GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY - CARRIE BEBRIS introducing her THE INTRIGUE AT HIGHBURY

I'm glad to introduce the author of  the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mysteries, CARRIE BEBRIS, to all of you. Today the fifth book of the series comes out. It is based on Jane Austen's EMMA . Can you imagine Elizabeth Darcy and Emma Knightley together? Walking arm in arm all taken in their gossiping about insufferable Mrs Elton... And have you got any idea of what can happen if Mr Darcy and Mr Knighley join their forces to solve a mystery? Well, better to say more than one ...THE INTRIGUE AT HIGHBURY can feed your imagination...  Here's to you Carrie Bebris introducing herself and her latest work .

Thank you, Maria Grazia, for inviting me to write a guest post introducing myself and my series. I am happy to be here!

I am an American writer with a love of all things British, especially British literature and history. After publishing two novels in the fantasy genre, I decided to switch to historical mysteries. As the mysteries I most enjoy reading usually involve some sort of literary connection (such as A.S. Byatt’s Possession and Jasper Forde’s The Eyre Affair), I wanted a premise that somehow referenced my favorite author, Jane Austen. I also enjoy mysteries involving couple sleuthing teams who engage in lively banter while solving crimes, such as The Thin Man’s Nick and Nora Charles.

This was ten years ago, before Austen paraliterature had practically become a genre of its own. I explored many ideas, but eventually found inspiration in the the hero and heroine of Pride and Prejudice and how they deal with the crisis of Mr. Wickham’s elopement with Elizabeth’s sister Lydia. Elizabeth, a strong observer of character, predicts Lydia’s disgrace; Mr. Darcy, a man of the world who knows how to get things done, tracks down the couple and makes the marriage happen. I thought, if Elizabeth and Darcy make such an effective team before they get together romantically, imagine what they could do afterward.

That became the premise of the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery series. The newlywed Elizabeth and Darcy become reluctantly involved in mysteries affecting their family and friends. In the series debut, Pride and Prescience, Caroline Bingley becomes embroiled in an intrigue only the Darcys can solve. Successive books (Suspense and Sensibility, North by Northanger, The Matters at Mansfield, and The Intrigue at Highbury) bring the Darcys into contact with characters from Austen’s other novels. I am currently writing the sixth book of the series, based on Austen’s Persuasion.

The newest Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery, The Intrigue at Highbury (Or, Emma’s Match) is how I met Maria Grazia. When I offered several advance reading copies of The Intrigue at Highbury as giveaways in last year’s Everything Austen Challenge hosted by Stephanie’s Written Word, Stephanie asked whether I wanted to limit the contest to U.S. readers or open it up to international readers as well. Without hesitation, I chose international. I have a fair number of readers around the globe, and I definitely wanted to include them! In particular, since TEA Books began publishing my Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery series in Italian translation, I have developed a growing Italian audience. I love receiving emails from my Italian readers; they are always so full of warmth that it is like receiving a spot of Italian sunshine. So I was delighted to learn that one of the winners was Italian. I happily sent her a copy of the book . . . and I look forward to learning what she thought about it.

Well, what can I say, Carrie? It was such a pleasure to be back at Highbury ,thanks to you! I just went through the pages and thought "How nice! What a delight! Great device! Good point!" all the time. Honestly, I haven't read much Austen paraliterature so far,  but I've read, re-read,  studied and taught the original novels, Jane Austen's 6 . So I can say I am quite accustomed.  After reading The Intrigue at Highbury, I just want to discover more of this new world.
 Now it's time to read  my review at MY JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB , my Everything Austen page online.

GIVEAWAY FOR  ITALIAN READERS

 After reading my review of The Intrigue at Highbury,

• leave your comment there at MY JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB  or here at FLY HIGH under Carrie Bebris guest post ( but if you want you can comment both ... two comments = two entries!)
• remember to add your e-mail address
• comment in Italian, if you uncomfortable with English, and you'll be greatly welcome all the same

and you will have a chance ( or two)  to win  a copy of Carrie Bebris's L'ENIGMA DI MANSFIELD, the Italian translation of  The Matters at Mansfield. Winner will be announced on  10th March .

I know there are several Italians among you, so let's see if you are interested in  these delightful mystery books based on Jane Austen's world. If you are Janeites, you'll love them.

Thanks to the Italian publisher TEA for granting me this copy of Carrie Bebris's latest Italian translation, released  in January 2010. Other books by Carrie Bebris published by TEA are ORGOGLIO E PREVEGGENZA , SOSPETTO E SENTIMENTO , LE OMBRE DI PEMBERLEY.

And , of course,  thanks to CARRIE BEBRIS for her kindness

and for the delight she gives us through her work!