Author: J "Joy" Dawn King

Richard Armitage!!! (Faints/Swoons)

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As you can see from my copy of Elizabeth’s Gaskell’s North & South, I am a fan of Richard Armitage. Why? He’s an excellent actor, he’s tall and handsome, and he has one of the best male reading voices I’ve ever heard.

As my newsletter subscribers know, I contacted him about narrating my next release, Friends and Enemies. Since the story is from Darcy’s point-of-view, I wanted a male narrator/producer.

Here is an update.

I received an email from his representatives on April 3rd. In my reply, I told them I would have the finished first draft to them on Monday, April  17th.

This is why I’ve been practically invisible on social media. I’m typing like a crazed person trying to get this story done. On Monday of this week, I went back to chapter one and did a word-by-word clean-up. Now, I’m pressing on to the end. I have approximately 8,000 words to go—I hope.

Click below for a video interview which should give you a hint why I’m desperately hoping he agrees to my project.

I will keep you apprised of the process. Of course, if he agrees, you will undoubtedly hear my screams right before I faint.

Would you like to hear Mr. Armitage read Fitzwilliam Darcy? Boy, I would.

Enjoy!

Winner!

DU17_01_whiteJA CoinCONGRATULATIONS!!! Julie R. you have won the coin set which was the prize for my 3rd publishing anniversary celebration. I have sent you an email announcing your win. If I do not hear from you by April 1st, I will have to choose another winner. Please check your email.

Thank you to all who commented on the post. It was heartwarming to read how many enjoy my efforts in writing stories about Darcy and Elizabeth. Stay tuned for more.

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

3 year anniversary

This is a joyous day for me. Three years! Never could I have imagined the difference publishing my first book would make for my family. I have ten books out and Jennifer has nine. Both of us have received so many blessings that it would take too much time to write and I need to get a chapter done of my work-in-progress.

Anniversaries call for a celebration and instead of presents for me, it’s a present opportunity for you. One newsletter subscriber will be chosen on Saturday, March 25th to win the 2017 United Kingdom Annual Coin Set from The Royal Mint. Why is this special? The 2-pound coin included in the set is a special edition marking the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death. How fitting this falls on the anniversary date of my birth as a published author.

Here’s a link: 2017 Royal Mint Set

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who have supported my career by reading, reviewing, and caring.

(PS: The set arrived yesterday and I so badly want to tear off the plastic wrap to see inside. Grrrrr! I need to leave it alone, but my curiosity is killing me. I apologize in advance to the winner if I can’t cultivate some self-control before it goes back into the mail. BTW, this is open internationally.)

JA Coin

Happy News!

One Love Two Hearts Three Stories, Jane Austen fan fiction, Jane Austen variation, historical romance, historical fiction, Pride and Prejudice variation, Jane Austen, J. Dawn King, Pride and Prejudice

One Love – Two Hearts – Three Stories, the anthology I published in June 2015, is FREE until March 22nd. Why? To celebrate three years of publishing on Amazon, of course. Can you believe it? Three Years.

A Father’s Sins, my first published book, will forever have a soft spot in my heart. However, I changed as an author since my debut story. Before writing and releasing One Love – Two Hearts – Three Stories, I had an epiphany. People’s lives, as a rule, are like being on a steep rollercoaster ride. They are challenging with many ups and downs. Whether it’s family problems, health, or economic, we all need happy news, don’t we? Thus, the three stories grew from a need to feel good.

Therefore, if you want to read two short stories and one long story that makes you smile, this book is for you. To make you even happier, you can download it for free on all Amazon markets from March 18 – 22, 2017. Here are the links:

Amazon – US

Amazon – UK

Amazon – Canada

Amazon – Australia

Amazon – Germany

Amazon – China

Amazon – France

Amazon – Italy

Amazon – Spain

Amazon – the Netherlands

Amazon – Japan

Amazon – India

Amazon – Brazil

Amazon – Mexico

Happy shopping!

 

April 2017 – Giveaway!

This giveaway is the sweetest one I’ve ever done and, although I would love to keep a set for my own, there will be twelve winners for the twelve Darcy & Elizabeth handkerchief sets available. Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter. The winners will be announced on April 1st or 2nd. As always, the giveaway is international.

I know, I should have ironed them before I took the photographs. Where is my iron? (shoulder shrug)

Guess Who Has a New Book?

My daughter, Jennifer Joy, is sneaky. However, she is not nearly as sneaky as her mother. Each time she releases a new book, she tries to keep it from me so I don’t announce it before she does. Ha!!! Wait until her daughter publishes her own book. She will totally understand my motivation.

