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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Book s 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 Ann e McCaffrey Pern
book that I somehow missed. My hubby bought me a Kindle for Chris tmas,
so I am excited to search for some older books to replenish ones I have lost.
- 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.
- 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 Chris tmas.
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.
- 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….
- 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.
- 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
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 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
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.
- 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!
- Any
last words on Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy, your new book or anything else that
you would like to share?
Thank you, Crystal
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 Chris tmas at Pemberley”
hitting shelves in November 2010 as part of a Darcy Chris tmas-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.
Married life is bringing out the best in the Darcys. Their
mutual attentiveness brings readers into a magical world of love and wedded
bliss.
“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 San Joaquin Valley Sharon
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.
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