Not the Nineteenth Century?!

Dear Nineteenteen Readers,

I have a confession to make.

I’ve been seeing another century.

It isn’t that I don’t love the nineteenth century truly and deeply. And it isn’t that I don’t intend to continue to read and research about it and plan future books in it (I have a new idea for another Regency-set YA that I love, but need to do some research on it first. Poor me, huh?) But lately, I must confess that…well, I’ve been writing a book set in another century. Just barely, mind you—this story is set in 1901, which really, just barely qualifies as not the nineteenth century. I mean, Queen Victoria lived until 1901—doesn’t that count for something?

And…er, well, maybe I shouldn’t say this…but this story isn’t set in England. Not one little bit of it. There aren’t even any British characters in it, though a French grandmother and an obnoxious young vicomte do make appearances. No, it’s totally set in America—remember that trip to Newport, Rhode Island Regina and I posted about last summer?--oh my goodness, please sit down! Do you want me to pat you on the back? May I get you a glass of water?

There, that’s better. I've made a clean breast of it, and hopefully we can all come to terms with it. So of course, I'll just have to share with you some of the wonderful bits of research I’ve come across in the writing of this book (which, by the way, is about two-thirds done—and no, my agent hasn’t yet started looking for a publisher for it yet). So look for the occasional non-nineteenth century, non-English post from me over the next few months, because some of this stuff is just too good to keep to myself.

But meanwhile, we'll still be firmly planted in the nineteenth century next week when Regina and I open the first Young Bluestockings meeting of the year with a look at The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee. Have you had a chance to read it yet? We hope so, and hope also that you'll be ready to talk about it. See you then, and Happy 2012 to you all!