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Love, Pain, Screwy Family Dynamics
A Woman’s Persuasion follows a young heiress as she breaks away from her father’s expectations, seeking true love and independence amidst the challenges of family dynamics and societal norms. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This book is a careful chapter-by-chapter modern translation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I was sitting in a lecture at a conference for the Jane Austen Society of North America, listening to the speaker and audience members talk about adaptions, and how many different adaptations there are for Pride and Prejudice. Someone said that Persuasion doesn’t get adapted much, because it just isn’t as relatable nowadays. I was sitting in the back row, thinking, “Oh yes it is! You just have to have the stakes right.”
I got home, pulled out my Complete Works of Jane Austen, and read through Persuasion. And I was convinced I was right. If Captain Wentworth was another woman, and the year is 2007, the family is going to have objections. A family objecting to the person you fall in love with is a familiar story to many, many people. I did trade racism for classism in the case of Aunt Hayter. And instead of vague observations about Anne’s complexion in the original story, I used weight as a modern-day obsession over appearance.
Can you share insights into your process for developing the complex family dynamics and societal settings in the story?
The complex family dynamics are in Jane Austen’s original. Writing this story was to prove a point: that Persuasion is every bit as timeless as Pride and Prejudice, and to do that I wanted to change as little as possible. At the very beginning, establishing Sir Walter’s vain character, the original talks about a book called The Baronetage. I used Who’s Who in America. It worked exactly the same way.
The process was pretty simple. I had the road map right in front of me: I would read a chapter, think it over, cackle a little, and start typing. Sometimes it came very quickly. The story starts in New York, instead of England. In the original, the family has to “retrench” because of irresponsible spending. In my version, I set it in 2007 during the financial crisis of 2007-2008: a whole lot of financiers went down in flames; same economic crisis where a family has to figure out what they’re going to do.
Sometimes, for the settings, I had to think a little longer about what I was going to use as the modern American substitute. I’ve been to Rhode Island many times, it was easy to use that for Regis-Lyme. It took me a while to realize that, instead of finding an American naval base so that the story continued where it made sense to have a Navy captain, what I needed to do was change military branches. I lived in Dayton for 20 years, home from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Now I can go back to writing about what I know. Always write about what you know.
What challenges did you face in making Anne a relatable character to readers from various backgrounds?
I know not everyone relates to Anne. Heck, the recent TV movie of Persuasion that has gotten a ton of flack for being a poor adaptation – it looks to me like the writers could not relate to Anne, so they tried to turn her into a spunky Elizabeth Bennet kind of character. If you can’t relate to the characters, why are you making an adaptation of that story…?
I use weight as a way to talk about being unhappy – with life, with yourself. When Anne decides she doesn’t like what she sees in the mirror, and decides to start the fight to feel better about herself, it’s a battle everyone, from all sorts of backgrounds, faces. It’s never an easy battle. I’ve had people say the issue was triggering for them, and my book hit way, way too close to home. I was sorry to cause pain, but I am not sorry that I spoke the truth so accurately. And weight is just a metaphor (albeit one that so many of us in the post-Covid years can relate to). There are so many ways we can look in the mirror, and say, “I don’t like what I see. It’s time to change that.”
It’s part of the power of Jane Austen’s writing – she writes about the human condition. All sorts of backgrounds can relate to love, pain, screwy family dynamics, and choices you wish you could unchoose.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Sadly, at the moment my writing is a bit stalled. I have filed for divorce, I am simultaneously job hunting and getting ready to put a house on the market. I started no fewer than FIVE books in 2022, and did no fiction writing in 2023 (I teach historical dancing – including Regency dances, of course – and I have a 9-volume series on historical dance that is in search of a publisher). But I miss writing terribly, and I need to get back to it when my life settles down! There are characters beating on the inside of my head, demanding to get out.
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Anne Elliot broke off her relationship with Freddie Wentworth when her family didn’t approve. Almost eight years later, Freddie re-materializes in her life. She’s a captain in the Air Force, successful, single, and as beautiful as ever. Mortified that she doesn’t have much to show for the intervening years, Anne tries to avoid her. When contact is inevitable, her life is turned upside down. Self-doubt becomes self-improvement, old wounds are reopened and then allowed to heal, and true friends and true love win in the end.
