by Sharon Lathan, guest blogger and author of the Darcy Saga

It is such a thrill to be spending today on Love Romance Passion. Keira has been so gracious in allowing me two whole days (our fun interview will post on Thursday!) to hijack her website and talk about my debut novel, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One. Today I am going to chat a bit about the limitless infatuation with Austen.

Why are people so interested in continuing Austen's books?

It is a great question, but I do not think there is a single answer. I imagine the motivations for writing a sequel or variation or behind-the-scenes or modern spin vary widely from person to person. A cynic would likely say it is merely the greed to cash in on a fad while exploiting a classic piece of literature. Maybe in a few cases, but I truly do not think this is the norm.

I recently wrote a guest blog for Diary of an Eccentric entitled, "Ignorance is Bliss." In it I talked about how I entered the realm of Austen fan fiction (JAFF) largely unaware of just how huge the genre was. I knew of a few online communities and had read enough JAFF to know what I wanted to say and that the reception would be good, but I did not know of the massive collection of books being published. At first it was daunting. But then I realized that the wealth of competition and rabid interest only proved why I had begun writing in the first place: People love Jane Austen and they can never have enough.

So I suppose if I had to come up with a single, simple answer to Keira's question it would be love. Perhaps we feel a bit cheated in Miss Austen being taken from the world so young. We mourn what we presume may have been a dozen more novels if she could only have lived another twenty years or been more prolific while alive. Her perpetual popularity for what is in truth a mere handful of novels is proof of her brilliance. Her stories are the ultimate tales of romance and true love, written with beauty and wit, and set in a world that utterly captivates. They worm into our very souls so that we are satisfied momentarily but left hungering for more. The numerous dramatic adaptations, those both silly and seriously wrought, are further evidence of this devotion. Everyone who reads Jane Austen is touched by something unique within the layers of her stories. They are romantic, yes, but also so much more. Each person is affected to some degree and for a few of us it becomes an obsession to keep that emotion alive.

Thus, I call it "love." But love of what, precisely? Well, again, I think it varies. For me, I was struck by the sheer romantic elements, the glory of a love story conveyed so phenomenally, as well as the history. For someone else it may be the culture of the day, the society that these Regency folks inhabited. Another may be captivated by the witty repartee and crazy misconceptions, taking that into extreme places as they toss bizarre stumbling blocks in the way. Then there are the really creative writers who dream up crazy time travel stuff just to see how these characters will react in wild situations! It is all good, in my opinion, as it points back to the source material with reverence and appreciation.

And the latter is the crux, isn't it? If it is largely love that motivates a writer or producer, then isn't that a good thing? Even if the inducement is plain materialism, people are being entertained (something we need in our depressing world) and hearing of Jane Austen in the process!

As for me, I only wish to carry on the joy of a beautiful love story between two amazingly written characters. I could have created my own lovers to write about - hundreds of authors do just that marvelously well - and I would have written it much the same way. Instead I am overjoyed that my inspiration was Lizzy and Darcy, because then I can continue to live with them as I desired to when the last page was turned and the movie screen faded to black. Furthermore, I can give to those hungery Austen-lovers another offering that may just be precisely what they wanted. I consider that a tremendous honor.

For more information on my saga and how I was inspired, come to my website: www.darcysaga.net. Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One is available now!

Keira: Thank you so much for joining us today Sharon, feel free to hijiack LRP anytime! It's been a real pleasure! I can't wait to read the next books in your Saga!

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Guest Blogger, J-L, Jane Austen, Regency

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