Ask the Author: Jane Steen
Answered Questions (25)
Jane Steen
Hi Laura, thanks for asking! My other series, The House of Closed Doors, is actually set in America, and I began my writing and publishing business when living in America. I am a fairly Americanized Brit who has lived out of the UK more years than I've lived in it. I use American spelling in everyday life. My husband and children are American.
But the main reason is simply commercial. As an indie author, I own the global rights so the same versions of my books are available worldwide. The American market is far, far bigger than any of the other book markets, and around 70 percent of my readers are American. American readers are much more likely than any other readers to see British spelling as spelling mistakes and flag them as such, whereas British readers (under 8 percent of my readership) just recognize American spelling and, while they may not like it, don't flag it up as mistakes. English-language readers in the rest of the world (the other 22 percent) don't seem to bother much about spelling variants. So as a publisher, using American spelling makes practical and commercial sense.
This is a fairly common practice among British indie authors who want to sell to the global market rather than the UK market alone. I have several British beta readers who would far rather I be a bit more parochial, but they almost never get me to change words and certainly never succeed in getting me to change my spelling :D
But the main reason is simply commercial. As an indie author, I own the global rights so the same versions of my books are available worldwide. The American market is far, far bigger than any of the other book markets, and around 70 percent of my readers are American. American readers are much more likely than any other readers to see British spelling as spelling mistakes and flag them as such, whereas British readers (under 8 percent of my readership) just recognize American spelling and, while they may not like it, don't flag it up as mistakes. English-language readers in the rest of the world (the other 22 percent) don't seem to bother much about spelling variants. So as a publisher, using American spelling makes practical and commercial sense.
This is a fairly common practice among British indie authors who want to sell to the global market rather than the UK market alone. I have several British beta readers who would far rather I be a bit more parochial, but they almost never get me to change words and certainly never succeed in getting me to change my spelling :D
Jane Steen
My current favorite is Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland. But there are so many good books on plotting out there, and you should read several--especially as different genres have different plot considerations. If you look at my "On Writing" shelf you'll find a few.
Jane Steen
Aww, thanks! If you're interested in keeping up with my (slow) writing pace, do sign up for my newsletter at www.janesteen.com.
Jane Steen
Hi Lora! Yes, I am currently working on the fourth book in the House of Closed Doors series. Although the first three can be read as a trilogy, fans eager to follow the fortunes of Nell and her family can rest assured that there will be more books.
Jane Steen
Hi Susan! None of the other books have been published yet--I'm doing a lot of plotting at the moment to ensure the story lines are as well worked out as I can make them. I'm a bit of a slow writer so I don't have a publication date yet, but if you want to follow progress you can always sign up for my newsletter at www.janesteen.com.
Jane Steen
Hi Peggy! Yes, I'm currently working on the next in the series, and have 7 books planned in all. I'm taking my time to work out the entire plot as it's quite complex with all those characters.
Jane Steen
Hi OLT,
Yes! I'm currently working on Lady Odelia's Secret. I am taking a bit of extra time on plotting, though, because my plan is for a 7-book series in all and the plot lines are fairly complex will all those characters. I want to deliver a really good series.
Yes! I'm currently working on Lady Odelia's Secret. I am taking a bit of extra time on plotting, though, because my plan is for a 7-book series in all and the plot lines are fairly complex will all those characters. I want to deliver a really good series.
Jane Steen
Oh wow, good question. I wish I had more time for re-reading! If you told me I HAD to re-read a book right now, I'd probably ask for either Lord of the Rings or Bleak House. I've had some re-reads where I've found that I've moved on so much as a reader since I became a writer that I don't like the books any more, which is always such a shame, but Tolkien and Dickens do not disappoint.
I'd also like to re-read some of the biographies on my bookshelves. Right now. I've had a guest for the last week and have hardly done any reading at all, so I'm longing to sit down for a while!
I'd also like to re-read some of the biographies on my bookshelves. Right now. I've had a guest for the last week and have hardly done any reading at all, so I'm longing to sit down for a while!
