Interviews With Authors

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Maria Grace Answers Our Questions For Authors

Our Grateful Thanks To Maria Grace For Answering Our Questions For Authors


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

I have to confess, Anne Elliot is my favorite character. I have always felt like I can relate to her. Elizabeth is too witty and sociable—I couldn’t be like her. But wise, caring Anne to whom everyone turns to get things done—I can relate to her.

2) Your Favorite Austen book ?

That would be a toss up between Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Colin Firth will always be Darcy in my mind. He was the first actor I saw play him and I think that is indelibly etched in my brain.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Jennifer Ehle, for the same reasons as Colin Firth.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

I’m not sure I can choose only one!

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

It’s a tie between P&P 2005 and Amanda Root’s Persuasion

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Elinor Dashwood, Anne Elliot, Miss Taylor (Emma’s governess), and Mrs. Croft

8. Why have you chosen them?

I think this group of women represents characters I can most relate to and I’d love to see if that was really true after all.
Although, I would also be tempted to invite Lady Susan. She was such a delightful villainess and hearing her perspectives first hand would be fascinating.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Anne Elliot or Elinor Dashwood.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Are you going to narrow me down to only one? I have nine projects pinned up on my board right now.
I just finished the rough draft of ‘If Only I had Learnt.’ It is the story of the Bennet family as they overcome the challenges presented by a disabling accident suffered by Mr. Bennet and the tragic loss of Mrs. Bennet several years later. Elizabeth meets Darcy as there is instant attraction, but Elizabeth is sure her tragic experiences have left her unfit to be the wife of any gentleman. It is up Darcy to convince her otherwise.

Thanks for the chance to share!

Thank You Maria Grace

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Amy Cecil ~ Answers Our Questions For Authors

Our Grateful Thanks To Amy Cecil for Answering Our Questions For Authors


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Mr. Darcy, definitely. I know when I read about or watch a fictional character, I put him (or her) up against my ideas of perfection. We all know that as human beings, none of us are perfect, but when we are dealing with a fictional person, they can be as perfect as we want them to be. Therefore, Fitzwilliam Darcy is my idea of the perfect man. Now, do not get me wrong, we all know he has his faults; 
however, the man has so much more. He is, above all (including his good looks), honest and honorable. He acknowledges his faults and makes every effort to correct them. He is devoted to his one true love and places her above all. Need I say more?

2) Your Favorite Austen Book?

Pride and Prejudice

3) Which actor would you choose to be YOUR Mr. Darcy and why?

I know there is much debate about Colin Firth and Matthew McFayden and I truly do not intend to debate that here. However, I have to say that I cannot think of any other actor playing the role of Mr. Darcy than Matthew McFayden. To me, he showed a softer, more vulnerable side to the character while at the same time displaying his arrogance. When I think of Mr. Darcy and when I write of Mr. Darcy, it is Matthew McFayden I see.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

I think Keira Knightly has captured my idea of Elizabeth perfectly. She has all her spunk and wit that Ms. Austen described in her book, but she adds just a bit more to the character. Now, if I was to pick any actress, I think it would have been a real treat to see Vivien Leigh portraying Elizabeth. Can you imagine a combination of Scarlett O’Hara and Elizabeth Bennet all tied into one, very formidable woman?

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

This is a tough question, cause I love so many books, it would be too hard to pick just one. If I were to pick my top five, they would be:  Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, The Harry Potter Series (yes, all of them, but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was my absolute favorite), Persuasion and on the more tragic side, Anna Karenina.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaptation?

I would have to say that based on my responses above, this is pretty obvious. Definitely the 2005 production of Pride and Prejudice.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters, who would they be?

The exclusive dinner party would consist of Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Colonel Brandon and Captain Wentworth.

8) Why have you chosen them?

Four very handsome and attractive men, must I explain? Seriously, I am hoping that the two colonels and the captain will be occupied in their discussions, which would leave Mr. Darcy all to myself!

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Elizabeth Bennet, definitely, but only if I am play opposite Matthew McFayden.

10) Tell us about your next planned book?

My next book is to be released in 2013 and it is called Relentless Considerations. Think of a situation when you have wanted something so badly but duty and honor cause you to hesitate. Then, you finally decided that your happiness comes before duty and honor, only to find (or to think that you found) that someone else has beaten you to it.   Amy Cecil

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Questions For Authors ~ P.O. Dixon Replies

Our Thanks To P.O Dixon for Answering our “Questions For Authors” Questions


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

My favorite character is Mr Darcy. As a man of his time, he is just what a wealthy gentleman of aristocratic bearing ought to be.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austen book. My second favorite is Lady Susan.

