Treats Not Tricks This Halloween:
An Interview with Victoria Kincaid
By Barbara Tiller
Cole and Victoria Kincaid
I am excited to
have a special Halloween treat for you--An interview with Victoria
Kincaid! Her latest story may
‘trick’ your idea of Charlotte Lucas.
In reading her latest book I had a new appreciation for an unsung
heroine in Pride and Prejudice and new insights into her character.
BTC: Victoria, thanks for taking the time to
visit us here at Darcyholic Diversions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
VK: I’m originally from the
Philadelphia suburbs and I now live in McLean VA (outside Washington DC). I’m
married with two kids. My daughter
is sophomore in college; she loves it, but I really miss her. My son is a junior in high school. I read a lot—it’s my primary form of
relaxation. But given my day job,
my writing career, and my parenting responsibilities, I don’t have a lot of
time for other hobbies at this point. Right now I’m also organizing a JAFF Reader/Writer Get
Together, which will be near me November 8-10. I’m looking forward to meeting people I only know digitally.
BTC: I have been
a part of several get togethers! I
which I could come to yours, but I have another commitment at that time. (Do you have to include the details
about the event in this interview?
If so answer the following..)
Can you give us the particulars about the event in case anyone has not
yet heard about it and is able to attend?
VK: It’ll be November 8-10 near Washington DC. Unfortunately the registration is
closed, but we may have another one.
If anyone is interested, they should join the Facebook group and watch
out for future information. I’m
looking forward to it. Writing can
be a lonely profession; so it’s wonderful to meet readers and fellow writers.
BTC: I hope you
have a wonderful get together. I
planned several events while living in Atlanta area, including 2 weekend get
togethers and participation by 27 authors at the Decatur Book Festival. Also, I had a job for around 7 years
which allowed me to travel the country and had smaller get togethers in
Phoenix, Boston, and Southern California! It great to meet your variety authors, and to
meet the readers who love your stories.
I hope to have a gathering either before or after the Jane
Austen Festival in Louisville next year!
So tell us how you started to write?
VK: Like
most writers, I’ve been writing my whole life; but for a long time I was
primarily a playwright. I still
teach playwriting.
BTC: I have a
dear friend who is head of the drama department at a university. I worked with my husband for a number
of years producing industrial theatre and events, and was a music major who
performed in musicals and operas, so glad to know about your background.
VK: I
only write novels now. Switching to novel writing was a little tricky at
first. In plays, most of the story
is revealed through dialogue—which can be hard to do well. I was so happy that novel writing
allowed me to reveal things through description, inner thoughts, etc. The novel writer has a lot more tools
at her disposal. Austen’s writing
is particularly good at revealing character through dialogue, which made her
writing easier to emulate for me.
BTC: I can see
how her writing style would make the transition easier. But I also know that showing not
telling is always the best way to go.
So your skill with dialogue makes your stories much more interesting.
So you explained a little bit about why you chose Jane
Austen, but tell us more.
VK: All
writers start as readers. The
writing impulse springs from that “what if?” that the reader asks herself. What if the protagonist had done x
instead of y? What if the
protagonist was a woman instead of a man?
What if we found out what happened after the story ended? What if this character met that
character from another story? What
if the character was a scientist instead of a soldier? And so on.
Austen’s world is a particularly fertile ground for these
what if scenarios. I started
reading Pride and Prejudice variations out of idle curiosity. Then I got hooked (I literally bought a
Kindle so I could save money by buying ebook JAFF instead of print). Then I started thinking of my own what
ifs for Pride and Prejudice.
And now here I am! When
Charlotte Became Romantic is my 15th Pride and Prejudice
variation—and I don’t seem to be in any danger of running out of ideas.
BTC: It is
always fascinating to me to learn how writers found the genre! And you are no exception! So what was the inspiration to write about
Charlotte?
VK: When you think about it, Pride and Prejudice is
full of women who are confined by their place in society. Elizabeth’s refusal of these
limitations is one of the things we love about her. But I am always interested in those other women. What would happen if their
circumstances were a little different and they had the opportunity to assert
themselves?
That is how I ended up with a series I didn’t intend to
write. The first two books, When
Mary Met the Colonel and When Jane Got Angry, describe two Bennet
sisters deciding to defy conventions at critical points in their lives. When I had the idea for When
Charlotte Became Romantic, I realized I was writing an unintended series
about these “other” women in Pride and Prejudice.
BTC: I have enjoyed
your books thus far and will look forward to more! Would you like to give us a hint about your next project?
VK: Good
question! I’ve written two modern
variations (Darcy in Hollywood and President Darcy) and was just
getting started with another one when a Regency era plot bunny bowled me over
and demanded to be written. So the
next will be set in the Regency—with Darcy and Elizabeth as the main
characters. Maybe after that I’ll
be able to write the modern version. 😊
BTC: Well, I
want to thank you for sitting down to tea with me! Please stop back by when your next book is
released!
Victoria
is giving away an ecopy of her book to a lucky commenter! Extra entries are given for adding your
name to this blog, liking my author page on facebook. Sharing this post on
Facebook or twitter.
Book Blurb:
A Pride and Prejudice Variation: When Charlotte Becomes Romantic
In the original Pride
and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s friend, Charlotte Lucas marries the silly
and obsequious clergyman, Mr. Collins.
But what if fate—and love—intervened?
Desperate to escape
her parents’ constant criticism, Charlotte has accepted a proposal from Mr.
Collins despite recognizing his stupid and selfish nature. But when a mysterious man from her past
visits Meryton for the Christmas season, he arouses long-buried feelings and
causes her to doubt her decision.
James Sinclair’s
mistakes cost him a chance with Charlotte three years ago, and he is devastated
to find her engaged to another man.
Honor demands that he step aside, but his heart will not allow him to
leave Meryton. Their mutual
attraction deepens; however, breaking an engagement is not a simple matter and
scandal looms. If they are to be
happy, they must face her parents’ opposition, Lady Catherine’s disapproval,
dangerous figures from James’s past...and Charlotte’s nagging feeling that
maybe she should just marry Mr. Collins.
Charlotte had
forsworn romance years ago; is it possible for her to become romantic again?
