Please welcome Janet Mullany, to Among the Muses, to talk about her release from Harper Collins Canada, Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion.
“Witty, smart, and sharp as a stake….Tongue in cheek, a bit naughty, and unputdownable, Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion has a brilliance that Ms. Austen would wholly appreciate!”
—Colleen Gleason
The delicious adventures of Jane Austen, vampire, continue! Janet Mullany follows up her delightful vampiric romp, Jane and the Damned, with Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion—pitting the Immortal author against a host of murderous creatures and an annoying ex-lover who intends to hound plucky Jane for all eternity, as she races to prevent an impending Undead civil war. Now fans of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies have more wicked fun to sink their fangs into!
—Colleen Gleason
The delicious adventures of Jane Austen, vampire, continue! Janet Mullany follows up her delightful vampiric romp, Jane and the Damned, with Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion—pitting the Immortal author against a host of murderous creatures and an annoying ex-lover who intends to hound plucky Jane for all eternity, as she races to prevent an impending Undead civil war. Now fans of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies have more wicked fun to sink their fangs into!
Please tell readers a little about yourself.
I was raised in England and although I've lived in the US for years people still exclaim about how English I sound. I don't think I do, but on the other hand I can't remain anonymous on the phone. I started writing fairly late, and so I've had all sorts of weird jobs like being a classical music radio announcer, a proofreader/editor, performing arts administrator, and archaeologist. I started writing because I had time on my hands and was always writing stuff for my day job, and how hard could it be anyway?!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I'm still surprised that I am. I think I'll really consider myself a writer when I see someone reading one of my books on the commute. I got a real kick out of seeing my book in the library. For some reason that was far more significant for me than seeing it in a bookstore.
Please tell readers about your latest release.
JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION is my second book about Jane Austen as a vampire. This one is set in Chawton in 1810, where Jane finally feels she has a home and is at peace, and can do what she's always wanted to--to write. But new tenants arrive at Chawton Great House, a group of the Damned (vampires) that includes her former Creator (i.e. the one who made her into a vampire) and her former lover. Now she finds herself assuming vampire characteristics once more while trying to protect her beloved niece from a dangerous and seductive member of the Damned.
What inspired you to write this book?
Money and ego. An editor asked me to do it, and then my brother suggested I call the first book of the series Austen Powers or Blood Bath (it was set in Bath) and I was hooked. It was eventually called JANE AND THE DAMNED, though I held out for Blood Bath.
Were any of the characters a challenge to write?
Yikes, yes. It's terrifying writing Jane Austen as a fictional character because there are thousands of people who know so much more than I do--on the other hand, probably the majority of them would go into vapors even thinking about Austen as a vampire, so I'm safe. Sort of. I really wanted to make her as accurate as I could while being as fanciful and entertaining as possible. But I always feel with Austen that the more you find out about her, the more elusive she becomes.
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy genre worlds use different rules and aspects. Can you share how you approached either the characters or the world building in your story?
I ended up creating an alternative Georgian England where the Damned were "out" and visible and very fashionable. Their exploits fill the scandal sheets and being "dined" upon is almost always sexual and very, very pleasurable. In a society where manners were so important, they have their own protocols and rules of behavior. For JANE AND THE DAMNED, I bent history and had a French invasion of England, something that seemed quite likely in the late 1790s. In JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION I include a glossary of vampire terms and a history of the Damned in England.
What is your formula for developing characters?
None. I tend to just let them let rip. Very occasionally I use a simple questionnaire, and I daydream about them when I'm not able to write.
Do you find it difficult to write in different genres?
Not at all, because I'm basically writing the same thing anyway! I've written historical romance, erotic historicals, and contemporary erotica, but I don't think I'm naturally a writer of paranormals.
How do you like your heroes and heroines?
My heroes tend to burst into tears a lot and my heroines tend to be bad tempered. Generally they are smart and snarky people.
What can readers expect next from you?
I'm working on a rewrite of my first published book, DEDICATION, which will be out sometime in 2012 from LooseId. It was the only trad Regency with two bondage scenes! Concurrently, I'm a contributor to a fabulous anthology of short stories, JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.com. You can find out more at www.janeaustenmademedoit.com.
What is one particular aspect about the book that you want readers to take away from this interview?
Yes, I hope it will make anyone who's interested in Jane Austen but hasn't yet read her books to try her. Her books are so wonderful and they can be read many times and you'll always find something new.
Can you leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION?
