Breaking Up Is Fun To Do

Here we are again, just a few days later. I had such an amazing interview on Monday with, Anna Campbell I thought I would do it again. It’s always a delight to have a fellow writing friend stop by my blog and hang out. This will be Sharon Lathan's second visit here. Welcome back Sharon. Let’s show her the same love thaat we gave Anna!

Sharon stopped by today to share her story with us. I found it very interesting. I think you will find the same. So sit a spell and take advantage of the writer’s process. Make sure to leave her a comment, she’ll be checking in on the blog all day. Here you go Sharon, I am handing the reigns over to you.


Breaking Up is Fun to Do
By Sharon Lathan

When I decided to take the fifty plus chapters I originally posted online under the title Two Shall Become One and attempt to entice a publisher, my first chore was to split the massive tome into separate novels. I was incredibly naïve when it came to word count and page numbers, basing my division on a logical “feeling” of what was best.

Fortunately I was successful in obtaining an editor who loved my story and I am thrilled to say she still does. She had no problem with volume one, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One and its word count of slightly under 120,000. The second installment, Loving Mr. Darcy, was considerably larger at something like 150,000 words! I know!! Crazy. We trimmed here and there, but she did not comment too much on the size.

Then we turned to the third novel.

At that time it was titled The Darcys at Year’s End and like the other two had been previously self-published and sold very well. During the publishing process for the first novels I had continued to write and by the time we got around to initial edits for The Darcys at Year’s End I already had another novel completed and was starting on a companion novel for Georgiana.

Deb, my editor, was thrilled about the new material but a bit concerned about my third since this one was – Are you ready for this? – slightly over 200,000 words!

Yikes! Yes, you can say it! By now I was no longer naïve and therefore I wasn’t a tiny bit surprised when she encouraged me to consider cutting in down. I’m not Tolstoy or Steven King! It was sensible to avoid epic proportions, but naturally my panic was the fear of deleting and destroying massive portions of my story.

To my joy Deb had a better solution and that was to trim off the latter chapters and defer them into the fourth novel. Brilliant!

I can’t tell you how happy I was about this. Instinctively I knew that stopping My Dearest Mr. Darcy (as it was re-titled) right after the birth of Darcy and Lizzy’s first child was the perfect place.

Three wonderful results came from this.

One, I now had the freedom to completely rearrange large portions of My Dearest Mr. Darcy, editing and rewriting liberally. For instance, the gradual revelation of Dr. George Darcy’s life, romance, and decision to stay at Pemberley was emphasized before he delivered the Darcy firstborn, creating a more poignant relationship and connection.

Second, the total word count was significantly decreased giving me the opportunity to add new sections! Darcy dealt with a band of poachers, the gamekeeper compound of Pemberley was explored, and Georgiana’s character arc was enhanced.

The best part, however, was that I now had a wealth of material so instead of only one book to follow the third I now had two! Georgiana’s love story therefore became my sixth. How awesome is that? I was rejuvenated! I looked at the chapters surrounding Christmas, Alexander’s christening, the Twelfth Night Masque, and Darcy’s murderous adventure in Derby with new eyes. These portions once the latter third of My Dearest Mr. Darcy were given a facelift so that those familiar with them from the self-published version will be pleasantly surprised. Additions and rewrites galore!

Next I turned to the completely unique material never seen by anyone. Even here I had the joy of being able to rearrange to my heart’s content and add more to the story than originally written. Now I could accurately present a Regency Era presentation to the Court of St. James. Lizzy and Darcy were finally able to take the trip to the Peak District denied them. They also enjoyed the healing springs of Matlock Bath. Colonel Fitzwilliam’s romantic entanglements became much more exciting. Every chapter was tweaked to some degree and it was glorious!

And now here it is! My new and vastly improved fourth novel after numerous transitions and title changes is one store shelves. Yes, the bits and pieces have altered to varying degrees but one aspect has remained: The Darcys live happily ever after!

Thank you, Micole, for allowing me to share my story with your readers. I’ll be checking back throughout the day so if anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to add them on! For more information about my series, come to my website: www.sharonlathan.net. I also invite everyone to join me at the group blogs I participate in: Austen Authors (www.austenauthors.com) and Casablanca Authors (www.casablancaauthors.blogspot.com)



IN THE ARMS OF MR. DARCY BY SHARON LATHAN—IN STORES OCTOBER 2010
If only everyone could be as happy as they are…

Darcy and Elizabeth are as much in love as ever—even more so as their relationship matures. Their passion inspires everyone around them, and as winter turns to spring, romance blossoms around them.

Confirmed bachelor Richard Fitzwilliam sets his sights on a seemingly unattainable, beautiful widow; Georgiana Darcy learns to flirt outrageously; the very flighty Kitty Bennet develops her first crush, and Caroline Bingley meets her match.

But the path of true love never does run smooth, and Elizabeth and Darcy are kept busy navigating their friends and loved ones through the inevitable separations, misunderstandings, misgivings, and lovers’ quarrels to reach their own happily ever afters…

About the Author--
Sharon Lathan is the bestselling author of Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley, and My Dearest Mr. Darcy published by Sourcebooks Landmark. Her newest release is In The Arms of Mr. Darcy, available now, and the soon to be released anthology A Darcy Christmas. Along with her duties as a writer she works in a Neonatal ICU, is a wife and mother, and is active in her local chapters of the Romance Writers of America and the Jane Austen Society.

Sourcebooks eBook Promotion: Sharon Lathan’s bestselling book, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, (epub: 9781402235184, pdf: 9781402228865) will be available for free download from 10/5 – 10/11. Please visit http://www.sourcebooks.com/special-offers/ebook-deals.html for more information!

Thank you Sharon for spending your day here on Micole Writes Romance. Wishing you all the best with the sales of your new title’s IN THE ARMS OF MR. DARCY & A DARCY CHRISTMAS. Maybe soon we will be able to plan that lunch we have been talking about! ;-)

And readers…. A big THANK YOU goes out to all of you.

Hugs

Micole