Gentle Readers, it is my honor and distinct pleasure to welcome Kara Louise, author of several Pride and Prejudice variations including the newly released, Darcy’s Voyage (Pemberley’s Promise), to Austenesque Reviews. Kara, I greatly admire your work and I am very excited to be interviewing you!
Thank you! It is my joy and pleasure to be available to your readers in this interview!

What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Who are some of your favorite author(s)?
Obviously I love books written in the Regency England era. Presently I am devouring Georgette Heyer’s books. She is an amazing author with an incredible ability to weave a complicated plot with well-developed characters – and some of those characters are positively hilarious! I also love cozy mysteries and inspirational fiction. Of course, Jane Austen is my favorite author.

Did you always envision yourself becoming a writer? I understand that your family’s genealogy inspired your first novel.
I remember coming up with a plot for a story about 20 years ago. I actually began typing it out on our first home computer, but never made it past the first few pages. I realized then that it wasn’t going to be that easy to put down in words what I had plotted in my head. With my genealogy, I discovered a long-lost side of our family from Norway (my grandfather’s brother’s descendants) and they had some information that I thought was interesting enough to put into writing. I got further along on that one – 3 chapters. Interestingly enough, it involved an unequal marriage between a lady of good breeding with a sea captain, and when she married him, she was disowned by her family. Every once in a while I go back to it and add a little to it. It was literally right after I began that, that I began writing my first book, Assumed Engagement, and found that the right inspiration made the writing so much easier. What I didn’t realize was that the 7-chapter short story I had envisioned would become 18 chapters, have a sequel, and be followed by 4 other books. It amazes even me to think about it!

When did you become a fan of Jane Austen? How has Jane Austen inspired your writing?
Pride and Prejudice did me in, unlike any other story ever did. I never read JA in high school. I remember reading Charles Dickens, and then Jane Eyre, which I. But it was in 2000 when I finally saw the 6 hour A&E version of Pride and Prejudice that I was entranced. I watched it over and over, then bought the book. Then I sought out her other novels and the film adaptations for each one. I was surprised to discover that I enjoyed her written word so much. I received as much pleasure reading her words as watching it performed on the screen in front of me – maybe even more.

What inspired you to have Elizabeth and Darcy meet aboard a ship heading to America?
The inspiration for Darcy’s Voyage happened in 3 ways. I’ll explain the first here, since it has to do with being on a ship. I had just finished reading, Two Years Before the Mast, the diary of Richard Henry Dana, a sailor in the late 1880s on a ship that sailed across the Atlantic and then to California. I really enjoyed the story and when I finished it, I knew I had to write a story with Elizabeth and Darcy on a ship.

[Meredith: I’m so glad you did! It was such a unique setting for Pride and Prejudice!]

The first two hundred pages of Darcy’s Voyage takes place on a ship out to sea. Your descriptions of in these pages are so vivid and informative, have you ever journeyed by boat?
I’ve sailed in small sailboats in a lake and out along the ocean, but nothing like a journey across the ocean. I’ve never even been on a cruise! A lot of my information came from Dana’s book, and then doing some research on it, as Dana’s journey would have been several decades later.

In Darcy’s Voyage, Elizabeth forgives Darcy’s pride and insulting remarks a lot earlier than she did in Pride and Prejudice, what factors do you think affected this decision?
I think the main factor is that the insults she overhears him say to the captain are not directed specifically at her. He is making a general statement, whereas at the Meryton Assembly, she is the one not handsome enough to tempt him. Plus there is that tenuous memory from their meeting two years earlier that I think comes to play, despite the fact that neither of them outright recollects it.

I see that you use the phrase “delightful diversions” several times in Darcy’s Voyage. In addition, it is the name of your lovely blog. How did you come up with this phrase? Is it a favorite saying of yours?
Now it is a favorite saying!  This scene is the second ‘inspiration’ for my story. I actually just came up with the phrase when I wrote it. But this little prelude, that takes place 2 years before the rest of the story, was actually written for another story I had in mind. When the story of Darcy’s Voyage (or Pemberley’s Promise, as it was then titled) formulated in my mind, I decided to add it to that story and have their recollections of that meeting gradually surface.

You have written five Regency novels, is it difficult writing a novel that takes place during the Regency time period? Did you do any research or other preparations for writing your book?
It must be so much easier these days to write historical novels, as the ability to do research is so readily available online. What really helped me initially was that the first book I bought of Pride and Prejudice had explanatory notes. It helped me understand a lot more than I would have on my own. Since that time I have purchased a few books on that era, plus the internet is so full of helps, that it is a lot easier to find out information. My fear is slipping in an anachronistic term without knowing… which I have done.