Jane Steen
Hi Renee! That's a very nice late Victorian edition of Jane Eyre. I have no idea what it might be worth--one place to research to find out is AbeBooks.com which is a good second hand/antique book site. Just search on the title and sort by publication date. You'll see that prices vary a great deal, from $50 or so upward. The fact that the book is illustrated is definitely a plus, especially if the illustrator turns out to be collectable. There are crazy prices for some books, but you can still collect late Victorian and early 20th century editions of well-known novels for less than $20.
Mind you, there's a renewed interest in late Victorian design and print books in general, and if you have room a collection of pretty late Victorian books will look great on your shelves. Pinterest has lots of examples of lovely covers. They get rarer with the passage of time and one day might be worth a lot--but you should always buy collectible books because you love them, not because of their worth as that varies enormously.
Mind you, there's a renewed interest in late Victorian design and print books in general, and if you have room a collection of pretty late Victorian books will look great on your shelves. Pinterest has lots of examples of lovely covers. They get rarer with the passage of time and one day might be worth a lot--but you should always buy collectible books because you love them, not because of their worth as that varies enormously.
Jane Steen
Not nearly soon enough, because I have a ton of research to do. The storylines I've come up with are quite complex! And I'm currently working on the fourth book in my other series--I have a lot of readers waiting for that one too. The best way to keep up with my progress, or lack thereof, is to sign up for my mailing list at www.janesteen.com/insider
Jane Steen
Yep, and I remember it all too well :D
Jane Steen
No, but how fascinating! I never knew there were Napoleon hats in existence. Thanks very much for that.
My interest in Napoleon is secondary to my usual Victorian preoccupations, but it's definitely an interest. In the 90s we lived in THE Waterloo--it was our first family home and the oldest house we've ever owned. We could see the Lion Monument on the battlefield from our attic windows as a little blip a couple of miles away (the battle was actually fought in Braine l'Alleud).
I have written a "concept story" for a series set in the Napoleonic War era, but it'll have to wait as I don't think I can cope with three series at once. So my additions to my TBR often have research in mind...
My interest in Napoleon is secondary to my usual Victorian preoccupations, but it's definitely an interest. In the 90s we lived in THE Waterloo--it was our first family home and the oldest house we've ever owned. We could see the Lion Monument on the battlefield from our attic windows as a little blip a couple of miles away (the battle was actually fought in Braine l'Alleud).
I have written a "concept story" for a series set in the Napoleonic War era, but it'll have to wait as I don't think I can cope with three series at once. So my additions to my TBR often have research in mind...
Jane Steen
I'd travel to Oxford in 1935 and meet Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.
Jane Steen
Hi Lavinia,
I'm so glad you enjoyed The House of Closed Doors. The next book is Eternal Deception, and the third book is The Shadow Palace. They are both available as ebooks, audiobooks, and paperbacks pretty much anywhere you'd want to buy a book online. So I suggest you head on over to your favorite online bookstore and keep reading...you wait till you find out how things go in Kansas :D
I'm so glad you enjoyed The House of Closed Doors. The next book is Eternal Deception, and the third book is The Shadow Palace. They are both available as ebooks, audiobooks, and paperbacks pretty much anywhere you'd want to buy a book online. So I suggest you head on over to your favorite online bookstore and keep reading...you wait till you find out how things go in Kansas :D
Jane Steen
A whole bunch of research into Victorian England, and a clutch of novels from authors writing for a similar audience to mine.
Jane Steen
It's a story connected with one of my ancestors and it WILL be a plot for a book when I get round to writing it.
Jane Steen
Hi Martin! I know I read The White Queen, which is about Elizabeth Woodville, back in 2010 because Goodreads tells me so--but for some reason I didn't write a review. So my memories are kind of vague, but I probably felt the same way as I did about the Kingmaker book. I gave up reading Gregory a while ago because I decided her writing style just wasn't for me.