3) Which actor would you choose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

When I close my eyes and envision Mr Darcy, it is always Matthew Macfadyen that I see. I have tried to picture other actors but with little success. I owe my discovery of Pride and Prejudice to Matthew’s portrayal of Darcy. I suppose it is fitting that no one can take his place in my mind.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Likewise, Keira Knightly is my choice as the perfect Elizabeth. I can see why she was nominated for an award for her portrayal of the literary heroine. I loved her performance.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

After giving this some thought, and with so many literary greats from which to choose, I must leave this question unanswered.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

My favorite is the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

The invitees would be Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennet, and Caroline Bingley.

8) Why have you chosen them?

Lady Catherine is set in her ways. She is awfully proud of her own opinions and with good reason. Who else is as proficient as she is in arranging the lives of others? She would be astounded by the clueless wit of Miss Emma Woodhouse, astonished by the audacity of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and appalled by the pretentiousness of Miss Caroline Bingley.

The evening would be quite diverting. I believe Emma and Elizabeth would emerge from the dinner party unscathed but alas, I pity poor Caroline.

9) Which character would you like to play in a Pride and Prejudice film?

I have no acting ambition but if forced to make a decision it would be Elizabeth. No one else enjoys the enviable position of winning Mr Darcy’s hand.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

My current work-in-progress is titled Matter of Trust. Darcy and Elizabeth, our beloved couple, endure a forced marriage scenario of sorts. In a rare departure for me, George Wickham enjoys a particularly prominent role. An intriguing new character is introduced, as well. Readers are welcome to follow my Pinterest board or my blog spot for progress updates. 

I am truly excited about Matter of Trust. Its release date is late Autumn 2012.

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Colette Saucier ~ Answers Our Questions For Authors


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Aunt Gardiner from “Pride and Prejudice.”  She is intelligent, intuitive, and unbiased, and she leaves the children with a sitter to go touring the country with her husband.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

“Pride and Prejudice.”  It has set the standard for every romance novel and rom-com film for 200 years—the original that created the formula.  Boy meets girl.  Girl hates boy.  Boy likes girl.  Girl and boy realize they like each other.  Misunderstanding/outside forces tear them apart.  Reunion, reconciliation, happily ever after.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

My daughter and I were discussing who could best portray Mr. Darcy in a film adaptation of my novel “Pulse and Prejudice” (one can always dream), and we settled on Ben Barnes.  He is the appropriate age and British, but that is for a vampire Darcy.  If we may consider actors at any time in their careers…I suppose Russell Crowe is too manly (more a Col. Brandon).  I will stick with Colin Firth.  He portrayed Mr. Darcy perfectly both in “Pride and Prejudice” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

I would be remiss if I chose any actress other than my brilliant and talented daughter!

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Although I generally prefer the classics, particularly 19th century literature, my favorite novel of all time is “The Transmigration of Timothy Archer.”  Although written by Philip K. Dick (the prolific author of “Blade Runner,” “Minority Report,” “Total Recall,” etc.), it is a complete departure from the science fiction genre and was inspired by the life of his friend Bishop James Pike, who died in the Judean Desert while searching for proof of the historical Jesus.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

The 1995 BBC miniseries “Pride and Prejudice.”

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. and Mrs. Weston.

8. Why have you chosen them?  

I would not invite Mr. Darcy because I know he is uncomfortable amongst strangers.  Although I considered Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet for their humor and repartee, they might use their caustic wit and sarcasm at the expense of the other guests—or even their host!  I would invite Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. and Mrs. Weston because my husband and I enjoy dinner parties with intelligent, sophisticated married couples, and these must be the most sensible people in the entire Austen universe.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film? 

The question does not limit me to Austen characters, so I will say Kirsten Lundborg from “The Transmigration of Timothy Archer.”  I am not an actress and would rather not portray anyone in film, but this would mean that the novel is being turned into a movie!  I would also like to cast Russell Crowe as Timothy Archer.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

 I am currently writing a sequel to “Pulse and Prejudice” entitled “Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth” in which the new Mrs. Darcy adjusts to marriage to a vampire.  I have a contemporary novel in the works as well, and I am toying with a concept for a romance about a werewolf named Heathcliff living on the moors in Victorian England but with lots of cool, futuristic gadgets.  So it would be a shapeshifter, steampunk, erotic romance adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” called “Withering Frights.”  Perhaps it would help my daughter find some merit in the “other” Bronte sister.

