Hi! My name is Syrie James. I’m the author of three historical fiction novels, with a very different kind of romantic novel coming up in February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. (More about that in my next post.) I’m happy to have this opportunity to greet you all today and tell you a little bit about me and my books.
The road to becoming a published author is often long and bumpy, and my journey was no exception! But I think I can sum it up with the following truism”¦ The secrets to success are threefold, and they all begin with P: passion, patience, and perseverance.
I like to say that I was born with a pen in my hand. I wrote my first book when I was in sixth grade (fortunately, I never showed it to anyone!) But that experience””retreating into my imagination, creating characters and a plot””was thrilling to me, and I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I was that person in school who was always happy to write whatever the teacher asked for. I majored in English and Communications in college, and I wrote several plays and a full-length musical that my school, and later my community, produced and performed.
Soon, it came time to put that passion for writing to the real test: could I earn a living doing what I loved best? I adore movies, so I wrote a screenplay. My first script ended up in the hands of a Hollywood producer who hired me to write for his TV show. Thus began a screenwriting career that lasted for many years, in which I sold 19 scripts and teleplays to a variety of networks and studios. It was a great ride, I met a lot of interesting people, and actually got some of those movies and TV shows produced (which isn’t easy in Tinsel Town.) Eventually, however, I was itching to leave that industry and write a novel.
Finally, I drummed up the courage to follow my dream. It was a difficult transition. I had to learn a new way of writing, and I didn’t have a single contact to help me. In time, I was fortunate enough to land a wonderful literary agent in Manhattan. I had to write a couple of books before I sold that first one””but wow, was it an exciting sale!
I wrote about one of my favorite subjects, Jane Austen. I’d read all of Austen’s novels and was a huge fan. Two questions had been burning in my mind for years: what inspired Jane Austen to write such wonderful love stories? And: did she ever fall in love? I knew that the book I had in mind would be a daunting undertaking, because I wanted to write from the point of view of Jane Austen herself. But I plunged in. For a very long time, I immersed myself in research and in the world of Austen. The result was THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN“”the untold story of Austen’s life-altering romance with the man of her dreams, and her return to writing. I had a fabulous time working on that book. I’m thrilled to say that it went on to become a bestseller and was named Best First Novel of 2008 by the Library Journal.
For my next book, I was drawn to another Jane that I’ve loved since I was a girl””JANE EYRE. I’d always wondered: what inspired Charlotte Brontë to write that brilliant novel, and how much of it was based on her own life? As part of my in-depth research, I visited the Brontë Parsonage and was allowed access to original letters and documents written by the Brontë family. I was fascinated to discover that all three sisters””Charlotte, Emily, and Anne””became published authors at the exact same time (Emily wrote the famous WUTHERING HEIGHTS), and that Charlotte had a real-life romance””an enthralling story that had never been told! I’m honored and humbled to report that the reviews have been awesome, and THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË was chosen by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Read of 2009.
Which brings me to my newest book, which I’m very, very excited about! The recently released DRACULA, MY LOVE again takes us back to one of my favorite places and times, 19th century England. DRACULA, MY LOVE is a sensuous retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic from the point of view of the heroine, revealing the secret, passionate love story between Mina Harker and a young, fascinating, charismatic Count Dracula””the romance that Stoker didn’t realize was taking place in between the pages of his own novel! 
I think this review from American Book Center sums up the novel better than I could:
“Syrie James weaves a tale of quite a different Dracula: a mouth-wateringly handsome, powerful, cultured and passionate one. Instead of a cruel killer, this is a man who avoids human tragedy at all cost and would love nothing better than to share his eternal life with Mina. And believe me, she is tempted! But, alas, she is the only one who sees this side of him … Mina finds herself torn between the two men she loves and is taken on a quest from which she will return a completely different woman. And we will never think of Dracula in the same way ever again.
Syrie James has previously written “The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen” and “The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë” about the lives and loves of two of Britain’s most popular authors. I immensely enjoyed her book about Jane Austen, so I was interested to see how she would tackle this tale. And…I…Loved…It! This is a gripping story, infused with passion, excitement and emotional turmoil. It sheds a whole new light on Count Dracula. In true über-vampire style, he completely outdoes Edward Cullen and Buffy’s Angel in the sexy tortured soul stakes. This vampire can bite my neck any time!”
Meanwhile, back to the theme of the Three P’s: passion, patience, and perseverance. I truly believe that no matter who you are, what you do, or what you wish for “¦ if you press on, keep your goals in sight, and put in the hard work, you can achieve your dreams””no matter how impossible they may seem to someone else. Just go for it!
For more information about me and my novels and/or to learn about upcoming books, please visit my website www.syriejames.com, where I hope you’ll sign up for my newsletter. For those of you who are familiar with my novels, please leave a comment today and tell me which one(s) you’ve read and what you thought about them. I’d also love to hear your stories. What do you dream about doing or achieveing? What steps have you taken or are you considering taking, in pursuit of that dream? Please share!
Thanks and all best,
Syrie James
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