Marilyn Brant is in the reading lounge with me today, and we’re wearing our bunny slippers and drinking hot tea. (Don’t you think Jane Austen would approve?) See, in Marilyn’s creative debut, her protagonist hears the voice of Jane Austen, guiding her every move in her love life. Marilyn, thanks for coming by, especially on your debut week! So girlfriends, leave a comment on the best love advice you’ve ever been given and one lucky commenter will win an advanced reading copy of ACCORDING TO JANE signed and mailed by Marilyn herself. (randomly drawn at 9 p.m. CST and announced in the comments. Per usual, all BEbabes chapter members get one extra vote.)

If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of that show be?
How becoming your “Best Self” can require many long years of soul searching and endless hours of listening to sappily sentimental ‘80s tunes.

What was the most fun scene in your book to write?
One scene I had a lot of fun with was the bar scene in the first chapter where my main character runs into her ex-high-school boyfriend for the first time in four years. It was a situation I had never experienced personally, but I could imagine the comical possibilities so clearly and feel and the frustration of my heroine as if I’d been the one standing there, facing the jerk and his latest girlfriend, while Jane Austen ranted about how “insufferable” he was.

Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?
Before I sold According to Jane, the manuscript was a Golden Heart finalist and my son, an avid coin collector who was 8 at the time, gave me one of his “special quarters” for good luck. I won the award and now keep his quarter on my desk for good luck and inspiration. As for writing vices–I have a terrible tendency to “quote” things (not just in dialogue, but in narrative). Oh, and I also use too many ellipses…

What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?
I use every possible type of writing tool, and I use them everywhere. I have a desktop HP for my home office (I’m there most of the time), a Compaq laptop for coffee shop visits and I actually still draft a lot of scenes by hand on notebook paper. I’ve been known to use the occasional carryout menu or paper towel when necessary, too.

Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?
I’m a debut author, so I don’t expect name or sight recognition yet (and I happen to love anonymity, so I’m not rushing it!). But, right after my photo and book cover were printed in the library newsletter, I did get a flurry of phone calls and people stopping me at the local Piggly Wiggly to tell me they’d seen it… That I was famous (!!) and that everyone was going to be coming to my Author Talk. While I’m fairly certain not “everyone” will actually be at that talk, I look forward to assuring those who are that I’m really, seriously NOT famous.

What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?
I’m a huge fan of Thai spring rolls and English chocolate bars.

Describe your personality with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.
Curious. Persistent. Observant. Analytical. Creative.

According to Jane by Marilyn Brant

In Marilyn Brant’s smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . .
It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett’s teacher is assigning Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet “tsk” of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who’s teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author’s ghost has taken up residence in Ellie’s mind, and seems determined to stay there.
Jane’s wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go–sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane’s counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.
Still, everyone has something to learn about love–perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie’s head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

Praise for ACCORDING TO JANE:
“A warm, witty and charmingly original story.” –Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Tell us, dear readers, what’s the BEST ADVICE you’ve ever been given regarding love?