Jane has just brokered a peace--maybe--between two warring factions of the Damned and now has an encounter with her former lover Luke. The term "en sanglant" that occurs below is one I invented, the Damned's term for the extended canines that display desire and blood hunger.
Is there anything else you would like readers to be aware of?
There's a contest on my website. The prize is a collection of Austen-vamp themed items and all you have to do is sign up for my mailing list.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Website: www.janetmullany.com
Twitter @Janet_Mullany
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Janet-Mullany-Author/144530775580812
http://riskyregencies.com
I was raised in England and although I've lived in the US for years people still exclaim about how English I sound. I don't think I do, but on the other hand I can't remain anonymous on the phone. I started writing fairly late, and so I've had all sorts of weird jobs like being a classical music radio announcer, a proofreader/editor, performing arts administrator, and archaeologist. I started writing because I had time on my hands and was always writing stuff for my day job, and how hard could it be anyway?!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I'm still surprised that I am. I think I'll really consider myself a writer when I see someone reading one of my books on the commute. I got a real kick out of seeing my book in the library. For some reason that was far more significant for me than seeing it in a bookstore.
Please tell readers about your latest release.
JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION is my second book about Jane Austen as a vampire. This one is set in Chawton in 1810, where Jane finally feels she has a home and is at peace, and can do what she's always wanted to--to write. But new tenants arrive at Chawton Great House, a group of the Damned (vampires) that includes her former Creator (i.e. the one who made her into a vampire) and her former lover. Now she finds herself assuming vampire characteristics once more while trying to protect her beloved niece from a dangerous and seductive member of the Damned.
What inspired you to write this book?
Money and ego. An editor asked me to do it, and then my brother suggested I call the first book of the series Austen Powers or Blood Bath (it was set in Bath) and I was hooked. It was eventually called JANE AND THE DAMNED, though I held out for Blood Bath.
Were any of the characters a challenge to write?
Yikes, yes. It's terrifying writing Jane Austen as a fictional character because there are thousands of people who know so much more than I do--on the other hand, probably the majority of them would go into vapors even thinking about Austen as a vampire, so I'm safe. Sort of. I really wanted to make her as accurate as I could while being as fanciful and entertaining as possible. But I always feel with Austen that the more you find out about her, the more elusive she becomes.
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy genre worlds use different rules and aspects. Can you share how you approached either the characters or the world building in your story?
I ended up creating an alternative Georgian England where the Damned were "out" and visible and very fashionable. Their exploits fill the scandal sheets and being "dined" upon is almost always sexual and very, very pleasurable. In a society where manners were so important, they have their own protocols and rules of behavior. For JANE AND THE DAMNED, I bent history and had a French invasion of England, something that seemed quite likely in the late 1790s. In JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION I include a glossary of vampire terms and a history of the Damned in England.
What is your formula for developing characters?
None. I tend to just let them let rip. Very occasionally I use a simple questionnaire, and I daydream about them when I'm not able to write.
Do you find it difficult to write in different genres?
Not at all, because I'm basically writing the same thing anyway! I've written historical romance, erotic historicals, and contemporary erotica, but I don't think I'm naturally a writer of paranormals.
How do you like your heroes and heroines?
My heroes tend to burst into tears a lot and my heroines tend to be bad tempered. Generally they are smart and snarky people.
What can readers expect next from you?
I'm working on a rewrite of my first published book, DEDICATION, which will be out sometime in 2012 from LooseId. It was the only trad Regency with two bondage scenes! Concurrently, I'm a contributor to a fabulous anthology of short stories, JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.com. You can find out more at www.janeaustenmademedoit.com.
What is one particular aspect about the book that you want readers to take away from this interview?
Yes, I hope it will make anyone who's interested in Jane Austen but hasn't yet read her books to try her. Her books are so wonderful and they can be read many times and you'll always find something new.
Can you leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the JANE AUSTEN: BLOOD PERSUASION?
Jane has just brokered a peace--maybe--between two warring factions of the Damned and now has an encounter with her former lover Luke. The term "en sanglant" that occurs below is one I invented, the Damned's term for the extended canines that display desire and blood hunger.
Is there anything else you would like readers to be aware of?
There's a contest on my website. The prize is a collection of Austen-vamp themed items and all you have to do is sign up for my mailing list.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Website: www.janetmullany.com
Twitter @Janet_Mullany
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Janet-Mullany-Author/144530775580812
http://riskyregencies.com
1 comments:
Thanks for having me visit! I'm always happy to talk about Jane Austen so please tell me which is your favorite book or movie adaptation.
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