Mr. Darcy’s Persuasion by Cass Grafton & Ada Bright: Interview + Giveaway

Hello, friends! I’m delighted to welcome Cass Grafton and Ada Bright back today to celebrate the release of their latest novel, Mr. Darcy’s Persuasion. We had a lovely chat about the book and more, and they’re also giving away some copies. Please give them a warm welcome!

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• What inspired you to merge Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion in Mr. Darcy’s Persuasion? What was your favorite part of combining those two stories? Were there any particular challenges in doing so?

Cass: We both love these two books so much, it was almost a natural step to want to write a crossover. I’d had a thought some years ago about how some of the characters might meet (which is revealed early on, in the Prologue), and I think my favourite part was discovering how well they worked together on the page. 

I don’t recall any challenges in that respect, though we don’t use too many characters from Persuasion outside of the immediate Elliot family and Captain Wentworth. This is mainly because we’re following the timeline for Pride & Prejudice and the story is set in the winter of 1811, meaning it’s three years earlier for all the characters of Persuasion—i.e. Anne Elliot is 24, not 27, and Captain Wentworth is away at sea. It also means Lady Russell is passing the winter in Bath, as she does, Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove are away at school because they are younger in this story and Mr Elliot (the heir) is not yet widowed and is still estranged from the family.

Ada: What she said. 😉

• Tell us something that you’re especially excited about regarding the new book. A particular scene? An original character? Having both Darcy and Wentworth in the same book?!?!?

Cass: Well, yes, having two such lovely men to work with was not exactly a hardship, and I’m sure Ada will agree. There are so many scenes I love, but there are a few secrets winging around throughout the story, so it’s hard to share specifics. I think the thing I’m most excited about is how we’ve weaved the mystery elements of the book in through the romance. I get excited to hear when readers have picked up on a clue we’ve dropped!

Ada: I was really just so excited to work with Anne. While I may not be like her in many ways, I find her very sympathetic. I hadn’t dreamed up a new future for her, so finally playing in her world was really satisfying!

• Your co-written novels are so seamless. What process do you use for co-writing? Do you each write certain scenes/characters/POVs? How do you handle the plotting, edits/rewrites, etc.? How difficult do you find co-writing when living in different parts of the world?

Cass: This is one of Ada’s favourites, so I’ll leave her to answer the various questions more specifically. In summary, though, we both work on every aspect of our co-written novels, whether it is scenes, individual characters or POVs. Plotting is usually a brainstorm at the beginning. There are a LOT of video calls, and this year, Zoom has been our saviour!

Ada: Oo! Oo! Call on me! I am excessively long winded about this so I’ll try to be brief.

We both write everything in the book is the honest truth. Here’s how it works.

1. Cass pitches a plot (the plots I pitch usually involve car chases and Cass leaves those to my solo work).

2. We meet up somewhere on the globe and we talk about it while we walk around areas we think will be used in the book: letting ourselves meander through the story both figuratively and literally until we are ready to write our outline (here is also where we decide on actors to stand in for the image in our heads for each character).

3. We go back home, slightly worse for wear, and I start brazenly writing whatever scene I want while Cass starts exactly where one logically should: at the beginning.

4. We send each other our scenes and start editing what we’ve received from each other. This goes back and forth (each of us adding to the scenes) until one of us gets stuck and starts to doubt the validity of our plans.

5. At 10:30 pm my time and 7am Cass-time we Zoom and work out any kinks (or yell at each other—but usually we just laugh). Then I go to bed and leave Cass to fix the problems. When I wake up, I have a new set of solutions or questions in my email which I try to solve while Cass drinks some wine.

6. When all is mostly said and done we usually do a full read thru with each other out loud to check pacing etc. There’s more, but I can expect your eyes and ears are bleeding so I’ll stop.

Cass: Well it’s sort of like that! We have a 9-hour time difference, and I’m a morning person and Ada’s a night owl, so being so far apart works perfectly for us.

• What drew you to Austen’s novels, and then to writing Austenesque novels?

Cass: Pride & Prejudice was a set book for an English Literature exam at school when I was 15, and I went on to read all the novels from there. I wrote my first Austen-inspired novel because of the proposal in the rain scene from the 2005 movie. I couldn’t believe, despite the ‘conversation’ that had taken place, that the character of Darcy, as a gentleman, would have left Elizabeth Bennet in a downpour and with no way to get back to Hunsford safely—so I sent him back to her!

Ada: I just love to dream in any of the worlds I love. Add to that how beautifully reserved Austen was with her romantic resolutions and therein lies the connection impetus to dream on paper. 

• What’s your favorite Austen novel, hero, heroine?

Cass: Persuasion is my favourite, very closely followed by Pride & Prejudice. When I was younger it was the other way around, but I love Captain Wentworth’s letter so much, and find I identify far more with Anne Elliot than Lizzy Bennet, so it’s become my number one. I do also have a soft spot for Mr Knightley, though!

I do wonder what Jane Austen would think of Persuasion’s popularity, especially as she chose not to publish it when she finished writing the novel. Did she plan to make changes? Was it because it resonated too closely with her? I wish we knew!

Ada: Pride & Prejudice is my favorite novel, with Elinor from Sense & Sensibility being my favorite heroine and Captain Wentworth my favorite hero… purely for his letter honestly, I do not love witnessing his flirtations before he gets completely distracted by Anne! 

• In your previous novels, you merged the past and the present. Do you enjoy writing contemporary novels or Regency-era novels more?

Cass: It wasn’t a conscious thing, but I do find it funny on reflection to have started in the past, then gone on to write time-travel, hopping between the present and the past, and then moving onto contemporary. It’s as though I needed to travel through time myself! 

The big advantage of writing historical is it’s easy to create conflict and stumbling blocks for the characters. You only need a letter to go astray (or where it shouldn’t), or for the weather to play up to impact the characters.

I think I love them equally, and it’s why I’m happy to be able to indulge in all three categories.

Ada: I have to say contemporary because what Cass finds easy (being comfortable writing in a historical setting) I find very difficult. It gives me structure I badly need, but also stifles some of my best jokes 😉 . 

• Do you want to give us a hint about what’s next, book-wise? Do you have another co-writing project in the works? Anything you’re writing on your own that you’d like to share?

Cass: I have a few projects on the go, and we have third (and final, Ada) time-travel novel to write. We’ve plotted it out and it completes the 3-book series nicely, I think.  My next project, however, will be contemporary. I started a heart-warming romance series set in Cornwall last year and hope to work on the second and third ones this year.

Ada: I also have a few projects “on the go”. We have 3-5 more of our time travel adventures to write (trust me, Cass will cave. We have barely even begun to talk about the gravestones!), and I am writing a romantic suspense series, the first of which is done and the next I am researching—when not hanging over my 5th grader’s shoulder in distance learning. 

• What books have you read recently that you’d like to recommend, Austenesque or otherwise?

Cass: I’ll be honest and say I read far less than I wish I did. I used to be a prolific reader, but when I’m in full writing mode, I find it hard to come out of the world I am in to read another book. I have made exceptions for my writer friends, though, and as a few of them have new releases coming this year, I’m looking forward to getting back into reading again!

Ada: I am in love with Robert Galbreath’s Coroman Strike series.

Thank you both so much for taking time to answer my questions and for being my guests today! Congratulations on your new book!

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About Mr. Darcy’s Persuasion

Two of Jane Austen’s classics collide in this intriguing tale of pride, prejudice and persuasion, set in England’s beautiful West Country.

In the aftermath of the Netherfield Ball, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are determined to find respite—Darcy from the allure of the lady and the feelings she evokes in him, and Elizabeth from the drama unfolding at Longbourn.

Fate is not done with them, however, as they both—unbeknownst to the other—take refuge on the Kellynch estate in Somersetshire, home to Sir Walter Elliot and two of his daughters.

Whilst Elizabeth takes solace from her friendship with Anne Elliot, Darcy finds little comfort in his reacquaintance with the woman fast taking hold of his heart—or, indeed, in the eldest Miss Elliot’s company, whose fluttering eyelashes make her intentions plain.

As for Anne, it is five long years since she last laid eyes upon Frederick Wentworth, and though her regret lingers, she has found some contentment in life… until distressing news of the captain arrives.

When hints of deep secrets emerge—some recently stolen, others harboured for decades—the mystery begins to wrap tendrils around Darcy as he struggles to free himself from its ever-tightening bonds.

Can Darcy discover the truth before it is too late? Will Elizabeth even care if he does? And just what has become of Captain Wentworth?

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About the Authors

Both avid bookworms since childhood, Cass Grafton and Ada Bright write the sort of stories they love to read – heart-warming, character driven and strong on location. Cass loves travelling, words, cats and wine but never in the same glass. Ada loves nothing more than a good, subtle love story… well, except cake. She also really loves cake.

Cass and Ada are close friends who enjoy writing together. Their popular time-travel romance series featuring Jane Austen recently came out on audio and they have just completed a Regency inspired novel, Mr Darcy’s Persuasion, in which two of Jane Austen’s classics collide.

When they are not working together, Cass writes uplifting contemporary romance and Ada writes romantic suspense.  

Connect with Cass & Ada:

Amazon Author Pages

http://author.to/CassGrafton

http://author.to/AdaBright

Blogs

www.cassandragrafton.com

www.tabbycow.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/CassGraftonWriter

https://www.facebook.com/cassie.grafton/

https://www.facebook.com/missyadabright

Twitter

@CassGrafton

@missyadabright

Instagram

@cassgraftonwriter

@adacakes

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Giveaway

Cass and Ada are generously offering 2 ebook copies of Mr. Darcy’s Persuasion, open internationally. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. This giveaway will be open through Sunday, March 21, 2021. The winners will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

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Fitzwilliam Darcy, Undone by Sue Barr: Interview + Giveaway

Hello, friends! If you’re on the lookout for a new and very different take on Pride and Prejudice, well, you’re in for a treat! Sue Barr is here today to celebrate the release of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Undone. Please give her a warm welcome!

What would Pride & Prejudice be like if Darcy and Elizabeth had a touch of magic in their lives?

What is more challenging – tackling a character as renown as Fitzwilliam Darcy or having to give life and voice to a character fresh out of your imagination?

For me, a fresh character is harder to give voice because in JAFF the readers already know the background of the key players. Yes, we massage them into different situations and storylines, but the key components of WHO they are remains the same. In a new novel, you have the task of building their back story and showing their personalities/quirks. How they think and feel, their goals and motivations. All of this has to be done in a way that doesn’t bog down the story line and put the poor readers to sleep.

What did you feel was the greatest message that would resonate with readers?

