Peering Into the Shadows: Nineteen Teen Interviews Bestselling Author Julie Klassen

Please welcome bestselling author, Julie Klassen. Julie visited us previously, but she has news you’ll want to hear, and we asked her to tell you all about it!

Nineteen Teen: Since you last visited us, you’ve been busy with eight more books, including four in your wonderful Ivy Hill series, and accolades such as the Minnesota Book Award, Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Well done! And now you have something special coming next week. What should we know?

Julie: My 18^th novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey, releases into the world. Release time is always exciting, if a little nerve-wracking as well. My publisher describes the novel as “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen,” which I love since I admire both of those authors. The book is about a young woman staying at a Medieval abbey-turned-hotel rumored to be haunted. There she encounters a man who once broke her heart. When an author is murdered is the hotel, the two work together to solve the mystery, and find danger and romance along the way.

19T: Why did you decide to dip your toes into the mystery world?

Julie: My husband and I had been listening to many mystery audiobooks, including titles by Agatha Christie and others. Somewhere along the line, I was struck with the idea of trying a “locked door” mystery myself (when a person locked alone in a room is killed and no one can figure out how). And being a writer, I was intrigued with the idea of the victim being an author who is perhaps not all that his public persona appears to be. Weaving together a convincing whodunit wasn’t easy but I enjoyed the challenge. Hope readers enjoy it as well.

19T: What was the most interesting thing you learned while researching Shadows of Swanford Abbey?

Julie: Good question! I was moved by the sad history of the many religious buildings that were claimed by the crown in previous centuries and given to noblemen, many of which remain private homes today, a few of which have become grand hotels. I was also interested to discover a few fascinating features in Lacock Abbey (the real abbey that inspired my fictional one), like a hidden staircase and abbess’s squint. You KNOW those ended up in the novel!

19T: You’ve been fortunate enough to take part in the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. What was that like?

Julie: It was memorable and strangely wonderful to parade through Bath in Regency attire while thousands of onlookers lined the streets to watch (even in the rain). Another time, I was blessed to find myself sitting next to Benjamin Whitrow (Mr. Bennet in 1995 Pride and Prejudice) at a theatre and enjoyed a lovely chat with him. Sadly Mr. Whitrow has passed away since then, but I feel privileged to have met him.

Popcorn round:

Milk or lemon in your tea? Milk.

Redingote or pelisse? Redingotes strike me as a bit more fashionable, but pelisses seem warmer, so since I live in frigid Minnesota, I’ll go with a pelisse.

Waltz or country dance? Waltz (I LOVE to waltz).

London townhouse or cottage in the country? Cottage in the country every time.

Jane Austen or Jane Eyre (we know, that’s tough one!) That is too difficult. May I just say “Jane” and leave it at that? 😊

Thanks for sharing Shadows of Swanford Abbey with us!

Gentle reader, be sure to preorder the book so that it delivers on release day, December 7, 2021: 

Amazon 

Apple

Baker Books (free shipping!)

Barnes and Noble

Books a Million

Christian Book

Indie Bound, an independent bookstore near you

Kobo

Book Depository, free shipping worldwide

Welcome Nancy Sanders and Jane Austen for Kids!

This week we have a very special interview with Nancy I. Sanders, who's written a book you'll want to hear about! Read on.

Nineteen Teen: Welcome to Nineteen Teen! We were excited to hear about your new release, Jane Austen for Kids. Your book gives people of all ages insight into our beloved Jane and her times. You’ve written similar works about Frederick Douglass and African-American history. What drew you to Jane Austen and her life?

Nancy: When I was 18, I read Pride and Prejudice aloud with my future sister-in-law. I fell in love with Jane Austen’s romantic writings on the spot…so much so that when I met my future husband, Jeff, he gave me a one-volume set of Jane Austen novels as a wedding gift. That was 37 years ago! As a children’s writer, I wanted to bring Jane’s life and times to teens and tweens so their interest with all-things-Jane would be sparked in this new generation.

19T: Where did you go to find information on her childhood?

Nancy: Researching her childhood was actually quite tricky. Most biographies on Jane include a chapter or two about her childhood and the rest of the books focus on her adult life and writings. I wanted this biography to be different. I wanted to focus on her growing-up years instead.

So I went to Jane’s own writings—her juvenilia—and started asking myself “Why?” Such as why did Jane write about “The Beautifull Cassandra” and make her story like she did? Then I followed numerous bunny trails and discovered that Jane had just made a trip to London at that time, perhaps even her first trip there! I started connecting the dots amongst scanty information in a huge stack of research books that was taller than I am! I scoured these books to find answers to my questions and was able to gain a better understanding of Jane’s teenage years.

19T: What surprised you the most about your research?

Nancy: I was surprised to learn that Jane had quite a famous music teacher and that she was such a lover of music herself. I play the piano, so when I read that Jane started each day playing the piano, I could understand how it helped her get in the mood to write for that day.

19T: You were in England in 2017, when the country commemorated the 200^th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death. What was your favorite site to visit and what did you learn there?

Nancy: I have so many favorite sites that we visited. There were the homes of Jane…the huge mansions…the movie sites…the small corners that Jane delighted in. One of my favorite sites to see was the ancient yew tree that stands in front of St. Nicholas in Steventon, the church Jane attended growing up where her father was rector. I stood under that tree and realized this tree was so old that Jane probably stood under it, too! I was expecting to see centuries-old buildings on our tour, but hadn’t realized there would be such historic trees, too.

