Author Interview & Giveaway: Sharon Lathan of Miss Darcy Falls In Love

I'm excited to be hosting Sharon Lathan today, and I had a chance to ask her some questions that I'd been dying to ask!  With her daughter's recent wedding, I don't know how she finds the time to do all that she does, but I'm so excited to have her here today.

As the author of Miss Darcy Falls in Love and five other great Darcy saga novels, help me welcome Sharon!

Question:  How far do you see yourself writing into the Darcy series?

To be honest, and I know this will disappoint some people, I do not see myself writing past Dr. George Darcy’s story, which is what I am working on currently. Never say never, of course, but I really want to explore other options. I want to create characters that are 100% mine. Maybe it is a need to prove myself. Yet it is also a decision from a career standpoint. I can reach a wider audience with a novel that is not Austen related. Nevertheless, I do love these characters and somehow doubt they will let me go so easily!

My Response:  Well, you can always come back and write one that might jump out at you!  If not, I'll definitely check out your other adventures.

Question:  Without giving away anything too big, what other book ideas have you tossed around in your mind?  (Just curious. )

Well, aside from completing Dr. Darcy’s tale, I have 3 ideas for Regency romances that I have already shared with my agent. He loves them! I intend to expand on those, write a few chapters when I can, and see where that leads. I have also tossed around a couple contemporary ideas that I would someday like to tackle. More of me needing to prove myself capable, I guess!

Question:  What other characters in Pride and Prejudice would you like to see come more to the forefront in the story, maybe in the future?

 I have long wanted to write a better future for Charlotte Collins. I have spun ideas from time to time, but never taken it further. I feel she is okay in the life Austen gave her, however my romantic heart thinks she could do better! I also have a slight sympathy for Caroline Bingley and thought it would be fun to see another side of her. I really love the children I gave Darcy and Lizzy, all of them terrific characters IMHO that I would like to write about someday.

Question:  With your daughter’s wedding coming up (Congrats!), how does that affect your writing and do you etch out specific times to work on it?

To be honest, currently I am so focused on the wedding and the release of Miss Darcy Falls in Love that I have little free time! By the time this interview posts the wedding will be over and hopefully all my blogs written so that I can enjoy the release experience and seriously attend to my WIP.

*FYI--Sharon's daughter actually got married on 11/4th.  Congrats!

Question:  What other authors have you come to know and gotten tips from as a writer?

Oh so many! My first exposure to a collective of writers was the Casablanca Authors and we are still great friends. They are my go-to gals. Now I also have the fabulous Austen Authors that are my buddies and support. I have been blessed to meet so many terrific writers. Some have become friends and others I have only listened to at conferences or shared short conversations with, but all who have taught me about this business in various ways. And I cannot forget my local chapter of the RWA, the Yosemite Romance Writers. I love being a part of a fellowship of writers! Nothing compares.

Question:  Who would you still love to meet?  (Author or publisher)

 Of those I greatly admire I would love to meet Karen Marie Moning. Hopefully I will get lucky at the Romantic Times Convention next April. *fingers crossed*

My response:  That would be pretty awesome!  If you do, you'll have to share with us.

Question:  As we head into the holiday season, what are your wishes?

 I wish for a relaxing season filled with loads of family get togethers, as I always do, but this year especially because in March my daughter and her new husband will be moving to Maryland. Next, I have to admit that I am wishing most fervently that Miss Darcy Falls in Love will be a raging success! That would certainly be a fabulous Christmas present. Lastly I hope for extreme peace and quiet so I can get back to work on Dr. Darcy’s novel. I miss that fella.

Thank you so much to Sharon for stopping by today!  If you haven't yet checked out her books, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a great book to try out.

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.

Excerpt--

    “Forgive my boldness, Mr. Butler, but I find I am curious as to what you do plan to do with this education? Not to align myself with Lord Essenton’s discouragement, since it pains me greatly to imagine your talent wasted and never shared with those who appreciate fine music, however, I can, to a degree, comprehend his reasoning.”
    Sebastian did not answer immediately. He stepped onto a fallen log, tossing the shreds of bark from the twig he had been stripping into the bushes that covered the descending slope of Fourvière, and stared solemnly at the distant horizon. Georgiana began to fear she had angered him and was preparing to apologize when he spoke.
    “I ask those questions of myself frequently, Miss Darcy. I regret my father’s attitude, wish he were more understanding and supportive, and even feel angry upon occasion. Yet, logically, I know he has a point. What can I do with this… gift? Will I ever be able to use it other than to entertain my family and our guests?”
     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.”


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 25 novelist of Austen literature: www.austenauthors.com

To win a free copy of Sharon Lathan's wonderful book Miss Darcy Falls in Love, leave a comment or question for Sharon, along with your email address by next Saturday, 11/26 by midnight.