Something extremely simple. When you meet the one you are fated to love, nothing will keep you apart. In fiction, our heroes and heroines battle against odds that would stagger mere mortals and in Fitzwilliam Darcy ~ Undone, Fitzwilliam is willing to give his life in order to save Elizabeth, and Lizzy, upon seeing him fall unleashes her full potential. They are inexorably intertwined for eternity.

Was there anything different in writing this novel compared to your previous books?

Ummm… yes….? The biggest difference being a mature, sensual scene. My previous books, written under my own name, have been sweet with a little heat but the bedroom door remained firmly closed. In Fitzwilliam Darcy ~ Undone, we not only peeked through the keyhole but took a ringside seat. Not a long scene, but very… ahem… informative. *cheeky wink*

How did your impression of Darcy change from “Pride and Prejudice” to “Fitzwilliam Darcy, Undone”?

Not a lot, if I’m being truthful. As stated before, I’ve always seen him as a deeply passionate man. Once he gave his heart and knew his love was returned, there would be no holding him back. In this book I was allowed to ‘show’ his nature rather than hint at it.

When you’re not writing, what renews your spirit?

Other than my faith, which renews my soul on a daily basis, I’m a big proponent of #KnowWhatsInYourFood. This means eating as close to the ground as you can. I make almost everything from scratch. I’m lucky there are lots of farms and orchards in the area and I preserve fruit and vegetables in season. I make my own brown sugar, jams/jellies, vanilla – Bourbon vanilla being the latest – tomato sauce, and bake bread/buns weekly. For me, cooking and baking to feed my family in a healthy way makes my heart smile.

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About Fitzwilliam Darcy, Undone

She’s the outcast in her family…

Elizabeth knows she’s different from the rest of her family. She has visions and strange dreams and sees things others do not. With the advent of the odious Mr. Darcy and his friends from Netherfield Park, as well as the amiable Mr. Wickham of the _____shire Militia, her powers seem to increase and her greatest fear is that she won’t be able to contain them and will be discovered.

He has eight hundred years of tradition to uphold…

No Darcy has married a non-magical woman since arriving on the shores of England with William the Conqueror in 1066.  However, his kind – Miatharans – are dwindling in numbers. Miatharan magic only flows through aristocratic blood lines, so his strange obsession with Miss Elizabeth Bennet is puzzling as she is not of noble blood. Just a country squire’s beautiful daughter who has him slowly becoming undone.

Fitzwilliam Darcy ~ Undone is available in Kindle Unlimited (Amazon) until Dec 12 when it will be released to other major digital retailers.

Buy on Amazon

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About the Author

‘The prairie dust is in my blood but no longer on my shoes.’

Although it’s been over forty-two years since Sue called Saskatchewan home, her roots to that straight-lined province and childhood friends run deep. The only thing strong enough to entice her to pack up and leave was love. When a handsome Air Force pilot met this small-town girl, he swept her off her feet and they embarked on a fantastic adventure which found them settled in beautiful Southwestern Ontario when hubby retired from the military and began his second career as an airline pilot.

Sue started writing in 2009 and sold her first manuscript in 2010. Always a reader of Regency romance, she discovered Jane Austen Fan Fiction in 2014 and almost immediately wanted to know – Whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and Mr. Darcy became engaged to a Bennet sister? From that question, her first JAFF book was launched.

Connect with Sue: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

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Giveaway

Sue is generously giving away an ebook of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Undone to 3 random winners for the entire blog tour. Follow the tour and join in the comments to be entered to win. Sue will choose the random winners and announce them on social media on Dec. 5, 2020. Good luck!

Thanks, Sue, for being my guest today, and congratulations on your new book!

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Riana Everly Interviews Lord Stanton + an Excerpt and Giveaway of The Bennet Affair!

I am delighted to welcome Riana Everly back to Diary of an Eccentric to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Bennet Affair. She has brought a special guest with her today: Lord Stanton. Please give them a warm welcome!

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Riana: Good morning, Lord Stanton. Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to talk with us today.

Stanton: The pleasure, dear lady author, is mine. I am charmed and delighted to converse with you for the edification of your readers. I am speaking to the Royal Academy this evening on my latest discoveries, but I am all prepared and have the day at leisure. Please ask your questions.

Riana: I would love to know more about your alter-ego, the activities you pursue when not being the baron Lord Stanton.

Stanton: Ah yes. I am humbled by your knowledge of my work. I have always had, since childhood, a fascination with Natural History, and most particularly with the local avian wildlife of Britain. In other words, I am a bird lover. Since I have some facility with a pencil and paint, I have achieved some respectable renown as an author of books for interested amateurs who wish to pursue that same interest. I have published my works, most importantly Birds of Britain under my given name of Raymond Orville Fynch. And yes, I have heard the comment before, of how fortuitous it is for a man named Fynch to have a passion for birds!

Riana: Fortuitous indeed! It certainly makes it easy to remember your name. Is this your only interest outside of your barony and the House of Lords?

Stanton: Ah. You wish for me to divulge secrets which ought, most properly, to be kept silent. I admit only to some most carefully chosen companions my activities in service to Country. I cannot, of course, divulge any details of my activities, but I have the advantage of using my pursuits of ornithology to further my government work. I may travel throughout Britain wherever I wish and need only explain myself as searching for some new species of yellow wagtail or to discover the nesting grounds of the great heron. And most often, I can indeed combine my tasks, for even the most dedicated spy must take some time for personal amusement! I can think quite well whilst sitting by the edge of a pond, waiting for the wildlife to appear.

Riana: My readers will be, I’m sure, most interested in how you met Mr. Darcy. He is a great favourite, as you can imagine.

Stanton: Ah, yes, Darcy! What a fine young man he is. It began as rather an alarming tale. I was returning to my town house late one evening from a soiree with friends when I saw a gentleman being set upon by ruffians. There were three of the miscreants, all seemingly set on bringing down this gentleman, with what end in mind I do not know. Perhaps they intended theft; perhaps something more vile. This gentleman, I need not say, was your Mr. Darcy.

Although gravely injured, he had managed to fend off one, and might have succeeded against all three, but when the blackguards heard my carriage approach – and at some great speed, once I saw what was happening – they ran off into the night. I might, perhaps, have chased them, but my concern was with this young man who was by now lying insensible on the cold ground. We were almost at the door to my house, so we most carefully carried him inside, whereupon I sent for the doctor to tend to his wounds.

By necessity of his injuries, Darcy spent several days recuperating in my house, during which time I discovered a man whom I am pleased to now call a friend. He is intelligent with well-formed opinions, makes fine conversation, and most importantly, likes birds!

Riana: Was that the end of your association with Mr. Darcy, then?

Stanton: No, as it turns out, our association now goes deeper. When I discovered what skill Darcy has with a pencil and what understanding he has of matters mechanical, I engaged him to assist me with a rather intriguing situation that has come to my attention. I’m afraid I cannot say more at this moment.

Riana: Yes, yes, I completely understand! Thank you once again, Lord Stanton, for your time today. I wish you a most pleasant afternoon.

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An excerpt from The Bennet Affair

“What happened?” The words scratched themselves from Darcy’s throat. “How…?”

“May I entice you to lean back, sir? Then I shall explain.” The pounding in Darcy’s head convinced him of the wisdom of the suggestion, and he allowed himself to be lowered until his head rested once more on a mountain of pillows, but with his upper body sufficiently inclined that he could see something of the space around him.

“Good,” the doctor nodded once, and then seated himself beside his patient and informed Darcy of his injuries. The strike to his thigh had been a sharp stone, flung from the slingshot, that had torn a gash through his leg. “That leg will smart for a while,” Doctor Yarrow explained with good humour, “but as long as infection does not set in, there should be no permanent damage, other than an impressive scar.” He explained how he had doused the wound in alcohol, as per the most modern military procedures for battle wounds, stitched it closed, and had seen no sign of infection as of yet.

The crack to Darcy’s shoulder had been more serious. “I believe that rock broke your clavicle, your shoulder bone, that is. Not much we can do about that, other than keep it still and give it time to heal. A month, perhaps two, should see you right. I’d recommend a nice long rest somewhere.

“You did lose a fair amount of blood through that gash to your leg,” Doctor Yarrow continued, “which would account for your subsequent loss of consciousness. You hit your head rather hard on the stone street when you went down. That can be a serious injury indeed, but you came to quickly enough, so I foresee little trouble there.” He peered at Darcy’s eyes and bade him to track a moving finger without moving his head. “Seems all right. Still, I would caution you not to move for some days. Lord Stanton assures me you may remain here until I give you leave to depart.”

“But I cannot… I have appointments to make, and business to attend to…”

“And they will all keep. Messages can be sent. Ah, here is Lord Stanton.” The doctor rose and gave a neat bow, then addressed Darcy one last time. “I shall return in the morning, young man. I’ll ask him to summon me if you take a turn for the worse. I’ve left a draught to help you sleep. Your lordship,” he bowed once more to the newcomer and departed the room.

Darcy attempted once more to struggle upright, but the room swam about him, and he succumbed to the pull of his pillows. “Do not, on any account, attempt to move,” a new voice sounded, and a different face now hovered above his own. “The doctor informs me you must rest and rest you shall. I am Stanton, at your service. You are my guest until Yarrow informs me you may be moved. May I have the honour of knowing to whom I speak?”

Darcy blinked and the face came into focus. Stanton seemed only some ten years older than himself—somewhere between five-and-thirty and forty years of age, Darcy surmised—and possessed dark eyes and hair that had not begun to grey. His manner was soothing and everything elegant, and he spoke with the calm tones of a man more accustomed to sober thought than rash action. The invitation had been warm and genuine but not gushing, and despite being a man slow to trust others, Darcy took an instant liking to his savior.

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About The Bennet Affair

A tale of secrets, sweethearts, and spies!

Elizabeth Bennet’s bedroom in the ancient tower of Longbourn has always been her private haven. So what are those footsteps and shuffling noises she’s now hearing from the room above her head? Drawn from her bed one dark summer night, her clandestine investigations land her in the middle of what looks like a gang of French spies!

William Darcy’s summer has been awful so far, especially after barely rescuing his sister from a most injudicious elopement. Then he is attacked and almost killed nearly at his own front door in one of the best parts of London. Luckily his saviour and new friend, Lord Stanton, has a grand suggestion—recuperate in the countryside and help uncover the workings of a ring of French spies, rumoured to be led by none other than country squire Thomas Bennet!

Drawn together as they work to uncover the truth about the Frenchmen hiding in their midst, Elizabeth and Darcy must use all their intellect as they are confronted with an ingenious code machine, a variety of clockwork devices, ancient secrets and very modern traitors to the Crown. And somewhere along the line, they just might lose their hearts and discover true love—assuming they survive what they learn in the Bennet affair.

