Today's post is in conjunction with the Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour, a fantastic blog hop that brings together bloggers of all genres, backgrounds and locations. In today's hop, the blog featured before "Karen V. Wasylowski...but I Digress" is "Hardline Self Help". The blog featured after "Karen V Waslowski...but I Digress"" is the captivating "Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed". Do stop by and say hello plus some of us are having giveaways and contests. Enjoy! Websites listed below.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Here it is, the book that has changed my life, for better or for worse. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is two hundred years old! And yet, from the very first, very famous, opening line,
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
you know you are in the presence of greatness. Oh, it's not the greatness of Einstein or Freud. It is the greatness of emotional truth. Austen was the first to write a simple romance that dealt with feelings, families and misunderstandings honestly, humorously. The test of time has not diminished one word of her text, the sentiments expressed above are as true today, in our liberal and emancipated society, as they were then. My addiction to the story, and to the one and only Mr. Darcy, began when I was a young teen, home sick from school, and forced to watch an old movie on television.
Laurence Olivier was my first Mr. Darcy and I fell in love with the arrogant fool immediately. I read the book then for the first time and found a much richer story within those pages than anything Hollywood had produced.
In 1995 I watched awe struck the mini-series with the wonderful Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Firth has made a career of Darcy, despite his protests of being typecast. He was magnificent, the series followed the book closely, and I was in love once again.
Then in 2005 the breathtaking movie came out with Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. Lust struck me in the form of Darcy for the third time. In fact, it was during my 20th viewing of this movie on cable that my own book, "Darcy and Fitzwilliam", began to take form in my fevered little brain.
The miracle of my book still astounds me. I am a retired accountant, a CPA. I have never taken a writing course, never written an article nor penned a short story, nothing. All I had was a husband who believed in me and the ignorance of not knowing that the mountain I was about to climb was impossible. If I had known five years ago what the odds were against me I would have been defeated before I began. But I was stupid and just having fun. After my book was finished I started researching how to get published and saw that each book told me it would be impossible. Only the famous or the previously published get published now. Four out of five books do not even pay the advance given the author; publishers will not take a chance on an unknown. The recommendation was to find an agent and don't get your hopes up.
AND DON'T EVER TRY TO CONTACT A PUBLISHER DIRECTLY!!!!
AND DON'T EVER TRY TO CONTACT A PUBLISHER DIRECTLY!!!!
Well, no agent would even look at the book so what is a girl to do? I sent the manuscript directly to a publisher - and they accepted me. Just like that. This was a miracle.
And I have Jane Austen and her magnificent, beautiful Pride and Prejudice to thank. She was a woman writer, untrained, who was up against great odds. She is my hero.
Leave A COMMENT and FOLLOW to get a chance to win a signed copy of my book....
DARCY AND FITZWILLIAM
BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS
1. Roy - http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/blogspot.com/
16. Lucy - http://lifethrulucylasticaslense.blogspot.com/
2. Sulekha - http://sulekkha.blogspot.com/
3. Dora - http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/
4. Shaeeza - http://shaeeza.blogspot.com/
8. Keiko - http://hannahweptsarahlaughed. blogspot.com/
9. Catherine - http://catherinestine.blogspot.com/ 10. Kate & Ashley - http://backofthebookreviews.com/com/
12. Sonia - http://soniarumzi.com/
13. DK Levick - http://dklevick.wordpress.com/
14. Sarcasm Goddess - http://4theluvofwriting.blogspot.com/
15. Tosh - http://totsymae.com/16. Lucy - http://
17. Leo - http://findpeaceloveandgod.com/new-articles.html
18. Dora - http://blogaliciousblogs.blogspot.com/
18. Dora - http://blogaliciousblogs.
15 comments:
I'm running across a few classics that writers have drawn inspiration from on this tour. Pride and Prejudice is a great one.
Karen, It's good to know that Darcy does things for us both. I too fell in love with all things Darcy, smoldering, haughty, snobbish, foolish, loving and so hot! I'm partial to Colin though. I can't wait to read your book! What a perspective, I'm glad you got published.
Thank you both so much. I'm having fun running through these sites too - so different.
Thank you Karen. Congratulations on your book publication acceptance. You overrode the agent myth. Congratulations! I am so excited for you!
Emotional truth is a must in good literature, as well as in life! I was never a huge fan of Victorian lit, but as I get older, I am more drawn to it.
I gasped as soon as I saw the book you chose. Pride and Prejudice is one of my top five favorite books of all time. I would love a copy of your book...and congratulations on getting published! I have no greater dream than to be published; and like you, have heard it's practically impossible. But you have proven that it is! Even without an agent! Gasp! Never contact a publisher directly! I had to laugh because I've lost track of how many times I've read that. YOU inspire me to keep pursuing my dream no matter how many tries it takes me.
Very lovely piece for your blog tour! Your book is a wonderful ode to Austen's humor and pathos.
I must have it. I've read a great review on it and now it is on my list.
Untrained women writers are the best and if you have fun along the way it's even better. I too am like you and hope to get my book published someday, thanks for the tips and encouragement. Love your choice btw, Pride AND Prejudice is one of my many favorites.Thanks for sharing...
How exciting to beat the odds and get published. Congratulations! Love your choice of books for the Tour and hope to find your book to read.
http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/
Thanks for this Karen, uplifting in more ways than one. Congratulations on your book! I got published without an agent as well. I tried one who kept insisting I write a vampire piece which I didn't so that didn't go so well. In the end, I kept writing, kept sending out my material, my publisher found me and voila - Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out hit the shelves on April 17, 2011. All the best and thank you for joining the blog tour.
Cheers - Dora
http://pandorapoikilos.com/
Thank you everyone. My story shows just what you can accomplish if you are completely ignorant. The second book is much scarier now.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE that one i will have to put on my list to read. never saw the movie but i think i will read the book. thank you for being on the tour. god bless
Enjoyed the passion in your post Karen. No, I'm not in love with Darcy but it is definitely one of the greatest books written. Great choice.
What a great classic book and a fantastic story of publishing! Very inspiring, as I'm trying to write my own book right now. Here from #8 on the Blog Tour - thanks for sharing!
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