Hi readers! I’m so excited to welcome MJ Stratton to Austenesque Reviews today! MJ is a first-time author, but a longtime reader of this blog and member of the Jane Austen community! I am always so excited when a reader becomes an author! MJ is here to celebrate the upcoming release of her first book, The Redemption of Lydia Bennet. MJ has prepared a little Q&A to share with you all. We hope you enjoy! 🙌🏼
~ Q&A with Author MJ Stratton ~
MJ Stratton: Thank you so much for hosting me, Meredith! I’ve followed your blog for years and I
absolutely love it. Your reviews are so honest and your posts with new releases are my favorite!
Question: Tell us a little about yourself
MJ Stratton: Well, I am a mom of 4, and up until last year I taught 2nd grade. We moved about an hour away from the school I was teaching at and after a year of commuting, we decided it was time for me to be home with my kids. I live in a rural town full of beautiful pioneer homes and gorgeous scenery. I’m actually living in the same town I grew up in!
I love to bake and cook, am a HUGE bibliophile, and love all things Jane Austen. I’ve been beta reading and editing for years and I am finally starting the book I began years ago.
Question: How did you start writing?
MJ Stratton: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My third grade teacher really started it, I think. She pulled out these pictures from the Mystery of Harris Burdick and that sort of unlocked it all for me. My 8th grade Language Arts teacher also fed it. I shared a lot of my writing with her, and she really praised everything I wrote. It was all mostly poetry then and I’m convinced that my work was the ‘one poor sonnet’ that would kill love. But, her encouragement really got me writing seriously. Up through getting my bachelor’s degree, most of my skill was focused on writing papers, and I won’t lie, I am a very good paper writer. I was churning out 4 or 5 ten page papers a week when I did my master’s degree.
Question: Where did the idea of redeeming Lydia come from?
MJ Stratton: Like most teenagers, I struggled to know myself growing up. I felt for years that I was a silly girl who lacked common sense and those feelings traveled with me into adulthood. There were people all around me that persisted in seeing who I was, rather than how much I’d grown, and I honestly felt like I’d never measure up to anyone’s standard of success. Lydia spoke to me in this way, and I felt certain that given the right circumstances, she too would have grown up.
Question: When did you start writing this book?
MJ Stratton: My 2nd child was a very poor sleeper. I remember being up late one night with her, just rocking her in my chair, because the minute I put her down, she would wake up. I was reading a JAFF book by Carolyn Whyte and was so moved by that book that I left a review volunteering to beta and edit for her. Well, she accepted! Over the course of helping her with her book, I ended up starting this book about Lydia. I shared it with Carolyn and I went along, but it was slow progress. I started it in 2015 and I finished it just a couple of weeks ago. It’s undergone many edits and revisions and I think I’m finally ready to publish it.
Question: So what now?
MJ Stratton: After I publish this book, I get to start on another plot bunny I’ve had stewing for awhile. I do most of my brainstorming when I’m in bed at night trying to fall asleep. I’m 8000 words into my new book. There will be a sneak peak of that project at the last book tour stop!
The Redemption of Lydia Wickham is now available for pre-order!
(expected release date September 1st)
~ Book Description ~
I may not be the most book-learned girl in the country, but I would like to think that I am wiser than I was, and much less silly.
Lydia Wickham used to think herself rather clever, having caught a handsome man and being the first to marry of her sisters. Soon, however, she finds herself trapped in a marriage to a man who is not what she thought him to be. Her pride keeps her from revealing her plight to her sisters and family, suffering in silence for years.
Unexpectedly, Lydia is freed from her marriage and begins life away from her misery in Newcastle. The changes in her are apparent to most, but there are those that resist seeing her for who she is and not who she was. As Lydia seeks to reconcile the girl she was with the woman she has become, she reunites with her loved ones and makes many friends along the way. But will Lydia get what she always wanted? Will she have what her sisters have, that which she craves desperately? Will Lydia Wickham find love of her own?
The Redemption of Lydia Wickham is a full length novel centered on the idea that even a foolish 16 year old girl can grow up and become wiser.
Warning: this book contains brief, non-graphic mentions of spousal abuse and assault
This sounds lovely, MJ! I love that you are focusing on Lydia and bringing out the relatable qualities in her character, such as struggling to find oneself and overcoming the judgment of others. I’m excited to see what becomes of Lydia later in her life – especially because it sounds like she is evolving and her circumstances in life are taking a decided turn!
Best of luck with the release of The Redemption of Lydia Wickham! 🎉
~~~
~ GIVEAWAY TIME! ~
MJ Stratton is generously giving away 3️⃣ ebook editions of The Redemption of Lydia Wickham in conjunction with this blog tour!! Woot woot!
Commenting on this post and filling out the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, MJ Stratton!
- This giveaway ends September 6th!
Congratulations! Best wishes for a HUGE launch. Thank you for being bold enough to take on a teenager who has been poorly trained and guided. I’ve always had a soft spot for her.
Thank you!
I never enter Rafflecopter giveaways after too many problems.
