Things some of you want to know.
My first book, A Most Improper Magick, is due to be published in America in early 2010. You should be able to find it in any bookstore. If you can't, just ask them to order it. You can already pre-order A Most Improper Magick from Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Chapters.indigo.ca. By the time of publication, it should also be available from Indiebound.org and BarnesandNoble.com.
If you don't live in America, try looking on Amazon in your country. You can probably find it there.
Yes! There are going to be two more books about Kat and her family. They'll come out in early 2011 and early 2012. Watch this website for announcements about the titles and release dates, as well as sample chapters, sneak previews, and all the extras you could want!
When I was little, reading was my favorite thing in the whole world to do. Then one day, when I was seven years old, I made an announcement to my mom: "I found something I like even better than reading. Writing!" And it's true. When the writing is going well, it is just so much fun - and even when it's hard work, I still find it more satisfying and fulfilling than any other job I've ever had.
Yes I do. I live with my husband, Patrick Samphire (who is also a writer), our baby son, whose internet pseudonym is "Mr Darcy", and our crazy-sweet border collie mix, Maya. You can see some photos of us on my flickr account.
The answer to this question changes every day. Of course, reading has always been one of my very favorite activities. There's almost nothing better than curling up with a really good book and diving into it for hours. On the other hand, writing can be even more fun, when it's going well...playing with my dog can make me laugh out loud with happiness, especially when she's dancing around me with a huge, silly grin on her face and her tail wagging madly...and being a mom often feels like the most fun of all.
Macaroni and cheese, cooked with strong, sharp cheddar and lots of garlic! (I usually use the "Zippy Cheese Sauce" recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.) It's my favorite comfort food. But I'm also a huge fan of Indian curries, especially Palak Paneer and Matar Paneer, and I looooove strong hot chocolate, made with melted dark chocolate and hot milk. Yum!
It's really hard to name one favorite book, so I've put together a whole page on my website with several of my favorite books! I hope you'll have fun checking them out. (Also, please do friend me on Goodreads if you feel like trading book reviews & suggestions!)
There are a lot of great books and resources on the Regency era. Here are a few good starting points to get a general introduction to the period:
Books About the Regency Era:
Jane Austen: The World of her Novels, by Deirdre Le Faye: This is a really good general introduction to Regency society of the kind Jane Austen (and Kat!) lived in - the "genteel" classes rather than the wealthy, high aristocracy.
The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World, by Margaret C. Sullivan: This is a great resource for the nitty-gritty, day-to-day details of life for genteel women and men in the Regency era.
Georgette Heyer's Regency World, by Jennifer Kloester: This is a good introduction to Regency high society of the kind Georgette Heyer wrote about - the life of the Dukes, Viscounts, and other aristocrats who never show up in Jane Austen's novels. (Note: I've linked to this book on Amazon.co.uk rather than Amazon.com because, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available at a reasonable price in America.)
Regency House Party, by Lucy Jago: This book is a tie-in to a very, very silly TV series about a group of modern British singletons who live the life of Regency aristocrats at a Regency-era houseparty, complete with the clothing, furnishings, and social rules of the time period. The story of the people themselves is pretty inane, but there are a surprising number of really interesting details about Regency life - and Regency house parties - interspersed with the silliness. (But don't believe for an INSTANT what Kim Newman tells the houseguests about Jane Austen - I completely disagree with him!) (Yup, I am an Austen geek. :) )
Online Resources About the Regency Era:
The Republic of Pemberley is a website that describes itself as a "haven for Jane Austen addicts", and I love it. It's full of useful information about Jane Austen's world and her books, and you can also read many Austen's own letters to her friends and family on the site. There's also a message board where you can ask questions about Regency protocol, etc. I'd particularly recommend starting with this article to get an understanding of the situation for girls and women in the Regency era: Marriage and the Alternatives: The Status of Women.
Georgian and Regency Antiques: From jewelry to ladies' fans and gentlemen's quizzing glasses, novelist Candice Hern has assembled a gorgeous collection of antiques from the Georgian and Regency periods for display on her website. (My personal favorite is her page of Georgian Sentimental Jewelry - I LOVED the "witch's heart" brooches, especially because they're so relevant to my Kat trilogy!)
Hern also has a great and comprehensive site devoted to The Regency World, including fashion information and a glossary of Regency terms.
(Please note: Candice Hern's novels are intended for an adult rather than a 10-15-year-old audience. However, the information she has on her site is wonderfully relevant for any historical books set in the Regency period.)
How to Fight a Duel: And just for fun, check out this fabulous short video, which instructs the modern gentleman on the historical and practical etiquette of dueling. It makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it!