Wilful Impropriety is a collection of short YA romances set in the Victorian era, and themed around breaking the rules. It was so much fun to write a story for this anthology! :) I can't wait to share it with you guys.

Here's the list of other authors in the anthology:

• Genevieve Valentine
• Leanne Renee Hieber
• Steve Berman
• Seth Cadin
• Tiffany Trent
• Karen Healey
• Sandra McDonald
• Marie Brennan
• M.K. Hobson
• Barbara Roden
• Mary Robinette Kowal
• Caroline Stevermer

In the UK, you can pre-order a paperback or e-copy now from Foyles, Waterstones,  Amazon.co.uk, the Book Depository, or your local independent bookstore.

I'll be sure to add a link to the US edition as soon as it's available!

Here's a quick snippet from the opening:

If there was anything worse than Stepmama in a fury over one of my adventures, it was Stepmama basking in smug self-satisfaction. By the time my oldest sister Elissa had been betrothed for two days, I was ready to unpack my secret stash of boys’ clothing and take to the road as a highwaywoman, just to escape Stepmama’s endless stream of self-congratulations.

Unfortunately, I was trapped in a carriage with her and both of my older sisters, riding through the rugged Yorkshire Dales with piles of luggage stacked high around my legs. There was no way out.

Read "A Desperate Case for Magick" here.

You can read about how Terri Windling made me a fantasy writer; view the ARC offer; or browse the full auction, which includes a huge variety of amazing offerings from other writers and artists including Charles DeLint, Emma Bull, and many more.

Bidding is open until 5pm PST on December 15th.

"A Desperate Case for Magick" takes place just a few days after the end of Kat Book One (Kat, Incorrigible, a.k.a. A Most Improper Magick). Can Kat survive a seemingly endless road trip with a smug Stepmama and both of her older sisters? Or will incorrigible Kat find a magical way out? Read the story and find out...

You can buy the Kindle edition at Amazon.co.uk or the .epub edition atWaterstones.com.

You can download a PDF of the teacher's guide, or read the Reading Group questions here.

• Saturday, 6th August
• 1-3pm
• Waterstones, 4-5 Milsom Street, Bath
• I'm happy to sign either or both of the first two Kat books.
• I'd love to see you guys there! And if you found out about it through my blog or website, please do let me know. :)

My lovely UK publisher, Templar Books, is providing a great spread of food, and along with the reading, eating, and partying, there will be a giveaway of one of Emily Mah's beautiful pieces of Kat-themed jewelry! (I'm linking to the photo of her Kat pendant, but she's actually designing something brand new for the Tangle launch...just wait to see it!)

If you think you can come, please RSVP Waterstones by ringing them at: 0843 290 8105 or else just tweet them your RSVP at @abergavbooks ! (The event is completely free, but they're asking for RSVPs so that they can get an idea of numbers for the night.)

You can also check out the launch party's Facebook event page.

I'd love to see you guys there!

The award was voted on by 9- to 11-year-olds in Waverton and Chester who were "invited to judge the best British debut children's novel of the year." I am beyond thrilled that they chose A Most Improper Magick as the winner!

I'll be heading to Waverton on July 22nd to meet the kids, and I cannot wait.

I've also posted a behind-the-scenes page for Book 2 which is basically a love letter to the city of Bath - my very favorite city in the world. Hope you enjoy!

What first sparked the idea for Kat and her adventures? Does it have any actual historical roots?

I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and in several of my favorite Austen and Heyer romances, the romantic heroine has a younger sister who pops up only long enough to utter a snarky and disrespectful comment or two about the older sister's affairs. So I loved the idea of writing a book where the snarky younger sister gets to be the real heroine, having exciting magical adventures of her own while her older sisters are distracted by romance!

I based a lot of Kat's situation (apart from the magical bits, of course!) on Jane Austen's own family. Like Kat, Jane grew up in a vicarage with a father who'd started out as a scholar with a university fellowship he gave up when he got married. He took in paying students who lived in the Austens' house along with Jane's large family of brothers and sisters, just like Kat's father takes in a paying student during KAT, INCORRIGIBLE. And like the Austens, Kat's family is located in the poorer end of "genteel", in terms of the British class system - which means that they're officially on the right side of "respectable" enough to mingle with the upper class, but they actually live a very lower middle-class lifestyle, and they certainly aren't considered well-bred enough to marry a Mr. Darcy...and that's even before the social taint of Mama's scandalous magic gets included in the mix!

Read the full interview.

In the UK, the title will be A Tangle of Magicks, the book is releasing on August 1st, 2011, Anne-Yvonne Gilbert is the cover artist, and the front cover is:

Here's the full wraparound jacket:

In the US, the title will be Renegade Magic, the book will release on April 5th, 2012, Annette Marnat is the cover artist, and the front cover is:

And here's the full wraparound cover:

(For those of you who've wondered whether Charles will have more of a role in the second book...this cover may give you a small hint! ;) )

You can also see the larger version of that wraparound cover on Flickr.

