Miss Price's Decision Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY!

Many of you will recognize the name Eliza Shearer from her appearances in Austen in August, including this year's discussion of the darkness that permeates Mansfield Park. Eliza's latest release delves into that same novel, and today, she's dropping by to give you two things: some insight into her protagonist, Susan Price, and a chance to a copy of Miss Darcy's Decision!

Click through to read the post and enter to win!

Miss Price’s Decision: Character Interview & Giveaway

Thanks for having me on your blog again, Misty! I am delighted to be here today to present my second novel in the Austeniana series after Miss Darcy’s Beaux: Miss Price’s Decision, a Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice crossover.

The book tells the story of Susan Price, Fanny’s younger sister in Mansfield Park. Of late, I have grown increasingly more interested in Jane Austen’s darkest novel; I suppose it was natural for my second Austeniana protagonist to stem from there.

I suspected that Susan, with her vivacity and determination, would make a very Austenesque leading lady, and she has certainly delivered! Today I have the pleasure of sharing an exclusive interview with her. I hope you enjoy it.

If you’d like to enter the giveaway for one ebook copy of the novel, do not forget to comment on this thread. Best of luck!

Interview with Susan Price

Miss Price is sitting across from me. She is a very pretty young woman, with finely-drawn features, a graceful figure and soft curls that frame her face. However, what strikes me the most are her sparkling eyes, which observe everything with never-ending curiosity.

It is immediately apparent that Miss Price is very different in temperament from her older sister Fanny, now Mrs Bertram, who is notoriously timid. I am intrigued to find out more about her.

ES: Thanks, Miss Price, for joining us today.

SP: Not a problem at all. It is delightful to do something different for a change.

ES: What do you mean by that?

SP (lowers the tone of her voice): Just between you and me, life at Mansfield Park is rather dull. I mean, I loved it here when I arrived from Portsmouth. Everything was so shiny, elegant and expensive-looking! But now that I have been Lady Bertram’s companion for five years, I am growing somewhat restless…

ES: How are your sister and her husband, Mr Bertram?

MP: They are very well, I thank you. They have a little boy called William, after my eldest brother, who is still at sea at His Majesty’s service. They work tirelessly for the parish, and we see them every week. Little William is quite the apple of my aunt’s eye.

ES: Is Lady Bertram’s pug quite jealous then?

SP (laughing ): Well, my aunt does doat on pug! But the poor thing is getting on. I dare not think what will happen to Lady Bertram when it is no longer there.

ES: Please excuse my forthrightness, but is it true that Lady Bertram is quite lazy?

SP (bites her lip): From what Fanny has told me, my aunt has never had the liveliest of temperaments. Having said that, Lady Bertram has become less and less active over the last few months, and I am quite worried about her. The local apothecary has recommended that she visits a specialist in London to find out what is wrong with her. My aunt hates the thought of leaving Mansfield Park, of course.

ES: I am sorry to hear that.

SP (sighs): The thing is, I feel terrible, but I am secretly pleased at the news. I need a change of scenery, or I shall go crazy. The prospect of a trip to London is so exciting! My cousin, Mrs Yates, and her husband have a house in one of the most elegant addresses in town, and we are to stay with them for a few days.

ES: Have you ever been to London?

SP: No, never. I have only ever been to Portsmouth and Mansfield Park, but I have always dreamt of travelling far. If I were a man, by now I would be working for my uncle in his Antigua plantation. (Frowning) It is not fair on our sex, is it?

ES: What is your relationship with Sir Thomas? My understanding is that he is very strict.

SP (smiling): Did Fanny tell you that? She used to live in fear of him, I hear, which is quite funny. I find Sir Thomas a very kind uncle. He sets the boundaries under his roof, but he is always very polite and respectful, and I would never say he has a temper. Certainly not the sort of temper my father sported after an afternoon at the tavern.

My interviewee falls silent, so I change the subject.

ES: Other than your upcoming trip to London, what else are excited about?

SP: Springtime! I love sketching nature, and the flowers are getting prettier by the day. A while back, I found some drawing materials in the old Mansfield Park nursery, and I practise whenever I have the chance. I find it very soothing.

ES: I was thinking more about love interests…

SP (blushes): Not at the moment, no.

ES: Has there been anyone in the past?

SP (sighs) There was someone in Portsmouth, many moons ago. Jamie was his name, but we were barely out of childhood. He left aboard an East Indiaman alongside my brother Richard, and I have not seen him in years.

Something tells me that Miss Price’s affection for this young man is still very much alive, but for once she looks so flustered that I decide to leave it here. I am sure that she will find the adventure she craves in the big city, and perhaps even find a way out of her subdued life at Mansfield Park.

Whether that includes the mysterious Jamie, I cannot say, but I do know that she will become acquainted with a certain Mr Darcy… It’s a small world, isn’t it?

Find out what happens to Susan Price in Miss Price’s Decision, available on Amazon and Kobo.


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About Eliza Shearer

Eliza Shearer has been a Jane Austen fan for as long as she can remember, regularly convincing family and friends to join in on pilgrimages to Austen-related sites and events. She is the author of the Austeniana series of Austen-inspired variations, which include Miss Darcy’s Beaux and Miss Price’s Decision.

Having lived in different countries, Eliza is fluent in several languages and now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her husband, two children, and a tortie cat. Eliza is very partial to satin slippers, but like her namesake Elizabeth Bennet, she has never cared much for cards.

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About Miss Price's Decision
Historical Romance, 216 pages
Publication Date: October 17, 2019

Pretty, talented and hungry for adventure, young Susan Price is secretly thrilled when the poor health of Lady Bertram, her aunt and protector, forces a departure from sedate Mansfield Park. London and Bath offer a world of possibilities and new friendships, such as the Allens and Miss Morland, or Mr Bingley and his mysterious friend, Mr Darcy. However, with momentous decisions on the horizon, new enemies that threaten her place in the Bertram household and an unexpected encounter from her Portsmouth past, will Susan's self-belief and unlikely allies be enough to secure her happiness?