The Latest from Devoney (Sept. '22)

Upcoming Roll Outs of Sister Novelists, Austen Mondays, and Where We Belong

Dear Jane-Friends:

Do you feel like you blinked and summer passed? Jane Austen captured this sensation when she wrote in an October 25, 1808 letter to her sister, “It came into my head that at this time of year we have not summer evenings.” The shock is real!

SISTER NOVELISTS OUT ON 25 OCTOBER 2022

Of course it’s not quite October 25th yet, but that date looms large. It marks the upcoming release of Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontës.

My publisher (Bloomsbury US) is sending a few early signed copies to the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Annual General Meeting in Victoria, BC, to be sold a month early, only by fab Jane Austen Books. If you buy one of these special early copies of Sister Novelists, take a photo and send it to me? Or post and tag! If, like me, you won’t be at JASNA in person, please consider pre-ordering it.

I’m thrilled to report Sister Novelists got a starred review from Kirkus (calling it “a triumph of literary detective work and storytelling”) and was included in Apple’s “Most Anticipated Books” for non-fiction in the fall. I want to get these Regency women’s dramatic life stories into as many readers’ hands as possible! If you have ideas for me for how to do that, please reach out!

MORE JANE: AUSTEN MONDAYS STARTING ON 9/19

What are you up to on Monday? Join me and host Edward Pettit of the Rosenbach Museum for the first episode of the FREE live online program, “Austen Mondays.” On 9/19 at 7 p.m. ET, we'll talk about the first three chapters of Pride and Prejudice. Ed shares a mixed-drink recipe, so the show’s got that sit-on-the-sofa-and-drink-as-much-wine-as-I-like vibe! In coming weeks, Ed will host guests Janine Barchas, Jocelyn Harris, and Deborah Yaffe! (It’s taped for later watching, too.) Register here.

WHERE WE BELONG BOOK ON KICKSTARTER

I love this photographer’s work: Alejandra Carles-Tolra has been visually recording the adventures of a small group of British Janeites and collected the stunning shots into a book I’ve just backed on Kickstarter. As I write this, it’s half way to its funding goal. Maybe you’ll want to help get it published, too? Even if not, enjoy her incredible photos, like this one:

GET OUT YOUR CALENDAR: BOOK TOUR FOR SISTER NOVELISTS

When people ask me if I’m on a book tour for Sister Novelists, I always say “Yes!” although that means a combination of staying home and venturing out. I’ll be updating my list of events on the book’s new website, SisterNovelists.com, with events you might put on your calendar below. Maybe I’ll “see” or even see you soon?

I’ll hope you’ll allow me the privilege of sneaking into your in-box again in a month, close to the release of the book. Thanks so much for staying connected and sharing more Jane-tastic adventures.

Your dutiful and obedient humble servant,
Devoney

P. S. DO YOU LIKE TO RATE/REVIEW THINGS?
Add Sister Novelists to your “Want to Read” on Goodreads and pre order the book!

DO YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW THINGS?
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, BookBub, or YouTube.

UPCOMING EVENTS WITH DEVONEY: SISTER NOVELISTS BOOK TOUR

PHOENIX: 24 October (6 p.m. AZ), Changing Hands, Phoenix (bookstore in person)
TULSA: 14 November (7:00 p.m. CT), Magic City Books (bookstore in person)
MINNEAPOLIS: 16 February, (7 p.m. CT), Magers and Quin, Minneapolis, MN (bookstore in person)

ONLINE: 19 September (5 p.m. ET), “Austen Mondays for The Rosenbach”
ONLINE: 4 November (Time TBA), Austen Con Event (with Janet Saidi)
ONLINE: 15 November (5 p.m. ET), Lecture and Q&A in “Reading with Austen”