cooking up great fiction
Colonel Fitzwilliam should have been happy facing retirement. But he wasn’t happy, not when he was forced to watch Darcy exchanging enamored glances with his wife. Then the snow started. Now they were stranded at the home of the Knightleys, who wanted nothing more than to see his bachelor days come to an end. At least they did not try to match him with the proud spinster who had also been caught in the storm. That would have been utterly intolerable.
Or would it?
Colonel Fitzwilliam should have been happy facing retirement. No more Napoleon, no more tromping the Continent, and his distant cousin had unexpectedly left him an estate. What was more, two of his favorite people, Darcy and Elizabeth, were travelling with him to visit his new home.
But the colonel wasn’t happy, not when he was forced to watch Darcy exchanging enamored glances with his wife. No, he wanted to pitch his cousin out the window. It didn’t help when Darcy kept lecturing him on the joys of wedded life— as if women like Elizabeth Darcy grew on every tree.
Then the snow started.
Now they were stranded at the home of George and Emma Knightley, another intolerable, blissfully wedded couple who wanted nothing more than to see his bachelor days come to an end. Thank heavens they never thought of matching him with the proud spinster who had also been caught in the storm. That would have been utterly intolerable.
Or would it?
England is overrun by dragons, but most people are blissfully unaware. Only the members of the Blue Order, blessed with preternatural hearing, are able to hear the dragons. When the first major dragon egg laid in a century is stolen from Pemberley,Dragon Keeper Fitzwilliam Darcy and his companion dragon, Walker, must do whatever it takes to recovery the egg and turns to local Dragon Keeper Bennet and his daughter Elizabeth for help.
She finds him haughty, arrogant and rude, how can she trust him to care for something as precious as the first fire drake to hatch in three centuries? But the fate of England hinges on their ability to work together to recover the stolen egg before it hatches.
England is overrun by dragons, but most people are blissfully unaware. Only the members of the Blue Order, blessed with preternatural hearing, are able to hear the dragons. Charge, by the Pendragon Treaty, with keeping the peace between human and dragon kind, the Blue Order sees to the dragons needs and keeps their secrets from society at large.
When the first major dragon egg laid in a century is stolen from Pemberley, the Pendragon Treaty and the entirety of Great Britain is threatened. If the egg hatches without human presence, the dragon will turn wild and grow to ravage the countryside.
Dragon Keeper Fitzwilliam Darcy and his companion dragon, Walker, must do whatever it takes to recovery the egg, including following the Derbyshire militia to the quaint market town of Meryton. When the egg does not arrive with the militia, he is forced turn to local Dragon Keeper Bennet and his daughter Elizabeth for help.
Among Dragon Keepers, Elizabeth is exceptional. She shares a unique bond with dragons that few have ever had. That makes the Blue Order’s directive to assist Mr. Darcy particularly difficult to follow. Haughty, arrogant and rude, how can she trust him to care for something as precious as the first fire drake to hatch in three centuries?
But assist him she must. The fate of England hinges on their ability to work together to recover the stolen egg before it hatches.
Take a step into history with Maria Grace as she explores the customs, etiquette and legalities of courtship and marriage in Jane Austen’s world. Packed with information and rich with detail from Austen’s novels, Maria Grace casts a light on the sometimes bizarre rules of Regency courtship and unravels the hidden nuances in Jane Austen’s works.
Jane Austen’s books are full of hidden mysteries for the modern reader. Why on earth would Elizabeth Bennet be expected to consider a suitor like foolish Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice? Would Lydia’s ‘infamous elopement’ truly have ruined her family and her other sisters’ chances to marry? Why were the Dashwood women thrown out of their home after Mr. Dashwood’s death in Sense and Sensibility, and what was the problem with secret engagements anyway? And then there are settlements, pin money, marriage articles and many other puzzles for today’s Austen lovers.
Customs have changed dramatically in the two centuries since Jane Austen wrote her novels. Beyond the differences in etiquette and speech, words that sound familiar to us are often misleading. References her original readers would have understood leave today’s readers scratching their heads and missing important implications.