The Bennet Affair is a full-length JAFF novel of about 112, 000 words.

Buy Link

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About the Author

Riana Everly was born in South Africa, but has called Canada home since she was eight years old. She has a Master’s degree in Medieval Studies and is trained as a classical musician, specialising in Baroque and early Classical music. She first encountered Jane Austen when her father handed her a copy of Emma at age 11, and has never looked back.

Riana now lives in Toronto with her family. When she is not writing, she can often be found playing string quartets with friends, biking around the beautiful province of Ontario with her husband, trying to improve her photography, thinking about what to make for dinner, and, of course, reading!

Riana’s novels have received several awards and citations as favourite reads of the year, including two Jane Austen Awards and a Discovering Diamonds review.

You can follow Riana’s blog, and join her on Facebook and Twitter. She loves meeting readers!

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Giveaway

Riana is generously giving away one eBook copy of The Bennet Affair on each stop of the blog tour. To enter, please leave a comment on this post, and include your email address so Riana can contact the winner. She will choose the winner using a random number selector. This giveaway will be open through April 13. Good luck!

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Follow the Blog Tour

March 31 ~ Interests of a Jane Austen Girl
April 4 ~ My Love for Jane Austen
April 6 ~ From Pemberley to Milton
April 9 ~ Diary of an Eccentric
April 13 ~ Babblings of a Bookworm
April 15 ~ Half Agony, Half Hope
April 17 ~ More Agreeably Engaged
April 24 ~ Author Takeover at The Historical Fiction Club
May 8 ~ Austenesque Reviews

Thank you, Riana, for being my guest today, and congratulations on your new release!

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A Conversation with Gill Hornby, Author of Miss Austen

I have the pleasure of hosting Gill Hornby today to celebrate the release of her new novel, Miss Austen. Flatiron Books has kindly shared the following Q&A, in which Gill talks about finally shining a light on Cassandra Austen, living in the shadow of a famous sibling, and what Jane Austen means to her. Please give her a warm welcome.

Q: Readers the world over know the story of Jane Austen, but few know much, if anything, about Jane’s oft-forgotten older sister, Cassandra. Miss Austen casts Cassandra in an entirely new light, and as a heroine in her own right. What made you want to finally pull back the curtain on the life of the lesser-known Austen sister, and what are some of the most surprising things you learned about her while writing this book?

A: My first encounter with Cassandra was hearing the tragic story of her engagement to Thomas Fowle, and she had my sympathies from that moment. The story of a young, handsome, clever woman, who loved and was loved, but whose destiny was overturned by some cruel twist of fate…. It’s the very stuff of novels. Then I read Jane’s letters to her sister, and although we have none of Cassy’s responses, we still get such a strong sense of both sisters, the jokes they shared, and Jane’s love, admiration, and respect for Cassy—Jane was famously intolerant of the failings of others, but she placed Cassandra on a pedestal, and as character references go, that’s a good one.

But then, when we read the family memoirs, a different picture of these two women emerges. The nieces and nephews seem to remember another Cassandra entirely. Where Jane found wit and humor, they only found joylessness. Where Jane saw Cassandra’s brilliance, they saw only boring sensibility. How can we reconcile this conflicting evidence? It seems to me obvious. Every family, especially large ones like the Austens, have their own ecosystem: there is a pecking order, each member has a position. But when fame strikes just one of them, then that whole ecosystem is upended. The world peers in on you, and makes a quite different judgement. I have had some small experience of this myself, when my brother, Nick Hornby, enjoyed huge literary success in his thirties and I was knee deep in nappies and small children. I was amused to find myself an object of pity when I was really quite cheerful, and to find that I was supposed to be riven with jealousy when I was actually thrilled.

Cassandra was the eldest daughter—the more handsome, the most reliable and efficient, a credit and support to her mother, a mentor to the younger, friskier Jane. She made an excellent match in Tom Fowle, at the right age. She would have been an excellent vicar’s wife and a fine mother. But when unforeseen tragedy closed that option to her, she became the helpmeet of the wider family. She was there at the births and the deaths. She gave her time willingly and tirelessly. She supported her sister, Jane, and served as a kind of midwife to her novels. Those nieces and nephews—and all Janeites, indeed—should be on their knees with gratitude.

But poor Cassandra: she is only ever perceived in the light of Jane’s star. She can only ever be the less interesting sister. I know the feeling! Perhaps that’s why I became so obsessed with giving her the credit she was due. Of course, she has never been forgiven for burning so many of Jane’s letters. That is also unfair, to my mind. Jane chose herself to publish anonymously. She was a very private person, with a small circle of confidantes. It’s plausible that Jane and Cassandra would have been of one mind on this one. We have the novels; the rest of it is none of our business. And, personally, I am grateful for all those gaps left in the story. They gave me this novel, which hopes to answer the questions: Who was Cassandra Austen, and what was it that she was trying to hide?

Q: Much of this novel takes place at the Kintbury vicarage, which was once home to the family of Cassandra Austen’s late-fiancé, Thomas Fowle. Both Jane and Cassandra visited Kintbury and the vicarage several times, and in Miss Austen, it is where Cassandra finds a trove of her sister’s lost letters. You yourself live on the site of the old vicarage in Kintbury today—did you know about the area’s history and its connection to the Austen family when you moved in, and what was it like to write a novel set in your own back yard?

A: We moved in to Kintbury back in 1993, and the Austen connection was always the first thing our new neighbors mentioned. I was never terribly sure if it was that big of a deal (surely Jane Austen must have visited several vicarages in her day), but I soon found that, in fact, Jane’s geography was quite restricted, and her ties with the Fowle family of Kintbury were very strong. A few years after moving to the area, quite by chance, I was commissioned to write a biography of Jane for the children’s market, and that was when I first read the letters that Jane wrote from Chawton to Cassandra in Kintbury and realized that the Kintbury vicarage was an important place on the Austen landscape. I was haunted by the image of Cassandra, standing here in our garden on that last Christmas with her fiancé, watching his trap drive away from her on their last morning… Surely, there was a novel in there somewhere?

Our house is very Victorian, built in 1860, but it has the same footprint as the original Fowle vicarage, the cellar is still there, and the view hasn’t changed a bit. When I needed inspiration, all I had to do was look out of my study window. I am acutely aware of how fortunate I have been, and that I will never again have another project as close to my heart and my life. To write about it, to imagine and inhabit the lives of those who were here before us, has been an especial joy. 

Q: One of the most exciting elements of Miss Austen is Cassandra’s discovery of Jane’s lost letters, which you’ve brilliantly reimagined and brought to life on the page. Not only do the letters capture Jane’s voice and wit, but they also illuminate the extraordinary bond between the Austen sisters and show readers a new side to their favorite author. Did you feel any pressure when crafting these letters that have been lost to time, and how did you go about inhabiting Jane’s voice?

A: Pressure like I have never known! In fact, I can’t now believe I ever had the nerve. At the outset, I didn’t intend to write so many letters in Jane’s voice. I thought there might be a couple towards the end, and I would worry about that when I got there. But, of course, I was fooling myself: Jane had to turn up quite early on, as she and Cassandra were rarely apart. So even without the letters, I had to somehow create my Jane Austen, and she had to walk and talk and think.

I kept putting it off, delaying her appearance. And when it got to the point when she really must show up, I would write a sentence, delete it, then go for a walk….write, delete, walk…. Then I tackled her, and once I’d invited her in, I really couldn’t shut her up! The key to finding Jane’s voice was her own letters. She says somewhere in her earliest correspondence that she has learned to write as she talks. I took her at her word, and found my own pattern from there. 

Q: Cassandra was a steadfast advocate for her sister’s writing, and some of the most delightful scenes in Miss Austen are when Jane shares new chapters of her latest novels with Cassandra. You yourself come from a family of writers (your brother, Nick, is a novelist and screenwriter, and your husband, Robert Harris, writes thrillers and historical novels). Did you draw on your own family dynamics when crafting this part of Jane and Cassandra’s relationship? And are you, like Jane, eager for feedback on your writing from siblings and family members?

A: It’s very clear that Jane trusted, even prized, Cassandra’s literary judgement, as well as the feedback of her whole family. The fact that she first read her works aloud in the family circle is, I think, one of the keys to her success. It’s just like screen-testing a movie: have we had too long without a laugh? Are they starting to fidget? Did they cry at the end? Jane went through that process with a great gathering of fine Austen minds, and the novels emerged with perfect pacing.

I can’t say we do that in our house—we’re all far too prickly! But I always read Robert’s novels in chunks—quarters or fifths—as he’s going along. And with my first two novels, he did the same for me. But this one was different. I didn’t show it to a soul until it was finished. Cassandra and I were cloistered together for months, and I didn’t want to let anyone else in. I have never known such vulnerability, though, when the time came to share it. I had no idea if it was a disaster or a triumph. At that point, I was very lucky and grateful to have Robert and Nick, and my daughter who now works in publishing, to deliver their trusted judgements. 

Q: This book is, in part, a product of your longtime fascination with and love for Jane Austen. How has she helped inspire your writing over the years, and what does being a Janeite mean to you?

A: When I set about writing my first novel, The Hive, I had no idea how I was supposed to go about it. I had done no creative writing since school, had never done a course—all I had done was read a lot of books and developed a lot of strong opinions. So who should I turn to? It was obvious. “Three or four families in a country village is just the thing to work on,” Jane told me. So that’s what I did. “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” Okay, then. And when I got stuck? “I am in no mood for writing. I must write on until I am.”

Over the years, I have evolved as a Janeite. It used to mean what it means for so many. When we’re down, bored, unchallenged, disconnected or when we just have a free moment, we turn to the novels. They are always there, and we will always find something. But for the last ten years at least, my fascination has included both Jane as an individual and the whole Austen clan. Nothing, to me, is as interesting as family, and the bigger the family, the more interesting it is. You have all the dramas, the alliances, the love, and the heartbreak that you could get from any box set, and the Austens are extraordinary. 

Q: We have to ask—what are you working on next? Are there any other Austen-related projects in your future?

A: I do have a project, which I am quite excited about, but it’s too early in the pregnancy, as it were, to share it at the moment. In the meantime, Miss Austen is being developed for television, and I am involved with that, which means—thank heavens—I don’t have to say farewell to my dear Cassandra quite yet.

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About Miss Austen

For fans of Jo Baker’s Longbourn, a witty, wonderfully original novel about Cassandra Austen and her famous sister, Jane.

Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. Two decades after the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury and the home of her family friends, the Fowles. In a dusty corner of the vicarage, there is a cache of Jane’s letters that Cassandra is desperate to find. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine.

