Wandering Wednesday: Derbyshire and Pemberley!

by Carolyn Miller @CarolynMAuthor

My brand new Regency novel, Miss Serena's Secret, is set partly in Derbyshire, so to celebrate, I thought it would be nice to take a visit to two of the iconic houses in this area, both of which have been used in filmed versions of one of my all time favourite novels, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Devonshire, and has been in the Cavendish family's possession for sixteen generations! This Baroque styled house was used as the setting for Mr Darcy's Pemberley in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley.

A grand staircase takes you up to the first of the State rooms.

Chatsworth has often been voted one of England's favourite stately homes, and it's not hard to see why. Visitors are allowed to take pictures (!), and there is so much to see in a history-filled house of such wealth and importance. The Chapel remains virtually unaltered since it was built between 1688 and 1693. Its altarpiece of alabaster and marble is stunning, and a reminder of the importance faith held for families, when they would gather for daily prayers and Sunday worship.

I wanted to show the awe of my artistic heroine (Miss Serena) as she visited a place such as this, and viewed the magnificence of the sculptures and paintings, such as those that line so many of the walls at Chatsworth. Here are some pictures I took of some of the magnificent artwork of Chatsworth, including the Sculpture Gallery from that famous scene in P&P!

Places like Chatsworth were designed to make a statement about a family's wealth and social position. This can be seen in the State and Guest bedrooms, where magnificence abounds in the furnishings, fabric and absolute attention to detail. 

Imagine being brought up in such a setting! Imagine visiting, as the far more humble daughter of a far more humble background, and being asked to dine at a table not unlike this!

One of the things I enjoyed about Chatsworth (there were so many!) was the inclusion of collectibles by the family, things that make a house more a home. The 5th Duchess of Devonshire collected minerals, and I included references to the local stone known as 'Blue John' in Miss Serena's Secret.

Of course, one can't visit Chatsworth without enjoying its magnificent gardens, with famous features such as the Cascades, designed to feed the Sea Horse fountain in the south lawn.

So much magnificence! So little time - especially if one still wants to visit the other (real!) Pemberley of Lyme Park, located not too far away in nearby Cheshire. 

Lyme Park

The exterior of this stately home was used in the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, and holds special significance because my husband worked here in its garden in the 1990s!

So here's some pics I took with my sister of the gardens and courtyard of this very stately building.

Visiting houses like these are such rare occasions for this Aussie from the opposite side of the world that one has to make the most of it via so many pictures and mementoes. For more pictures visit my website www.carolynmillerauthor.com and check out the Miss Serena's Secret page.

Want to know more about the book? Here's the blurb:

Scarred by her past, Serena Winthrop is determined to protect her heart - especially from flirts like the too smooth Viscount Carmichael. But when forced to share his roof, she discovers another side to the man who gambles with women's hearts as he does their husband's money. 

​

Henry, Lord Carmichael, struggles with the weight of his Derbyshire's family's expectations, until he finds a hope shared by the too perceptive, too young artist. But he's promised to protect his best friend's innocent sister-in-law, not charm her, much to his - and her - private dismay. 

​

When her art leads her to London infamy, he's forced to choose between the life mapped out for him, and the love of his life, with whom marriage might prove the end of his family line. 

You can purchase copies here.

Giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of Miss Serena's Secret I have one e-copy to give away, anywhere in the world. For your chance to win, leave a comment on this blog post, and to double your chances, leave a comment on the International Christian Fiction Writers July 2018 New Releases post. Entries close 31st July.

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop and Miss Serena's Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        website | facebook | pinterest | twitter | instagram

Passing it On

“I am an author,” my 10-year-old granddaughter declares with a conviction many published adults would envy. And, indeed, she is. She will read the cereal box if she has forgotten to take a book to the table. She spends hours alone in her room writing stories. She has sleepovers with a friend, and they spend the night writing. And, like a young Jane Austen, she delights in reading her stories aloud to her family.

Of course, her writer nana is thrilled to encourage her. I pass on writing tips and ask her questions about her plot when she is stuck. I listen to her reading and congratulate her—as she truly deserves. I buy books for her and gave her a pink leather journal to write her stories in—although she has recently moved up to writing them on her brother’s computer.

