tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34233923620293639192024-03-13T08:04:36.715-07:00My Steampunk Darcy RealmPride & Prejudice meets Neo-Victorian Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-82424083830652997222013-11-12T06:34:00.001-08:002013-11-12T06:34:43.694-08:00Leatherbound Reviews: Review: Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview<a href="http://leatherboundreviews.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-steampunk-darcy-by-monica.html?spref=bl">Leatherbound Reviews: Review: Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview</a>: From the publisher: William Darcy is obsessed with his ancestors. So much so that he intends to rebuild Pemberley (destroyed during the...Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-85173743702951034732013-10-29T14:53:00.001-07:002013-10-29T14:53:10.332-07:00Karen Aminadra: It's all about Steampunk!<a href="http://kaminadra.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-all-about-steampunk.html?spref=bl">Karen Aminadra: It's all about Steampunk!</a>: Recently I came across a post on Facebook from a fellow author, regarding his Steampunk work. What is that? I asked. Well, Davi...Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-6249882711931353532013-10-16T09:31:00.001-07:002013-10-16T14:27:31.887-07:00MY JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB: STEAMPUNK DARCY, INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR MONICA FAIR...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.com/2013/10/steampunk-darcy-interview-with-author.html?spref=bl">MY JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB: STEAMPUNK DARCY, INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR MONICA FAIR...</a>: First of all, welcome back Monica! It's a great pleasure to have you here at our online club. Well, let me say I’m delighted to ...</div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-28807145604649799602013-10-15T03:44:00.000-07:002013-10-15T03:46:19.971-07:00Steampunk Darcy Book Launch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, it's finally here! Today is launch day, and to celebrate there are a few things going on</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu1BdBAvuFSCDkkGyCDURrDQd95a_2af02j16Oh_AhRfB2oHj1UtoRmWSqu67ien6h3rAUzpa2a5BNsAWE7p6mbKeK_ziuDiRT4Yp2f6vzEn9bYTd8BI3d7t1ft68fHS3MgaEUExB1HrQ/s1600/410px-Early_flight_02561u_(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu1BdBAvuFSCDkkGyCDURrDQd95a_2af02j16Oh_AhRfB2oHj1UtoRmWSqu67ien6h3rAUzpa2a5BNsAWE7p6mbKeK_ziuDiRT4Yp2f6vzEn9bYTd8BI3d7t1ft68fHS3MgaEUExB1HrQ/s200/410px-Early_flight_02561u_(5).jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The Official Launch Party and Grand Giveaway</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">at</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://austenprose.com/2013/10/15/steampunk-darcy-book-launch-party-with-author-monica-fairview-giveaway/" target="_blank">AustenProse</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So please come and join us to find out more about what Steampunk Darcy is all about</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm also visiting at</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://lovesromances.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/steampunk-darcy-guest-post-with-monica.html" target="_blank">Buckeye Girl Reads</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">where I have 10 snippets of information about <i>Steampunk Darcy</i> that you might want to read.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For another chance to win an e-book head over to read yesterday's interview and enter the Rafflecopter at</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/steampunk-darcy-interview-with-author.html" target="_blank">My Jane Austen Book Club</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And you still have a chance of winning a paperback copy of Steampunk Darcy at</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Goodreads</span></div>
</div>
<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget68131">
<!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled -->
<br />
<div class="goodreadsGiveawayWidget" style="border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid #EBE8D5; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 350px; padding: 10px 15px;">
<style>
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important;
text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;
border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;
background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596;
outline: 0; white-space: nowrap;
}
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4_hover.gif);
color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer;
}
</style>
<br />
<h2 style="color: #555555; font-size: 20px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18363817"><img alt="Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377093908l/18363817.jpg" title="Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview" width="100" /></a>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;">
<h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18363817">Steampunk Darcy</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1399009.Monica_Fairview" style="text-decoration: none;">Monica Fairview</a>
</h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends October 17, 2013.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/68131" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/68131">Enter to win</a>
</div>
</div>
<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/68131" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-57375216288177485032013-10-09T11:47:00.001-07:002013-10-09T11:47:14.745-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" unselectable="on"></a>Just thought I'd give you the thumbs up for my new Goodreads Giveaway. It starts in five days to coincide with the release of Steampunk Darcy, so don't forget to mark your calendars and spread the news. <br />
<br />
</div>
<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget68131"><!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled -->
<div class="goodreadsGiveawayWidget" style="max-width: 350px; margin: 10px auto; padding: 10px 15px; border: 2px solid #EBE8D5; border-radius: 10px;">
<style>
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important;
text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;
border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;
background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596;
outline: 0; white-space: nowrap;
}
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4_hover.gif);
color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer;
}
</style>
<h2 style="margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; text-align: center; color: #555;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18363817"><img alt="Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377093908l/18363817.jpg" title="Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview" width="100" /></a>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;">
<h3 style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18363817">Steampunk Darcy</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1399009.Monica_Fairview" style="text-decoration: none;">Monica Fairview</a>
</h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
<p>
Giveaway ends October 17, 2013.
