Hi there,

Yes, it's that time again. Finally, a new book will soon be out. I know my move to one new book a year is a bit hard for my readers, but it's the only sane way for me to go at the moment. I do have some good news about other treats down below.

April 6th is the official pub date for The Secret Wedding, which follows on from A Lady's Secret. Next April will see the third book of this Malloren World trilogy -- The Secret Duke. Now Ithorne is not a particularly secret duke, as you know, but you'll understand the meaning of the title when the book comes out.

But that's next year.

The Secret Wedding is Christian's story -- Christian, Major Lord Grandiston, whom you met in A Lady's Secret. He's Ithorne's foster brother, and as I began to peer into his background I found an amusing and fascinating family. They certainly drive him crazy and form part of the tapestry of the book. Of course Rothgar has a part to play, too, though not as intimate one as in the last book. In fact, the connection here is Diana, but you'll have to wait to see what it is.

There's certainly a secret wedding, for Christian has told no one that he was forced to wed a girl when he was only sixteen. As he says to Thorn ten years later, "You remember sixteen." He was a newly minted officer in the army and about to sail to Canada for action, when he rushed in to play knight errant -- and paid the price. Afterward? Well, he was sixteen. He sailed away and hoped it would all sort out somehow.

It seemed to, for he received news of his bride's death. But ten years later, his secret wedding might be stirring from its grave.

You can read the wedding scene here.

I will be putting up another excerpt in a few days. Normally I'd trickle them out to you more slowly, but I'm going to be away from regular computer access for a while. I'm off to England for a month. This visit will be a special one, because we'll be deciding whether to move back to England. We'll mainly be staying on the beautiful Devon coast because that's where we hope to settle, but we'll be making some research trips.

One will be to Glastonbury, because that's the setting for a story I'm writing for a Grail anthology. It's by the same group that brought you Faery Magic and Dragon Lovers -- me, Mary Jo Putney, Barbara Samuel, and Karen Harbaugh. It's called A Chalice of Roses, and it will be out next year. My story will probably be called The Nun And Her Errant Knight, which might give you a hint of what's going on.

As promised, I have more good news. Lovers and Ladies, the two-in-one reissue of my traditional Regencies, was a great success, so my publisher is bringing out the rest over the next two years. These will be bound individually and begin with Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed. The art department has created a lovely cover for it, as you can see.

Remember, between newsletters you can keep up with some of my doings on my various blogs. I post twice a month at Word Wenches, and when I have something to say, I post at Minepast. I also hope to get around to posting pictures of my travels at Jo Talk.

I haven't been finding much new fun stuff on the web recently, but here are some old maps from Devon. I like this one of Exeter in 1587 because it looks so neatly planned. Note how it's within the medieval walls. It hasn't changed much by 1700, judging from this map except that it's been invaded by serpents! By 1851, it's quite a different matter. Click here.

Or consider this road map from 1760, round about Rothgar's time, which covers London to Land's End -- the tip of Cornwall. See the map here. Back then, as you see, they didn't attempt to lay out the road as it was, but only to indicate what you'd pass along the way. It makes sense, really.

All best wishes,

Jo

Back to the site menu