And, dear to my heart, she is well on her way to becoming a devout Janeite. She reads the Little Miss Austenbooks (supplied by Nana) to her little sisters, and has read an unabridged Pride and Prejudice herself. I followed up her reading with a “book discussion group” between the two of us.

I have also give her Eva Marie Hamilton’s delightful Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility colouring and puzzle books, which we do together when I visit.

The crowning touch came on my latest visit when I was able to take her and her mother to the Pride andPrejudice Ball in Calgary. We began the day with English Country Dance lessons.

Then fashioned a Regency hairstyle for her.

Earlier in the week we had remodeled a Disney princess gown a friend had given her and used the cut-off sleeves to make a reticule. The perfect cloak was waiting on a cupboard—another hand-me-down from a friend. She was very concerned that everything we do be “period correct” which made the entire event a teaching moment—even to her lacing nana into her stays.

The ball was a true Cinderella dream. This was not a children’s event. Many an adult male registered surprise, then grinned, when he turned to “set” to his new corner and found she was four feet tall. Our princess danced every dance and never missed a step.

Will my budding author become a professional? I believe the odds are high. But if not, by encouraging her current interests I have helped give her a foundation for a lifetime of pleasure in books. That may well be the greatest contribution I can make to literature.

Indeed, passing on our knowledge and enthusiasms and encouraging the next generation is so much of what life is all about. Those of us who love books can support libraries, volunteer with children in schools, Sunday school and other community programs. Picking up on a child’s interests and encouraging them may well be the greatest contribution any of us can make.

Donna Fletcher Crow has 14 grandchildren, all of whom she endeavors to encourage in their varied interests. She has authored 2 contemporary mystery novels with Jane Austen backgrounds: A Jane Austen Encounter which visits all of Jane Austen's homes and A Most Singular Venture, murder in Jane Austen's London. She looks forward to passing  these on to her granddaughter as well.

Fictional Fathers

In honor of Father’s Day yesterday, I thought I’d write about fictional fathers today.

Do you have a favorite fictional father?

I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I must say I really liked Mr. Bennet in the book “Pride and Prejudice” when he didn’t side with his wife who wanted to force Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins.

“And unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

It was a moment when one had to cheer or at least laugh as they read his words.

As for fathers in movies, I think the father in the movie “Life is Beautiful” was extraordinary. To keep his son happy and believing that everything was fine by playing a game while they were actually in peril during war was beyond commendable.

And finally, a father who stands out in a TV show would be Jonathan Kent in Smallville. His love for his family was unquestionable. Here’s an excerpt from one of the episodes:

“Clark Kent: You died because of me. When Jor-El brought me back to life and restored my powers... he told me there'd be a price to - the life of someone I love. I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry.

Jonathan Kent: Clark... believe me, you have nothing to be sorry about. I lived a full wonderful life. I had everything a husband or a father could ever possibly dream of. I am so very proud that I died protecting you.” 

So now it’s your turn to share some of your favorite fictional fathers, because there are plenty more out there.

And for all the real life fathers who put their children and family first, and love them with everything they have and all that they are, I hope you enjoyed the very best of Father’s Days yesterday!

Eva Maria Hamilton is the author of Highland Hearts, a Love Inspired Historical novel published by Harlequin. Her novel, Highland Hearts, won 2^nd Place in the Historical Romance, as well as the Traditional/Inspirational Romance Categories in the Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Awards, and was an Inspirational Series Finalist in the 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

Highland Hearts

Scotland 1748
The Battle of Culloden is over, but one Highlander’s fight has just begun…
Logan McAllister survived years of indentured servitude in the Americas to reach this moment. Now he’s returned to Scotland, ready to redeem the secret promise from Sheena Montgomery’s father – that his years as an indentured servant would earn him Sheena’s hand in marriage. But when he arrives home, he learns that Sheena’s father has died, his contract has been lost… and Sheena is engaged to another man.

To connect with Eva Maria Hamilton online, please visit her at www.evamariahamilton.com