Today's Special - - Theresa Romain and Shana Galen

I'm delighted to welcome Theresa Romain and Shana Galen, the authors of Mrs. Brodie's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, to the blog today. These two bestselling historical romance authors are among my favorites and I was so excited to learn they were combining their talents to produce this new novella duet set at an exceptionally unconventional academy for exceptional young ladies. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories and have hopes that they will consider revisiting the academy in the future. Please give them a warm welcome!


Hi, everyone! We’re so glad to be visiting The Romance Dish today—happy birthday, PJ! To celebrate PJ’s birthday (*wink*), we’ve got some trivia, excerpts, and giveaway goodies to share about our historical romance novella duo, Mrs. Brodie’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies.

A bit about the duo:

Mrs. Brodie’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies appears exclusive and respectable, a place for daughters of the gentry to glean the accomplishments that will win them suitable husbands.

But the academy is not what it seems. It’s more.

Alongside every lesson in French or dancing or mathematics, the students learn the skills they’ll need to survive in a man’s world. They forge; they fight; they change their accents to blend into a world apart. And the staff at the academy find a haven from their pasts…and lose their hearts.

As you might guess, we had a LOT of fun writing this!

Trivia about Theresa Romain’s novella: 

“The Way to a Gentleman’s Heart”

1.     This is a second chance at love story featuring Marianne Redfern, the cook at the exclusive Academy, and Jack Grahame, the first love who broke her heart years ago. These are all-new characters, so it can easily be read as a stand-alone story! But I’m also considering it part of my Romance of the Turf series because of Mrs. Brodie. She's Anne Jones, alias Janet Ahearn-- the villainess (or is she?) of the first two Romance of the Turf novels. She and her school will be a big part of the final book in that series, His Wayward Bride, coming out next spring.

2.     Because Marianne is a cook in London in the 1810s, I needed to be aware of what foods would be available to her. With a story set in April and May, this British seasonality table was a great help: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/seasonal-calendar/all She could use foods in season or, of course, preserve them with salt, sugar, or pickling. (Finally, all those cooking shows I like to watch have paid off!)

3.     Have you heard of the custom of "telling the bees"? It has never been so common in the USA as it historically was in England. The tradition was that bees on one's property needed to be told of big life events--marriages, deaths, births--or they'd get distraught about being excluded and would leave the hives or stop making honey. I’ve always thought this was a charming tradition, and Marianne and Jack make certain to keep the bees informed of major life changes.

Excerpt from “The Way to a Gentleman’s Heart”

“Where did you get this honeycomb?” Marianne asked.

Jack doffed his hat, looking pleased. “I persuaded a confectioner to open early.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to bring you some, because I was remembering the bees your father used to keep.”

So. He recalled those days too. “Why?”

Now he looked annoyed. “I don’t know, Marianne. Maybe because seeing you reminds me of the way we grew up, helping the beekeeper collect honey and wax, and it was a nice memory, and I wanted to share it with you.”

Yet all of that belonged firmly in the past. The Redfern land now belonged to the Grahames, sold by Marianne’s mother upon being widowed five years before. Jack’s father had been living then, and he’d snapped it up using the Wilcox money that had passed into his hands.

There was no room for Marianne and Jack in that memory anymore, certainly not together.

“That’s not what I’m asking, really.” She bit her lip, wishing for a taste of sweetness. “Why…any of this? You came to London. You brought me strawberries.”

“And honeycomb,” he pointed out.

“I don’t understand why you’re here, Jack. I have a good post, and you have your life in Lincolnshire. If you just wanted to share a memory, why didn’t you send a letter?”

Seeming to think over his answer, he flipped his hat end over end. Fidget, fidget. “Because,” he decided, “I haven’t seen you for eight years, but for all the years before that, I saw you every day.”

The kitchen clock chimed the hour, reminding her of time rushing past. “After eight years without seeing me, it seems as if you could go on in the same way.”

“I probably could have, but I didn’t want to.” His gray eyes were merry. Why did he always look as if things were going his way? “Now that I’m here, maybe I’ll begin to pine for you. Be a devoted suitor and shower you with gifts. Would you be interested?”

The fiend. Did he know that was all she’d once wanted?

Did she know what she wanted from him now?

With one fingertip, she touched the delicate comb—then, in a rush, she folded over the heavy brown paper and set the parcel down on the worktable. “Don’t buy me any more presents.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not right.”

He set his hat on the table beside the parcel, then stripped off his gloves. “You don’t like them?”

“I don’t know if I like them or not. It’s too confusing.”

His smile was crooked, not exactly happy. “I don’t mind confusing you, Marianne. That’s a step up from angering you, and isn’t that where we started?”

“I don’t know,” she blurted. “You’re confusing me.”

He poked through the paper and touched the discarded honeycomb with a gentle forefinger. Then he folded the brown paper over it, packing it away. Done, Marianne thought. He’d listen, and he’d stop now.

