Monday, July 28, 2014

Interview with Regency Romance Author Joy Dawn King


Joy Dawn King is a native Oregonian grandmother of five-year-old twins. When the parents of the twins moved to the Andes Mountains of Ecuador several years ago, Joy and her husband of 34 years packed up and moved with them. Grandchildren have power! Two years ago, she had read Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It was love at the first sentence. Not long after Joy discovered the world of Jane Austen fan fiction, a story was born. She has always been a storyteller, but had not put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard until early this year. Two months later, A Father’s Sins was available.

Hello, Joy. Does this book continue on where Jane Austen left off in Pride and Prejudice? Please tell us about your novel.

A Father’s Sins is an alternate path for the central characters, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.  The premise is based on terrible decisions that the fathers make earlier in their children’s lives. It is these children that suffer the consequences. They meet by chance in London a year before tragedy strikes both families and reconnect five years later. Fitzwilliam Darcy is a quiet, taciturn man who is honorable, responsible, and gorgeous. Due to circumstances, Elizabeth Bennet is a much more independent young woman who is kind, knowledgeable, and compassionate.

In the original Pride and Prejudice, the turmoil, misunderstandings, and trouble comes between Darcy and Elizabeth as their personal imperfections and incorrect attitudes inflict emotional pain on them both. In A Father’s Sins, the couple, who are far less prideful and prejudiced, pulls together as outside events try to pull them apart. There is humor, pain, sadness, and joy and enough melodrama to satisfy the most avid adventure lover. It is a morally clean variation that can be read by young and old.

My story follows Darcy and Elizabeth as deal with the fallout from their father’s decisions and come to terms with these men that they had once adored. It is a story of compassion and forgiveness.

What kind of research did you have to do for this story?

My research for this project covered Regency fashion, transportation, weapons, disease, and travel to India, Italy, Greece, Egypt, east Africa, and Portugal by ship during this period. It fascinated me to learn so much of history as my story took shape.

Who is one of your favorite characters in this story and what do you love about him or her?

I absolutely fell in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy. His love and tender care for his sister, Georgiana, showed the feelings that lurked behind that stoic exterior. Even his responses to Miss Caroline Bingley (his best friend’s sister who was intent on becoming his wife), his half-brother George Wickham, and his aunt (Lady Catherine DeBourgh) showed his strength of character and his goodness. He, too, was imperfect in my story just as he was in the original. However, once he realized that he loved Elizabeth, his determination to cherish and protect her was exemplary. Sigh!

I do have to mention the Fitzwilliam family too. Darcy’s Matlock relatives on his mother’s side were delightful. His aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock, epitomized family members that would go to the ends of the earth in efforts to help their beloved nephew. Darcy’s cousins (Colonel Fitzwilliam and his older brother along with Anne DeBourgh) also stepped up and provided comic relief as well as genuine support. You just loved them as they stood together as a strong family unit to help our dear couple.

Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

While I love to cook, eat, and read – I hate, no I ABHOR, Brussels sprouts, sewing machines and snakes – not necessarily in that order.

That is so funny. Thanks, Joy, for this interview. I hope Jane Austen fan fiction followers enjoy your new take on this story.

29 comments:

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog. I loved your Rebels of Cordovia is a great, fast read and I am looking forward to reading Shamrock and Bali when I get back to the US. Great questions by the way. Especially your last one. Thanks again, Joy.

Sonja said...

Looks like an interesting book. Would love to read this. Thanks for the opportunity!

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

You are very welcome, Sonja. I hope you get a chance. Best wishes for the giveaway.

Cheryl R said...

I really would like to see the turn of events in this story compared to the original. I like Jane Austen similar type books or using the same characters. Also I lived in Ecuador in Puyo ( Province of Pastaza) in 1984 working with the Amigos de las Americas giving vaccinations in the jungle. Best time of my life!

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Cheryl, I love Puyo. We live in Ambato. Our daughter's in-laws have a house in Puyo and we LOVE the weather there. We have been many times.

I do hope that you get a chance to read A Father's Sins. There are tons of P&P variations available that sometimes it's hard to chose. So, best to read them all, I guess.

Best wishes for the giveaway.

Deborah Ann said...

I enjoyed your interview Joy. I Also loved reading reading the book. It is a page turner and one sitting book. Oh & don't enter me in the giveaway please. I already have both. :-)

Sheila L. Majczan said...

I love Joy. She is what I consider a good friend. Please do not enter me in the give-away as I do own her book on my kindle and enjoyed it so much. I have to re-read it soon. And plan to buy the paperback so I can lend it to friends who don't own kindles.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Deborah Ann, what kind words. I love that "a one sitter". I may have to borrow that from you. Thank you so much for your kind support and I look forward to meeting you in person one day soon. The next time I'm in New York I would love to meet for a cup of tea and a chat. Thanks for popping by.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Thank you so much for your kind words, Sheila. You are a certified SWEETHEART. One of the greatest benefits to publishing my first book is the wider circle of friends that I have. Meeting you in person and visiting would be a true Joy. I deeply appreciate your friendship.