Buy Links

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About the Author

Gill Hornby

Gill Hornby is the author of the novels The Hive and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children.

Thanks to Gill Hornby and Flatiron Books for the Q&A, and a big congratulations to Gill on her new release!

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Interview with Rose Servitova, author of The Watsons

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Rose Servitova to celebrate the release of her newest book, The Watsons, a completion of the unfinished Jane Austen novel. I read Austen’s fragment several years ago and was intrigued by the story, and I think it’s very brave of her to “finish” Austen’s novel. I hope you all are as excited as I am about the novel. Please give Rose a warm welcome!

What inspired you to write a completion of The Watsons? Do you think it was harder to write this book, particularly since Austen never finished writing it? Or did you feel that it gave you a little more freedom in your story?

I had not thought of The Watsons at all until I went to a talk in Bath by Jane Austen expert Paula Byrnes. I was writing another manuscript that just was not working and I had more or less accepted that I would have to walk away from it. As I sat listening to Paula speak so passionately about Austen’s unfinished works and Juvenilia, I decided that perhaps I should read them and consider completing one of the unfinished works, if I liked it. I confess, the task was a little difficult as Austen had not placed much color on the fragment. As Virginia Woolf commented of The Watsons, it was as if she had meant to come back and add layers to it and had not. I had to ensure that I enhanced and added to what existed and not deflate or take from it. The characters she created had huge potential so I knew that if they came alive for me, they would take over the story and write it themselves. I feel that is what happened.

What do you think Jane Austen was starting to do with the themes in The Watsons? Are they different or similar to her other works?

Interestingly, Sanditon is very different from her other novels but The Watsons is somewhat similar. There are themes in The Watsons that we see elsewhere, such as sisterly love, female financial dependence, attempts at climbing the social ladder and family obligation.

Can you describe the main characters? What did you think of them, and what were the challenges in continuing their story?

Emma Watson has returned to her home after spending fourteen years with her rich aunt. Once a presumed heiress, she is returned penniless to her family when her aunt remarries. Emma is kind above all else. It leads her to act at times when others would hesitate or fear the opinion of others. She cannot watch others suffer and do nothing. Well educated and refined, she finds it difficult initially to resettle in the family home.

Her sister Elizabeth Watson is nine years older than Emma. Taking the role of matriarch in the family when she was but a child herself (on their mother’s passing). Elizabeth is outspoken, warm, witty and a little blunt.

Mr. Watson is their ill clergyman father, whose health often necessitates staying in bed. He is a sentimental lover of Shakespeare and a kind father.

Margaret and Penelope Watson are the two other sisters. Margaret is petty and loves gossip. Penelope is sharp-witted and conniving.

Robert and Sam Watson are the brothers in the family. Robert is married and doing very well in Croydon. Sam is an apprentice surgeon who is rarely free to visit.

Lord Osborne, Tom Musgrave, Mr. Howard, Mr. Shaw and Solomon Tomlinson are many of the male characters who play a role in this book. Lord Osborne is the socially awkward heir of Osborne Castle, Tom Musgrave is his charming, socially-climbing side-kick, Mr. Howard is an astronomy-loving clergyman at Wickstead on the Osborne estate, Mr. Shaw is a witty, wealthy bachelor from Chichester who abhors marriage and every mention of it, and Solomon Tomlinson is the arrogant curate at Wickstead.

When/how did you discover Jane Austen, and why do you think she and her novels remain so popular today?

My granny’s house had books – all the classics. When I was a teenager, I read Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, the Brontes and all of Austen’s novels. I really have no idea why her books remain so popular today except to say that there is, within the pages, a secret formula that is impossible to describe but which leaves such a satisfaction in the reader that is unmistakable.

When/how did you discover Jane Austen Fan Fiction (JAFF), and what prompted you to write your own?

To be honest, I am not an avid fiction or JAFF reader. In my free time, I am more inclined to read non-fiction. I get a great kick out of the screen adaptations and spin-offs however. I really enjoyed Bride & Prejudice recently. I thought it was an amazing adaptation that captured Austen’s essence perfectly yet altered almost every detail of the book. It was a joy to watch. I felt for many years that if I were ever to write a book, it would have some connection to Austen and, in particular, to Mr. Collins. This dream came true with The Longbourn Letters. I was not sure that I would get involved in any more Austen related writing but then The Watsons happened.

Could you share with us a little about your writing process and describe your writing space (or share a peek via photo)?

Rose Servitova writing

Writing my debut novel, The Longbourn Letters, was very different to writing The Watsons. I work full-time so I have to steal time where I can. The Longbourn Letters was largely concocted while out walking the country roads near my home and later typed up in a café while listening to classical music on my headset. I tended to write at No 1 Pery Square – a Georgian hotel, the setting was perfect by a sash window (see photo). For The Watsons, I gathered all my ideas and notes and took off to a writer’s retreat for a couple of nights – writing the first draft in less than a week and then spending about nine months, here and there, editing and rewriting. Contemporary music played a part – helping me find the emotions I was trying to evoke for key scenes. I also created a visual chart for the characters, basing them on actors, fictional characters etc.; for example, two of the characters are based on Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. As a child, the verbal combat and onscreen chemistry of these two left its mark on me – it was a meeting of minds. I don’t share my work while it’s a work-in-progress. I tend to trust my gut and then trust a very good editor friend.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

Her Kind by Niamh Boyce. Her debut novel, The Herbalist, is one of my favorite books and I’m looking forward to Her Kind as it is based on the Kilkenny Witch Trial of 1324.

Are you working on another book at the moment, and if so, any hints as to what it’s about?

I wrote an outline to Sanditon in early 2018, putting it aside when I heard ITV were filming an adaptation. It’s a manuscript I hope to return to someday. I started a historical fiction crime novel set in a convent in Ireland in the 1930s but work on that has stalled while focusing on getting The Watsons out into the world. The essay is a form of writing that I love and I would like to write a collection of essays at some point. It’s my hope to write them in between writing novels. I’m also a huge fan of travel books and would like to write my own one day.

Fantastic! Thanks for being my guest today, and congratulations on your new release!

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About The Watsons

Can she honour her family and stay true to herself?

Emma Watson returns to her family home after fourteen years with her wealthy and indulgent aunt. Now more refined than her siblings, Emma is shocked by her sisters’ flagrant and desperate attempts to ensnare a husband. To the surprise of the neighbourhood, Emma immediately attracts the attention of eligible suitors – notably the socially awkward Lord Osborne, heir to Osborne Castle – who could provide her with a home and high status if she is left with neither after her father’s death. Soon Emma finds herself navigating a world of unfamiliar social mores, making missteps that could affect the rest of her life. How can she make amends for the wrongs she is seen to have committed without betraying her own sense of what is right?

Jane Austen commenced writing The Watsons over two hundred years ago, putting it aside unfinished, never to return and complete it. Now, Rose Servitova, author of acclaimed humour title, The Longbourn Letters: The Correspondence between Mr Collins and Mr Bennet, has finished Austen’s manuscript in a manner true to Austen’s style and wit.

Amazon | Goodreads

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About the Author

Rose Servitova

Irish author Rose Servitova is an award-winning humor writer, event manager, and job coach for people with special needs. Her debut novel, The Longbourn Letters – The Correspondence between Mr. Collins & Mr. Bennet, described as a ‘literary triumph’, has received international acclaim since its publication in 2017. Rose enjoys talking at literary events, drinking tea and walking on Irish country roads. She lives in County Limerick with her husband, two young children and three indifferent cats. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

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November 18            My Jane Austen Book Club (Interview)

November 18            Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

November 19            The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)

November 20            Austenesque Reviews (Review)

November 20            vvb32 Reads (Review)

November 21            All Things Austen (Review)

November 22            My Love for Jane Austen (Spotlight)

November 25            From Pemberley to Milton (Excerpt)

November 25            Diary of an Eccentric (Interview)

November 26            So Little Time… (Excerpt)

November 27            Impressions in Ink (Review)

November 27            Babblings of a Bookworm (Spotlight)

November 28            More Agreeably Engaged (Review)

November 29            My Vices and Weaknesses (Excerpt)

November 29            The Fiction Addiction (Review)

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Interview with Diana Birchall, author of The Bride of Northanger

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Diana Birchall as part of the blog tour for her latest novel, The Bride of Northanger. Although I adore Pride and Prejudice, I get really excited when authors show Austen’s other novels some love. I read Northanger Abbey for the first time several years ago, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve read some variations since then, but they are few and far between. Life has been extremely busy recently, but as I catch up on my review backlog and squeeze in a few new ones here and there, keep your eye out for my thoughts on The Bride of Northanger. In the meantime, please give Diana a warm welcome!

Congratulations on the publication of The Bride of Northanger. What was your inspiration to write a continuation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey?

Thank you! Northanger Abbey seems to get overlooked, compared to the universal popularity of Pride and Prejudice, and the meaty genius of Austen’s more mature works. But what a delectably enchanting novel it is! The reader experiences, along with young, sheltered Catherine, the delights of entering the wide, adult world of Bath society with “such fresh feelings of every sort,” as Henry Tilney says. This leads to a developing love story that is in my view as compelling as any Austen ever wrote. It initially seemed unlikely to me that a clever, sophisticated man like Henry would fall in love with someone so young and ignorant as Catherine, and Jane Austen’s explanatory remark that Henry’s “persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought,” does not quite satisfy. So, I wanted to examine his life, his feelings, and his psychology, to try to come to a better understanding of the dynamic here. Working towards that, I wrote an essay about his father General Tilney (entitled The Ogre of Northanger!), that helped me arrive at an answer that satisfied me. The General was a horrendous bully and his brutal treatment left marks upon his son, a clergyman with a strong wit and a respect for the life of the mind rather than one dedicated to worldly greed. No wonder Henry was drawn to a girl who was not scheming, manipulative, and grasping, but simple and sincere, with a thirsty mind for learning. I set out in my fiction to explore how the young man educated the young woman, and they became equal and happy partners together.

Northanger Abbey has been considered a parody of the Gothic fiction popular during Austen’s time. How did Austen’s story and style influence your writing of The Bride of Northanger?

Completely. I have been steeped in Austen’s writing – not dramatizations nor adaptations, charming as many of them are, but in her actual texts – for decades, to the point where I’ve read them literally thousands of times and have them almost completely mentally to hand, so to speak. I was driven by a longing to discover Austen’s secrets, to learn as much as possible about the genius that made her characters so real, her commentary on life so compelling yet enigmatic. Such study could only improve my own writing – it couldn’t possibly hurt! – and trying to enter her universe and style, proved to be a most enlightening way to learn a great deal both about these novels and their originator.

Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland are one of Jane Austen’s most charming couples. Was it a challenge to continue their story? How did you recapture their voices?