I would never expect Lydia to improve but she was only 15 and seems to have learned the hard way that Wickham wasn’t actually an ideal husband! I’m glad that she isn’t tied to him for life and hope her attempt at redemption is successful.
I think you’ll be pleasantly pleased with her transformation! Thanks for your comment!
Lydia is a contradiction…she appears quite silly however, I am sure that the life she dreamed of with Wickham vs the life she lived with him were, totally 2 opposite extremes. I look forward to reading about her journey into becoming her true self. Thanks for taking her one. 🙂
I hope you enjoy it!
I am intrigued to read about Lydia’s redemption where Wickham is no longer in the picture. Thank you for the giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on your first published novel!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the story!
I dislike Lydia but I like stories about her maturing and doing something positive with her life. Especially if Wickham is dead.
Congratulations on the release.
I am thankful that I took a chance on an ARC of this book. I’m eager to read it now. Congratulations on your first published novel!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Congrats, would love to read!
Congratulations on your first release!
Congratulations on the launch of your book, MJ. I cringe when I think back to when I was 16. Shudder. We all had our silly moments when we made decisions that didn’t make sense when we were 20 and looking back on them. Heavens. I look forward to seeing how you redeemed Mrs. Bennet’s dear girl. LOL! Blessings on the success of this work. Thanks to Meredith for hosting. Thanks to the publisher for the giveaway. Good luck to all in the drawing.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it. It’s been years in the making!
Congratulations on your accomplishment! Brava! It’s a marvelous thing to achieve a long-sought goal, and I applaud you!!!
I so look forward to reading this book about Lydia. It hits closer to home as a somewhat distant family member of mine, born with privilege and resources, intentionally began a family outside of marriage at age 16. She withstood much well-intended family pressure to do so, too, as well as the the not kind nor noble withdrawal of the previously mentioned resources. She stood strong in adversity though.
She is now 41, has three children, and married their father. They have thrived as a family in spite of many obstacles. The three children (now young adults) graduated from major universities on full-ride merit scholarships (one in Honors college). They are each also athletes and accomplished musicians. To say we are surprised as well as quite proud is an understatement. As we all know, It would have been much more difficult for Lydia and any children during their lifetimes, especially with Wickham as a husband and father.
Wow! Thank you for sharing such a great story! I hope you enjoy Lydia’s tale.
Congratulations on your debut novel! I have stated many times that I love stories that take a secondary character and develop them further. Lydia is a product of her indulgent mother and indolent father. One praises her to the heavens and the other denigrates her. To come through marriage to such a man as Wickham would be difficult for anyone. Someone as young a Lydia would either break or rise from the ashes. I look forward to her rise. Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
Thank you so much. Lydia definitely rises from the ashes in this story. Enjoy!
Interesting premise. Congrats on the release!
Congratulations on the upcoming release. I’ll be adding this to my TBR, it sounds good!
Congratulations on your first book!
Congratulations on your new book! I am curious about this plot about Lydia! Good luck with the release!
As Lydia is one of my least favourite characters I don’t this one is for me but hope it goes really well and I look forward to the next one.
I’m always thrilled when someone takes the chances given to grow and better ones self and their life. For me, it’s usually hard to see past Lydia’s selfishness, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what caught her attention to the opportunities there, and how she went about using them, and overcoming the prejudices against her!
I love this concept.
Congratulations on the release!
Congratulations on your book! I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Hi MJ,
To start with, I can’t bear Lydia (well, this is obvious for everyone LOL) but reading your premise, you have caught my curiosity and made me think that Lydia deserves a good chance to change so if she has tried hard to do it (and she finally reached her goal) why couldn’t I give her the opportunity to make ammends?
Thanks for the giveaway and good luck with the release! 😉
Thanks Meredith for hosting MJ Statton
I hope you enjoy it! Lydia is a hard one to like in the original, but she was only 15-16. I hope I did her transformation justice!
I’ve always resisted reading books about Lydia until this week. It was smashing! I don’t think it’s appropriate to name the book while posting a comment on yours, but I will say I am really looking forward to this release. All the best for a most successful launch!
OOOH, I need to know the name of it! You should totally message me on facebook so I can read it! Thanks for your well wishes!
I loved the ARC of this one! The growth Lydia showed was heart wrenchingly beautiful, and I thought it was cleverly done to have a villainess whose history had similar parallels of circumstances and yet a stark contrast in choices and morals. Who would have known I could cheer so hard for Lydia!
Thanks!! <3 I'm so glad you liked it!
Thank you to everyone who has commented. I hope you all enjoy my book and Lydia’s transformation!
Trying to leave a comment again.
Congratulations on your new book. I’m so excited to see a novel devoted to Lydia and I loved the idea that she learns for her past mistakes. I look forward to reading more. –Leslie
Congratulations, MJ! How exciting to be publishing your first book!
Love the idea of checking in with Lydia down the road.
We all grow up some time or other, some of us sooner than others. Lydia’s circumstances are as likely to help her grow up quicker than she might otherwise had she not married so soon. Or not. I hope it’s the former and it sounds like your book will be quite satisfying in that vein. I love an Austen baddie redemption story. I’m really looking forward to reading this. All the best luck. Congratulations!