Austen in Austin: Blogmates Watch a Dream Come True

Back in 2009, when I was first learning the writing industry and seriously seeking publication, God joined me with a group of ladies to help me along my quest. I was invited to join Inkwell Inspirations, a new writers blog comprised mostly of writers who had won writing contests (I had just won the Touched by Love contest) but were still unpublished. Over the next years, we would become not only blogmates, but also close friends, prayer partners, and in many ways a writing team. So it's not surprising that we decided to band together on a writing project, and Austen in Austin was born. Several more years passed before this dream became a published reality, but I'm happy to share it with you today.    As you can see, these eight fun Texas-set novellas are based on Jane Austen's novels. We had such a great time inventing these stories with their overlapping settings and characters and their Austenian plot lines, and I just know that you'll enjoy them too! They're written by some great established names in Christian fiction like Lisa Richardson, Gina Welborn, and yours truly, as well as some authors who might be new to you now, but will soon become favorites. I highly recommend reading them in order for the full experience. The ebooks are a great deal at only $3.99 each for four delightful stories! Order Volume 1 in print or ebook  Order Volume 2 in print  Order Volume 2 in ebook Here's what people are saying about Austen in Austin:  "They had me at the title! What's not to love about a collection of novellas patterned after Jane Austen's classic novels and set in the historic capital city of Austin, Texas? The result is as delightful as the premise." ~ Mocha with Linda "Austen in Austin is one of the most well executed novellas I’ve read...All of the novellas are interrelated, so where one author leaves off another picks up months or years later, with a new lead character and a familiar cast. I enjoyed the continuity as well as the familiarity which this team of authors developed. If I Loved You Less probably held the closest to Austen’s works. In contrast, Alarmingly Charming struck me as an improvement on the original (because truthfully, I did not enjoy reading Northanger Abbey). All in all, these stories are irresistibly sweet romances with subtle elements of faith." ~ Shelf-Esteem And in case you're wondering, yes, you can purchase the novellas individually in ebook format, but at $2.99 each, it's a much better deal to buy a set of four for $3.99. My contribution to the collection is called "Mansford Ranch," a play on Mansfield Park of course. It's located in Volume 2 of Austen in Austin.   As an aspiring novelist, Franny Sue Price prides herself in being a student of human nature. When dashing Hank Crawfield returns from his studies back East, he sets his Stetson on wooing her. Although he melts her with his charm and sophistication, Franny fears something is amiss. She and her longtime friend, cowboy Eddie Mansford, devise a series of challenges to test Hank’s true character. As Hank’s crooked nature comes to light, Franny realizes that the hero she’s looking for may have been under her upturned nose all along.          Be sure to check out these fun novellas and share them with your friends!

Mansford Ranch Cover Reveal!

In addition to my Valiant Hearts novels, I have a novella coming out this fall. Volume 2 of Austen in Austin is on the horizon, as evidenced by this gorgeous new cover for Mansford Ranch! This series will feature Jane Austen style heroines in Austin, Texas during the 1890s.

An aspiring novelist with a keen eye for character must determine who is worthy of playing her own leading man.

The volume 2 collection will release in September from WhiteFire Publishing, and you won't want to miss a single one of them. You can currently pre-order the paperback version by clicking here, but the ebook will be available in time for the release. Single novella ebooks will also be available, but the collection is such a great deal, just pick up the whole set.

For the full Austen in Austin experience, and to enjoy the overlaps between stories and interconnected characters, you'll want to start from the very beginning. Click here to order volume 1, which is available for you reading pleasure right now!

Austen in Austin Volume 1 is Here!

Austen in Austin volume 1 is now available. I'll be in book 2 of this exciting new collection in September.  This is the culmination of a dream that started years ago. The ladies of my group blog, Inkwell Inspirations, decided that it would be great fun to write a connected series of novellas together. We also thought this would be a wonderful way to help get some of our unpublished ladies published. With the release of Volume 1, every member of our blog is now traditionally published :) Our thanks to WhiteFire Publishing for making our dream a reality.

Four Texas-Set Novellas Based on Jane Austen's Novels

Discover four heroines in historical Austin, TX, as they find love--Jane Austen style. Volume 1 includes:

If I Loved You Less by Gina Welborn, based on Emma 

A prideful matchmaker examines her own heart when her protégé falls for the wrong suitor.

Romantic Refinements by Anita Mae Draper, based on Sense and Sensibility 

A misguided academy graduate spends the summer falling in love . . . twice.

One Word from You by Susanne Dietze, based on Pride and Prejudice 

A down-on-her-luck journalist finds the story of her dreams, but her prejudice may cost her true love . . . and her career.

Alarmingly Charming by Debra E. Marvin, based on Northanger Abbey 

A timid gothic dime-novel enthusiast tries to solve the mystery of a haunted cemetery and, even more shocking, why two equally charming suitors compete for her attentions.

Four more exciting novellas will follow in volume 2!

These books are available on amazon in ebook form for the amazing price of $3.99 for the whole collection, or $14.99 for the print collection. Click here.

You can also purchase ebooks of the individual novellas for $2.99 each. 

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Of course it's a much better deal to purchase the whole collection, and much more fun too! The stories are meant to be read in order, and they include overlapping settings and characters, particularly the Austen Academy (shown small on the top of the covers) where all the heroines attended finishing school.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment this delightful collection, and I'm certain you will too.