Jane Austen Week: Day 2 - Q&A with Kathleen A. Flynn

Welcome to Jane Austen Week, Day 2!

One of the many pleasures of being a writer is getting to meet other writers. I haven't had the pleasure of getting to meet author Kathleen A. Flynn in person, but I was a third of the way through her debut novel, The Jane Austen Project, when I was in the planning stages of Jane Austen Week.

With its mix of Jane Austen, time travel, and philosophical speculation, it landed squarely in my reading sweet spot. In a nutshell, time travelers Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane are sent to 1815 to recover Jane Austen's letters to her sister Cassandra, as well as a previously undiscovered completed manuscript. But their objective becomes messy as they become involved with Jane's social circle and begin to notice small changes in the historical timeline. And after a while, Rachel – a doctor – begins to wrestle with the mysterious illness that ultimately takes Jane's life.

Intrigued? So was I! After all, Jane Austen Week is all about the 200th Anniversary of Jane's passing; a celebration of her life's work. And because the plot of The Jane Austen Project centers very much on Jane's life, the looming reality of her death, and what might have happened if history had unfolded differently, I'm thrilled Kathleen could participate!

Jane Austen Week: Day 1 - Chamomile & Lavender Scones

It's the first day of Jane Austen week! You can click here to see the full schedule of events - I'm really excited.

To kick it off, I'll admit I spent some time thinking about what to say. After all, I've spent a lot of time lately writing about what Austen's work meant to me, and what makes her so enticing to adapt.

So rather than say more just now, I decided to pivot and share a scone that almost made it into the book.

Originally there were three scone recipes in the book, and I nixed this one, and after testing it this week - well, I'm glad I get to share it here!

Jane Austen Week!

I'm so excited for this week! In honor of the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen's passing, this week is going to be five straight days of Austen-y goodness, celebrating her work and it's centuries-long impact. 

On Monday, I'll kick things off with a delicious scone recipe (as I do) and information about how to enter to win the Jane of Austin prize package, offered by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Release Day Strawberry Tart

I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that Jane of Austin is finally out and available in the world! For all of you who pre-ordered - thank you, and your copy should arrive today! And for everyone else, you can find your copy online and on shelves!

I'm also thrilled to add that Jane can be purchased as an audiobook! As an avid audiobook listener, I'm thrilled to pieces to have one of my books available in audio!

Memphis Diaries: Part I

Memphis bridge - Adobe Stock

Some days I can't quite believe we made it here. In December, we packed most of the very last of our belongings into the truck and car. Stuffed, more like - the car was on a trailer, and everything I thought I might need in the apartment for the first week was wedged inside. Clothes, kitchenwares, bedding - stuffed.

I wrote "most of the last" because some of it just didn't fit. The vacuum? Left with my brother-in-law to donate (we would have donated it ourselves, but it was, like 11pm or so). And there's a lampshade we barely fit into the truck that we left with my mom to mail later.

Love Be the Loudest: A Q&A with Singer-Songwriter Ginny Owens

So! Last September, before we moved out to Memphis, my good friend Rachel Lulich organized a concert at her church in Lake Oswego, and flew the award-winning singer-songwriter Ginny Owens out to perform.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Ginny live - do. She does a fantastic set, engagingly sharing the songs she's written over her 18-year-long career. I recognized songs I'd heard and enjoyed in college, songs that had a different resonance for me now.

We chatted after the show, and I had the chance to invite her to come and share here about her work, her process, and her latest album. I've interviewed lots of book-writers, so it was really fun to hear from someone with a different creative and professional pursuit!

Hillary Manton Lodge: Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview! Let’s start with your newest album, Love Be the Loudest. It’s your eleventh album, and it's got a decidedly more pop-sound to it than your previous releases. What inspired that shift?