Edenbrooke (33 page)

Q: How do you get to know characters from a different time period?

A: I did not really set out to get to know my characters as much as I began listening in on their conversations. They talked to each other in my mind, which could be annoying when they interrupted real conversations I was having with real people. At first, my characters were imitations of other characters I had read and loved in other stories. But over time, they emerged as distinct individuals that poked at me if I wrote a scene wrong or put words in their mouth they didn’t want to speak. When my imagination pulled me too far to the modern world, I would stop and think about what I knew about the time period and the world my characters lived in to get myself back in the right direction.

Q: How much did the books of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer influence you?

A: Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer are undoubtedly the masters of Regency novels. I gobbled up their stories, savored them, studied them, and even wrote college papers on them. Along the way, of course their writing influenced my own. What we share in common is the subjects we write about. I love Austen’s heroines and the dilemmas they face, the hard choices they make, and the growth they show in the space of their stories. I love Heyer’s wit, her heroes, and the way she weaves in a good dose of intrigue. But as much as I love their works, I knew that I wanted my writing to be different from theirs. I wanted to keep the flavor of the Regency period but make my story accessible for a modern reader. So I intentionally made my language a little less formal and moved my plot along with greater speed.

Q: What were your biggest obstacles in writing this story?

A: The hardest part about writing this story was making it fresh while keeping it believably Regency. It was a very restrictive time to live in, especially for a young lady. I had to consider everything from language to geography to social customs to class distinctions to chaperones. There were many times I dreamed of writing a fantasy instead so I could shape an imagined world around my plot instead of trying to work my plot into the tight box of a Regency world.

Q: What do you think Jane Austen would say about the romance genre today?

A: I think she would be shocked at what can be written and published in a novel today, considering the innocent nature of her novels. I also think she would also be surprised that her writing sparked an entire genre of literature. And—this is strictly my own opinion, of course—I imagine she would wish for more elevating love stories and less of a focus on lust in today’s romance novels.

Q: What is your favorite book, and why?

A: That is like asking me to pick a favorite of my children. There are so many books that I love that it’s impossible to choose just one. But I do have a special shelf for my best-loved books, and featured on that shelf are books by Eva Ibbotson, Mary Stewart, Scott Westerfeld, Martine Leavitt, Nancy E. Turner, Megan Whalen Turner, and Kate Morton. I love compelling stories that are well-written, uplifting, have a moving portrayal of love, and end happily.

Q: What do you think is Marianne’s favorite food? What is your favorite food?

A: I imagine Marianne would like fresh foods—anything she could pick off a bush or a tree while she is ambling through the countryside. I love anything made in a bakery.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: I’m a corset geek. I would have to choose my top five favorites, because I can’t pick just one:
Jane Eyre
(2006),
North and South,
Emma
(the Romola Garai version),
Pride and Prejudice
(the A&E version, of course), and
Bleak House.

Q: If
Edenbrooke
were made into a movie, who could you see playing Marianne and Phillip?

A: There is a young British actress named Imogen Poots who I can totally see as Marianne. My favorite leading men right now are Jake Gyllenhaal and James McAvoy. I would pay good money to see either of them play dreamy Philip.

Q: Where is your favorite place to write?

A: Next to a window, preferably somewhere that nobody will interrupt me. You can usually find me in my local library, but I would love to have a quiet writing room at home.

Q: Name one thing from your bucket list that you’d like to do or see or try.

A: I would love to learn how to play the cello.

Q: Can you give us a hint concerning what your next story is going to be about?

A: My next story, which is also set in the Regency period, is about a young lady who dreams of going to India. There is also a grand estate with too many secrets, a smuggler, a gentleman, and a bargain.