19Teen: If you could have met Jane Austen in person, what’s the one question you are dying to ask her? How do you think she would answer?

Nancy: I would love to ask Jane, “Was Anne Elliot in Persuasion based on your own life?”

I think Jane would smile that witty smile of hers and say, “No…but maybe yes…”

19T: Which of the many wonderful activities you include in your book is your favorite and why?

Nancy: Self-publish a book. Why? Because Jane didn’t wait to grow up to see her stories in print. She self-published her poems, stories, and fragments by hand-printing then in three nice notebooks that are called her Juvenilia. Those notebooks can still be read today! I want to encourage young writers to take their writing seriously, even at this age, and self-publish their stories, too. Who knows? Two hundred years from now, someone might be reading and quoting their Juvenilia, too!

Popcorn Round

-Milk or lemon in your tea?

Neither. My current favorite tea is herbal mint. Plain.

-Cucumber sandwich or scone to go along with it?

Cucumber dill to be exact!

-Turban or bonnet?

Turban. Dark lavender turban. With color-coordinated reticule. I made both of them in classes at the 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America in Huntington Beach, CA.

-Ostrich plume or peacock feather in your hat?

Ostrich plume.

-Country dance or waltz?

Country dance. We hosted several in our home while I was writing this book. I also found the music to a couple country dances that Jane knew how to play and I played them on my piano, too.

19T: Finally, where can readers go to connect with you and learn more about your books?

Nancy: My book’s official site is here.

Welcome "Debut" Author Charlotte Henry and the Rogues of St. Just!

Marissa and I always love finding new stories set in our beloved Regency period. That's only one of the reasons we are thrilled to share this interview with Shelley Adina, writing as Charlotte Henry, whose first Regency romance came out March 20. Please welcome Charlotte, and be sure to come back Friday for more on her new series!

19Teen: Though you are making your debut in the Regency period, you are, shall we say, connected to another author renowned for writing thrilling steampunk adventures. What drew you to the Regency period?

Charlotte: Yes, we are very intimately connected! While I’m writing the Magnificent Devices series, I’m very much aware of the language—Victorian, more precise, with slightly different meanings to words and different sentence structure than today’s use. So as far as the writing went, it was more of a sidestep into the Regency than a leap, because I can use those same skills.

I made some odd discoveries in my own writing space ... research text after text came to hand. Notes from a Beau Monde conference in the nineties. A photocopied compendium of Regency terms and cant that I’d bought nearly 30 years ago. All were squirreled away, just waiting for me. I literally only had to buy one reference book on the Cornish china clay industry in order to begin work on the Rogues of St. Just series. I had everything else on my shelves, just waiting for me.

19Teen: The Rogue to Ruin is the first in a series, and your heroes are all rogues. We heart rogues at Nineteenteen. Why do you think they have such an appeal?

Charlotte: Ah, the bad boy redeemed by love! We romance readers love them. Part of their appeal, I think, is that secretly these heroes are turning to the dark side because there is an emptiness inside them that only the heroine can fill. And I have to admit that I love the courtship story because something entirely new is created from the bond of two separate individuals. This bond is the hero’s reward ... and the reader’s!

19Teen: Tell us something about The Rogue to Ruin.

Charlotte: He is a penniless baronet. She is the wealthy great-granddaughter of a tradesman. Can these childhood friends find their way back to each other when scandal strikes them both?

Sir Perran Geoffrey needs a wealthy bride to repair his family estate and to bring his sister out in Society. But what woman with money and standing will accept him as a husband—practically penniless, his title under a cloud thanks to his ne’er-do-well father, and an estate far away in Cornwall?

Alwyn Penrose and her two sisters are in London for their first Season. Imagine their surprise when they meet the heirs of the neighboring estates—gentlemen whom they are barely allowed to acknowledge. For to be seen with the Rogues of St. Just means the death of one’s reputation. Except that Alwyn is seen. More than once. And the gossip spreads all the way to the sacred portals of Almack’s, which close in her face and end her hopes for a good marriage forever.

The ruin of her Season is Perran Geoffrey’s fault. And when they are both forced to return to Cornwall, only one thing is clear: One good ruination deserves another.

19Teen: This story is a classic Regency romance, yet your heroine Alwyn has another goal besides marriage. What’s so important to this Regency miss?

Charlotte: Alwyn’s family owns a china clay pit and pottery on the south coast of Cornwall, where clay mining was a huge industry during the Regency period. All the Penrose sisters are artistic, and Alwyn’s particular talent is for painting. She wants to create the designs glazed on the porcelain dinner sets that the pottery makes, but because she’s a woman, she can’t. It would be seen as “dabbling in trade” and she’d shame her family. So she fills her sketchbooks with china patterns and designs ... which may or may not come in useful in future books ...

19Teen: What was your best research moment writing this book, when you gasped in delight and knew you had to put that in the book?

Charlotte: China clay! I needed something that would have made the family rich in prior generations. When I read that Cornwall is one of the few places in the world where this fine white clay can be dug out of the ground, I knew I had my family income source. And Alwyn’s desire to paint fit right into that. It wasn’t much of a leap, then, for her sister Karensa to become a sculptor.

