Hi friends! Did you happen to see there is a new multi-author collab that released a few weeks back? 🌟

Courting by the Book is a book by eleven authors! There is one story-line, but each chapter also stands on its own as a story. 📚

This creative collaboration features Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet who read certain books and then find themselves dropped into the stories as main characters! 📖

Some of the authors of Courting by the Book were kind enough to answer some of my questions. 🤔

We hope you enjoy! ☺️

 

1. What made you decide to work on this project?

Jeff Bigler: I had the initial idea, a little over a year ago.  I love working with other people and I’m quite extroverted, so I liked the idea of a collaborative novel.  I wanted it to be an actual novel with a storyline, rather than an anthology of unconnected short stories.   The JAFF community, especially the author community, is incredibly friendly and supportive of each other, so  I tossed the idea out into a couple of JAFF Facebook groups.  There was a lot of interest, and eleven of the intrepid volunteers ended up seeing the project through to completion.

2. What was the biggest challenge in writing together? Were there any debates?

Diane Ferguson: The biggest challenge for me was that the manuscript was a moving target. Unlike some of the authors, I wanted my chapters to build on the ones that immediately preceded them. The order of chapters changed a couple of times, which was a curveball for me. Also, revisions to the preceding chapters were happening simultaneously with my own revisions. There was a muddled period of frenetic rounds of editing when the manuscript was changing very quickly, each chapter at its own pace, and I didn’t necessarily have access to the most recent versions. It all worked out fine, though. As for debates, we did have some spirited discussions, but in my recollection, all were good-natured, and the majority generally ruled.

 

3. What is something you loved about writing together?

Jeff Bigler: the people themselves. The interactions were all positive, and we did a great job of supporting each other through the process.  We all still very much like each other even after the process was complete!

Hazel R Banks: I loved seeing everyone come together! The vast array of people all all ages, walks of life and from around the globe – people who wouldn’t normally have interactions with each other, all coming together because they love reading and writing JAFF! (even if it did make for some odd meeting times to try and accommodate us all.) It was amazing to see the reach that a wonderful story like Pride and Prejudice has.

 

4. Before this project, how familiar were you with The Midnight Library or Groundhog Day?

Stephanie Vale: I had seen the movie Groundhog Day once, back when it first came out, and then years later I saw the stage production at the Old Vic in London and then the following year on Broadway. But I couldn’t consider myself any kind of superfan. I did go on eBay and buy a copy of the screenplay of the movie, just for reference, but then I never looked at it. I have never read The Midnight Library, although I want to and it’s in my Kindle app.

Diane Ferguson: My husband and I are both big fans of the movie Groundhog Day and have watched it many times. It’s definitely a cultural touchpoint for us. When we were nearly ready to publish our book, I listened to the audiobook of The Midnight Library. I’ve been intrigued lately by the idea of multiverses in fiction, and I really enjoyed the book.

 

5. What are you most proud of in this project?

Jeff Bigler: I’m proud of our interactions.  Because I had the initial idea, the group looked to me as de facto leader, but I wanted us to feel that it was our project collectively.  I wanted us to make decisions by consensus, for each of us to be equals (and to feel like it the entire time), and for the interactions to be positive and uplifting as much as possible.  It was also important to me that each author have absolute ownership and editorial control over their own chapters.  I’m proud that we accomplished all of these things.  (I feel that a lot of the group try to give me too much of the credit for this—the group has a wonderful vibe, and that comes from every single member of the team!)

 

6. If you had to pick, what would be the theme song of this project? What would be the theme song of your chapter?

Lily Bernard: As Jeff mentioned ours was a wonderful collaboration: “With a Little Help From my Friends” and “Come Together” – The Beatles.

We gave each other feedback and advice: “Lean on Me” – Bill Withers

Our frequent Zoom calls were at 5 PM EST but our authors are scattered across the globe: “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” – Jimmy Buffet.

