Meredith, it’s such a pleasure to be here today! Thank you so much for inviting me.

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

When I was a child I loved to write poems and short stories, but I was never serious enough about what I wrote to actually consider pursuing a career as a writer. My true passion was always art, namely water color illustration and, later, graphic design. That changed dramatically after I had my daughter. I found myself spending inordinate amounts of time composing lullabies for her about faeries and elephants, and all sorts of frilly silliness. For the first four years of her life Elizabeth was entirely unfamiliar with the more traditional lullabies and songs most of us grew up knowing as children!

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

My favorite authors…Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyers, Jean Auel, Jill Barklem, Kate DiCamillo, Abigail Reynolds, Sara Angelini, Cassandra Clare, Berkely Breathed, David Sedaris (honestly, the list goes on, and on, and on, so I’ll just stop here before it gets terribly out of hand!)

When and where did you first encounter Jane Austen? What do you love most about Jane Austen’s novels?

My first encounter with Jane Austen’s novels was actually via the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice directed by Andrew Davies in 1995. Until that moment, I’d been avoiding all things Austen like the plague, for the simple (and idiotic) reason that the title was far too reminiscent of that of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. (No, I’m afraid I am not a fan of Mr. Tolstoy!)

What was your inspiration behind The Truth About Mr. Darcy (Affinity and Affection)? What prompted you to alter the scene where Darcy first encounters Wickham?

My inspiration was exactly that. I always wondered what would have happened had Darcy made an effort to warn Elizabeth that day in Meryton, or, at the very least, remained in her presence during that first meeting with Wickham. I simply thought the possibilities were too enticing to ignore.

One of the elements most admired about Jane Austen is her characters – they are exasperating, comical, and real. Out of all her novels, who is your favorite hero, heroine, villain, and minor character? Why?

My favorite hero is Mr. Darcy (although Colonel Brandon is a close second). I can’t help it. To imagine Darcy’s disgust and mortification, not only after his rejected proposal to Elizabeth, but his dealings with Wickham, and still he chose to lay all that aside to save her sister Lydia and the Bennets. He wanted no payment—not even thanks or to have his actions known. He did it for the sole purpose of giving Elizabeth ease. Even after all that, he loved her still. (Sigh!)

My favorite minor character is, without a doubt, Persuasion’s Mrs. Smith. The adversity she faced between her husband’s ruin, his death, her illness, and Mr. Elliot and his refusal, not only to assist her, but to acknowledge her (his former friend’s widow!) was incredible. She had no money, no real home, no friends, and bad health, but she persevered with an upbeat attitude that would inspire anyone to great heights.

What excellent and well-thought choices! In your novel, which character did you have the most fun writing for? Which character was the hardest to write for?

The most difficult character for me to write, by far, was Wickham. No matter how many times I tried to write him in a less debauched light, it didn’t work. He would either do or say something to throw me completely off course, and to be honest, it drove me out of my mind! If I could only get away without writing him in any other story, I’d be happy, indeed!

I liked your potrayal of Lydia and the refreshing reformation she received! In The Truth About Mr. Darcy (Affinity and Affection), Wickham isn’t the only villain, it seems Mr. Collins is out to exact some vengeance. What motivated your portrayals of these two characters?

As far as Mr. Collins goes, I don’t view him as a villain, per se. He’s more of a jaded lover. He was refused by Elizabeth, and it was a little difficult for him to forget it and move on, especially when Darcy is so readily welcomed as Elizabeth’s suitor, not only by her, but by her family as well. It was a slap in the face to Mr. Collins who, despite his proclamations of being a humble servant of God, really does think very highly of himself. And let’s not forget Mr. Collins’ devotion to Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who also happens to be his esteemed patroness. He really is just trying to be of use to her, if not a bit vengeful toward Darcy and Elizabeth.

Instead of pride, prejudice, and other internal obstacles, you give Darcy and Elizabeth a relatively smooth courtship. What inspired you to go the route of external conflicts verses internal conflicts?

To be honest, it wasn’t really a conscious decision on my part, but more that I let the characters take the lead and forge their own paths. I didn’t exactly have a plan or a set storyline when I began writing this particular story (although I don’t write without one now), so as a result I wrote and re-wrote chapter after chapter until they all meshed together in a way that I felt worked. Unconventional, yes, but it happened to be a good thing in the end—definitely a nice surprise.

I enjoyed the focus you gave on Lydia Bennet in your novel, oftentimes she is cast-off and doomed to a unlucky fate with Wickham. What prompted your redemption of Lydia?