19Teen: What bit of research surprised you the most, even if it didn’t make it into the book?

Charlotte: It was quite a surprise to discover in the books I’d bought in Cornwall in the 90s (see? even then I was buying Regency research books and I wasn’t even published yet) that the smuggling industry was seen by everyone as a perfectly legitimate and practical way to make a living. Even the clergy would leave the vestry door open. Barrels of brandy would come and go discreetly in the dead of night, with an offering left in the plate as a thank-you. So I did use this surprising bit of research. In that place at that time, when Sir Perran is desperate for money, the solution he seeks would be viewed as unusual by no one. Except possibly the preventive men, whose business it was to prevent the success of the gentlemen of the free trade.

19Teen: If you were to make your debut in Regency London, what would you look forward to?

Charlotte: Visiting all the best warehouses and having all kinds of lovely dresses made up! As it stands, I must make them myself. I just got a pattern for a set of short stays. Once those are complete, I have some royal blue silk and some antique black lace given to me by literary agent Wendy Lawton that I’m going to make up into a ball gown for the RWA National Conference in 2020. I even have a tiara.

19Teen: What would you dread?

Charlotte: The way people talk. It seems to me that gossip is a potent weapon even today. It becomes a strong theme in The Rogue to Ruin.

Popcorn Round:

What would you rather wear to your first ball--silk satin or dampened muslin? ;)

Oh my. Silk satin. I should not dare to sport dampened muslin!

You're going riding in Rotten Row at five! Will you wear a plain black wool riding habit or a peacock blue one with frog fasteners and epaulettes?

Peacock blue, definitely. I look terrible in black. Goodness. How pretty the fastenings and epaulets are. I may have to write this ensemble into the next story!

What's your favorite London destination--Almack's or Astley's Amphitheatre?

I adore dancing. If the Lady Patronesses approved of me, I could happily dance all night in society’s seventh heaven!

What is your next borrow from Hatchard's lending library--Sermons to Young Women by Mr. Fordyce, or The Monk by that fascinating Mr. Lewis?

::whispers:: . Isn’t it scandalous? But I declare I cannot put it down!

Three different gentlemen are clamoring for your hand in the next waltz! Whom do you choose? Mr. Farthing, an accredited fortune-hunter but divine dancer, the Marquess of Overstuff, with a pedigree a yard long but no conversation, or your dear, sweet seventeen-year-old cousin Waldo with spots who is attending his very first grown-up ball and is terrified of asking anyone else to dance?

Darling Waldo just needs a little encouragement. He has the steps down cold—fortunately, his dancing master was thorough—and a little style goes a long way in a country dance. After two dances, I will accept a waltz from Mr. Farthing, who can make any woman look like an angel in flight.

You're perishing of thirst after that waltz--would you rather ratafia or lemonade?

Ratafia would not help thirst in the least ... I will choose lemonade.

19Teen: How can readers learn more about you and your books?

Charlotte: I am at home to readers at www.charlotte-henry.com, where there are photographs of Trelissick, the manor house I used as my model for Morvoren Manor. Morvoren is the Cornish word for mermaid. There are a number of legends of mermaids along that coast ... one of the most enchanting places I’ve ever been. I hope readers will join me in my fictional parish of St. Just—they would be most welcome!

Nineteen Teen Welcomes Noelle Marchand!

I hope you all had a chance to read The Rancher’s Surprise Triplets by Linda Ford. The next story set in Little Horn, Texas, is The Nanny’s Temporary Triplets, by Noelle Marchand, out now. I’m tickled  to have her join us this week. Look for an intriguing post from her on Friday.

In the meantime, here’s a little about Noelle:

Noelle’s love of literature began as a child when she would spend hours reading beneath the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep. At fifteen, she completed her first novel and hasn’t stopped writing since. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, learning about history, watching classic  cinema, dancing, and deep conversations. She’s a Houston-native with an insatiable curiosity and love of learning. Her book, A Texas-Made Match, won the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

19T: You write faith-filled romance with a twist of adventure. What made you decide on that combination?

Noelle: Thank you so much for having me here today, ladies! I’ve always adhered to the old adage of write what you want to read. I love reading stories filled with faith, romance, and adventure. As for the “twist,” most of books have featured some sort of plot twist because the reality of life is that unexpected things happen and events or people aren’t always what you first think they are, which definitely adds to the suspense and excitement of literature and life.

19T: You’re written about quite a few cowboys from your native Texas. What draws you to Western settings and the nineteenth century?

Noelle: Part of it is that I am exactly what you said, a native Texan, and quite proud of that fact. I have always been fascinated by the state’s diverse history. Otherwise, I love how Western settings provide so much freedom for so many people groups that would be far more restricted in any other time or place. Women could and did own land and run their own businesses. They had much more control over their own fate in the West than they did in the East. That independent, resilient spirit is fascinating to me.  

19T: I know from working with you on the Lone Star Cowboy League: Multiple Blessings series that you love to delve into the rich details of the past. What surprised you the most about the research you did for The Nanny’s Temporary Triplets?

Noelle: The heroine of The Nanny’s Temporary Triplets is a piano and vocal teacher. I was surprised by how hard it was to find appropriate songs for her to sing. I’ll get into the reason behind that on Friday, so stay tuned for that!

