Teaser Tuesday: Big News
Way back in March and April, some of you canny folks noticed that my Weekly Reading Round-Ups were leaning heavily towards the 1920s, with a high proportion of non-fiction in among the novels. The official announcement came out in Publishers Weekly yesterday, so I’m finally at liberty to say….
You guessed right. I’ve been writing a 1920’s-set book.
It’s the tale of the intertwined lives of two cousins, beginning in England in the 1910s and stretching up through late 20’s Kenya. It’s a little Downton Abbey and a little Out of Africa. There’s also a modern woman trying to figure out what exactly happened back then and what this means for her and what she thought she knew about her family and herself.
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to finally be able to tell you all about it! I don’t have the details yet about release date or anything like that (I’m still writing it), but, at a guess, it will be sometime in late 2012 or early 2013.
Some of you may have noticed that Deanna Raybourn is also writing a book set in Kenya in the 1920s. We discovered this over drinks back in May and had a “Wait? Really??” moment. (Then Deanna sent me her entire list of research books, because she is that wonderful.)
Clearly, Kenya in the 1920s is the place to be….
Branching out! Congratulations! Can’t wait to read it!
SQUEE! How exciting! The 1920s is my favorite time period and you are one of my fave writers, so this book is a marriage made in heaven as far as I’m concerned!
Do you have a title for this novel yet? Will this be a standalone book or the beginning of another series?
I eagerly await the release of your new masterpiece. Happy writing and thanks for sharing all of the details with us!
Thanks, Angela! I’m very excited to be trying something new.
Tracie, the working title is “Ashford Park”, but it will probably be renamed before it makes it into print (my working titles are never the real titles). It’s quite definitely a stand alone.
Congrats! I look forward to seeing the 20s from your characters’ viewpoints! If it’s got your name on it, I’ll pick it up! 😀
Sounds exciting. Does that mean you will be sunsetting the Pink series soon?
How exciting!! Enjoy your writing, I know it will be such a joy to read and I can’t wait!
Wow. That’s going to be an interesting read and I’m really looking forward to how this plays out.
Does that sound a little ominous/cool? It wasn’t meant to. It’s just that I think the setting lends itself to some inherent conflicts around race and colonialism. And you haven’t neglected to depict that before (I’m thinking of your treatment of India in the Pink series), so I’m curious as to the role that these issues will play in your story.
England, France, India…..AFRICA ??
That sounds truly fascinating!
So exciting! I’ve always been interested in that time period. Happy writing!
Excellent! I really can’t wait to read this new book – it sounds very interesting 😀
im stoked already! i cant wait to read them! thanks for giving me something else of yours to devour with my brain 😀 that sounded odd lol
Great news…I gues you’ve been brushing up on Alexandra Fuller books (wonderful).
Great news…I guess you’ve been brushing up on Alexandra Fuller books (wonderful). Also Peter Fuller’s accounts of Botswana are funny and fantastic!
Wow, such great news! Looking forward to reading it, whenever that may be! 🙂
Was your trip to Wales associated with the “Ashford Park” project? I was hoping that it had to do with Fluellen, but I’m looking forward to “Ashford Park” too. And I have to wait for up to a year and a half before adding Lauren Willig to Wilbur Smith, H. Rider Haggard, and other “African” authors — hope there’s plenty of Pink coming out between now and then.
I’m excited to see that both you & Deanna Raybourn are writing in the same time period! I love both of your book series, so this is exciting! 😀 woo! can’t wait!!
Waow!!! Wonderful!!!! Just like everyone else, I can’t wait to read it!!!!! 🙂
Congrats!!!!
(and I add to Georgia on the Pink series question… did you put Miss Gwen’s story on hold to write this book or do you manage to write two books at the same time?)
This is certainly wonderful news. I am really looking forward to your take on the Happy Valley hijinks, colonialism, etc. Oh happy day!
I can’t wait!
YAY! More Lauren Willig books! Can’t wait 😀
Looking forward to it. How exciting!
Wonderful news, Lauren. Thanks for sharing. We’ll be IMpatiently waiting for it to be completed and published. How exciting for you, too! I love the books you’ve written, but suspect it’s particularly fun for you to try a different era and slant. Keep it up!
Wonderful! I cannot wait
Oh goodness this is exciting. Sounds fabulous–good luck with (and enjoy) the research and writing, I can’t wait to read it!
This is sooo exciting, I can’t wait!!! I’m sure it will be wonderful!! I am hoping to go on a mission trip to Kenya to help my mom with a medical team and to visit some friends. Kenya has been very close to my heart lately, especially with so much going on there. I am so happy for you!!
This sounds fabulous! Can’t wait to read it!!
Interesting with some authors a colonial setting might be awkward but I thought you did India rather well.
Now are any of these people Selwicks?
Or Alsworthys?
or Pinchingdales?
(etc.)
suzanne arruda has a wonderful series of 1920’s kenya Jade del Cameron is a fiesty heroine. Carola DUNN has her funtastic Daisy Dalrymple cosy mysteries set in 20’s England and the awesome Jacquline Winspear has her MAISIE Dobbs series set in 1930’s England. so well written.
The saying was “Are you married or do you live in Kenya ?”
oooh! I’m super excited!
To Jeanne: very sadly, the Jade series is at an end, at least for now. Publisher wouldn’t sign on for more, which is a huge loss, I think. Anyone who likes Lauren’s books, would surely like these also.
To Amy7: I had the same thought, I t would be fun,even in a cameo sort of way.
Congratulations Lauren!
Super exciting news!! Can’t wait!!
Wow! Would this be the same period in time as the movie “The Ghost and the Darkness”? I’ve never viewed “Out of Africa” so I guess I better get moving. Congratulations on your newest endeavor! Oh, BTW, did you happen to watch the History Channel’s “Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone” where 4 current day explorers followed in the steps of Stanley as he searched for Livingstone? It was so fantastic I read “Into Africa” by Martin Dugard.
Yay! More Lauren is more better! Mazel tov!
I recently used the Literature Map to find authors similar to “Lauren Willig”, and it came up with Jacqueline Winspear, who was available through my library’s ebook system. So now I’m going through the 1929-based _Maisie Dobbs_, and lo, here more news of 1920’s goodness. How nifty! (And now I’m wondering how much the Great War has affected these new people)
I can’t wait!
Yep, if you and Deanna Raybourn will be there, you can both count me in for the Kenya expeditions!