I feel so, so lucky in my covers! And I'm fascinated by the fact that both covers take the same scene in my novel as a starting point, and end up in such different places.

My short story "Undead Philosophy" (which I gave away online as part of our December Lights Project in 2010) was also long-listed for a British Fantasy Award in the Best Short Fiction category, and it can be read online here.

.

The address is: 4a High Street, Abergavenny NP7 5RY , and it's about a 10-minute walk from the train station. Hope to see some of you guys there!

As we get closer to the summer, you can check back at their website to get more updates on the Challenge and the full list of books selected.

Here's a quick snippet from the interview:

Kat reminds me of some of my favorite fantasy heroines when I was younger. Who are some of your favorite fantasy heroines? Who did you draw upon for your inspiration for Kat?

Some of my favorite fantasy heroines when I was Kat's age were Harry from Robin McKinley's THE BLUE SWORD (she gets to sword-fight AND have a sizzling romance!), Beauty from Robin McKinley's BEAUTY (who reads Latin fluently and loves books more than almost anything else), and Tamora Pierce's Alanna (who gets to be a knight). Since I grew up, I've added lots more to the list, including Ysabeau Wilce's Flora from FLORA SEGUNDA and FLORA'S DARE...

Read the full interview - and enter to win a Kat, Incorrigible ARC!

You can also bid on a whole bunch of other great items, from books to manuscript critiques and mentoring, offered by a host of great authors, including Cat Clarke, Lucy Coats, and Paul Cornell.

Bidding begins at 8am (UK-time) on Tuesday, March 15th.

Judith Lafitte, of Octavia Books, in New Orleans, LA, says:

Kat, Incorrigible is what you might get if you set the popular television series Bewitched in 19th-century England and added a dash of Jane Austen. There’s also a bit of a twist on the Cinderella theme. Not at all what you’d expect, and a delightful start to a new series!

See the full list here.

Stephanie Burgis's debut novel is a more substantial foray into the regency world of Austen and Heyer than that of Meg Cabot, albeit with elements of J.K. Rowling thrown in for good measure. Magic and witchcraft are recognised but frowned upon in the society in which twelve-year-old Kat is being brought up by her sisters, stepmother and father. She knows that her late mother was a witch but until early in the novel does not realise that she has inherited her magic talents. She is a decidedly courageous heroine who is called on to face highwaymen, wicked witches and the tedious intricacies of society manners demanded by her stepmother while helping the path of true love. The attempts of the secret society of Guardians to recruit Kat and her imperfect control of her power cause even more complications in this amusing and exciting first installment of 'The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson'.

Resentful of her stepmother, her secretive older sisters, and the whole code of ladylike conduct in early-19th-century England, 12-year-old Kat Stephenson takes action. She chops off her hair, learns to use her mother's magical mirror, and fends off both well-meaning and threatening adults. Posing as a highwayman, she captures husbands for her sisters. There is more than a little wish-fulfillment here as the ignored younger sister–constantly criticized for her curiosity and impulsive behavior–discovers her exalted status while providing for her less-adept older siblings. The Regency world is drawn in broad strokes, and some secondary characters are more caricature than convincing, but the sisters–clearly close to the 21st century in their basic outlooks, even if Elissa, the eldest, fancies herself a Gothic heroine–are appealing and their relationship is believable. Regency romance and fantasy adventure all in one, this is a satisfying read and a promising beginning to a trilogy that is sure to be popular with middle school girls.

Read the review on their website.

We posted the first three stories on December 1st, 2010, and we'll be posting at least one story every 2-3 days throughout the rest of December.

Every story is free to read; every story is guaranteed to have a happy ending. You won't find any advertising or donation buttons on the site. This project is not associated with any winter holiday in particular, but these are our winter gifts to you.

Contributing authors include Sarah Prineas, Marie Brennan, Leah Cypess and Sherwood Smith. You can see the full list of authors on the "About" page of the website.

As my December Lights Project story, I posted "Undead Philosophy 101", an upper-YA story that I wrote as a Christmas gift for my brother Ben. It's a funny vampire story set in East Lansing, Michigan, where I grew up. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Visit the December Lights Project.

Read Steph's story.