I don’t know if it was a challenge exactly, because I’ve been accustomed to imitating Austen for so many years; my first attempt was in 1984 when I won a contest in the JASNA journal Persuasions, and I eventually became very comfortable switching on my “Austenesque” dialogue voice. Once I started work on my “Bride,” Catherine and Henry began talking in my head and telling me about their Gothic trials and adventures. All this was very exciting, though I was really more excited about how Catherine was becoming a very sensible and sane woman, and how strong their marriage was growing.

When/how did you discover Jane Austen, and why do you think she and her novels remain so popular today?

I was about 20 when I first read Pride and Prejudice. In those days Jane Austen wasn’t anywhere near as widely popular as today, not to be encountered either in school or a movie theater. A literary aunt of mine recommended P & P, but the title wasn’t prepossessing, and it took me awhile to get around to reading it. Then, what an explosive revelation of enjoyment! It’s all still there for readers to take as much from as they choose: reading one or two of the books; giving your life to a study of Jane Austen and her genius; or simply enjoying her works and the books and movies they inspire, in your own way. Austen appeals on every possible level, from the great love story to the wit of one of the world’s best humorists. She provides a window into the 18^th century, plus shrewd observations on human nature (which has not changed!), all with a display of perfect style and her own philosophy. As I say: something for everyone, and the more you read, the more you find.

When/how did you discover JAFF, and what prompted you to take the leap and write your own Austen-inspired novels?

I didn’t exactly “discover JAFF,” I was writing it long before the term was invented. Since the 1980s I’ve written hundreds of stories in the genre, and my first full length novel, Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, was written in the early 1990s. Of course, I was far from the first person to start writing Austen sequels – Austen’s own nieces were – but when I started my work there had not been a sequel since Pemberley Shades in 1949, so I was among the very first “modern” writers doing this. The adaptations, the Austenesque writing boom, and JAFF, all came years after I’d started writing Austenesque fiction, though to be sure that was another word that had not yet been invented!

As a writer myself, I’m always curious about where people write their books. Could you describe your writing space?

A dusty little study crammed with books and English china teapots in the rambling apartment my husband and I share with our three cats a couple of blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, California. Our son is the librarian on Catalina Island. We grew up in New York City and are transplants of a bookish bohemian variety!

What book(s) are you reading right now?

Just finished reading the memoirs of artist Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, who was a French contemporary of Jane Austen. She’s the portraitist whose painting I chose for the cover of my novel. It looked exactly as I imagined Catherine, though in fact it is a portrait of a young French aristocrat, Corisande de Gramont, painted in 1800 when she was 18 years old (the same age and era as the fictional Catherine). Corisande was a granddaughter of the Duchesse de Polignac, the favorite of Marie Antoinette, and she married an English Member of Parliament, Charles Augustus Bennet (shades of Austen!), Earl of Tankerville, and settled in England. I also chose John Constable’s painting of Netley Abbey to represent Northanger, as Jane Austen actually visited and was inspired by Netley. My talented book designer Rebecca Young deftly transformed the two works of art into a beautiful book design. And now I’m reading books about Louisa May Alcott.

Are you working on another novel now? If so, any hints as to what it’s about?

As you can perhaps guess from my last hint, I’m writing a sequel to Alcott’s Little Women.

Thank you for asking me these questions, it’s been a pleasure to answer them!

You’re welcome! Thank you for being my guest today, and once again, congratulations on your new release. I look forward to reading it!

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About The Bride of Northanger

A happier heroine than Catherine Morland does not exist in England, for she is about to marry her beloved, the handsome, witty Henry Tilney. The night before the wedding, Henry reluctantly tells Catherine and her horrified parents a secret he has dreaded to share – that there is a terrible curse on his family and their home, Northanger Abbey. Henry is a clergyman, educated and rational, and after her year’s engagement Catherine is no longer the silly young girl who delighted in reading “horrid novels”; she has improved in both reading and rationality. This sensible young couple cannot believe curses are real…until a murder at the Abbey triggers events as horrid and Gothic as Jane Austen ever parodied – events that shake the young Tilneys’ certainties, but never their love for each other…

Amazon (paperback) (ebook) | Barnes & Noble (ebook) | Goodreads | Publisher Page

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About the Author

Diana Birchall worked for many years at Warner Bros studios as a story analyst, reading novels to see if they would make movies. Reading manuscripts went side by side with a restorative and sanity-preserving life in Jane Austen studies and resulted in her writing Austenesque fiction both as homage and attempted investigation of the secrets of Jane Austen’s style. She is the author of In Defense of Mrs. Elton, Mrs. Elton in America, Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, and the new The Bride of Northanger. She has written hundreds of Austenesque short stories and plays, as well as a biography of her novelist grandmother, and has lectured on her books and staged play readings at places as diverse as Hollywood, Brooklyn, Montreal, Chawton House Library, Alaska, and Yale.

Visit Diana at her Austen Variations author page, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

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The Doyenne of Austenesque fiction, Diana Birchall, tours the blogosphere October 28 through November 15 to share her latest release, The Bride of Northanger. Thirty popular bloggers specializing in historical and Austenesque fiction will feature guest blogs, interviews, excerpts, and book reviews of this acclaimed continuation of Jane Austen’s Gothic parody, Northanger Abbey. 

THE BRIDE OF NORTHANGER BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE: 

October 28                My Jane Austen Book Club (Interview)

October 28                Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

October 28                vvb32 Reads (Spotlight)

October 29                A Covent Garden Gilflurt’s Guide of Life (Guest Blog)

October 29                From Pemberley to Milton (Excerpt)

October 30                Drunk Austen (Interview)

October 30                Silver Petticoat Review (Excerpt)

October 31                Jane Austen’s World (Review)

November 01            So Little Time… (Interview)

November 01            Laura’s Reviews (Review)

November 04            English Historical Fiction Authors (Guest Blog)

November 04            Confessions of a Book Addict (Spotlight)

November 05            More Agreeably Engaged (Review)

November 05            Vesper’s Place (Review)

November 06            Jane Austen in Vermont (Interview)

November 06            Diary of an Eccentric (Interview)

November 07            All Things Austen (Spotlight)

November 07            A Bookish Way of Life (Review)

November 07            Let Them Read Books (Excerpt)

November 08            Babblings of a Bookworm (Review)

November 08            vvb32 Reads (Review)

November 11            My Jane Austen Book Club (Review)

November 11            Reading the Past (Spotlight)

November 12            Jane Austen’s World (Interview)

November 12            The Calico Critic (Excerpt)

November 13            The Book Rat (Review)

November 13            Austenesque Reviews (Review)

November 14            Fangs, Wands, & Fairy Dust (Review)

November 14            The Fiction Addiction (Review)

November 15            My Love for Jane Austen (Spotlight)

November 15            Scuffed Slippers and Wormy Books (Review)

Read Full Post »

Interview with Victoria Kincaid, Author of Darcy in Hollywood, Plus an Excerpt & Giveaway

I’m thrilled to welcome Victoria Kincaid back to Diary of an Eccentric today to celebrate her latest release, Darcy in Hollywood. I’ve enjoyed editing all of Victoria’s books thus far, but her modern-day Pride and Prejudice variations are especially fun. I hope you enjoy our interview, as well as the excerpt from Darcy in Hollywood. Please give Victoria a warm welcome.

What inspired you to bring Darcy and Elizabeth to Hollywood?

That’s a good question which is always hard to answer since usually the idea for a book has been gestating in my brain for at least a year before I start writing it.  There are a lot of contemporary romances with movie stars as protagonists as well as a number of movies (like Notting Hill).  I really enjoy that subgenre; I think it’s particularly interesting to see the clash between the Hollywood lifestyle and the lives of ordinary people.  I also wanted to write another modern after President Darcy since that one was so much fun, and I thought Hollywood would make a good setting for the P&P story.

How difficult was it to adapt P&P to this setting? Did you find it difficult to insert timely themes, of which there are many throughout the book?

Writing a modern P&P variation is definitely harder than writing one set in the Regency time period because I need to find modern equivalents for the events, places, occupations, etc. that happen in P&P.  I didn’t set out to insert any modern themes in the story—any more than I did with President Darcy.  But they do have a way of creeping in.  The storyline about drug addiction was a natural fit with Hollywood, where so many people struggle with addiction issues, and it helped motivate a lot of character behavior.

Other themes came about in different ways.  I wanted Elizabeth to be committed to a charitable cause so that she would see a contrast between her beliefs and Darcy’s.  Originally I planned to have her become a worker in a nonprofit, but then decided it would be better if she was becoming a doctor.  One of the reasons I had her pick LGBTQ issues as a cause was personal.  My daughter has a friend whose parents disowned them when they came out as nonbinary.  This person is just a sweet, loving human being and that kind of rejection just struck me as so wrong.  That sense of injustice wouldn’t leave me alone, so it ended up as a subplot in the story.

You have a way with humor in your modern variations, from the Bennet family’s business in President Darcy to my favorite in Darcy in Hollywood: Bill Collins and Catherine de Bourgh. I don’t want to spoil it for readers, but oh how I laughed whenever Collins came into the picture…and Catherine’s advice to Darcy…priceless! That being said, what was your favorite scene to write? Do you have a favorite secondary character in your variation?

I always enjoy writing humor in my variations.  I actually think it’s an important part of Pride and Prejudice since Austen herself made humor an integral part of her stories.  With Collins and de Bourgh, in particular, it’s almost impossible to go too far with their characters—which makes them very fun to write.  I can make Collins can be as sycophantic and as stupid as possible, and it still works with the character Austen wrote.  Similarly, Catherine de Bourgh can never be too imperious or oblivious.

The joy of writing a modern novel is that I can think up new contexts for them to display those same character traits.  For instance, in Darcy in Hollywood, Collins becomes Mrs. de Bourgh’s personal assistant who has literally given up his life so he can devote it to hers.  He doesn’t even see his parents at Christmas (they just exchange cards) because de Bourgh needs him to sing carols to her on Christmas day.

This is your second modern P&P variation. Do you have plans to write another? (I sure hope so!) Do you find the moderns more difficult to write? To me, the moderns seem to give more freedom in the plot and characterization. But does that freedom make it harder since you lose the confines of Regency social rules?

Right now I don’t have an idea for another modern variation, but I’m sure another one will occur to me at some point.  Before I wrote President Darcy, I would have said that moderns should be easier to write since the writer doesn’t have to do as much research or worry about period details and period language.  But I would have been wrong.  In fact, Darcy in Hollywood took me longer to write than any book since my first one—and I deleted sixty pages from my drafts of the novel.

