Today I have the pleasure of introducing to readers Kathryn Nelson, the author of Pemberley Manor
Keira: Why were you drawn to write in Austen's world?
Kathy: It was a case of being possessed. I really had no lifelong romance with Austen. The 1995 BBC/A&E miniseries of Pride and Prejudice captivated me and led me down the road of reading and watching everything Austen I could get my hands on. Out of the reading came a craving to try her style and delve deeper into the unexplained reaches of her characters.
Keira: Who are your favorite authors besides Jane Austen?
Kathy: John Gardner (not the detective novelist) is hands down my favorite wordsmith next to Jane Austen, but I read everyone. At this moment I'm loving Anne Fadiman, and I've spent a lot of time with V.S. Naipaul, John Irving, Lorna Landvik and Toni Morrison. It's hard to stop...
Keira: What was the hardest part of writing your book, Pemberley Manor?
Kathy: The writing was purely joyful, although I think I strained relationships with family and friends for a couple of years as I was always in a hurry to get back to my story. My business partner (my brother) was especially patient on those days when I just had to pick it up in the middle of the day.
Keira: I noticed the themes of pride and prejudice continued in your novel. Could you expand for readers a little on how you used them to influence Darcy's and Elizabeth's actions?
Kathy: I see Darcy and Elizabeth both as fully formed, flawed humans, and I start from the assumption that getting over the hurdle of the wedding is not going to significantly change their basic characters. Both were guilty of rapid and inaccurate judgments and they were equally stubborn about giving up a hastily-formed opinion. I'm a bit like that myself, so it was easy to envision how that might get in the way of marital bliss.
Keira: Do you consider yourself to be a plotter (knows every detail before writing) or pantser (make it up almost completely as you go along)?
Kathy: Oh, pantser all the way. I had no idea where I was heading with this story when I started.
Keira: Oh goody there's another one! I'm a panster myself. If you could be one of your characters - who would you be?
Kathy: That's a great question. As I scan through the list, I realize that I'm really all of them in one way or another. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to Austen's characters in the first place - they have such recognizable human traits. I'd love to be as optimistic as Elizabeth, and sometimes I am, but I can find a little snarky Caroline Bingley in my tone of voice at times.
Keira: What do you think is the greatest creative risk you've taken?
Kathy: Admitting that I'd actually written a sequel to Pride and Prejudice would top the list. It has literally taken me years to come out of that closet, especially at a Jane Austen Society meeting. If it weren't for the company and encouragement of delightful authors like Jane Odiwe and Diana Birchall, I would still have the manuscript hidden under my bed.
Keira: How do you define love?
Kathy: I've been married for thirty-three years, so my perspective is all about the long haul. It was so easy to be passionately attracted, and so difficult to sustain that through the inevitable rollercoaster ride. The kind of feeling of wholeness, one-ness with another person, an ability to share even the most horrible flaws of our character - that is, to me, the fullness of love.
Keira: What are some challenges in writing Austen based romance?
Kathy: Oh, the delicious difficulty of learning a new (old) language, trying to get it just right. Then the awful responsibility to not mess up her characters. I was terrified of hearing that Austen fans would find me lacking or disrespectful in either sense.
Keira: Got any pet peeves when it comes to reading or writing romance?
Kathy: For those who've read Pemberley Manor you might guess that explicit sex scenes are not my thing. I am much more stimulated by the suggestion of great sex than I am by a blow-by-blow that leaves me with nothing to imagine.
Keira: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Kathy: I want to thank you for inviting me to your site. Until recently, the world of blogs was a complete mystery to me, and I'm having a wonderful time romping around these days. I can't tell you how many times I've repeated the phrase "Who knew?" in the last few years. It started with the revelation, after I'd finished my book, that there were not only other sequel writers, there were dozens of them! Now it applies to the amazing network of readers and writers that gather day after day to share stories and opinions. What a hoot!
Thanks, Kathy
Keira: Thank you Kathy for joining me and talking shop! I am wishing many happy sales coming your way. You can learn more about Pemberley Manor at Kathy's website or by checking out LRP's review.
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This post was written by...
Keira – who has written 1034 posts on Love Romance Passion.
Keira's favorite type of heroes are blind, scarred, and tortured... yes, she understands those should be separate, but all 3 at once is also nice! She enjoys historical romances best and adores audio books because great narrators turn books into auditory/mental movies (and she loves her romantic dramas like Pride and Prejudice/North and South!) Learn more about Keira in My Instant Turn Ons, Offs, and Ifs.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks for inviting me in today, Keira. Your questions were great – gave me a chance to stretch a bit. I stopped wondering why in about 2007, but once in a while the question still comes to mind.
I appreciate the great review last week too.
Thanks again, Kathy