Our Grateful Thanks To Colette Saucier for Answering Our Questions For Authors


Contact Colette Saucier by email:




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Interview With An Author – Janet Mullany


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Janet – Henry Tilney. He’s such an adorable flirt and he really seems to like women.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Janet – My answer usually is whichever one I happen to be rereading, which at the moment is Sense and Sensibility, but I’m torn between Mansfield Park and Persuasion. Indecisive? Not really.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Janet – Obviously I don’t have a calling as a casting director because I can’t honestly think of anyone! I’m really tired of all the perpetual cooing over Colin Firth and I’m impressed that he’s managed to have a career despite P and P. I tend to visualize Darcy as a fairly ordinary looking sort of man. Just about any competent actor in his mid 20s could do it.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Janet – A younger Emily Blunt or Emily Mortimer.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Janet – Wives and Daughters by Mrs. Gaskell

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Janet – 1995 Persuasion

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Janet – Henry Tilney, Anne Elliot, Mary Crawford, Mr. Darcy

8. Why have you chosen them?

Janet – Mary would flirt outrageously with all the men but I think there’s the basis for interesting conversation.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Janet – Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She’s so awful.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Janet – JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION (October 2011)–Jane, Damned again. Jane Austen battles rogue vampires, a sulky ex-lover, family members behaving badly, and other interruptions to her writing in Chawton, 1810.

Thank you very much Janet, very much appreciated.


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Interview With An Author – Jane Greensmith

Jane Greensmith’s  Website Here:


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Jane:  Depends on my mood, but I really enjoy Emma Woodhouse.  She gains so much self-awareness in the course of the book, and her willingness to try to grow is both endearing and admirable.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Jane: Whichever one I am currently reading.  I don’t have a favorite child or a favorite Austen.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Jane:   Colin Firth continues to set the mark, and in my eyes is Mr. Darcy 

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Jane:  Actually I think Greer Garson, Elizabeth Garvie, and Jennifer Ehle all did wonderful in the role, though I think Elizabeth Garvie is still the best.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Jane:  There is no one favorite, although if forced I would have to go with Middlemarch.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Jane:   My current favorite is the latest Emma but I am also a fan of the both SandS films, the 1995 PandP, and the Persuasion with Amanda Root.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Jane:  Lady Russell, Mr. Bennet, Captain Wentworth, and Mary Crawford

8. Why have you chosen them?

Jane:  I think these would provide outstanding conversation, tell the best stories, listen as well as talk, flirt as appropriate.  They are well-educated and not shy.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Jane:  Sophie Croft

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Jane:  A set of interrelated short stories that span 1850-1950 and are set in Colorado.

Thank you very much Jane, very much appreciated.
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Interview With An Author – Beth Pattillo

Beth Pattillo’s Website Here


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Beth:  Hm… It’s probably a tie between Elizabeth Bennet and Anne Elliot. I love Lizzy for her wit, her loyalty to her sisters, and her common sense.  I love Anne because she perseveres under the yolk of a very trying family. I love that they both end up with heroes worthy of them!

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Beth:  Again, it’s probably a tie between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, although I love all the novels.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Beth:  I’m a Colin Firth girl, all the way. 

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Beth:   I still love Jennifer Ehle from the ’95 BBC miniseries the best, but I was surprisingly pleased by Keira Knightley’s performance in the more recent movie. I think Emma Stone would make a great Elizabeth, if there’s another remake. She has that witty but accessible vibe that a good Lizzy needs.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Beth:  It depends on what day you ask me! I love too many to just pick one.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Beth:    That’s a tough one. I’ve enjoyed all of them. Again, it depends on when you ask me. Last night, I rewatched the ’95 Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds.  I love the simplicity of it and the cinematography is amazing.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Beth:  Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Mr. Knightley, and Colonel Brandon.  I’m no fool!

8. Why have you chosen them?

Beth:  Wouldn’t you want to spend the evening with these guys?

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Beth:  Well, at my age, I’d have to play Mrs. Dashwood or Lady Russell or one of the other matrons.  Mrs. Jennings would be fun to play — all that meddling and matchmaking!