Kat, Incorrigible
Author: Burgis, Stephanie

Review Date: November 15, 2010
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 304
Price ( Hardcover ): $16.99
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-1-4169-9447-3
Category: Fiction

Romance, humor and magic mark this brisk debut novel, the first of a trilogy set in an alternative Regency England. With two marriageable older sisters, a regrettable older brother, retiring father and meddling stepmother, 12-year-old Kat occupies the bottom slot in the family pecking order. She’s more than up to the challenge, thanks to a feisty nature and newly awakened magical gifts inherited from the mother she never knew. No sooner does Kat discover those gifts than senior members of the Order demand that she be guided by them in developing her powers. Not likely! Kat will go her own way, risking the consequences—invariably unexpected. Burgis’s command of the conventions of the genre is evident in characterization and plot, putting every element in place for a genteel romp. Stepmama maneuvers to marry off Elissa to a wealthy nobleman; Elissa, knowing her family’s dire financial straits, tries to dutifully submit to loathsome Sir Neville; Angeline struggles with the consequences of a love spell. Luckily, Kat is on hand to interfere with everyone’s plans. Enjoyable mayhem ensues. (Historical fantasy. 10 & up)

(You can also read the review on Kirkus's website.)

Here's an extract from the interview:

What’s your writing area like? Neat and tidy or covered with Post-It notes and the like?

I do most of my writing while lying on the couch with my laptop on my knees, a cup of Earl Grey tea and a bar of dark chocolate sitting on the floor beside me, and printed-out manuscript paper scattered all around me. I also have a Jane Austen action figure standing nearby as inspiration, and on days when I’m feeling insecure, I wear the sparkly tiara from my wedding to give myself a boost of confidence!

Read the full interview and enter to win an ARC of A Most Improper Magick.

and the full jacket:

(Click to see a larger version on Flickr.)

The stars will be foiled in silvery-green. Eeee!  

Kat, Incorrigible is the full title of Book 1 in the US, and it wil become the series title, too, so that Book 2 will be Kat, Incorrigible: A Tangle of Magics in the US (whereas it'll be A Tangle of Magicks (Book Two of The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson) in the UK).

And just for fun, here's the full jacket artwork without the text, because it makes me happy:

(Click to see the larger version.)

Here's a taster excerpt from the story:

Locked Doors

"My dad can't come to parent-teacher conferences on Monday," Tyler says. He keeps his voice calm and steady as he meets his English teacher's eyes. "He has to work."

Tyler is a pro at this. He can tell exactly when doubt flickers in Mrs. Jankovic's eyes and when his open, friendly expression settles it for her. There are too many eighth-graders in her class for her to chase up worries about every one of them. Too many kids in this middle school, period.

That's why Tyler's dad chose it for him.

Read the rest of the story online.
Order the anthology.

Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Was it challenging writing a book in the historical fantasy genre?

It was a really fun challenge to mix Jane Austen's early Regency era with the magical world that I made up. When I was worldbuilding in my notebooks, I came up with some big changes to earlier British history, back when magic was openly used (and, in my version of history, helped to cause the English Civil War!), but by 1803, when Book 1 takes place, magic has become the greatest social scandal of all, and magic workers have to keep their talents hidden and secret. So I worked hard to make all my day-to-day historical details accurate to the real Regency period, but I also had a great time figuring out how magic would secretly work alongside reality.

Read the full interview.

Kat has been invited to take tea with Bertie and the fairies in Lisa Mantchev's Théâtre Illuminata - and you are all cordially invited!

You can win an ARC of A Most Improper Magick just by leaving a comment on Lisa's blog entry, telling us what you would like to eat at the tea party.

The competition is open until Sunday, January 31st, and the ARC can be shipped internationally.

Enjoy!

Here's an extract from the interview:

Were Kat's siblings inspired by your experience of growing up in a big family?

Definitely YES. :) Her siblings are individually nothing like mine (for one thing, I have two younger brothers, whereas Kat has two older sisters and one much older brother), but I couldn't have created Kat's set of noisy, loving, aggravating, and completely beloved siblings if I hadn't grown up in such a large, close-knit family of my own. My brothers are two of my best friends, and that definitely influenced me in writing Kat's family.

Read the full interview.

I have decided that it's time...drumroll...to do my first Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) giveaway for A Most Improper Magick!

This giveaway is open to anyone in any country. All you have to do is let other people know about the giveaway, either by tweeting the following tweet, if you have a twitter account:

RT @stephanieburgis : Win an ARC of my novel A MOST IMPROPER MAGICK: http://tinyurl.com/yckky2q

...Or by mentioning it on your blog, using any phrasing you like, but making sure to link to this journal entry.

Then come tell me that you've done it, so I'll know to enter you in the drawing! You can either leave a message for me on the journal entry or else email me through my website contact form.

The giveaway will be open for a week, until midnight UK time next Monday, December 21st. One winner will get an ARC, plus an "Everything's Better with Highwaymen!" button and a postcard with the book cover; two runners-up will get "Everything's Better with Highwaymen!" buttons and postcards.

