Guest Post: Jane Odiwe, Author of Mr. Darcy’s Secret
February 17, 2011 by Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)
Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming Jane Odiwe to Diary of an Eccentric. Jane is the author of Lydia Bennet’s Story (my review), Willoughby’s Return, and most recently, Mr. Darcy’s Secret (my review). I’ve enjoyed Jane’s work because she stays true to Austen’s characters and writes humorous dialogue that I think Austen herself would appreciate.
Please give a warm welcome to Jane Odiwe, who has stopped by to show us her writing space:
Thank you very much, Anna, for inviting me onto your blog today to talk about my writing space.
I’m very lucky to have a room of my own in which to write; I’m surrounded by books, and objects, decorative items and photos that I love or have sentimental meaning. Because my novels are inspired by the work of Jane Austen there is usually to be found a tottering pile of books from which I’m researching – it doesn’t look too bad on the day I took these photos, but I’m sure you can spot the copies of Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy’s Secret. On the bookshelves are all the books that I love – some I’ve kept from my childhood, which include Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield, A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Favourite books of mine that I read over and over apart from all of Jane’s novels, of course, include Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Armin, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, and The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton. Amongst these wonderful authors, I have a box of my own illustrated stories I wrote to entertain my sister and brother, that I did when I was very young, with titles like ‘The Smiles Family’, ‘The China Gentleman’, and ‘The Magic Shop’.
I’m not a very tidy person as you can see, and apart from notebooks and sketchbooks, I have endless pieces of paper on which I jot down ideas as they come to me. I wish I could write them all in my notebook, but I don’t seem to be able to do that very well, and end up searching for ages trying to find one tiny nugget of information that I know I was here somewhere a minute ago!
I love Regency prints, and like to refer to pictures for details of costumes, or sometimes the figures depicted might give me an idea for a character so they get dotted about. I have some special photos of my children as babies, and other family photos including one of me and my lovely sister taken in a park with our Grandmother. She always made her own dresses, she and my Mum were very clever like that. My Grandmother is wearing a soft floral pink frock, a belted style she always preferred, and she has on her beads – how times and clothes have changed!
I am the luckiest person in the world. People from all over the world write to me, I’ve received such wonderful greetings cards and letters, and occasionally someone sends a little gift through the post. One lady in Hampshire found my Effusions of Fancy book in Steventon Church and has written to me ever since. She sent me the beautiful ribbon bookmark and the rosebud box, and an Australian lady who writes regularly sent me the wise owl who sits on my desk along with many useful notebooks and lovely books. I am very spoiled! I have a beautiful hand-made book from a lady in Brazil, hand-made jewelery from an American lady, Regency costume made by my cousin in Worcester, and a gorgeous rag-doll stitched by my sister-in-law when I was ill a long time ago. My Indian dolls are amongst my favourite things – sometimes they like to be together, and at other times, I get the distinct impression that time apart is a good thing. I think they have a love/hate relationship like Lizzy and Darcy; they love each other really, but are both very stubborn!
I love trinket boxes. I have a lovely one bought by my brother and his wife when they went travelling all over the world, and my husband bought me a treasured one with a patch box hidden inside, which has ‘love and unite’ on the lid.
Apart from all the lovely things I have to look at, I have my pots of pencils and paintbrushes, which invariably go astray as we have several artists in the house, and music to listen to when I’m writing. It’s my favourite place which takes me back in time to another world!
Thank you, Anna for asking me here today. I wonder, do your readers have a favourite place to work or create in? I’d love to hear about it!
Thanks, Jane, for sharing your photos! I like to write and blog in my recliner, but sometimes I have to move around the house to avoid the noise.
Courtesy of Sourcebooks, I have 2 copies of Mr. Darcy’s Secret to offer to my readers. To enter, please leave a comment answering the question Jane posed at the end of her guest post, and be sure to leave your e-mail address. Because the publisher is shipping the books, this giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian addresses only. This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.
**Please note that this giveaway is now closed**
Disclosure: I am an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
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I’d like to be entered in the giveaway….