Instead, he said, “Then I’ll keep right on.” Stepping closer, he cradled her face in his hands—and he kissed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Trivia about Shana Galen’s novella: “Counterfeit Scandal”

1. In my novella, “Counterfeit Scandal,” the heroine Bridget has a talent for counterfeiting currency. She learned from her father, who was a British operative during the American Revolution. In researching counterfeiting during this time, I learned that one method the British employed to win the war as attempting to crash the nascent American economy. By counterfeiting mass amounts of paper money, the British could render legitimate money worthless. As is the case now, money was printed on special paper. The British captured a ship with a large cargo of the special paper and were able to counterfeit large amounts of currency and put it into circulation. In fact, at one point during the war John Adams wrote to his wife to be careful when accepting any paper money.

2. Bridget has spent time in Fleet Prison for debts. Debtor’s prison was notorious for the poor conditions those imprisoned endured. If prisoners wanted decent food, a bed, or a fire, they had to pay for it. Pretty ironic considering this was a debtor’s prison. Many prisoners died before they could ever repay their debts or finish their time and be set free.

3. In “Counterfeit Scandal,” Bridget is searching for her son, who she gave up when she went to debtor’s prison. The hero, Caleb, tells her they should ask Joseph Merceron. Joseph Merceron was a real person and a magistrate; he was known as The Boss of Bethnal Green. He was also notoriously corrupt, lining his own pockets and those of his friends at the expense of the poor people he was supposed to be serving.

Here’s a short excerpt from the novella, 

where Bridget tries to see Merceron.

Bridget reconsidered that statement a quarter hour later when she stepped into the Hog and Hen. The place looked as though the hog and hen in question had run rampant through the public rooms. She’d entered by herself about five minutes after Caleb had gone in. He’d told her he’d stand near the bar, and she spotted him easily. She must have looked as uncertain as she felt, because he gave her a firm nod as though to say, You can do this.

She took a breath, straightened her shoulders, and moved forward. Of course she could do this. She’d dealt with crying, screaming, fighting ten-year-old girls. A corrupt politician was nothing to her.

She made her way to the bar, aware that several pairs of eyes followed her. She was dressed more…completely than most of the women in the place, but she wasn’t here to advertise her charms. Still, her lavender gown and spencer were nothing to make anyone take notice. In an area of Town known for its silk weavers, the cloth of her dress was obviously inferior, as were her battered half boots and her drooping hat. She was nothing to waste time over.

Or so she hoped.

Without looking at Caleb, who was now only a few feet away, she cleared her throat. The barkeep flicked his eyes at her, then went back to polishing a glass. “What can I get you?” he asked flatly.

“Information.”

He sighed heavily. “Do I look like a book to you? I don’t ’ave no information. I ’ave ale and spirits.”

“I need to speak with Joseph Merceron.”

The barkeep set the glass on the counter. “What’s that to me? Do I look like ’is butler?”

“Where is he?”

The barkeep jerked his head to a dark corner of the tavern, and when Bridget squinted, she spotted an open door that led to another room. “Thank you.”

He muttered something under his breath as she walked away. She hoped Caleb followed. She was trembling now, but Satan himself couldn’t have stopped her from going into that room. Perhaps she would find James today. She might even hold him in her arms tonight.

She moved through the doorway and into the back room, and a man stepped in front of her. He was short but muscled, his head completely bald. “Can I help you, missus?”

“I’d like to speak with Mr. Merceron.”

“Do you owe him blunt?”

“No.”

“Then he’s busy.”

Bridget scowled. “It won’t take long. Just a few questions.”

“Come back tomorrow. Maybe he’ll see you then.”

“I can’t come back tomorrow. I need to speak with him today. Please.”

The man put his hand on her shoulder and, with strength she had no hope of matching, turned her around. “Goodbye, missus.”

She walked out and continued walking. Tears burned in her eyes, but she wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of seeing them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Brodie’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies teaches all the usual subjects—plus quite a few unusual ones. We’d love to know, what was your favorite subject in school, or what subject would you like to study at Mrs. Brodie’s Academy?

Today's Giveaways:

To one random commenter on this post, Theresa would like to give away a copy of her historical romance novel Scandalous Ever After and Shana would like to give away a copy of her historical romance novel No Earls Allowed. This giveaway is open internationally, and the winner can choose print or Kindle copies.

PJ, here. Because it's my birthday today, I'm adding more fun with more giveaways! Three randomly chosen people who leave a comment on today's post will each receive a Kindle copy of Mrs. Brodie's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies (open internationally) and three more randomly chosen people who leave a comment will each receive a package of books from my conference stash. (U.S. only)

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of Regency historical romances filled with passion and adventure. A former school teacher, Galen now balances marriage and motherhood with a full-time writing career. Unmask Me If You Can, book four in Galen's popular The Survivors series will be released November 6th. Connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter and visit her website for more information about her books. 

A bestselling author of historical romances, Theresa Romain's accolades include starred reviews from Booklist and a 2016 RITA® final for Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress, book three in her The Matchmaker Trilogy. Her most recent full-length book is Lady Rogue (Apr 2018), book three in her The Royal Rewards series. Learn more about her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.