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Beth:  I’m trying to figure out what to work on next! I don’t think I’m done with the Formidables and Jane Austen but I may need a change of pace for a bit.  Sometimes too many options is a problem…

Thank you for letting me drop by. 
Beth

Well, Thank you Beth, very much appreciated.

More from Beth Pattillo:


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Interview With An Author – Kara Louise


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why:

Kara:  It has to be Mr. Darcy. He is a man of strong convictions and integrity, loyal to family and to his friends (to a fault, where Bingley was concerned, though), and a man who did not flaunt his wealth and connections. The fact that he was handsome and rich might have a little to do with it.

2) Your Favorite Austen book:

Kara:  Pride and Prejudice is my favorite, with Persuasion a close second.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why:

Kara:   I am a Colin Firth fan all the way. To me he is Mr. Darcy in his looks, actions, and demeanour.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth:

Kara:   If I could go back in time and mix eras, I might say Audrey Hepburn, although she may have been too pretty. She did have such fine eyes!

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author:

Kara:   Since I have read it so often and enjoy it every time, it would have to be “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen herself.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption:

Kara:   The 1995 “Pride and Prejudice” although I do enjoy the latest “Emma” with Jonny Lee Miller.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be:

Kara:  Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Mr. Knightly, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

8. Why have you chosen them:

Kara:  Do you have to ask? I would love to ask them all kinds of questions about how they knew they were in love, why they fell in love, and why that love endured (this of course might not apply to the Colonel, but he would add a little bit of levity to the group!).

9) Which character would you like to play in a film:

Kara:   I assume you mean a Jane Austen character. If I were to choose one who is most like me, it would have to be Jane Bennet. I am really like her in that I do try to see good in people. Now sometimes it’s hard, but I can usually still put up with them.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not):

Kara:   I wrote a series of stories several years ago that follow Darcy and Elizabeth in their first year of marriage as they celebrated each of the holidays and special events, beginning, of course with Christmas. I’m doing some major editing of it, adding some stories, and getting it ready for a fall release.
It will be self-published and titled, “Pemberley Celebrations – the first year.”


A Very Big Thank You To Kara.


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Interview With An Author – Karen Wasylowski



Karen V. Wasylowski, author of “Darcy and Fitzwilliam, a tale of a gentleman and and officer”


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Karen:  Lady Catherine de Bourgh is certainly one of my favorites and a very misunderstood character to be sure. The older that I get the more I understand her irritation with the youngsters around her and their new fangled ideas about love and romance. She is so very pompous and so opinionated that she borders on the laughable and that’s how I see her – an eccentric old aunt about whom everyone must…up with put. (Can’t end a sentence with a preposition, you know.)

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Karen:  Pride and Prejudice is nearly perfect in my mind. There is something about the elegant, handsome, superior male being brought to his knees by the clever, witty, and very beloved female that is very satisfying to behold. Darcy’s second proposal is tender and human and Elizabeth’s new found love and respect for him (and Pemberley) is poignant. All the characters are so normal – I can see sitting down with any one of them (except Reverend Collins) and enjoying a nice chat.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr. Darcy and why?

Karen:   That’s a real puzzler. I loved Colin Firth in the mini-series and enjoyed watching his falling in love with Elizabeth. However, I did enjoy Matthew Macfadyen’s portrayal also. There was a defensive shyness about Darcy with Macfadyen where Colin’s was more of a pride of his position.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Karen:  I hated Kiera Knightley’s look in the 2005 movie, as compared to Jennifer Ehle. Kiera looked like an unmade bed half the time where Jennifer looked perfect. In reflection though the Bennet’s were poor gentility so their clothes and their home would be rather shabby and they would not have the finest of maids to do hair. Aside from that Kiera just glowed as Lizzy. She was lit from within – a cliché that just seems to apply to her in all of her movies.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Karen:  Hands down – Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Karen I loved the 2005 movie of Pride and Prejudice for the actors. I enjoyed the mini-series much more however because it followed the book so closely. There were times in the movie it was even hard to understand what they said, and the story had been manipulated and so much was left out. Of course, it was a movie so they had to edit. I also loved Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility, especially the scene where she finds out Edward isn’t married. I cry every time she does. And Persuasion is the most romantic of all, with Anne and Wentworth finally together at the end.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Karen:  Aunt Catherine, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Wentworth