I really love writing outside, but in winter around here, that gets a bit tricky, especially if its frigid and there is too much snow on the patio. I’ve always written poetry outside, even in college in the State House Park in Boston, which was a great place to people watch for inspiration.
I’ll post this giveaway in my sidebar for you!
I love Jane’s writing space and all those artistic sketches…did she do all of those herself or is there someone else artistic in the family? I also think she has a more organized writing space than I would have if I had room to make one.
Being a retired school librarian, I no longer work, but spend most of my time reading. As for being creative, I do keep a daily journal, and try to write a personal note to friends and/or family fairly regularly. All of this – reading, writing, following blogs on the internet – I do from a comfortable chair with my laptop, my book, and my journal on a nearby end table.
Enjoyed the author’s guest post, and thanks for the giveaway.
What a lovely room to create in. I would love to visit and explore everything! Right now I am working at cleaning up a corner of the basement to carve out a writing nook for myself.
I would like to be entered into the giveaway.
As for me, if I did have a “creativity room” it would be something with windows all around. Window seats with shelves for my books under the seats. Definitely some skylights. I would have a central work table with drop cloths where I would sculpt — may be papier mache, may be clay. Uninterrupted view of nature and of course, time to indulge in all this!
Hey, there are no taxes on dreams, right?
Very lovely and interesting guest post! The photos add a great deal of charm. My writing space is my pale green IKEA computer desk, which I try to keep tidy, although I take notes just about everywhere else imaginable.
Please enter me in this giveaway, which I will add to my blog’s sidebar. Thank you, Anna and Jane!
suko95(at)gmail(dot)com
What a wonderful giveaway and I would love to be entered to win! To me, a favorite place to work in, is at home at my desk because I am most comfortable there. It is set up to suit me and when it’s quiet and peaceful there first thing in the morning I can get so much done!
amusedbybooks@gmail.com
Oh Anna, I’m not a writer but I am creative with yarn and sticks! Or my spinning wheel. I really hope that counts for this.
I love doing my craft ANYWHERE, there’s always a knitting or crochet project with me. I spin in the master bedroom in my recliner since my fiber and yarns are housed in the master closet (to keep the cats away).
I do love reading though and enjoy books to the point of visiting the library at least once every three weeks. Please enter me?
dsknits2 (at) comcast (dot) net.
Lovely guest post – what a lovely, creative, inspiring house!
The flat is so tiny so that is one big no, so wherever there is room
Nice post, I do wanna read the book since I have a weakness, JA variations
I loved looking at the photos you posted…just finished this one last week and loved it!!
Just realized I did not leave my e-mail address before. Here it is: kpsrcmgmailcom
I can easily picture you working and drawing in this space. Very cozy or cosy. Mary
I would love to be entered in this giveaway! I usually lock myself in the quiet of my room to work on my stories (In a house shared with eight other people it is hard to get any quiet at all!). I recently completed a short story and I am trying for the very first time to get it published, I locked myself up for about two weeks to get it finished!
I tend to be very creative in the classroom at the school where I’m employed. I’m not sure what it is. The endless supplies, the idea sparkers or the fact that when I’m creative, I get so much feedback and positive affirmation? Whatever it is, work has become the place where I’m at my most creative.
I don’t yet have my ideal working space, although I have a lovely view of the Boston skyline from my apartment. If I could combine that view with a rolling top writing desk with fountain pens, nice stationery and writing-paper in the drawers, and a room with bookcases filled with books on three walls (the fourth wall would be the window), I’m sure I would be a very happy and productive lady.
It’s lovely to hear about everybody’s working spaces! I’m so glad you enjoyed mine-I do try and be tidy, but I don’t succeed very often. Thank you so much, Anna for inviting me onto your fantastic blog!
You’re very welcome, Jane!
Great post! I like her Austen inspired writing space. And the Mr. Darcy’s Secret sounds really good
I enjoy crocheting on my couch while watching tv myself.
Please enter me.
I get most creative in the middle of the night, extra creative if I’m sick, and when sitting on the couch something will suddenly pop into my head.
This giveaway is now closed. The winners will be chosen randomly and announced soon. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read Jane’s guest post and to share the spaces that spark your creativity.