Jennifer Linforth
If one is going to query a publisher Jennifer suggests not doing so in
pink ink. Her first, written when she was twelve, was nothing if not
colorful. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romance
Writers of America, Hearts Through History Romance Writers and
Maine Romance Writers. In addition she is a writing mentor. She
writes historical fiction and historical romance with unusual themes
and locations, and focuses on the social mores of the 19th century. She
has a passion for Austrian culture and is often found searching for
stories and romance in long forgotten histories.
Her love of research and classic literature brought her to expanding
Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.
She enjoys hearing from her readers. Email her at author@
jenniferlinforth.com.
She can be found on the web at www.jenniferlinforth.com and
friended on Myspace at www.myspace.
com/jenniferlinforthauthor.
For signings and speaking engagements she can be reached via her
publisher.
Thank you dearest friend, I really adore your book.
Sandra - Before I ask you about Madrigal, tell us, how did you discover
your passion for The Phantom of the Opera story?
Jennifer - As a child I fell in love with the masters of gothic literature.
Stoker’s Dracula was the first book I could not put down and I
devoured everything I could find from the likes of Edgar Allen Poe.
The Victorian era was always a fascinating time period to me, but I
could never wrap my brain around the literature taught in school.
Dickens, Brontë, Austen—while I adore them now, did not hold the
dark romanticism I craved. Gaston Leroux was a master of mystery. He
had a way of misleading the reader that simply fascinated me. No
author made me wonder as much as Leroux did. My love for The
Phantom of the Opera stemmed from a deep respect for a book that
had many more questions than answers.
Sandra - How did you begin the idea of your novel, Madrigal?
Jennifer - I was revisiting those classics I disliked. I stumbled across a
book, which continued Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I loved every
minute of it. In my opinion it flawlessly wove the original story with
Austen’s tale. From there I found other writers who did the same:
Brooks, Rhys… Discovering this I was horrified at first—a bit shocked
that authors would have the nerve to continue or expand upon a work
in the public domain. It prompted me to pick up Leroux’s novel. In
doing so I became curious about French nobility. A voracious
researcher all my life, I began to read about France in the Victorian era,
which led to me studying the history of opera. This fostered a desire to
understand Leroux more and more. Why an opera house? What
motivated him? How did he view France during the time of this novel
since much of Leroux seemed to focus on political satire and class
differences. Why—as a jurist—did he leave so many unanswered
questions?
Philippe de Chagny was the character that sparked the idea for
Madrigal and once I had the opening line in my head there was no
resisting the urge to write it. His life and death play a major role in the
series.
Sandra - Anna, the female protagonist of your book, is a new character
who appears in Erik's life created completely by you. I find her
personality really interesting. Describe this new character, your
motivations towards her, and her relationship with Erik.
Jennifer - Anna is a counterpoint. She contrasts Erik and Christine on
an emotional level. Leroux’s novel had many underlying themes
regarding the class system in France. I wanted Anna to be the central
figure making this theme move through Madrigal. I wanted to craft a
character that, in all her social differences, would push Erik, Christine
and Raoul to the wall and force them to react. Force them to confront
the past and their individual prejudices.
She is a product of her upbringing as the daughter of a notorious con
artist, and fosters a deeply rooted intolerance for aristocracy. Erik
represents the undergrounds of society, Raoul the nobility, Christine,
is our social ladder climber. Anna is in the middle of it all. If she
remains in the underground with the social deviants she will never be
free of her past, yet she will never be able to achieve her desires for a
better life if she does not rise above herself. That past however cannot
be transcended without dire consequence. Yet where does her heart lie?
In helping others achieve their goals and dreams, or selfishly pursuing
her wants despite the dangers involved? In writing Anna I wanted a
character that knew she would always be in Christine’s shadow, yet
also understood that she connected to Erik on a level no woman would.
Sandra - Your view of Erik comes from Leroux's original book, what is
your personal opinion about him and his relationship with Christine?
