How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I never had a childhood. When you’re an orphan, abandoned on the hardscrabble streets of the worst slum in Regency London, you grow up fast—or you don’t survive. I learned to be tough as nails and very good as picking the pockets of rich gentleman . . . a skill which led to an encounter that changed my life, and put my toughness to a more honorable purpose.
Where do you live?
I tend to move around a lot, but my home—when I’m there—is Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies, though I have to admit, the name makes me and my fellow students laugh. I mean, we are extraordinary, but we’re certainly not ladies! We’re highly trained spies . . . and assassins, if need be. (You really don’t want to mess with us.)
What do you do for a living?
In a nutshell, I’m called upon to undertake very dangerous and difficult missions to keep King and Country safe from its enemies. While the aristocratic young ladies of London are dancing at Almack’s or flirting in the drawing rooms of Mayfair, I’m matching wits with diabolically clever villains. That said, the Academy’s curriculum includes teaching us all those ladylike skills along with lessons in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. I can flirt in French or Italian while waltzing in a fancy ballroom just as easily as I can pick a lock or handle a Baker rifle.
What was your greatest talent?
I’m the best in my class at riding, shooting and swordplay. As for obeying orders . . . let’s just say I don’t get very high marks.
Significant other?
My two roommates are the family I never had. We’re close as sisters, and I would do anything for them . . . which is how I got myself in real trouble
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Trust. In my world of lies and deception, trust can get you killed. And so one of the primary lessons we’re all taught at the Academy is not to trust anyone. The enemy is just as well-trained as we are, and so it’s a wolf-eat-wolf game of finding their weaknesses without revealing your own. However, my current mission is teaching me that all rules have exceptions.
Do you have any enemies?
Oh, don’t get me started on the infuriating Alexandr Orlov! He got the best of me the first time we met, which was horribly embarrassing, not to speak of painful. (It took weeks for my wrist to heal properly!) But I’ve assured my superiors that won’t happen again if we ever run into each other a second time.
Greatest disappointment?
That I didn’t cut out Alexandr Orlover’s liver with a dull penknife and feed it to the Tower of London ravens!
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Breaking the Academy rules is always an entertaining challenge. My roommates and I are quite skilled at it. We’re rarely caught, and when we are, the punishments are usually worth it. But last time, I may have gone too far. I’m still waiting to hear whether our Commander-in-Chief is going to expel me.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
I really ought to count to ten before deciding on a course of action. My roommates say that I have a devil-may-care courage that sometimes gets me into trouble. My superiors would likely phrase my faults a bit differently. I do realize that I can tend to be impetuous—I’m working on it.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
As penance—or perhaps punishment—I’ve just been ordered to work with Alexandr Orlov on a very important mission. The stakes are high, as the lives of two children hang in the balance. So I can’t afford to personal feelings to color my judgement.
What keeps you awake at night?
The fear that I will disappoint the people who believe in me, despite my mistakes. Just as terrifying is the fear that I will disappoint myself.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I feel that fighting Evil is a worthy purpose in life, I have my family of dear friends and comrades-in-arms . That should be all I need . . . and yet, in my heart, I still sense that something elemental is missing.
Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies #2
Hot-tempered and a warrior to the bone, Shannon is the most daring of "Merlin Mauraders." Her assignment: stop the fiendishly cruel assassin who is targeting a top British ballistics expert's family. Marshalling her intelligence, fighting skills, and weapons is easy. Being forced to work with the rakishly handsome Russian spy she loathes is something else.
Witty, resourceful, and notorious for his rakish charm with women, Alexandr Orlov tempts Shannon's fierce reserve and lithe body to win her trust. But in the remote Scottish castle where they are sent to protect the innocent, their games of parry and thrust could end in death. A ruthless enemy is watching...and planning to turn their passion into the most dangerous weapon of all.
Romance Historical | Mystery [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: March 11, 2025, e-Book , / ]
Andrea Pickens is a graduate of Yale University, where she majored in art and intellectual history. She has a master's degree in graphic design from the Yale School of Art and Architecture, and is currently the creative director for two sporting magazines. A lifelong fan of Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe, and the Brontes, she resides with her husband in Connecticut, where she's working on getting her golf handicap down to a respectable number.
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