Jane Eyre, Henry Tilney and new books!

Spring has officially sprung and I have so much to blog about I hardly know where to begin. I'm tempted to start with my two upcoming releases, Wickham's Diary and Henry Tilney's Diary, but instead I'm going to start with Jane Eyre. For some strange reason the film makers decided to launch it in the US, not the UK, so those of us over here have to wait until the autumn to see it. How unfair is that? Particularly as it sounds to be excellent.

The Washington Post talks about a war between Austen and the Brontes, but I love both and I suspect a great many other people do, too. However, in the interests of fair play, having mentioned the film of Jane Eyre, I'm now going to bring you a short film about Henry Tilney. No, it doesn't have a big budget. No, it doesn't have a cast of thousands. But yes, it is brilliant, and you don't even have to go to a cinema (or movie theatre!) to see it.

It's based on this hilarious Old Spice advert



and if you love Henry, it will make your day. And if you don't love Henry, just wait until you've seen this video. He has a puppy!



And now I'm going to mention my upcoming releases. Wickham's Diary is officially out in the US on April 1st, but Amazon.com already have it in stock. It's a novella this time, not a full length novel. It starts when Wickham and Darcy are twelve and it follows them up until the moment when Wickham tries to elope with Georgiana. So it's a prequel to Pride and Prejudice, rather than a retelling, seen through Wickham's eyes.

And last but not least, I will be giving a talk at the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton on June 4th. It's a fascinating house, and one in which Jane spent many years of her life whilst publishing her masterpieces. Why not come along and celebrate all things Jane with me in Jane's own home? There are plenty of refreshments in Chawton, which has a cafe and a pub, and it makes a great day out.

Amanda