My new historical romance, FAIR AS A STAR, is the first book in my Victorian Romantics series. Set during the summer of 1864, it features a handsome and compassionate clergyman hero and a courageous heroine who just happens to be betrothed to his brother. After a year-long stay in Paris, Beryl Burnham has returned home to the idyllic village of Shepton Worthy ready to resume the life she left behind. Betrothed to the wealthy Sir Henry Rivenhall, she has no reason to be unhappy–or so people keep reminding her. But Beryl’s life isn’t as perfect as everyone believes. . . F is for Family. Something Beryl values more than anything. A is for Alliance. The upcoming marriage of Beryl and Sir Henry Rivenhall. I is for Impetuous. Beryl’s younger sister Winnifred is driven more by emotion than good sense. R is for Romance. Sometimes it happens where you least expect it. * A is for Attraction. Mark Rivenhall has been besotted with Beryl for as long as he can remember. S is for Sisterhood. The bond that Beryl shares with Winnifred. * A is for Affinity. Mark and Beryl have always been friends. * S is for Supportive. Mark gives…

I am fascinated by the heroines of this new series, A League of Extraordinary Women, who are suffragists! It was also particularly intriguing in the scenes where Queen Victoria shows up, to find that she was against this movement, and wanted to get rid of feminists. What was the most surprising thing you learned while researching this novel?  I spent some time in the archives of Oxford’s first women’s college, Lady Margaret Hall, to research my story. The first surprise was how pleased the archivist was about my interest in the first women at Oxford because they were so “under-explored”. I wondered why–these women were extraordinary, pioneers if you will, considering how unusual and controversial it was for a woman to go for higher education in 1879. I want to add that LMH shone a spotlight on the first women students this summer, when they marked the 140th anniversary of the college, and I was delighted when they asked me to share my research for the occasion. The other big surprise was how frequently objections to women’s rights in the Victorian era were couched in terms of concern for women’s health and happiness. Women were not allowed to fully matriculate…

Many thanks to Christi Caldwell for joining us on the blog today! Welcome to the Fresh Fiction blog! Can you tell us a bit about the Wicked Wallflowers series, and your most recent release, THE BLUESTOCKING? Thank you so much for having me! The Wicked Wallflowers world is one that’s been so refreshing and rewarding for me as an author to write in. It’s set in the late Regency era, however, it explores life outside of the ton. Many times readers picture ballrooms and rides in Hyde Park when thinking of Regency romance, and though we have glimpses of that in my Wicked Wallflowers books, they really move so much deeper, looking at how people born outside the nobility lived…and struggled. In The Bluestocking, for example, I’ve paired Gertrude Killoran, the clever, partially blind, oldest sister of a gaming hell family with her family’s greatest rival…the Marquess of Maddock…known as the Mad Marquess. A man whose wife and unborn child were killed by Gertrude’s late father, and whose son was kidnapped and absorbed into the Killoran gang. It’s a very raw and real story that brings an HEA not only to Gertrude and Edwin as individuals but the pair of…

Editorial Manager Danielle Dresser chats with bestselling author CHRISTY CARLYLE! Welcome back to the Fresh Fiction blog! For readers who aren’t familiar, can you tell us more about the Duke’s Den Series? The idea behind the series is that it’s a Victorian take on the reality TV show, Shark Tank, in which inventors present their ideas to venture capitalists. In this case, those with capital are dukes (except for the hero of this book) and they are investing in the wild plethora of inventions and innovations that were popping up with regularity during the Victorian era. I really loved that Diana Ashby was an independent woman, focused on her inventions and work. What inspired Diana’s tenacity and creativity? I know lots of women creators: writers, artists, and innovators, and I’m inspired by their tenacity. Diana wasn’t inspired by one single woman I know but by many who believe in themselves and their work and don’t let disappointments or even rejection stop them. Diana definitely embodies the kind of woman I’d like to be. Aidan Iverson had humble beginnings, but has become a successful and wealthy man. Nonetheless, he still strives to be accepted by high society. Why is this acceptance…