19T: We will! What’s your favorite classic movie and why?

Noelle: I’m not sure I can pick. There are so many good ones! My favorite changes quite often depending on what I’ve watched most recently or what mood I’m in. I tend to favor romantic comedies and musicals, but also enjoy suspense and the occasional western. They’ve taught me so much about storytelling, how to create believable, intriguing characters and riveting dialogue. I most recently watched How to Steal a Million with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole. It’s one of my favorites because of the humor and twist and turns in the storyline.

19T: What was the hardest thing about writing this series?

Noelle: Everything! Haha. I’m kidding. It was fun, but quite a challenge since, with these continuity series, the plot is pretty much given to you already. Usually, my plot is driven by the characters and their internal conflict, so I sort of had to work backwards to make the characters, their conflicts, and motivations fit the plot.

19T: What was the easiest thing about writing this series?

Noelle: Working with my fellow authors! I thought it would be hard for me because I tend to write very independently with no critique partner or anything. It was so much fun and so helpful to brainstorm with other writers on this! I really enjoyed having you, Regina, and Linda to offer ideas, support and keep me grounded.

19T: Tell us a little about The Nanny’s Temporary Triplets.

Noelle: This book is about learning to trust the Lord over your feelings and fears. The back of the book says it best…

After fleeing to Little Horn, Texas, when she discovered her fiancé was a con man, Caroline Murray agrees to act as the temporary nanny for her brother's handsome neighbor. Though caring for David McKay's daughter and the orphaned infant triplets he's fostering is just a charitable gesture, she's falling for the children and David. But if there's one lesson Caroline won't forget, it's that her feelings can't be trusted.

With children to care for and a ranch to run, David definitely needs help—though he doesn't want a new wife. But his affection for Caroline runs deeper than mere appreciation of her skills as a nanny. She was only supposed to be a temporary solution, but will Caroline find a permanent place in David's heart?

19T: What’s next for Noelle Marchand?

Noelle: I’m excited to announce that I am working on a novella for Barbour Publishing’s Mail Order’s Bride Collection  that will be coming out early next year!

19T: Awesome! Congratulations! Now, how can our readers learn more about you?

Noelle: Readers can find me on social media or email me at author@noellemarchand.com.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/noellemarchandauthor/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/noellemarchand/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5022982.Noelle_Marchand

Twitter https://twitter.com/NoelleMarchand

Nineteen Teen Welcomes Linda Ford!

This spring, we’re off to Little Horn, Texas, again, with a new three-book series featuring some of the characters you knew and loved from 2016’s A Rancher of Convenience. This year’s trio starts off with The Rancher’s Surprise Triplets, and I’m pleased to have Linda Ford join us this week. Look for a great post from her on Friday.

In the meantime, she sat down with us at Nineteen Teen to tell us more about the book, her writing, and the marvelous nineteenth century. Here’s a little about Linda:

Linda Ford grew up devouring books and making up stories in her head, often late at night when she couldn't sleep. But she hadn't planned to write. Instead, she dreamed of running an orphanage. In a way, that dream came true. She married, had 4 homemade children, adopted 10 and lived her dream. She lives on a small ranch in western Alberta, where she can see the mountains every day. She and her husband continue to enjoy their children and grandchildren. Linda also provides care for a paraplegic, double amputee man. She still finds a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction in creating imaginary worlds only now she does it on paper or rather, at the computer.

19T: You’re one of Love Inspired Historicals most beloved authors for Western historicals. What draws you to Western settings and the nineteenth century?

Linda: I grew up reading about cowboys, horse, and pioneers. My father often took us to museums. My husband rancher loves western movies and when we were dating, I watched many westerns with him. Plus I live in cowboy country so I guess you could say it’s in my blood. I know the good old days were not without their challenges, but I like the idea of a simpler life where family units were strong, where roots went deep, and where a man’s word was his honor.

19T (Regina): I know from working with you on the Lone Star Cowboy League: Multiple Blessings series that you value historical accuracy. What surprised you the most about the late nineteenth century?

Linda: What surprises me the most about this era is how few rights women and children had. How little protection. If a father beat or abused his children, no one had the right to interfere. If a woman was abused or neglected by her husband she had no recourse.

19T: With 14 children, many of whom were adopted, you know the importance of family. How does that play out in your books?

Linda: My stories often have homeless or abandoned children. They frequently contain adults who have never known the security of a forever home. I get to give them all a new, loving family.

19T: What was the hardest thing about writing this series?

Linda: Having it set in Texas. I have never been there. Thank goodness for Google.

19T: What was the easiest thing about writing this series?

The story concept and many of its components are laid out by the editors who created the continuity. That makes it somewhat easier to plot as there are already some perimeters in place.

19T: Tell us a little about The Rancher’s Surprise Triplets.

Linda: Bo finds the abandoned babies. They are sick so he takes them to the doctor’s daughter, Louisa, who is also the doctor’s assistant, to be cared for. Because of a traumatic past he has no plans to marry. Ever. Louisa is also committed to remaining single so she can care for her ailing mother. Not that anyone is particularly interested in her. Not only is she plain, she is old enough to have earned the role of spinster. However, life has a way of upsetting the best laid plans, as these two learn.

19T: What’s next for Linda Ford?

