Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. It's a tendency in the blogging world to take off major holidays (as blog traffic drops significantly, and... well, we'd like a day off too). However, as I thought about it this week, I realized I have so much to be thankful for, there's truly no excuse for me not to post.

1. I am thankful for my family. They gave me the love of books that has brought me to where I am today, and to a person, every one of them has loved me and believed in me in a way I know is rare and precious.
2. I am thankful for Chris Baty and National Novel Writing Month for giving me the years of practice it takes to become successful at anything.
3. I am thankful to all the people who've read my fanfiction over the years. Thanks to you, I wasn't nearly as nervous when I published my first book. 
4. I'm thankful for the amazing team of beta readers and editors who helped me improve His Good Opinion this year: Jessica, Kaydee, Mom, Rebecca, Haley, Jaymi, and Carissa. 
5. I'm thankful to Jess (again) for all the formatting help she gave over the last two weeks--right in the middle of moving and doing NaNoWriMo. 
6. I'm thankful for the amazing cover, designed for me by Ed Melendez.
7. I'm thankful for the tremendous amounts of help Jennifer Becton has offered as I traversed the unknown waters of self-publishing for the first time.

And I am so very thankful to everyone who has purchased His Good Opinion in the last week. It's an absolute thrill to know my book is in the hands of readers. You have made my dream come true--thank you so very much.

His Good Opinion can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, and Amazon FR. 

Top 5 Reasons Caroline Bingley Is a Great Character for a Sequel

Austenesque author Jennifer Becton joins us today. Her latest book, Caroline Bingley, left some Janeites wondering--why write about Miss Bingley? (You can see my review on Indiejane.)

Top 5 Reasons Caroline Bingley Is a Great Character for a Sequel

I hear what you’re thinking: Caroline Bingley as the hero of her own Pride and Prejudice sequel? Jennifer, what are you smoking? She’s horrible! Just think of what she said to Lizzy and how she treated Jane. Why should anyone want to read a book about her?

Well, I’ll tell you my top 5 reasons for deciding to write about dear, sweet Caroline, and you can decide if you want to read a book about her.

5. Caroline speaks her mind. Sure, she may not always say the nicest things, but at least she is willing to make her opinions known. In Elizabeth Bennet, we find pert opinions to be a benefit. In Caroline, not so much. Caroline was happy to speak negatively of the Bennet’s vulgar relations and on many other similar subjects of decorum and dress, but in reality, her opinions on wealth and status were not dissimilar to those held by many people in the Regency period. She was an outspoken product of her time and social influences.

4. Caroline is funny. Consider her attempts to woo Mr. Darcy while he demonstrates his letter-writing prowess: “You write uncommonly fast,” “I am afraid you do not like your pen. Let me mend one for you. I mend pens remarkably well,” and “Do you always write such charming long letters to [Georgiana], Mr. Darcy?” (Austen, P&P, ch. 10). Okay, so she may not be intentionally funny, but that is comic gold!

3. Caroline is complex. Caroline is “of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on [her memory] than that [her] brother’s fortune and [her] own had been acquired by trade” (Austen, P&P, ch. 4). Caroline has a secret. She is a wannabe. She may have money, but it was not gained through socially acceptable channels, and she is trying to hide her lowly past. That’s conflict and it makes for good reading and interesting character development.

2. Caroline is flawed. Mr. Darcy and Caroline were very much alike when they were introduced in Pride and Prejudice: “Darcy was continually giving offense,” and he said many unkind things about Elizabeth’s family and relations. He even participated in the plan to separate Jane and Bingley. However, he mended his ways. Caroline did many of the same things, but she never saw the error of her ways. Caroline has lots of room to grow and overcome her flaws just as Darcy did.

1. Caroline doesn’t mess around. She acts. She may not always do the right thing, but at least she is doing something. She does what she believes is best for her family. There is no dithering or whining. She sees a need and she acts upon it. That is just what we love in a heroine.

So Caroline Bingley may not be the most obvious choice for a heroine, especially because her goals in Pride and Prejudice were in direct conflict with Elizabeth’s. She was the antagonist, but not a true villainess who was out plotting her opponent’s destruction. She just wanted what she wanted, and she tried to make her desires come to fruition. She failed in all ways.

Did Caroline learn from her mistakes? Did she end up marrying a stuffy, old aristocrat? Or did she learn the joys of love?

If you’d like to check out my view on her future, Caroline Bingley is available in ebook format at Amazon, BN, and Smashwords. The paperback will be available soon, but you can preorder a signed copy at my website.

Nancy: There is also a giveaway running at Indiejane that ends today. Whether you purchase a copy or win one, this is a sequel to read and re-read.

Writing Cross-Genre

Back in February, I featured Charlotte Collins in the first of my Austenesque Lessons. Last week, Jennifer Becton released her second book. It's not another Austen novel (though Caroline Bingley is coming soon).

Absolute Liability is a contemporary mystery/thriller. Julia Jackson, the heroine, is an insurance fraud investigator for Georgia's Department of Insurance. One day, she took a coffee break from the insurance company she was working out of and learned on her way back to the office that she'd been abducted.

Obviously, the victim wasn't her. Equally plain is the fact that she was the target, which generates a suspect list drawn from her current cases. The DOI sends her a hot ex-Navy partner to wrap up those investigations--and to keep her safe.

I loved this book. The plot was tight, with no holes that left me wondering at the end. Both Julia and her partner, Mark Vincent, were well-drawn, three dimensional characters. The southern flair added a unique spark and left me wishing for some sweet tea. If you like mysteries and need a summer read, this is my recommendation.

However, it is quite a departure from the world of Jane Austen. Classic wisdom states that an author should stick with one genre, at least for their first few novels. "You're building a brand," they say, "and if your books are too different, readers won't know what to expect." That seems to sell the readers short, but the advice is oft-repeated.

So how does Jennifer make this work? First and most importantly, she writes stellar books, no matter what genre they are. The same attention to character details that made Charlotte Collins stand above the crowd is here in Absolute Liability. She knows the characters, she knows the plot, and she knows how to write.

Secondly, she understands how both genres work. Every genre has its own rules and clichés, and ignorance of that stops many writers from succeeding at breaking the genre barrier. When I first read Charlotte Collins, I was impressed with the research Jennifer had done into the Regency period. Her details were realistic, which made the novel an enjoyable read. In Absolute Liability, I saw the same attention to detail. Her pacing in particular was impeccable, and we all know that can make or break a mystery.

Finally, she developed a sense of community with her readers in between the two books. This is that elusive thing known as platform. She didn't disappear after releasing Charlotte Collins in September and only resurface last week to pimp her new novel. Her readers got to know her in those ten months and wanted to support her new venture.

So really, the path to writing in multiple genres isn't any different than the path to writing in one. Do good work, do your research, connect with readers. Hmmm... maybe those readers aren't so easily confused after all.