What were some of the complications you faced with writing a Pride and Prejudice variation? Was it challenging to coincide your story’s plot with Jane Austen’s original plot?
I think what happens is you look at how your story has veered from the original plot and have to do a slight shift in thinking in terms of how does this change affect things. Darcy’s Voyage is the only variation I’ve written that changes the way Darcy and Elizabeth meet, and then when the events of JA’s story come into play, I had to consider how what happened in the first part of my story now affects the plot. In some ways it’s easy, in other ways it’s difficult. I want to address everything that’s important, but don’t want to necessarily repeat the story as Jane wrote it if nothing in that scene has changed. I actually find that part of the writing a lot of fun as I explore how things have been altered!

[Meredith: It is fun for the reader to look for those changes, too!]

Wickham makes an appearance in Darcy’s Voyage, and I must add, creates more mischief than he did in Pride and Prejudice! What prompted this decision?
This is the third inspiration for the story. This portrayal of Wickham began with the question, “What type of mischief could – or would – Wickham get into if he saw Darcy that day in Meryton, but Darcy did not see him? I then asked myself, what could he do behind the scenes, what could he find, that would cause some problems for Darcy. Well, when you read the book, you’ll know what he found. (I won’t give it away in case anyone reading this hasn’t read the book.) After I came up with what he found, I had to work backwards to come up with a “somewhat” plausible reason for finding what he did. I know it was a little farfetched, but I think it’s fun.

Tell us about the process of getting your book published.  Sourcebooks, Inc. publishes a lot of Jane Austen Sequels and Austen Inspired Fiction, how was it working with a publishing company that deals with a lot of “Austenesque” novels?
When it was suggested to me that I submit my books to Sourcebooks, I was fairly confident that they would be accepted. They had been self-published for a little over a year and were doing quite well. I was surprised when they turned me down. Yes, initially I was rejected. Fast forward two years, and I get an email from Abigail Reynolds, saying that Sourcebooks was trying to contact me again (I had changed my email address) and they were now interested. I think the biggest surprise for me in this whole publishing process is that they don’t read your whole story before they make a decision to accept or reject your story. I felt a few of my stories were pretty good, so when they rejected them, I was confused. But then again, after I had a contract with them and I submitted my stories again, I wondered whether they would want me to make major changes because they didn’t like something as they read through the whole book. So far, I haven’t had to do that. I’ve had to trim back a lot, but not rewrite anything. I think the biggest frustration for me (and other authors) is the changing of the titles. I had put a lot of thought into my titles, but I’m gradually getting used to the new one.

What is your favorite scene from Darcy’s Voyage? What was the hardest part about writing Darcy’s Voyage?
I really enjoyed writing the scene where Jane reveals to Caroline about Elizabeth’s pining over a gentleman she had met on a carriage, with Darcy sitting pretty smugly listening in, knowing he was that gentleman. I think it is my favorite scene in the whole book. The most difficult part was writing the storm at sea. I wanted it to be realistic and somewhat frightening, even though I’d never been in a storm at sea to draw from experience. We do have lots of big storms in Kansas, so that helped.

[Meredith: Both of those scenes are amongst my favorites!  Mr. Darcy was absolutely adorable with his poorly concealed glee!]

Aside from Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who are some of your other favorite Pride and Prejudice characters?
I really like Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Georgiana. I think they are a big support to Elizabeth; the Gardiners as being a couple who Elizabeth could be proud of in terms of their polite manners, and Georgiana because she loves her brother so much and openly speaks of his goodness, thereby helping Elizabeth see it.

Out of all six of your Jane Austen related novels, which is your favorite? Which ones would you say are the favorites of your readers?
Boy, this is difficult. I think for the longest time Pemberley’s Promise (now Darcy’s Voyage) was everyone’s favorite. When I published Something Like Regret last year, many people commented that it had become their favorite. (Sourcebooks, Inc. will be publishing Something Like Regret next spring under the new title Only Mr. Darcy Will Do.) My favorite? I would have to say Something Like Regret, as I feel that it is the best written of all of them. I have a special place in my heart for Master Under Good Regulation, which is Pride and Prejudice as seen through the eyes of Mr. Darcy’s dog, Reggie. If I were ever to rewrite it, though, I would write it in third person.

What is next for you? Are you planning to write any new books in the future?
I have had several stories spinning around in my head for a while. I am not the type of writer who can just sit down and write, hoping a story will magically appear. I have to have a good, solid plot in my head; one that I think will be interesting. One direction I started to go was a back story of a character in one of Jane Austen’s other novels. I’m still formulating the plot in my head, but I’ve actually started it.

Thank you so much for participating in this interview, Kara!  Best of luck with the release of Darcy’s Voyage.  I look forward to reading Only Mr. Darcy Will Do!
Thanks so much for having me!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!! Thanks to Danielle Jackson of Sourcebooks, Austenesque Reviews has not one, but TWO lovely copies of Darcy’s Voyage to give away to you wonderful readers! (US and Canada only)

You can enter the giveaway by commenting on this post with a question/comment for Kara Louise OR a comment about what other place or location would you like to see for the setting of a Pride and Prejudice variation.

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This contest will end September 16th. Thank you for entering and best of luck!!!