1--What is the title of your latest release?
MURDER AT THE SERPENTINE BRIDGE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
In this latest addition to my Wrexford & Sloane Regency-set historical mystery series, Charlotte and her husband, Lord Wrexford, find themselves caught up in a dangerous intrigue when the prototype for a revolutionary new weapon goes missing from a British military research laboratory during a gala international celebration that has brought the major European leaders to London. The weapon is being offered by secret auction to the highest bidder, and when the government asks Wrexford and Charlotte to help in recover it, they and their quirky inner circle of family and friends must outwit a cunning villain to prevent the situation from exploding into all-out war.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Real history gave me a more perfect setting for this mystery than I would have dared dream up on my own! The Peace Celebrations, held during the summer of 1814, was a non-stop two-week party filled with glittering balls, spectacular fireworks, mock naval battles on the lake in Hyde Park, horse races at Royal Ascot and champagne-fueled banquets and entertainments. The possibilities for intrigue and skullduggery were endless!
4--Would you hang out with your sleuths in real life?
Absolutely! They are smart, capable and have a dry sense of humor, which would make me laugh. They are also fiercely loyal to their friends, so I know that they would always have my back.
5--What are three words that describe your sleuths?
Honorable. Courageous. Compassionate.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That there are more nuances to making a flintlock pistol than I ever imagined!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I write slowly, and often fiddle with a single paragraph for ages. It’s not an ideal process but it’s just the way my brain works. The good news is that when the book is finished, I don’t have to do a lot of revising.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Answer: Chocolate! Honestly, what other foodie indulgence is there? (Okay, I may occasionally munch on a raisin-walnut blondie to mix it up a bit.)
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have a dedicated writing room filled with sunlight, books and lots of funky art and objects that I’ve collected over the years. Being surrounded by such old and familiar friends helps to lift my spirits when the Muse is feeling cranky and writing isn’t going well.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I’m a big fan of Allison Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge mystery series. The protagonists have such interesting backstories and richly nuanced personalities. The interplay between them is marvelous—sharp and funny, yet also poignant because of their vulnerabilities.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Pride & Prejudice. It’s such a wonderful book on so many levels. Austen was a brilliant observer of human nature and was so slyly funny—but never cruel—in depicting the foibles of her characters. I loved the way she captured the joys of friendships and the complexities of family. I also loved the enemies-to-lover trope of the romance and the happily ever after. It made me realize the power of great storytelling and memorable characters. I think that’s what inspired me to be a writer.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
My first “call” was really exciting—and unexpected. I had taken a crack at writing a contemporary thriller (there’s a reason it’s still in the desk drawer) and a friend knew a literary agent who agreed to meet with me for a cup of coffee so I could give him my pitch. He listened patiently, making polite murmurs, and when I finished, he kindly agreed to look at a sample chapter, though I could tell it didn’t look promising. I started to put on my coat and then blurted out, “I also have the finished manuscript for a Regency romance, but you’re probably not interested in that.” Well, his eyes lit up and he said that an editor at Signet was a very good friend and he would be happy to send it along to her. He called me back three days later to say he had sold my book!
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m a voracious reader and enjoy a wide range of genres. Historical fiction, romance, non-fiction, mystery, YA—I’m constantly going through cycles as to which is my current favorite.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Anything with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant! I’m a sucker for the old classics.
15--What is your favorite season?
Having grown up in New England, I enjoy all four seasons, though I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of extreme heat or extreme cold. Autumn is usually just about right, and given the glorious blaze of colors as the leaves turn, it edges out the others as my favorite season.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Quietly, with a few good friends and a very nice bottle of wine.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I adore Italian food . . . and sushi. (But not at the same time!)
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Free time? Umm, what’s that?
20--What can readers expect from you next?
There are more Wrexford & Sloane books coming. And I’m also working on an exciting new historical fiction project, so stay tuned!
A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery # 6
Charlotte, now the Countess of Wrexford, would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her new husband and their unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.
But when Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park’s famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case—including a family connection.
Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm—and keep the weapon from igniting a new war . . .
Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Historical [Kensington, On Sale: September 27, 2022, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781496732538 / eISBN: 9781496732552]
Andrea Penrose started writing Western novels at the age of five. Later she changed her genre to Regency romance after reading Pride and Prejudice. She graduated from Yale University, and she now lives and works in New York City.
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