Christine Combe Interview

Hello, Janeites! I'm so excited to welcome a dear friend back to the blog, author Christine Combe!

Thank you, Jayne. I am very excited to be visiting But Do Not Faint to promote another new book! My latest Austenesque venture, Three Brides for Three Cousins, is a Pride and Prejudice story in which Darcy and his two cousins find love during the London Season.

Fitzwilliam Darcy’s twin cousins are ready for their debut in society, and one might think that would keep their mother—the Countess of Disley—well occupied. But even preparing her daughters for presentation to the Queen and their debut ball has not stopped Lady Disley’s plans to marry off her two sons and her nephew at last.

Elizabeth Bennet and her elder sister Jane are in London with their aunt and uncle at Gracechurch Street to enjoy some of the delights of the Season. They do not expect that meeting Mrs. Gardiner’s cousin from Derbyshire and the young lady to whom she is companion will lead to a reunion with the young man who wrote Jane some verses of poetry when she was 15 … or that he will be revealed to be a viscount.

Although sure this means the end of their new acquaintance with the shy Miss Darcy, Elizabeth and Jane are surprised when her brother lets the friendship continue. More than that, Lord Rowarth is forced to confess that his feelings for Jane remain strong, and his determination to defy convention and pursue a match with her unintentionally draws Elizabeth and Darcy to each other. Amidst supporting his brother's attachment to one Bennet sister and encouraging his cousin Darcy’s growing feelings for the other, Colonel Theodore Fitzwilliam is enlisted by a duke’s daughter to help prevent her family’s ruination from scandal.

Family drama, misunderstandings, and the expectations of society are difficult waters to navigate. Can these three cousins get through it all to win the hearts of their chosen ladies and secure their own happiness?

Now, here are the answers to your interview questions, so the readers can get to know a little about the book and me!

The title of your book has a familiar ring to it—where have I heard it before? 

I freely admit that the title was inspired by the title of a John Wayne movie called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  

Can you tell me a little more about the book’s plot?

In my previous books, Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother is married. I thought it was time I wrote a book where he wasn’t and facing the same pressures to find a wife as the colonel and Darcy. It’s something of an alternate timeline plot—Jane and Elizabeth are in London with the Gardiners at the start of the London Season, and all the stuff with Mr. Collins happens in the background.

Did you draw any particular inspiration from Austen’s original novel for your story—besides getting Darcy and Elizabeth together, of course!

As you will have noted in the blurb, I based part of the plot around the “very pretty verses” Jane Bennet received when she was 15. The writer of those verses was a viscount—and not just any viscount, but Darcy’s cousin!

Are the usual villains—Lady Catherine and Wickham—in this story?

They are, but honestly, not all that much. They both get their comeuppance, as they always should, lol.

Are there any characters in the original novel that are less present or missing from your story?

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, the younger three Bennet sisters, and pretty much anyone from Meryton. The reason for that is because Jane and Elizabeth are staying with the Gardiners in London. Though there are portions of letters from the Bennets still at Longbourn.

Do you have a critique group/beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I self-edit as I am writing and I’ve also discussed certain scenes with my author friends — it’s both great fun to talk to another writer as well as get an opinion from someone who understands what you’re doing (writing a book). Every now and then I’ll post an excerpt on my Facebook author page or my blog to see what readers think, but for this book and the last story I wrote — A Promise of Forever — I posted chapter by chapter at fanfiction.net for feedback. The readers there have been wonderful, and their comments have definitely helped shape my story.

Would you be willing to have one of your books made into a movie? Which one?

I would love to—what author wouldn’t want to see their characters brought to life? And while the big screen would be the ultimate dream come true, it could be a made-for-TV or made-for-cable movie and I’d still be satisfied. I’d love to see them all brought to life!

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

There was a time in my life that I was determined to become a police officer. It was my dream. Then declining health issues (I’m asthmatic) forced me to admit that actual police work just wasn’t going to work out for me. So I thought I’d be a lawyer, but frankly couldn’t afford to go to college for four years, let alone eight, and wasn’t about to put myself in debt for life by taking out insanely large student loans. In the end I chose to set my sights on writing because through all of those other dreams, the urge to be a writer was one that had always stayed with me.

Will you have a new book coming out soon?

I just released Three Brides for Three Cousins on December 11th, so nothing new in the immediate future. However, I am about eight chapters into another book, tentatively titled The Safe House, which I actually started writing before Three Brides but chose to put aside out of fear the theme was too dark. As I was nearing the finish for Three Brides, I decided to go back to this story for a bit when my muse started failing me (that happens sometimes when I’m working on a book—I get near the end and suddenly start drawing a blank). I think that helped push me to get Three Brides done, which already took three months longer than I’d intended. 

The positive reviews I received when I began posting the chapters of The Safe House on fanfiction.net also really helped me to realize that not only should I finish the book, but that I needed to. It’s a delicate subject, to be sure, but I began to feel like instead of shying away from tackling difficult subject matter, fiction authors should embrace the challenge. Especially so give that this is something that was happening long before the Georgian/Regency era and actually continues to this day. It’s going to take some time to finish, though, because I want to be sensitive to the readers who have experienced what the book touches on.

I have also written the first chapter of yet another book, which deviates from the original when Elizabeth is at Hunsford. I’ve not tried to write a story from that starting point before, and the idea that came to me just wouldn’t let me go, lol. Also, having gone back and forth between Three Brides and The Safe House, and knowing that the latter will take a good deal of time to complete so that I get it right, I have come to realize that having a second book in progress will be necessary in order to generate income until The Safe House is finished. I used to think I couldn’t work on multiple projects at once, as I feared getting confused, but that didn’t happen. It was encouraging to me to find that I could do it.

Thanks for stopping by again. Hope you’ll come again when you publish your next book.

Thank you again for having me. You know I’ll be here again to spread the word!

Three Brides for Three Cousins is available in eBook from Amazon. Paperback and hardcover editions coming soon.

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Christine, like many a JAFF author before her, is a long-time admirer of Jane Austen‘s work, and she hopes that her alternate versions are as enjoyable as the originals. She has plans to one day visit England and take a tour of all the grand country estates which have featured in film adaptations, and often dreams of owning one. Christine lives in Ohio and is already at work on her next book.

Links: 

Blog: All That They Desire / Facebook: (1) Christine Combe | Facebook