Bio: Anita Mae
Draper's stories are written under the western skies where she lives on the
prairie of southeast Saskatchewan
with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. When she's
not writing, Anita enjoys photography, research, travel, and is especially
happy when she can combine the three in one trip. Anita's current release is Romantic Refinements, a novella in Austen
in Austin Volume 1, WhiteFire Publishing, January 2016. Anita is
represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can
find Anita Mae at www.anitamaedraper.com
Welcome, Anita. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
My characters don’t reflect who I am, as much as who I
strive to be.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
This brings to mind a silly incident when I was a young
corporal working as a teletype operator in a military message center. Everyone
had gone for coffee and I was all alone—or so I thought. With nothing to do but
babysit the equipment, I sat on my favorite swivel chair and spun myself
around, legs off the ground, as if I were on a children’s park merry-go-round.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my sergeant leaning against his open office door giving
me with a quizzical look. Whoops. I said the first thing I thought of… “Would
you believe I’m lowering my chair?” He disappeared back into his office while
shaking his head and muttering. Let’s just say that from then on I kept my
chair spinning antics to my midnight shifts.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
I wrote my first poem when I was six, but it wasn’t until I
was fourteen that I felt compelled to write a story which seemed novel-length,
but in hindsight was only short story length.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I love reading westerns in any time period, and historicals
are a favorite, but I also read contemporary. Sometimes it’s not so much the
genre, but the author, or a cover, that
draws me to a book. Whatever I read, it has to have a happily ever after.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
That’s easy … I don’t. Seriously, though, every once in a
while I’ll get overwhelmed by all the demands and so I’ll go off social media
and hide out in my writing cave. After a few days of solitude, I’m ready to
face the world.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
Usually, a name will come to me as I think of a storyline.
Then, I’ll check it on a baby name app which shows what names were popular in
the time period of my story. And if I haven’t found one by then, I’ll look at
old census records of the period and choose one that way. I also have a baby
name origin book for when my character comes from a specific country and I want
to add flavor to the story.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished thus far in my
writing career, but the one that made me giddy was when Guideposts Books chose
my Christmas short story, “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” to be featured in a
marketing campaign where thousands of subscribers were able to read the first
eight pages of my story, one of eight short stories in A Cup of Christmas Cheer Volume 4. It was a definite honor to be
blessed in that way.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
Call me a party-pooper, but I really don’t want to be an
animal. The way I see it, they all have their limitations when it comes to
predators and the food chain. At least as a human I feel love, I can think, and
I have faith in a God who loves me.
Good answer. What is
your favorite food?
Kraft Dinner with wieners or smokies as a meal. Chocolate at
any other time.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
The lack of confidence has always been my biggest roadblock.
When I need reassurance, I first pray about it, then I email my Inkwell
Inspirations blog mates. And if I still need a pick me up, I’ll email my agent,
Mary Keeley. I’m truly blessed with a wonderful support team.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Austen in Austin Volume 1 is a 4 novella collection set in the
late 1900’s in Austin , Texas , using Jane Austen’s characters. For
example, my novella’s heroine, Marion, in Romantic
Refinements, is loosely based on the younger sister, Marianne, in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. The novellas can
be purchased and read as a stand-alone, but since the stories are all interwoven,
characters from any story in Volume 1 and 2 (available later this year) may
appear in any other novella(s)—some as a foreshadow and some as an epilogue.
It’s a richer experience if they’re read in order.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
“Marianne's abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to
Elinor's. She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything: her sorrows,
her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she
was everything but prudent.”
― Jane Austen, Sense
and Sensibility
September 1882, Texas
Hill Country
Even the jerking and jostling of wooden wagon wheels
travelling on uneven ground didn’t drop Marion McDermott’s gaze from the herd
of rangy cowhands watching the action in the corral. Why, the thought that her
future husband might be in the batch of hardened, heavy-working, hat-wearing
men set her heart a-thumping—something the dandies back in Austin hadn’t been
able to achieve. Poppa’s smile would surely shine when he heard how seriously
she’d taken his warning about marrying a man for his good looks, alone.
Yet as Aunt Mattie steered their outfit toward the white
pickets which surrounded the familiar verandah-decked house, Marion nervously smoothed the lap of her
periwinkle day dress. With its layers of ruffles and lace it hadn’t been the
most practical choice for the hour trip from Austin, but as headmistress Mrs.
Collins had repeatedly said, Marion should continue to work on virtues such as
practicality even now that she’d graduated from the Jeanette C. Austen Academy
for Young Ladies.
Over by the corral the cowhands gazed in Marion ’s direction even though the object of
their recent attention still bucked with abandon in the corral behind them.