</p>
<p>
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/68131" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/68131" class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink">Enter to win</a>
</div>
</div><script src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/68131" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-45692192132809868592013-09-27T02:22:00.000-07:002013-10-26T08:52:18.260-07:00STEAMPUNK DARCY Blog Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" style="margin: 15px 0px 0px;">
Release day is almost upon us!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To celebrate the release I’ll be
doing a tour of various blogs as well as having giveaways. Please stop
in along the way and join the discussion or enter for a giveaway of </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mybook.to/AmazonStpDarcy" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">STEAMPUNK DARCY</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">!</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEke7kYV9q-OpTnQOY34P63wX_NQ9ugkFSLPVinzXd71-S4OoWYmTOOMIR5A-HgUersTYR1Gn5LJ6sPncDOk6KeUPdPX0PlG-BunZ9XkZAFPwb0oX794olcnckABa1lt6FKzlk8uIlcka/s1600/Steampunk+Darcy+Cover+MEDIUM+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEke7kYV9q-OpTnQOY34P63wX_NQ9ugkFSLPVinzXd71-S4OoWYmTOOMIR5A-HgUersTYR1Gn5LJ6sPncDOk6KeUPdPX0PlG-BunZ9XkZAFPwb0oX794olcnckABa1lt6FKzlk8uIlcka/s200/Steampunk+Darcy+Cover+MEDIUM+WEB.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>September</u></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
30/09 Goodreads giveaway (2 days) </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>October</u></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
03/10 <a href="http://www.2readornot2read.com/" target="_blank">To Read or Not to Read</a> Interview <a href="http://www.2readornot2read.com/" target="_blank"></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
14/10 <a href="http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">My Jane Austen Book Club</a> Interview and Giveaway</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
14/10 Goodreads giveaway (2 days)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><b>15/10 STEAMPUNK DARCY LAUNCH AND GIVEAWAY ON AUSTENPROSE!</b></b></div>
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>15/10 <a href="http://lovesromances.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Buckeye Girl Reads</a> Post and Giveaway</b><br />
<b>16/10 <a href="http://indiejane.org/" target="_blank">Indie Jane</a> Blog Post </b><br />
<b>16/10 <a href="http://www.steampunk.coffeetimeromance.com/" target="_blank">Coffee Time Romance</a> Revelry and Giveaway </b><br />
<b>18/10 <a href="http://jerasjamboree.com/2013/10/18/jeras-jamboree-author-interview-monica-fairview/" target="_blank">Jera’s Jamboree</a> Interview </b><br />
<b>21/10<a href="http://austenesquereviews.com/" target="_blank"> Austenesque Reviews</a> Post </b><br />
<b>22/10 <a href="http://romanticnovelistsassociationblog.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Romantic Novelists Association</a> Post</b><br />
<b>24/10<a href="http://www.longandshortreviews.com/" target="_blank"> Long and Short Reviews</a> Interview </b><br />
<b>26/10 <a href="http://austenauthors.net/" target="_blank">Austen Authors</a> Post and Giveaway</b><br />
<b>28/10<a href="http://janeaustensequels.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"> Jane Austen Sequels</a> Post and Giveaway</b><br />
<b>29/10 <a href="http://www.colettesaucier.com/" target="_blank">Colette Saucier</a>'s Blog Post</b><br />
<b>29/10 <a href="http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ctr_chat2.html" target="_blank">Coffee Time Romance Steampunk Spook-tacular Event</a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>9 PM EST / 8 PM Central / 6 PM Pacific USA </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa6YvYAf1Xxq_nQcjbvsimaFyXdXM8QkZGpWCdHlliBuMwdR3CB7VDPteOo_WVm66qwJtIxS03xNR6i8jhdwhE_l6ujBJXFfWT7NDZ53xtOzNeiZsxdYM8tDHZxM7_J3ZwVLURtnniqL1/s1600/CTR-Steampunkspooktacular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa6YvYAf1Xxq_nQcjbvsimaFyXdXM8QkZGpWCdHlliBuMwdR3CB7VDPteOo_WVm66qwJtIxS03xNR6i8jhdwhE_l6ujBJXFfWT7NDZ53xtOzNeiZsxdYM8tDHZxM7_J3ZwVLURtnniqL1/s200/CTR-Steampunkspooktacular.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Live Chat (you'll need to register to participate -- it's free)</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> 30/10 <a href="http://lifeand100books.com/" target="_blank">Reflections of A Book Addict</a> Post and Giveaway</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><b><u>Coming up in November</u></b> </b><br />
<b>12/11 <a href="http://leatherboundreviews.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Leather Bound Reviews</a> Review</b><br />
<b>18/11 <a href="http://nancykelleywrites.com/category/indie-jane/" target="_blank">Indie Jane</a> Review </b><br />
<b>17-26/11 <a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">vvb32</a> TEA at THE FILIGREE Steampunk Style</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-41685960911755576672013-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:002013-09-13T08:22:17.983-07:00Winchester: A stop on the Jane Austen Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Wednesday I took the train from Clapham Junction to Winchester to meet Laurel Ann Nattress (editor of <em>Jane Austen Made Me Do It</em>) and her Jane Austen Tour Group. Luckily, I didn't have to ride in a locomotive like the one below because it would have taken me a lot longer than the one hour forty-five minutes it took for me to get to Winchester where I was supposed to meet them. Though it might have been fun to chug along in the days when this steam-operated train (below) ran from London to Southampton, it would have taken me quite a lot longer!