Thanks so much to everyone who joined in to discuss The Seduction of the Crimson Rose last week!

It’s June, which means… it’s time for Book V: The Temptation of the Night Jasmine!

This book is very dear to me.  Charlotte is the character with whom I felt the greatest personal affinity (of all my heroines, she’s the closest to me, or at least to the me I was as a freshman in college) and I’d been balked of writing her book when Mary Alsworthy and Lord Vaughn shoved ahead of her in line.  This is also the first book I wrote as a full time writer.

So I’m particularly thrilled to be joined by a very old friend as our special guest host this week: Donna Thorland, historical fiction author and screenwriter extraordinaire.  Did I mention that I’ve known Donna since my freshman year of college?

Join us at 8pm on Wednesday, June 30th, as we discuss the Hellfire Club, the madness of George III, men and their corresponding ice cream flavors, and all things Night Jasmine!

You can register here.  The event is free and open to anyone anywhere.

And now on to the important stuff: snacks!

Night Jasmine snack: raspberry tarts.  If you’ve read the book, you know why.

Here’s a link to a scrumptious recipe for rustic raspberry tarts.

If you’re too busy to bake, I highly recommend the Bonne Maman raspberry tartlets from the supermarket.  They do not last long in our house.  And they are definitely a treat of which Charlotte would approve.

Night Jasmine drink: did you know there’s a cocktail called the Jasmine?  And it’s light and summery and matches the color of the spine of the book.  It’s as if some mixologist somewhere knew….

Night Jasmine non-alcoholic drink: strawberry lemonade.  Sweet and cheerful, just like Charlotte.

Now that we’ve gotten the food and drink out of the way, here are some background materials for your amusement:

• Watch me reading my favorite scene from the book at Lady Jane’s Salon back in 2009.
• Some fun facts about The Temptation of the Night Jasmine.
• Locate your favorite characters on these Selwick, Balcourt, and Wooliston family trees.
• Want to learn more about the court of George III, the Hellfire Club, and the treatment of mental illness in 18th century England?  Here’s some suggested background reading.
• Curious about the scenes that didn’t make it into The Temptation of the Night Jasmine?  You can find outtakes here.
• Need something to listen along to while you read?  Try the Night Jasmine playlist!

Check back here later this month for discussions of the the court of George III, books that inspired Night Jasmine, my favorite quotes (and yours!) as we re-read, and photos of Night Jasmine in the wild.  Please do share lots of photos on Instagram and Facebook!  Just tag me and add #pinkcarnationreadalong.

Is there anything else you’d like to see that I’ve forgotten?

Brush off your copies of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, grab that jasmine cocktail, and let’s get reading!