 

7.  What do you think Darcy and Elizabeth learned from their experiences in Courting by the Book?

Jeff Bigler: In a sense, the book is an extended forced proximity trope.  From one chapter to the next, Darcy and Elizabeth themselves are the only constants.  Each chapter has its own way of forcing them together in some way that requires them to interact.  One of the reasons Pride & Prejudice is such a timeless classic is that every character is flawed in some way (except perhaps for the Gardiners).  In canon and in every variation, Darcy and Elizabeth need to somehow overcome his pride and her prejudice.  The fun for the author and the readers is in all of the myriad ways this can happen, which is why there can be thousands of successful variations, with new ones released every month.

One of the things that makes Courting by the Book so much fun, both for the authors and for the reader, is that each chapter throws Darcy and Elizabeth into a new setting, and the only thing they have to hold onto as the fabric of their world is unraveled and re-woven in each chapter is their emerging understanding of each other and of themselves.

 

8. What is something you learned from your experience collaborating on Courting by the Book?

Stephanie Vale: I learned something I already suspected: writing shorter form fiction is much more fun for me than full length novels or even novellas! So that’s something I need to overcome in order to bring any of my works-in-progress to fruition. And it probably explains why I have a folder full of 15-20,000-word unfinished manuscripts. At least 6 of them.

 

9. What’s one thing about your collaboration that readers would never guess, but you’d love them to know?

Stephanie Vale: following up on what Jeff said, we found the interpersonal stuff to be less tricky, but the logistics to be the trickier part. The creative process of brainstorming chapters and deciding who would write them wasn’t that hard, and neither were the logistics, really, but they required careful attention just to make it all happen. We’re all busy people with other commitments. I’m a lawyer in my daily life and I proposed and wrote a formal collaboration agreement for us, and which we all signed. Everybody had an opportunity to read and comment on the various drafts, and offered some great suggestions, and by the time we signed I think we were all really well aligned on everything, because the collaboration agreement forced us to air all of our previously unspoken assumptions and made sure we understood each other. I do recommend a written collaboration agreement whenever people work on a joint project. It helps preserve group goodwill. The last thing anyone needs is to do a cool project like this and then make enemies among your co-authors!

~ Book Description ~

Courting By the Book is a dazzling, Jane Austen–inspired anthology that blends the wit of Pride and Prejudice, the alternate realities of The Midnight Library, and the transformative repetition of Groundhog Day into one unforgettable adventure.

When Darcy and Elizabeth are drawn into a mysterious collection of fictional Austen-inspired novels—each crafted by one of eleven authors—they find themselves swept through a series of wildly different worlds. Each story becomes a new reality: new settings, new tropes, new challenges. From sweeping romance and heart-tugging angst to high adventure, magic, and even the supernatural, every chapter tests their love in unexpected ways.

Though not a traditional time-loop tale, Darcy and Elizabeth follow a tangled thread, in which the life-shaping events of each chapter are but ephemeral memories, as if from dreams. Our heroes learn, grow, and confront their flaws, and each chapter must begin again and again—learning, growing, and confronting their flaws with each new iteration. Every reset offers another chance to choose better, love deeper, and become the partners they are meant to be.

With each chapter written in the distinct voice and style of its contributing author, this anthology guides our beloved couple through imaginative twists and daring reinventions, all leading toward the ultimate prize: their hard-won happily ever after.

Hold tight to your books, e-readers, or listening devices, and prepare for a Pride and Prejudice variation unlike anything you’ve experienced before. The journey through these pages is as unpredictable as it is enchanting—and once you step into the first story, there’s no turning back.

Proceeds will be donated to Jane Austen-related charities.

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

In conjunction with this interview, the authors are giving away 1️⃣ ebook copy of Courting By the Book (epub) to 1️⃣  lucky reader who comments on this post.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for the authors below!

• This giveaway is open worldwide! Thank you, authors.
• This giveaway will end July 31st.