New Release and a Book Sale

A week ago, the culmination of almost two years’ efforts gained fruition. But let’s backtrack. I finished writing my latest novel a year ago, including extensive self-editing, as you would expect from me. After beta edits were completed (thanks to Nina, Leslie, and Anji!) and a title was agreed upon with my beta team, acceptance of The Mist of Her Memory by Meryton Press took place merely a week after submission. I knew the romantic suspense/mystery novel was a compelling story from that response.

Twice weekly posting at A Happy Assembly last autumn and the timing of commencement of editing with Sarah Pesce and Ellen Pickels and cover design by Janet Taylor meant an early 2019 release date. In fact, The Mist of her Memory was released a week ago–five days ahead of the planned date! Yes, darling Amazon decided I didn’t need a promotional lead-up to release, thumbing its nose at my scheduled cover reveal at Diary of an Eccentric and the pre-release marketing and sales plan by Janet Taylor of Meryton Press.

While it meant me finally twiddling my thumbs after months of preparation, the early release got the book into the hands of readers sooner. Reviews started to come in within two days of the e-book’s appearance on Amazon. I hadn’t realized it was such a fast read–it must be enthralling for such quick responses.

Of course, I’d been through all this before three times, but with fewer glitches by the monopolistic distribution channel. Thank goodness for Ellen Pickels at Meryton Press, who ironed out the list of problems on the book’s page for me!

To celebrate the release of The Mist of Her Memory, Meryton Press is holding a sale on my back-list: that’s the three books of mine they’ve published in the past. Alias Thomas Bennet, my debut novel that’s a mature Regency romance with a mystery twist, is on sale now. Bestseller Letter from Ramsgate will follow tomorrow with a three-day sale. Finally, triple top-ten of 2017 listed mini-novel A Most Handsome Gentleman will also be on sale for three days. All are already well-priced given the quality of Meryton Press‘s books, but they’ll be 99 and £99 in an Amazon Countdown Deal for US and UK customers. I hope appreciative customers will feed the author’s ego with some kind commentaries in the form of new reviews after they snag these great deals!

Watch for more of Janet B. Taylor’s teasers and the blog tour announcements on my Facebook page!

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What happened that fateful morning in Lambton?

What brutal attacker caused grievous, near-fatal injuries?

Does she remain in danger? Elizabeth cannot remember!

Sequestered in her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner’s London home, Elizabeth Bennet tries to recover from a devastating incident that stole her memories during their Derbyshire tour. She continues to suffer from strange, angry voices in her head and to recall events that people tell her never happened. Even those who love her refuse to believe her. Elizabeth can barely endure the confusion!

Fitzwilliam Darcy is desperate for any hint of his beloved’s well-being, yet he lacks the information he seeks as her family forbids him contact with Elizabeth. His frustration mounts when he learns that her mental impairment incited taunting and torment in her home village of Meryton.

Which of Elizabeth’s recollections bear the closest resemblance to the truth? And what is the result of her sister Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham? How is Mr. Darcy to rekindle his romance with Elizabeth when her aunt and uncle strictly shield her from him?

Prepare to grip the edge of your seat during this original romantic tale of suspense and mystery, another Pride and Prejudice variation by bestselling author Suzan Lauder.

“Suzan Lauder skillfully weaves a story that submerges you into the plot and doesn’t let go. The Mist of Her Memory’s twists and turns hold a well-guarded secret that keeps you guessing until the very end.” — author L. L. Diamond

Why first person? Suzan Lauder’s #LfmM

Why did I write A Most Handsome Gentleman in first person point of view?

The answer: because it came out of me that way. End of post.

Just kidding. I can elaborate a little more than the actual answer above.

In the past, I had written in first person point of view in a novelette length story, but it was in the modern part of the time-travel story (Performing to Strangers; posted at A Happy Assembly in 2010). I had channeled a friend as a parallel character to Elizabeth Bennet, so it was easier.

Elizabeth Bennet with a parasol, Brock drawing from Wikimedia Commons

I know that some readers don’t much care for first person, and for that reason, I would normally have avoided it. But when I finally started typing my “Hot Collins” story idea, the words that came out of me were Elizabeth Bennet’s, and the way they were phrased used “I” instead of the third person deep point of view that I had honed my craft on in Letter from Ramsgate, which is the most common style for Regency romances these days. No one was more surprised than me.

My Meryton Press editor Gail Warner was just as surprised and told me she’d never edited a first person novel before. It sounded like a warning about her abilities, but I think this novel was easier to edit than the other ones—at least, Gail made it look easy!

First person is commonly used in Young Adult and New Adult novels, however, A Most Handsome Gentleman, as a Regency comedy-romance, doesn’t fit either of those genres no matter how much it might get a laugh from the readers.

But I think first person works far better than any other point of view device would for this story. In fact, the only other POV I would consider writing this in would be from Mr. Collins’s view, and I think it could be first person there as well. However, we would lose the nuances of Elizabeth’s thoughts about Mr. Darcy even if Collins would watch their relationship blossom and grow. It’s much better told by Elizabeth, first as her unconscious attraction and later, similar to Pride and Prejudice, where she laments that he is the right man for her even though she can’t expect Darcy to be interested in her.