Regency-set P&P variations are easier in part because I can start partway through the story and the reader will know what has happened before.  For instance, I could open the book with the proposal at Hunsford, and readers wouldn’t bat an eye.  But in a modern, I’d have to explain how Darcy and Elizabeth met and got to the point where he was making some kind of offer (probably not an offer of marriage so early in their acquaintance). So modern variations end up being longer because I need to include more of the original P&P narrative.

The other thing that makes moderns hard is trying to remain true to Austen’s characters while having their behavior make sense in a modern setting.  A modern mother isn’t likely to want to marry her daughters off like the original Mrs. Bennet.  So I made her into a stage mother instead—someone who’s convinced that Lydia will be a big movie star.  Likewise, Mr. Bennet went from being a fairly well-to-do landowner, to a producer of B-movies.

But I ran into major problems with Darcy in this respect.  I discovered he really didn’t want to be a movie star!  With his personality, he didn’t fit with the Hollywood culture of self-promotion, screaming fans, and glitzy parties. I’d originally seen him as someone who was so proud of his work that he believed he deserved the adulation, but Darcy is too private for that.  So I had rewrite the early parts to make him into a kind of Masterpiece Theatre, classical actor who starred in one movie that made him a heartthrob to teenage girls—much to his embarrassment.  That worked much better for Darcy’s character.

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Here is an excerpt from the beginning of Darcy in Hollywood—right after Darcy nearly hits Elizabeth with his car. Enjoy!

Darcy stomped on the momentary flare of irritation.  “Is the sarcasm really necessary?”

She regarded him through narrowed eyes.  “Yeah, I think it is.  What’s the alternative?  That I should be honored to be knocked over by your car?  Because I don’t think your identity would have been much comfort to my parents.  ‘We don’t have a daughter anymore, but at least she was killed by a celebrity.  Maybe he can autograph her coffin.’”

Why did she have to be so difficult?  He was already putting up with so much doing an indie film.  “That’s not what I meant.  You don’t have to put it that way—”

“I almost got hit by a car.  I can put it however the fuck I want to!”

Darcy was so over this woman. She wasn’t nearly as pretty as he had initially thought. If only he could leave.  But he needed to make sure she wouldn’t talk to the media; another car-related incident would be a disaster for his career.  From now on, I only travel by train or boat.  Pity about her personality; she had fine eyes.

Darcy helped the woman limp to a nearby bench and gently lowered her to the seat.  “Maybe I should call for an ambulance,” he suggested.  He would have preferred to discuss having her sign a nondisclosure agreement, but it seemed a little insensitive.

“Let me sit for a minute.”  Leaning forward, she cradled her head in her hands, providing a good view of the blood matting the hair on the back of her head.  Huh, maybe she wasn’t wrong about the possible concussion.

Darcy settled on the bench beside her despite a desperate desire to cross the street and slip into Building 4, where they were holding the table read.  They won’t start without me, he reminded himself.  But being late wouldn’t impress them with his professionalism.

He took the opportunity to check her for other injuries.  She had a scrape on her right arm and favored her left ankle.  Of course, her clothes were disheveled—and a fashion disaster.  The sleeve of her t-shirt was ripped where she had fallen.

“I can get you a new t-shirt.”

“Huh?”

He gestured to the rip.

Her mouth hung open.  “I don’t give a shit about the t-shirt!”

“I don’t think that kind of language is called for.”

“That kind of language?” she echoed and then squinted at him.  “Are you drunk?”

“It’s 7 a.m.”

“Yes, it is.  Are you drunk?  Or high?”

Damn, you have one scandal…

“No,” he said sharply.

“The car was moving rather erratically.”

“I was…trying to work the stereo.  It’s complicated.”

“You almost killed me because you couldn’t work the radio?”

“To be fair, it’s satellite radio.  And I didn’t almost kill you!”

“To-may-to, to-mah-to.”

His jaw clenched so tightly he could grind glass.   “This isn’t a matter of opinion!  You would have been fine if you hadn’t fallen.”

“I also would have been fine if your Ferrari hadn’t come hurtling toward me.”

Darcy didn’t respond; arguing was futile.  After a moment she gave him a sidelong glance.  “You don’t need to babysit me; I can call myself an ambulance if I need one.”

“I shouldn’t leave you alone.”

“Oh!  You don’t want me talking to the press.  Don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” he lied.  “My primary concern is your well-being.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls you almost run over.”

Darcy stifled a smile.  Under other circumstances, he’d think she was funny.  “I assure you that you’re the first.”

The woman examined the scrape on her arm.  “I accept your apology, by the way.”

“I didn’t apologize.”

Now she turned her blue-green gaze on him.  “I noticed that.  Why didn’t you?  Do you think this is my fault?  That your car had the right of way on the sidewalk?”

Darcy would have apologized—if he had thought of it—but now he couldn’t without losing face.  “I didn’t hit you.  You agreed I didn’t hit you!”  I sound like an idiot insisting on that point.  

“You. Are. Unbelievable.”

Darcy had heard that before but usually in a more complimentary tone.

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About Darcy in Hollywood

A modern Pride and Prejudice variation.

Rich and arrogant movie star, William Darcy, was a Hollywood heartthrob until a scandalous incident derailed his career. Now he can only hope that Tom Bennet’s prestigious but low budget indie film will restore his reputation. However, on the first day of filming, he nearly hits Bennet’s daughter, Elizabeth, with his Ferrari, and life will never be the same. Okay, she’s a little sarcastic, but he’s certain she’s concealing a massive crush on him—and it’s growing harder to fight his own attraction….

Elizabeth Bennet has a lot on her plate. She’s applying to medical school and running the studio’s charity project—while hoping her family won’t embarrass her too much. Being Darcy’s on-set personal assistant is infuriating; he’s rude, proud, and difficult. If there’s one thing she dislikes, it’s people who only think about themselves. But then Elizabeth discovers Darcy has been doing a lot of thinking about her.

She might be willing to concede a mutual attraction, but events are conspiring against them and Darcy subject to constant public scrutiny. Can Darcy and Elizabeth have any hope for a happy ending to their Hollywood romance?

Buy on Amazon

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Giveaway

Victoria is generously offering an ebook copy of Darcy in Hollywood to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. This giveaway will be open through Wednesday, July 17, 2019. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

Thank you, Victoria, for being my guest today, and congratulations on your new book!

 

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Interview with Audiobook Narrator Leena Emsley & Audiobook Giveaways from Nicole Clarkston

Nicole Clarkston recently introduced me to Leena Emsley, who narrated These Dreams for her, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Leena about all things audiobook-related. Please give her a warm welcome!

Hi, Leena! Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you become an audiobook narrator?

I live in the UK, in the beautiful county of Northumberland. I come from a family of actors. My grandparents performed, my parents met on the stage and I was running around theatres from a young age. I went to drama school, but decided it was more fun as a hobby so devoted all my spare time to it and performed for many years on stages from Edinburgh to Berlin.

I gave up the stage when I had my children and have home schooled for almost 10 years. They are now teenagers and need me less, so I started to look for something I could do from home, and was drawn to find something that allowed me to indulge my old passion. I began doing voluntary audio work, took a training course for voice narrators, and signed up to ACX.

Can you describe the process of narrating a book? I know nothing about how it’s actually done, so any or all details would be fascinating to me. How do you go about differentiating between all the different characters/voices? What preparation is involved? Where do you record the book, etc.?

The first step is to read the book, know the story and get a feel for the characters. If there are particular accents required, I research the accent. In These Dreams there are several Portuguese characters. I was fortunate to have the help of Nicole’s Portuguese friend, Rita, who very kindly recorded phrases for me. She has also very kindly refrained from throwing her hands up in horror at how badly I managed to reproduce them! There is a balance between accuracy and performance. In the end, performance takes precedence, so long as I manage a flavour of the accent.

For characters with similar accents, I rely on their character differences to clue me in to their voices. Well drawn characters jump out the page. Mostly it comes down to intonation. For instance the snake Reginald (spoiler!) just has to have a languid tone, as opposed to his pompous staccato father. I do my best to differentiate between characters, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Leena Emsley

I record in a small booth my husband made for me. It does a good job of screening me from most outside noises, though I have to stop for planes, high wind and lawn mowers! I love my little booth. It feels like I enter a new world and I get totally wrapped up in the story.

What did you like best about narrating Nicole’s books?

I love Nicole’s writing! Not a word is wasted, there is pace and drama, her characters are well drawn and you feel their emotions. I am always moved by human compassion, and my favourite moment was when Elizabeth meets Amália. It reduced me to tears and required a pause in recording!

The Earl of Matlock and Lady Catherine were the most fun to narrate. It was great to let rip with the stiff upper lip, starchy accents, and so wonderful that their vulnerabilities were brought out, too.

What are some other books you’ve narrated?

My first book with ACX was Leslie Diamond’s Particular Intentions. It was my introduction to JAFF, and as a Jane Austen fan, I was immediately attracted. I am currently working on her sequel Particular Attachments. They are both Pride and Prejudice variations, with the sequel following Georgiana’s story. I have done several books books by Regina Puckett, as well as a detective story and steam punk adventure.

Thank you so much, Leena! I really enjoyed learning more about audiobook narration, so much so that I think this year might be time for me to give them another try!

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Giveaway

Nicole is generously offering two codes for each of her audiobooks, These Dreams and London Holiday. The codes are for the U.S. and U.K. only. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address, and let us know which book you’d prefer (you can enter for both, but can only win one) and whether you’d like a U.S. or U.K. code. This giveaway will be open through Sunday, January 13, 2019. The winners will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck! And a big thanks to Nicole for setting up the interview with Leena and for the very generous giveaway!

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Interview with Laaleen Sukhera and Mishayl Naek about Jane Austen and Austenistan

I have a treat for you today, my dear readers! I have been excited about the Austenistan anthology — a collection of stories inspired by Jane Austen that are set in modern-day Pakistan — since I first heard it was being published. Life has been too busy for me to delve into it just yet, but I’m thrilled to have Laaleen Sukhera, editor of Austenistan and author of the story “On the Verge,” and Mishayl Naek, author of the story “Eaaman Ever After,” here today for a discussion about Jane Austen and the anthology. Please give them a warm welcome!

ANNA: How did you discover Jane Austen? Have you read all of Austen’s novels? Do you have a favorite, or a favorite character? What drew you most to her books and the time period?

LAALEEN: I’ve grown up reading her novels and started on my twelfth birthday with Pride and Prejudice, which will always be my favourite. I’ve been in love with Regency England ever since and Georgette Heyer further developed my passion for the era. I’ve found that at different stages in life, one can appreciate Austen’s characters, settings, and dialogues in new and surprising ways. One can reread the novels and rewatch the screen adaptations countless times but be struck by a new detail or observation each time. They’re like dear old friends that you can revisit whenever you please. Whether it’s romance or fashion or travel or aesthetics, they influence you considerably.