Jennifer - I stand behind my belief that Erik was a madman. He was a
murderously vengeful personality while concurrently being a
repressed and ardent gentleman. Erik was not handsome or sexy.
While a highly sensual being, he was not a sexual object as many
popular versions make him to be. Leroux penned him as a monster for
a reason and I did my best to adhere to his original ideas for the story.
Naturally, certain elements were changed to suit the limits of my
imagination and to reach the broader market desired by my publisher.
All this is outlined in detail in the book. I did not take making changes
to Leroux’s vision lightly.
That being said, his relationship with Christine is complex. Though not
known as a school of thought during the time Leroux wrote Phantom,
Christine, in my opinion, exhibits traits of what is knows as captor
bonding or in modern terms the “Stockholm syndrome.” This is the
behavior of kidnap victims who over time become sympathetic to their
captors. In Stockholm, Sweden in 1973 several people were victims of a
bank robbery. Over the course of their captivity, the victims became
sympathetic to their captors even defending them to the police. After
being rescued, they refused to testify in order to protect their captor.
Sympathetic identification with their captor was a defense mechanism
built from the fear of violence. Such symptoms occur under great
duress and several of the defense mechanisms were obvious in Leroux’
s Christine. One aspect of this captor bonding stands out. In romantic
relationships—like between Erik and Christine—the controller subtly
threatens the victim by saying he will never leave them or permit them
another partner. Erik insists Christine sing for him and be his alone
and outright insists she not get involved with Raoul de Chagny.
Christine fears throughout Leroux’s novel that Erik would always be
haunting her, and even in Webber’s song states ‘he is always there
singing songs in my head’.
She viewed Erik as a paternal figure and Erik, on the flip side, had
maternal longings. Leroux wrote this at the height of Freudian belief
(though the book is not rooted in it). Each saw in the other the parent
they did not have and fed off that. Her basic attraction to the Phantom
before and after seeing his face will always stem from the promise that
her father would send an Angel of Music to manifest as his surrogate.
It is this and Erik's voice that draws her to him. She had a fear deep
down of being abandoned like she was by her father and ran to the
Angel of Music for security. She refused to marry Raoul for if she did
the Angel would leave her forever. (Abandonment and captor bonding
again.) She loved him as a child loved a father, wanted to love him in a
deeper more sexual and romantic way, but was terrified of him… and
since she did not view him as a lover this was difficult to do.
This was a man who, before Webber’s vision, was made up of death. A
death's head bare skull, yellow eyes, yellow skin, no nose. Even deeper
symbolism shows this as one of the reasons Christine saw him as a
surrogate. Her father was dead as well and now walking among the
living as Erik did. I try to keep in mind one key element of Leroux:
Erik’s appearance was perceived only in Christine’s point of view. We
do have rumors and speculations by other characters, but only
Christine truly gave the reader a first hand account. Leroux penned
only her view of him. Who is to say what he looked like in the eyes of
others? Would they have perceived him in the same ghastly and
emotional manner Christine did?
I firmly believe that all Christine felt for Erik was based on this
psychological defense mechanism and it would be a difficult pattern to
break. No matter what form of love she held for Erik, its foundation
was not built properly and would tumble to ruin in one form or
another. But this by no means would keep Erik from Christine, or she
from her Angel of Music.
It was a love that would have to be explored on delicate levels.
Sandra - What do you think about the possible reality/myth of this
story?
Jennifer - In addition to being a lawyer, Leroux was a journalist.
Nothing he did was accidental. He truly wanted to mislead his readers
and keep them guessing to the very last page. To this day his Mystery
of the Yellow Room is still considered the standard of all locked room
mysteries. I believe, like any good writer, Leroux did his homework.
He probably found some piece of history that he wove his imagination
around, whether a famous Swedish singer or an actual man beneath
the opera. If a writer does not believe in the passion behind a story,
that will come across to the reader. The Phantom of the Opera has
transcended time for a reason.
