Author Interview and Giveaway with Sharon Lathan (My Dearest Mr. Darcy)

 

I would like to welcome Sharon Lathan, Author of My Dearest Mr. Darcy for an author interview here at My Reading Room.

Sharon is touring around the blogosphere at the moment promoting the third book in her Darcy Family Saga, My Dearest Mr. Darcy.  Please welcome her today and check the end of the post for a wonderful giveaway of the three Darcy Saga books offered by Sourcebooks. 

1. How did it feel to see all of your hard work come to fruition with of the first book in the series, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One?

You know, I am not sure there are words to adequately convey how it feels. Surreal is a great way to describe it, for sure. It is an incredible amount of work getting to that point. There are struggles amid the fun and one becomes so focused on the details, on the “project” aspect of it all. So when the book finally arrives and you hold it in your hands there is this almost out-of-body experience when the reality of it crashes upon you. The joy, pride, relief, and probably three-dozen other emotions overwhelm and you stand there not quite knowing what you are feeling! I remember when I first saw my novel sitting on the shelf at Target, alone and with a dead-battery camera, that I was absolutely giddy and surely grinning stupidly. I was then a bit disappointed because there was no one to shout for joy with and no angelic Hallelujah chorus singing as I felt was appropriate! LOL! Yeah, surreal.

2. Has the thrill been the same with the release of the two other books in the series, including the newest one, My Dearest Mr. Darcy?

It really has. Perhaps not as intensely as with my first, since I now know what to expect. Yet, in another way it is a deeper emotion as I now can look at all three books sitting together on my shelf, or in a store, and the full impact of what an accomplishment that is has settled into my brain. The feeling of pride is profoundly stronger. Still somewhat surreal and no less thrilling, but most of the anxiety and self-doubt is gone. I am much more confident and serene about it all, and that is really wonderful. 

3. Without giving anything away - what is My Dearest Mr. Darcy about?

My Dearest Mr. Darcy is the third book in my Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” The series is written to be read in sequence, so this novel follows smoothly after Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Loving Mr. Darcy, the three books covering the first year of marriage between Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy. This novel spans approximately four months with the Darcys taking a vacation at the seacoast, visiting friends, and then settling back into Pemberley as they await the birth of their first child. A number of adventures occur with rich historical details I love strewn throughout. Like all my novels, the focus, the theme, is one of deep abiding love and marital happiness between the two main characters. There is lots of fun, some excitement, humor, and a wealth of secondary characters adding to the mix. However, the main point of my Saga is to live life with the Darcys in a very realistic and positive way.

4. Do you get time to read? What are your favorite types of books to read?

I make time to read, and it is not always easy! But I have to. Books have been my constant companion, solace, and main form of entertainment for as long as I can remember. My favorite genre has always been fantasy, oddly enough, although I am eclectic in my taste and will read just about anything. Now I am also a huge fan of romance. But I still kind of like that paranormal twist, so I have been devouring everything by Karen Marie Moning and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I have read most of the novels by my fellow Sourcebooks authors and they are all terrific. I still dip into my favorites, for instance I just finished rereading a couple of Dean Koontz that I hadn’t read in years and I next plan to read an Anne McCaffrey Pern book that I somehow missed. My hubby bought me a Kindle for Christmas, so I am excited to search for some older books to replenish ones I have lost.

5. What is your favorite room in your house?

When I am in a serious writing mood I retreat to my study/office, which is a beautiful room all my own. Well, I do share it with the cat, but he doesn’t bother me too much! Yet, I love my living room best of all. It is huge, has a very comfortable leather recliner that is mine all mine, enormous windows, the kitchen right there with espresso machine in easy reach, and the TV if I am in the mood. Plus it is where my family hangs out and I like having them around me.

6. What is your favorite spot to read in?

That wonderfully cushy leather recliner with my legs propped up and covered by the gorgeous throw blanket my daughter got me for Christmas. I can read anywhere, totally zoning out the rest of the world while I lose myself in the story, but the chair is the best.

7. What is your favorite snack food?

Oh man! Did you have to ask that when my New Year’s resolution is to finally succeed at that diet I have been putting off for *cough - years?! Geez! Well, the better question is what snack foods don’t I like, as that list would be way shorter. Honestly, I don’t think I have a single favorite, which is part of my problem. Ha! Crackers with peanut butter, BBQ potato chips, Cheez-Its, or puffy Cheetoes when I am in a salty mood. For a sweet tooth is love sweetarts, chocolate mint chip ice cream, apples dipped in caramel, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie, cherry pie… I’ll be right back. Gotta check the cupboards….

Crystal: Sorry about the question - I have diet plans too - but keep getting sidetracked by Pez, I know, but the stuff is addicting :)

8. Do you have a schedule for writing each day or do you just do it when you can?

Sadly I can’t put myself on a schedule. My life and work hours do not allow for any kind of consistency. So I squeeze it in as best I can, but it does go in spurts. There is still the dream of someday having more time to write, just write, but so far I can’t quite see the light at the end of that tunnel.

9. When you first watched the 2005 version of P&P movie did you fall in love with Mr. Darcy from the beginning or did it take awhile for you? I must confess I haven't seen this version of the movie, just the BBC version, so I'm not sure how different they are. I will be viewing the newer movie after reading your website though :)

Oh, I do hope you love it! Indeed it was my first initiation into the richer world of Austen, and I still adore that version best of all even though I have seen the others.

For me it wasn’t Mr. Darcy, and it never has been just or even primarily him. It was everything about the story and how Joe Wright brought the vision to life. I still feel that the movie is brilliant. Learning of how Wright altered the original text in places, taking liberties as all folks who adapt do, has never changed my opinion of how amazing the movie is. It stands on its own as a masterpiece of cinema. I am totally honest in admitting that the movie is a huge part of my inspiration.