Linda: The third book in my 6-book Big Sky Country series is out in July. It is Montana Cowboy’s Baby—a story about a baby left on the doorstep of the hero with a note saying the baby is his. He knows it’s not. This series is set in Montana—in case you didn’t catch that and features three Marshall young men, their sister and two close friends. Montana Cowboy Daddy was out in Oct. 2016. Montana Cowboy Family was out Jan. 2017. The fourth book—Montana Bride by Christmas—will be released in Oct. 2017. I am really looking forward to that story. It has many sweet elements. At least I think so. I’ve just turned in the fifth book and it’s about Annie Marshall’s friend, Carly, who is prepared to do anything to save her ranch and her home…including marrying a complete stranger.

Following the completion of that series in 2018, I will be doing a 3-book series on travels on the Santa Fe Trail.

19T: Thanks so much for joining us, Linda. Readers, here's how you can learn more about Linda and her wonderful books:

Blog and website: www.lindaford.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linda.ford.90

A Lady of Many Devices: Award-Winning Author Shelley Adina

Nineteen Teen is delighted to welcome Shelley Adina, with whom Regina admits to having an author crush. Shelley writes wonderfully detailed books full of characters you can root for. We sat down with her to learn more about what she's been up to, and where she's going next with her intriguing Magnificent Devices series.

Nineteen Teen: You have written about life and love in Amish communities, a posh teen boarding school, and an oceanside community in the Pacific Northwest, but perhaps your most popular series is set in an alternative 1889 London, where Victoria is Queen, Charles Darwin's son is Prime Minister, and steam is the power that rules the world. What drew you to 19th century England and steampunk stories?

Shelley: I’ve been a fan of steampunk since the 1960s, when we’d watch Wild, Wild West and then act out our own episodes. I always had to be James West because I was the oldest, but secretly, I wanted to be Artemus Gordon, inventing all the cool weapons and gizmos, and knowing where all the secret cupboards were on the train. I was a bookish child, reading English authors like Elizabeth Goudge (The Little White Horse, Linnets and Valerians, The Dean’s Watch) and R.F. Delderfield, and Canadian authors like L.M. Montgomery. Maybe it was the libraries I consorted with, but then, there was almost no contemporary fiction for what we now call middle-grade and YA readers. There was a lot of fiction written and set in the 1800s and early 1900s for that age group, however. I think my tastes were set early … until I discovered Nancy Drew and my love of cozy mysteries.

19 Teen: Your heroine, Lady Claire Trevelyan, starts out in the aristocracy but yearns for something more. What do you like best about Claire? What sometimes challenges you?

Shelley: What I like best about Claire is her inability to stay down for long. She’s had her share of setbacks, but as she advises the Mopsies, “Look around you, catalogue your resources, and then apply your intellect.” That bit of advice has saved her (and me) many a time. The thing that challenges me about her is that she’s so loyal to her friends and the people she loves that it never occurs to her that she shouldn’t dash off and attempt to help when they get into trouble. This turns out to be quite a conflict in books 7 and 8, when Andrew Malvern, whom she honestly loves, has a fairly reasonable expectation that when they marry, she might settle down. I don’t think settling down has ever occurred to her, and a little maturing has to take place before she realizes that sometimes you have to give other people the chance to be the hero.

19 Teen: Your understanding of both the times and the technology really shine in your books. How did you get so wise on steam and did you uncover anything really surprising in your research?

Shelley: ::whispers:: You know a lot of that isn’t real, right?

Seriously, I’m fortunate in that a man who builds steam-powered engines lives not three miles from me. If I need to know the rate of burning coal for a steam train on a three-percent grade over 80 miles, he’ll run the calculations and tell me. (“If a train left London at 4:00 p.m. at sixty miles per hour …” Who knew word problems would ever be useful?)

As for surprises, one day, I was sitting at breakfast in a lovely B&B a thousand miles from home (www.abbeymoore.com), and at the next table sat a submarine captain and his mariner wife. It so happened that I needed to know how an undersea dirigible would operate, so I asked them if they would mind applying their imaginations to it. We had a very entertaining talk over the frittata about everything from oxygen levels to how one might escape out of a torpedo tube, much to Ian the innkeeper’s delight.

19 Teen: If you had been born in your alternative England, would you be a Blood (aristocrat, born to wealth) or a Wit (those who live by their intellect) and would you be satisfied with that?

Shelley: I’m definitely a Wit. I would have been a writer then, too, and hold lovely salons so that my writer friends and I could talk about the subject we love best over tea cakes and wine. Oh, wait. We do that now!

19 Teen: You have a new book out this month, squee! Tell us something about it.

Shelley: I’m so glad you brought that up. Here’s the story summary:

Her father started a war. She intends to stop it.

Her father may have sacrificed his own life to save hers, but heiress Gloria Meriwether-Astor is finding it difficult to forgive him. After all, how many young ladies of her acquaintance will inherit wealth, beauty, and a legacy of arms dealing? Now the Royal Kingdom of Spain and the Californias is about to declare war on the Texican Territory and Gloria simply will not allow it.

In company with Alice Chalmers and the crew of Swan, along with a lost young Evan Douglas seeking reparation for his own sins, she takes to the air. Her intention—to stop the train carrying the final shipment of monstrous mechanicals into the Wild West. But they should have known that making a deal with air pirate Ned Mose in exchange for his help could never end well.

