A few years ago, my blog mates at Inkwell Inspirations tossed around the idea of a novella anthology.
With varied interests and genres, we chose two: Regency and Cowboys. Then we settled on one, and the idea
for our new release,
Austen in Austin took off.
I’m a major fan of mysteries, but through my ‘formative years’, I absorbed every romantic suspense
(historical or gothic? even better!) I could find. So, when we divvied up Austen plots, I claimed
Northanger
Abbey. Jane Austen wrote it as a twist on the wild gothic literature that was popular at the time.
I think I like researching as much as I like writing—maybe that’s true for all my other joys like quilting
and fairy gardens. Half the fun in pinning a new find on Pinterest is the hope I’ll someday have the chance to
make it. How about you?
1880s Austin Texas was a joy to jump in to. A growing city with a new university, a new capital building,
and new bridges across the Colorado, it also had some dark history that became ideal for a slight parody of
Austen’s own gothic parody. You see, Austin had its own version of Jack the Ripper referred to as The Servant
Girl Annihilator. If you’re wondering how I could use that in a story I planned on giving a comedic edge to—well,
you have a point. Tragedy can never be fuel for whimsy, but I feel I was able to reflect on it correctly, and focus
instead on the cheery, fascinating city of Austin that still makes it a draw for visitors and residents today.
My novella,
Alarmingly Charming, is the fourth story in our Austen in Austin, Volume One. The authors
shared antique maps; information on stores, restaurants, hotels, streets; photos. I even found a website that
offered hundreds of antique postcards covering Austin’s history.
These are the gems a writer grabs at. We may
add and remove, but we always like to have an effective ‘real’ basis for our story’s setting. For me, a map is at
the top of my list! Give me an old map of a town or city and I can tell you who is walking along the street. But as
enjoyable as research is, eventually it comes to getting the story on paper (er, the monitor?).
Here’s a link to the antique postcard site:
www.austinpostcard.com
I’d love to hear from you today. I’m giving away an Ebook of Alarmingly Charming, per this blog’s
criteria.
Have you ever become enamored with a place solely through fiction? And have you then made the trip
to visit it as well? Thanks so much for your time! And a big thank you to Crystal for hosting me! Oh, and P.S.
what’s a great quilt shop in Austin?
For future reference…
Buy
Austen in Austin and
Alarmingly Charming:
www.amazon.com/dp/1939023777
Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides, the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She'd like to live a wee bit closer to her grandchildren, but is thankful that God is in control, that He chooses to bless us despite ourselves and that He has a sense of humor.
Other than writing light-hearted romances and gritty gothics, she has rather normal obsessions such as fabric, peanut butter, vacations, British dramas, and whatever mystery series she's currently stuck on.
Find her online at...
Commenters on this post will be entered into the drawing for an ebook copy of Alarmingly Charming by Debra Marvin. Winner to be announced in Monday's Weekly Windup post. Thanks for stopping by today.
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