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Hi, and thanks for inviting me to the blog! While I was writing this book a couple of years ago, something interesting I encountered was balancing out the different and new elements of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre while staying true to Jane Austen’s beloved characters, and it’s one of the reasons I loved writing the book. I started it at Longbourn, Elizabeth’s house, on the morning of her wedding, so that I could start it at a familiar point for readers. Elizabeth and all her family are there, and they are all recognizably the characters from Pride and Prejudice.

As the book progresses, Elizabeth is exposed to more and more unfamiliar places and people, which makes things fresh for readers, and so in order to keep a link back to her own world, and the original novel, I included a number of letters to her sister. She writes about the familiar world of Hertfordshire, as well as her fears and uncertainties about the new direction her life has taken. The letters are a bridge between the two novels, as well as being a bridge between Elizabeth and Jane.

It was great fun taking the characters out of England and sending them to Europe for their honeymoon. I gave me a good reason for creating a completely new world for them, which is what I wanted to do. They travel to Paris, then visit one of Darcy’s uncles in a gloomy castle in the mountains and travel across the Alps to Italy, where they stay in Darcy’s palace in Venice.

There are balls and parties in Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, just as there are in Pride and Prejudice, but there are also a lot of frightening experiences for Elizabeth as well. To make sure I stayed true to her character I went back to Pride and Prejudice and looked at how she behaved when things weren’t going so well for her. She is usually full of spirit, but when she finds out that Lydia has eloped, Jane Austen tells us that she had “a pale face . . .  her knees trembled under her . . .  she sat down, unable to support herself . . . looking miserably ill . . . she burst into tears.”

So I knew that Elizabeth wasn’t a wonder woman who could cope cheerfully with anything, but instead was a real person. When things get really tough for her in Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, I let her give way to her emotions as she does in Pride and Prejudice.

And as for Mr. Darcy, well, he’s still quiet, reserved and mysterious… And the secret behind his strange behaviour is something Lizzy never imagined could be possible!
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a real blend of old and new. I wanted to read something different myself, and the best way to read it seemed to be to write it! It’s a great read for Halloween, with bats and wolves and other spooky things, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

About the Author
Amanda Grange is a bestselling author specializing in creative interpretations of classic novels and historic events, including Jane Austen’s novels and the Titanic shipwreck. Her Jane Austen sequel Mr. Darcy’s Diary is a bestseller in the US and the UK. She lives in England. For more information on Amanda and her books, please visit http://amandagrange.com/. For more information on Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, please visit Amanda’s blog and the Sourcebooks Spotlight Page. Interested in reading an excerpt? Follow us on Twitter the week of Halloween!