Take a step into history with Maria Grace as she explores the customs, etiquette and legalities of courtship and marriage in Jane Austen’s world. Packed with information and rich with detail from Austen’s novels, Maria Grace casts a light on the sometimes bizarre rules of Regency courtship and unravels the hidden nuances in Jane Austen’s works.
Non fiction
Lydia Bennet faces the music…
Running off with Mr. Wickham was a great joke—until everything turned arsey-varsey. That spoilsport Mr. Darcy caught them and packed Lydia off to a hideous boarding school for girls who had lost their virtue.Can she find a way to live up to his strange expectations, or will she spend the rest of her life as a scullery maid?
Lydia Bennet faces the music…
Running off with Mr. Wickham was a great joke—until everything turned arsey-varsey. That spoilsport Mr. Darcy caught them and packed Lydia off to a hideous boarding school for girls who had lost their virtue.
It would improve her character, he said.
Ridiculous, she said.
Mrs. Drummond, the school’s headmistress, has shocking expectations for the girls. They must share rooms, do chores, attend lessons, and engage in charitable work, no matter how well born they might be. She even forces them to wear mobcaps! Refusal could lead to finding themselves at the receiving end of Mrs. Drummond’s cane—if they were lucky. The unlucky ones could be dismissed and found a position … as a menial servant.
Everything and everyone at the school is uniformly horrid. Lydia hates them all, except possibly the music master, Mr. Amberson, who seems to have the oddest ideas about her. He might just understand her better than she understands herself.
Can she find a way to live up to his strange expectations, or will she spend the rest of her life as a scullery maid?
Elizabeth anxiously anticipates her new duties as mistress of Pemberley. Darcy is confident of her success, but she cannot bring herself to share his optimism.
Unexpected guests unsettle all her plans and offer her the perfect Christmastide gift, shattered confidence.
Can she and Darcy overcome their misunderstandings and salvage their first Christmastide together?
Elizabeth anxiously anticipates her new duties as mistress of Pemberley. Darcy is confident of her success, but she cannot bring herself to share his optimism. Unexpected guests unsettle all her plans and offer her the perfect Christmastide gift, shattered confidence.
Can she and Darcy overcome their misunderstandings and salvage their first Christmastide together?
Four sweet, Austen-inspired treats, perfect with a cup of tea.
Full of hope and ripe with possibility, beginnings and new beginnings refresh the spirit with optimism and anticipation.
Includes:Four Days in April, Last Dance, Not Romantic and Sweet Ginger
Sweet, Austen-inspired treats, perfect with a cup of tea.
Full of hope and ripe with possibility, beginnings and new beginnings refresh the spirit with optimism and anticipation.
Four Days in April.
Two letters. Four Days. Everything changes.
After offering a most disastrous proposal of marriage and receiving a rebuke he will never forget, Fitzwilliam Darcy writes Elizabeth Bennet an equally memorable letter.
What if she answers it with one of her own?
Last Dance
To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love. Mary was not. Nor was she fond of dresses or
balls or parties, or any of the things most girls her age adored.
With three sisters married, Aunt Philips insists she must be next. But is dancing essential to falling in love?
Not Romantic
Once burned is twice shy. Charlotte has no place for romantic notions or sentimentality. All she asks is a comfortable home and a man who is respectable and steady.
But the only man she knows who fits that description pines for her best friend. Must she betray her friendship to pursue everything she has ever hoped for
Sweet Ginger
Harriet Smith has abandoned all hope of a home and family of her own and plans a future teaching for Mrs. Goddard.
Things change with the arrival Rachel and Margaret Martin whose grumpy old bear of a brother might just have a taste for ginger.
Many Christmas traditions and images of ‘old fashioned’ holidays are based on Victorian celebrations. Going back just a little further, to the beginning of the 19th century, the holiday Jane Austen knew would have looked distinctly odd to modern sensibilities.
