What is the title of your latest release?
FAST AND FASTIDIOUS
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE meets FAST AND FASTIDIOUS
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
It needed to be Regency era England and anted it to overlap with the Napoleonic Wars.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
I think so, even though I certainly don’t have the engineering mind that Lucy does.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Clever. Cautious. Neurodivergent.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Some niche English geography. For example: Due to erosion, the scenes at Walton-on-the-Naze would now be a quarter mile out to sea.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I try to get it done. If I have something I want to double check I’ll often make a note to my future self, such as “Check later!”
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Savory – Spaghetti Bolognaise. Sweet – Cheesecake.
Describe your writing space/office!
Busy. I often have different projects on the go. FAST AND FASTIDIOUS I actually wrote at the kitchen table on paper to avoid digital distractions.
Who is an author you admire?
Terry Pratchett. He had an amazing eye for satire and some beautiful observations about the human condition.
Is there a book that changed your life?
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norman Juster comes to mind. I read it young and I still admire the imagery and creativity.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I’d decided to send the manuscript one at a time to New Zealand publishers that fit the style and was incredibly fortunate that Moa Press wanted to pick it up. From the first online meeting there was a real enthusiasm. It’s a great feeling to get that outside affirmation for the first time.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m very eclectic in my style. I like books where things are revealed as you go but there are hints for you to solve, which can range from an Agatha Christie mystery to a Matthew Reilly action ride.
What’s your favorite movie?
The Princess Bride. So tightly made and infinitely quotable.
What is your favorite season?
Probably Summer. They all have their ups and downs but I love a good sunny day at the beach.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Low key. Sometimes a few friends around for games or just chatting.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’m enjoying Dice Friends from Loading Ready Run. They’re Table top campaigns that range from 2 to 10 episodes each, meaning you don’t have make a huge commitment of time.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Something well-made and simple. There’s a fantastic Mediterranean Kitchen restaurant in town which I enjoy.
What do you do when you have free time?
I’m a video game player, moving from game to game a lot. We also have a garden and chickens where it’s nice to spend time in summer.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m fleshing out a couple of ideas, one a spiritual sequel to FAST AND FASTIDIOUS in a different time and place and one an adventure novel with a fairytale spin.
A Novel
Pride and Prejudice meets The Fast and the Furious in this rollicking, romantic Regency adventure in which a meticulous young woman must abandon the rules of propriety to save Britain—and perhaps even find love along the way. . . .
England, 1810. Lucy Elliot has often been described as fastidious, given her belief that there is an objectively correct and logical way to do things. And while she strives to be proper in every way, she does have one rather scandalous secret: Lucy, the prim and gentle lady, is a frequent attendee of the entirely disreputable and illicit Night Races, where unchaperoned men and women from all social classes gather on dark country lanes to gamble on the outcomes of furiously fast carriage races.
But her secret might become more than just a danger to her reputation when her mysterious new neighbor, Captain Dashwood, begins partaking in the races. Lucy can’t help but feel there’s something more to the handsome Captain Dashwood than meets the eye, and she suspects that his arrival in the neighborhood in the midst of a spate of curious and alarming carriage robberies is no mere coincidence—something is most certainly afoot in the county, and it’s a mystery Lucy intends to solve.
Though Lucy prides herself on her preparedness, she never could have anticipated the web of lies, deceit, and espionage that she finds herself and Captain Dashwood entangled in; nor could she have known that the very fate of Britain would hang in the balance. But will her meticulous nature be the very thing that saves her, or will it be her—and England's—undoing?
Romance Historical [ Harper Perennial, On Sale: March 31, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780063477070 / eISBN: 9780063477094 ]
R.M. Caldwell is based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and writes and directs theatre, as well as being on the board of an independent theatre.
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