Your heroine in RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is a businesswoman, among other things. What made you decide you create this type of heroine? Any real-life inspiration? This is a great question; one I’m delighted to answer. It’s a common misconception that women didn’t work during the Regency period. They did. Let’s look at a few. One of the most familiar examples is Jane Austen. Yet, poor Jane didn’t make enough from her beloved novels to make ends meet. Since she never married, she had to rely on the generosity of her brother after her father passed away. There were other trailblazers. Let me introduce you to Harriett Mellon. Have you ever heard of her? Probably not, though her influence on society during the Regency period was great. An actress of moderate accomplishment, part of her fame and biggest success came from her career as a banker and major partner at Coutts & Co. It’s still in business, and it’s where Queen Elizabeth banks. Let’s not forget Eleanor Coade who purchased a stoneware company and turned it into a successful business by supplying neoclassical statues and garden ornaments for the Prince Regent and others during this period. Her pieces are…

A MISTLEOTE KISS by Eloisa James It was humiliating to admit, even to herself, but Cressie knew precisely when they had met, at least, as adults. It was her debut ball, and her cousin had walked over to her and said, “Here, Cuz, dance with Elias; he’ll be a marquess someday so he’s good to practice conversation that’s not about that infernal Revelry.” She had looked up into the eyes of the most beautiful man in the ballroom and managed a wavering smile. Elias hadn’t said more than a few words to her and ignored her the rest of the evening. “Other than passing encounters as children, we met when I debuted,” Cressie said now. “Years before that,” Elias said impatiently. “In that case, I have no idea what you are referring to,” she said, managing to make it sound as if she was uninterested. “You were five years old,” he said, rather surprisingly. He took a long stride and caught her right hand. “Show me the last structure? I already missed the other grottoes. I don’t want to miss anything of this one.” Cressie didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near thing. “Right.” She tugged her hand…

In the first book of my Widow Rules series, A DUKE IN TIME, a war hero duke falls in love with his stepbrother’s wife. Could he legally marry her? Under the Church of England’s rules of consanguinity and affinity, a brother couldn’t marry his brother’s widow. Nor could a sister marry her sister’s widower. Yet they could marry first cousins. But what about stepbrothers and stepsisters? Do these rules apply in the blended families of yesteryears? Way back in the day of merry ol’ England, the Church of England had pretty strict rules of who could marry whom related to family. Let’s get some definitions out of the way to make this a little easier to understand. Consanguinity basically means two people are related by blood relation and that they share common ancestors. Affinity is a relationship by marriage. When people married in violation of the Church of England’s prohibition of consanguinity or affinity, the marriages were either void or voidable. If a marriage is void, it’s invalid and illegal. End of story. Any children born of such union were illegitimate. If a marriage is voidable, then it’s valid. However, it could be annulled if an interested party successfully challenged…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Janna! Please tell us about yourself and your latest historical romance, WILD, WILD RAKE. Thank you so much for having me here today! This is a real honor. I write historical romances set in the Regency period for St. Martin’s Press. My current series is the Cavensham Heiresses. I adore Fresh Fiction and your website is a go-to for me to find the latest about my favorite authors and their romances.          This is the 6th book in your beloved Cavensham Heiresses series. What’s your favorite thing about writing this long-running series?  I adore this family so much. They have problems with each other, as all families do. However, they always stand together when any member of the family needs support. Their love for one another is endearing and rich. Lady Avalon Warwyck is recently widowed after a loveless marriage and is thrilled to have some independence to raise her son how she sees fit and concentrate on her work – helping fallen women start their own businesses. Tell us more about how the character of Avalon developed for you.  Avalon was first introduced in the Cavensham Heiresses #5, ROGUE MOST WANTED. She was not a sympathetic character….