How odd? Families rarely decorated Christmas trees. Festivities centered on socializing instead of gift-giving. Festivities focused on adults, with children largely consigned to the nursery. Holiday events, including balls, parties, dinners, and even weddings celebrations, started a week before Advent and extended all the way through to Twelfth Night in January.
Take a step into history with Maria Grace as she explores the traditions, celebrations, games and foods that made up Christmastide in Jane Austen’s era. Packed with information and rich with detail from period authors, Maria Grace transports the reader to a longed-for old fashioned Christmas.
Non-fiction
Dr. Bennet owes his livelihood to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, but his headstrong daughter Elizabeth thwarts the great lady at every turn. For the sake of his patient Anne de Bourgh, Elizabeth is forgiven–until she refuses to turn her back on Mr. Darcy.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh is prepared to be very generous when it comes to medical care for her sickly daughter, Anne – generous enough to lure noted physician Dr. Thomas Bennet to give up his London practice and move his family to Rosings Park. But his good income comes with a price: complete dependence on his demanding patroness’s every whim.
Now the Bennet family is trapped, reliant on Lady Catherine for their survival. Their patroness controls every aspect of the Bennet household, from the shelves in the closet to the selection of suitors for the five Bennet daughters. Now she has chosen a husband for headstrong Elizabeth Bennet– Mr. George Wickham.
But Lady Catherine’s nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is not so sure about his aunt’s choice. He is fascinated by the compassionate Elizabeth who seems to effortlessly understand everyone around her, including him. Lady Catherine has other plans for Darcy, though, and she forbids Elizabeth to even speak to him.
As Anne’s health takes a turn for the worse, Darcy and Elizabeth are thrown together as Dr. Bennet struggles to save Anne’s life. Darcy can no longer deny the truth – he is in love with Elizabeth Bennet. But Lady Catherine will do anything to stop Darcy from marrying her – even if it means Elizabeth will lose everything she loves.
B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner
Elizabeth Bennet’s father, Admiral Thomas Bennet, assures his daughters that his retirement from His Majesty’s Navy will be the start of a new life for them all. Little does he know his family’s battles have only just begun.
Well-connected and in possession of a good fortune, their entry into society should have been a triumph. However, their long-awaited first season in London proves a disaster, and the resulting scandal sends the Bennets fleeing to the wilds of Derbyshire.
Widower Fitzwilliam Darcy, the master of Pemberley, wants for nothing, most especially not a wife. From the moment the Bennets arrive in Derbyshire, Darcy’s neatly ordered life turns upside down. His sons beg to keep company with their new playmates, the young Bennet twins. His mother-in-law sets her cap for Admiral Bennet. Worst of all, Darcy cannot get his mind off a certain bewitching Miss Elizabeth Bennet, but she has sworn never to let another gentleman near her heart.
Darcy’s best efforts to befriend and assist the Bennet family go horribly awry, alienating first Miss Elizabeth, then her father, and finally endangering what both men hold most dear. Can the two men Elizabeth loves most set aside their pride to prevent catastrophe for their families and win the love they seek?
Take a step into history with Maria Grace as she explores the traditions, celebrations, games and foods that made up Christmastide in Jane Austen’s era. Packed with information and rich with detail from period authors, Maria Grace transports the reader to a longed-for old fashioned Christmas.
Non-fiction
The complete boxed set of the Given Good Principles series.
Darcy’s Decision
Six months after his father’s passing, Fitzwilliam Darcy still finds solace in his morning reflections at his parents’ graves. Only in the quiet solitude of the churchyard does he indulge his grief. None but his unlikely mentor recognize the heartache and insecurity plaguing him as he shoulders the burden of Pemberley estate.
In the midst of his struggles to reinvent himself, his school chum, Charles Bingley, arrives. Darcy hopes the visit will offer some respite from the uproar in his life. Instead of relief, Darcy discovers his father’s darkest secret staring him in the face. Pushed to his limits, Darcy must overcome the issues that ruined his father and, with his friends and mentor at his side, restore his tarnished birthright.
