Interview and giveaway: Abigail Reynolds - What would Mr Darcy do?

Today I welcome Abigail Reynolds to my blog. And at the bottom of this interview there is a giveaway of her new book What would Mr Darcy do?

Welcome to Mur-y-Castell!

Could you briefly tell us something about yourself, so that those that missed you during your last visit can get to know you.

 I’ve written 8 books, most of them variations on Pride & Prejudice.  Variations are re-tellings of the original story with a major change in the plot, so I get to write Darcy and Elizabeth falling in love over and over again in different circumstances.  What could be better?  I’m also a part-time physician, full-time mom of a college-aged daughter and a son with Asperger Syndrome, and I wish I had time to sleep more often!  I’ve loved Jane Austen’s novels since I was a teenager.  I live in Madison, WI, but love to travel to Cape Cod which is a spiritual home for me.  

Your newest book is called What would Mr Darcy do?; can you tell me what it is about?

It’s a Pride & Prejudice variation in which Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet admit their feelings to each other instead of parting in silence and despair after their meeting at the Lambton Inn.  The failure of communication in that scene has always driven me crazy, even though it’s great for dramatic tension, so I decided to see what happened if I changed it.  There are more romantic moments, but still misunderstandings to be resolved, often with the help of Georgiana and Mrs. Gardiner.

Would you like to write other Jane Austen book variations?

Just lately Captain Wentworth has been whispering in my ear, so I expect a Persuasion variation may happen some day.  I’d love to explore what happens if he and Anne meet again but he hasn’t made such a success of his career in the Navy.  What would Anne do if he was a lower-ranked officer with less money?

Why do you think we all love Mr Darcy? 

What’s not to love – a handsome, devoted man who is willing to listen to a list of his faults and attempt to change them?  And he likes to listen more than to talk as well.  What could be better?

What is the next project you are writing on, or have in mind?

I’ve also just published A Pemberley Medley, a book of Pride & Prejudice short stories, and the next release will be Morning Light, a Persuasion-based sequel to my modern novel The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice.  I’m just starting work on a new full-length P&P variation in which Darcy doesn’t make it to Ramsgate in time to stop Georgiana’s elopement.  It’s been in my mind for a long time, but I insist on happy endings for my books, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to end that one happily!

Thanks so much for inviting me!

CONTEST

2 winners/What would Mr Darcy do?

1. US and Canda only

2. Ends April 18th

3. Just enter :)

But to make it more fun you can always comment on the interview, book. Or perhaps tell us why you love Jane Austen's books.

What would Mr Darcy do? by Abigail Reynolds

Out now from Sourcebooks

But what if Darcy hadn’t immediately left the inn? What if Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had chosen to speak their feelings rather than to assume the worst about the other?

Jane Austen’s beloved characters are given the opportunity to reach out one last time before they part. While their path forward is still filled with misadventures and misunderstandings it is rich with humor, romance, and sensuality as they learn about each other and the meaning of love. But there’s still a scandal threatening to engulf the Bennet family, and Elizabeth can’t be sure that Darcy’s love for her could withstand such a blow. Determined to give Darcy up rather than drag his name through the mud, Elizabeth will have to choose for herself between what she believes is right, and what she wants more than anything…