Tell us about yourself as a writer. How long have you been writing?

Since childhood, I’ve had a great affinity for books, and after my mother read Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery to me for the first time, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I did not write much fiction in high school or college, but I always enjoyed writing essays. (I know, I’m odd.) But the dream of writing and publishing a novel remained strong within me. After I graduated from college, I took a job as a copy-editor, and ten years ago, I started my own freelance editing and writing business. Since then, I’ve written three novels, and Charlotte Collins was the one I decided to show to the world first.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite author(s)? Why?

I read almost all genres of books, but I especially love mysteries, romances, literary fiction, and, of course, historical novels. I also read a great deal of non-fiction. I greatly admire Jane Austen, but I also enjoy the writing of many contemporary authors. My current favorite historical novelist is Jude Morgan.

What inspired you to pen a Pride and Prejudice sequel? What motivated you to make Charlotte your heroine?

I decided to write Charlotte Collins for two reasons. First, I wanted to see if I could actually finish a novel. Until Charlotte, I had managed to start novels but never complete them. Second, I wanted to have fun writing it, and nothing was as much fun as plucking a minor Austen character from obscurity and giving her a chance to shine.

I chose to make Charlotte my heroine because, quite frankly, I had gotten tired of reading about Elizabeth and Darcy. Granted, they are wonderful characters and there have been many excellent books that detailed their courtship, marriage, and family life, but I had always wondered what happened to Charlotte. Because I couldn’t find a book about her, I decided to write it. I did not want to retell an Austen story; I wanted to tell a story of a minor Austen character in an Austen-like manner. Or as Austen-like as I could possibly be.

I greatly enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and her younger sister Maria in your novel, in fact it reminded me a little of the Dashwood sisters! Were you inspired by the Dashwood sisters of Sense and Sensibility? If not, what did inspire your portrayal?

To be perfectly honest, I did not set out to write an homage to the Dashwood sisters, but apparently, I was in an Austen groove, and that’s what came out. My intention was to continue along the path Austen seemed to set for each character. Charlotte was already practical, but I imagined she would become even more focused on propriety after having to spend so much time with the indiscreet Mr. Collins. And Maria was described as quite silly in Pride and Prejudice, so I continued her along that line; however, whereas Marianne was a great reader, I don’t imagine Maria read much of anything at all.

Why do you think Jane Austen decided to have Charlotte to accept Mr. Collins? Why give such a likable character such an odious fate?

In my opinion, Jane Austen chose to have Charlotte marry Mr. Collins so that she could contrast the period’s view of marriage for security and Elizabeth’s view of marriage for love. Charlotte was a product of her time, and although Elizabeth was not untouched by monetary concerns, she embodied a higher ideal of love and marriage that Austen wanted to share with her readers.

Charlotte’s view on marriage and happiness is very unromantic and negative. I cannot help but think that some of her beliefs come from observing the people around her, mainly, her parents. Do you think Sir William Lucas and his wife had a felicitous marriage?

Charlotte and Maria did not have many examples of loving marriages to follow. With such a practical temperament, it seemed natural for Charlotte to evolve into a woman who could easily disconnect from her heart. And it seemed natural that Maria, a silly and thoughtless girl, would become obsessed with her heart, especially after finally seeing true love exemplified in the marriages of the elder Bennet sisters. It has always been interesting to me how two people, who were raised in the same household and who witnessed the same interpersonal interactions, could become such different people, but it happens all the time. I wanted to make the most of that contrast.

Tell us about the collection of charming and contemptible men in your novel. Which one was your favorite to create? Why make some of them be Americans?

I loved writing Mr. Basford, and I chose to make him American after reading some period documents about the differences in American and British manners and customs during the Regency period. I thought it would be fun to needle Charlotte a bit with some of the cultural differences between the two nationalities.

Which scene is your favorite? (You know mine: where they almost touch hands *sigh*) Which scene was the hardest to write?

My favorite scene? Hmmm… I really enjoyed writing the scene in which Charlotte goes to pay a call on Mr. Basford. It was the scene that marked her change of course, her decision to open herself despite all the hurt she’d endured. But I confess that I also loved the scene where they almost touched hands.

The most difficult scenes for me to write were the transitions. If you could see my first draft it would look like a bunch of scenes lumped together with no connections at all. I went back and wrote those later.

Share with us, your writing routine, schedule or a typical writing day. What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

I use a high-velocity approach to writing, and I try to complete my first draft as quickly as possible so that I don’t get bogged down in self-doubt. In addition, I separate my writing into two phases: writing and then editing. I try not to mix the two. When I’m working on my first draft, I have a set word count goal for each day, and I write until I meet it. I never write in the morning. I’m so not a morning person. I begin writing in the late afternoon and sometimes end well after midnight.

When I’m not writing, I love to ride my horse Darcy on my local equestrian trails or just spend time with her at the barn. Yes, I named my mare after the Mr. Darcy. Like the Austen character, my horse is a bit reserved with strangers but has a heart of gold.

We know you have a soft spot for Charlotte Collins, which other minor characters do you like?

I’ve always been fascinated by Caroline Bingley. I always felt that she was stuck in that insecure adolescent phase during which young women often build themselves up by tearing others down. Add in a large dose of jealousy and put the affections of a handsome gentleman on the line, and you end up with Caroline. As horrible as she was to Elizabeth and Jane, I always felt a bit sorry for her.

What is next for you? Are you planning to write any more Austenesque novels in the future?

I have one more Austen sequel in mind, but I will likely write it only after Charlotte Collins gains more acceptance. In the meantime, I am co-authoring a non-fiction book about overcoming horseback riding fear with Laura Daley and am finalizing the first in a series of mystery novels. I also have a literary novel lurking in the background.

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

Where do I send the check?

Ok, seriously, I am completely indebted to Jane Austen for the creation of such wonderful characters, and if she were alive today and her works were under copyright, I would owe her a great sum indeed. As it is, I owe her my thanks for the many hours of reading pleasure and the moments of inspiration her writing has brought me.