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR9reZfFWXwu9HlY0gVGt2PIu9nqnuuI9nHV6d_qGKKgHSfrEo9CfjUas0s1tOkpH1VXMAs0VTwohQuA8t0UL75S8JcnkDC-D6oXmEFRpquiHl90VCOFIFbYJNnRHLFhUkG6DvUlbHN3F/s1600/Locomotive-Winchester_(City)_station_geograph-2653242-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR9reZfFWXwu9HlY0gVGt2PIu9nqnuuI9nHV6d_qGKKgHSfrEo9CfjUas0s1tOkpH1VXMAs0VTwohQuA8t0UL75S8JcnkDC-D6oXmEFRpquiHl90VCOFIFbYJNnRHLFhUkG6DvUlbHN3F/s320/Locomotive-Winchester_(City)_station_geograph-2653242-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built in 1894 and withdrawn 1949 courtesy Ben Brooksbank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I passed through a quintessentially English scene with its gentle hills and its quiet "verdure" (Winchester is at the edge of the South Downs), I was surprised to see far more cows than sheep. The black and white cows reminded me of Switzerland, but only briefly. The small fields enclosed by hedgerows are too distinctive. It occurred to me then that, although we think of hedgerows as very much part of the English landscape, that wasn't necessarily the case when Jane Austen was travelling that way. The majority of English hedges were set up during the course of Austen's lifetime, as enclosure laws changed the look of the landscape and the spaces of open hunting grounds and public grazing land were cut up and clearly defined as private property. <br />
<br />
Perhaps because it's autumn, when many of the golden fields have been harvested, and the weather is overcast and cold, but as I approach Winchester I find myself turning maudlin. Winchester is the city where Jane Austen came to die. I'm not usually one to linger over these things, but perhaps because I read <em>The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen</em> by Lindsay Ashford not so long ago, I can't help feeling that Winchester is one place where I can't follow in footsteps of Jane Austen because by the time she reached Winchester she was already too far gone to be able to leave the house. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpBCXyAHsT5dtNcad54w0JLuNK1rrDntY4xBMPH8oSx0gjbtSwOPqWeFo4DRXGsayD4gaepNTwSimJ-Eb9SzMT8ShDHmWXYLZDs9ESEveqiaeHNmOnwdrTCli0Mb2om2EY8koqMh4ULFl/s1600/Win+JA's+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpBCXyAHsT5dtNcad54w0JLuNK1rrDntY4xBMPH8oSx0gjbtSwOPqWeFo4DRXGsayD4gaepNTwSimJ-Eb9SzMT8ShDHmWXYLZDs9ESEveqiaeHNmOnwdrTCli0Mb2om2EY8koqMh4ULFl/s320/Win+JA's+street.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Which is a shame, really, because Jane would have loved Winchester, and there was a lovely little bookshop right next door to where she lived which she would have enjoyed. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSseq4ANjup8cyNbg2MjpA3YoBZL6KkY2tt2rDfxl1V3V2LckFjy6RpQHjVsPFd0uZxdH6sJxnrt4BUTR2EFIKgSZt41Ys60Vhli-9kHlz-wlwoPQIaBevP6g6gWwxL8yCmKkIsG_Y_XF/s1600/Win+JA+would+have+known+this+bookshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSseq4ANjup8cyNbg2MjpA3YoBZL6KkY2tt2rDfxl1V3V2LckFjy6RpQHjVsPFd0uZxdH6sJxnrt4BUTR2EFIKgSZt41Ys60Vhli-9kHlz-wlwoPQIaBevP6g6gWwxL8yCmKkIsG_Y_XF/s320/Win+JA+would+have+known+this+bookshop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
The bookshop is clearly old, with old wooden fittings and the small windows typical of 19th century establishments, so I went in to ask if they had existed at the time of Jane Austen. <br />
<br />
A very helpful and knowledgeable woman working in P&G Wells who is a history enthusiast showed me a booklet outlining the history of the shop. Here is the cover.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aBwYESgFuhuwgTQNUUNwlNptX535kF7YTd3WepZ4ttzOBbKY61vewLp38LiM8UKhAyIRBX6GszjTvGwpksDrE_aPN6BQAne7tm7Q-2R4m21H44g5SLyU6vnmvf51HUhLla9l55fOTYQZ/s1600/Win+JA's+street+bookshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aBwYESgFuhuwgTQNUUNwlNptX535kF7YTd3WepZ4ttzOBbKY61vewLp38LiM8UKhAyIRBX6GszjTvGwpksDrE_aPN6BQAne7tm7Q-2R4m21H44g5SLyU6vnmvf51HUhLla9l55fOTYQZ/s200/Win+JA's+street+bookshop.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
As you can see, at the time of Jane Austen it would have also been a bookshop (with a different name), though since then it has been spruced up and given new glass with a beautiful art deco motif. A photo of the shop taken at the turn of the century gives us a glimpse of Jane Austen's house, which at that time had railings (melted down for the war effort, apparently). <br />
<br />
All the time I was trying not to look at the plaque which said <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiwAlmELKCceDq3xSVai5Nr5gEjIPo5jcJMJlg6qxyVUDQ2juwexAriOJQ7ua8JsrrW2xCfFaxJ8DzI0KwdmtqMQyUUrBrMvug5EBM9IjLQNZQfvhdCAlD7sfz4gn2LNxEQlbwuxka3dU/s1600/Win+JA's+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiwAlmELKCceDq3xSVai5Nr5gEjIPo5jcJMJlg6qxyVUDQ2juwexAriOJQ7ua8JsrrW2xCfFaxJ8DzI0KwdmtqMQyUUrBrMvug5EBM9IjLQNZQfvhdCAlD7sfz4gn2LNxEQlbwuxka3dU/s320/Win+JA's+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this house Jane Austen lived her last days and died 18th July 1817</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I didn't stay gloomy for long, though. Another Jane was with me -- Jane Odiwe -- and a friend of hers, Caroline. I'm sure you're familiar with Jane O's work but she's the author of <em>Searching for Captain Wentworth</em> and <em>Mr. Darcy's Secret</em>. We snapped photos in the rain and I admired Jane Odiwe's parasol-like umbrella.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpFEqQTNNMk4vKZkUGsKgxFy3AZzu-5K01vXe3GZOBu06i41MQ1353M0kzBbXcKLhEkFBRZd2Jm-dqrSS5osWJyaAXpRw435PLsaDYh8V2gQWfFthnqzMk7nVxT6vKn8CSz_pSYi2tvgy/s1600/Win+Jane+O+with+Parasol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpFEqQTNNMk4vKZkUGsKgxFy3AZzu-5K01vXe3GZOBu06i41MQ1353M0kzBbXcKLhEkFBRZd2Jm-dqrSS5osWJyaAXpRw435PLsaDYh8V2gQWfFthnqzMk7nVxT6vKn8CSz_pSYi2tvgy/s320/Win+Jane+O+with+Parasol.jpg" width="320" /></a>Then it was time to meet Laurel Ann and her Janeite crowd in an English pub that was having a very hard time adjusting to American demands. Iced water in a pitcher? Ordering at the table? What was going on? The poor waiter struggled unsuccessfully to cross the [English] language barrier as conflicting expectations clashed. When he finally gave up and said everyone had to order at the bar (which is the normal thing at a British pub), everyone looked so outraged he had to quickly backtrack.<br />
