Interview and giveaway: Sharon Lathan, author of Miss Darcy Falls in Love

Austenites,

A treat to get you through the week! I am lucky to be on Sharon Lathan’s blog tour of Miss Darcy Falls in Love. She was able to slot me into her busy schedule, and voila! This is a wonderful interview.

She was also kind enough to include a copy of the book for a giveaway! Leave a comment below about the idea of Miss Darcy falling in love. The deadline for comments is Nov. 21, and I will announce the winner the next day!

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Synopsis of Miss Darcy Falls in Love:

Noble young ladies were expected to play an instrument, but Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished musician who hungers to pursue her talents. She embarks upon a tour of Europe, ending in Paris where two very different men will ignite her heart in entirely different ways and begin a bitter rivalry to win her. But only one holds the key to her happiness.

Set in post-Napoleonic Empire France, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a riveting love story that enters a world of passion where gentlemen know exactly how to please and a young woman learns to direct her destiny and understand her heart.

 

 

 

 

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Sharon’s bio:

Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Her previously published novels are: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, and The Trouble With Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy Falls in Love is Georgiana’s tale of love and adventure while in France, complete with a happy ending. In addition to her writing, Sharon works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California, in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. Visit Sharon on her website: www.sharonlathan.net and on Austen Authors, her group blog with 20 novelists of Austen literature: www.austenauthors.com.

 

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Carolyn Crist: What motivated you to pursue publication as an author?

Sharon Lathan: Originally it was all about my belief that there were readers out in the world who wanted to continue living with Darcy and Lizzy as I did. That is why I began writing in the first place: My love for these characters and this story, and my desire to stay with them. Posting online was deeply satisfying and encouraging. Those who read my saga loved it, so I reasoned that there must be others who would as well if they could only discover me! Having a novel published, whether via a self-publishing format or with a house, was the best way to reach a wider audience.

Over time I have grown to love writing and the career of a novelist for a host of reasons. It is very difficult at times, but the creativity and connection with readers is marvelous.

 

Carolyn: What sparked the idea for Miss Darcy Falls in Love?

Sharon:  All through my Darcy Saga series I wrote story lines for the various secondary characters. Mary Bennet, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Anne de Bourgh – they each found love and experienced adventures as subplots to the main plot with Darcy and Lizzy. In truth, I could have expanded on many of their stories and written novels for them. Initially I anticipated weaving Georgiana’s love story into the series just like the others. Miss Darcy, however, had a different idea! Her desires inspired me, and when I met the man she was destined to be with, it instantly became clear that this was a tale worth a whole novel.

This small excerpt gives a hint of how I matured my Georgiana Darcy, the feelings I infused within her, and a glimpse of the man who may be the one to unlock what she has buried deep inside:

“The question hung on the air, Sebastian finally tossing the mutilated twig over the edge and turning to look at Georgiana, his gray eyes hard as slate and his voice firm. “I may not know my entire future, Miss Darcy, but I do know that someday I will be Lord Essenton, with an estate I love as my responsibility. I will have a wife and children. I will serve in the House of Lords. And I will play and compose music. I cannot separate and deny portions of who I am and all that is central to my happiness,” he finished with a shake of his head.

They stared at each other for a long stretch. Sebastian’s countenance was as serious as she had ever seen. Gone was the amused twinkle that perpetually lit his gray eyes and the characteristic lilt to his full lips. Suddenly he appeared years older than three and twenty, intense and sure. It was as if he strained to communicate nonverbally to her, sensing that she would understand his heart. And the oddity was that she did, at least to an extent. As a woman with a set future before her, indulging in pointless whimsies, no matter how passionately felt, was easily tempered.

Or were they?

For years her dreams had been invaded with desires for more. Denial became second nature, knowing that for her, those dreams could never be realized. Mr. Butler, however, was a man, thus having no reason to reject his passions or accept inevitabilities.

She nodded, holding his gaze. “I do understand, Mr. Butler. Perfectly. I applaud your persistence. Perhaps it is my naïveté and optimism, but I think your father will eventually understand and be as proud of you as the others in your family.”

“Perhaps,” he agreed. “Someday.” Then he smiled, the jovial Mr. Butler she was beginning to know well snapping back into place. “Now, we should return to the others before they send out the hounds.”

“Or eat all the food.”

 

 

Carolyn: How did you first decide to write Austenesque novels, and what keeps you going? (You’re quite prolific!)

Sharon: Thank you! It all began for me when I saw the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.
I fell in love with the movie and then all things Austen. Yet it primarily was the fascination with Darcy and Lizzy that drove me to begin writing. I could not let them go. Now I am at the stage in my career where I simply love creating stories and characters. I adore the Darcys and other Austen characters, but I have also grown very addicted to imagining new people and places. I see no reason why I need to limit myself to the world of Austen. However, I also see no reason to leave the world behind. These characters are now mine, I love them, and I envision living with them for a long while to come.

 

Carolyn: How do you support yourself financially while writing?

Sharon: I haven’t given up the profession I knew was my destiny when I was nine years old. Writing came to me recently, but being a registered nurse has been my life for over 27 years. I work in a neonatal ICU taking care of ill babies and can’t imagine giving it up. Fortunately I can work part time, adding that income to my royalties and husband’s paycheck. We aren’t rich but we survive! And I can continue to write.

 

Carolyn: And what are your next steps? (I’m sure enjoying a honeymoon should be one! Any other books starting to form in your mind?)

Sharon: As you intimated, we had a wedding in our family just over a week ago. My daughter
has returned from her honeymoon and the bits and pieces of transitioning are being taken care of. I, of course, am helping her AND attending to a blog tour! Yep, I think I need to laze in a tropical locale for a week. That, however, is not on the agenda. Instead I will be focusing on my next novel which is under contract for a 2013 release. This time I am shining the spotlight on Dr. George Darcy, a character of my creating introduced in Loving Mr. Darcy. He is a remarkable man, if I say so myself! Dwelling in India for over 30 years, George has a lifetime of loves and adventures to share. I am so excited to be granted the opportunity to tell his tale. It is going to be fantastic!

Thank you, Carolyn, for giving me an opportunity to speak with your readers about my newest release. I will check in as often as possible to answer any additional questions anyone has. Good luck with the giveaway!

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Sharon, you are fabulous! Thank you so much for this opportunity. I can’t wait to hear what everyone says in the comments below.