Spotting a familiar handsome face sent a hundred butterflies
flittering in her stomach. Mr. Jeffrey
Whelp could very well be the man to leave this ranch with a proprietary hand on
her back.
As he left the rail and sauntered her way with the rest of
the men, Marion
faced the front, her gloved hands closing the silk parasol that matched her
fancy travelling dress.
Aunt Mattie reined in the team beside the fence where Marion ’s favorite yellow
roses rambled along the white pickets.
Aunt Mattie tied off the lines. “Not much changes on a
ranch, except for the men. You’ll recognize most of them, especially the ones
your poppa sent over. My brother is as stubborn as they come, but he believes
in family and I value the support he has shown over the years since your Uncle
Raith died. All his blustering at the beginning was only because that is what
he thought a big brother was supposed to do. But he came around.”
She nodded toward the outbuildings. “I don’t think you’ve
met my foreman, yet.”
A tall cowboy in a black hat stood on the stoop of the
foreman’s quarters. His off-white shirt and denims were much like the clothes
of the other cowhands, but when he stepped down and headed her way, he lacked
the rolling saunter of someone who spent hours in the saddle. Instead, his
limping stride appeared jerky and torturous. Beneath a wide brim, his
sun-creased face lacked signs of youth and Marion guessed him to be about thirty or so.
With his strong, clean-shaven jawline and wide shoulders his overall appearance
was that of a striking man any woman would have a hard time forgetting.
Their gazes locked, his directness questioning hers.
She looked away, annoyed that she’d been caught staring.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Thanks for asking! You can find me at these online places:
Pinterest
(includes story boards)
Thank you, Anita, for sharing this new book with us. I know lots of my readers are Austen fans and will love the Texas twist to the stories.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Austen in Austin, Volume 1 - PaperbackAusten in Austin, Volume 1: Four Texas-Set Novellas Based on Jane Austen's Novels - Kindle
Romantic Refinements (Austen in Austin) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
53 comments:
Thanks for giving us a peek into Anita's mind. I love the chair story! oh my.
I hope you all get a chance to read Austen in Austin! Thanks to Anita, I think we were able to get the western details right. (We had a long discussion on side saddle/ riding astride!)
Hello, Lena and Anita Mae! So excited for Anita's release of Romantic Refinements. And I sure enjoyed the interview!
Deb, I don't tell that story to just anyone lest they think my whole military career was spent that way. ha!
About that side saddle... I picked one up at that museum auction last summer. It's busted up pretty good but there's not that many around. I might just write a post about it. Thanks for the reminder.
And thanks for popping in, Deb. Loved working on this project with you.
Susie, Lena had some questions that no one ever asked me before, hence it took me awhile to complete the interview.
Thanks for stopping. I'm so very happy that you used your Genesis win of One Word From You in this project. It makes it extra special. :)
Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Lena. I'm glad to be here.
Thank you for a great interview Anita and Lena.
Melanie Backus, TX
Hi Lena and Anita Mae! Happy to hear of Anita's release of Romantic Refinements. Thanks for an enjoyable interview!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to read and review this! :D ALL of these Austen titles are ones I've enjoyed and I can't WAIT to see what these authors have done with these characters!!!
Many Blessings, Amada (pronounced: a.m.a.th.a), NM
amada_chavezATyahooDOTcom
I love anything Jane Austen! Can't wait to read these. Sounds amazing!
J.C. -Indiana-
would love to win. angela in ky
The Volume and the Novella looks amazing.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Although I haven't ever visited Texas, I always love a good re-telling. A re-telling involving any Jane Austen story is even better. I started reading J.A. when I was in high school. Pride and Prejudice started my love for romantic comedies. :)
Terrill - WA
This book sounds like a fun book using Austen's characters to write a book set in Austen what could be better.
Angela
St. Cloud, FL
Thanks, Melanie. Nice to see you here. :)
Thanks, Connie. I appreciate your support. :)
I love your enthusiasm, Amada, and I really hope you enjoy our novellas whenever you get a chance to read them. :)
Anita, your book sounds like fun. Love the way you took elements from Jane Austen and made them your own.
Sandy Q.
Texas
Hello, JC, thanks for stopping by.
I never realized how much Jane Austen would become part of my life until I started writing Romantic Refinements. Like a passing acquaintance before, she's like a friend where I see and hear her quoted no matter where I look. She had such a grasp of life's realities, it's no wonder her stories live on.
Hey Angela, thanks for stopping by.
Hey, Mary-down-in-Queensland, thanks for reminding me that the cover work was done by Roseanna White of WhiteFire Publishing. Her work really is wonderful.