<br />
But what a lovely evening when you're surrounded by a large group of people who all want to talk about Jane Austen. I also enjoyed hearing about the tour member's impressions of England. To top it all, I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy Kelley (author of <em>Loving Miss Darcy</em> and <em>His Good Opinion) </em>and Lynn Shepherd (<em>Murder at Mansfield Park</em>). Nancy and I had a great chat that included Dr. Who, her favourite Steampunk authors, and having fun with Darcy. If you want to know more about our conversation, Nancy has a great write-up on her <a href="http://nancykelleywrites.com/having-fun-with-darcy/" target="_blank">blog called Having Fun With Darcy</a>.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow the weather forecast in Bath is for some rain. I wish I had a parasol/umbrella like Jane Odiwe's!<br />
<br /></div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-34570137859861302032013-08-20T23:01:00.000-07:002013-08-21T02:43:00.194-07:00Cover Reveal and Excerpt: Steampunk Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Inspired Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Alright everybody. Here's my new cover. What do you think?</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Designed by the talented JD Dixon</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr_Zz9TsVDdAPDHV8rfkvTdWH_TeMwZ1mRHsCPyoXC7JdazmUWN96EO8xUJYlA4Lbwj02lhnyegHwSw0bQoR_3qZuOPdkaMpYRru-Jnbvf-Zemb4WmqzbfwCayd_gk5wmnDSGxtMUN8co/s1600/Steampunk+Darcy+Cover+MEDIUM+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr_Zz9TsVDdAPDHV8rfkvTdWH_TeMwZ1mRHsCPyoXC7JdazmUWN96EO8xUJYlA4Lbwj02lhnyegHwSw0bQoR_3qZuOPdkaMpYRru-Jnbvf-Zemb4WmqzbfwCayd_gk5wmnDSGxtMUN8co/s400/Steampunk+Darcy+Cover+MEDIUM+WEB.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
White Soup Press</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What kind of impression do you get from the cover?</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thank you for following me here to my blog! Please remember to sign up to receive news, updates and posts.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now, exclusively here on <i>My Steampunk Darcy Realm</i>, I'm posting the first teaser extract from the novel. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Excerpt<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chapter 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Alright, Mr. Hoity-Toity. This had better be good. I’m risking skin and
bone to get here. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The door opened and she strode into—.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Whatever it was, it wasn’t an office. It was an
emporium, a museum and the Great Exhibition of 1851, complete with Victorian
gents and ladies who had the glazed look of trophy animals. Except that the
Victorians were standing around instead of hanging on the wall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Are these actual people? Did you have them stuffed
and embalmed?” she asked, by way of greeting, “Or are they wax figures, like
Madame Tussauds?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the gloomy gas lamp-lit interior, she couldn’t tell
which one of them was William Darcy until he stepped forward and bowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Welcome to Longbourn Laboratories, Miss Grant.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The smirk fell off her face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Raven black hair with a green swirl draped over his
left eye. Silver eyes like the sheen of a dagger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Gorgeous was not the right word for him. Gorgeous was
a word invented for ordinary mortals. This particular specimen was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">splenderous</i>. She didn’t know if it was a
real word but it was the right one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">For just a second, she had a sense of vertigo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Vertigo? A seasoned aviator like me? </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To bring
herself back down to earth, she focused on the flaws in his appearance. The
tailored green frockcoat that skimmed the top of his knees was shipshape,
except for the fluffy bits (cotton? Did he manufacture cloth?). His silver
cravat would have done the most demanding gentleman proud, but it looked
crooked, as if he’d been tugging at it. The silver earpiece with jade stones
matched perfectly with his outfit, but it was lopsided as if he’d put it on in
a hurry. Everything about him suggested a need to keep moving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Looking for his flaws hadn’t helped at all. If
anything, it had given her a chance to ogle him more closely, which somehow had
an undesirable effect on her knees – and other parts of her. Her knees
especially. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nobody turned Seraphene’s knees soggy. Not without her
permission. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Her gaze drifted back to his face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He was scrutinizing her with his right eyebrow slanted
arrogantly upwards, a monocle in hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She was definitely averse to arrogant eyebrows and she