And that’s the reason we read Jane Austen Fan Fiction—for that Elizabeth and Darcy happily ever after!

A Most Handsome Gentleman was successful in earning the praise of all its blog tour reviews with consistent four and five star reviews. It was also selected as a top book for 2017 by three book bloggers (Diary of an Eccentric, Margie’s Must Reads, and More Agreeably Engaged). So authors, don’t be scared to try something like first person point of view if it fits your story. It’s not a mistake if you’re successful, it becomes part of your style and voice. But mind not to take that to an extreme and become an editor-resistant diva—“voice” does not mean mistakes that a good editor would check!  A truly successful book is a well-edited one, by both the author and a professional, no matter what special techniques are used.

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Learning from my Mistakes will probably have one more “Official” post: a summary of all the lessons learned, with links back to the articles. This does not mean I won’t occasionally identify a problem area that’s worth sharing to help other authors avoid it. In fact, in my reading, I still encounter books that are brilliant with the exception of the editing. A recent example would earn a two star rating, it was so full of homophones, misspelled words, sentence fragments, and redundancies though the plot and writing ability in general deserved four stars. The moral of the entire blog series is still “Get an Editor!”

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Disclaimer: I’m not a writing expert. I’m just a writer who learned some stuff other writers might like to know instead of learning the hard way. My approach is pragmatic, and my posts are not professionally edited!

#HOTCollins Bonus #1: Highlights of the Blog Tour

I’m one of those people that will prepare for something well ahead of time if given the opportunity. Part of the reason for this is that my illness demands I limit my energy stores each day so I don’t over-do it. So if I can perform a portion of a large task ahead of time, I will. I risk doing too much or having a part of the work require a re-do at times, but I’m clever and flexible enough to work with that.

In the case of my blog tour for A Most Handsome Gentleman (aka #HOTCollins) in October-November 2017, I prepared a few too many posts. What to do? Well, I decided to share a blog tour bonus here on road trips with the redhead. It’s too late for the giveaways, but not too late to read the hijinks that went on during the fifteen days of blog posts.

Today’s post is the first of four and consists of a recap of the blog tour for those who missed any posts or want to re-read the hilarity or benefit from the excellent book reviews. Below are direct links to the A Most Handsome Gentleman blog tour posts with a description or quote for each post to entice you to click the link and enjoy the read.

 

A Most Handsome Gentleman aka #HOTCollins Blog Tour Highlights:

10/20   My Jane Austen Book Club: Suzan Lauder interviews Elizabeth Bennet, narrator of the novel A Most Handsome Gentleman, PLUS an excerpt with Elizabeth Bennet and her handsome cousin, Mr. Collins.

10/21   My Love for Jane Austen: Guest Post: A Glimpse into the Family Life at Longbourn.

10/22   Obsessed with Mr. Darcy: Review: “Fantastic dialogue and surreal conversations, which made me laugh out loud numerous times. I liked lots of things in this book, but best, Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s proposal.”—5/5 ice cream bars.

10/23   Austenesque Reviews: “A New Rector for Hunsford, part 1.” This brand new vignette chronicles Mr. Collins’ first job interview with Lady Catherine from the grand lady’s point of view. Part 2 at Laughing with Lizzie (below).

10/24   Tomorrow is Another Day: Review: “…changes in the development of the love story between Darcy and Elizabeth [are] described in a very sweet way (I loved many of the scenes that see them together). Congratulations to the author for having made such a famous masterpiece comic while still keeping Jane Austen’s style.”—Rating: 5/5.

10/25   Babblings of a Bookworm: Guest Post: In Praise of Voluptuous Ladies.

10/26   From Pemberley to Milton: Review: “I had a great time reading A Most Handsome Gentleman and could not recommend it enough for those who want to relax and enjoy a good comedy. It is a highly entertaining book that will make readers laugh out loud from the first page until the last. Suzan Lauder took a risk by venturing into this new subgenre but she nailed it!”—4.5/5 stars.

10/27   Just Jane 1813: Guest Post: The Many Men who Inspired “Hot Collins.”

10/28   Darcyholic Diversions: Saucy Salutations with Suzan: an Interview with Suzan Lauder.

10/29   My Vices and Weaknesses: Meryton Residents speak about Mr. Collins: a modern/Regency mashup interview featuring Katherine Bennet, interviewer.

10/30   Half Agony, Half Hope: Review: “I will be reading this book again as it was funny as hell. I definitely recommend this book if you want something to read that’s fast and funny.”—4/5 stars; Excerpt: Mr. Collins breakfasts with the Bennets.

10/31   Laughing With Lizzie: “A New Rector for Hunsford, part 2.” A continuation from Mr. Collins’ point of view, this brand new vignette chronicles Mr. Collins’ job interview with Lady Catherine. Part 1 at Austenesque Reviews (above).

11/01   Diary of an Eccentric: Review: “Just as Jane Austen herself portrayed the ridiculous in her novels, Lauder does so here. Mr. Collins’s over-the-top speeches and Elizabeth’s first-person narrative, alternately witty and snarky, had me wishing the book wouldn’t end.”—5/5 stars.