What is a lady of principle to do? For the lives of thousands may depend on her ability to stop the war … even if it means losing everything and everyone she has come to love …

“It’s another element I love about these books; from Claire to Gloria to Alice to Lizzie and Maggie to Lady Dunsmuir, the women in this series generally like and respect each other. Other women are not required to be lesser—weaker, more cowardly, less intelligent—in order for Claire to be awesome. She is not an exceptional woman, she is an awesome woman among awesome women.” —Fangs for the Fantasy: The latest in urban fantasy from a social justice perspective

19 Teen: Sounds fabulous! Where is the Magnificent Devices series going next?

Shelley: Well, Gloria’s journey from former finishing-school mean girl to woman of principle and strength is just beginning. In the course of her attempt to stop the war (which will comprise Books 10–12), she will stretch the limits of her capabilities and beyond, will learn who she really is, and will become a force to be reckoned with in her own right. (It is no coincidence that the aforementioned posh boarding school in San Francisco is the Gloria Stanford Fremont Preparatory Academy, hm?) She will stop asking herself, “What would Claire do?” and begin to ask herself, “Is this the right thing for me to do—and how will it affect the people I care about?” She, too, has grown up in a world of privilege, and like Claire, must have it all stripped away so she can see what she can make of herself on her own.

19 Teen: Pop quiz round:

Fruit trifle or chocolate truffles? Fruit trifle, no question. Be liberal with the brandy.

Chamomile or Earl Grey? It depends on whether the stomach is unsettled. If so, the former. If not, the latter.

Napoleon or Wellington? Heavens. What a question for this citizen of the Commonwealth. Wellington, of course.

Empire waist or bustle dress? You tricky minxes. You’ve heard about my Regency prequels, haven’t you, dubbed “Prinnypunk”? The steam engine was invented during the Regency, as you know, with the help of Claire’s great-grandmother, Loveday Trevelyan. I have the clothes all ready to go. I just have to figure out how to make the goggles stay on a bonnet. And write the books.

Cats, dogs, or chickens? Chickens! In fact, I just wrote three of them into Gloria’s book. I didn’t mean to, I swear—I just opened a door and there they were, roosting on the bedframe in a deserted house! When they followed the characters out, I was helpless in the matter.

19 Teen: Where can our readers learn more about Shelley Adina?

Shelley: I’d be delighted if you’d visit http://www.shelleyadina.com. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter, too, and get a free short story set in the Magnificent Devices world!

Thank you, ladies—it has been such a pleasure talking with you. Now … you were saying about trifle and tea …?

19 Teen: Right this way, my dear. And, if I might inquire about borrowing your goggles . . .

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RITA Award® winning author and Christy finalist Shelley Adina wrote her first novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages.

Shelley is a world traveler who loves to imagine what might have been. Between books, Shelley loves playing the piano and Celtic harp, making period costumes, and spoiling her flock of rescued chickens.

Nineteenteen Welcomes Award-Winning Author Julie Klassen!

In the inspirational romance genre, there are few awards more prestigious than the Christy. When an author has won it three times in a few years, you know she's good. That's only one of the reasons we're delighted to welcome historical romance author Julie Klassen to our blog to tell us a little about herself and her recent book, The Secret of Pembrooke Park.

Nineteenteen:  Like us, you are fascinated with all things Jane, from Jane Austen to Jane Eyre.  What drew you to early 19th century England and romance in particular?

Julie:  Reading books like The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre at a young age certainly made quite an impression on me and cemented my love of “all things England.” But why the early 19^th century in particular? It’s all Colin Firth’s fault. Like many women, I was smitten by him as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC/A&E adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Seeing it led me to re-read Jane Austen’s novels and in turn, to set my novels in the Regency period. 

Nineteenteen:  Ah, Colin.  Yes, he is known for leading many of us a merry dance.  You, however, are known for your impeccable research, which really came through in The Secret of Pembrooke Park. Did you turn up anything unexpected or especially exciting as you researched the book?

Julie:  Thank you. I try! Most of the research for this novel revolved around the life of clergymen and Anglican services in the 19^th century, but I’m not sure I’d call that exciting. One fun new topic I researched was hidden rooms. Secret rooms, passages, and hiding places were not all that uncommon in ancient manor houses. They came in handy over the centuries when you found yourself on the wrong side of a monarch and wished to keep your head. Or if you, say, needed to hide a priest during the reign of Elizabeth I. One of the places I visited while in England in 2014 was Chastleton House to see its historic secret room. It saved at least one life, we know, when a quick-thinking wife hid her husband there, then offered the search party a lovely meal laced with drugs. While the soldiers slept if off, she sneaked her husband safely past them. I loved seeing a real secret room in person, and it helped me better imagine the one in The Secret of Pembrooke Park.

Nineteenteen:  Regina loved the treasure hunting aspect of the story. What inspired you to include that in the book?

Julie:  I was first inspired to write about an abandoned manor, and decided to give it a secret room because I had come across them in my research, plus I had a “secret room” behind my closet as a girl growing up (where I kept my Trixie Belden books and posters of teen heartthrobs Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy). But what fun is a secret room, I thought, without the hope of something tantalizing hidden inside? So the idea of rumored treasure was born.