absolutely did not like monocles, no matter how fashionable they might be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">That put some backbone into her knees. She snapped out
of it. He could be as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">splenderous </i>as
he wanted. She was here to do a job, and unless he happened to be interested in
dead-end scientific research, which was her legal work, then he wanted her for
something illegal and she intended to make him pay through his teeth. That
meant she couldn’t afford to even look in his splenderous direction or he might
just manage to distract her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She looked at the closest surface to her, which was a
shelf, and there, casually cast there – too casually --was a print newspaper
with a large headline announcing the opening of the Great Exhibition with a
daguerreotype photograph of Queen Victoria. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She examined the newspaper. She could have sworn it
was the genuine article. Yellowed pages, jagged edges and all. It would fetch a
good price. She wondered if he would notice if she nicked it. Her hand twitched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“It’s authentic,” said the deep, British-sounding
voice. “You may have it if you like.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It was a bribe. She knew it, and he knew it. He’d
chosen that newspaper deliberately to entice her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“No thanks,” she said, putting her hands behind her
back and holding them tightly together. The newspaper was bait but she wasn’t
going to play fish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Take it with you when you leave, then,” said Darcy,
with bored indifference. He took down the newspaper, folded it, and tossed it –
tossed it! – onto the neighboring chair. Seraphene cringed. It was like tossing
a Spode china cup onto a side table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She refused to be rattled by his pretentious disdain
for valuable objects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“You sent me an invitation, Mr. Darcy.” A flat
statement of fact. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Call me Darcy. Most people do. May I call you
Seraphene? It makes negotiating much less cumbersome. I’m delighted you agreed
to see me, Seraphene.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There was definitely something smug about the way he
said it. He was taking her for granted, assuming she’d agree to any terms he
set. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He didn’t know her yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I wouldn’t exactly call it agreeing.” Though
technically, she supposed she had, just by showing up. “Perhaps I came out of
curiosity.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Of course. I’d counted on that. It’s every
scientist’s weakness.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She was tempted to point out that it must be his as
well, but she bit her tongue. Just because she didn’t like his arrogance didn’t
mean she should start being petty. Besides, she was ready to bet he hadn’t
invited her here because she was a scientist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Let’s get down to business, then,” she said. “If you
have cargo to unload I might as well warn you that I charge a high price for
anything that involves risk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">His silver grey eyes glimmered in amusement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Hades’ hounds! Those eyes could melt whatever was left
of the icebergs. They certainly turned something inside her to slush. She
struggled to pull her scrambled thoughts together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At this rate, she’d be selling her soul to him within
the next three seconds. Now she knew how he’d earned his reputation for never
taking no for an answer. He turned his victims into jelly-legged squat-fish the
moment they walked through the door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He’s probably counting on having this effect on me. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The thought worked like a splash of cold water. It
dampened her pheromone-controlled response long enough to unscramble her
thoughts into something close to logic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I see you like to come straight to the point,” he
said. “Good. I like that in my employees.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“May I point out, Mar. Darcy, that I haven’t agreed to
anything, let alone being your employee.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Darcy was only too well aware of that fact. He didn’t
reply, preferring to use his time more effectively by examining her instead.
There were too many unknowns about Seraphene, and far too much depended on him
getting things right. He couldn’t afford to take any chances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So far she was living up to expectations. He liked the
grit he saw in her face. As for that jutting jaw, it confirmed what he’d
originally suspected. He wouldn’t be able to acquire her easily. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Her clothing was another matter entirely. Most of the
projections pictured her in a cardinal laboratory coat with a shiny silver
collar – trademark of Copperfield Laboratories – that concealed her feminine
curves. Today she looked different. An aviator and not a scientist at all. He
hadn’t quite expected the tight orange tailcoat with the leather fastenings
emphasizing rounded breasts, nor had he anticipated the impact her
orange-and-black checkered bloomers had on him, with their frilled black border
and ribbons trailing over curvaceous calves as she walked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Not many women of his class revealed their calves.
