Local author debuts new Jack the Ripper Romance Novel

Some people are fascinated by movie stars, literature or flowers but for California, Pa. native, Carla Anderton, her fascination lies with Jack the Ripper which comes to life in her newly published book – “The Heart Absent.”

Described as “’My Fair Lady’ gone horribly wrong”, Anderton’s 10 year literary journey began during a writing class at California University of Pennsylvania in 2003 but the project was tabled for nearly 4 years before dusting off the book to continue working. It wasn’t until 2008 during Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program that Anderton returned to her book to continue writing. It took nearly three more years to complete the work. While her book went through many revisions, some things never changed.

“The basic storyline of Jack the Ripper in love never changed, nor did the occupation of James Nemo, who we meet both as a child and an adult,” said Anderton. “The supporting cast of characters evolved constantly, however, during the writing process. Should I ever have biographers, what I suspect will be particularly intriguing is how the hero transformed, not just physically but emotionally. Who is the hero, you ask? That’s a matter for the reader to decide.”

Set in 19th century London, “The Heart Absent” follows Jack the Ripper as he falls in love and the consequences of obsession. Readers will be mesmerized by the tale of 14-year-old James Nemo who spent most of his youth motherless with a hateful father. Wrapped in the arms of a beautiful prostitute named Nelly, Nemo forgets his troubled home life, at least for a little while before being left to confront the truth about his mother’s abandonment.

“We don’t know who Jack was,” said Anderton. “He could and can be literally anyone. I don’t claim to have even an inkling of insight into what kind of man Jack the Ripper was. What I can do, on the other hand, is cast nearly anyone in his role. Beyond that, the myth surrounding the Ripper is the stuff from which great stories develop. It’s got all the essential elements: romance, sex, lust, obsession, violence, murder and mayhem. I tried to incorporate all those elements into the story.”

Flash forward twenty years when James, now an artists, meets Mary Jane Kelly, who looks an awful lot like Nelly. As their passion grows, Nemo slowly drags her into his darkening world which threatens to consume them both. This historical thriller with horror and romance is sure to be a page turner for any book lover.  While obligated to say that her story is 100% fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead is unintentional, Anderton says when inspiration struck with those around her, she jumped to use them.

“We don’t really know anything about Jack the Ripper or Mary Jane Kelly or Joseph Barnett other than what’s contained in inquest testimony,” said Anderton. “I could and did model those characters after people I know. Some of the supporting characters bear more of a passing likeness to friends of mine, but I think that’s true of most books and most authors.”

To celebrate the book release, Anderton will be giving a reading from “The Heart Absent” as well as a presentation on the public fascination with Jack the Ripper at 7 p.m. on May 11 at the Jozart Center for Arts in California, Pa. Light refreshments will be served and Anderton will be on hand to answer questions after the presentation. Admission is free for this one-night only event. As to why you should come, Anderton had a simple answer.

“For the cupcakes, of course,” said Anderton. “My ego aside, it’s a compelling story, the characters are people you can and do root for, and while I tried not to bash my readers over the head with a prevailing theme or message, this is a tale of mortality, of good versus evil and the gray area where the two intersect.”

“The Heart Absent” is currently available in ebook format at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobu booksellers. A print edition is in the works and will be released in the near future. More information the book, as well as Anderton, can be found at www.carlaeanderton.com.

When she’s not working on her next literary masterpiece, Anderton is an adjunct professor of English at Westmoreland County Community College, a freelance writer / editor and president of the board of directors at Jozart Center for the Arts. She is also an acknowledged expert on the subject of the infamous Jack the Ripper Murders. Anderton currently resides in California, Pa with her son and fiancé.