Nineteenteen:  And now the really important question: if you were making your first appearance in Regency society, what would you wear?

Julie:  Goodness. Since I currently own only one Regency era dress—a pink ball gown with lace at neckline and puffed sleeves—I suppose I would wear that. Though at my age, I would likely be accused of being “mutton dressed as lamb.”

[Editorial note:  as you can see from this photo, Julie actually looks rather dreamy in her pink gown.]

Nineteenteen:  We know you just turned in a manuscript to your publisher. What's it about, and what's next for you?  A little bird told us you might be having more books out, with a second publisher.

Julie:  Yes, in 2015 I will have two books coming out. Lady Maybe in July with Berkley/Penguin, which is about a woman whose startling secrets lead her into unexpected danger and romance in Regency England. And The Painter’s Daughter in December with Bethany House, which is my first novel with the often-requested marriage of convenience premise. 

Nineteenteen:  They both sound great!  Thank you so much for joining us.

Julie:  Thanks for asking and thanks for having me here!

If you'd like more information about Julie and her award-winning books, you can find her online at her website http://www.julieklassen.com/ or on Facebook.

Purchase The Secret of Pembrooke Park from these fine retailers:

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Nineteenteen Welcomes Y.S. Lee

Regular Nineteenteen readers will no doubt be pleased to see that this week we're happily welcoming Y.S. Lee, author of Young Bluestockings Book Club selection The Agency: A Spy in the House, to blog with us. Today we have an interview... enjoy!!

Nineteenteen: Why this series? What was the moment when you knew you had to write about Mary Quinn and The Agency?

Y.S. Lee: The character of Mary Quinn came first. I wanted to write about a Victorian girl from a marginal background, but the ordinary trajectory of such a life would be short and dreary: hunger, drudgery, probably an early death. Creating the Agency, a top-secret women’s detective bureau, made it possible to write about Mary’s life in a hopeful way that played with historical realism, while also respecting it.

Nineteenteen: Your background is a scholarly one...what made you decide to write YA books?

Y.S. Lee: I turned to fiction because I wanted a chance to write about things I couldn’t, as a literary critic. I was curious about real life: what people ate, how they bathed, how they travelled about. Writing novels was a delicious way to incorporate all my frivolous research. And the YA part is entirely my agent, Rowan Lawton’s, inspiration: the first version of A Spy in the House was for adults, but Rowan pointed out to me that it was really a coming-of-age story and suggested that I rewrite it for young adults.

Nineteenteen: Being that we're history geeks here at Nineteenteen, we have to talk about research. What was your best research moment--the one that made you smile and rub your hands together (metaphorically, of course), or the one that sent shivers up your spine? What is the most interesting thing you learned as you wrote The Agency books?

Y.S. Lee: Oh, no - I have to pick just one? Really, the thing I adore about writing historical fiction is that I’m learning all the time. I research as I go, and new discoveries often send me back to re-work the manuscript. One of the most fascinating things I learned about, which became a strong element in the series, was the presence of Asian sailors (called Lascars) in port cities in England – Liverpool, Bristol, and London. People often think of historical England as lily-white, but this was absolutely not the case.

Nineteenteen: In addition to being YA historical fiction, the Agency stories are also mysteries. Are you a mystery reader? Which did you enjoy more, the mystery crafting or the historical aspects when writing these books?

Y.S. Lee: I love old-school mysteries: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh. Having said that, while mystery is fun, a great way of shaping an adventure, and extremely satisfying to work out, my heart is with the historical details. I will sometimes write an entire scene around a particular historical tidbit, just so I get to include it.

Nineteenteen: Mary Quinn is one intrepid young woman...do you think you could embark on a career as a spy, as she does?

Y.S. Lee: Absolutely not! I’ve never been in a fistfight in my life, and I’m strictly an armchair spy. It’s a joy to write a character who’s so very unlike me, though.

Nineteenteen: Racism is an important theme in Mary Quinn's story. How did you approach writing about it from a nineteenth century perspective while making it accessible to today's readers?

Y.S. Lee: You know, I didn’t set out to write about racism as a theme. It grew, organically and logically, from what I knew about the lives of people of colour in Victorian England. If you read Victorian literature and documents carefully, there’s lots of evidence of the challenges they faced, the way they were treated, the assumptions made about them. I found one missionary society’s report about mixed-race families in Liverpool, in which the missionaries were surprised to find that black and Asian men often made good and affectionate fathers! Imagine!

Nineteenteen: What were your favorite books as a teen reader? Are there any more recent YA books that you wish you could have read then?

Y.S. Lee: Oh dear – I read so much dreck in my early years. I wish, most of all, that I could have a do-over for my childhood and teenaged reading, and it would definitely include more recent YA titles. I’m a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, Erin Bow, Stephanie Burgis, and Zoë Marriott, among others.

Nineteenteen: What's next for you? Are there more Mary Quinn books in your (and our) future, or are you moving on to other writing pastures?

Y.S. Lee: I’m writing the 4th and last Mary Quinn novel right now. My next project will be completely different – it’s set in Southeast Asia during the Second World War – but I’m not ruling out more Agency novels with a different sleuth.

Nineteenteen: Where can our readers learn more about you and your books?