The Future Mrs. Darcy
With the regiment come to camp in Meryton, many young ladies are pleased. Not all share their enthusiasm. Among them, Mr. Carver, who removes his family from Meryton’s savage society. He blames, not on the militia officers, but the Bennet family. The flirtations and boisterous ways of the youngest sisters are too much to be borne. Not even Jane’s renowned beauty and charm can make up for them.
Elizabeth denies the allegations at first, but rapidly uncovers the shocking truth. The Carvers are not the only family to cut the Bennets from their acquaintance. Their reputations materially damaged, the family borders on social ruin.
Warned by Mr. Pierce, the local curate, that several of the officers have unsavory designs on the local girls, Elizabeth must find a way to honor her father, rein in her sister and salvage the family’s reputation, all in the most ladylike way possible.
All the Appearance of Goodness
What is a young woman to do? One handsome young man has all the goodness, while the other, the appearance of it. How is she to separate the gentleman from the cad?
When Darcy joins his friend Bingley on a trip to Meryton, the last thing on his mind is finding a wife. Meeting Elizabeth Bennet changes all that, but a rival for his affections appears from a most unlikely quarter. He must overcome his naturally reticent disposition if he is to have a chance of winning her favor.
Elizabeth’s thoughts turn to love and marriage after her sister Mary’s engagement. In a few short weeks, she goes from knowing no eligible young men, to being courted by two. Both are handsome gentlemen, but one conceals secrets and the other conceals his regard. Will she determine which is which before she commits to the wrong one?
Twelfth Night at Longbourn
Twelfth Night—a night for wondrous things to happen.
At least for other people.
Since Lydia’s infamous elopement, nothing has gone well for Kitty Bennet. Her friends have abandoned her, and Longbourn is more prison than home. More than anything else, she wishes to leave the plain ordinary Kitty behind and become Catherine Bennet, a proper young lady.
Her only ray of hope is an invitation to Pemberley for the holidays. Perhaps there she might escape the effects of her sister’s shame.
Getting to Pemberley is not as simple as it sounds. She must navigate the perils of London society, the moods of Georgiana Darcy, and the chance encounter with the man who once broke her heart. Perhaps though, as Catherine, she might prove herself worthy of that gentleman’s regard.
But, in an instant all her hopes are dashed, and her dreams of becoming Catherine evaporate. Will Kitty Bennet’s inner strength be enough to bring her heart’s desire?
On an ordinary night perhaps not, but on Twelfth Night, it just might be enough.
Twelfth Night—a night for wondrous things to happen.
At least for other people.
In the months after her sisters’ weddings, nothing has gone well for Kitty Bennet. Since Lydia’s infamous elopement, her friends have abandoned her, and Longbourn is more prison than home. Not even Elizabeth’s new status as Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley can repair the damage to Kitty’s reputation. More than anything else, she wishes to leave the plain ordinary Kitty behind and become Catherine Bennet, a proper young lady.
Her only ray of hope is an invitation to Pemberley for the holidays. Perhaps there she might escape the effects of her sister’s shame.
Getting to Pemberley is not as simple as it sounds. First she must navigate the perils of London society, the moods of Georgiana Darcy, and the chance encounter with the man who once broke her heart. Perhaps though, as Catherine, she might prove herself worthy of that gentleman’s regard.
But, in an instant all her hopes are dashed, and her dreams of becoming Catherine evaporate. Will Kitty Bennet’s inner strength be enough to bring her heart’s desire?
On an ordinary night perhaps not, but on Twelfth Night, it just might be enough.
Elizabeth Bennet’s father, Admiral Thomas Bennet, assures his daughters that his retirement from His Majesty’s Navy will be the start of a new life for them all. Little does he know his family’s battles have only just begun.
Darcy’s best efforts to befriend and assist the Bennet family go horribly awry, alienating first Miss Elizabeth, then her father, and finally endangering what both men hold most dear. Can the two men Elizabeth loves most set aside their pride to prevent catastrophe for their families and win the love they seek?
