Thank you. I’m glad to be here.

Where and when did you first discover Jane Austen? Which of her novels did you encounter first?

I saw the 1980 BBC Pride & Prejudice mini-series on PBS, the one with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. I enjoyed it so much, I got a copy of Jane Austen – The Complete Novels and read them in order. So the first Austen story I actually read was Sense & Sensibility. My favorites remain P&P and Persuasion, but I have a special regard for Lady Susan, as well.

What inspired you to start writing? Is writing something you always wanted to do?

Yes, it was. I have always had stories in my head. Unfortunately, I was discouraged early by a high school English teacher. She criticized a story I wrote for a class assignment, claiming I wrote too much in dialogue and didn’t include enough speech tags. Besides, I was a lousy speller. I did not pick up my pen again for another twelve years.

To be fair, she was right. I do write a lot in dialogue, and have to concentrate to add descriptions of the scenes. And I remain a lousy speller. Thank goodness for my team of editors/advisors, or as I call them, my Beta Babes.

Can you tell us a little bit about your love of history? Is there a particular time period that interests you?

I have always liked history, but thanks to an extraordinary Western Civilization professor in college, I fell in love with it. Following the twists and turns that brought us to the world we have today can really blow your mind. I enjoy studying the turning points, but since that usually involves conflict and war, I can see how many are turned off by history.

As I was born and raised in the South, the Civil War is of particular interest. I lived near New Orleans, so the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars are interesting, too, as is World War II.

How did you come up with the idea for Pemberley Ranch?

The theme of pride and prejudice, of snap judgments and misunderstandings—was there any time in American history that equals what happened during and after the Civil War? Yet, we as a nation overcame the hostility and resentment. Many nations in the world cannot say the same, even after centuries. It occurred to me that America is different—we are not captive to our history. Pemberley Ranch celebrates that.

What were the challenges in transporting Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to Post-Civil War Texas? What similarities and/or differences did you find between the two time periods?

I found that P&P fit very easily into the time period. Both were times of rigid rules of behavior. Class was not so much of an issue in the West, but there were other forces—religion, race, and politics. To be honest, I find the themes of P&P to be universal, which explains the book’s appeal almost two hundred years after it was published.

In Pemberley Ranch you include characters of many different races, ethnicities, and religions. Although several of the characters are prejudiced and intolerant of these differences, you stress the importance of acceptance and equality. What motivated you to include these themes?

America promises its citizens “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” To achieve that, we must get along with each other. We are a “mutt” nation—I myself am English, Scottish, Irish, French, German, and Swedish. In other words, I’m NATO. My wife is German/Polish. My brother is married to a lovely lady who is half Puerto Rican and half Romanian Jew, and my nieces are the most beautiful girls you ever saw!

In a lot of places in the world, this kind of inter-marriage would never happen, but in this country, we take it for granted. It wasn’t always that way, and we’re still a “work in progress,” but let’s have pride in the advancements we’ve achieved.

In Pemberley Ranch you highlight the prejudices, falsehoods, and misconceptions people have about the Civil War. What message are you hoping to convey to your readers?

In the South, we were taught about Reconstruction, the awful corruption of the occupation government and the horrifying backlash from groups like the KKK. Unfortunately, most Americans know nothing about it—there is this huge gap between Appomattox Courthouse and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the century. What happened during Reconstruction affects American politics even today and it should be understood—the whole story, not some “politically correct” version taught by someone who doesn’t know history from a hole in the ground.

Let me make myself clear. The right side won the Civil War. Slavery was evil. All citizens should have the right to vote. However, what people don’t understand is that there is nothing in the Constitution that forbids a state from seceding from the country. There doesn’t have to be—six hundred thousand brave men died to prove that this nation is forever indivisible.

In your variation of Pride and Prejudice several characters and their situations are altered, such as Sir William Lucas being a sheriff, Colonel Fitzwilliam being a ranch foreman, and Anne de Bourgh not being as sickly. What prompted these changes?

