Blog Tour - Interview and Giveaway: The Secret Betrothal by Jan Hahn

I am thrilled today to welcome Jan Hahn to my blog, as part of her blog tour for her latest release, The Secret Betrothal. I have asked her a few questions about herself and her love of Jane Austen and, of course, about her latest story! My thanks must also go to Jakki of Leatherbound reviews for asking me to be part of this tour.

 

I have very much enjoyed Jan's other two stories An Arranged Marriage and The Journey and I am very excited about this latest story! Jan has also been so kind as to offer 2 chances to win a copy of this story, so watch for the details of the giveaway at the end of this post!

 

Before I get to the interview, here is the blurb - a very interesting road to explore don't you think?

"Why would a gentleman ask a lady to conceal their betrothal?

 

Jane Austen writes of secret engagements in more than one of her novels, and in The Secret Betrothal, author Jan Hahn explores the question of what would happen if Austen’s most famous heroine from Pride and Prejudice reluctantly agrees to accept such a proposal.

When Fitzwilliam Darcy learns that Elizabeth Bennet has committed herself to such an arrangement, his hopes of winning her hand are shattered.  After circumstances continue to bring the two together—from Hertfordshire to Rosings Park to the seaside town of Brighton―he finds he is unable to tame his desire for the woman who has stolen his heart.

Will Darcy’s efforts to win Elizabeth succeed, or will his sworn enemy lead her to the altar?"

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Welcome Jan! Thank you so much for agreeing to this little interview with me. I absolutely love your work, as I think you know, and I am very interested in finding out a little more about one of my favourite authors!

1.     It is evident from the two wonderful stories you have already written, as well as this new release, that you are an avid Janeite and very much enjoy Jane Austen’s work. How did you first come across Jane Austen and fall in love with the regency world of dancing, carriages and courtship?

Back in the beginning of time when I was in high school, I studied Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  About all I retained from the book were memories of people sitting around in drawing rooms having long conversations.  You must understand that at fifteen, I was about as mature as Lydia Bennet and much more interested in the boy sitting next to me than classic literature.  For some reason, I did remember one name from the book―Mr. Darcy.  (I wonder why!)  Years later, when A&E broadcast the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice, I met Mr. Darcy again.  Believe me, I woke up when I saw Colin Firth!  From then on, I began to read everything Jane Austen wrote.

I believe the studying of an Austen novel, usually Pride and Prejudice, at school is the way in for quite a few people. I studied it at school when I was 15 myself! Although I loved the book at the time, I can't deny that watching the series didn't help fuel my passion - how could you not 'wake up' when Colin Firth walks on screen?!
 

2.      Of Ms. Austen’s six major novels, need I ask which your favourite is? I assume from your stories that it is Pride and Prejudice. What appeals to you so much about Pride and Prejudice? The characters, the story, the humour?

You are correct, of course; my favourite of Austen’s novels is Pride and Prejudice.  All of it appeals to me, especially the characters.  Austen not only created superb main characters, but memorable secondary characters as well.  No one can forget Mr. Collins’ bumbling attempts at flattery, Mrs. Bennet’s self-absorption, or Lady Catherine’s condescension.  Even though Mr. Bennet proclaims his three youngest daughters silly, each of the five Bennet sisters has her own personality―a difficult feat for any writer to accomplish.  The story will live forever in countless romantic comedies that begin with misunderstandings between a man and woman destined to be together.  Add Austen’s subtle humour and wit to the mix, and each page of the book comes alive.  I must have really been a nit-wit at fifteen not to have recognized the genius I was assigned to read.

You are completely right. As well as the wonderful Elizabeth and Darcy, everyone knows a flirt like Lydia or a gossip like Mrs Bennet; the characters have stood the test of time.
 

3.      Now, aside from Pride and Prejudice, which other work do you particularly like? And which is your least favourite work of Ms. Austen’s, if you have one?

Persuasion is my second favourite book of Jane Austen’s because I believe in second chances, and Mansfield Park is my least favourite simply because I don’t think Edmund deserved Fanny.  I wish he had been a better man.

I am with you regarding Edmund Bertram - he just didn't do it for me either!  
 