A Woman’s Persuasion
In A Woman’s Persuasion, Jeanette Watts invites readers into the world of a wealthy and privileged family, centering the narrative around Anne, a character who courageously forges her own path, diverging from her father’s expectations. The patriarch of this affluent family, a notable financier, has set stringent standards, particularly emphasizing the importance of appearances. Anne’s decision to stray from her father’s prescribed course propels her into a journey filled with romance, complexities, and unforeseen developments.
The author skillfully intertwines a traditional contemporary romance style with historical elements, set against a backdrop of modern sensibilities. Anne is a compelling protagonist, relatable in her endeavors and choices, even to those from less privileged backgrounds. The narrative flows seamlessly, drawing the reader into the intricate dynamics of the family and the nuanced challenges of their societal position.
This emotionally resonant novel is a thoughtful exploration of romance and is replete with family tensions, the allure of forbidden love, and unexpected turns. The author’s direct yet richly descriptive storytelling is captivating and offers a clear and enjoyable journey through the story. Her ability to vividly portray scenes and craft multifaceted characters, all while delving into their histories and internal struggles, is one thing I particularly enjoyed about this book.
A Woman’s Persuasion is a compelling read for enthusiasts of both historical and modern romance. The story merges themes from these genres, creating an engrossing narrative. Its well-crafted character development and intriguing dilemmas make it a captivating book that is hard to put down. I recommend this novel to those seeking an engaging blend of romance and character-driven storytelling.
Pages: 164 | ASIN: B07ZR8165R
Always Stay True to the Characters
My Dearest Miss Fairfax follows a young woman who is forced to hide her engagement to the man she loves as she navigates the lies the two have created. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write this story?
MDMF is my third Jane Austen-inspired book. Jane Austen Lied to Me is a modern romantic comedy, and A Woman’s Persuasion is a modern LGBTQ translation (I went through Persuasion chapter by chapter and rewrote it to prove that Persuasion is ABSOLUTELY relevant to modern audiences… when you have the stakes right!). In order to work on marketing my other novels, I was learning about how to join groups – including Reddit. I found subreddits for historical fiction for other books I’ve written, and historical costuming subreddits – and the Jane Austen subreddit. You don’t just jump on there and sell your book – you go take part in conversations. It’s so much fun!
So I got into this involved conversation, that somehow or other turned to Emma. The girl everyone loves to hate. I must be a very cantankerous person, I have a fondness for the characters that everyone loves to hate. Mrs. Bennet. Emma. (And after writing this book, Frank Churchill.) The thread that ended up in me writing this novel started with me writing a defense of Emma. We need to look at her without the modern lens. Women at this time have only ONE opportunity in her life to improve her situation – by marrying well. Is it terrible that Emma is focusing on helping Harriet marry well? Or is it selfless?
It was a very long and interesting conversation! And like a good conversation, it wandered over many interesting points and topics. Somehow, it came to the point that there isn’t much written in Jane Austen Fan Fiction on Jane Fairfax. Someone said there is a book out there, but it’s actually really bad. So now, I’m intrigued. I re-read Emma, watching for the bits of Jane and Frank’s story. I went and bought a used copy of Emma, and took a pink highlighter to it while I re-read it again.
The hints to Frank and Jane’s story are all over Emma!
Now I needed to write this story.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
The biggest guideline that I follow for all my stories is to always stay true to the character. In this particular case, my characters are not mine – they are Jane Austen’s. I cannot violate that guideline! I have to, have to, have to stay true to Austen’s characters. The first thing I did was to take all the hints in Emma that we have about Jane’s romance with Frank, and put them in chronological order. And then start asking questions, and look for the most logical answers whenever there is a gap in the information.
What was your favorite scene in this story?
Probably the proposal. The scariest thing to write.
Scenes that aren’t part of Emma are the most terrifying part – when there is NO information to go on, and I have to rely on the Weymouth Historical Society, and Jane Austen reddit fans and JASNA members. To me, it’s absolutely imperative that the story rings true. It needs to feel like the truth. It needs to be what Jane Austen would have written had she chosen to tell us that part.
