A friend explained double happiness to me recently. It's when we are so happy that we bring that happiness to someone else. And then I came across this little gem the other day.
To know that one's work has brought happiness to another is the greatest gift of all.
Check out my guest post on the wonderful blog, Journeys in Ink, where I talk about how to use what you don't know to go from the state of being blocked to the state of flow.
Please check out Fiction to Film's interview with me, where I answer reader questions and provide advice for authors seeking a publisher, discuss my love of Jane Austen, the idea of bringing my Austen Addict novels to the screen, and much more.
I just read JULIET, NAKED by Nick Hornby who, along with Zadie Smith, is my idea of a contemporary Jane Austen. Both Hornby and Smith make profound observations of human nature, give us romance without sentimentality, have a divine sense of humor, and are simply masterful storytellers. In my writing workshops I inevitably read passages from various Hornby novels and Smith's ON BEAUTY as examples of the best in contemporary fiction.
For this reader, JULIET, NAKED brought to mind some of the online discussions that occur amongst Austen's most devoted readers. A central premise of the book is that no matter how much the admirers of an artist's work examine that work, study it, parse it for meaning, and become "experts," they can never acquire irrefutable proof that the creator felt a certain way or had a particular type of experience at the time she created it. Bottom line is it's nothing more than speculation. And speculation is often wrong.
In JULIET, NAKED, one of the characters, Duncan, spends a good deal of his time on a web forum holding forth on the hidden meanings and nuances in the songs of a rock singer-songwriter named Tucker Crowe, who mysteriously dropped off the grid back in 1986, causing his small band of devoted followers to speculate endlessly on why he left and what's been going on in his life since his disappearance. And most of all, what was behind JULIET, the album that Tucker was promoting when he dropped out of sight. Annie, Duncan's girlfriend, puts up with Duncan's obsession, but when Duncan posts a review of a newly released album of JULIET demos—an unadorned set of tracks that the fans dub JULIET, NAKED, Annie decides she's had about enough of Duncan's prosings about Tucker's genius. And so she posts her own review. And, miraculously, she is rewarded with a correspondence from the real Tucker Crowe, who periodically reads Duncan's forum and chuckles at the inaccurate conclusions therein.
I've often wondered what Jane Austen might say about the assertions, online and otherwise, about what she did or did not mean when she wrote a particular line or character because of what she did or did not experience or feel. Because, after all, no matter how much we think we are experts on Austen, it is really all just speculation. No one but Austen can know what she meant, felt, believed, or experienced at any given moment in time. No one but Austen could tell us if a certain character espouses Austen's own beliefs. And it is never a given that an author believes what her protagonist believes. Or that what happens in a novel resembles what happened in the author's own life. Even Austen's letters—like all letters--are just snapshots of the moment she wrote that letter, and thus only indicate what she felt or believed at that given moment in time. We cannot even take the words in those letters at face value, for the reader of much of them, her sister and closest friend, Cassandra, would get the ironies and subtext and in-jokes and tone in a way that we can only dream of—and speculate about.
One thing we can be sure of—and this is the greatest gift of any great storyteller or songwriter: The words and music and characters and stories that we love have deep meaning for us, based on our own personal experiences, beliefs, and aspirations. That is how we make these most beloved works our own. As Karen Joy Fowler said very wisely in her novel, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, "Each of us has a private Austen." Or in Nick Hornby's JULIET, NAKED, a private Tucker Crowe.
Do read JULIET, NAKED—it's a beautiful, funny, thoughtful book.
Many people are surprised when I tell them that I grew up in a house with only a handful of books. Neither of my parents were readers—my mother has, in recent years become a voracious reader—but luckily back then there were three ways by which I was able to indulge my incessant need for books: the bookmobile that visited my neighborhood, the library bus that took me to my local public library, and my school library.
[Two kinds of bookmobiles: One from the Meridian Library in Meridian, Idaho; and the other from the Camel Book Drive in Kenya. For more information about the wonderful Camel Book Drive,* and to see how you can help, click here.
For me, the library was a magical place where smiling ladies handed me the keys to endless doors that opened onto exciting new worlds and infinite possibilities. Libraries were the place where I discovered the sanctuary of story. The wonder of imagination. The power of the word.
Were it not for libraries and librarians, I would not be who I am today. Which is why I will always be grateful to librarians, library support staff, and all the generous folks who support these sanctuaries and champions of reading.
