Today, here at My Jane Austen Book Club, we have a new guest, Caroline Cartier, author of a brand new Pride and Prejudice Variation, “Without Affection.” Welcome, Caroline and thanks for finding the time to answer our questions. Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your journey into the world of writing?
Hi Maria! Thank you so much for letting me stop by your lovely blog! Let me see, what can I tell you about myself. I’m 43 and married with one daughter. I used to be a surgical coordinator, but I injured my spine during the pandemic and now I write books.
You mention being captivated by historical fiction at a young age. What authors mainly influenced your writing style and choice of genres?
When I was sixteen, a lady whose children I babysat learned that I was watching “Gone with the Wind”over and over, and thinking I may enjoy more historical fiction, loaned me a copy of “Mary, Queen of Scots” by Jean Plaidy. Then another about Anne Boleyn. I came from a disadvantaged background, so the only resource I had was the local library, which happily had a large selection of books by Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, and Phillippa Carr. I wanted to write from a very young age but I received very little encouragement at home. I think my first attempt was a fan fiction sequel to Little Women when I was fifteen. Sadly, my evil mother got hold of the first chapter and read it to my friends, and after the obligatory teasing, I lost my confidence and didn’t attempt to write again until I was forty-one. I think it was always in the cards for me to write something historical. Even as a teen, I have always been attracted to the stories of the past.
Your first Jane Austen Variation was Mr Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange. What about that particular book and the world of Jane Austen Variations drew you in?
I’ve always been a fan of Austen. Since my teens, I have been taking “Pride and Prejudice” off of my shelf and reading it two or three times a year like clockwork. I believe it was some years ago when a local bookstore was closing that a discounted copy of Mr Darcy’s Diary caught my eye. After that, my routine changed slightly. Then once I had done my usual reading of Pride and Prejudice, I would immediately begin Mr Darcy’s Diary. It was often a comfort tactic. If I’d had a bad day, I could come home and those books would be waiting. I always thought Amanda Grange did a superb job of capturing Darcy’s essence. Her book is a perfect example of what I think Mr Darcy’s diary would have contained, and whenever someone asks for a gateway recommendation to JAFF, I recommend Mr Darcy’s Diary every time.
Could you share more about your upcoming project, The Victorian Vagaries? What inspired you to delve into a Victorian Pride and Prejudice Quartet?
Honestly? The first volume of the Victorian Vagaries, “Pride & Precipitance,” is the first thing I attempted to write since that terrible experience when I was fifteen. Because it’s my first foray into JAFF, it has turned out to be an enaction of my daydreams. Elizabeth is wildly rich and friends with my favourite characters from other historical fiction works (these characters are identified only by an initial). Obviously, MY Elizabeth cannot be expected to use an old-fashioned chamber pot! I wanted a slightly more comfortable and lavish style of living for my characters, without leaving behind the charm, manners, and courtesy that we love in historical fiction. I also wanted the story to be set in the Industrial Revolution, where there would be new material and ideas to write about. This was a time when women were still expected to marry and be led by their husbands, but it was also a time when women were beginning to enter the workforce in more significant ways, such as the hundreds of postmistresses all over England, most of whom inherited their contracts from husbands or father, but many were awarded their positions by their own merits. It was a time when women were still largely unwelcome in most workplaces, but an eccentric, wealthy female investor might have been tolerated and humoured in society.
You enjoy fantasy and YA fiction. How do these genres and authors influence your approach to historical romance and Jane Austen Variations?
I’m not sure that they do, precisely. I think it’s more likely that each of these genres represents a different period of my life when different interests reigned supreme. I read less YA fiction now than I did say, ten years ago. However, that may just be because the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson waves have died down a bit and those authors haven’t offered us an awful lot of material since then. I do get excited when Rick Riordan releases something new, but nothing fresh in that genre has grabbed me lately. I have found a wealth of wonderful fantasy authors on Kindle Unlimited such as Ben Hale and Jeff Wheeler, but I find myself more in an Austenesque phase than anything else for the last several years. I promised myself I would read a non-JAFF book when I finished writing “Not Without Affection,” but I haven’t actually done it yet.
Drawing inspiration from authors like Stephanie Laurens, Julia Quinn, and Lisa Kleypas, how do you incorporate elements from historical romances and period dramas into your own writing?
I’m an enormous fan of mash-ups. In small ways outside of Austen material. For example, in The Victorian Vagaries, Elizabeth lives on Bruton Street across from “Lady B.” Or Darcy’s grandmother is great friends with “Lady D, Lady O, and the Dowager Duchess of St I.” There are several mentions of Elizabeth hoping for an opportunity to invest in a railroad foundry with Lord W and his friend Mr H. I have to say that those three authors and their wonderful series played a great part in the backdrop of mymind for The Victorian Vagaries.
Writing both Regency fiction and being a fan of fantasy and YA fiction showcases a diverse taste. How do you balance these genres in your own writing?
I’ve always been good at compartmentalizing. I enjoy everything in it’s own little box. Other than the odd nerd reference (which you will find sprinkled all over my books), I don’t usually have trouble balancing my varying interests.
The synopsis of your Pride and Prejudice Variation involves unexpected turns and challenges for Elizabeth Bennet. What motivated you to take the story in this direction, and what themes do you aim to explore?
I can’t really answer what motivated me in regards to Not Without Affection. One moment I was minding my own business, and the next I had dialogue pouring out of my ear and I just rolled with it. I have a lot of ideas for future themes. One thing you will see a lot of from me is redemption arcs. I adore them, although for some reason I don’t care for redeeming LCDB. I love a redeemed Collins, or Mrs Bennet. I also love to take canonically kind or good characters and make them bad. I have this theory that no one can be completely good or even completely evil. The sweetest character must harbour uncharitable thoughts in the darkness of the night sometimes. Even the cruelest villain might offer a stray kitten a saucer of milk. I like to peel away the layers of these essentially good or bad characters and develop alternate personas.
Can you share a bit about your writing process? How do you approach the creation of characters and the development of plotlines?
I truly have no writing process. I do get ideas and plan for how I’d like the plot to unfold, but then my characters have their own ideas. I used to roll my eyes when authors said that they have no control over what happens in their books but now I get it. I spend a lot of time yelling at my characters when they go directly against my plans. It’s all word vomit until the revisions process, although I’m sure that my skills and writing style will develop over time.
What are your future plans as a writer? Are there specific genres or time periods you'd like to explore in your future works?
I do plan to write many more Austenesque books. I have a document with probably ninety ideas in it that I hope to work on at some point in the future. Aside from JAFF, I have been working on my ancestry over the last year and what I have found has been fascinating. My grandmother was not lying, her father’s ancestors did really come over on the Mayflower. There is also a line from her family that was very heavily involved in the Salem Witch Trials and the documentation and story behind that scenario is fascinating. And on my mother’s side, one line extends back to The King's Daughters, who were the 800 or so women who immigrated to Canada or rather “New France” under a program sponsored by Louis XIV in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. I am planning a historical fiction ancestral trilogy based on these stories, but they will be something I do on the sidelines and they likely will not be published for some time.
Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring writers, especially those who are venturing into the world of Jane Austen Variations or historical romance?
There is a story in you. Let it out!
ABOUT THE BOOK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USEFUL LINKS
GIVEAWAY
2 comments:
Sounds good! Congratulations
This sounds so fab!
Post a Comment