Most readers know Joanna Campbell Slan for her spunky
heroine, Kiki Lowenstein, a St. Louis mom who spends most of her time with her
foot in her mouth, running from murderers, and shopping at Goodwill. Kiki is a
scrapbooker, so Slan’s mysteries fall into that subgenre called “craft cozies,”
where they’ve done well. In fact, she’s just finished the sixth book in the
series in addition to ongoing short stories available for Kindle. But recently,
Joanna surprised us all. She developed a whole new shtick. She’s written a
historical mystery based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre. The first in
that series, Death of a Schoolgirl, will be released August 7 by Berkley.
Killer Fiction set out to discover what caused Slan to try something so challenging!
Q: Kirkus Reviews liked Death of a Schoolgirl. Like it a lot
in fact. They called it a “radical departure.” How did you feel about that?
A: Quite good actually. I wanted to write something
different. There are readers out there who wouldn’t try a book featuring a
scrapbooker. (Although when they did, they would write me and gush about how
much they liked Kiki.) So I set out to prove I could write “above my station.”
I mean, just because initially I entered the world of fiction writing about a
scrapbooker didn’t mean that was the only story line I had in me.
Q: But when you wrote about a scrapbooker, you knew that
world. You had written six books on scrapbooking, right? Wasn’t it different to
write about England in 1820?
A: Seven “how to” books on scrapbooking and more articles
than I can count. Yes, it was a challenge. But here’s a secret: I love to
write. Absolutely, totally adore writing. I would rather be writing than
anything else on earth. And next to writing, I love researching. I come from a
family with a fabulous, interesting history, so I grew up learning about
English history and royalty and so on. So it wasn’t as big of a stretch as it
might seem.
Q: There are those who think of Jane Eyre as one of the
greatest love stories ever written. How do you portray Jane’s relationship with
her husband Edward Rochester?
A: Believe me, it was a challenge to get that right.
As all of us know, the relationship between a man and woman changes when they
marry. Love becomes more secure and three-dimensional. So I set out to write
about a marriage of equals in a time when most marriages were very lopsided. I
was thrilled when Charlene Cruz in her Bookish Whimsey blog said, “I
think the tenor of their married life in this book is perfect, and as loving
and romantic as the original novel.”
Q: You fashion Jane as an amateur sleuth. What made you think
she’d fit that role? Weren’t you taking liberties with her character?
A: Actually, it’s sort of surprising that no one thought of casting
her in that role before. She fits the mold. She calls herself “insignificant,”
so she doesn’t draw attention. Jane has always been observant, curious, and
cerebral. We know she’s courageous and that she doesn’t back away from a fight.
And of course, she’s highly moral with a keen sense of justice.
Q: But Kiki is funny! So darn funny! How did you write
something so solemn?
A: Oh, there’s humor in Death of a Schoolgirl. A schoolgirl
tells Jane that her parents like her baby brother best because he has hair. Of
course, the child means he is an “heir,” but Jane doesn’t lecture the girl
about homonyms. Instead, she comforts the little girl who has been obviously
cast aside now that her mother has produced a son. It’s not as overt as Kiki
setting a pair of her panties on fire as she tries to dry them on a light bulb
--see “Kiki Lowenstein and the Lilac Festival”, a short story—but hey, I’m
still a big fan of inserting a laugh or two. Books are entertainment. I want my
readers to enjoy every second of reading what I write!
**
Death of a Schoolgirl by Joanna Campbell
Slan (Berkley/Aug. 7) is the first book in The Jane Eyre Chronicles. Mystery
Guild has chosen it as a Featured Alternate Selection. Slan also writes the
Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series and the Kiki Lowenstein Short Stories (available
on Kindle). Visit her at www.JoannaSlan.com
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