Merging reality and myth is want makes Gaston Leroux—Gaston
Leroux. But I still must ask the jurist to show me the proof…
Sandra - Your novel's story is really original and imaginative. Can you
tell us where your inspiration came from? There will be a sequel?
Jennifer - The story for Madrigal came from my constant questioning
of the death of Philippe de Chagny. It never did sit well with me.
Leroux made him an important secondary character, but never revealed
much about his role in the plot; mysteriously, he was involved in the
affairs in the cellars, but how? Why? Time, proof, details, evidence
were Leroux’s livelihood. I kept digging in-between the lines of his
prose in order to uncover more about this character. Madrigal
developed out of lack of evidence on Leroux’s behalf in an angle of his
plot and once I built upon it there was no turning back. Though not
seen in book one, Philippe de Chagny’s life and death play a large role
in the series.
Coupled with my questions regarding Chagny, was a bit of inspiration
from opera itself. The early madrigalists often strung four madrigals
together to weave a complete story via song. This became the
foundation for modern day opera. Voices in a madrigal were
manipulated in such way to reflect crying, laugher, sighing etc. I saw
this as the inner workings of Erik’s mind. To me, Erik was constantly
consumed by music. Such beauty lay coiled underneath the noise of his
madness. His mind was never at rest, with music always reflecting
some emotion. The emotion behind Madrigal’s madrigal was based off
of Shakespeare’s Sonnet twenty-nine. (When in disgrace and fortune in
men’s eye, I alone beweep my outcast state…) A story that is a lament
that relays a man’s deepest urges for popularity like any man, though
his desires and wants are hidden and repressed beneath envy and
suffering.
Madrigal is the first in a three book series (The Madrigals). There is a
possibility for a fourth in The Madrigals if my readers desire it to be
told.
Sandra - Writing this book has been a nice experience for you? Why?
Jennifer - Because I took a chance and did not look back...
Publishing takes guts. It takes patience and a lot of time spent
understanding the building blocks of fiction, the industry itself and the
rejection that comes along with it. I am fortunate to be a member of the
Historical Novel Society and to have the backing of the Romance
Writers of America. Through these organizations I learned what it
takes to compete in a very difficult business. It was not writing
Madrigal that was the incredible experience for me, it was the journey
in seeing it manifest.
For me it is not the thrill of the ISBN that matters when you are a
writer or seeing your book on the shelves. The journey to publish must
be a rich experience and you get out of it only what you put into it. To
watch your work go from idea to publisher is humbling experience. I
met though my publishing career some amazing agents and authors,
and I have two incredible critique partners both multi-published. The
most rewarding part of being a professional is passing on what you
learn along the way. Clicking away on my laptop in a hotel lobby a few
years ago, I met an author who was a RITA nominee. She set aside her
edits and deadlines for Harlequin to spend a few minutes answering
the questions of a frustrated and nervous new writer. In teaching me a
thing or two about being a professional I promised her I would pay her
time and advice forward—as I got it, as I learned it. Running into her a
year later I was able to pass on my thanks and the news of my first
contract. It was an experience I would never forget. That is what I
adore out of writing—mentoring. Sharing the journey and telling
others if you want to fly… then jump into the wind.
Building upon classic literature has rewards of its own. It is a daunting
task involving research and creative thinking on a whole new level.
Crafting characters for original stories has its own challenges and
rewards--bending characters around a preexisting idea and plot, a
completely different challenge. Writing around a work of classic
literature is not to be taken lightly. Doing so is to tinker with well-
beloved characters and the reader’s perceptions of them. I have met
thousands of Phantom fans through the years and have been blessed to
share and understand many different points of views on this
fascinating piece of fiction. Their support of The Madrigals has been
absolutely amazing.
Sandra - What would you say to all Phantom fans who are discovering
your new book?
