Quill Ink Anthologies

THE QUILL INK ANTHOLOGIES

Edited by Christina Angel Boyd

I was excited and honoured to be asked to contribute to these Austenesque anthologies:

DANGEROUS TO KNOW:
JANE AUSTEN'S RAKES & GENTLEMEN ROGUES

Rational Creatures

Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues is a titillating collection which remains faithful to the characters we recognize in Austen’s beloved novels.

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"For fans of Austen, bad boys, and romance, this anthology will be a fun frolic into the worlds they know well." ~Publishers Weekly

My contribution is a short story about Tom Bertram from Mansfield Park entitled "The Address of a Frenchwoman"

Praise for Dangerous to Know

Diary of an Eccentric: "What surprised me is the ability of these authors to make me feel some compassion for the characters I love to hate, like the heartache experienced by George Wickham and Tom Bertram in their stories, which emphasized the complexity of Austen's characters."

JustJane1813: "As a fan of Jane Austen Fan Fiction, I can’t imagine a lover of Austenesque fiction not wanting to devour each and every one of these stories. Simply stated, these stories are, from start to finish, insightful, brilliantly plotted, and layered with that terrific combination of emotive tension and dry humor that Austenesque readers find so entertaining."

Amazon.com 5 Star Review: "The short stories are well written. I was surprised to find Bertram was my favorite read! He tells his own story in first person, and although I had a sense of how it might end, he came off as sympathetic."

Readers Favorite: "Some of my particular favorites were The Lost Chapter In The Life of William Elliot..... and the wild and reckless ride of The Address of A French Woman (Tom Bertram) by author Lona Manning."

Praise for the audio version: "There wasn't one story I didn't like... and beautifully narrated by André Refig. André has a wonderful voice, the perfect English accent that suits the characters, and brings these Gentleman Rogues to life."

"I'm "reading" the audiobook, and the reader is really excellent, enhancing these already fantastic stories."

Rational Creatures is a collection of humorous, poignant, and engaging short stories that pay homage to ladies who were the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism.

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"This is the best collection of Austen Fan Fiction I've ever read... This is a fabulous collection, great for JASNA bookclubs, and pays high honor to our favorite authoress, Jane Austen." Amazon 5 Star Review

My contribution is "The Art of Pleasing,"
featuring Mrs. Penelope Clay from Persuasion.

Praise for Rational Creatures

Austenprose deftly sums up the story thus:
"Mrs. Penelope Clay, daughter of Sir Walter Elliot’s solicitor Mr. Shepherd, visits the Elliots at Kellynch Hall to spy on the family for her father and advance his hopes that they will come to reason regarding their financial crisis and retrench. Taken to Bath with the family, Penelope maneuvers the Elliots into household economies by flattery and devotion in hopes of being the next Lady Elliot. When cousin and heir William Elliot arrives in Bath, they are soon locked into a deadly dance of power and deceit."

Publisher's Weekly: "This impressive anthology introduces the works of 16 gifted Jane Austen–inspired authors, whose short stories reimagine adventures of Austen’s characters and glow with the beloved novelist’s timeless blend of romantic intrigue, witticisms, and biting social commentary on life’s absurdities..., in Lona Manning’s “The Art of Pleasing,” Penelope Clay is a naughty widow who is adept at the game of love."

Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA): For those inclined to denigrate so-called Jane Austen fan fiction... this superb volume should serve as agreeable proof that the genre has resoundingly come of age... Lona Manning... gives a sophisticated, accomplished look into the workings of the mind of the cunning Mrs. Clay.

Amazon UK 5 Star Review: The phrase 'rational creature' was used more than once by Jane Austen herself in her writings and I suspect (and certainly like to imagine) that Miss Austen wrote many of these characters as her way of protesting the lot of women in her time.

YULETIDE

Holiday short story anthology with some favorite Austenesque authors, YULETIDE is inspired by Jane Austen, PRIDE & PREJUDICE, and the spirit of the season.

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All proceeds of the paperback and e-book to benefit Chawton Great House in Hampshire, former manor of Jane Austen’s brother Edward Austen Knight and now the Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing, 1600-1830.

My contribution is "By a Lady." Elizabeth and Darcy, five years' married, are grudgingly invited to Rosings for Christmas where Elizabeth is determined to befriend Anne de Bourgh. A story about and for book lovers.

Amazon Five Star review: But the stand-out is Lona Manning's "By A Lady," It is the finest Anne de Bourgh story I've ever read. The pathos is heart-breaking, all the more so for being understated.

Our editor says: Fast on the heels of the release of
#RationalCreatures I had an inspired/rash/harebrained idea that I “needed” to do a holiday anthology.... Chawton House and it’s research library for early women’s writings was definitely on my brain. Former manse of Austen’s brother Edward Austen Knight, Chawton is rich in history but needing funds to continue the good work there...and thought “Let’s do a collection and give all the proceeds to Chawton House.”

Praise for Yuletide:

Austenprose: I am happy to say that there is a mixture of sentiment and parable in Yuletide. I especially enjoyed the stories that offered an aside with beloved characters set in Regency times. Lona Mannings’ story of Anne de Bourgh was particularly touching and poignant, while Elizabeth Adams’ masterful plotting of “Mistletoe Management” should have been titled “Mistletoe Madness!” ... In my view these two stories excelled because the authors both understand the unique skill of crafting a story of limited length. Their plotting, character development and resolution was textbook and really made their stories sing. For me, they were the big red bow that made this anthology a gift.

JustJane1813: Yuletide: A Jane Austen-Inspired Collection of Stories, is filled with such a delicious assortment of holiday-themed JAFF stories composed by such a talented team of authors!!! [T]his collection is now one of my favorites!! Whether readers spend time with Darcy and Elizabeth in Regency times or modern day, they will be grateful to have these romantic and well-written stories to enjoy throughout this holiday season.

From Pemberley to Milton blog: Lona Manning ...wrote a sequel that includes the best Anne de Bourgh character I have ever seen! Elizabeth is put to test in this story, Darcy is charming as always, but it was Anne de Bourgh that caught my heart on this one! Absolutely loved it!

Goodreads 5 Star Review: ["By a Lady'] is a poignant tale that had me in tears. I was so deeply moved, that I did not want it to end...I wanted more.

Amazon 5 Star Review: Don’t think I’ve enjoyed a set of short stories more... The writing and the editing are superb, but the stories are wonderful imaginative vignettes, with charming settings, a few were uplifting,.. And these authors also donated their profits to a very good cause.

Your comments and feedback are highly valued! If you enjoyed any of my stories, please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads! It makes a big difference, thank you!