Bringing the Story to Life with Music: Introducing Ridgway Kennedy's New (and VERY original) Book, "Murder & Miss Austen's Ball"

There is a special place in my heart for authors publishing their first books. I think part of it stems from my personal goal to one day write a superb (or at least solid) work of Austenesque fiction. Putting myself in the shoes of these new authors, I realize that while it's a highly enviable position, it's also fraught with vulneratibity. I greatly respect those of you who have shared your literary babies with the world!

Today's blog post features one such author, Mr. Ridge Kennedy. After you read his guest post, I think you'll agree that his energy is infectious. I picked up on this from the very first email I received from him. In addition to his cool vibe, the book description struck me as a very original take on the Austenesque world that goes a step further by bringing it to life with music. Then again, after reading Ridge's bio, I'm not surprised that his tapestry of life experiences would yield a singular story through which his love and respect for Jane Austen takes center stage.

About Murder & Miss Austen's Ball

With her 40th birthday approaching and with three well-received novels in hand, Miss Jane Austen determines that she will host a ball. She has her reasons – quite sensible reasons. With the end of the war, the nation is in economic turmoil and, close to home, her brother’s bank is in distress. She has gained confidence and sees a way to gain her own means and independence.

A dancing master is sent for; a dancing master arrives. There is confusion, music, a literary rescue mission, a murder, a mystery and a puzzle that must be solved; even if the quest flies in the face of propriety. A mousetrap is set; it captures the wrong prey. Honor must be served, even if it involves headlong flight. And a mystery must be unraveled, even if it involves dark secrets.

Music & Dance

One unusual aspect of the story is the degree to which music and dance pervade its telling. The act of playing music together brings people into a special kind of intimate relationship. The story weaves in scenes of dance preparations, making music, teaching dancing and provides an inside look at a ball from the musicians’ and dance leader’s perspective. One scene follows a couple down the set through a longways dance.

A line on the cover promises “a novel with musical accompaniment” as we plan to provide readers with “audio illustrations” – online access to custom tracks that will be recorded to go along with the book. Some e-readers may even be able to click and hear the music. Most of the melodies will be tunes Miss Austen might have heard, danced to and even played. But there is one newly composed melody—The Dancing Master’s New Tune we’ll call it for now—that takes a prominent place in the tale.

So with no further ado, I hand the reins of the Jane Austen State of Mind blog over to Ridgway Kennedy!

It's the book I want to read.

I am a great admirer of Austin. (Not a typo!) I’m speaking of Austin Kleon, the author of the brilliant book Steal Like an Artist and two equally insightful, inspirational follow up volumes, Show Your Stuff and Keep Going.

When I first read Steal Like an Artist, my head just kept nodding. It all made sense. We creative sorts of people are constantly borrowing, building on, creating variations and standing on the shoulders of our teachers, mentors, heros and sheros. We are always begging, borrowing and stealing. The trick is to do it the right way.

When people ask me the “where did the idea for the book come from?” question, I can’t answer it at all – and I can answer it in one short sentence.

The “no answer” answer – I’ve been working on this book all my life. It comes from being a folk musician and then dance caller and trying to learn to play the mandolin. It comes from oceans of reading seafaring literature, from the Hornblower adventures to Patrick O’Brian’s 20-volume voyage around the world with Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. You may have seen the film adaptation of an early volume, Master and Commander. O’Brian’s writing was influenced significantly by Miss Austen’s prose, experts say. And his novels are set in the heart of the Austen era. 

I’ve read and listened to all of Miss Austens books and letters. Along with big chunks of Mr Dickens and Mr Scott and a smattering of Bronte, Charlotte, and a dash of Mrs Gaskell.

I’ve read Grafton from A to Y (small pause for mourning) and a plethora of other mysteries, more cozy than hard boiled. As a newspaper reporter I covered the cophouse beat. Visited murder scenes. Asked parents “how do you feel” when writing a story about the death of a child – that’s hard-boiled enough for me.

And all the time I was writing for newspapers, ad agencies, PR clients, and other folks; I was writing books in my head; an ongoing list of working titles. Where did this title, Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball come from? I’ll check either “all of the above” or “I don’t know.”

BUT...

Chapter three in Steal Like an Artist says: “Write the Book You Want to Read.”

Okay, that goes against a bunch of rules for writing books; things like getting an agent and a publisher, and “know your genre” – that’s a big one. Confession: this book knows no single genre – it wallows in a whole bunch of them. Austenesque romance, cozy mystery, nautical fiction and more.

But dang it all, I went out and did it. I wrote the book I wanted to read. Now I’m just hoping that someone else does, too. I believe that is what Miss Austen did, as well.

Here is a small excerpt from a scene in the middle of the Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball that reflect on that idea in a way. Miss Austen and Mr Worth, a navy veteran, are traveling in a small, one-horse gig, and talking to pass the time. She asks him about serving in the navy. Was he ever afraid? Mr Worth is speaking.

“You does your duty. Every man has a job, and he sticks to it. The mate is bawling and there’s ropes needs hauling. One minute, you’re at the great guns and the next, you’re trimming sail. After the action, when they’re adding up the butcher’s bill, that’s when you feel the twinges. Maybe it was a near thing. But the fightin’, that’s your job. Let your hand get caught on a frog marine’s spit? Just the price you pay. I done my duty. And besides, a man’s more like to die from some damned disease or an accident or a festering wound than to fall in battle. Ain’t no point in worrying. To glory we steer. Why do you ask, Miss Austen? What makes you think on such matters?”

“I worry. For my brothers. Frank and Charles, out at sea, of course. But Henry, too. His illness was so terrible. I feared greatly for him.”

“And yourself?”

“Myself?”

“Aye. There’s plagues and fevers enough for all of us to have our worries. What is it…what is it that you fear?”

Jane thought about the question as the gig bumped and swayed along the road. At length, she replied:

“I do not believe that I fear death, for death is part of the nature of things and remains a matter of divine providence. I have faith, and I am confident that the faithful will be rewarded in God’s Kingdom. If I have a fear, it is of disappearing. I am rather proud of my books. I know, pride. A sin. I must repent. And yet, I confess, I am proud of my scribblings. They are my children. I should like for them to have a good life.

“I should like, in death, not to disappear without a trace.”

About the Author

Ridge Kennedy’s day jobs have included set designer, university professor, newspaper reporter, tech writer, publisher, advertising/PR guy, IT specialist and more. His involvement in folk music began during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s as a song leader. “I always wanted to grow up to be Pete Seeger,” he says. After discovering the world of traditional American and English Country Dance, he became a dance caller and has been the “dancing master” at hundreds of contra, square, English and other dances around the US. For more information visit www.ridgekennedy.com . Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball is his first novel.

The eBook is now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N9QWCWZ/

Ridge will be giving one eBook copy of Murder & Miss Austen's Ball to an individual who comments on any post included in his blog tour. Prevous posts from the tour were hosted by the following blogs: From Pemberley to Milton; My Jane Austen Book Club; So Little Time, So Much to Read; and Interest of an Austen Girl. This giveaway is international and will be open until December 17. So, please share your thoughts and any questions you might have for Mr. Kennedy!