These particular calves were—alluring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He curbed his reaction firmly. This wasn’t the time
for distractions. What she looked like was irrelevant. He would take her on
even if she’d happened to be a squat-fish. She was the right person for the
job, which was the only thing that counted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Shall we be seated, Seraphene?” he said, in as
soothing a manner as he could. He needed her to let her guard down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As if reading his thoughts, she advanced towards the
most uncomfortable seat; a genuine Victorian chair with an elaborate foliage
motif. He found it impossible to lean back in that chair without scraping his
back. He never sat on it himself. Its purpose was strictly decorative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So much for getting her to let her guard down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She sat down, bolt upright, completely alert and most
definitely watchful. She really wasn’t going to concede anything, was she? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Darcy realized he was still standing, which wasn’t a
good idea at all. It wouldn’t do to loom over her and look intimidating. He sat
down in the sofa opposite her and leaned back, bringing his hands behind his
head, trying to put her at ease. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He also needed to put himself at ease. If he somehow
misjudged, made a mistake…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There would be no mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“It so happens I didn’t bring you here to unload
cargo, as you call it,” he said. “I’m not at all interested in you as an
aviator.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He noted the stiffening of her body, the way her eyes
grew even more wary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“What I’m looking for is a scientist with a particular
type of training. I picked you out from a list of thirty potential candidates –
who were themselves whittled down by my assistants from over four hundred
possibilities – because you have several unique traits that make you ideal for
the work I have in mind. I should perhaps point out that, brilliant as you are
as a researcher, there is a long list of other outstanding qualities that
prompted me to choose you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He was probably laying it on a bit too thick, though
every word was true. He needed her on his side and he was going to use anything
that might smooth his way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“You don’t have to list my qualities, thanks. I’m not
susceptible to flattery.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He grinned because she’d confirmed his suspicions. She
was going to fight him all the way. He felt better, now that he could predict
her reactions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Everyone’s susceptible to flattery, my dear girl. Part
of the human condition. It’s just a matter of discovering the chink in the
armor. But now that you’ve seen through me, I won’t stoop to such measures with
you. From this point onwards, let’s agree that flattery will get me nowhere.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He unlocked his hands and leaned towards her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Do you want to know what the job involves?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He paused for a long moment, making her wait, arousing
her curiosity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Suspicion rather than curiosity lurked in her eyes. A
thundercloud loomed around her, ready to spark lightening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Faced with her open suspicion, he felt a tiny niggle
of guilt. She was right to be suspicious. He intended to hire her under false
pretenses. Not that he had any choice in the matter. He wanted her on board and
there simply wasn’t any other way. He would bring her round, by hook or by
crook. He hoped, for her sake, that the hook would be enough but he suspected
it would be more of the latter.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He hated being in this situation, but what was a
gentleman to do? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“The job involves researching my ancestors,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Which said nothing at all, of course. He needed to
keep things as vague as possible at this stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She bit her lip and shifted in her chair. Her gaze
flicked over to the door. He was losing her. He had to reel her in quickly or
she would slip through his fingers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Give me a chance to explain. As you know, Pemberley
was my ancestral home before it was destroyed, first during the Blitz, then by
the slime rain before the Uprising. What I require – in a nutshell -- is a
detailed record of Pemberley as it was at its height, during the Regency
period. I want to know everything about it, from the paintings on the wall to
what the servants ate for breakfast. I would also like a detailed rendition of
Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife Lizzy at the beginning of their marriage. I want
to know their manners, their personal peculiarities, their interactions with
each other, their food preferences, their taste in music -- just about
everything there is to know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She leaned forward. Aha. She was taking the bait. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“We know very little about them beyond what their
biographer recorded,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I know you’re already familiar with Jane Austen’s
account.” He allowed a heavy pause to fill the air between them. “But there are
other records.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He took out his monocle from his waistcoat and trained
it on her as he watched her digest this. He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved</i>
a sense of drama. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Well?” she prompted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Impressive. She was keeping her options open. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Well,” he said, tucking the monocle back where it
belonged. “You can expect generous compensation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Normally people looked eager when they heard the words
“generous” and “compensation,” in the same sentence. Seraphene frowned instead.
She twitched her fingers as if to drum them against the armchair then stopped
herself. He followed the gesture, stored it in his memory. She’d reached the
limit of her patience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“You’re going to be studying daguerreotypes of
Pemberley – exact images. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The real thing</i>.
Retro-vectrographs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He realized as soon as he said it that he shouldn’t
have used that particular word. It implied too much knowledge of the scientific
investigations going on at Copperfield. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A long silence followed, interrupted only by a
grandfather clock that sounded the half-hour. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong</i>. Like the drums just before an acrobat performed
her most daring act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Seraphene struggled to control her expression. She
felt as though someone had just thrown her back into the river after pulling
her out and saving her. She didn’t want Darcy to know the depths of her dismay,
if only because she didn’t want to look entirely naïve and stupid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Meanwhile, he sat there, waiting expectantly, as if
he’d made a perfectly acceptable suggestion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She’d come to meet Darcy in good faith. Granted, she’d
had her doubts. And granted, curiosity <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had</i>
been her main motive. But some part of her had wondered what he’d come up with,
hoping it was something that wouldn’t burden her conscience, because she really
could do with a halfway legal job that would earn her decent tin. She’d been
trying to go straight for seven whole years now and it hadn’t netted her much.
