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Author Interview: Jeanette Watts

1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

I would say I did not choose my genre; my genre chose me!

I was happily writing historical fiction when I got the idea to write Jane Austen Lied to Me.

I am in the habit of asking a lot of questions in order to help my readers experience, as thoroughly as possible, what it felt like to live in the past. Listening to all the Jane Austen fans at the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville Kentucky filled my head with questions on the drive home afterwards. Questions like “Is Mr. Darcy really so romantic?”  Or “Does real life really work like this?”

Instead of questioning the past about what it smelled like and tasted like, I found myself questioning commonly held perceptions. Appreciation of Austin’s genius does not come from blind adoration, but from engaging with her work through curious yet sometimes critical eyes.

2. Writers write what they know and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?

I am a first born, but I am a weird firstborn. My mother had raised her little brother and sister before she had me, so she had as much experience as any mother who already had two kids when I was born.

I’ve had people who know a lot about early child development say that I am an extremely trusting person, and my mother very clearly met all my needs when I was small. Which is kind of remarkable; I was a colic baby and would have screamed my head off 90% of the time when I was awake. The fact that she met my needs and created me as a trusting person, as opposed to having locked me in a car, and just let me scream until I fell asleep, is rather amazing. I do have an optimistic, trusting view of the world.

The world is not perfect, but who would want to live in a perfect world? What is perfect, and for whom? One’s persons perfect is another person’s hell. OMG, this suggests a really interesting story. The main character wakes up in a perfect world, but it is somebody else’s perfect world. This could be a comedy, a tragedy, or a horror story.

3. Where is your favorite place to write?

I like to write in pretty places. I am writing this while I am sitting at the library. My public library is fabulous; it’s like having a lot of books in an art museum. There is always a neat art installation when you walk into the building, in this giant two-story atrium with lots of glass and natural light. Right now, there is a colorful installation that I thought was a rendition of “April Showers,” but I found out it is actually supposed to be a space theme. But it’s still a really fun piece of art.

I am writing at a table on the second floor, surrounded by tall windows, and a lot of people also working away on their laptops. I managed to snag my favorite table with my favorite view, which is of a beautiful red brick Second Empire house that was probably built in the 1870s, with a lovely green front lawn and several trees. I can’t imagine anything more idyllic than living in the pretty house across the street from the library

4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

Nice thing about romantic comedies, you don’t really have to kill off any characters.

I have had to kill off a couple of characters in my historical fiction, and it is rather interesting to think that one of the characters I killed off is sort of a cognate for my ex-husband. That character was in explosion and died after being crushed by a wall. I will leave that to your interpretation as to what that all means… I wasn’t sorry to have to kill the character. It was kind of fun looking for an industrial accident with which to kill him off. There was this rather spectacular mill explosion in Minneapolis that very conveniently suited my needs. I was stupidly excited to find out about the incident. And it was very fun having the location where it is, since I went to high school in the Twin Cities. It is always satisfying to be able to stick in a little homage to your own past.

5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

This is going to be way, way off in left field. I teach historical dancing for museums and history educators. My most burning question would be for one of my favorite authors of dance manuals from the mid 1800s, like Charles, Durang, or Thomas Hillgrove. There is a dance they describe called the Gorlitza, which is a Polish dance in 2/4 time. The descriptions are complicated. There are dance manual authors at the time who just basically said “I don’t know, it’s something the teenagers are all doing.” I have not been able to wrap my brain around the dance, and I would love to get to ask one of those authors; “Would you please teach me how to do the Gorlitza?!”

6. Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.

Oh my gosh, I am such a not–private person, I’m not sure there’s anything about me that someone doesn’t already know. I have been known to make jokes in dance classes about favorite sexual positions. All of my friends can order my dinner, if I wasn’t even at the table at a restaurant. Even mundane matters like brand of toothpaste or deodorant I think my best friend knows. Things are not secrets when my house has been likened to a community center. And I teach sewing secrets and costume secrets on my YouTube Channel. I’m sure no one knows everything about me, but so many people know so many things about me, the Venn diagram doesn’t leave much left. I guess it would have to be something that is a very very recent change. I guess no one knows that, since I broke my arm last month while teaching dance at the Scott Joplin Ragtime Music Festival, I’ve been using those funny little floss picks instead of dental floss. It was easier than figuring out how to floss one-handed.

7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a backpack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

A solar charging device that will keep my laptop going, my laptop, and my phone with the personal hotspot. Assuming there’s any sun, I will probably not even get too much writing done, or get too sunburnt, before I am able to get rescued.

8. If you could have one superpower in your existence, what would it be?

I usually say teleportation, but you know, I have this best friend who has powers of persuasion that go on beyond the realm of normal humans. She can sell ice cubes to Eskimos. I would love to have that power, at least for a while. To find out what it’s like.

9. Favorite snack?

Depends on the season. Being that it’s summer, my refrigerator is entirely filled with fruit right now. But I am also from Wisconsin, so cheese is always a perfectly reasonable snack at any time of the year. I also tend to keep pistachios on hand; they travel well.

10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going, or do you drive the speed limit?

Wait, are you suggesting that people who drive the speed limit don’t know how to get where they’re going?

 

JANE AUSTEN LIED TO ME

Jeanette Watts

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GENRE:  Romantic Comedy Audiobook

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BLURB: 

What college girl doesn’t dream of meeting Mr. Darcy? Lizzy was certainly no exception. But when Darcy Fitzwilliam comes into her life, he turns out to be every bit as aggravating as Elizabeth Bennett’s Fitzwilliam Darcy. So, what’s a modern girl to think, except….

How could my hero be so wrong?

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Excerpt:

Sept 5

Well!  That was interesting.  My roommate invited me along to this frat party she was going to.  She went through something called rush week, and she is now pledged to a sorority.  She said the frats are less formal than the sororities, and even though I wasn’t a pledge I could go with her.  I figured, why not, it should be fun, right?

I got to meet the guy she’s chasing.  I couldn’t blame her for being interested.  He’s cute, and sweet, and considerate, and a total people-pleaser.  One of his parents must be the demanding sort who is never happy.

He introduced us to his friend… whose name is Darcy Fitzwilliam!  I wasn’t sure at first that the guy wasn’t just pulling our legs.

“Your mother obviously loves Jane Austen,” I laughed.

“Obviously,” he answered.  Not much to go by.

“I love Pride and Prejudice,” I continued.

“I hate Pride and Prejudice,” I can only describe the look he was giving me as hostile.

“I think you will find yourself very much in a minority,” I answered, returning his look with one of my own.

We didn’t talk any more that night. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot!

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jeanette Watts has written three Jane Austen-inspired novels and two short stories for Jane Austen Fan Fiction anthologies, two other works of historical fiction, stage melodramas, television commercials, and historical dance manuals. She is a regular contributor to MOMCC Magazine.

When she is not writing, she is either dancing, sewing, or making videos for her YouTube channel and TikTok accounts, “History is My Playground.”

Contact Links

Website: https://www.JeanetteWatts.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanetteWattsAuthor

Twitter: @JeanetteAWatts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6967936.Jeanette_Watts

https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeanette2420/_saved/

Instagram: @jeanetteamlwatts

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClz5LwyUEhPYhBS6piNpBqQ

Or YouTube handle: @historyismyplayground1827

TikTok: @historyismyplayground

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