The idea for this book was sparked by a visit she made to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton in August 2021. Initially, it was intended to tell the love story between Martha Lloyd and Francis Austen, but as she researched their backgrounds, Diane discovered that the links between their two families went back much further than she knew.

She quickly realised that the Fowle family from Kintbury were equally as significant to their history, and so Diane adapted her idea to tell the story of the Austen, Fowle and Lloyd families from the beginning. She wanted to show how tightly they were all bound together.

There was far too much material to put in one book by the time she had finished researching, and so The Austens of Steventon became the first novel in a series of three. Diane is currently working on the second, The Austens of Bath, to be followed soon after by The Austens of Chawton.

Diane’s own life is one of contrasts. For half of the week, she lives in the fictional world of Georgian England, accompanying her characters through their daily lives. The other half is taken up with 21st-century technology, teaching English lessons to students on Zoom. 

Diane lives in Herefordshire with her husband and two cats and this is her first novel. You can keep up to date with her activities on her Facebook page @ Diane Jane Ball.