Jane Austenesque author fails to sink!!! (Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel)

Bestselling Amazon Jane Austen-esque author Alice McVeigh (who is, let's face it, a little crazy, even for a regency writer) is in Crete to sell her new, BookLife Prize-top rated novel, Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel.

This book is a light, bright and summery requel to Jane Austen's novella, Lady Susan, and "borrows" several characters from both Emma and Pride and Prejudice. Publishers Weekly's BookLife Prize review said: "Pitch-perfect: this Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself."

SYNOPSIS: Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson – pretty but poor, clever but capricious – has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London. At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches her to her uncle Collins’ rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and “where nothing ever happens.” Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. What with the unexpected arrival of Frank Churchill, Alicia’s falling in love and a tumultuous elopement, rural Kent will surely never seem safe again…

REVIEWS: “Pitch-perfect: this Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself. “ “This Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself. McVeigh’s prose and plotting are pitch-perfect, and many readers will forget they’re reading a contemporary novelist… Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books' worlds… While this title will be catnip to dedicated Austen fans, even new initiates into her work will be captivated by this lively tale.” (Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize review, 10 stars out of 10)

BIO: Alice McVeigh, a London-based ghost writer and professional cellist, has had two contemporary novels published by Orion/Hachette, one dystopian thriller published by UK's Unbound (writing as Spaulding Taylor) and an Austenesque novel published by Warleigh House Press. Her first novel was optioned for filming by UK's Channel 4; her Kirkus-starred thriller has just been long-listed for Chanticleer's Cygnus Award; and Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel (an Amazon bestseller in four categories in July) has been rated "pitch-perfect, 10 out of 10" by Publishers Weekly's BookLife Prize.

“Fans of Jane Austen will be easily enraptured by Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh. Honoring the original voice of characters more than two centuries old and capturing the subtle tension and emotional complexity of youthful independence, this stylistic gem is an ambitious and memorable homage… McVeigh has set a strong foundation for a stunning six-book series and has the writing chops to deliver a hugely challenging undertaking, which will thrill fans of Jane Austen, and historical fiction fans in general.” (Senior editor, Self-Publishing Review)

“Though there have certainly been other attempts to imitate Austen’s narrative and storytelling, none have been so skilfully and masterfully executed as Alice McVeigh has achieved. The storytelling and plotting make for a truly immersive experience. Fans of Mr. Darcy, Charlotte Collins and Frank Churchill will enjoy adventures of their beloved characters woven throughout the work… Susan also serves as a bridge between the worlds of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, realizing on the page a space that no doubt many readers have long imagined... McVeigh’s impeccable prose transports readers so convincingly it is difficult to remember this work was not penned by Jane Austen herself.” (5/5 stars. Sarah Baer for IndieReader)

In August 2021, Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel was awarded an Indie B.R.A.G. medallion.

" McVeigh’s joy and affection for Jane Austen shines through, and readers who enjoy a well-told regency tale in the classic Austen style will be enchanted. There is no bodice-ripping, instead, the slow burn of suppressed passion and desperate romance." (ManyBooks editorial review)

Alice McVeigh writes with flair and finesse; the pitch between description and speech is perfect, as is the pacing. So well does she set the mood and characters that you could believe you were reading an unpublished Jane Austen novel! – Susan is filled with period ambiance, humor and wit. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by Chick Lit Café)