8. Why have you chosen them?

Karen:  Darcy and Wentworth are the most romantic of Austen’s men in my view, and I love Colonel Fitzwilliam from my own book, Darcy and Fitzwilliam. I took Austen’s few words about his affability and charm and he emerged into a full blown character in my mind, trouble is I forget that other people don’t see him as I do. Aunt Catherine would need to attend so the men don’t suspect that I am a stalker.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Karen:   Lady Catherine – can’t you tell? I get a kick out of her, besides I am too old to be an ingénue.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Karen:  I have begun a continuation of Darcy and Fitzwilliam with the two cousins’ now married and fathers and both seemingly headed for Parliament. The tentative title is “A Parliament of Owls.” 

I also have a more contemporary story started about a horrible first date.


A Big Thank You To Karen

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Interview With An Author – Jack Caldwell

1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Jack:  Captain Frederick Wentworth, RN. While a dashing war hero and a successful leader of men, Wentworth suffers from the all-too-human sins of jealousy and resentment. His treatment of his once and future love, Anne Elliot, is real and timeless. However, he is a strong enough character to overcome his disappointment and bitterness and court Anne anew. This is a MAN.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Jack:  “Persuasion.”

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr. Darcy and why?

Jack:  Since my novel takes place in 1870s Texas, Hugh Jackman or Antonio Banderas quickly come to mind.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Jack:  For the same reason, Anne Hathaway or Rachel Weisz.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Jack:  Its non-fiction: William Manchester’s Volume 2 of his epic biography of Winston S. Churchill, “The Last Lion: Alone.” I regret that Manchester did not live long enough to finish the series.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Jack:  The 1980 BBC version of “Pride & Prejudice.”

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.

Jack:  Capt. & Mrs. Wentworth, Mr. & Mrs. Darcy.

8. Why have you chosen them?

Jack:  They are my two favorite couples, and the conversation would be stimulating and amusing.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Jack:  Nothing from Austen. I would like to play Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons.”

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Jack:  In the spring, my sequel to “Pride & Prejudice” and “Sense & Sensibility,” “The Thee Colonels,” comes out. Basically, I send Jane Austen’s fighting men to war—in particular, Waterloo. The novel stars Col. and Marianne Brandon, Col. Fitzwilliam, Anne de Bourgh, Caroline Bingley, Mr. & Mrs. Darcy, and an original character—the dashing and dangerous Col. Sir John Buford.

A Very Big Thank You To Jack:

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INTERVIEW WITH AN AUTHOR – REGINA JEFFERS


1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Regina:  I have lived with and loved Mr. Darcy since I was twelve years of age. It is not likely that I would desert him now. I think the act that solidified my admiration for Darcy was that out of respect for his father, he kept Wickham’s miniature displayed at Pemberley. He does not possess the implacable resentment of which Elizabeth accuses him. He is a man of honor.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Regina:  Needless to say, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book – although I have a strong preference for Persuasion, as well.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Regina:  Matthew Macfadyen has been my favorite actor long before he played Darcy in 2005. I took a liking to him in Perfect Strangers and in Warriors. Actually, his smile at the end of Wuthering Heights caught my attention before he had leading roles.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Regina:  I have said this previously in another blog. It is terrible to say. I easily imagine certain actors taking on the roles of the characters in my books, but I never imagine certain actresses assuming the lead roles. I see them as ordinary women – with foibles and flaws.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Regina:  That is a difficult question to answer. I have “different” favorites at different times in my life. As a young teen, I marveled at the ingenuity found in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. In college, I took a liking to Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. My mother and I read Ronald Joseph’s trilogy The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory together. I love it for sentimental reasons. While in college, my son took Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and made me a book with his pictures instead of those from the original illustrator. 

When I taught school, I loved teaching Chinese Cinderella (Adeline Yen Mah), The Songcatcher (Sharyn McCrumb), Welcome to Vietnam (Zack Emerson), Heroes (Robert Cormier), The Little Foxes (Lillian Hellman), God’s Favorite (Neil Simon), Dark of the Moon (Howard Richardson) and The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien). Each had an important message.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaptation?

Regina:  I refuse to argue which is the better version of Pride and Prejudice; both have their redeeming qualities. My preference is Persuasion 1995. It comes the closest to what I saw in my head when I first read Austen’s work.

7-8) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be? Why have you chosen them?

