Monica Fairview, Author

In 30 days the UK hardcover edition of The Other Mr Darcy will be out. For those of you in the USA, don't despair. Sourcebooks will be bringing out a USA edition in October, so you'll be able to get hold of a copy not too long after the first edition comes out. For those of you who can't wait -- because The Other Mr Darcy really provides a unique and new perspective on Pride and Prejudice -- the UK edition is available with free shipping anywhere in the world from The Book Depository . Don't you love them? Meanwhile, I'm working hard to deliver the next novel in the Darcy series, which will be coming out next Spring 2010.

Why? That has been the question in my mind for some time. Why does someone like Elton John, who surely does not need the fame, fund a film to be produced by his company Rocket Pictures featuring Elizabeth and the alien Predators? http://http//moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/02/17/elton-john-introduces-jane-austen-to-aliens-in-pride-and-predator/ And why does P&P and the Zombies have so much appeal that it creeps up very close to number one on Amazon.com? [apart from the writing, of course, and the original idea -- I do like a dagger-wielding Eliza] And why do I have the feeling there will be more? I have pondered this question at length, being one of those admittedly (prejudiced) odd people who like P&P because it is calm, soothing, and without monsters of any kind (unless you count Darcy -- OK, OK, just a joke!). Fortunately, I read a review a couple of days ago which does -- sort of -- answer my question http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2009/04/jane-austen-doe.html . Now ...

An unexpected fragment has been found which has been proven to be the first page of a diary written by the infamous Miss Bingley from Pride and Prejudice. To find out more about this, head over to my post on Historical Romance UK and check out my blog, which provides more information about this very startling discovery. The full transcript of the fragment is available there as well.

Only 59 days to go! I can hardly wait. Here is the book cover. Isn't it elegant? I love the rich colours of the gowns. If you're hoping to get your copy of The Other Mr Darcy at a bargain price, now's the time. It's available at Amazon.co.uk at 20% percent, guaranteed pre-order price. The Book Depository is offering an even bigger discount, with free worldwide shipping, which is an amazing deal for those of you in the USA and Australia. And of course, you can order directly from Robert Hale Limited , which has the biggest discount, for a limited time in May. And don't forget to ask your library for a copy. That way, you can always send friends to the library if they want to read the book. After all, you don't want to lend them your own!

The new Large Print edition of An Improper Suitor is now available from Thorndike in the USA. It can be ordered through Powells Books , Amazon.com , and others. For UK readers, the Chivers edition will be available soon. I love Powells Books, by the way. When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I loved going to the City of Books. It was an enormous place, taking up a whole city block, with nine different color-coded rooms, and rows and rows of books, kind of like university libarary stacks, but managing to be very warm and friendly at the same time. Believe it or not, it was so big, they actually offer tours! If you don't believe me, check this out: Powells City of Books Tours . Of course, needless to say, it was a dangerous place. First, because you could easily get lost and wonder endlessly among the stacks of books (what a horrible fate for a book lover!), or you could lose a great deal of money (I really, really wanted some of those books. I really should go back and get them). But t...

I have a fun article about the Pitfalls of Writing Regency on my other blog at Historical Romance UK. Might be worth your while to head over that way and scroll down the page to discover some very crucial advice before you start writing your Regency. You've got to know how to avoid those potholes...