What Mrs. Dixon’s first name is, that was concerning. Sophia Dixon nee Campbell gets her first name from one of King George and Queen Charlotte’s children. Why are there so many Janes and Elizabeths in England? Names of queens. How did Frank and Jane meet? That was the second most frightening thing to write. So, “write what you know;” it’s based on a visit to a restaurant in Madison when I’d gone back for a visit. When it came time to write the proposal, I was terrified. It needed to be romantic. It needed to be unique. It needed to ring true with Janeites (even though JA never gives details on proposals in her books). And it needed to be memorable.
To this day, I can’t tell you where it came from. The muses paid me a visit one day, I started writing, and suddenly the scene was done, and I sighed with satisfaction. It felt right.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
Sadly, right now my personal life is going through some chaos, so it is going to be a little while until I get back to the research and writing. But for those who expand beyond reading regency era books, I am working on a third book to finish out the Scions of Pittsburgh books. Wealth and Privilege and Brains and Beauty are set in Pittsburgh between 1875 and 1889. I get to write about bustle dresses instead of bonnets and spencers. The third book will be called Deceptions and Desires.
As for Jane Austen inspired books? I’ve had a few ideas, but nothing that has driven me yet to go buy a used copy of the book and get out my pink highlighter. Historical fiction is my first love, and after My Dearest Miss Fairfax, I don’t think I want to go back to modern interpretations.
I’m working on making Audiobooks of all my novels. But that’s EXPENSIVE. But for a reason. Talented people have to put in a lot of hours recording and editing an audiobook. The only way to avoid that expense is AI – which I can’t condone using instead of an actual talented person… so I have a GoFundMe to raise the money to pay for a narrator! Please check out my GoFundMe HERE.
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Miss Jane Fairfax has spent her life—though poor and expecting the eventuality of a governess position—by the side of a Colonel’s daughter, living beyond the means she was born into. When she meets the enigmatic and handsome Frank Churchill in Weymouth, she can’t help but fall for him. It’s love at first sight.
Mr Frank Churchill, the heir to his aunt’s fortune and dependent on her goodwill, knows that he cannot marry without Mrs Churchill’s permission. Desperate to marry Jane, he proposes not only marriage but a plan to hide their engagement until his aunt approves of the match. The couple travel separately to their same small hometown of Highbury, where Jane’s ridiculous aunt and the notorious Emma Woodhouse threaten the understanding between them, and as the months pass by, Jane worries that they will be secretly engaged forever, with no happy ending in sight.
As their lies and deceits pile up, can their love survive the social pressures that threaten to tear them apart?
My Dearest Miss Fairfax
Immerse yourself in the captivating world of My Dearest Miss Fairfax, a novel that breathes new life into Jane Fairfax, a memorable character from Jane Austen’s Emma. In this inspired retelling, Jeanette Watts masterfully unfolds the hidden layers of Jane’s life, exploring her secret engagement with Mr. Frank Churchill. As Jane navigates the aftermath of her parents’ demise, she bravely faces a future as a governess, despite her refined upbringing. Her journey takes her from Weymouth alongside the newlywed Sophie Campbell to the quaint town of Highbury, the residence of her grandmother and Aunt Bates.
This novel is not just a story; it’s a vibrant tapestry woven with the intricate threads of character-driven narrative and eloquent dialogue. Readers are invited to delve deep into Jane’s inner world, experiencing her struggles and resilience amid a society obsessed with the lives of others. The blossoming, yet covert, romance between Jane and Frank is both touching and fraught with challenges, making their journey a heart-rending experience. While the climactic resolution of their love story and Jane’s final reckoning with the meddlesome townsfolk may leave one yearning for a more gratifying closure, the overall experience is a delightful foray into Austen’s world.
Watts’ narrative prowess shines through every page, seamlessly introducing a rich array of characters and their motivations. The story’s brisk pace and engaging dialogue bring each character to life, offering a fresh perspective on both beloved and lesser-known individuals from Emma. Whether you’re a devout Jane Austen fan or a newcomer to her works, My Dearest Miss Fairfax promises a journey filled with intrigue, romance, and a nuanced exploration of societal norms. Step into Jane’s shoes and embark on a journey that will leave you contemplating the intricate dynamics of love, society, and personal fortitude.
Pages: 322 | ASIN : B09TG5XMWX
LITERARY TITAN 