You might be surprised to learn that when Susan read Pride and Prejudice for the first time in the eighth grade, she was not impressed! That changed when she saw the now famous 1995 mini-series version of the story. Deciding to give Austen another chance, she read all the novels and fell in love. Her favorite Austen book is Pride and Prejudice with Persuasion a close second.
She says, “Writing stories inspired by Austen’s books offers a way to spend more time with characters I’ve grown to love. Just because the book ends, it doesn’t have to be the end of the story.”
She is currently working on another Pride and Prejudice “what if” story with the working title of Please, Mr. Darcy and has a growing list of other ideas to be developed.
In addition to writing, her other loves include singing in “a cappella joy,” a women’s barbershop chorus, reading, and yoga. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and three very naughty cats.
Visit Susan on her Facebook Page, Twitter @SusanMasonMilks, or follow her boards at Pinterest.
Susan’s Novel ~
This retelling of Pride and Prejudice asks “what if” events prevented Fitzwilliam Darcy from proposing to Elizabeth Bennet that day at Hunsford parsonage? Darcy arrives with marriage on his mind, only to find that Elizabeth has just received news her father is critically ill and probably dying. In the process of offering his help to her in traveling home, he discovers what she really thinks of him—and it’s not good. Should Darcy deliver Elizabeth home to be with her family and then disappear from her life, or should he propose another kind of help? Will Elizabeth be willing to sacrifice her future happiness to save her family from financial ruin? Or, do she and Darcy, two very stubborn people, have a chance of finding happiness together?