With two other mouths to feed, some seriously extra credits would be more than
welcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She’d hoped he wouldn’t ask her to do something
impossible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She’d hoped he was a gentleman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He wasn’t much better than a common crook. This, then,
was how he’d built his empire on the Charles; not through his own ideas, not
through his own designs, but by paying to steal ideas from other people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Mr. Darcy,” she said coldly. “You’ve made a serious
mistake here. Even if I weren’t committed to a Guild – which I am – I have a
strong sense of loyalty towards Copperfield. You’ve clearly failed in your
background search if you think I’d quite simply hand over years of scientific
investigation to you for what you call so very politely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compensation</i>. We’re not living in the pre-Uprising era, when greed
and material gain were commonly accepted traits and people were willing to sell
anything given the right price. You must know, surely, that I played an active
part in the Restoration Movement and that my work comes from a real desire to
recapture the positive values of the past.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Now listen, old girl—” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She didn’t know which part of the phrase she objected
to most. She was definitely not a girl, and she certainly didn’t like being
called old. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“No, you listen, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">old
boy</i>,” she replied. “As of this instant, we have nothing further to discuss.
I’m off.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If Seraphene expected him to look the slightest bit
upset by her announcement, she was doomed to disappointment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“You can’t leave,” said Darcy, in a most matter of
fact tone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Was he actually smirking? It was difficult to tell.
Anyway, he could smirk all he wanted. It wouldn’t change the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Of course I can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leave</i>.
You’re not planning to keep me here by force, I hope?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Was he capable of it? Surely not? Fear blew through
her like a winter wind. She’d gone and put herself completely at his mercy.
Hardly anyone knew she was here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Tut, tut,”
said Darcy. “I can see we have a misunderstanding. You’ve omitted to read the
fine print on your invitation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“What fine print?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“My point exactly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Highly apprehensive now, her heart sinking like a
mercury thermometer, she took out his calling card. Yes, there was some
minuscule print at the bottom, but it was so microscopic, so infinitesimally
tiny, it was impossible to read with the naked eye. It didn’t even look like
letters. It looked like a line with irregular parts to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He opened a drawer obligingly and produced a
magnifying glass. “You’ll find this helpful.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She snatched the glass from his hand and balanced it
above the dots. The dots resolved themselves into engorged letters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Accepting this invitation to visit constitutes a legally binding
commitment to become an employee of William Darcy.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She should have known better. She <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> have checked for small print, of course. The fact that it
was miniscule didn’t excuse her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She examined the words carefully, looking for the
tiniest hint of a loophole. For a heart-chilling moment, she thought he had the
better of her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When she raised her gaze to him, she had difficulty
holding back her sense of triumph.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Was your father called William Darcy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“And your father before him?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Of course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Then in that case, this contract is null and void.”
She tore the invitation up into pieces and tossed it to the floor. “My
commitment was to your grandfather, and since he’s no longer alive to honor it,
the contract no longer holds.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He was silent for so long she allowed the triumph to
spread through her, hugging it to herself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Several shrewd businesspersons have fallen for that
one,” said Darcy, finally. “I’m impressed that you saw through it so quickly.
Unfortunately.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She shrugged and grinned. “You lose some, you gain
some. No hard feelings.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“No hard feelings,” he replied. He reached out for a
bell-pull. “Now that we’ve settled things, perhaps we can break for a cup of
tea? I’ll ring for a tea tray.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She had the feeling of being maneuvered into
something, but her mouth was dry and she could do with some tea. It would
bolster her up for the next round.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Because she had the strongest feeling there was going
to be one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>End of Excerpt</i></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Don't forget to leave a comment and/or share. I'd love your feedback.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So glad you made it here. Thank you for joining me in the cover reveal!</span> </span></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIPkpFUDtgST3oHK8CUO01StTcGsw5us8XqiOxeS8zMxnHobLn7o6MsOl69HxuJl8e6mgU1qnp8RiKSUGwTjv0sFWpQ5Jyjh8yvCc0EcfmJ2XIBENfpDzYA5qVJ9zg0jNzepp8_9DskGz/s1600/free+vintage+digital+stamp_guy+on+a+dandy+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIPkpFUDtgST3oHK8CUO01StTcGsw5us8XqiOxeS8zMxnHobLn7o6MsOl69HxuJl8e6mgU1qnp8RiKSUGwTjv0sFWpQ5Jyjh8yvCc0EcfmJ2XIBENfpDzYA5qVJ9zg0jNzepp8_9DskGz/s200/free+vintage+digital+stamp_guy+on+a+dandy+horse.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With no petals, must have been hard work going uphill!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></b><br /></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b> </b><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i> </i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Captain Howdy"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-80685275983557956602013-08-20T13:33:00.003-07:002013-08-20T16:25:23.954-07:00Cover Reveal for Steampunk Darcy Tomorrow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Hello everyone! </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