And so I am particularly excited to be doing a reading and signing of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT at Glendale Public Library. This is a particularly vibrant, exciting place with lots of community events and a dynamic staff whose mission is "to enrich life, foster literacy, inspire intellectual curiosity and stimulate the imagination."
And they're also a lot of fun.
So take a break from the heat and have a glass of iced tea with me at Glendale Public Library. I look forward to seeing you there!
Details:
Thursday, August 20
7 PM
Reading and Signing of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT
Glendale Public Library Auditorium
222 East Harvard Street, Glendale
(818) 548-2042
Click here for a map.
Click here for parking.
*Author Masha Hamilton wrote a beautiful novel about this real-life camel book drive called The Camel Bookmobile. I highly recommend it!
The giveaway madness continues! Check out my Q&A on Living Read Girl, and enter to win a copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT or CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
Please check out my guest post on Peeking Between the Pages, where I discuss some of the most common myths about writers and writing.
And there is yet another chance to win a copy of my new novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, plus a copy of my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Enter to win at Peeking Between the Pages!
Here's a writers' conference I wish I were able to attend. It's a new conference sponsored by the Center for Fiction in New York and Fordham University, and organized by one of my favorite bloggers, Ron Hogan of Galleycat. This exciting event will take place on Saturday, June 27, at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.
Here's a description of the conference in Ron's words:
"In this rapidly changing economic climate, it's as important for authors to know about the business side
of publishing as it is about the artistic side of writing, so, with generous co-sponsorship from Fordham University's Creative Writing Program, we've created a one-day conference filled with panels designed to immerse people in the practical side of the publishing industry.
"I'm really proud of the lineup we assembled: The keynote is being delivered by Dan Menaker, and a closing panel will feature Jon Karp in conversation with Marlon James, Peter Cameron, and Sigrid Nunez. Other authors speaking at the conference include Jennifer Weiner, Maryann McFadden, Toure, Ben Greenman, and Jami Attenberg; we'll also be hearing from editors Laurie Chittenden, Ethan Nosowsky, and Sarah
Crichton. Agents like ICM's Kate Lee, Renee Zuckerbrot, and Larry Kirshbaum have agreed to take part as well. (The complete lineup of two dozen speakers is available online.)
"In addition to all that, the Center for Fiction is giving attendees a free month of access to its writers' studio in midtown Manhattan, plus a discount on future membership. And the total cost is just $200."
All that and a writers' studio, too? Sounds like quite a deal!
The theme of the Spring Meeting of JASNA-SW, the Southwest Region of the Jane Austen Society of North America, was "A Day of Pride, Prejudice, and Politics," and I had the good fortune of being on the program with a stellar group of speakers:
First, there was Dr. Charles Lynn Batten, the UCLA professor about whom I've been hearing for years. The conversation with my fellow Austen addicts usually goes like this:
"You mean you've never heard Lynn Batten speak?"
"No."
A disbelieving shake of the head and pitying look follows.
Well, now I have heard Dr. Batten speak, and he is not only exceedingly knowledgable and insightful about Jane Austen, he was also downright hilarious. Dr. Batten's talk was called "Jane Austen: Conservative or Liberal?" His verdict: Austen was most likely a moderate Tory.
My opinion? I see his point, which is far more well-researched than my own belief, which is, quite simply, that Jane Austen had exactly my politics and beliefs. Same favorite colors. Would have like the same movies, too. As Karen Joy Fowler put it in THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, "each of us has a private Austen."
[Back row, from left, Dr. Charles Lynn Batten, Syrie James, Laurie Viera Rigler, Dr. Margaret Horwitz. Front: Colin Firth! Photo by Barbara Smith.]
Then there was Margaret Horwitz, JASNA's Traveling Lecturer, who gave an illuminating talk called “The Legacy of Her Voice: Ethics and Wit in Austen’s Novel Pride and Prejudice and Its Filmed Adaptations." Dr. Horwitz's talk made me want to go back and watch both the BBC mini and the 2005 movie (as if I need an excuse) to see all the symbolism in props and camera angles that Margaret pointed out in her lecture.
Syrie James, author of the best-selling LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, gave us a sneak preview of her upcoming SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË. Can't wait to read it.
As for me, I gave the very first public reading of my upcoming novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. If I am to judge by the laughter in the audience, then everyone was having as good a time as I did.
