Book Spotlight: A Jane Austen Daydream

A Jane Austen Daydream by Scott D. Southard

FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Now with a new foreword and an updated cover showcasing Jane’s own handwriting, this re-imagining of Jane’s life continues to charm and delight readers of literary fiction worldwide.

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All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

Scott’s writing process for this story

One paragraph!?! I’m going to fail at this one! See, when I came up with the idea of A Jane Austen Daydream I knew it would be a challenge. And if it wasn’t a challenge, I knew I was not doing the idea justice. That might seem strange, but as a writer I knew I was going to attempt multiple things. This was my writing version of climbing Mount Everest.

One, I needed to write a book that felt like an Austen novel, but at the same time, new. Two, I needed to tell a story in the voice of Austen, but yet, I wanted it to be a “friendly” voice for the casual reader. So, everything had to be a recognizable (plot and characters) … and surprising and different and witty and charming and emotional and passionate and unpredictable. Whew!

You see what I mean? Challenge, yes. I had to find that very special path up to where I could stick the flag. This was a very technical experience, which as a creative writer, is not a normal place I live in. I rarely get to an answer by a straight line in my mind and here I had to learn.

I had to take up residence in Austen’s world. That meant reading all of her books, then reading them again, then reading them again, then reading them again… Okay, I could go on and on here, but I ended up with notebooks of notes and heavily highlighted paperbacks. I even had “different levels” for the highlighting colors! There were quotes I wanted to integrate into my books (yellow), to things I wanted to reference (blue), to curiosities to explore (orange).

I looked to Austen’s books to find my “beats” and structure. This may sound like a mirror, but if it is, it is a very dirty mirror. Once I was done with my outline and finding that voice, I could write it. That was the fun part. Of course, the hard work was far from over. For in the editing, the art really emerges (I have always believed “editing” is the key to good writing). That was when I had to find that final climb towards the book and Ms. Austen’s world.

I’m thrilled that my book is coming out in this fifth anniversary edition. I look forward to hearing what new readers say. I hope you enjoy the novel I discovered at the end of my climb!

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About the Author

Scott D. Southard, the author of A Jane Austen Daydream, swears he is not obsessed with Jane Austen. He is also the author of the novels: My Problem with Doors, Megan, Permanent Spring Showers, Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare, and 3 Days in Rome. With his eclectic writing he has found his way into radio, being the creator of the radio comedy series The Dante Experience. The production was honored with the Golden Headset Award for Best MultiCast Audio and the Silver Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Audio Production. Scott received his Master’s in writing from the University of Southern California. Scott can be found on the internet via his writing blog The Musings & Artful Blunders of Scott D. Southard, where he writes on far-ranging topics like writing, art, books, TV, writing, parenting, life, movies, and writing. He even shares original fiction on the site. Currently, Scott resides in Michigan with his very understanding wife, his two patient children, and a very opinionated dog named Bronte.

Author Links

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Author Website

Highlighted Reviews

“For those of you who are exhausted by the innumerable retellings of Austen’s novels, this is a style entirely new … be rewarded by a quick paced novel unlike any you can ever have read, which injects new ideas and possibilities into the world of Jane Austen.” –Laura Boyle, The Jane Austen Centre

“Mix one-part biography and one-part historical re-imagining…add witty characters and some surprises and you have A Jane Austen Daydream. This was a delightful read.” – Amelia Rodriguez, Jane Austen Society of North America

“Lovely, thought-provoking novel. Fans of Austen will adore this book.” – Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List

“Southard has taken the facts about the great author and woven them into a credible, touching, and also entertaining portrait of a life.” -Historical Novel Society

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