Dear Quills,

I can’t tell you all how excited I am to be part of the group, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know people and to sharing all sorts of information about the life of a newly published author. It’s hard to believe our blog is finally up and running! It has been a long, hard road to get here, but I think it was most definitely worth it!

As for my intro, my name is Kimberly Logan and I write historical romance for Avon. Mostly Regency-set, though I’m not at all adverse to trying another time period at some point. I have been told that my books have a bit of a darker edge than most other Regencies on the shelves, and I admit that my early love of mystery has had a profound impact on my writing. I’m an avid reader myself, and I never feel like a romance is complete unless it has some sort of mystery, adventure, or suspense sub-plot! For me, the best books are the ones that are capable of sweeping you away to another time and place, of carrying you off to locations you’ve never been to before and introducing you to characters who touch your heart. It’s the fondest wish of the Jaunty Quills to take readers traveling without ever even having to leave the comfort of their own homes. If we can accomplish that, then we can consider the hours we spend sitting in front of our computer keyboards well spent!

Warmest Wishes,

Kimberly Logan

Dear Quills,

Yeah, we’re finally live! We’ve all been looking forward to this for so long, it’s hard to believe it’s actually up and running. So introductions…I’m Robyn DeHart and I write Victorian set historicals for Avon with lots of romance a little bit of mystery (although they’re more like capers in tone than suspense.) I’m a native Texan, but my husband (AKA The Professor) and I moved to southeast Tennessee in August, so I’m experiencing my first real fall and it’s so spectacular. We have two bratty cats, but they’re so cute we give them treats whenever they ask – this might explain why one of them weighs 20lbs. now. He’s a beast!

I firmly believe that all moments in life relate back to a Friends episode and I’m completely addicted to Alias and Lost. Why do I feel like I’m confessing my darkest sins? I love to scrapbook and have entirely too many supplies (shh….don’t tell The Professor) and I make the world’s greatest sugar cookies.

I’m totally excited about having a blog where I can rant and rave about all the things that flip my triggers in one way or another – it’s nice to have a platform. Be afraid, be very afraid…

I love the new site and can’t wait to see what the rest of you are up to these days. I’m currently working on a project called The Perfect Seduction, and concentrating my research on the era of William the Conqueror, circa 1070. I’ve heard it said that some readers can’t get past the mud and grime when reading a Medieval novel. I guess I was hooked on fairy tales as a kid and I associate them with Medieval times. It’s my job to make the reader forget all the unpleasant aspects of the time period, and focus on the romance – on those dashing heroes and beautiful damsels. What fun!

Aren’t the new digs great? Emily from Swank Web Style did a great job with the design, and now it’s just up to us to add a few pillows, leave the mail lying around, forget to pick up the extra pairs of shoes by the front door… Oh, wait. That’s my place, sorry.

So, an intro. I write historical romances as Anne Mallory for Avon Books. I write and read Regency era set historicals because I fancy the rakes, revolutions (industrial especially) and colorful settings of the time — quite an exciting span of 30-40 years full of intrigue and advancement. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, but am a Michigander at heart. I enjoy water sports, crafts and long walks on the beach…er, moving right along…and am fairly new to the world of blogging. I expect to get a “what is she talking about?” every once in a while if I go off on a tangent. A quick pat on my head is quite acceptable at those times. At other times I may fiercely edit myself down to just saying hello. It all depends on the day and star alignment really.

Looking forward to the new era of Jaunty!

Welcome to The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, a daily blog written by seven new Avon authors on life, travels, publishing, reading, writing and arithmetic. Er, well, not so much on that last one. The layout is currently being tweaked, so check back for updates and new features. The blog is meant to be rollicking fun, and The Jaunty Quills plan to serve your rollicking needs from around the country — Michigan, California, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Nebraska and Oregon — and through world travels. Comments and dialogue are encouraged and we hope that you decide to become part of our Sisterhood too.