4.      In your three stories you take Ms. Austen’s plotline and explore a ‘what if’ idea and take the story down a completely different route. Why did you want to write these variations? Did you want to explore the world of Lizzy and Darcy a little more? I adore reading these ‘what if’ variations as I cannot get enough of Lizzy and Darcy, so please keep writing them!

I’m with you, Sophie.  I cannot get enough of Elizabeth and Darcy.  I delight in seeing them fall in love over and over.  A slight variation at so many places in the story makes for a completely different tale than the original.  So far, I haven’t written a sequel to Pride and Prejudice simply because I haven’t reached my saturation point with the romance of Darcy and Elizabeth’s courtship. 

Well, personally, I much prefer plot variations to prequels and sequels for exactly the same reason as you, and so please do go on writing 'what if's for the time being!
 

5.      Do you think there is another one of Ms. Austen’s stories which would have the potential for a ‘what if’ variation, or do you think that Pride and Prejudice holds the most possibility with the plot and characters for such stories?

Oh, I know the potential exists for ‘what if’ variations of other Austen stories because I’ve read some excellent twists on Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility.  I think most readers are better acquainted with Pride and Prejudice, and that may be why there are so many available.  I have heard there are some who do not care for Emma, and Austen herself says she’s a character ‘no one but myself will much like.’  I happen to like her, and I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a ‘what if’ of Miss Woodhouse simply because there’s a treasure house of characters to play with in the story.

I would agree that Pride and Prejudice is the most well known. And poor Emma - she really does divide opinions, but I also like her a lot and as a reader would most definitely be interested to read an Emma 'what if'!
 

6.      What is your opinion of modern variations of Ms. Austen’s work such as Clueless, or the bollywood Pride and Prejudice or the recent YouTube series The Lizzy Bennet Diaries, or even paranormal variations such as Pride and Prejudice and Vampires? Would you ever think about writing a modern variation, or like me, do you prefer her stories to be kept to the era in which they belong?

I thought Clueless was funny, and I loved Bride and Prejudice simply for the glorious colour, music, and fun of the production.  I haven’t made it through The Lizzy Bennet Diaries, and I’m not a fan of paranormal variations.  I can appreciate a well-written modern take on any of Austen’s work, but a huge part of her appeal for me is the time period in which she lived and worked.  I love the clothes, the hairstyles, the manners, the music and balls, the furnishings, the mansions, and the elegance of the world she created.  I would not want to live in that era because most likely I would have been consigned to the servants’ quarters, but I love to escape into Austen’s graceful world for brief interludes whenever I have a chance.

I agree - reading such stories is a lovely escape to a completely different world, and so I like to keep today's modern world we are living in and Miss Austen's world separate.   
 

7.       Mr Darcy has to be one of the most famous heroes in all of literature and for many the saying ‘searching for Mr Right’ turned into ‘searching for Mr Darcy’ after coming across Pride and Prejudice (well, it did for me!). What appeals to you about Mr Darcy? Is he a fun character to develop and explore, as you do so well in your stories?

It’s obvious that I love Mr. Darcy.  I love his strengths and his flaws.  I’ve never been a member of the school that considers him shy.  I see him as knowing his place in the world, a man of wealth and breeding who is comfortable conversing with people on his level of society.  He inherited a great deal of responsibility early in life and feels the weight of it regarding his sister, the rest of his family, and his material holdings.  He has little patience with fools and in the beginning of Austen’s original, he did come off as arrogant.  In essentials, however, Darcy is a good man, and I love nothing more than to read the story of a good man. 

A gentleman with all the goodness over one with all the appearance of goodness any day, right?  
 

8.      There are many scenes in both your books (and I imagine in this new story as well!) which are highly romantic and had me sighing (and swooning!) with happiness! I really admire you for keeping your novels clean; it just shows how stories can be highly romantic whist remaining clean, unlike quite a few variations out there. How important is this to you? 