The complete boxed set of the Given Good Principles Series:
Darcy’s Decison
The Future Mrs. Darcy
All the Appearance of Goodness
Twelfth Night at Longbourn
One of the great “what-ifs” among Pride & Prejudice aficionados is: if Mr. Collins married Mary Bennet instead of Charlotte Lucas, how would that influence Mr. Darcy’s dogged pursuit of the elusive Elizabeth?
In this breezy and hilarious re-telling of Jane Austin’s classic novel, the author explores what would have changed — and what would have not — had two of literature’s most self-righteous characters found their way together. Jane goes with Elizabeth to Kent, and the fur flies! A wonderful, mad-cap romp!
One of the great “what-ifs” among Pride & Prejudice aficionados is: if Mr. Collins married Mary Bennet instead of Charlotte Lucas, how would that influence Mr. Darcy’s dogged pursuit of the elusive Elizabeth?
Twelfth Night—a night for wondrous things to happen. At least for other people.
In the months after her sisters’ weddings, nothing has gone well for Kitty Bennet. Since Lydia’s infamous elopement, her friends have abandoned her, and Longbourn is more prison than home. Not even Elizabeth’s new status as Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley can repair the damage to Kitty’s reputation. More than anything else, she wishes to leave the plain ordinary Kitty behind and become Catherine Bennet, a proper young lady.
But, in an instant all her hopes are dashed, and her dreams of becoming Catherine evaporate. Will Kitty Bennet’s inner strength be enough to bring her heart’s desire? On an ordinary night perhaps not, but on Twelfth Night, it just might be enough.
When Darcy joins his friend, Bingley on a trip to Meryton, the last thing on his mind is finding a wife. Meeting Elizabeth Bennet changes all that, but a rival for his affections appears from a most unlikely quarter. He must overcome his naturally reticent disposition if he is to have a chance of winning her favor.
Elizabeth’s thoughts turn to love and marriage after her sister, Mary’s, engagement. In a few short weeks she goes from knowing no eligible young men, to being courted by two. Both are handsome gentleman, but one conceals secrets and the other conceals his regard. Will she determine which is which before she commits to the wrong one?
With the regiment come to camp in Meryton, many young ladies are pleased. Not all share their enthusiasm. Among them, Mr. Carver, who removes his family from Meryton’s savage society. He blames, not on the militia officers, but the Bennet family. The flirtations and boisterous ways of the youngest sisters are too much to be borne. Elizabeth denies the allegations at first, but rapidly uncovers the shocking truth. The Carvers are not the only family to cut the Bennets from their acquaintance. Their reputations materially damaged, the family borders on social ruin. Elizabeth must find a way to honor her father, rein in her sister and salvage the family’s reputation, all in the most ladylike way possible.
Someone or something is lurking in the woods of Pemberley.
As Mr. and Mrs. Darcy approach the first anniversary of their marriage, they look upon their life together as very much an idyll. With one exception. Their lives will always be ruled by the lunar cycle as the Master of Pemberley is a werewolf.
As Darcy prepares his pack for their first nightfall together, an unsettling rumor is being spread in the village that a phantom Ghost Buck has appeared in Wentside Woods on the Darcy estate. Because Darcy does not believe the stag exists, he wants to know who started the rumor. Is it possible that someone knows of his darkest secret and is trying to draw him out.
Someone or something is lurking in the woods of Pemberley.
As Mr. and Mrs. Darcy approach the first anniversary of their marriage, they look upon their life together as very much an idyll. With one exception. Their lives will always be ruled by the lunar cycle as the Master of Pemberley is a werewolf.
As Darcy prepares his pack for their first nightfall together, an unsettling rumor is being spread in the village that a phantom Ghost Buck has appeared in Wentside Woods on the Darcy estate. Because Darcy does not believe the stag exists, he wants to know who started the rumor. Is it possible that someone knows of his darkest secret and is trying to draw him out.
