TALKING JANE AUSTEN WITH ... CINDY JONES & LILY BERRY + GIVEAWAY!!!

Cindy Jones is my guest on occasion of the release of her awesome debut novel: My Jane Austen Summer. Lyly Berry, the protagonist of the novel, joined us in this chat. Read and enjoy. All commenters will have the chance to win a signed copy adding their e-mail address. The giveaway is open internationally and ends on Wednesday 12th May.

Cindy Jones:  Hi, Maria.  I hope you don’t mind but Lily Berry, (the protagonist in My Jane Austen Summer), popped in and asked if she could join our Jane Austen talk.  Lily has been spending a lot of quality time with her Jane Austen lately.
MG: Of course, Cindy. That’s simply a great pleasure. Please, Lily, join us!

Lily Berry (waves):  Hi, Maria.  Thanks for letting me join you and Cindy! 

MG:  Welcome, both of you.  Let’s get started.  Jane Austen’s first published novel was S&S in 1811. Your debut novel is My Jane Austen Summer. Let’s try to spot at least one similarity between the two novels…

Lily:  Both are published in the 11^th year of their century.

Cindy:  And they both include a bookish heroine.

MG:  Is Lily Berry more Sense or more Sensibility?

Lily:  Sense.

Cindy:  Sensibility.

MG:  How much of your decision to start writing is due to your love for Jane Austen?

Cindy:  I wrote My Jane Austen Summer after finishing “The Six” for the first time.  The book I wanted to read didn’t exist, so I wrote it.  

MG:  Can you briefly tell us the story of your first encounter with her?

Cindy:  My parents collected a series of classic books that occupied an entire shelf in the house where I grew up, all dressed in uniform gray cloth jackets.  Whenever I found myself without a book, I pulled a one from that collection, avoiding philosophy or titles in Greek or Latin.  I first met S&S and P&P on that shelf.  I read Northanger Abbey and Persuasion later, but it wasn’t until reading Mansfield Park in 2004, that I felt the great connection with Jane Austen.  MP is my favorite.     

  

MG:  How would you write a synopsis of your novel, My JA Summer, in about 50 words (Forgive me, Cindy,  the teacher in me comes out from time to time!)

Cindy:  A young woman hopes to realize her dream of living in a novel when she is invited to participate in a Jane Austen literary festival in England.  Lily feels right at home among people whose love of books equals her own.  But ultimately her adventures teach her that she cannot escape reality, even when surrounded by fiction.

MG:  You wrote an interview with Lily, the heroine you created for your My JA Summer, not long ago (read it HERE).  She revealed that you would like to bring Jane Austen back to life with your writing. What did she mean?

Lily:  I’ll answer that.  Cindy reread all six Austen novels and couldn’t let go when she got to the end.  It was so bad she had to spend five years writing a book--just so she could stay in Jane Austen’s world.  My relationship with Jane Austen, as depicted in the book, is really lifted from the actual experience Cindy Jones had with her imaginary Jane Austen.  Except for the bad behavior.  That was all me, (clears throat).      

MG:  Is there a hero in your novel? Is he more a Darcy (the “almost” perfect gentleman), a Willoughby (a rogue) or an Edmund Bertram (ehm … very dull indeed) or any other of Austen’s men?

Cindy:  The male lead is played by a character who shares some traits with Edmund Bertram.  He nurtures Lily, the way Edmund guided Fanny.

Lily:  And…I love him.

MG:  So you don’t find him dull! Is it a romance?

Lily:  Yes!

Cindy:  It is romantic.   

MG:  What about happy endings? Does your book have one?

           Lily:  I cry every time I reach the end.

Cindy:  Well, that’s the thing.  The ending is not conventionally happy, but it is hopeful.  Jane Austen writes for and about intelligent women.  And some women need more than a wedding to be happy.  I think she would approve of Lily’s ending.   

MG:  What makes you think so?

Lily:  (turning to Cindy) Yes, I’m interested in your response.

Cindy:  The reason I feel close to Jane Austen is that she and I agree on one important thing:  bookish women should be heroines.  And in My Jane Austen Summer a bookish woman learns to be the heroine in her own life.

MG:  What’s next? What are you working at these days?

Cindy:  I’m finishing a novel about two women who trade places.  One woman flies to India with her lover while the other stays home with children, Texas mansion, and estranged husband.  Jane Austen is not present but Byron and Shelley (on the right) play the parts of a college professor and his dilettante friend.

MG:  Romantic poets. I love them. And what about you, Lily?

Lily:  I’ve been very busy with readers since the launch, but I really hope Cindy will create another novel for me since I feel that my story isn’t over, that I have more to say.  I may have to write it myself.

Cindy:  That would be interesting.

MG:  What about it, Cindy?  A sequel?

Cindy:  A story for Lily is gathering strength in my head and I admit I miss Jane Austen.  A sequel would allow me to spend more time in her world…

Lily:  Then we’re all set! 

Cindy:  (Frowns at Lily).  We’ll keep you posted!    

Thank you so much, Cindy and Lily. It's been an enormous pleasure to have you both as my guests. Great success and good luck!  

And now, we'll wait for your comments, dear readers. Don't forget  your e-mail address if you want to be entered the giveaway! (Deadline May 12th)