MISHAYL: I discovered Jane Austen around my teenage years when the social conventions reflected in her book seemed to ring so true and helped me bumble through personal social navigation. It was an easy escape to fall into her witty, female centered portrayal of society and I loved the female relationships. The time period seemed very romantic to me, and still does! The way the scenery and homes were painted feels beautiful and peaceful, especially when I was living an big, bustling city. It was probably one of my reasons to attend the University of Bath and I definitely imagined myself as one of her heroines as I walked in the countryside. My favorite character is quite cliché but it is—and always will be—Elizabeth Bennet.

ANNA: What was the goal behind Austenistan? What do you hope readers will take from the anthology? Did you find it difficult at all to adapt Austen’s novels and characters to your culture?

Laaleen Sukhera

LAALEEN: We honestly wrote it for ourselves, never dreaming that it would resonate with so many people around the world, nor that Bloomsbury would be publishing it. I hope our readers will laugh and cry and cringe at all the right moments with us—it’s such a joy to hear their views!

I didn’t find it at all difficult to visualize or adapt Austen for Pakistani society. It was almost disturbingly easy; beyond the etiquette and the ‘marriage mart’ and the social season, our inherent misogyny parallels the Regency era. We don’t just read Austen, it’s like we’re living in her world. Her characters are incredibly relevant and relatable.

MISHAYL: Our goal was to create a lighthearted book which told a different story about Pakistan. Each writer worked hard to create ambiance and capture the era and essence of their city in a Jane Austen inspired setting. Since there are different writers, each story has its own feel and take on Austen’s Pakistan. We hope readers will enjoy this contemporary take on Pakistan, which is typically portrayed in a more negative, political light. At the end of the day, our country is filled with women who wish to find a great love, whether its romantic, friendly or family oriented, just like most other women around the world.

It was very easy for me to adapt Emma to the Karachi setting, with its glitzy party scene and constant matchmaking. I thoroughly enjoyed my ‘research’ which consisted of silently watching my peers at social gatherings. Sadly there was a lack of Mr. Knightleys and a plethora of Mr. Eltons.  

ANNA: Are there any plans for another anthology?

LAALEEN: It’s just wishful thinking at this point, not just to appease the fans, but to give me another excuse to work with such wonderful women. Let us know what you think!

Mishayl Naek

MISHAYL: Not that I know of! But we are always open to more anthologies that include a brighter angle of Pakistan.

ANNA: How did you discover Jane Austen Fan Fiction? Do you have any favorite variations?

LAALEEN: I’ve picked up various prequels and sequels, mostly titles with catchy names and beautiful covers, been amused by some and disappointed by others. It simply isn’t possible to ape her style so to overtly attempt that makes the writer look a bit foolish. I’d have to say the Bridget Jones series by Helen Fielding—with the exception of the exceedingly depressing Mad About The Boy—has to be my absolute favourite.

MISHAYL: With the exception of Clueless, I was introduced to Jane Austen fan fiction by our editor Laaleen.

ANNA: What projects are you working on now?

LAALEEN: I’m meant to be writing a novel. At the moment I’m fleshing out characters and trying to get into their heads. It’s not meant to be Austen inspired, but knowing me, Jane-isms will find their way in!

MISHAYL: I am personally trying to write a series of children’s books that are culturally significant.

ANNA: Thank you both so much for being my guests today! You’ve made me even more excited about reading Austenistan. Laaleen told me that the book has done well across South Asia, and that Pakistani booksellers say it is a top 10 bestseller! Congratulations on the anthology’s success thus far!

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About Austenistan

Heiress and society doyenne Kamila Mughal is humiliated when her brother’s best friend snubs her to marry a social climbing nobody from Islamabad. Jameela Baig’s cold, unenterprising husband hasn’t planned for the future and all she can think about is how to find suitable husbands for her daughters. Roya Khalil discovers that her fiancé has been cheating on her and ends up on a blind date in Surrey on her wedding day. Beautiful young widow Begum Saira Qadir has mourned her late husband but feels she may finally be ready to start following her own desires. Emaan navigates post-divorce singlehood in cosmopolitan Karachi, Samina confronts her inner demons in metropolitan Lahore, and Maya fears her marriage to her English diplomat husband has gone cold.

Inspired by Jane Austen and set in contemporary Pakistan, Austenistan is a collection of romantic, uplifting, witty and sometimes heart-breaking love stories which pay homage to the queen of wit and romance.Comprising seven stories inspired by Austen’s novels and largely set in contemporary Pakistan, Austenistan is an amusing, sometimes savage and sometimes moving look at love, loss and second chances in the upper echelons of a society which very closely echoes Regency England. The writers are professionals from the media, academics, law, and medicine, and are members of the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan (JASP), whose founder, Laaleen Sukhera, is editor of this collection.

ABOUT THE STORIES:

The Fabulous Banker Boys

By Mahlia S Lone

“The business of her life was to get her daughters married”—Pride and Prejudice

Jameela Baig, struggling to pay the bills and coveting respectable alliances for her four unmarried daughters, is overjoyed when two eligible young men arrive from Dubai and seem interested in Jahan and Elisha. Young Leena’s antics, however, seem likely to disgrace them all…

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Begum Saira Returns

By Nida Elley

“No character, however upright, can escape the malevolence of slander”—Lady Susan

It is 1989 and hope is in the air as Pakistan elects its first female Prime Minister. Alluring Saira Qadir reappears in Lahore society for the first time since the death of her husband, confronting old flames and new social barriers.

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Emaan Ever After

By Mishayl Naek

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more”—Emma

A spirited divorcée has an awful run of luck with Karachi’s most sought after bachelors, who also happen to act pretty entitled. Thankfully, Emaan has her best friend Haroon’s shoulder to pinch and cry on…or does she?

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The Mughal Empire

By Saniyya Gauhar

“Miss Bingley was very deeply mortified by Darcy’s marriage”—Pride and Prejudice

Kamila Mughal, publisher of Pink magazine, never imagined that a Queen Bee like herself could possibly be outdone by the gold-digging Bilal sisters who cut a swathe through town, even scooping up the man she’s always had her eye on. But might she find love while trying to merely save face?

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The Autumn Ball

By Gayathri Warnasuriya

“To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love”—Pride and Prejudice

Trailing diplomatic spouse Maya longs to attend the society gala of the year with Hugo, her reluctant English husband, in Islamabad’s bubble-like enclave for embassies. As the night progresses, Maya suspects that her marriage is as shaky as the DJ’s playlist.

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Only The Deepest Love

By Sonya Rehman

“The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied by it”—Pride and Prejudice

University lecturer Samina has learnt not to trust men from her battered and abandoned mother. Her young cousin, in the meantime, has had an arranged marriage with a wealthy young man who doesn’t appear to desire her, or indeed women in general. About the only upside to their wedding was that Samina met a man there whom she can’t quite get out of her head…

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On The Verge

By Laaleen Sukhera

“One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then without stumbling on something witty”—Pride and Prejudice

Blogger Roya Khalil, on the hunt for a perfect-on-paper soul mate, discovers her blue-blooded fiancé is cheating on her. A second chance at making a spectacular marriage presents itself when a matchmaking aunt snags her a date with an obnoxious British Asian halal meat tycoon.

Buy Austenistan: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bloomsbury (U.K.) | Waterstones (U.K.)

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About the Authors

Laaleen Sukhera

EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

Laaleen is a communications consultant and writer. She graduated with an MSc in Professional Communications and a BA (High Honours) in Screen Studies and Communication & Culture at Clark University in Massachusetts. She is the founder of the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan and has appeared in programs, podcasts, and features in 1843 (UK), the BBC (World Service &100 Women), the British Council (UK and Pakistan), Harper’s Bazaar (India), HELLO! (India and Pakistan), NewsTalk (Ireland), NPR/National Public Radio (USA), Sky Arts (UK), The Times (UK), and Vanity Fair (Italy), and has been quoted in The Atlantic, The Economist, and The New York Times.

Earlier in her career, she worked as a series coordinator and interviewer for an award nominated documentary that aired on ITV, as a field producer and advertising executive in New York, as a TV producer in Lahore, as a public relations consultant in Islamabad, and as the associate editor of Libas International.  Laaleen represented Austenistan at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka, the Times of India Lit Fest Bangalore, and at panels hosted in Washington DC by the Jane Austen Society of North America and Muse District at George Washington University, as well as in Lahore at the British Council Library, the LGS Lit Fest, The Last Word, and in Islamabad at the British High Commission’s British Club and at London Books Café.

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Mishayl Naek

CONTRIBUTOR

Mishayl is a freelance writer and monetary economist who received her BA in Economics from Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania [where she received the Jeanne Quistgaard Memorial Prize] and M.Sc. in International Development [concentration: Political Economy] from the University of Bath. She has worked at the State Bank of Pakistan in the Development Finance Group and Monetary Department, where she co-authored various policies, reports and studies including a study on monetary policy for SAARC [presented in July, 2012].

Mishayl lives in Karachi, Pakistan, and has been published in BeautifulYou.com, the Express Tribune, Good Food, Grazia Pakistan, Libas International, Women’s Own, and Yello. She runs the Yummy Mummy Network group on Facebook to address childcare issues, activities and resources for metropolitan Pakistani mothers. Mishayl remotely appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the Times LitFest Bangalore 2018.

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Nida Elley

CONTRIBUTOR

Nida is a college teacher, a writing coach, and a writer. She grew up between Scarsdale, New York and Lahore, Pakistan. She has worked in the fields of academia, non-profit film and event management. Nida previously taught Composition, Creative Writing, and Literature to college students in Lahore; she currently teaches at St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and is shortly relocating to London, UK. She received her Bachelors degree in Journalism & Mass Media from Rutgers University, New Jersey, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, New York.

Her work has been published in Psychology Today, The Friday Times, High Profile magazine, Paper magazine and she maintains a blog, A Storyed Sensibility. Nida appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the British Council Library and at The Last Word, both in Lahore, as well as at the University of Southern California’s Conversation@PAM as well as at the University of Texas at Austin’s South Asia Institute.

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Saniyya Gauhar

CONTRIBUTOR

Saniyya is a barrister by profession and was editor of the Pakistan based business magazine, Blue Chip, for four years. A graduate of Sussex University, she received a First Class Honours in Contemporary History and later went on to do the Common Professional Examination [CPE] and was called to the Bar in 2000.