Mr. Darcy Bites Back, a Novella, is the sequel to Mr. Darcy’s Bite.
When Fitzwilliam Darcy, Georgiana Darcy, and Charles Bingley set sail from England for New York, each travels with a different purpose. Georgiana wants to put a particularly jarring incident involving a family friend behind her, and Charles wishes to visit his Uncle Richard in an exciting new land. For Darcy, it is an opportunity to explore the possibilities of new sources of wealth in the expanding United States, but once Darcy meets American, Elizabeth Bennet, it is the beginning of a love story. But will their cultural differences and a possible second ward between Britain and America keep them apart?
Pemberley, the Darcy estate, is entailed away from the female line. When Fitzwilliam Darcy learns that his heir, Peter Grayson, is engaged to Caroline Bingley, he realizes that he must take a wife and father a son. But will Elizabeth Bennet agree to enter into a loveless marriage, and if she does, will she wed for all the wrong reasons? This novella explores Darcy and Elizabeth’s path to a happily-ever-after ending.
Six months after his father’s passing, Fitzwilliam Darcy still finds solace in his morning reflections at his parents’ graves. Only in the quiet solitude of the churchyard does he indulge his grief. None but his unlikely mentor recognize the heartache and insecurity plaguing him as he shoulders the enormous burden of being Master of Pemberley. In the midst of his struggles to reinvent himself, his school chum, Charles Bingley, arrives. Darcy hopes the visit will offer some respite from the uproar in his life. Instead of relief, Darcy discovers his father’s darkest secret staring him in the face. Pushed to his limits, Darcy must overcome the issues that ruined his father and, with his friends and mentor at his side, restore his tarnished birthright.
In 2011, American Elizabeth Hannigan, suffering from the swine flu, falls into a coma and wakes up in the bed and body of Elizabeth Bennet Darcy. Beth soon realizes that the only way back to her life in the 21st Century is through the Master of Pemberley, Jane Austen’s Fitzwilliam Darcy. But first she must uncover the dark secret that has brought her to Pemberley in 1826 in the first place. Becoming Elizabeth Darcy is a story of love, loyalty, and loss, where a modern woman is called upon to resolve the problems of Jane Austen’s most beloved couple. If you are a fan of Lost in Austen, you will enjoy the time-travel novel, Becoming Elizabeth Darcy.
Two years after the conclusion of The Great War, those affected by the conflagration are still trying to put their lives back together, including Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. While Darcy grapples with horrific memories from the war, Elizabeth, who had served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment, suppresses most recollections of her service in France. But Darcy suspects that there is one memory that the two share: a beautiful night in a hospital ward in France where Darcy was visited by an angel of mercy.
The day after the assembly at Meryton, Fitzwilliam Darcy departs Hertfordshire, believing he leaves little of interest behind him. But when Elizabeth Bennet comes to Kent, Darcy has an opportunity for a second look at the dark-haired beauty, and he is instantly smitten. Unfortunately for Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth has a long memory, and the gentleman from Derbyshire will have to earn her love. His efforts begin with a walk in the meadows at Rosings Park. Includes bonus short story: When Mr. Darcy learns that Mr. Collins plans to make an offer of marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, he knows he must do something, but what happens next is completely unexpected.
Spring 1944 – Britain is now in its fourth year of war. In order to defeat Adolph Hitler and his Nazis, everyone in the country must do his or her “bit.” While a young Elizabeth Bennet makes her contribution by driving a lorry, Lieutenant Fitzwilliam Darcy flies bombers over Germany. Because of the war, both are wary of falling in love, but when the two meet near an RAF air station in Hertfordshire, all bets are off. Set against the backdrop of World War II, in Darcy Goes to War, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy battle something more than class differences. The greatest evil of the 20th Century is trying to bring Britain to its knees. In order to be together, they must survive the war.
What is a young woman to do? One handsome young man has all the goodness, while the other the appearance of it. How is she to separate the gentleman from the cad?