I'm thrilled to say that I'm finally able to reveal my new book cover on Facebook. Please drop in and help me celebrate! </h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Monica Fairview requests the pleasure of your company</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">at</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Steampunk Darcy Cover Reveal</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Where: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/514318421981435/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="background-color: white;">When: Wednesday August 2</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">1</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GkOoN0FD5cV2KHUieZWgNaS9yS1ajVPC85K3PcxW0tgP0jU4-31NtHxwUcxhEMHsU4o2GWqXxUDsf3jsVetSXZ70E_C-ybG5u_fIDw3haTX2Vxs1FIgySMqrXjqSaPIs6G4HqCoYgvoT/s1600/America-of-the-Future-4steampunkmorris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GkOoN0FD5cV2KHUieZWgNaS9yS1ajVPC85K3PcxW0tgP0jU4-31NtHxwUcxhEMHsU4o2GWqXxUDsf3jsVetSXZ70E_C-ybG5u_fIDw3haTX2Vxs1FIgySMqrXjqSaPIs6G4HqCoYgvoT/s320/America-of-the-Future-4steampunkmorris.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-91325261671771451652013-08-13T07:19:00.002-07:002013-08-13T13:22:40.657-07:00Oh, my! Is Steampunk to become mainstream? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to the<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/steampunk-introducing-britains-latest-fashion-craze-8458861.html" target="_blank"> Independent, UK</a>, stores across the country are gearing up for the new fashion trend: Steampunk! Is it possible? Are we to find corsets and top hats in every shop window?<br />
<br />
It would be strange if Steampunk fashion transforms from niche to trendy, and if people all around all start wearing Steampunk-style clothing, but I find the idea thrilling. If I were an artist, I would try to depict how this would look, like the person did in this 1909 postcard. Perhaps the future the artist is depicting might come true after all!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMUnph4-iVQS_X8AmSu9VcACJxEbMw-1yuTxukHT889_3InLR26BGSzEVlN2ihHeGujV-L2G5yKKt4ZO3TMKrgoy7PuBdZX7zu4uymtMwJYEwsi1gUMt-DvkLms8gCVNPlIGu0MHf1kxU/s1600/America-of-the-Future-4steampunkmorris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMUnph4-iVQS_X8AmSu9VcACJxEbMw-1yuTxukHT889_3InLR26BGSzEVlN2ihHeGujV-L2G5yKKt4ZO3TMKrgoy7PuBdZX7zu4uymtMwJYEwsi1gUMt-DvkLms8gCVNPlIGu0MHf1kxU/s320/America-of-the-Future-4steampunkmorris.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Future of America (courtesy <a href="http://steampunkmorris.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steampunk Morris</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Isn't it great? Could we all be dressed like this in the near future?<br />
<br />
The postcard, by the way, is from Revere Beach, Massachusetts. I used to drive to work every day passing through that very street. They don't have the tram cars anymore, but they do have the exact same bandstand, so it looks familiar.<br />
<br />
It seems to have been a fashion at one point to create postcards of various towns in Massachusetts with predictions of what the towns would look like in the future. There's one of Boston, as well.<br />
<br />
Imagine if our world were really to look like that. </div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423392362029363919.post-53057238009887099272013-08-11T16:28:00.003-07:002013-08-13T07:00:31.136-07:00Ladies and Gentlemen. Coming sooner than you think!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Steampunk Darcy</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Pride and Prejudice-Inspired
Comedy Adventure</i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm4Wr8irwsrxPi7hrRtXIqZo7fICBCOcGCaF7DCTnGZOlRTg1mc3oITQNeWWOMch9-eslcBaVclb7XnUAewhygirRcugGLF7TsCr7HymO_2IxRAsemO27k_Z6EhIQuJ5b5tOhtuWbLpi1/s1600/WhiteSoupPressLogoSMALL-240x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm4Wr8irwsrxPi7hrRtXIqZo7fICBCOcGCaF7DCTnGZOlRTg1mc3oITQNeWWOMch9-eslcBaVclb7XnUAewhygirRcugGLF7TsCr7HymO_2IxRAsemO27k_Z6EhIQuJ5b5tOhtuWbLpi1/s200/WhiteSoupPressLogoSMALL-240x300.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
<i>Blurb</i><br />
<br />
William Darcy is obsessed with his ancestors. So much so
that he intends to rebuild Pemberley (destroyed during the Uprising) stone by
stone, and he wants to employ reconstruction expert Seraphene Grant to help
him. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or does he? Seraphene wasn’t born yesterday. She can smell a
rat, particularly when it stinks all the way up to her airship. She knows Darcy
is hiding something. But with the Authorities after her and her other options
dwindling by the moment, the temptation of genuine English tea and a gorgeous
Steampunk gentleman are very difficult to resist. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUzeqZXILNLZTvXhvg4czy3sjVJM6NXdsk-8lYe-1qPqGlPD_LwT6FhuDKEiLEisyDU4RUU-E_WUDxHoB8kogtJL4W5gqiclGR2gEsagliGB7Ue6LA5F6boUVqzgqKc1GvovToo6M7b16/s1600/Montgolfier_Balloon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUzeqZXILNLZTvXhvg4czy3sjVJM6NXdsk-8lYe-1qPqGlPD_LwT6FhuDKEiLEisyDU4RUU-E_WUDxHoB8kogtJL4W5gqiclGR2gEsagliGB7Ue6LA5F6boUVqzgqKc1GvovToo6M7b16/s200/Montgolfier_Balloon.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what if Darcy’s mystery job courts nothing but trouble?
What if Darcy is harboring a secret to kill for? When kiss comes to shove, will
Darcy’s secret destroy Seraphene, or will it be her salvation?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Join us on a romantic adventure like no other in this
whimsical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pride and Prejudice</i>-inspired
tribute, featuring Wickham, Georgiana, dirigibles, funky fish, and
swash-buckling pirates.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
COMING IN OCTOBER!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Monica Fairviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.com0