If that wasn't enough fun, there was a white elephant sale of – you guessed it—Jane Austen related books and tschotschkes. I spent $60 on 12 back issues of PERSUASIONS, the wonderful bound journal of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Such a deal! My bookshelves are groaning. But I'm all smiles.
If there's anything more thrilling than holding the first copy of one's finished book in one's hands, I'm hard pressed to say what it is.
It's here. In my hands. RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. And all I can say is…WOW.
Just five more weeks, and it will be out there in the world. No longer just a story inside my head, but a story inside other people's heads.
Guess I've just figured out what's more thrilling than holding the finished book in my hands. You holding it in yours. And having a smile on your face as you read it.
May this book spread happiness wherever it goes.
A couple of days ago two jackets for RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT arrived in my mailbox. Of course I had already seen the cover art on my computer screen. Nevertheless, there is nothing like holding the finished jacket in one's hands, seeing the colors in vibrant, real-life glory, running one's fingers over the raised letters, and best of all, imagining the jacket wrapped around an actual book. That pleasure is still to come…
Ever thought about chatting with an author at your next book group meeting via Skype? That's what the reading group of JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America), Southern Arizona Region, did with me last Sunday, complete with webcam.
I've done a lot of conference calls with book groups. Very simple. All the group needs is a speakerphone. But this time the group called me with a laptop. Or more precisely, their laptop called my laptop. And because each of our laptops had cameras clipped on or built in, we were able to chat face to face. Oh how I love modern technology.
For me, the Skype call with JASNA's Southern Arizona book group was a peak book club experience. There was a level of connection and immediacy in our face-to-face conversation that one can't possibly match on a speakerphone. Phone calls are fabulous, if that's all there is available. But if I can see who I'm talking to, and they can see me, the connection is that much more focused and intimate. It's the next best thing to being physically present in the room.
For anyone who isn't familiar with Skype, it's a free program you can download. Super easy to use. The Skype website also sells clip-on cameras and headsets.
Book Club Girl, one of my favorite blogs, has a great piece about Skype author call-ins for book clubs. Book Club Girl gives her perspective, and so does author Ami McKay. They love the idea as much as I do.
There is another thing to consider when using Skype, at least for this author; to wit: trading my pajamas or yoga clothes (my favorite writing attire) for grown-up girl clothes. And powdering my nose. Oh, yeah. And unpacking that stack of office supplies piled up behind me. One never knows what might show on camera.
It's well worth the effort, in my opinion. So next time you're thinking of inviting an author to your next book club meeting, ask if you can do it via Skype.
A couple of days ago, Kerri Spennicchia, Assistant Regional Coordinator of JASNA NY forwarded to me the Jane Austen Centre's newsletter with a note "You do know that “Confessions” has been nominated for [a] Regency [World] Award.”
No, Kerri, I didn't! In fact, as a subscriber to the excellent Jane Austen's Regency World magazine, I'd received the newsletter myself earlier in the day. But I hadn't yet looked at the nominees. Nor had it occurred to me that my book might be one of them.
I've been doing the happy dance ever since.
According to The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, which is the sponsoring organization, "the Awards recognise the contribution of the nominees in furthering the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the work of Jane Austen."
Winners are chosen by the public, so please visit The Jane Austen Centre's website and cast your vote.
I had the great pleasure of visiting The Jane Austen Centre when I was deep into my research for Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and took a trip to Bath. I'd long been curious about the city that figured so prominently in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, and where key scenes in my own novel take place. I'd read a great deal about Bath prior to my visit, but the one thing that all my reading hadn't prepared me for was the feel of the place. Before I'd spent a full day in Bath I was already thinking to myself: I could live here. In a heartbeat.
What struck me more than anything else about Bath was its own heartbeat. Its energy and vitality. Although going to Bath was like going back in time, it was also a vibrant, wholly alive place.
There was so much to do in Bath that every day was filled with exciting adventures. I went to The Jane Austen Centre and breathed in everything Austen. I took one of The Centre's excellent walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath. I also took an unforgettable walking tour of Georgian Bath led by Bill Haxworth of the Mayor's Corp's of Honourary Guides. I went to the Assembly Rooms and thought of Anne Elliot and Catherine Morland, gazed at the façade of 4 Sydney Place, where Jane Austen once lived, walked in Sydney Gardens, went to Bath Abbey, visited the Pump Room and the King's Baths, the Building of Bath Collection, Number One Royal Crescent, and the Victoria Art Gallery. I sketched, bought a suitcase full of books, wrote scenes for my novel.
