Thursday, June 25, 2015

Announcing a Special Jane Austen Read-Along



Occasionally a special project comes along that sneaks up on you and begs to become a labor of love.

When you're in marketing, it's sadly easy for individual books to get lost in the vast list of upcoming releases. It's just the nature of the ever-hungry, never-satisfied beast that is the world of publishing (pardon the cliché).

But The Prayers of Jane Austen is one delicacy I'd like to take the time to savor with you. To pause and ponder and enjoy for a little while.

So many of us have been inspired by Jane Austen in one way or another. By a heartfelt moral lesson embedded in a character's journey. By the hope of her brilliantly conceived happily-ever-afters. By being a part of the welcoming community of her many fans. (Looking at you, #BookBesties!)

Now we can be inspired in a whole new way (at least for many of us). Jane's prayers are not nearly as widely known as her novels, and we don't have a large collection left to us. But the few samples we do have are rich and sweet and certainly worth mulling over together.

So won't you join us for a thoughtful celebration of the release of this precious gift book?

I'm delivering you a formal invitation...

Dear Friend,
The honor of your presence is requested at the read-along of Persuasion and The Prayers of Jane Austen
This event will begin Monday, the 6th of July, and conclude Friday, the 24th of July. Gifts to be awarded and inspiration to be had by all. 

To clarify...
  • The read-along will last three weeks.
  • We'll discuss Persuasion Monday through Thursday of each week. (If I've done my division right, that means we'll discuss 2 chapters a day for a total of 24 chapters. Do let me know if that's not adding up for you with your copy of the book!)
  • We'll discuss one prayer from The Prayers of Jane Austen on Friday of each week (for a total of three prayers). 
  • One hardcover copy of The Prayers of Jane Austen will be given away to a U.S. participant each week of the read-along, with winners notified on Saturdays (the 11th, 18th, and 25th). With thanks to the generosity of the book's editor - huzzah!

So pen this event in your planner or note it on your calendar, and get ready to get further inspired by the beloved Jane Austen.

P.S. Feel free to take the button above and share it on your blog or social media page to announce your participation in the read-along! You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #InspiredByAusten or tag along on Pinterest via the Inspired By Austen board. (Just leave a comment here or there if you'd like to be invited to pin on the board.)

P.P.S. The Prayers of Jane Austen officially releases on July 1st. You can order your copy now on the Harvest House website, Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, Christianbook.com, or another e-retailer. Available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Disclaimer: I am employed by the publisher of The Prayers of Jane Austen, but this read-along is something I'm doing in my free time because I want to. :)

12 comments:

Alicia said...

Oh, this looks like so much fun! :-) I'm hoping to join in, but I'm going on vacation this July (dates TBD) so we'll see if it works out! :-) Either way, thanks for alerting us to the release of this book - It looks like a perfect birthday/Christmas gift for several people on my list this year! :-)

Courtney Clark (The Green Mockingbird Blog) said...

Yay! This will be so much fun! Thank you, Amber, for organizing it. The planned schedule sounds wonderful :) #bookbesties

Kara said...

It sounds like July is going to be splendiferously fabulous! Can't wait to enjoy all the fun. Yay!!! #BookBesties :D

Carissa said...

Can't wait to enjoy the fun. I've been meaning to reread Persuasion it's my favorite Jane Austen. I would like to be invited to pin on the board.

Ariel Wilson said...

Hi Amber! I nominated you for a blog award, and the post will go up on my blog on Tuesday :) I hope you stop by to see who else I nominated!

http://thelibrariansbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Amber Holcomb said...

Alicia,

Awesome! You're totally welcome to join in for whatever part of the discussion/read-along you can. :) I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

And I'm so glad I could introduce you to The Prayers of Jane Austen! It's a small collection (we only have a few of Jane's prayers), but it makes a lovely little giftbook for a nightstand or bookshelf - with a pretty cover and illustrations to go along with the beautiful prayers and intro/essay.

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Courtney,

You're so welcome! Thank you so much for joining in so enthusiastically and supporting the book launch and read-along. :) I'm looking forward to chatting more about Jane Austen's works with you! #BookBestiesForever

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Kara,

So happy you think so, friend! Thank you for joining in and making the occasion even more fun. :D #BookBestiesForever

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Carissa,

Hooray! So cool to hear that Persuasion is your favorite. I'm looking forward to enjoying it for the first time. :)

Glad to have you as part of the read-along and Pinterest group!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Ariel,

Aww, thank you! Will keep an eye out for the post. :) Thanks for thinking of me!

~Amber

Rachelle Rea Cobb said...

How exciting! This looks like such fun! I can't commit right now, but ya'll have a blast! :)

Amber Holcomb said...

Rachelle,

Aww, thank you! Would love to have you join, but I totally understand not being able to commit. Life keeps us all busy, doesn't it? :) Appreciate you stopping by!

~Amber