Here goes! Jennifer has a new book!!! Yep! The mystery element is excellent, but this Darcy? Oh, my word. When did that girl learn to write such a romantic leading man?

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This is a follow-up to her Meryton Mystery #1 where Wickham was murdered. This time? Boy, was I surprised.

Here’s the link: Jennifer’s New Book

Here’s the blurb:

Two determined women. One murder. No eyewitnesses.

Lady Catherine has come to Meryton.

When a devastating secret is revealed, putting Elizabeth Bennet’s future happiness and the loyalty of the man she loves in the balance, her hopes for a Happily-Ever-After are dashed to pieces. Threats are made and family obligations are enforced, leading to an event no one could foresee. Another murder in Meryton. 

Fitzwilliam Darcy is more determined than ever to win Elizabeth’s love — no matter what obstacles their families place between them. When a matron is found murdered in the midst of a militia parade, he soon discovers the strength of the woman’s enemies … and their closeness to Elizabeth. Can Darcy protect her when she is determined to bring the murderer to justice?

With a killer on the loose and their hearts on the line, can Darcy and Elizabeth work together to solve another mystery while fighting for each other? Or will the pressure break them apart forever?

Bestselling author, Jennifer Joy, brings you The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth, the second standalone novel in the A Meryton Mystery romance series. If you like falling in love with characters as they fall for each other while uncovering shocking secrets, then you’ll love this mystery romance. 

Read The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth today to satisfy your craving for a fast-paced mystery interwoven with a heartwarming, sweet romance!

Oh, drat!!! She beat me to it. Sigh!!! That’s one out of ten. My success rate isn’t so bad.

FREE Book – Darcy’s Ultimatum by Jennifer Joy

The book that began it all for my daughter, Jennifer Joy, is FREE for the next four days only.

Blurb:

When Fitzwilliam Darcy’s arranged life falls to pieces, his father, Mr. George Darcy, gives him an ultimatum: Marry by the end of the London Season or risk disinheritance. Can Darcy cast aside society’s frigid attitude toward marriage and find true love? Or will his desire to honor his deceased mother’s memory hold him back?
Elizabeth Bennet faces the greatest challenge of her life: Find a husband by the end… of the London Season or be forced to marry the heir apparent of her family home, Mr. Collins. A romantic at heart, will Elizabeth find a gentleman to meet her high expectations?


After a disastrous meeting, Darcy and Elizabeth determine not to like each other.
But, the London Season has only begun…

Here is the link: Darcy’s Ultimatum

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Another New Cover!

Just to freshen things up a bit, my cover designer, Jane Dixon-Smith of JD Smith Designs, has updated the cover to the anthology I published last year called “One Love – Two Hearts – Three Stories”. It should be online by the end of the week – I hope.

The two of us arranged two photo shoots in the spring of 2016. The first one was for the cover of “The Abominable Mr. Darcy (TAMD)”. If you look closely, you will notice the clothing on my work-in-progress cover is the same as worn by the male model for TAMD. A bit of fancy Photoshopping, I think. The second shoot had several Regency period-correct costumes and several female models. The ladies from my new anthology cover and the cover to “Friends and Enemies” are both from that shoot.

Here is the new cover in comparison with the old. Definitely more fitting to the overall themes of the three stories, don’t you think? (Old – left, New – right)

covers

Cover Reveal: Friends and Enemies

Despite the chaos of my life right now, my cover designer has been working her fingers to the bone. Not only did she finish the cover for the story I’m currently posting on fanfiction.net and beyondausten.com (Friends and Enemies), she’s redesigning the cover for my anthology, “One Love – Two Hearts – Three Stories”. I hope to have a sneak peek of its new cover out to you soon.

“Friends and Enemies” tells a story of change. The tale starts with Miss Lydia Bennet boldly telling Fitzwilliam Darcy how much her sister despises him. When this is followed up by criticism from both Charles Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam, he vows to change. However, circumstances place him in close contact with Elizabeth Bennet where her wary heart does not automatically return his regard nor see his attempts in self-improvement. Of course, they will have their happily-ever-after, but not until they are both stripped bare of pretense and pride. They both use their disappointment with themselves (and each other) to build marvelous characters. Oh, sigh! This is, by far, my most angst-ridden novel.

Without further ado, here is the front cover of “Friends and Enemies” –

friends-and-enemies-cover-medium-web