Friend's new book

[DavidDvorkin]

This isn't a political book, but I'm posting the info because she's in deep financial trouble, like so many other people, and I think it would be great if her just-published book took off. (No, I have no financial interest. This is motivated only by friendship.)

The book is titled Mansfield Park and Mummies. As the title implies, it's a mashup of a Jane Austen novel with horror themes, done humorously. Available online in various places. This is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Mansfield-Park-Mummies-Matrimony-Delights/dp/1607620472

[myrna minx]

1. Best of luck to her.

Thanks for posting. :hi::

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Thanks

She's one of those people who seem to keep getting bad breaks despite doing everything they should.

[WeDidIt]

2. The Jane Austen mashups have seemingly done fairly well

There was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Then there was Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters.

I think she'll do just fine.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies when it first came out

and liked it a lot. I admit that I'm surprised the Jane-Austen-monster mashups are still selling. I thought it would be one of those ideas where the only person to profit from it would be the first one in the field. Instead, the result seems to have been the creation of a new, commercially important fiction genre!

[intheflow]

5. P. and P. and Z was great, inspired, but

the sequel currently out--Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters--is crap, not even written by the same guy. Now it seems like this is a third book, with yet another author, trying to beat a one trick pony into profitability.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. I think P&P&Z was assigned to the author by the publisher

It was the publisher's idea to begin with. If I'm right about that, then the publisher sees it as a profitable franchise that they own and that they'll assign to whatever writer is available.

The writer of the first one got a big advance from a large publisher for a different book, so he's probably not available for more mashups now.

[intheflow]

7. I hope your friend does well.

I'm glad she got the writing gig. I wish they'd let her write what she wanted instead of assigning something to her. :(

[DavidDvorkin]

8. Oh, no, this is a different situation

She's not connected with the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'm sorry I wasn't clear. This was her own idea and was published by someone else.

I think there are a few such books in the pipeline, from various publishers.

[intheflow]

9. Ah! Much better!

I thought the title was awfully long for the series. Is it a non-fiction book? If yes, then I'll definitely be reading it. :)

(Still won't buy it as I'm a poor girl, but I will lobby the two library systems where I work to add it to their respective collections.)

[DavidDvorkin]

10. It's a novel

Like those other mashups, it rewrites the original Jane Austen novel to include the horror element in a humorous way.

Thanks for approaching libraries. That's really helpful.