Y.S. Lee: I blog every Wednesday at http://www.yslee.com/, and you’ll find excerpts and extras from the three published Agency novels there, too. Please stop by and say hello!

Nineteenteen: We're sure readers will! Come back on Friday for the second part of our week with Y.S. Lee!

Author Interview: Sarah MacLean!

We're taking a quick detour from our series on dancing to welcome author Sarah MacLean, author of the forthcoming The Season, just out from Orchard Books. Today we're featuring an interview with Sarah, so have fun and be sure to leave a comment in order to be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Sarah's book!

Nineteenteen: You're among fellow history geeks here, so tell us--what first turned you on to history and historical fiction? And what drew you in particular to the Regency/early 19th century period?

Sarah: I happened to be one of those kids who was surrounded by history buffs. Aside from my parents, who are European (father, Italian; mother, British) and therefore were incredibly committed to making sure that I knew and loved our family's history, I also had teachers and librarians and an older sister who were always putting great historical novels in my hands and incredible historical tales in my head. I went through phases...By high school, I was obsessed with historical fiction. I would become enamored of whole eras and read any- and everything I could get my hands on that related to them. I went through phases—the Civil War, Medieval England, the Vikings, the Italian Renaissance. And then, in the 11th grade, I found Jane Austen. And I was hooked. Here was an author (a woman no less!) who went against everything that had been written before and who birthed a genre of literature. She made romance fun . . . and funny . . . and real. Her heroines were cheeky and ironic, her heroes dark and brooding and arrogant to a fault. The combination of the two, for the teenager I was then and the twenty-something I am now, was electric. After that, I just wallowed in Regency literature. There's such a rich collection of it, that I never ran out, never got bored. And now...I get to add to that collection. Which is pretty awesome.

Nineteenteen: So give us the data dump on your about-to-be-released (next week!) debut, The Season--what is it about, and what inspired you to write it?

Sarah: The Season is the story of seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Worthington, who is sharp tongued and strong willed and positively loathes dress fittings—exactly the opposite of what a lady should be in Regency London. Alex, along with her BFFs, Vivi & Ella, can't seem to sit idly by drinking tea and embroidering. Instead, she gets herself tangled up in a dangerous mystery—involving a dead earl and potential treason. The Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, and the girls team up to help his son, Gavin (who happens to be totally dreamy), to uncover the truth about his father's death. As the mystery unravels, Alex and Gavin grow closer, and Alex finds herself losing her heart. But her girls are there to the end to make sure everything goes her way. The book is the result of my triple threat of obsessions: romance, YA and the Regency. When faced with those things, it's hard to imagine writing any other book than The Season. That, and the fact that Alexandra came into my head clear-as-crystal, like an avenging queen . . . I had to write her out of there.

Nineteenteen: What were the best parts about writing it, and what proved to be less fun?

Sarah: I loved writing The Season from beginning to end...the research, the character development, the story itself...I had a complete and utter blast. But my favorite parts were definitely the scenes involving all the girls. Alex, Ella and Vivi have this intense and wonderful friendship that reminds me so much of the friendships that I have been blessed with over the years. They're teasing and funny and supportive and, I hope, great models for real-life friends.
As for what was less fun, revisions weren't the easiest thing in the world...but once they were over, the book was infinitely better than it had been in first-draft form...so much so that now I look forward to revising!

Nineteenteen: How do you think teens in the 19th century and teens now differ or resemble each other?

Sarah: I think, fundamentally, they're incredibly similar. The things that define "teen" resonate through history. I think friendships were vitally important in the early 1800s, this is something we see clearly in the writings of Austen, and now it's no different. Parents' wishes and expectations are still so important--in 1800, it was about who you'd marry; now it's about what college you're going to. And, for girls especially, your whole world revolved around making a sound match. Anyone who has ever been a teenager knows that sure hasn't changed. The good thing is, marriage isn't the defining characteristic of teenage girls anymore. And that's a huge step in the right direction.

Nineteenteen: If you could visit Regency London for one day, what place would you visit or person would you like to have a glass of ratafia with?

Sarah: Oh, I'd go straight to Vauxhall Gardens. And then shopping on Bond Street. And then sneak into Parliament. And then have tea with Aunt Jane.

Nineteenteen: You've signed to write three adult historical romances for Avon--many congratulations!! Do you think you'll come back to writing more YA books after that?

Sarah: Thanks! It's really exciting to be immersed in the Regency for multiple audiences...I'm still pinching myself about the Avon books...even though the whole thing is rather terrifying! But, absolutely I'm coming back to YA sometime soon. After all, both Vivi and Ella deserve to have their stories told...and I think they'll just nag at me until I tell them...so there will be more YA for sure.

Nineteenteen: Anything else you'd like to tell our readers? And where can our readers go to learn more about you and The Season?

Sarah: It's preaching to the choir, I think, but one of my biggest concerns about the state of YA today is how little historical fiction there is out there--not just Regency historicals, but historicals altogether. So, I'd just say, keep reading it...because history is such rich fictional food!
I'm always happy to answer questions from readers. You can find me at http://www.blogger.com/www.macleanspace.com/, or email me at sarah (at) macleanspace (dot) com.

Thanks for talking to us, Sarah!

Don't forget to comment if you want to be entered to win a signed copy of The Season. And come back on Friday, when Sarah will be back for more Regency-inspired fun!