Jennifer - Read it like it was written, with an open mind. When we find
a book we love, we tend to take from it what we find most memorable
and what we found most disappointing. This is the glory of fiction--
enjoying the pros and cons of a story that linger with us. There are as
many versions of The Phantom of the Opera as there are continuations
of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
There is an Erik for everyone in fiction.
Sandra - Let readers know you better: What kind of literature you love
most? What are your favorite authors?
Jennifer - My heart lies in historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoy a book
that finds a nugget of history and expands on it, or a book that weaves
fictional characters in with historical figures. Susanne Dunlap this did
this flawlessly in Liszt’s Kiss and certainly Linda Berdoll crafted an
unparallel world in her series expanding Austen. Sally MacKenzie
taught me a thing or two about writing and crafting a series, and for a
light hearted read I always suggest her “Naked” series published by
Zebra’s imprint of Kensington.
Beyond that, I read a great deal of history books about life in the Franz-
Josef era of Austria.
Sandra - Can you tell us about your future projects?
Jennifer - I sank my teeth in to Austrian history and have not let go
since. All my books deal in some way with a social mores or physical
issues and are set in the Victorian era. I have a historical romance set
in 1866 Austria with an autistic heroine to be releasing soon. What if
every time you opened your eyes light was painful? Every piece of
clothing itched and burned, causing hives to arise at its touch? What if
touch, the very essence most humans crave—made you bristle, even
angry—unless delivered in a very specific way? This is Adelrune's
world. She is a brilliant composer but is tired of being thought of as an
imbecile because of her awkward social skills and odd mannerisms
that would today be labeled Asperger's Syndrome. I craft her story
around the love of a Grand Duke, a member of the Austrian court
whose conflict lies in placing image before his heart. How can he love
a woman unable to change to fit the world he was born to rule?
I have several works in progress as every author does. One is set in
1881 and focuses on three characters whose lives were changed by the
fire of the Ringstrasse Theater in Vienna. Another rolling in my mind
is a light hearted historical about Death and his antics in Regency
England. Naturally book two and book three of The Madrigals will be
releasing as well along with the possibility of a fourth if called for.
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
pink ink. Her first, written when she was twelve, was nothing if not
colorful. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romance
Writers of America, Hearts Through History Romance Writers and
Maine Romance Writers. In addition she is a writing mentor. She
writes historical fiction and historical romance with unusual themes
and locations, and focuses on the social mores of the 19th century. She
has a passion for Austrian culture and is often found searching for
stories and romance in long forgotten histories.
Her love of research and classic literature brought her to expanding
Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.
She enjoys hearing from her readers. Email her at author@
jenniferlinforth.com.
She can be found on the web at www.jenniferlinforth.com and
friended on Myspace at www.myspace.
com/jenniferlinforthauthor.
For signings and speaking engagements she can be reached via her
publisher.
Thank you dearest friend, I really adore your book.
Sandra - Before I ask you about Madrigal, tell us, how did you discover
your passion for The Phantom of the Opera story?
Jennifer - As a child I fell in love with the masters of gothic literature.
Stoker’s Dracula was the first book I could not put down and I
devoured everything I could find from the likes of Edgar Allen Poe.
The Victorian era was always a fascinating time period to me, but I
could never wrap my brain around the literature taught in school.
Dickens, Brontë, Austen—while I adore them now, did not hold the
dark romanticism I craved. Gaston Leroux was a master of mystery. He
had a way of misleading the reader that simply fascinated me. No
author made me wonder as much as Leroux did. My love for The
Phantom of the Opera stemmed from a deep respect for a book that
had many more questions than answers.
Sandra - How did you begin the idea of your novel, Madrigal?