(And if you're debating about whether or not you want an ARC, remember you can read the first chapter to get a taste of the novel!)

Good luck!

I've got a whole page of favorite books on this website, and one of those books also happens to be the best Thanksgiving-related book I know: Joan Bauer's Squashed. It's probably the funniest YA book I've ever read...and since I first discovered it when I was 13, and have re-read it at least once every couple of years since then, I've read it a lot! But I still laugh out loud every single time.

So this month, I'll be giving away a Thanksgiving package that includes:

• One copy of Joan Bauer's Squashed;
• One notepad from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England, with a quote from Pride and Prejudice;
• Two A Most Improper Magick postcards; and
• One "Everything's Better with Highwaymen!" button.

Two runners-up will also get postcards and "Everything's Better with Highwaymen!" buttons. :)

Here's how to win, in two steps:

1. First, let other people know about the competition. If you're on Twitter, you can tweet it like this:

RT @stephanieburgis : Win a Thanksgiving prize pack that includes Joan Bauer's SQUASHED! Find out how: http://tinyurl.com/y9pszde

If you're not on Twitter, just mention the competition on your blog, and make sure to include a link to this page.

2. Send me a message through my contact form letting me know whether you've tweeted or blogged about the competition, AND giving me the names of all three of Kat's siblings (which you can find out on my Meet the Characters page).

This giveaway is open to anybody in the world, and it'll run through Monday, November 30th, at midnight UK time.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Here's an extract from the interview:

Kat sounds like a great heroine: spunky and fun. Tell us something about the other characters of the book. Any favorites (excluding Kat)?

I love all three of Kat’s siblings so much. Kat’s brother Charles doesn’t feature much in this first book (although he will later in the trilogy!), but both of her sisters, Elissa and Angeline, are major characters in the book and I LOVED getting to write them. Elissa is very, very proper--except that she has a guilty love of Gothic romance and a secret yen to be a real Gothic heroine; Angeline is smart, sarcastic, and 100% confident in all of her crazy plans...but they don’t always work exactly as planned, to say the least. As Kat’s older sisters, both of them try to keep Kat in line, but Kat is way too strong-willed and smart to let them get away with it!

Read the full interview.

Read it online for free.

I'm so excited! My first book trailer is now available online, and I love it.

To celebrate, I'm holding a Regency Prize Pack competition.

Here's what you have to do to enter:

1. Embed the book trailer in your blog, your website, your myspace page, or wherever else you are online.

Here's the code you have to use:

Make sure you copy and paste all the code!

This is HTML code, so you'll have to use the code view or html view or whatever similar function your blog or website has when you're pasting it in.

Also, put this text under the video:

"My entry for the A Most Improper Magick book tralier competition. Read the rules and enter at http://www.stephanieburgis.com/competition.php."

2. Watch the trailer! There are four rules in the trailer. I want you to tell me what rule number 4 is.

3. Send me a message through my contact form including a link to the page where you embedded the book trailer and the answer to what rule number 4 is.

4. That's it! Simple!

5. The prize is: a copy of either The Talisman Ring or The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer (winner's choice), a pad of special Jane Austen-themed writing paper, an "Everything's better with highwaymen" Kat button, and a postcard with the cover of A Most Improper Magick on it. Two runners up will also receive buttons and postcards. Winners will be selected by random drawing.

6. If you're under sixteen, don't forget to ask get your parents' or guardians' permissions before entering!

7. The competition closes at midnight on October 20, 2009 (UK time).

You can also see the full wraparound jacket on my blog or on my Flickr account.

True Names is set in the American southwest in the early twentieth century. It's a story about motherhood, identity, and the terrors that can spring out at you when you least expect them.

True Names is written for adults and is not suitable for younger children.

A Most Improper Magick is the first novel in The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson series of fantasy adventure books for ages ten to fifteen. You can find out all the details, including how to buy the book, all about the characters, and peeks behind the scenes, on the A Most Improper Magick page of this website.

How did you meet your agent?

I'd heard of Barry Goldblatt years ago as a really stellar YA fantasy agent - he represents a lot of my favorite writers in the field - so he was always my dream agent, from the moment I first decided to market A Most Improper Magick. I'd never met him in person or online - I just mailed him a query letter and hoped like crazy for him to like it. So you can imagine how excited I was when an email from him popped up in my inbox a week later...

Read the full interview

The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson, Book One: A Most Improper Magick will be published in early 2010.

I am so happy about this title. I think it really catches the whole feel of the book and the series.

At one stage, we were going to call the book The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson, Renegade Daughter, Guardian Witch, and Occasional Highwayman, Book One: A Most Improper Magic, and in my heart, I still think of that as the secret full title...but we decided that practically speaking, it would just be too long to fit on the cover of the book. But now you guys know the secret "extended edition" of the title, too! :)