Many thanks to all of the Austen Authors for hosting me on my very special day. Today, October 11^th, my anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, releases from Ballantine Books. I have been working on it for close to two years now so this day is very exciting for me and the twenty four contributing authors – four of which are your members: Diana Birchall, Monica Fairview, Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway.

It’s hard to pinpoint when the inspiration for the anthology finally became a passionate goal for me. Like Lizzy Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, “It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.” I had long admired Jane Austen’s work, enjoyed the movie adaptations and read many of the sequels in print, but I must credit the 1995 A&E/BBC mini-series of Pride and Prejudice for rekindling my passion for all things Austen. I was not alone. Many new books inspired by Jane Austen’s novels arrived shortly after the landmark 1995 airing of P&P. We can credit Mr. Darcy in a wet shirt and the Internet for giving “our Jane” a renaissance and creating a whole new book genre – Austenesque!

On a whim, I created my blog Austenprose.com in 2007. At the time I had no great aspirations for it. I just wanted a creative outlet for my passion for Jane Austen and the books and movies that she had inspired. As I connected with authors to help promote their new Austenesque books, I began to see an interesting connection with them. It was obvious that they were all passionate about Austen and writing, but what was so encouraging to me was that they were all so genteel, friendly and helpful. Austen’s era of civility had truly extended into the 21^st century. I thought to myself, “I want to work with these writers. Why not do a short story anthology and I could be the editor?”

That notion rolled around in my head for years as I continued to work with new authors and my network in Jane’s world grew. I had never been published before and new nothing about how to make a book deal happen, but I did know other authors who did, so I reached out to close friends like Diana Birchall, Margaret Sullivan and Laurie Viera Rigler for advice. When I was contacted by a literary agent to thank me for helping promote his authors’ work, I saw an opportunity, garnered all my courage and pitched my anthology idea to him. He loved it. Within a week he had presented the idea to Random House and they loved it too. Huzzah! I was going to publish a book and it was just too surreal. Me? No way! I was an Austen version of Cinderella, and I was going to the Netherfield Ball!

The fun part of the project was writing down a list of my favorite Austenesque authors that I wanted to contribute a story to the anthology. The day I sent out the e-mail inquiries is one I shall never forget. Literally, within one minute I had positive replies. Wow! All day long they continued to flood in. I was overwhelmed with emotion. So were my editor and agent! Within a week we had our lineup and the wheels were set in motion to create the book. Now the real work was yet to come.

Working with Diana, Monica, Jane and Caitlen was such a joy. Their stories are all so unique and entertaining. I hope that you will find humor and delight in Diana’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” Monica’s “Nothing Less Than Fairyland,” and Jane and Caitlen’s “What Would Austen Do?,” and all of the other eighteen stories in the anthology.

Thanks again to Sharon and Abigail and all of the Austen Authors for hosting me on my special day – and for all of your wonderful Austenesque novels. Your passion and dedication is inspiring to me and many others.

I am off to Ft. Worth, Texas tomorrow for my book launch on Friday, October 14 during the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Annual General Meeting! Wish me luck everyone. I shall be in august company representing the little guy who got there 15 minutes of fame!

Cheers,

Laurel Ann Nattress

Editor bio:

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. Classically trained as a landscape designer at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, she has also worked in marketing for a Grand Opera company and at present she delights in introducing neophytes to the charms of Miss Austen’s prose as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Ballantine Books • ISBN: 978-0345524966

 Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

 Enter a chance to win one of three copies of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by midnight PT, Monday, October 24, 2011 stating what intrigues you about reading an Austen-inspired short story anthology. Winners to be drawn at random and announced on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck to all!