Thank you, Sophie.  That’s very kind of you.  Each time I sit down to face a blank screen, I’m attempting to write the kind of story I want to read.  I was happily married a long time before I lost my husband, I have five children, and I certainly am well acquainted with the pleasures of sex.  But the act itself is not what I care to read about.  I understand that some people do, but it’s not for me. I want to experience the intensity of strong feelings and the push-pull of emotions at play when two people fall in love.  To me, sex is not casual.  It’s not just a handshake.  It’s the ultimate expression of love.  If a couple meets and goes to bed together almost immediately, there’s no suspense, no thrill of the chase, no wondering if they will or won’t love each other.  Perhaps that’s why the propriety of Austen’s era lends itself to my kind of writing.  Frankly, I couldn’t write a steamy sex scene to save my life, but I adore reading and writing about pure romance.

Well the level of romance in your books is perfect for me, as the strict rules of propriety in this era is another strong appeal of Miss Austen's stories for me as well!
 

9.      I have thoroughly enjoyed reading both your previous stories, The Journey and An Arranged Marriage, and I was thrilled when I saw that your third story was now published, The Secret Betrothal. The routes you choose to explore in your first two stories are both very interesting, but I believe the premise of this newest story is the most intriguing for me. What gave you the idea of having Elizabeth agreeing to a secret engagement to Wickham? Where does your inspiration come for?

Inspiration for my latest story probably came from my own life.  Many of us chose the wrong man the first time and lived to regret it.  People will say that Elizabeth was too intelligent to fall for Wickham, but smart women make foolish choices every day of the week when it comes to matters of the heart.  Elizabeth was young and inexperienced and really didn’t know what love was at the beginning of Austen’s novel.  She thought she was a good judge of character, but she was fooled by Wickham for over half of the book until she read Darcy’s letter and learned the truth. I also was fascinated by the secret engagements in Emma and Sense and Sensibility.  Breaking an engagement could be traumatic in that day and time.  Men were sometimes sued for breach of promise, and a woman could become known as a jilt, which didn’t do much for her reputation.  I wanted to see if Darcy’s love was strong enough to survive the gossip that would surround Elizabeth once her secret was made known.

The secret betrothals have also always held an interest for me, and so I am really looking forward to seeing how you play with the idea in the story and seeing how it all turns out - although I have no doubt that Darcy's love will be strong enough to overcome even the scandal of a secret engagement!  
 

10.  Of the three stories you have now written, which has been your favourite to write? Or do you not have a favourite and love all three equally?

My favourite story is The Secret Betrothal, but my favourite book to write was An Arranged Marriage because it was the first novel I wrote in first-person.  I felt like I found my voice when I wrote in first-person.  The Secret Betrothal is written in third-person, and it was much harder to write and took longer to complete.

That is interesting as I would thought it would have been more difficult writing in first-person and having the whole story written from only one person's point of view!  
 

11.  I will wrap up the questions now but there is one burning question that we all want an answer to; any further ideas for another story? Any clues or at least any assurances that there will, sometime or another, be a third story for Darcy and Lizzy for us to look forward to? You must excuse my impatience, for I realise that your third story has only just been released, but I had to ask!

Oh, my, you are such a dear to ask for more!  I do have another story just about ready, but I haven’t discussed it with my publisher yet, so I’ll have to say let’s wait and see. 

That is good news! Thanks for sharing!
 

Thank you so much for having me as a guest, Sophie.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my visit to your lovely site.  And I must say I’m thrilled that you are such an ambassador for Jane Austen.  Being as young as you are and such a great fan of Austen just proves that her gift truly is timeless.

You are most welcome Jan - thank you for stopping by! And thank you for such kind words. I discovered Jane Austen at 9, fell in love with Jane Austen at 15, and I am now 18 and completely lost to the wonderful world of the genius that is Miss Jane Austen - there is no going back now!   

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As I mentioned above, I am very lucky to be able to offer a giveaway of 2 copies of her book; one paperback and one ebook (Kindle or Nook), both open internationally.

To enter please leave a comment below and include your email address so that I can contact the randomly selected winners.

The giveaway will end on the 23rd of April, so that I have time to contact the winners and then pass on the necessary details by the 26th.

Good luck!

My thanks again goes to Jan Hahn for this interview and to Jakki for setting up this tour.

I wish Jan all the best with this latest release as well as any stories in the future! Keep an eye out for my review of this story which I hope to post in the next few weeks!


Your affectionate friend,