LĂșthien84 said...

The premise of A Father's Sin is interesting and I have not read a P&P story where Wickham is actually Darcy's older half-brother. I would love to win the e-book edition although I already own the paperback version. Thank you, Joy.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

I would love for you to win the ebook, Luthien. I had not read a story like that about Wickham either. However, I kept wondering why Darcy's father paid him so much attention and that was the only explanation I came up with. It does make for an interesting dynamic to a variation of Pride and Prejudice doesn't it? Best wishes in the giveaway.

Cheryl R said...

A think I have found a person I would love to pick the brain of! I really did not see Ambato ( but I am wondering if we went through there on our trips). We went to Banos and loved loved that place! Also we traveled in the jungle and stayed in Las Esmeraldas for about a week too. I tell you that was the time of my life! I wonder if you ever heard of the Englemann's tourist bed and breakfast type resort in Puyo, those are the folks I stayed with while working out of Puyo giving the vaccinations. So much fun was had in Puyo and the surrounding areas.

Shawna P said...

Ooh, I would love a chance at this book! I was also a late-comer to Austen's works and just love the period pieces now. Thank you for the interview and the new avenue to explore, Linda!

Katherine said...

I love the idea of this book and would love to win a copy! Thanks for the chance :)
Katsaddress AT gmail. dOT com

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Cheryl, my email is: jdawnking@gmail.com Please feel free to contact me and we can talk Andes Mountains, Mt. Tungurahua, Banos, Puyo, and Ecuador. We had some women visit us from deep in the Amazon jungle and when they saw my TV they asked if I had movies. When I asked what they wanted to watch they all said, "Mr. Darcy". They also knew about Clueless but not the book Emma. Odd, don't you think? How did indigenous women from the Amazon jungle know about Jane Austen? Something to ponder.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Shawna, there are so many variations, alternate paths, prequels, and sequels for not only Pride and Prejudice, but the other Jane Austen books as well. It is a growing, blossoming genre that has a global audience. They are so fun to read. Some are not for young ones or prudes like me. But they all tend to make you fall in love with the characters over and over again. Sigh! Best of wishes on the giveaway.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Kat, one of the first women that I met here in Ecuador was named Kat. I never knew what it was short for. She's moved back to the US for health reasons but she was just lovely. I sure do hope you get a chance to read my book and that you snoop around and check out others as well.

Isn't Linda a gracious hostess? I love the variety that her blog offers, not just in her own writing but in that of others as well. It truly is a wonderful community.

www.shirleyrayeredmond.com said...

Good interview...even like the cover of your novel!

Deborah Ann said...

I would love to meet you for a cup of tea & chat when you are next in NYC. Just fill me in & I'll pencil you in. :-)

Mary Preston said...

I love anything P&P related. I love this alternate story-line. (Lots of love!!)

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Shirley, thank you so much for the compliment. My husband and I scrambled to get the cover done so that I could publish. Now that I have the next book coming out - most likely in October (Mr. Bingley) I am having them re-designed. We definitely are not professionals in the design department and deeply appreciate clip art.

I hope you get a chance to read my book. Thanks for stopping by.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Deborah Ann, it's a deal and not beyond the realm of possibility though not in 2014. Too much going on as you know.

Thank you so much for popping by and hope you are getting a fantastic start to your August activities. My husband and I both have nasty colds but are planning to hit all that needs done hard and play catch-up. Such is life!!!

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

There's a whole bunch of us that love Pride and Prejudice too and can't seem to get enough of it. There is always something new and intriguing being published that keeps us in love with Darcy and Elizabeth. Best wishes for the giveaway and thanks for stopping by.

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Mary, I'm sorry, that last comment was for you and I was so excited that I hit "publish" before I was truly ready. Lots of love right back to you, my lady.

bn100 said...

Interesting premise

bn100candg at hotmail dot com

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

bn100 - thank you for popping by and leaving a comment. It was interesting to me too. I hope you get a chance to read A Father's Sins soon.

Linda Weaver Clarke said...

Joy Dawn King said that if one winner is good - seven would be great. So she will be choosing seven winners for this wonderful ebook.

Shirley said...

What a wonderful premise for a book. It sounds very interesting.
Thank you for the interview and for the chance to win a copy of the book.
straitfromthehive(at)gmail(dot)com

J "Joy" Dawn King said...

Thank you again, Linda for the invitation to be on your blog.

Winners!!! If one is good and seven is great - then having everyone who commented win is the best.

Emails will be sent out today asking for your format preference. You can chose:

1) Kindle book
2) pdf ebook
3) audio book

Please reply to my email so that I can confirm your correct email address. Also, please post a review after you are finished reading "A Father's Sins" on either Amazon.com and/or Goodreads.com.

Thank you so much for your participation.