Jennifer - I was revisiting those classics I disliked. I stumbled across a
book, which continued Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I loved every
minute of it. In my opinion it flawlessly wove the original story with
Austen’s tale. From there I found other writers who did the same:
Brooks, Rhys… Discovering this I was horrified at first—a bit shocked
that authors would have the nerve to continue or expand upon a work
in the public domain. It prompted me to pick up Leroux’s novel. In
doing so I became curious about French nobility. A voracious
researcher all my life, I began to read about France in the Victorian era,
which led to me studying the history of opera. This fostered a desire to
understand Leroux more and more. Why an opera house? What
motivated him? How did he view France during the time of this novel
since much of Leroux seemed to focus on political satire and class
differences. Why—as a jurist—did he leave so many unanswered
questions?
Philippe de Chagny was the character that sparked the idea for
Madrigal and once I had the opening line in my head there was no
resisting the urge to write it. His life and death play a major role in the
series.
Sandra - Anna, the female protagonist of your book, is a new character
who appears in Erik's life created completely by you. I find her
personality really interesting. Describe this new character, your
motivations towards her, and her relationship with Erik.
Jennifer - Anna is a counterpoint. She contrasts Erik and Christine on
an emotional level. Leroux’s novel had many underlying themes
regarding the class system in France. I wanted Anna to be the central
figure making this theme move through Madrigal. I wanted to craft a
character that, in all her social differences, would push Erik, Christine
and Raoul to the wall and force them to react. Force them to confront
the past and their individual prejudices.
She is a product of her upbringing as the daughter of a notorious con
artist, and fosters a deeply rooted intolerance for aristocracy. Erik
represents the undergrounds of society, Raoul the nobility, Christine,
is our social ladder climber. Anna is in the middle of it all. If she
remains in the underground with the social deviants she will never be
free of her past, yet she will never be able to achieve her desires for a
better life if she does not rise above herself. That past however cannot
be transcended without dire consequence. Yet where does her heart lie?
In helping others achieve their goals and dreams, or selfishly pursuing
her wants despite the dangers involved? In writing Anna I wanted a
character that knew she would always be in Christine’s shadow, yet
also understood that she connected to Erik on a level no woman would.
Sandra - Your view of Erik comes from Leroux's original book, what is
your personal opinion about him and his relationship with Christine?
Jennifer - I stand behind my belief that Erik was a madman. He was a
murderously vengeful personality while concurrently being a
repressed and ardent gentleman. Erik was not handsome or sexy.
While a highly sensual being, he was not a sexual object as many
popular versions make him to be. Leroux penned him as a monster for
a reason and I did my best to adhere to his original ideas for the story.
Naturally, certain elements were changed to suit the limits of my
imagination and to reach the broader market desired by my publisher.
All this is outlined in detail in the book. I did not take making changes
to Leroux’s vision lightly.
That being said, his relationship with Christine is complex. Though not
known as a school of thought during the time Leroux wrote Phantom,
Christine, in my opinion, exhibits traits of what is knows as captor
bonding or in modern terms the “Stockholm syndrome.” This is the
behavior of kidnap victims who over time become sympathetic to their
captors. In Stockholm, Sweden in 1973 several people were victims of a
bank robbery. Over the course of their captivity, the victims became
sympathetic to their captors even defending them to the police. After
being rescued, they refused to testify in order to protect their captor.
Sympathetic identification with their captor was a defense mechanism
built from the fear of violence. Such symptoms occur under great
duress and several of the defense mechanisms were obvious in Leroux’
s Christine. One aspect of this captor bonding stands out. In romantic
relationships—like between Erik and Christine—the controller subtly
threatens the victim by saying he will never leave them or permit them
another partner. Erik insists Christine sing for him and be his alone
and outright insists she not get involved with Raoul de Chagny.
Christine fears throughout Leroux’s novel that Erik would always be
haunting her, and even in Webber’s song states ‘he is always there
singing songs in my head’.
She viewed Erik as a paternal figure and Erik, on the flip side, had
maternal longings. Leroux wrote this at the height of Freudian belief
(though the book is not rooted in it). Each saw in the other the parent
they did not have and fed off that. Her basic attraction to the Phantom
before and after seeing his face will always stem from the promise that
her father would send an Angel of Music to manifest as his surrogate.