I always thought that if Lydia Bennet was somehow shown her own insignificance, like her father had said to Elizabeth when she was telling him she shouldn’t be allowed to go to Brighton in Jane Auten’s original, that perhaps there would have been a chance for her to redeem herself. She was, after all, fifteen, and indulged by her mother and ignored by her father to the point of being a spoilt, demanding child; but Lydia Bennet was never cruel. At fifteen a girl in the Regency period was expected to conduct herself with far more maturity than Lydia showed in Pride and Prejudice. In my story, her actions have far worse consequences for her than she had in Jane Austen’s beloved version. Though harsh, the circumstances in which she finds herself help her to reform her own character in the end, and the love and respect that Darcy has for her sister Elizabeth show Lydia that a true gentleman is so much more than just an outward appearance.

In your novel, Darcy and Elizabeth share a few intimate/romantic scenes. Some readers, as I’m sure you are aware, do not feel these scenes belong in a Jane Austen related novel. What purpose do you think they serve in your book? What inspired you to illustrate the intimate side of Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s relationship?

To be honest, when I first wrote Affinity and Affection, the entire book was nothing more than a means to preserve my fraying sanity as a stay-at-home mother. I had never written anything remotely similar to it before—like I mentioned, I composed lullabies and silly stories for my daughter, poems, and the like—so, in a sense, I suppose I viewed the initial experience as a new way in which to challenge my creativity and explore other paths and possibilities.

Not everything I write is full of mature content, though. Two stories I am currently working on are both void of any overly-explicit descriptions of intimacy. Of course, this can change as the stories progress, but I do try to stick to my initial timeline and original notes while writing each story. Sometimes, though, the characters just have a mind of their own, and no qualms whatsoever about showing me exactly how they want to behave, and when. My version of Darcy in The Truth About Mr. Darcy (formerly Affinity and Affection) was a very passionate one. The version of Darcy I am working with in one of my new stories (A Means of Removing All Doubt), however, though equally passionate about his feelings for Elizabeth, is a bit more reserved. I can’t help but see it as another way in which to challenge myself as a writer, and I’m enjoying the slight contrast between the two Darcys (I say slight because, in essentials, he is the same as he ever was) immensely!

Great answer, Susan.  Thank you!  Are there many differences between the self-published edition of Affinity and Affection and this edition of The Truth About Mr. Darcy?

To be perfectly honest, the biggest differences in the two versions are the lovely new cover and title. The second, was the removal of over one thousand adjectives my editor deemed unnecessary (and I have to agree with her). In addition, there are a few paragraphs and some dialog that have been re-worked, but not in such a way that the changes have impacted the plot at all, or the outcome. As a matter of fact, I doubt anyone will be able to pick them out unless they know the story very, very well.

Would you ever consider writing a variation of another Jane Austen novel?

While my true love is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I’ve always been drawn to Sense and Sensibility as well. There are so many interesting and colorful characters in that novel to attract and fascinate, and I confess I have a tender spot for each of them, for vastly different reasons! I think it would be a great challenge for me to write a novel based on this book, and a lot of fun.

I hope you do!  I would love to read another Austenesque novel with those characters! What is next for you? Are you working on any Austenesque projects?

At the moment, Meredith, I’m working on several stories—all Jane Austen/Pride and Prejudice inspired “what ifs”. One is nearly finished, while the another is only a few chapters into the storyline. And, of course, I have a few more ideas that are only in the first stages of development, meaning they’re no more than a few pages of notes and descriptions at this point. You can read the first chapter of the nearly-finished story on my website (A Means Of Removing All Doubt), as well as a few other things: http://www.thetruthaboutmrdarcy.weebly.com

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

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea! I think it would have been fascinating, though, to actually have an opportunity to sit down with her and discuss her characters in greater depth. As a reader, I have so many questions about so many of them—their personalities, and manner of conduct. But as a writer, I have to confess that not knowing the answers to my questions leaves wonderful opportunities for speculation, and endless possibilities for more “what if” variations!

Wonderful! Thank you so much, Susan, for allowing Austenesque Reviews to be a part of your blog tour. I wish you the best of luck with the release of The Truth About Mr. Darcy (Affinity and Affection) and hope to have you back here again real soon!

Thank you again for having me as your guest today, Meredith. You’ve been very, very welcoming, and I’ve had a wonderful time with you and your readers!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!  Thanks to Beth Pehlke of Sourcebooks, Austenesque Reviews has TWO lovely copy of The Truth About Mr. Darcy to give away to you wonderful readers! (US and Canada only)

You can enter this giveaway by stating what struck you as interesting about my invertview with Susan, or by leaving her a kind comment!  To protect your inbox from unwanted spam, please DON’T leave your email address.  Just check back May 18th!