11/02   So little time…: Excerpt: Jane Bennet’s pudding PLUS a Guest Post: Recipes from great-Grandma Lauder and an 1823 cookbook.

11/03   Margie’s Must Reads: Review: “Suzan Lauder can write! She writes such wonderful prose, such wonderful dialog and such an exceptional plot it was so hard to put down. Complete with scandal, intrigue and merriment, A Most Handsome Gentleman has so many laughs and so many swoons you will love every single word!” —5/5 hearts.

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A bonus non-blog tour post on November 21, 2017: Obstinate Headstrong Girl: Excerpt: The Bennets meet Mr. Collins for the first time. This filled a gap between the blog tour and my resumption of blog posts on road trips with the redhead.

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If you missed the giveaway of eight e-copies of A Most Handsome Gentleman courtesy of Meryton Press, I encourage you to go out and purchase and review this funny book. Authors love reviews of all types! Or, read on for a chance to win a signed hard copy.

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The future three posts for this series will be two excerpts from the book and a Learning from My Mistakes related post about the point of view I utilized in A Most Handsome Gentleman. Look for them on Tuesdays over the next few weeks.

The Learning from My Mistakes series will resume after this break with a few additional posts before the draw for the prize. Blog followers and all commenters during the Learning from My Mistakes series are entered in a draw for a gift package including a signed paperback copy of A Most Handsome Gentleman, an A Most Handsome Gentleman book bead to hang on your purse or backpack, and the winner’s choice of a handmade Thrift Shop Regency Costume Experiment item by Suzan Lauder (pineapple reticule or “grown-up lady’s” lace cap).

Best of luck, blog followers and commenters!

Book Birthday and Fun Announcements!

For a detailed image, click on thumbnail.

A year ago today, Letter from Ramsgate was released to quickly become an Amazon bestseller, thanks to the readers. I got a giggle when I saw an old post that wondered what its cover would look like (speculating on who would be Mr. Darcy), as it’s an awesome cover with a terrifically handsome Mr. Darcy on the back.

Today, in anticipation of the release of A Most Handsome Gentleman, Meryton Press announced a book sale for Letter from Ramsgate and my first published novel, Alias Thomas Bennet.For those who are new to these two books, both are variations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and have happy endings. Letter from Ramsgate has a great deal of angst, and is suited to all readers mature enough to read and appreciate Pride and Prejudice. Alias Thomas Bennet has a mystery component and is suited to mature readers who are not sensitive to trigger scenes. Both are highly rated by readers, earning Amazon reviews averaging greater than four stars out of five. I myself enjoy re-reading them from time to time!

If that was not enough fun for you, Meryton Press has posted a Q&A session with me along with the book sale announcement. Find out a little more than you can usually read in the author bio!

I’m also pleased to note that I’ll be stopping at 15 blogs during the A Most Handsome Gentleman Blog Tour starting on October 20. Six of the stops will include book reviews to help readers get excited about purchasing this latest book of mine, which is a comedy suitable to all readers mature enough to read and appreciate Pride and Prejudice. Excerpts, vignettes (new scenes written expressly for the blog tour), author guest posts (stories about the book and similar bonus material), character interviews, and an author interview fill out the rest of the schedule. A giveaway of eight A Most Handsome Gentleman e-books will be part of most stops on the tour, and fans can enter once each day: that’s 15 potential entries plus bonuses!

Speaking of giveaways, for fans who have been following my blog series on writing tips, Learning from my Mistakes, there will be a few more posts after the blog tour is over, then a giveaway! The gift package consists of a signed paperback copy of A Most Handsome Gentleman, a Suzan Lauder designed Regency pineapple reticule, and some really nice small gift items I have on hand. Followers of road trips with the redhead and commenters on LfmM are eligible. I’ll post a photo of them once I have the paperback to complete the set.

And speaking of that paperback: Look for its release in e-book and paperback sometime this week, and enjoy a hilarious twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I jokingly refer to A Most Handsome Gentleman as a mini-novel, and the book is priced to suit its shorter length. If you rush to Amazon to purchase it as soon as it’s released, your reading pleasure will enhance the fun of #HOTCollins in the AMHG Blog Tour and other events, including discovering what’s with the back cover! Besides that, you’ll have a chance to laugh and laugh and laugh!

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#HOTCollins: The Cover

After a vote on A Happy Assembly to pick the favourites from 20 or so potential Regency gentlemen and nearly two months of sharing the faces of the some of the hottest Regency men who didn’t make the cut for the cover of A Most Handsome Gentleman, we’ve shared Janet Taylor’s cover on the blog From Pemberley to Milton. For those of you who missed it, here’s #HOTCollins, front and centre:

For a larger view, click on the thumbnail.

Janet and I will continue to post insider stories about this cover and its four handsome men on the Meryton Press blog and during the upcoming blog tour for A Most Handsome Gentleman. I’ll be alerting you to these events on Facebook and Twitter @SuzanLauder, so like and follow to get the latest news. In the meantime, feel free to swoon over the gentlemen on the cover.

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