As a reader, there’s not much I love more than a good historical romance. And yes – I confess it – I love the ones with titled heroes. I’m a nerd for a duke, what can I say. But I came to reading romance pretty late – my first love, as it happens, is fantasy. So combining the two is pretty much a no-brainer for me.

My favorite romance writers are the light-hearted ones: Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn are my favorites, by far. I feel the same way about fantasy; epic sword-and-sorcery has never been my jam.

So when I thought about writing my own historical romance, I thought I’d like to see some magic in Mayfair.

My current project – the first in a series! – features a duke’s heir (of course!) who’s more scholar than sorcerer and a thief who’d rather hide behind illusions and a sharp knife than help him discover her own secrets. They’ll scale the walls of the fine houses of St. James and venture into the ballrooms of Mayfair in search of dangerously misplaced magic – and they’ll have to brave the Duchess of Edgebourne when they get back.

I’ve been working away, and I’ll be submitting to the Royal Ascot this month. It’s nerve-wracking to submit anything to anyone, but I’m looking forward to any feedback I can get. I’ve been able to push through and get more done on this project than I’ve ever gotten on anything before (thanks in large part to the outlining techniques I learned from Stephanie Dray!). It’s fun to write, and I really like the characters. And the secondary characters are just as fun as the hero and heroine – it’s a good thing they have their own stories lined up.