I tend to read (and write) about the Victorian era so I'm probably not the best person to recommend books about the Plantagenets. Fortunately, Goodreads has a nice little list of popular Woodville books at https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
As I would expect, the top rated one seems to be The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. Sharon is beloved by fans for her historical accuracy and dialogue that manages to feel medieval and yet is very readable, so you should definitely give that one a try. Elizabeth Chadwick is another writer of medieval fiction who's loved by fans, but I don't know if she's written directly about Elizabeth Woodville.
One of the best ways to find related books is yasiv.com. Just type in "Elizabeth Woodville" (or anything else you think of) and watch what happens :D
I tend to read (and write) about the Victorian era so I'm probably not the best person to recommend books about the Plantagenets. Fortunately, Goodreads has a nice little list of popular Woodville books at https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
As I would expect, the top rated one seems to be The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. Sharon is beloved by fans for her historical accuracy and dialogue that manages to feel medieval and yet is very readable, so you should definitely give that one a try. Elizabeth Chadwick is another writer of medieval fiction who's loved by fans, but I don't know if she's written directly about Elizabeth Woodville.
One of the best ways to find related books is yasiv.com. Just type in "Elizabeth Woodville" (or anything else you think of) and watch what happens :D
Jane Steen
Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. I love all the bumps in their road to happiness, and the way they give each other space.
Jane Steen
Hi Renata!
I'm glad you enjoyed The House of Closed Doors. Yes, Eternal Deception (the sequel) will be on Audible once I get my act together and start the process. I'm in the middle of a fairly big life event so I'm not spending much time at my desk.
If you'd like a free copy of Eternal Deception as a "sorry for making you wait" gift, just sign up for my newsletter at www.janesteen.com/insider and email me (use the link from my site) to tell me you've signed up. My monthly newsletter will also keep you informed on the progress of the various editions of Eternal Deception and of the third book in the series, The Shadow Palace.
I'm glad you enjoyed The House of Closed Doors. Yes, Eternal Deception (the sequel) will be on Audible once I get my act together and start the process. I'm in the middle of a fairly big life event so I'm not spending much time at my desk.
If you'd like a free copy of Eternal Deception as a "sorry for making you wait" gift, just sign up for my newsletter at www.janesteen.com/insider and email me (use the link from my site) to tell me you've signed up. My monthly newsletter will also keep you informed on the progress of the various editions of Eternal Deception and of the third book in the series, The Shadow Palace.
Jane Steen
Hi Cintia. You have my sympathy--there's nothing worse than wanting to write and feeling that you can't. I suspect the problem is that you want to write something meaningful and important, or a brilliant story, but your fear of failing in that endeavor is paralyzing you. It's a subset of paralysis by analysis, that problem that besets so many smart people who want to achieve something.
The answer is to give yourself permission to write anything and everything, just to get into the habit of regular writing. Sit down in front of that blank page and begin: "Being a writer is what I want the most in this world..." and write about how difficult you find it to write. Or free write about anything that comes into your head--literally. Set yourself an easy word count--200 to 500 words a day--and just spew words onto the page. Your well of creativity will actually be replenished by getting what's in your head onto the page; it's like a magic jar that keeps filling up as you empty it.
When I'm stuck as to what to write, that's what I do. I write anyway, and this has actually led, in a couple of cases, to story ideas that I'm going to turn into novels and even, in one case, an entire series. Good luck!
The answer is to give yourself permission to write anything and everything, just to get into the habit of regular writing. Sit down in front of that blank page and begin: "Being a writer is what I want the most in this world..." and write about how difficult you find it to write. Or free write about anything that comes into your head--literally. Set yourself an easy word count--200 to 500 words a day--and just spew words onto the page. Your well of creativity will actually be replenished by getting what's in your head onto the page; it's like a magic jar that keeps filling up as you empty it.
When I'm stuck as to what to write, that's what I do. I write anyway, and this has actually led, in a couple of cases, to story ideas that I'm going to turn into novels and even, in one case, an entire series. Good luck!
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