A&E REVIEW
Author reveals “Proper Secrets” Love letter to Jane Austin is not a sugar coated story JEREMY WILLIAMS Contributing Writer
Historical romance writer Rachel Francis has a new book on the shelves, and she recently discussed her work, life and future ambitions with The South End. She has always shown an interest in Jane Austen and said “Proper Secrets” is a love letter to the famous feminist writer. This is what Francis had to say: Q: Tell us a little bit about you outside of being an author. A:I live in the Midwest with my children, and enjoy sketching, gaming and reading. Q: Tell us a little bit about your recent release. A: “Proper Secrets” is my love letter to Jane Austen. There were many social elements I wanted to explore, and this style of story really packs a punch in character interaction. Within the book I cover the value of keeping secrets, having the fortitude to look at a relationship with logic instead of being swept away into an ultimately painful situation, and double standards between men and women. The main character, Emily Worthing, has her mind set on her principles and the way she wants her life to turn out. From his arrival, Mr. Wingrave challenges her to examine the black and white value she assigns everything. At the same time, Emily refuses to excuse his inconsistencies, which strains them both to their breaking point. Q: How did you come up with the title? A: I usually come up with a working title when I start writing to make conversation with my writing confidantes easier. Proper Secrets was the working title because of the idea going in that some secrets may not be right, but have an appropriate time for revelation, and
I couldn’t think of a title more fitting. Q: What credentials establish you as an expert in your field or have contributed to your suc cess as an author? A: Graduating from Holly Lisle’s How To Think Sideways course in addition to several of her shorter clinics has turned my writing career into a viable option as opposed to a dream. Q:What was your motivation for writing this book? A: The recent climate in romance concerns me, not that I think escaping into an unrealistic fantasy is bad, but taking those expectations out into the real world is both ridiculous and liable to make anyone miserable. I wanted to write a piece that stressed the strength of holding out for what is going to bring the greatest long-term joy, instead of giving in to unhealthy relationships. At the same time, it’s important to realize that pain comes to everyone, and even making the right decision can temporarily hurt. Q: Tell us some of the factors that make your book unique. A: Books are unique when the author puts some of themselves in the pages. I created an alternate Europe to play with, in order to establish the correct atmosphere and external conflict. The antagonist, Jude, is a special blend of warped logic and selfcenteredness. He perfectly matches Emily’s arguments with infuriatingly charming yet twisted rebuttals. Mr. Wingrave isn’t perfect. He and Emily have to grow throughout the course of the book simply to keep up with each other, and to have a slim chance at a happy ending. Q: What is the single most important thing that readers of your book will be able to do af ter reading “Proper Secrets”?
A: I hope that readers will be able to step back and recognize what they may be expecting of their significant other that is sugar-coated nonsense, and what is a reasonable expectation of growth and development. Q: Are there any controversial elements in your book? A: Without giving too much away, I also explored self-guilt, sexual shaming, and briefly touched on suicide. Q: What did you learn while writing this book? A: It’s not so much what I learned as what I put into words about how I view love and honesty. I knew that honesty was a key component for me to deep, fulfilling, sustainable love, but I didn’t realize how much I dislike the period of deception a lot of modern couples go through when trying to form relationships. It’s a waste of time to fake reality and excuse tiny (yet important red flag) flaws because once you really dig deep into being with another person, the illusion drops and those flaws can become huge, deal-breaking problems. Q: What is one thing about writing you wish others would understand? A:It takes remarkable focus to produce a quality work. Quality will always be debatable at a certain level, but I spent months of my life refining and building and polishing my novel. Writing is tough mental exercise, if you’re doing it right. Q: If you could change one thing you did during your road to publication, what would it be? What would you have done differently? A: I am really pleased with the publication of “Proper Secrets”. It was the smoothest story to write and edit,
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mostly because I knew what I was doing this time. Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? A: Holly Lisle. She makes you roll up your sleeves and get down into the nitty-gritty pieces of writing as a career. Q: What are your current projects? A: My current projects are a comic fantasy serial which I post for free on my website, and a novel in the works about a legendary thief hero. Q:What advice would you give an aspiring author? A: Don’t wait for inspiration; you’ll never finish a book that way.
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