In the Spotlight: The Jane Austen Series by Michael Thomas Ford
This month we take a look at the wit and sparkling banter of Michael Thomas Ford’s vampire heroine Jane Austen. I have seldom laughed out loud as often as I did when reading these books. I must admit they are a wonderful contrast to the usual dark and soulful vampire offerings we often have on this blog. Ford brings a wonderful ability to portray real people, even when taking such a very unrealistic concept and making you care for these characters. Plus, you just want to give Lord Byron a good smack every once in a while! How Jane puts up with him I don’t know. But then, you will see when you check them out, they are fun, witty and just a little arch. All in all, a great set of stories from one of our literary treasures of the day.
It has been two hundred years since the death, or rather reported death, of Jane Austen. Lucky for her, she is still surrounded by her beloved books, although now it is as the owner of a tiny bookshop named Flyleaf Books. Nestled in a small Upstate New York college town, Jane has the questionable privilege of watching her own books move briskly, along with dozens of spin-offs, sequels and more. For a woman who is undead, her books are remarkable not dead at all.
To add to the frustration, Jane has a manuscript that she has been working on since just before she was turned into a vampire. All these years she has been sending it out to publisher after publisher, and watching its rejection. They now number 116. Longing to let the world know she is still around and writing, she must hide in the shadows. That is until a twist of fate shines that spotlight on her once again. She must keep her own true identity secret, and somehow fend off not one but two modern day suitors, all while struggling with a dark man from her past. In a comedy that uses both wit and finesse, Jane must somehow keep her cool while keeping everyone in their place.
In a continuation of Jane Bites Back, Jane continues to struggle with the affairs of her bookstore and her new found fame as author Jane Fairfax. Her book Constance is a best seller and more, her boyfriend is a dear who is becoming a bit of a nuisance and her ex-lover, Lord Byron is more of a hindrance than a help. Things get more complicated, and dangerous, when reviewer and blogger Beverly Shrop (I must confess I found the portrait of her to be one of the funniest) becomes Jane’s nemesis. Somehow Jane must find a way around the woman, keep her eye on Lord Byron and his tendency to muck up the scenery with his well-intentioned farces, and in the process baby her book through the world of movies. And somewhere in there, find a way to decide about dear Walter, who seems intent on marrying her. What is a girl, even if she is two hundred years old, to do?
Coming at the end of February is the third installment of this fun series! As Walter and Jane make plans for their wedding, Walter’s suggestion that they toss the whole thing sideways and simply combine wedding, honeymoon and house tour of Europe together sounds like the perfect plan to Jane. With Charlotte Bronte’s threat left behind, as well as the interfering Lord Byron, you would think a trip to Europe would be perfect. But it seems that Jane has traded one dark secret for another.
The trip is turned into a nightmare as murder mysteries, secret identities and ghostly visitors pile up. Then there is the rumor of a device that restores a vampire’s soul. With it she could truly vow herself to Walter, so she must find it, but how? And can she do it without leaving a trail for a vampire hunter to follow and drive a stake through her heart before she can restore her soul?
What a perfectly delightful trio of tales, and ones that I am sure any lover of vampire tales, romance or even good mysteries will find themselves enjoying thoroughly. I am looking forward to our Q&A with the author, coming soon. Watch for it!
