An award-nominated hybrid author, Virginia Carmichael is a homeschooling mother of six young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in Religious Studies and Theoretical Linguistics, and has a Jane Austen quote on the back of her van. Writing also under the pen name of Mary Jane Hathaway, her 'Austen Takes the South' series was originally self published, but has recently transitioned to Howard Books/ Simon and Schuster. Madly in love with a man who has never read Pride and Prejudice, Virginia spends the majority of her literary energy on subjects unrelated to Jane Austen, but her heart always returns to all things Jane. She can be reached on facebook at 'Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits' or her regular author page of Virginia Carmichael