Volume 2 will have a similar, but slightly different cover.
Nice to see you here. :)
Hi, Terrill. I hope you enjoy our version.
One thing that might seem strange with Romantic Refinements compared with Jane Austen's Sense ad Sensibility is that although my heroine is based on the younger Dashwood sister, Marianne, my Marion doesn't have a sister, as we needed to stretch out the heroines to fill 8 novellas.
Our version of the older Dashwood sister is found in Sense and Nonsense by Lisa Karon Richardson, which is found in Volume 2.
btw Volume 2 of Austen in Austin is up for Pre-Order now on Amazon. :)
Angela in St Cloud... it was very fun to write. Of course, I wavered over which way to change the original to suit the western setting, and how to change the story line so that it was new, but that's all part of the creative process which I really enjoy doing.
Thanks for dropping in. :)
Looks like great stories. :-) I enjoyed the interview. Always interesting finding out about the authors and their personalities.
Melissa in VA
I've been hearing about this book, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
Wendy in FL
wfnren at aol dot com
Hello, Sandy in Texas. Being a western rider and writer, I have always wanted to set a story in Texas, and thanks to my Inkwell Inspirations blogmates who hooked me onto Jane Austen and proposed this project, that has now become a reality.
So very glad you stopped by. :)
Thanks, Melissa. Yep, I had to dig deep for some of those questions. :)
Wendy, thanks for dropping in. Glad to hear there's some 'chatter' about the book. :)
Sounds like a great collection of stories! I love westerns! Thanks for the chance to win!
Beth in Montana
Wow! Great interview! So looking forward to this! I can't wait. I've already won Anita's giveaway on her blog, so won't be entering this giveaway. I just love the interview and getting to know Anita better and about Austen in Austin. Just dropping a line. Thanks!
Annie
Beth, I sure hope you enjoy the western theme of our Austen heroines, then. :)
Thanks for popping in.
Hi, I'm Karen from Oklahoma.
This book sounds great, I don't think
I've read any by these authors.
New authors for me love it. north platte nebraska
Annie, thank you so very much for your support. Kind of makes it good that all the interviewers ask different questions, eh. .)
Karen, I'm glad you found us then. Gina is also from Oklahoma and has historicals out several publishers. :)
Hi, Kim. Sure hope you add us to your author list then. :)
Enter me in your great contest!!
Conway, SC.
Enter me.
Blanch NC
Hello Sharon from South Carolina.
Hello Abigail from North Carolina.
I know! I love that all the books have main characters with totally different outlooks on life, and yet you find yourself agreeing completely with each different one! Like, for example, Emma thinks it's fine for a low-class person to shoot for a high-class marriage, but by the end of the book she realizes she's wrong. Yet in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy thinks it's NOT fine for low-class and high-class to intermarry, but by the end of the book, he realizes HE'S wrong. Or, in Sense and Sensibility, Elinor believes they should abide by society's rules because it's the right thing to do, and you realize that she's absolutely correct. But, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth MAKES FUN of society's rules, and you realize that SHE'S absolutely correct! Contradictions? And yet, for each book, the result feels completely right. And it's like that in all the books! Each one sees things differently, and yet it always feels like the conclusions the characters come to at the end is exactly on que. I LOVE IT!
J.C. -Indiana-
Great interview with Anita! This collection is at the TOP of my wish list!
Caryl in TEXAS
Excellent, JC. You're a wiz at Austen! :)
Thanks, Caryl. Hope you have a chance to read it soon. :)
This book sounds like one I will definitely enjoy. I would love to win a copy. I enjoyed the interview.
happygrammaof3(at)Comcast.(net)
Thanks, Brenda. I hope you get a chance to read it soon. :)
I LOVE Jane Austen and most stories based on her books! (Well, except zombies) Thanks for the chance to win a copy of yours!
Sounds like a great collection, love how all of the stories are connected in some way!
Patty in SC
Hi, Marji. I couldn't decide if I was going to watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I guess hubby knows that I get nightmares from watching 'dark' stuff, so one day the TV commercials were advertising it, and the next, I saw people discussing it on Facebook and blogs. I'd missed it and do you know ... I'm fine with that.
Thanks for sharing. :)
Thanks, Patty. I hope you enjoy reading them.
I wouldn't want to be an animal either! Looking forward to this book!
Beth from IA
Thank you, Beth! I had second thoughts about the way I answered that question, yet it was the only honest answer I have.
I hope you enjoy Austen in Austin whenever you get a chance to read it. Thanks for stopping by.
I love Jane Austen and Austin, TX where my grandchildren are... count me in!
Merry in MN
Great to hear, Merry! Thanks for popping in. :)
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