Austensibly Ordinary by Alyssa Goodnight

AUSTENSIBLY ORDINARY

by Alyssa Goodnight


Women's Fiction
Kensington
www.AlyssaGoodnight.com


5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, February 1, 2013!




About the Book:

Steamy, funky, and thoroughly modern, Austin, Texas isn’t much like the gardened country estates of Jane Austen’s work. But there might be a few similarities in its inhabitants…

Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties — after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it’s her chance. And she grabs on with both hands…

Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she’s uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It’s a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she’ll land in hot water and heartbreak — but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her…

Exclusive Interview with the Author! 

1) Which authors/books have inspired you?

I am inspired by Jennifer Crusie's absolute understanding of all the elements and building blocks of a truly excellent book. Not to mention her dedication to making sure they're all in place and working beautifully.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein knocked my socks off--it was absolutely brilliant, intense and heart-wrenching.

And I love how Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Tracy Grant, and Susan Elia MacNeal can infuse their novels with history to make them so much richer. 

2) If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?

The theme would be "Light-hearted Books: Totally Worth Your While!"

I don't pretend to understand why less serious books don't get taken seriously. They can be "seriously romantic," "seriously funny," or "seriously quirky." Tragedy is not a prerequisite for an entertaining read! The real world is hardly in short supply of heartbreaking and disturbing situations--a book should be a happy escape--at least some of the time. If a happily-ever-after was good enough for Jane Austen, it's good enough for me.

3) Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?

One of my favorite parts is definitely my first glimpse of the cover. It feels like the book has visually come to life. Also thrilling: when the story really starts to click and it becomes less about plotting and more about just letting the story flow on its own. I'm just about there on my current work-in-progress.

My least favorite part is worrying over reviews: whether there'll be any and whether they'll be good.

4) If you could have one super power what would it be?

I would like to have the ability to disappear at will.

5) At what time of the day do you feel the most creative?

About 4:00-6:00 p.m. When I started writing, I wrote during my sons' afternoon naps, almost exclusively. (They were so late because my older son wouldn't fall asleep any sooner.) And even now that they're both in school all day (and have been for years), I still feel the most comfortable with my writing at that time--I settle in and am less distracted by email and social media. And I have plenty of time to cheer at my progress and plan out the next scene as I head into the kitchen to fix dinner.

About the Author: 

Alyssa Goodnight currently lives between Houston and Galveston with her husband, two sons, and adventure dogs, Indiana Jones and Short Round. She does her writing with a cold can of Dr. Pepper and her reading with cake whenever possible. Visit the author online at: www.AlyssaGoodnight.com.

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