It is this and Erik's voice that draws her to him. She had a fear deep
down of being abandoned like she was by her father and ran to the
Angel of Music for security. She refused to marry Raoul for if she did
the Angel would leave her forever. (Abandonment and captor bonding
again.) She loved him as a child loved a father, wanted to love him in a
deeper more sexual and romantic way, but was terrified of him… and
since she did not view him as a lover this was difficult to do.
This was a man who, before Webber’s vision, was made up of death. A
death's head bare skull, yellow eyes, yellow skin, no nose. Even deeper
symbolism shows this as one of the reasons Christine saw him as a
surrogate. Her father was dead as well and now walking among the
living as Erik did. I try to keep in mind one key element of Leroux:
Erik’s appearance was perceived only in Christine’s point of view. We
do have rumors and speculations by other characters, but only
Christine truly gave the reader a first hand account. Leroux penned
only her view of him. Who is to say what he looked like in the eyes of
others? Would they have perceived him in the same ghastly and
emotional manner Christine did?
I firmly believe that all Christine felt for Erik was based on this
psychological defense mechanism and it would be a difficult pattern to
break. No matter what form of love she held for Erik, its foundation
was not built properly and would tumble to ruin in one form or
another. But this by no means would keep Erik from Christine, or she
from her Angel of Music.
It was a love that would have to be explored on delicate levels.
Sandra - What do you think about the possible reality/myth of this
story?
Jennifer - In addition to being a lawyer, Leroux was a journalist.
Nothing he did was accidental. He truly wanted to mislead his readers
and keep them guessing to the very last page. To this day his Mystery
of the Yellow Room is still considered the standard of all locked room
mysteries. I believe, like any good writer, Leroux did his homework.
He probably found some piece of history that he wove his imagination
around, whether a famous Swedish singer or an actual man beneath
the opera. If a writer does not believe in the passion behind a story,
that will come across to the reader. The Phantom of the Opera has
transcended time for a reason.
Merging reality and myth is want makes Gaston Leroux—Gaston
Leroux. But I still must ask the jurist to show me the proof…
Sandra - Your novel's story is really original and imaginative. Can you
tell us where your inspiration came from? There will be a sequel?
Jennifer - The story for Madrigal came from my constant questioning
of the death of Philippe de Chagny. It never did sit well with me.
Leroux made him an important secondary character, but never revealed
much about his role in the plot; mysteriously, he was involved in the
affairs in the cellars, but how? Why? Time, proof, details, evidence
were Leroux’s livelihood. I kept digging in-between the lines of his
prose in order to uncover more about this character. Madrigal
developed out of lack of evidence on Leroux’s behalf in an angle of his
plot and once I built upon it there was no turning back. Though not
seen in book one, Philippe de Chagny’s life and death play a large role
in the series.
Coupled with my questions regarding Chagny, was a bit of inspiration
from opera itself. The early madrigalists often strung four madrigals
together to weave a complete story via song. This became the
foundation for modern day opera. Voices in a madrigal were
manipulated in such way to reflect crying, laugher, sighing etc. I saw
this as the inner workings of Erik’s mind. To me, Erik was constantly
consumed by music. Such beauty lay coiled underneath the noise of his
madness. His mind was never at rest, with music always reflecting
some emotion. The emotion behind Madrigal’s madrigal was based off
of Shakespeare’s Sonnet twenty-nine. (When in disgrace and fortune in
men’s eye, I alone beweep my outcast state…) A story that is a lament
that relays a man’s deepest urges for popularity like any man, though
his desires and wants are hidden and repressed beneath envy and
suffering.
Madrigal is the first in a three book series (The Madrigals). There is a
possibility for a fourth in The Madrigals if my readers desire it to be
told.
Sandra - Writing this book has been a nice experience for you? Why?
Jennifer - Because I took a chance and did not look back...
