Calling All JAFF Followers: Have you read MISS DARCY FALLS IN LOVE By Sharon Lathan?

“Lathan has another home run hit on her hands here. Her name is certainly solidified with what good Jane Austen fan fiction should be. If you haven’t given her novels a try, I suggest you do. Fast-paced and always full of the romance we all dream about, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is not one you’ll want to miss. 4.5 out of 5 Regency Stars” – Austenprose

“I would recommend Miss Darcy Falls in Love to all those who love Austen sequels and if you’re a reader that hasn’t tried one you should. Miss Darcy Falls in Love would be a great choice as it really stands on its own.” – Peeking Between the Pages

“Mixing the period with the timelessness and complications of romantic love, I simply can’t get enough of the romance Sharon writes. Beyond being a fan of all things Austen and loving this period to begin with, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a delectable and delightful romantic romp back to a time when men and women held back on saying what they felt, yet showed it in a number of reserved, romantic ways.” – One Literature Nut

Title: Miss Darcy Falls in Love [An Intimate Journey of Love, Life, and The Passionate Pursuit of Happiness] (The Darcy Saga Series)
Author: Sharon Lathan
Genre: Regency Historical Romance
Story Setting: Europe, 1820
Published By: Sourcebooks Landmark (November 1, 2011)
Pages: 286
ASIN: B005SZ0Z8O

About the Author: Sharon Lathan is a native Californian living in The San Joaquin Valley. She’s married with two children and is also a registered nurse in a neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Her writing is inspired by Jane Austen and the many books written, aptly named Jane Austen Fan Fiction (JAFF). Her successful series continues. Her newest book releases March, 2014 titled Darcy and Elizabeth: A Season of Courtship.

These are links to Ms. Lathan’s blog and links to popular sites about Jane Austen. http://sharonlathanauthor.com/blog http://sharonlathanauthor.com/links

Sharon Lathan interviews on BOOKTALK WITH EILEEN February 13. She’s giving away a copy of Miss Darcy Falls in Love and 2 e-books of her soon-to-be-released book Darcy and Elizabeth: A Season of Courtship. Make sure to stop by. Here is a question and answer from the interview.

What do you enjoy most about writing love stories?

Love stories are empowering. No matter the era or genre, all love stories have the common thread of a woman finding her place in the world, learning her mind and heart, and discovering the best means to secure her happiness. She may be battling aliens or paranormal creatures, fighting bad guys or career decisions as a modern-day “tough chick,” or cleverly navigating the social nuances in a ballroom or country manor parlor. Wherever the heroine and hero are, whatever they are doing, in the end it is the mutual realization that they are stronger, better, more complete people if together. This is what I love.

Secondly, love stories give us hope and brighten our hearts. The reader knows that everything will work out and the ending will be satisfying. We need happiness in our world. We are constantly being told how bad life is. Reading a romance novel isn’t fantasy, as some say. No, these are real people readers can relate to, no matter the setting, who find a way through their troubles and triumph in the end. That is a message people need to hear!

About the Story: Miss Georgiana Darcy is touring Europe with family and is growing weary of being away from England until she meets a certain Sebastian Butler and a quick friendship ensues. Both are talented musicians and never grow tired of each other’s company. Mr. Butler shares his compositions with her and together they modify them to be exquisite pieces of music. Sebastian plans on joining the music conservatory, contrary to his father’s wishes, in the fall. He shows a music composition to one of the professors he and Miss Darcy composed. The professor said the music was brilliant and amazed with its quality and requests Miss Darcy to follow instruction at the Conservatoire. Miss Darcy knows she must return home. What can women do in a career?

Lord Caxton, an older and extremely handsome man, couldn’t take is eyes off of Miss Darcy. To him, she is exquisite and as he sets out to dazzle Miss Darcy he means to have her as his baroness.

Mr. Butler realizes that he loves Miss Darcy, but he fears it is too late. Lord Caxton tells Mr. Butler there is an understanding between him and Miss Darcy. Mr. Butler bows out, being the honorable thing to do. He only wants Miss Darcy happy. He is only more miserable and regrets his actions. Miss Darcy is hurt because he avoids her.

My Thoughts: I haven’t read Jane Austen Fan Fiction for years. I enjoyed it and was amused at how many words they used to actually say something. I feel the people in that time skirted around an issue. I told Ms. Lathan that they were so wordy. This is part of her reply. “I try to capture the essence of Austen’s style, not going too modern nor too far into the past. Some say I capture Austen style right on – which always makes me laugh because I don’t think anyone can do that, nor would I want to since it is too much. But I do go for a higher style, if you will. People did indeed talk in a much grander way with bigger words, a greater command of language and vocabulary, purple prose, minimal slang, etc. All part of that world we admire…. They had to be very clever with their phrasing, in large part to avoid overt flirting or impropriety.”

The story develops a beautiful friendship and an ever-deepening love. It was a sweet journey. If you are a JAFF reader and haven’t read Sharon Lathan you most certainly should. All her books are happily ever after endings and entertaining with their language giving us a peek at Europe in the early 1800’s.