Interview with Sharon Lathan

Today, I have Sharon Lathan with me during her tour of the blogosphere to celebrate the release of her latest novel, Miss Darcy Falls in Love.  I had a lot of fun with this, so I hope you enjoy the interview.

The chapter titles, like Dissonance Accelerando and Two Requiems, are impressive in the fact that they show both Georgiana’s love of music and accurately represent the chapter’s content. Are you musically inclined yourself, or was there significant research to find the perfect terms?

Thank you for mentioning the chapter titles! I worked very hard on hunting down the proper musically related terms to fit the theme of each chapter. I played the flute in elementary and high school, but that is as far as it went. What mediocre knowledge once learned was long gone so there were many times while writing this novel when I cursed my insanity for attempting to make them musicians! Luckily I like a challenge. Nevertheless, I was well into the novel before I decided to name the chapters with musical terms. Originally they were all in French! But my editor felt – rightfully so – that it was too confusing to have the French mixed in with the Latin and Italian of musical terminology. But I did insist on the proper words, such as “étude” rather than “study.”

Formatting the entire novel in sonata form – the four “movements” – was also a later idea that occurred to me while I was researching. I went back and forth on that one! I was so afraid that I would get it wrong, but a dear friend who is a pianist and music teacher helped me to understand the concepts and realize that it did not have to be literal. I am not sure how many people will even get it!

Austenauthors.net, a site you co-founded, seems to be doing really well with the recent celebration of its one year anniversary. What is your vision for the site in the future?

Abigail Reynolds and I originally created Austen Authors as a way for published novelists of our unique genre to connect and pool our resources and reach out to the fans. In essence that vision has not changed. What has changed is the realization of how far reaching, dynamic, and serious this genre is, and the power we have as a collective. With each month that has passed we have seen growth and it has far exceeded our modest expectations. So although our “vision” has not fundamentally changed, we are more serious in how we conduct our business. Austen Authors will always be a fun place to visit with excellent blogs and fabulous prizes to win. The only difference is that we want even more people to discover Jane Austen literature and to do that we have to step it up and be very professional and hyper-enthusiastic! We also welcome new authors of the genre.

This must be a question you get often, but do you have plans to expand your writing into non-P&P related territory?

The short answer is Yes. My work in progress is about a character I created – Dr. George Darcy. Although a “Darcy” he is completely mine and this novel will be 90% in India and with Darcy characters not a part of Jane Austen’s work, such as Mr. Darcy’s father and grandfather. After that I am not certain, but what is spinning in my head are Regency romances that have nothing to do with Austen, and a couple contemporary plots. But then I do love Darcy and Lizzy, and would love to expand on their children. I am not giving them up, but would like to stretch myself.

On your website, you offer a free bookmark and signed bookplate for readers who mail you a SASE. Did you design the bookmarks and bookplates yourself?

The bookmark I completely designed myself, as I always have my business cards. I have several programs that help me out, but my favorite is Gimp. I love the creativity of designing in this way, just as I have done all the designing on my website. The bookplates were an idea I have thought of from time to time, but never followed through on for various reasons, mostly time related. However, recently Abigail Reynolds created bookplates and as we were discussing how she went about it I decided to give it a go. As it turned out it was very easy! I used Gimp to create 4 different designs, but have now limited it to the 2 designs that were highest in demand and I have gotten them professionally printed.

This question is kind of random, but I have to ask; have you ever read or watched North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell? I mention it because, like P&P, it showcases class differences and a wonderful romance.

I have not read the novel but have seen the miniseries with Richard Armitage – yum! I really loved it! So much so that I own it and pop it in the DVD player often. Beautiful love story, great characters, and a fabulous slice of history. It was after seeing North and South that I decided to write in the earlier evolution of the cotton milling industry into my Saga. The topic fascinated me so much that I had to read about it and had to incorporate it into my story. One of these days I will read the book, which I am sure is much better.

Georgiana is quite the traveler when readers meet her in Miss Darcy Falls in Love. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had in your own travels?

I wish I could say I have been to France, or even England for that matter. But alas I am not so widely traveled. I have only been out of the US twice, both times to Mexico. As a family we have traveled extensively throughout the west and it is tough to pin down a favorite since we have seen some beautiful places including Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Mt. Saint Helens, and Little Big Horn, just to name a few. New York City this year was an experience, no doubt. But with all that, I would still say that my honeymoon was the most memorable – and not primarily because I got severely sunburned and my husband lost his wedding band!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.

Thank you for having me on Melanie’s Musings! I love interviews, especially ones with unique questions like yours!

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.