(International and USA Today bestseller, Library Journal Editor’s Pick of the Year/starred review Regency World Magazine Best New Fiction) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austenreveals the untold story of Jane’s impassioned, life-changing romance with the mysterious gentleman said to be the love of her life. Since no one else had written them, I decided to write them myself! There are three stories set in Jane Austen’s era that I longed to read. I have been so fortunate as to dance the night away in costume at many Regency balls and it is always a thrill. English Country Dancing also provided the excitement of physical touch, which was otherwise strictly forbidden until a couple was engaged. In the era of Pride and Prejudice, SANDITON, and BRIDGERTON ,dance lessons were obligatory from a young age.īalls were one of the only opportunities for young women and men to meet and be together without a chaperone at their elbow. Pride and Prejudice 1995 – Courtesy of BBC/A&E No wonder they needed a ladies maid to help them dress! (Why don’t we carry muffs anymore?)įashionable Regency ladies usually wore their hair up, styled with braids and curls (again in imitation of the ancient Greeks), and embellished for evening with jewels, ribbons, flowers, and feathers. Parasol (to shade oneself from the sun).Reticule (a small handbag designed to match one’s frock).Outerwear: a spencer (short jacket), pelisse (full length jacket), shawl (often imported from India) or cloak (often trimmed in fur).Hand-painted and gorgeous, they had a language of their own. Bonnet or hat often embellished with flowers, fruits, feathers, and/or ribbons.They wouldn’t think of leaving the house without these vital accessories: Regency women decorated themselves with such élan.  There’s nothing sexier than a man in a cravat. Men wore tight breeches, brocaded vests, frock coats, and cravats. Fashion in Austen’s time was so cool. Women wore filmy, empire-waisted frocks in imitation of the ancient Greeks and lavishly embellished evening gowns.

Sanditon and other stories

Can you share a recipe with us? How about something hot and deliciously spicy, like your romances? Suze: I’ve read this story, and I can tell our readers that Cowboys and Djinns is a game they will definitely want to play! Mina, you are also a food writer. As Maya and Shay pull together to survive, both are determined to have their happily-ever-after and bring peace to their worlds - warring families, shadow assassins, and nosy busybodies be damned. Their not-so-simple one-night stand is interrupted by assassins and the world, as they know it, is changed forever. But the beautiful and tough warrior gets more than she bargained for when she meets Shay. Nothing gets the biological clock ticking (and elders lecturing) like almost dying in battle, so Maya, princess of the water djinns, travels to Earth for some no-strings-attached sex to fulfill her duty and produce an heir.  Djinn, btw, is pronounced “gin” and is what we from non-Western heritages call genies.Īkshay (Shay for short), warrior prince of the earth djinns, earns the title of Crown Prince at a high cost when he loses his best friend in a battle against ancient enemies, the water djinns. Mina: A Tale of Two Djinnsis an exotic Romeo & Juliet tale with warring genies, feminists, flying carpets, kick-ass action and sexy adult fun. Suze: Tell us a bit about A Tale of Two Djinns, Mina. That way I could have vary my workload, make my stories accessible to new readers, and take on special projects like my UNICEF effort with A Tale of Two Djinns. Actually, what I’d like to do is be a hybrid – do both traditional and independent books. I loved being involved in the whole process (writing, editing, choosing a cover, choosing distributors, marketing, tracking my numbers etc.) even though it’s a lot of work. Mina: I was terrified when I first started looking into it, but it’s turned out to be a very positive experience. Suze: What has your experience been as an indie? Would you do it again, or is it back to traditional for you? I’m happy to share, I wrote my first check to UNICEF this month from the proceeds. Self-publishing the book seemed to be the simplest way of doing this. Education has always been important to them and to me, so I decided to self-publish and donate fifty percent of the proceeds to UNICEF’s Schools for Asia initiative.  Mina: My father died while I was still working on A Tale of Two Djinns and I wanted to do something to honor and thank both my parents.

Native son 1940