Interview With Author Jane Rubino
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My twitter bio (@janetility) pretty much says it all: I’m an author, reader, devotee of both Jane Austen and the Sherlockian Canon, serious dog lover.
I’ve written books in three categories: the contemporary mysteries were set at the Jersey shore (Death of a DJ, Fruitcake, Cheat the Devil, Plot Twist, Cake Job, Raise the Dead); the Jane Austen pastiches were co-authored with my daughter: Lady Vernon and Her Daughter and the short story What Would Austen Do? in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It anthology.
The Sherlockian works are Knight Errant: The Singular Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (3 novellas in one volume); The Rucastles’ Pawn (a Kindle novella); Hidden Fires: A Holmes Before Baker Street Adventure. I’ve also written a number of short stories for MX Publishing’s anthology series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hidden Fires: A Holmes Before Baker Street Adventure
In The Sign of Four, Holmes tells Watson that the most winning woman he ever met was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance money. It’s a rather shocking comment, but provocative. I decided to craft a Sherlockian/Victorian thriller that would justify the remark.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always enjoyed classics: Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Conan Doyle, Edith Wharton, but I also get a kick out of Elmore Leonard. I think the common thread is that they all craft memorable characters, down to the minor players. And because I think dialogue is one of the key components to character, I appreciate authors who have a knack for it.
What are you working on now?
Beyond saying that it’s a historical, I don’t usually discuss my WsIP.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know. I do have limited social media and have someone who is doing content management for my recent book, mostly Instagram, but I don’t maintain a website. At one point, I did have a web site and found that keeping it current was taking time away from writing. I’ve seen many author sites where the most recent post is three or more years old, so I imagine they feel the same. For authors, I think guest posts are a better way to go, and offer content that may help promote the host site.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read. Over the years, I’ve met many authors from all walks of life and the one thing they had in common was that they were all readers. I firmly believe that if you don’t read, you can’t write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Again; Read. Reading makes writers.
What are you reading now?
I’ve gotten into a lot of latter 19th century, Golden Age fiction lately. Right now, it’s The Witness on the Roof, by a little known mystery author, Annie Haynes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
If any writer says with conviction that he or she knows what’s next, they’re not being realistic. You never know what’s next.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Sherlockian Canon
The Complete Jane Austen
Escaping From A Desert Island for Dummies.