Publishing takes guts. It takes patience and a lot of time spent
understanding the building blocks of fiction, the industry itself and the
rejection that comes along with it. I am fortunate to be a member of the
Historical Novel Society and to have the backing of the Romance
Writers of America. Through these organizations I learned what it
takes to compete in a very difficult business. It was not writing
Madrigal that was the incredible experience for me, it was the journey
in seeing it manifest.
For me it is not the thrill of the ISBN that matters when you are a
writer or seeing your book on the shelves. The journey to publish must
be a rich experience and you get out of it only what you put into it. To
watch your work go from idea to publisher is humbling experience. I
met though my publishing career some amazing agents and authors,
and I have two incredible critique partners both multi-published. The
most rewarding part of being a professional is passing on what you
learn along the way. Clicking away on my laptop in a hotel lobby a few
years ago, I met an author who was a RITA nominee. She set aside her
edits and deadlines for Harlequin to spend a few minutes answering
the questions of a frustrated and nervous new writer. In teaching me a
thing or two about being a professional I promised her I would pay her
time and advice forward—as I got it, as I learned it. Running into her a
year later I was able to pass on my thanks and the news of my first
contract. It was an experience I would never forget. That is what I
adore out of writing—mentoring. Sharing the journey and telling
others if you want to fly… then jump into the wind.
Building upon classic literature has rewards of its own. It is a daunting
task involving research and creative thinking on a whole new level.
Crafting characters for original stories has its own challenges and
rewards--bending characters around a preexisting idea and plot, a
completely different challenge. Writing around a work of classic
literature is not to be taken lightly. Doing so is to tinker with well-
beloved characters and the reader’s perceptions of them. I have met
thousands of Phantom fans through the years and have been blessed to
share and understand many different points of views on this
fascinating piece of fiction. Their support of The Madrigals has been
absolutely amazing.
Sandra - What would you say to all Phantom fans who are discovering
your new book?
Jennifer - Read it like it was written, with an open mind. When we find
a book we love, we tend to take from it what we find most memorable
and what we found most disappointing. This is the glory of fiction--
enjoying the pros and cons of a story that linger with us. There are as
many versions of The Phantom of the Opera as there are continuations
of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
There is an Erik for everyone in fiction.
Sandra - Let readers know you better: What kind of literature you love
most? What are your favorite authors?
Jennifer - My heart lies in historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoy a book
that finds a nugget of history and expands on it, or a book that weaves
fictional characters in with historical figures. Susanne Dunlap this did
this flawlessly in Liszt’s Kiss and certainly Linda Berdoll crafted an
unparallel world in her series expanding Austen. Sally MacKenzie
taught me a thing or two about writing and crafting a series, and for a
light hearted read I always suggest her “Naked” series published by
Zebra’s imprint of Kensington.
Beyond that, I read a great deal of history books about life in the Franz-
Josef era of Austria.
Sandra - Can you tell us about your future projects?
Jennifer - I sank my teeth in to Austrian history and have not let go
since. All my books deal in some way with a social mores or physical
issues and are set in the Victorian era. I have a historical romance set
in 1866 Austria with an autistic heroine to be releasing soon. What if
every time you opened your eyes light was painful? Every piece of
clothing itched and burned, causing hives to arise at its touch? What if
touch, the very essence most humans crave—made you bristle, even
angry—unless delivered in a very specific way? This is Adelrune's
world. She is a brilliant composer but is tired of being thought of as an
imbecile because of her awkward social skills and odd mannerisms
that would today be labeled Asperger's Syndrome. I craft her story
around the love of a Grand Duke, a member of the Austrian court
whose conflict lies in placing image before his heart. How can he love
a woman unable to change to fit the world he was born to rule?
I have several works in progress as every author does. One is set in
1881 and focuses on three characters whose lives were changed by the
fire of the Ringstrasse Theater in Vienna. Another rolling in my mind
is a light hearted historical about Death and his antics in Regency
England. Naturally book two and book three of The Madrigals will be
releasing as well along with the possibility of a fourth if called for.
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