I left Bath inspired and full of energy, ready to delve back into Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. At the time, I had no idea that my book would ever be published. It certainly never crossed my mind that it might some day be nominated for a Regency World Award. I am deeply grateful to the Jane Austen Centre for this great honor.
Please visit the Jane Austen Centre's website and cast your vote for the 2009 Regency World Awards.
Writers tend to be a tad on the obsessive side. A little too caught up in our own little worlds. After all, we sit at our desks immersed in stories that go on inside our heads. And sometimes it's easy to forget that there is actually a world full of other human beings out there. Which is why I like to unchain myself from my desk now and then and actually try to connect with other human beings. Maybe even spread some happiness around.
Recently I had the privilege of doing just that when I visited Macfarlane Park School for International Studies in Tampa, Florida, where my nephew Eli attends first grade. I read a story to his class, and all I can say is that if you are ever feeling disconnected, low, or sorry for your self, I have the cure. Call up your local elementary school and read a storybook to a room full of first-graders. You will rediscover all the childlike wonder and love of story that got you reading or writing in the first place.
These kids were so excited they could barely contain their energy. In fact, their teacher, a lovely young woman named Holly Madiedo, gave them a time-out in the middle of story time so they could shake out all that excess energy. She also showed me how she got the kids to start writing their own stories. First graders! Holly is an extraordinarily dedicated teacher, and what a privilege it was to meet her. Holly's also a dedicated writer, writes every day and who knows where she gets the energy after a day with those first-graders, but I've no doubt I will one day see her stories in print.
After saying good-bye to Ms. Madiedo's class, I headed over to Mrs. Nestor's fourth-grade class, where I talked about—of all things—having one's writing edited! Yes, these were fourth-graders. It seems they had just had their first experience having their writing commented on and edited by their wonderful teacher, and they were having a hard time dealing with the feedback. So I told them that it's not any different for adults like me and that the trick is to play the "what if" game. What if I did change that sentence the way my teacher/editor suggested it? What if I might actually like it? It doesn't hurt to try.
The kids loved hearing that adults go through the same things they do with their writing. And what questions they asked me! One little boy asked me what inspires me; another asked what I do when I don't know what to write. The answer to the first is everything around me if I open myself to it. The second is something I've talked about in my writing workshops, and that's having fun with being in the place of "I don't know." I don't know what's going to happen next in my story. I have no idea what to write. And isn't that great? Because I just KNOW that something wonderful is going to come to me. And you know what? It does.
So if you're feeling low about the world, your life, or the state of the economy, there is definitely something you can do. Read to a child. Even better—read to a classroom full of children. I can guarantee there are plenty of overworked, dedicated teachers who would love to have you visit their classroom and share your excitement about your love of books. And pass that on to a child.
There are even organizations that can help you get started, if you don't feel quite up to doing it on your own. Here's a wonderful organization that I participated in--Readingtokids.org. They're in the Los Angeles area. For an organization in your area, just do a Google search with the keywords "reading to kids" or "reading to children" and the name of your city, and I'm sure you'll come up with something perfect.
And by the way, it's never to young to start reading Jane Austen to kids. But that's the subject of another post to come...
I've done a Q&A on a cool literary blog called Scobberblotch, which is the blog of Karen Harrington, author of the fascinating novel Janeology (nothing to do with Jane Austen).
Check out my Q&A for insights on writing, Austen, and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Please post a comment on Scobberlotch if you'd like to be entered in the drawing for a signed copy of Confessions.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Naida of The Bookworm, an excellent book blog I recently discovered, interviewed me for her blog and is giving away two personally inscribed copies of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
Click here to read the Q&A and enter the giveaway.
Winners will be announced Monday, September 15 by The Bookworm.
Julie of Booking Mama, an excellent blog whose tagline is "Sharing ideas on books and book clubs (and occasionally other things)," interviewed me for her blog. Here is the post, which you can also read on her blog. Do visit Booking Mama if you're searching for something fabulous to read on your own or with your book group.
Booking Mama: I am absolutely thrilled that Laurie Viera Rigler, author of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, agreed to answer a few of my questions. I read her book back in June when I was fortunate enough to participate in Book Club Girl's BlogTalk Radio Show; and I really enjoyed both the book as well as the discussion with Ms. Viera Rigler (you can read my review here.) I highly recommend CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, and I hope this interview will give you some insight into the book and entice you to read it!