Because it’s fun! The best part of taking Austen’s plots and moving her characters to other time periods is to change the characters a little, but keep them recognizable to the reader. And it works—I believe there are similarities between Sir William Lucas and Sheriff Lucas, for example. I often tell aspiring JA fan fiction writers to “throw out canon” and make the story their own.

Another change you made was with George Whitehead’s (Wickham) character. Instead of knowing each other as children, Darcy and Whitehead first encounter each other during the Civil War. Can you share with us your recreation of George Whitehead’s character?

To make the story work, I could not be a slave to P&P canon. It would be too much for Whitehead and Darcy to know each other before the war. So I changed the backstory. Many of the carpetbaggers who descended upon the South after the war had never been south of the Mason Dixon line, unless they were in uniform. Most were loyal Radical Republicans. Office holders got their positions by either knowing the right people or by simply buying their office.

Yet, I think my Whitehead is true to Austen’s Wickham—they are greedy, charming, and amoral. Whitehead is truly evil while Wickham was simply selfish, true, but my plot demanded a real bad guy, someone who is more Darcy’s equal in intelligence.

One of my favorite scenes in Pemberley Ranch is your “Darcy Tells All” scene. After his disastrous proposal and Elizabeth’s brutal rejection, Darcy explains and exonerates himself from all her inaccurate accusations. However, instead of doing so in a letter (like he did in Pride and Prejudice) he does it in person. How do you think this change affected their relationship? What made you decide to not have Darcy write a letter?

Will Darcy is a cowboy. If his girl tells him to go jump in the lake, he isn’t going to pour his heart out in a letter. No, sir! He’s going to get stinking drunk. That Beth witnessed it and gave Darcy a chance to explain himself accelerated Beth’s reevaluation of Darcy and her beliefs.

In Pemberley Ranch, you allude to and reference many historical events that took place during the Civil War. What type of research and preparation did you do for this novel?

I read history for enjoyment (yeah, I’m that weird), so I have a lot of books about the Civil War. But even I can learn something—the Confederate raid in Ohio by General Morgan in 1863, for example.

Which character did you have the most fun writing for? Which character was the most challenging to write for? Which character would you like to invite over for dinner?

I have to admit that I enjoyed writing the romance between Charlotte and Fitzwilliam more than Beth and Will. Those two are just too sweet. It is always unpleasant to get into the head of a truly evil person, so I didn’t like my time with Whitehead. As for dinner, I’d love to be in on the one proposed between Rev. Henry Tilney and Father Joseph, the Darcys’ priest.

When did you begin writing this novel? Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your book published?

It took me about six months to write this puppy, starting in the summer of 2008. I posted it online, under the title Long Branch, and I received a great deal of encouragement to have it published. I made a few changes, and with the guidance of fellow Austen Authors Abigail Reynolds, I summited the story to Sourcebooks. The rest is history.

Can you tell us a little about The Three Colonels? I understand it is a Pride and Prejudice/Sense and Sensibility sequel that it is to be released by Sourcebooks in spring of 2012. (Such a long wait!)

The Three Colonels is the first novel I wrote, and I am very happy Sourcebooks picked it up. While the Darcys are all over the book, the central characters are some of Jane Austen’s fighting men, particularly Colonels Fitzwilliam and Brandon, and the women they love. I introduce my own creation, the dashing and dangerous Colonel Sir John Buford, to the Austen universe. The story is centered on the great conflict of the Regency period—Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the Hundred Days crisis that leads to the plains of Waterloo. If it is successful, it may lead to future novels of post-Regency England.

Are there any other projects you working on right now? What do enjoy doing when you are not writing?

I have several books in the hopper, including a grand epic set in modern-day New Orleans. When not writing or working, I enjoy cooking (I am a Cajun), golf, and travel with my wife, Barbara.

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

How in the world did you come up with such memorable lines? I’m jealous!

Thank you so much for agreeing to answer my questions, Jack!  I have greatly enoyed interviewing you!  I look forward to reading more of your exciting novels in the future!