Regina:  

Henry Tilney – Having spent 40 years in the public classrooms of three different states, Tilney’s teacher-ish qualities appeal to me. Catherine is but 17 years of age. I am used to dealing with those of a like age. I could share my insights with him.

Charles Bingley – Mr. Bingley represents the rising middle class. He is from a “respectable family in the north of England. I would choose him for his affability. With Mr. Bingley, conversation would never lapse. Plus, I feel a certain affinity with the man. His family worked hard to rise to a better way of life.

Mr. Knightley – This man most consistently maintains the image of a “gentleman” among Austen’s characters. He converses well and is not averse to doing so with those below him in both social and economic situations. He is sensitive to the needs of others. Possibly, Henry Tilney might learn something from Mr. Knightley on how to handle immature young ladies.

Fitzwilliam Darcy – I would like an evening to match wits with Mr. Darcy – an evening when he was not focusing his energies on Elizabeth Bennet. I would enjoy “capping” one of his caustic remarks with one of my own.
(Oh, my Goodness! It would be four gentlemen and I. How outrageous!!!)


9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Regina:   I am certain that I would fit none of Austen’s characters. I am a lead, follow, or get out of my way type of person, which would send me in the direction of Lady Catherine, but I am too romantic to be like the great lady.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Regina: In October 2012, Ulysses Press will release Christmas at Pemberley, which is a festive holiday novel in which personal rivalries are resolved, generosity rediscovered and family bonds renewed. That will be followed by a P&P mystery after the first of the year. 

I am self-publishing the next two books in my Realm series. These follow The Scandal of Lady Eleanor and are entitled A Touch of Velvet and A Touch of Cashémere. I hope release them on eBook later next week, along with a novella about Adam Lawrence from The Phantom of Pemberley.




A Big Thank You To Regina.

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Interview With An Author – Patrice Sarath





1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?



Patrice:   My favorite Austen character changes with the book I’ve read most recently, so currently its Emma Woodhouse. She’s very young and very meddlesome, but girls like her are so common nowadays. They are the leaders and sometimes the mean girls in high school, and they are the very opinionated young mothers at play group and who volunteer at the schools. But she is also good-hearted and loves her father very much. Emma is so timeless. Austen really knew her stuff when she drew her characters.


2) Your favorite Austen book?

Patrice:     Persuasion. I think Austen had fully come into her writing powers at that point and what a tragedy that she died so young. I love and will always love Pride and Prejudice, but I think Persuasion is a better book. She captures family dynamics with a keen eye and sharp wit, and much like Emma, it’s so modern.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Patrice:    You can’t get much better than Colin Firth. He embodied the role so completely.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Patrice:    Jennifer Ehles. I mean come on! She was perfect.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Patrice:      I can’t pick just one favorite book. I love too many books for there to be favorites. But if I have to choose, then The Lord of the Rings. But that leaves out so many! One? I really can choose only one?

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Patrice:     Persuasion, the Ciaran Hinds one. Boy was that well done and so marvelous. But obviously the BBC miniseries is also a sweet confection.

 7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be?

Patrice:     Lydia Wickham, Emma Woodhouse, Mrs. Jennings (the gossipy mother from Sense and Sensibility), and Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

8. Why have you chosen them?

Patrice:      Because as Dorothy Parker said, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit by me.”

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Patrice:   Mary Bennet. Because I’m bookish like she is and I have a tendency to say the wrong thing and because…

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)?

Patrice:      My novel The Unexpected Miss Bennet comes out this month from Robert Hale. It is about Mary Bennet and her life and awakening after the events of Pride and Prejudice.

I always wondered why Mary and Mr. Collins were never paired up because they would be perfect together right? Pompous, bookish, socially awkward, and aggravating. But I thought, no, Mary needed a better beau. That was how Mr. Aikens galloped in Mary’s life and heart.


A Very Big Thank You To Patrice Sarath

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Interview With An Author - C. Allyn Pierson





1) Your own favorite Austen character and why



CAP: Mr. Darcy- he is a complex character and his initial appearance of haughty reserve is covering a very interesting person. Most of all he is one of those rare men- he can admit he is wrong and change!