Booking Mama: I love the concept for CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT – it’s such a unique idea to combine time travel with a historical fiction-type book. How did the idea for this novel come to you?
Laurie Viera Rigler: Hi, Julie, and thanks for asking me about CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. The idea didn't come about deliberately; I wasn't trying to think of an idea for an Austen-inspired novel or an idea for any novel. I was just standing in my kitchen one day and saw, in my mind's eye, this twenty-first-century Austen devotee, Courtney Stone, waking up in that four-poster bed in 1813 England in someone else's body.
Booking Mama: To write a historical fiction book like this, you must have done a ton of research to make it “feel” authentic. What types of research did you conduct, and how much time did you spend doing the research for CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT?
Laurie Viera Rigler: I spent six years writing the book and did research throughout that entire period. I read many books and periodicals about the period, traveled to England, and made use of excellent Internet resources such as Google Books and the Jane Austen Society of North America's website, http://jasna.org. I also conducted some experiential research (not time-traveling, unfortunately) by taking English country dance lessons and going to a few balls, including one I attended with my husband in which I discovered that English country dance is indeed a very sexy thing to do with the handsomest man that ever was seen.
Booking Mama: Jane Austen is huge right now with so many books and movies out there! Why do you think she is so popular today, almost 200 years since she wrote her novels?
Laurie Viera Rigler: What makes Jane Austen timeless is her keen observation of human nature, and human nature has not changed at all in the past 200 years. That is why we can read about Elizabeth and Darcy and see ourselves in a heroine who thinks she knows everything about another person and realizes she's been blinded by the same pride and prejudice she ascribed to him. That is why we can see ourselves in Anne Eliot of Persuasion and relate to someone who has been misguided and unappreciated, and who finally gets a second chance to make things right. The other novels have equally resonant universal themes. Plus there is the pure delight of reading a well-constructed, funny, and touching story with a satisfying conclusion and so many layers of mastery that it can be read again and again with increasing pleasure.
The movies attempt to capture that mastery, and some succeed better than others. Emma Thompson wrote the best Austen screenplay, in my opinion, because she truly captured some of that Austen wit and genius. In any case, the movies are almost always fun escapist entertainments, providing a doorway to another time and place, an accessible and low-risk form of time travel. And they are an excellent way to introduce potential readers to Austen's novels.
Booking Mama: I found the ending to be very interesting, and I like how you left the ending open for different interpretations by your readers. As the author of the story, do you have a definite theory on the ending or does your opinion change?
Laurie Viera Rigler: What an intriguing question! The ending has a very specific meaning for me. However, once I started hearing various interpretations of the ending from my readers, I decided not to interfere with the individual reader's interpretation by imposing my own. Generally, the interpretations fall into two main categories, but to say any more might spoil it for those who have not yet read the book. I will only say that the ending is a truly happy one, and that my protagonist gets exactly what she wants.
Booking Mama: Your second novel is kind of being described as a sequel to CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT since it will have some of the characters who were in the first book– this time Jane finds herself in the body and life of a 21st-century woman. Did you always know that you wanted to write this book when you began CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, or did you decide to tell this story after the success of your first book?
Laurie Viera Rigler: The sequel to CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is more like a parallel story/sequel in that it follows the adventures of Jane Mansfield (the nineteenth-century character from CONFESSIONS, not the twentieth-century screen goddess) who has woken up in Courtney Stone's twenty-first-century life (and body). So basically, while Courtney is taking over Jane's life in the first book, Jane is taking over Courtney's life in the second book.
The idea for the second book came up while I was writing CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. I did consider including Jane's twenty-first-century story in the first book; however, it just didn't feel right. Her journey is a very different journey, and it just didn't fit inside the first book. So I decided it would be my second novel, and I decided this way before I had a publisher.
Booking Mama: As I read this book, I could totally picture it as a movie. Is there any chance that CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT will appear on the big screen? Are there any specific actors/actresses you see in the roles?
Laurie Viera Rigler: I too would love to see CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT as a movie, and the rights are available if some clever producer would like to make me an offer I can't refuse. There are so many wonderful actors and actresses I admire that I couldn't possibly limit my fantasy choices. But I've certainly enjoyed reading and participating in the forum thread on my website that's devoted to casting the movie.
