
“You wish to write the letter now?” he asked as she moved past him with the candle.
“Well, to be honest,” she glanced at him. “I would prefer to sleep. But since you are here, I do not see why not.”
From the antics of Lady Catherine de Bourgh to the hilarity of Mr. Collins’ advice on staying fit, The Cherry Trees of Rosings shall make you laugh and cry in equal measure. And wonder: Will our favourite couple find their happy ever after?
Spoiler: Yes, they will!
This Pride and Prejudice variation features our favourite Regency romance couple from Jane Austen’s original classic in a somewhat spooky setup. ✨ But fear not, dear readers! ✨ This story is not scary in the least. Prepare for a chuckle fest and abundant cups of tea!
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Mr. Collins, you know how I despise green beans!”
Lady Catherine’s brows drew down with annoyance as she looked over the tiny list Charlotte had handed her a few moments ago. It was about the gift baskets the Collinses were tasked with distributing for Easter; one of the yearly tasks of the parsonage.
“You shall not present that vegetable to the congregation,” she emphasized, mouth twisting into a moue of distaste.
Mr. Collins nodded his head vigorously. “Indeed, your ladyship.”
“Potatoes will do very well. Very well, indeed…”
More head nodding from her cousin.
Elizabeth held back a chuckle as the spectacle unfolded before her.
She had been somewhat right in her estimation of Lady Catherine from Mr. Collins’ extensive effusions. But once the introductions were made, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the great lady was even more ridiculous than she had imagined. Her father would be dearly entertained by such human folly once she wrote to him.
“Potatoes are vegetables for the hard-working,” Lady Catherine continued sagely. Then she picked up a cream tart from the platter before her and bit into it.
“You are quite right, your ladyship, as always,” Mr. Collins said. “I merely wished to place the beans in the baskets for the sick—”
“You should speak on the virtues of potatoes in your sermon, Mr. Collins,” the lady said, dusting off the crumbs from her fingers before fixing a glare on her parson.
About the Author 
Morgan Blake writes regency romance novels and Austenesque variations of Pride & Prejudice that are sometimes steamy, sometimes not. Satire is the name of the game and happy ever afters the goal!
Morgan loves exploring themes of personal identity, inner strength, social discourse and hope alongside enduring love in her stories. She also believes that strong heroes and heroines are not enough to make a tale worth telling. They need a supporting cast of good and not-so-good characters that add more punch and vibrancy… and some dramatic ridiculousness!
Morgan is a cat friend, tropical girl who prefers winter clothes, perennial fantasy/historical fiction nerd, and a night owl.
Charlotte Douglas has spent far too long trying to stitch her life back together after a single betrayal shattered her place in the community that once adored her. With every polite nod and measured smile, she shoulders the same whispered story: she is not the young lady she ought to be — and certainly not the kind any respectable man would escort into a ballroom.
D. Taylor is a passionate storyteller with a love for multicultural romance, adventure, and historical fiction. She independently wrote and toured with her novel Allied Hearts, a compelling romance that explores love, identity, and the strength of human connection.
On the heels of Sammi’s grandmother’s whispered deathbed wish, a package of letters from Italy arrives at her post box. Reading them makes Sammi recall whispers she heard in childhood of her grandmother’s wartime involvement, a past that Sammi’s father and aunt would rather see remain closed. As if things couldn’t get any worse, her long-time boyfriend, Hunter, dumps her. However, an opportunity arises that sends her to Italy to defend her grandmother, even if the truth might shatter all she believes. In a helpful twist, Joseph, her best friend’s Italian cousin, offers to help her. Despite the obvious growing attraction between Joseph and her, she tries to suppress it as she embarks on her mission to vindicate the grandmother she loves.
Award-winning author Kim Baccellia is the author of five fantasy/paranormal young adult novels, Crossed Out, Crossed Fire, No More Goddesses, Goddesses Can Wait, and Earrings of Ixtumea.
TAMANRASSET is historical fiction set on the edge of the Sahara as the ancient world begins to fade and great empires collide. Four strangers—a mature Foreign Legionnaire, a Sharif’s wrathful son, an ambitious American archaeologist, and an abandoned Swedish widow—become adrift and isolated, but when their paths intersect, the fragile connections between them tell a story of survival and fate on the edge of the abyss. Blending the sweep of classic adventure with the horror of a great historical calamities, Edward Parr’s TAMANRASSET is a saga about the crossroads where nomads meet.
Edward (“Ted”) Parr studied playwriting at New York University in the 1980’s, worked with artists Robert Wilson, Anne Bogart, and the Bread and Puppet Theater, and staged his own plays Off-Off-Broadway, including Trask, Mythographia, Jason and Medea, Rising and an original translation of Oedipus Rex before pursuing a lengthy career in the law and public service. He published his Kingdoms Fall trilogy of World War One espionage adventure novels which were collectively awarded Best First Novel and Best Historical Fiction Novel by Literary Classics in 2016. He has always had a strong interest in expanding narrative forms, and in his novel writing, he explores older genres of fiction (like the pulp fiction French Foreign Legion adventures or early espionage fiction) as inspiration to examine historical periods of transformation. His main writing inspirations are Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Bernard Cornwell, Georges Surdez, and Patrick O’Brien.