2) Your Favorite Austen book

CAP: Pride and Prejudice, followed by Persuasion. I relate to Lizzy Bennet and her wit, but I also like for the underdog to win, i.e. little overlooked Anne Elliot who is far superior to the rest of her family.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why

CAP: I can’t do better than Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehles.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth

CAP: See #3 JE played Elizabeth to perfection – witty without being snotty, attractive, but not so overwhelmingly beautiful that it would not make sense for Darcy to reject her. JE has a luminous quality when she meets Darcy again at Pemberley and you suddenly realize that she is lovely- truly a “beauty”

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author

CAP: Sorry to be boring: Pride and Prejudice, but I am a fan of Jane Eyre, too.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption

CAP:  1995 P&P- this version is the most perfect film adaptation I have seen- so many have added weird things that are not in the book and don’t make sense (like Judy Dench showing up at the Bennet house after everyone has gone to bed. The one thing I would have change is that I would have shown a little kissing as Darcy and Elizabeth take their long walk after she accepts him!

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.

CAP:  Colonel Fitzwilliam, Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth, Mr. Knightley

8. Why have you chosen them

CAP:  I would be guaranteed excellent conversation and a convivial atmosphere. Maybe I could find a wife for Colonel Fitzwilliam

9) Which character would you like to play in a film

CAP:  JA character: Elizabeth Bennet, no question, but since Colin Firth is as old as I am, I probably would go for Richard Armitage as my Darcy (hey, we’re fantasizing here!)

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not)

CAP:  A novel about Kitty Bennet and her love (a continuation of her part of Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister)


A Very Big Thank You To C. Allyn Pierson

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Interview With An Author – Abigail Reynolds




1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?



Abigail  Darcy is probably my favorite Austen character, but not for the usual reasons. I’m fascinated by his complexity, by having to guess the thoughts that go on behind his silences, and how a man could be both so sensitive to his sister’s needs and P&P. There are so many ways to sketch his character that, as an author, I can’t help but be fascinated by him. But if you asked me who I’d want as a friend, it would be Elinor Dashwood, for being the person you can always rely on to try to do the right thing.



2) Your favorite Austen book.



Abigail:    Pride & Prejudice, with Persuasion in a close second.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Abigail:  I can never answer this question! I’m not particularly up to date on actors, and I have such strong images of the characters in my head that it seems odd to think of anyone else playing them. That said, I’d love to have seen Alan Howard or Ian McKellen when they were in their prime playing Darcy.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Abigail:  As above, I draw a blank. ☺

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Abigail:  An easy one! That would be Pride & Prejudice.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Abigail:  Probably P&P 1995, though I also enjoy P&P 2005.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.

And

8. Why have you chosen them?

Abigail:   Darcy and Wentworth so that I could explore their characters, Elizabeth Bennet for sheer good company and entertainment, and Charlotte Lucas whose still waters run deep.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Abigail:   Anything but Emma! I have a strong theater background so I have a pretty good sense of what I could and couldn’t handle. Elizabeth Bennet is beyond my reach, but I’d love to tackle Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I could have a lot of fun with one of the more complex and serious female roles like Elinor Dashwood or Charlotte Lucas.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Abigail:  I have a new Pemberley Variation, Mr. Darcy’s Letter, coming out soon. I’m working on another one set at Hunsford, but I’m not sure if it’s going to be a novel or a novella yet. The pace is moving faster than I expected! 

There’s also another modern novel set in Woods Hole in the same series as The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice and Morning Light, this one based on Cassie’s younger brother Ryan.

A Very Big Thank You To Abigail.

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Interview With An Author ~ Mary Simonsen






1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?



Mary:  My favorite Austen character is Anne Elliot of Persuasion. In the course of the novel, we see Anne go from a wilted flower to a rose who has recovered her bloom. Because she remained faithful to Frederick, she is rewarded with his love. It’s such a lovely story.



2) Your favorite Austen book.



Mary:   There is a tie for my favorite Austen novel: Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. One is a mature love story, and the other has all the energy of youth.



3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?



Mary:  I recently saw Matthew Goode when he introduced Masterpiece Contemporary. I think he would be a good Darcy. But it will be tough to follow Colin and Matthew.



4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?



Mary:  My perfect Elizabeth is Elizabeth Garvie from the 1980 Masterpiece Theater classic. Although Jennifer Ehle and Keira Knightley were very good, I’m still a fan of Garvie’s.


5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Mary:  My favorite book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. It is a story about the last great cattle drive of the American West. Wonderful characters. It’s storytelling at its very best.


6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Mary:   My favorite Austen adaptation is Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciarnan Hinds. I think they just click on the screen and make an eight-year separation believable.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.