Booking Mama: I have to admit that I am not a huge “Jane Austen Addict;” but after reading your novel, I have to say that I want to re-visit some of her books. That has to make you pretty happy if you’re having that effect on your readers. Besides creating some new Austen fans, what else would you like for your readers to learn from or take away from this book?
Laurie Viera Rigler: I can't tell you how happy that makes me, Julie. It was my intention to write this book so that it would be completely accessible to those who had never read Austen or who had read a little Austen. And then there are all sorts of allusions to the novels that Austen addicts like myself would enjoy as well. It is tremendously gratifying to me that someone who reads my book would then become interested in revisiting Austen or reading her for the first time, which I have heard as well.
What I'd like
readers to take away from this book, aside from the pleasure of a fun
read, is a desire to explore some of the central questions that
Courtney faces. One of those questions is: What makes up my identity?
Am I who I am because of what I remember, or because of what people
remember about me? Am I whoever people think I am, or am I someone else
entirely? And what would I be willing to give up to live in a different
time, and what would I gain?
Booking Mama: What is the best
thing about being a writer? What is the strangest thing that’s happened
to you since your novel was published?
Laurie Viera Rigler:
The best thing about being a writer is being able to immerse myself in
the world of my protagonists. It is a privilege and an adventure to see
a whole new world through their eyes. I may not, in "reality," have
time-traveled to Jane Austen's world and switched identities with a
Regency gentlewoman, but thanks to Courtney I feel like I've shared her
experiences.
The strangest thing that's
happened to me since my novel was published was seeing my book in an
airport bookstore, because back when I was fantasizing about being
published I was traveling with my husband, and in an airport bookstore
I said, wouldn't it be fantastic one day to see my book here?
Booking Mama: Besides Jane Austen (of course), who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?
Laurie Viera Rigler: I adore Zadie Smith. On Beauty is one of my favorite books and very much reminds me of Austen, even though it is an homage to E.M. Forster's Howard's End. I also love Nick Hornby, who also reminds me of Austen (About a Boy, High Fidelity, Long Way Down, How to Be Good). And I love Ian McEwan (Atonement, On Chesil Beach), Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Vine of Desire, Sister of My Heart), Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake), and so many other authors. I'm an avid reader. A few novels I've recently read and loved: Keeping the House by Ellen Baker, Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily, Angelica by Arthur Phillips, The Jewel Trader of Pegu by Jeffrey Hantover. I could go on and on but will restrain myself!
Thanks again for asking me about CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. It's been a lot of fun talking to you, Julie, and I hope to do it again soon!
Booking Mama: A huge thanks goes out to Ms. Viera Rigler for this interview. If you would like to learn more about CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, you can visit the book's website. I have had almost as much fun playing around on this website as I did reading the book! The site is very interesting (as well as entertaining) and has tons of information for the "Jane Austen Addict" in all of us.
There is also another great opportunity to "talk" with Ms. Viera Rigler on August 12th. She will be joining Jane Austen Today for a live chat, and you can ask her some of your questions about the book. Click here for more details about how to participate - you could even win a copy of the book.
Not only has Ms. Viera Rigler been extremely gracious in answering all of my questions, but she has also offered to give away two
signed copies of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT! If you are
interested in winning a copy of this book, please leave a comment with
the name of your favorite Jane Austen book (or movie). Don't forget to
leave an e-mail address so I have a way to contact you. If you'd like
to double your chances to win, blog about the contest (and the
interview) with a link to this post. You have until August 8th to
enter. This contest is open to citizens of the United States and Canada
only.
I was delighted to guest post for one of my favorite blogs, Booksquare (see my Jane's Addictions page). You can read the full post here or on Booksquare:
[BS:
The great thing about Jane Austen fans is the myriad of reasons they
come to Jane. Some come for the clothes, stay for the satire. Others
seek the social skewering but discover the empathy. And, yeah, there a
few who figure if it's good enough for Colin Firth... Today, we welcome
Laurie Viera Rigler, whose novel Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict captures the beauty of loving Jane while indulging in the ever-tantalizing "what if"]
[BS: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is available at bookstores right now, and Laurie Viera Rigler's website is a treasure trove for fans of Jane, ready-to-become fans of Jane, or just people who understand the value that comes from wasting time on a really fun site. Laurie is also making appearances in support of her novel.]