However, my love for this story was greatly enhanced by reading the book. No doubt. Reading the parts that Wright left out due to the constraints of a two-hour movie, reading Austen’s beautiful prose, and delving deeper into the world took my passion to a higher level.

Again, it was not an infatuation with Mr. Darcy per se, however he looks or is portrayed by the actors, but an infatuation with the entire story and all the characters. I love everything about it! I will say, though, that I prefer how Matthew Macfadyen was directed to play Mr. Darcy. The interpretation of his character is more appealing to me than how Colin Firth was directed. The softer, shyer, more vulnerable Mr. Darcy strikes a chord within my heart. Same with Keira’s Elizabeth. I simply love them.

10. I also read the book after viewing the movie.  Do you think doing it this way enhanced your reading of the book (because the characters were already defined in your mind) or do you think you would have gotten more out of it if you read the book first?

That is a very good question! And one I do not think I can answer as I just don’t know. In one respect I suppose my reading after seeing the movie was enhanced since I saw the actor’s faces and gestures. Dialogue and descriptions are naturally seen in a certain light having watched how the actors spoke and moved. Scenes, locations, costumes, etc. were in my mind so undoubtedly I fit the text into what I was visualizing.

At the same time, I have been reading since I was able to walk so I am very good at interpreting and creating visuals of my own. It is easy for me to sync the two. For instance, I have been a Tolkien fan since I was 12, reading all his novels once a year at least. When Peter Jackson’s astounding movies came out it was both wonderful and weird to see these characters and places brought to life, some precisely as I imagined and others not. Now when I read the book I see Elijah Wood’s face as Frodo, (not what I ever imagined before but so incredibly right that the previous idea is long gone) and that visual greatly enhances the reading pleasure. Then there are other parts that I prefer the way I always saw it and they were not affected negatively by how Jackson did it.

Furthermore, one of the reasons I love books and why I read my favs over and over, is because every time I read it I learn something new or am touched in a different way. A good book is almost alive. There isn’t usually any one absolute about a character or the story or a scene as we each interpret it based on our emotions or experiences, and as those change so do our perceptions of the text. Every time I watch P&P I notice something new. Every time I read the book I notice something new. And that is a wonderful thing.  

Crystal:  Too funny that you used the Tolkien books as an example - they were what I was thinking of when I did this question - I know seeing the movies helped me with those books, but I wasn't much of a fantasy reader until recently.

11. Any book signings/conferences/public/blog appearances in the near future?

This interview marks the beginning of my second week of virtual book touring! I am all over the place with guest blogs and interviews, having an absolute blast. All the dates are listed on my website and Sourcebooks is graciously giving away whole sets of my books, so I encourage anyone interested in my Saga to follow me around – after checking out the wealth of information and fun stuff at my terrific website: www.darcysaga.net

My first solo book signing was yesterday, but since I am actually answering these questions before that event takes place, I have no idea if I sold and signed a hundred copies or sat there like a lump with a forced smile hurting my jaws! LOL! I am sure I will blog of my adventure once it is over, for good or ill. Ha!

I have a few speaking engagements this month, one with my Romance Writer’s group and another with a Women’s Networking group. I am kind of excited about those, but also extremely nervous as public speaking is not my forte. After this month I will be back to the real life of quietly writing, editing the next book, and adding fun stuff to my own blog. My celebrity moment in the sun will be over, and that is just fine with me!

12. Any last words on Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy, your new book or anything else that you would like to share?

Thank you, Crystal, for sharing your blog with me today and for asking great questions. Interviews are so much fun!

Darcy and Elizabeth are two of the most beloved characters in literature. Jane Austen gave a wonderful gift to the world with her books, and I am honored to be able to carry on their love story with my own twists and vision. The Saga of the Darcys and their friends will continue in Romancing Mr. Darcy, scheduled for release in October, and in an untitled fifth installment in the spring of 2011. I also have a novella titled “Reflections of Christmas at Pemberley” hitting shelves in November 2010 as part of a Darcy Christmas-themed anthology with Amanda Grange. I aspire to always write of the Darcys with respect and devotion, showing how it is possible for a married couple to find joy and contentment. It is how I know it can be and how I believe Miss Austen would have wanted it.

 

 MY DEAREST MR. DARCY—IN STORES JANUARY 2010

Married life is bringing out the best in the Darcys. Their mutual attentiveness brings readers into a magical world of love and wedded bliss.

Elizabeth is growing into her role as Mistress of Pemberley, and Darcy has mellowed under her gentle teasing and light-heartedness. Pemberley becomes a true home and a welcoming environment for loving family and friends. The Darcys travel to the seaside, welcome their firstborn, celebrate their anniversary and second Christmas, and at every moment embrace the love gifted to them.

“I love you, my Elizabeth. You are my soul, my blood and bone, my very life.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Lathan is the author of the bestselling Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, and Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley. In addition to her writing, she works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. For more information on Sharon and her saga, come to her website at: www.darcysaga.net.

 Giveaway:

For my lovely readers, Danielle Jackson from Sourcebooks, Inc. is offering a wonderful giveaway of all three books in Sharon Latham's Darcy Saga: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy and My Dearest Mr. Darcy.

Giveaway open to addresses in the US and Canada.  Enter by leaving a comment and your email address if not available through blogger. Extra entries for following me on blogger or twitter (or through rss feed) and also for tweeting about the giveaway.

Giveaway ends 1/18/2009. 

Thanks to Danielle for the giveaway and to Sharon for taking time for the interview.