Austenesque Reviews is pleased to announce its very first author interview!!!  Author Tracy Kiely has graciously answered some questions about writing, Jane Austen, and her debut novel Murder at Longbourn.  Thank you so very much, Tracy, for your time and participation with this interview.

How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I believe my first bit of work was a poem.

The rain fell down
Upon the ground
Will it ever stop?
I’ll get the mop.

So, as you can see (ahem) I was born with just some really amazing skills. I’m not sure what exactly inspired me to keep writing after this stellar start, it was just something that I always wanted to do.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you have a favorite Jane Austen novel?

I tend to gravitate to mysteries. I love Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, Joan Hess, Dorothy Cannell and Jasper Fforde. Of Jane Austen’s novels, I think I like Pride and Prejudice the best, but Persuasion runs a really close second.

What prompted you to combine Jane Austen and mystery?

I guess I liked the idea of combining them because they are two of my favorite authors. When I realized that I wanted to write a book, I began to wonder how the characters in Pride and Prejudice might fit into a mystery. Granted, there isn’t a murder in P&P, but there are certainly a number of characters who inspire murderous feelings. I began to wonder, what if, after years of living with unbearably rude and condescending behavior, old Mrs. Jenkinson up and strangled Lady Catherine? What if Charlotte snapped one day and poisoned Mr. Collins’ toast and jam? I played around with certain characters’ personalities and motivations, and then gave them a modern day twist. However, while there are many references to Pride and Prejudice throughout the book, I didn’t want it to be a retelling of Austen’s classic (she did it just fine the first time). Instead, it’s a gentle wink at the reader who is familiar with Pride and Prejudice, but one doesn’t necessarily need to be a fan to “get” the book.

How did you come up with the idea for Murder at Longbourn? When did you begin writing this novel? Did you do anything in preparation? Any research?

One day I was watching the news and – I kid you not – there was a story about a woman who killed her husband at a B&B after they attended a Host-A-Murder Dinner. I was off to the races!

When did you begin to work on Murder at Longbourn? Can you tell us about your experience of getting your book published?

I started work on LONGBOURN several years ago. It took me about two years to write (I did most of my writing when my littlest one was napping). After that, a publishing house spent another two plus years reviewing the manuscript. They liked it, but it always needed to go to the next level of review. During that time, I continued to try and find an agent. At one point, I threatened to repaper our bathroom with the rejection letters. Finally, however, the Fates smiled on me and Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency signed me. I believe I actually heard angels sing on high that day. Within weeks she got me a two-book contract with St. Martins. I adore her.

Writing a mystery novel must be challenging because the author must have some idea of what the outcome of the mystery will be; did you have the mystery all planned out from the beginning, or did it develop along the way?

I have to know everything in advance. I have to know who did it and why. I have to know what clues the protagonist picks up that leads to the discovery of the murderer. I know there are some authors who can just sit down and write and see where it goes. Those people are a very different breed from me and clearly far more intelligent and organized than I. If I did that, I’d end up writing eight pages about how much I love peanut M&Ms or something equally idiotic.

Where and when do you write? Do you have a writing routine, schedule, or plan?

I write when the kids are at school. Although my goal is to sit and write uninterrupted for a few hours each day, I always seem to find myself in front of the open refrigerator wondering if it’s time to eat lunch yet. Sadly, it never is.

Your characters are delightfully unique and entertaining; do you have a particular favorite?

I think I like Aunt Winnie the best. A lot of Aunt Winnie is based on my grandmother, whose name was also Winifred. Like Aunt Winnie, my grandmother was smart, funny and, at times, completely irreverent. She, like Aunt Winnie, liked to tweak the pompous souls among us. Of course, for purposes of the book, I’ve amped up those qualities. My own grandmother would never actually shoot someone – however much she might have mumbled under her breath about wanting to. She was more apt to sneak up on you while you were blowing up a balloon and pop a paper bag.

What made you choose Cape Cod, Massachusetts as the setting of your story?

I chose Cape Cod because it’s an area that I love, in addition to being an area I’m familiar with as my husband’s parents live in Hyannis and we have a summer house in Osterville. There’s a timeless charm to the Cape that I thought would be the perfect setting for a traditional cozy, especially in winter. At that time of year, the Cape is lonely stretches of cold sand bereft of the noisy summer crowds, grey skies, and empty beach houses. There’s a kind of beautiful desolation that I thought would be ideal for a murder.

There are many references and parallels to Pride and Prejudice in your novel, are there any references or parallels that readers might miss or not understand?

I guess it depends on the level of “enthusiasm” one has for the book (I say that rather than “obsession” – I think it just sounds better). For instance, the character Henry Anderson has certain elements of Mr. Collins’ personality. Therefore, I have Henry taking pride in securing a rare first edition of Fordyce’s Sermons for his client. In P&P, Mr. Collins offers to read Fordyce’s Sermons to the Bennet girls.

A lot of your characters parallel characters from Pride and Prejudice some more obvious then others, can you explain which Pride and Prejudice characters were represented and why?

Obviously, I had Elizabeth and Peter have a “history” that prevented them from liking each other – or at least kept Elizabeth from liking him. There are elements of Lady Catherine in Linnet’s character, but she’s also well represented in Lady Catherine The Cat’s annoying behavior. There are shadows of Mr. Collins and Charlotte in Henry and Joan Anderson as well.

If a movie was made from your book, who would you like to see play the roles of Peter McGowan, Elizabeth Parker, and Aunt Winnie?

You know? This was the hardest question! I really don’t know! Who do you think?

[Meredith:  Hmm, for Peter McGowan maybe an actor who is and capable of being both funny and romantic, maybe Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, or Orlando Bloom?  For Aunt Winnie, I kind of like Shirley McClaine.  Elizabeth Parker… hmm, this is a hard one, maybe Jennifer Garner.]

What was the most challenging part of writing this book? What scene did you have the most fun writing?

At times just sitting down and writing was challenging. Some days were great; others made me want to stick glass in my eyes. I don’t think I had a favorite scene – because they all started off fun, but by the 65th revision, I hated them all. I think I had the most fun layering in the P&P references. It was like an Easter egg hunt for Janeites.

On your site I read about your next book in this series, Murder on the Bride’s Side, can you tell us a little more about it? When will it be available?

My goal for the series is for each book to parallel a different Jane Austen novel. Murder at Longbourn was obviously set against a Pride and Prejudice theme. The next book in the series, Murder on the Bride’s Side, parallels Sense and Sensibility, and is due out September 2010. It takes place in Richmond, Virginia at Bridget’s wedding to Colin. An odious family member of Bridget’s is murdered during the reception. The third, Spirit of Murder, picks up themes of Northanger Abby and is set in Nantucket.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Umm, eat peanut M&Ms. See? This is why I outline!

If you could ask Jane Austen any question today, what would it be?

Oh, fun question! Hmm, her characters are so well-drawn and real. I guess I would ask “How many of your characters (and which ones) were based on actual people?” You just know that she had a Mary Musgrove in her life!

 

Murder at Longbourn: A Mystery

“The guests at Longbourn, the quaint Cape Cod B&B, may hope for the romantic shenanigans enjoyed in Pride and Prejudice, but a nasty surprise awaits them; murder most foul. As the clock chimes 10.30 during a New Year’s Eve Host-a-Murder Dinner, the room goes dark. Amid delighted gasps, a gun explodes. When the lights blaze forth, a man lies dead in a pool of blood. The performers in the murder presentation are just as horrified as their audience. Now one guest, Elizabeth Parker, must find out who’s played this game for keeps.“