Saniyya has worked in corporate law and litigation in both London and Pakistan. She is currently a freelance writer and editor. She has had articles published in magazines and prominent Pakistani daily newspapers and edited and co-authored papers for prestigious international academic journals. Saniyya appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the British Council Library in Lahore and in Islamabad at the British High Commission’s British Club and the London Books Café.

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Mahlia S Lone

CONTRIBUTOR

Mahlia is a seasoned textile journalist. She contributes to WWD [Women’s Wear Daily] among other publications, and is currently the editor of GoodTimes magazine in Lahore, Pakistan. Mahlia was valedictorian of her graduating class at the Lahore American School and attended university at Kinnaird College in Lahore, William Smith College in New York and Clark University in Massachusetts.

She started her journalistic career as the assistant editor of the op/ed pages at The Nation and became the features editor for The Friday Times before she began writing for trade publications. Mahlia has maintained a blog for Matrix Sourcing, a textile buying-house located in Lahore. Additionally, she has strategically planned creative lines for several home décor and fashion startups, and planned society fundraisers for philanthropic causes. Mahlia appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the British Council Library and at The Last Word, both in Lahore.

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Sonya Rehman

CONTRIBUTOR

Sonya is a journalist based in Lahore, Pakistan, with an expansive body of published work comprising over 400 articles. Her work has been featured in TIME, The Wall Street Journal’s Scene Asia, Rolling Stone [Middle East], BBC [The Strand], Asia Society, Esquire [Middle East], The Hindu, The Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, The Diplomat Magazine, Forbes, The Friday Times, DAWN and The News International, amongst others. In 2010, Sonya was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Master’s degree in Print Journalism at Columbia University, New York, and was one of four students [in the same year] to receive the Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Fellowship.

In addition to her prolific publishing career, Sonya teaches English and journalism, runs her own postcard start-up, From Lahore With Love, and was selected as a speaker at an independently organized TED event, TEDxKinnaird in Lahore in 2011. Sonya has also anchored and scripted for television at HUM TV, hosted a radio show for City FM89 and conducted journalism and creative writing workshops in Lahore over the years. Sonya appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the British Council Library and at The Last Word, both in Lahore.

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Gayathri Warnasuriya

CONTRIBUTOR

Gayathri is a Sri Lankan Molecular Biologist with a background in Cancer Research and work experience in HIV/Public Health. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Toxicology from the University of Dundee and is an alumnus of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine [MSc Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases] and Imperial College London [BSc Biochemistry].

Born and brought up in Columbo, Sri Lanka, Gayathri has been a nomad since the age of fifteen and has lived in Saudi Arabia, the UK, Nigeria, Guyana, Barbados and Pakistan. She currently lives in Amman, Jordan, and is completing an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine while working on science and innovation partnerships. Gayathri appeared as a panelist for Austenistan at the British Council Library in Lahore, as well as for ‘Austenistan: Jane Austen 200 Years On’ at the Galle Literary Festival 2018.

Have any of you read Austenistan? If so, let us know what you thought in the comments!

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Interview with Victoria Kincaid, author of President Darcy (with Giveaway!)

It’s always a pleasure to have Victoria Kincaid as a guest on my blog, but today I’m even more excited because we’re celebrating the release of President Darcy! I had a wonderful time editing this novel, and it’s become my favorite of hers (and I’ve loved them all!). This time I had a chance to pick her brain about the process of writing the book, her first modern Pride and Prejudice variation. Please give Victoria a warm welcome!

Until now, you’ve written only Regency-era P&P variations. What made you decide to write a modern P&P variation?

This idea has been knocking around in my head for years, but it finally came of age. I was able to envision all the major characters and figure out how the plot points fit together. At that point I couldn’t not write it. I was chomping at the bit to start writing.

Given the current political climate, did you find that a challenge in putting Mr. Darcy in the White House? What would you say to readers who might be a little nervous about putting Darcy in such an environment?

First of all, politics is not at all the focus of this story. It’s a love story about a man who happens to be president. In general, the presidency is more of an obstacle than anything.

I had the idea long before the 2016 election turned so contentious, but Darcy evolved—in some ways—into an antidote for the current political situation.  President Darcy may be proud and difficult (just like his literary predecessor), but the presidential version is very honest and empathetic and concerned about people. His character embodies a lot of qualities people would like to see in a president.

What is your favorite scene or moment in the book? What did you have the most fun writing?

It’s hard to say much without giving too many spoilers. But I had a great deal of fun with the scene after the “proposal” scene—where Darcy’s friends/staff are giving him a hard time at how romantically inept he is. I could imagine the Regency-era Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam saying similar things to Mr. Darcy after Hunsford: “You told her she was inferior and it was a degradation to love her? What’s wrong with you?” I also love the scene outside Pemberley when they meet up again because the way they encounter each other is so unexpected.

I’m curious: Where did you get the inspiration for the Bennet family business, On-a-Stick, Inc.?

I wanted the Bennets to have money from doing something that Darcy would consider gauche but not prurient (so owning a strip club wouldn’t work). I thought about processed food and corn dogs (which my son loves). There’s something so American about the idea that the most convenient way to eat a hot dog is off a stick. You can’t imagine an old-money scion like George Bush eating something so processed and messy. I also had a good time thinking up improbable foods to put on a stick. I mean, would anyone want zucchini on a stick? Or could you imagine trying to put lasagna on a stick?

I laughed out loud so many times while editing this book. Seriously, gut-busting laughs. I realized that this feel-good laughter was mainly centered on Bill Collins. Did you laugh as much writing him? Could you describe your Mr. Collins to my readers?

I’m so glad you found him entertaining! At first I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make his character function in a modern context. Having him as a clergyman and potential suitor would have been hard to work out. So I focused on the idea of his slavish devotion to Mrs. de Bourgh and his sense of self-importance. I decided that she owned an office supply company because it’s a boring industry that Collins could delude himself into thinking was really interesting. Everything else sprang from that.

He started thinking of himself as the “crown prince of staplers.” One of the fun things about writing Collins (in Regency or modern day) is that it’s almost impossible to go too far over the top with him. He can talk about how he always wanted to market number two pencils or how cutthroat the office supplies industry is—and it works for his character.

How easy or difficult did you find transforming Regency Mr. Darcy to modern-day President Darcy? What about translating Elizabeth to modern times?

It was harder in general to translate P&P into modern times than I expected. When I write a Regency era adaptation, one of the challenges is to stay true to Austen’s characters and world while writing something new. The modern setting gave me more freedom, but that also meant there were more choices to make.

For example, we see class quite differently in 21^st century U.S.A. While Regency-era Darcy had to be more polite and circumspect in his speech generally, he could be more open about the socioeconomic differences between him and Elizabeth. Class divisions were accepted and seen as natural. We’re more egalitarian today, so noticing and discussing the differences between old money and new money makes Darcy even more of snob.

With Elizabeth and the other female characters, the biggest challenge is the degree of freedom women enjoy today. Although Regency-era Elizabeth turns down two eligible men, she doesn’t have a lot of other options other than matrimony. All the women are openly husband-hunting even if they’re genteel about it. But today such behavior is in bad taste, so Mrs. Bennet—and her talk of how her daughters’ eggs are aging—is the one who’s desperate for rich husbands for her daughters. In fact, my Bingley gets upset when he thinks Jane wants him for his money. In the Regency era that was just an accepted part of the marriage bargain.

What did you find to be the most difficult part of modernizing P&P?

For one thing, it required a whole different kind of research! Instead of looking up Regency carriages and Christmas customs, I was googling the layout of the White House or pictures of Air Force One and the presidential limo. I know a lot more about the presidential lifestyle now.

Another challenge was remaining true to Austen’s characters and world while also finding modern day equivalents to Regency customs and institutions. For example, today we’d go home or to the hospital if we got sick at someone else’s house. But Jane needed a reason to stay overnight in the White House—and to require Elizabeth’s company. The Gardiners and Elizabeth aren’t going to get a tour of Pemberley, so how does she meet up with Darcy again?

The limitations on the president’s life were another added dimension. He can’t run into Elizabeth at the coffee shop or drop by her apartment. But these are fun problems to have. Usually when I solve them I find that the solution enriches the story and takes it in a new and better direction.

Did you find it harder or easier to write Will and Elizabeth’s relationship without the strict rules of Regency courtship and propriety?

I’m going to cheat and say both. 😊 In general it’s easier to write Regency romance because the social expectations set up a lot of inherent obstacles between the romantic protagonists. And, without obstacles, you could have a boring story. Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. The end.

It can be hard to write contemporary romances because there are just fewer things that believably stand in the way. That’s why so many contemporary romances rely on misunderstandings as a plot device. Fortunately the presidency itself created a lot of obstacles. Because the president is always in the public eye, there are a lot of things he can’t do or say—or he needs to keep hidden (like his potential girlfriend’s embarrassing family).

Do you think you’ll write another modern (or even just non-Regency) P&P? Or a variation of a different Austen novel?

I have another idea for a modern P&P variation which I hope to write eventually. I haven’t been able to come up with good ideas for other non-P&P Austen variations, although I’ve considered doing a mashup of P&P and Persuasion or Sense and Sensibility.

Could you tell us a little bit about your next project?

I’m now writing a Regency-era Christmas novella about Elizabeth and Darcy which I hope to have out by Christmas.

Thanks, Victoria! I really hope the readers love this one as much as I did. Congrats on the new release!

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About President Darcy

A contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

President William Darcy has it all: wealth, intelligence, and the most powerful job in the country. Despite what his friends say, he is not lonely in the White House. He’s not. And he has vowed not to date while he’s in office. Nor is he interested in Elizabeth Bennet. She might be pretty and funny and smart, but her family is nouveau riche and unbearable. Unfortunately, he encounters her everywhere in Washington, D.C.—making her harder and harder to ignore. Why can’t he get her out of his mind?

Elizabeth Bennet enjoys her job with the Red Cross and loves her family, despite their tendency to embarrass her. At a White House state dinner, they cause her to make an unfavorable impression on the president, who labels her unattractive and uninteresting. Those words are immediately broadcast on Twitter, so the whole world now knows the president insulted her. Elizabeth just wants to avoid the man—who, let’s admit it, is proud and difficult. For some reason he acts all friendly when they keep running into each other, but she knows he’s judging her.

Eventually, circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to confront their true feelings for each other, with explosive results. But even if they can find common ground, Mr. Darcy is still the president—with limited privacy and unlimited responsibilities—and his enemies won’t hesitate to use his feelings for Elizabeth against him.

Can President Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet find their way to happily ever after?

Check out President Darcy on Goodreads | Amazon

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Giveaway

Victoria is generously offering a copy of President Darcy to one lucky reader. They will have their choice of an ebook or paperback. This giveaway is open internationally and will close on Sunday, October 29, 2017. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

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