Mary:   My guests at a dinner party would be George Knightley, Jane Fairfax, Frederick Wentworth, and Elizabeth Bennet.

8. Why have you chosen them?

Mary:  I would ask Mr. Knightley and Jane Fairfax what made them fall in love with Emma/Frank Churchill. Capt. Wentworth would tell me how he managed to remain faithful to Anne Elliot for eight years. That’s asking a lot of a man. Finally, I would ask Elizabeth Bennet to talk about her married life with Mr. Darcy, e.g., what do you talk about after you have retired for the evening? Pillow talk.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Mary:  In any Austen film, I would play a servant, a groom or a maid, who goes unobserved, watching all the major players at work and play—a fly on the wall sort of thing.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Mary:   A Wife for Mr. Darcy was released by Sourcebooks on July 1, 2011. My next release is a self-published novel, Darcy on the Hudson. Darcy comes to America where he meets American, Elizabeth Bennet. Unlike the demure ladies of Regency society, Elizabeth is forthright, and Darcy finds himself drawn to her like iron to a magnet. It takes place on the cusp of the War of 1812 when America and Britain go to war once again.

and

A Very Big Thank You To Mary.

If you are an Author and would like to Be Included In ‘Questions To Authors ‘- Click on the Questions To Authors link at the top of the page and go for it! 

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Interview With An Author – Mitzi Szereto

Author of ~ Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts





1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Mitzi:  Why, Mr. Darcy, of course. He’s just so sullen and sexy!

2) Your favorite Austen book.

Mitzi:  Pride and Prejudice, obviously! So I guess it’s no surprise that I decided to reinterpret it for my own version, Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts. There’s just so much brilliant fodder to work with, and so much Jane Austen left unsaid (and un-acted upon). Let’s just say that I took matters a bit farther than Jane did, though I suspect she would have approved, especially since she hinted at enough inappropriate goings-on in her novel.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Mitzi:  He’s already been chosen: Colin Firth. No one either before or after him has come remotely close to portraying the character as well as he has, or as authentically either. In my view, he IS Mr. Darcy. And I bet Jane Austen would agree. I even credit him in my book as a source of inspiration!

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Mitzi:  I’d have to say Jennifer Ehle, who played opposite Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC TV adaptation. She interpreted the character very much along the lines of how Jane Austen wrote her. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I haven’t seen anyone come close to portraying Elizabeth Bennet as well as Jennifer did.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Mitzi:  I have various favourites, all of which are different from each other. If you had to push me on this, then I’ll go with Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I’m also a big fan of the film version starring Jeremy Irons. Film versions can either enhance or destroy the literary versions, so when you find one that’s truly excellent, you often become as enamored of the film as the book.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?

Mitzi:  Definitely the aforementioned 1995 BBC TV series Pride and Prejudice. The production is flawless. It’s as if the actors had stepped right out of the novel, they are so perfectly cast. When I wrote Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts, it was these actors I saw and heard in my mind. They were superb and will never be equalled or surpassed.

7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.

Mitzi:  Well, I certainly wouldn’t want it to be dull, so I’d have to say Mr. Darcy (for the hottie factor), Elizabeth Bennet (for intelligent conversation), Mrs. Bennet (for comic relief), and Mr. Collins (for yet more comic relief, along with a bit of slapstick). Since you’re only allowing me four characters, I guess we’ll have to do without the entertainment of Mary singing and playing the pianoforte.

8. Why have you chosen them?

Mitzi:  I refer to my previous answer.

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Mitzi:  Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet. The other women in the novel simply don’t have the depth of character, or the intelligence and wit. Elizabeth was a woman who had her own mind, and was not afraid to let others know it either. Plus she lands Mr. Darcy. That alone makes taking on the role worthwhile!

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Mitzi:  My next book is something rather different from Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts. It’s a collection of short stories entitled Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance

The anthology takes its inspiration from the Gothic literary tradition (think the Brontës through to Anne Rice) and features work from a variety of authors, myself included. It’s got it all: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, howling wind, not to mention a generous amount of eroticism and sensuality… The book will be published in September 2011.

A Very Big Thank You To Mitzi Szereto.

I will be reviewing Mitzi’s Book, ‘Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts’ in a few shorts weeks

If you are an Author and would like to Be Included In ‘Questions To Authors ‘- Click on the Questions To Authors link and go for it!

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