Austenland 411

I just found out that austenland is a Book Sense pick for June! This is a list of recommended titles that the association of independent booksellers put together, and it's just so freakin' cool to make it. I'm bobbing along today, my feet barely scraping ground. And with that news, let me answer some questions about the book I've been getting.

When will it be out?

The end of May or early June in the US and Canada. Sorry to my friends overseas, it hasn't sold UK or world English rights yet!

What's it about?

Jane Hayes is fairly obsessed with Mr. Darcy, particularly as portrayed by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. She goes on a three week vacation to an Austen-themed resort, where she dresses in empire-waist gowns and interacts with a cast of actors. Other women go there to live our their Austen fantasies, but she goes as therapy to get over her obsession. Also, it's funny.

Is this appropriate for kids to read?

I posted my thoughts on that here.

Is this similar to the young adult books you write?

Not really. I mean, it was still me writing it. But I used a different narrator than I use for my Bayern books, it takes place in the real world in the present day, and all the characters are adults. You might want to read the excerpt I have posted to get a sense of it and see if it's for you. Some younger readers or people who aren't Austen fans might not like this book, and I hope you feel fine about that. Not every book is for every reader. I'm very pleased that it's coming out in June because I think of this as a beach read (if you are so lucky) or a backyard read (if your summer plans are more like mine).

Who is your ideal audience for this book?

Me. My friends. And librarians. If I hadn't dedicated this book to Colin Firth (I mean, it was just too good to pass up) I would've dedicated it to librarians. From experience, librarians and I share the good sense to rather admire that Mr. Darcy perhaps just a bit too much.

And here's an interview I did about the book at trashionista.com for their Austen Week.