December at the end: reflection, research, & rest
It's my birthday month, and this year I turned 35!
Hello and happy holiday season!
In the spirit of reflection, this year I published two different pieces of fiction in two different outlets. First, my debut indie, Regency, historical romance, The Deed with the Duke, in September.
Second, this month, my sapphic, Indian, contemporary story, “Call of the Asphodel,” in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 10, edited by the fantastic Rachel Kramer Bussel. I’m so happy I could work with her and Cleis Press.
New historical romance for your TBR!
Catch up on any releases you may have missed in 2024 all in one place with this fantastic BookFunnel roundup of 2024 Historical Romance New Releases. My debut, The Deed with the Duke, is there as well to check out.
Race & Empire in Historical Romance
I loved this discussion, and I am so honored to be mentioned by Shavi, Kelsey, and Emily alongside other authors I so admire, like Diana Quincy, Courtney Milan, Mimi Matthews, and Royaline Sing. I was also glad I got to do a post-discussion via Instagram DMs with Shavi after I listened to the lecture because I was so excited and had so many thoughts. 😂
It’s such a wonderful feeling to have readers understand what you’re trying to do with a story and why you write with that intention. I cannot change history, and I’m not someone who grew up in India and can speak to the direct impact there, but I can choose how much I engage with trauma on the page to protect my readers, my characters, and myself.
If reality expressed through racism is the thread someone wants to pull on to unravel such narrative choices in historical romance, well, Shavi excellently makes the point that not only was London diverse, there were titled brown people in England. So, for the sake of a story, and claiming Regency romance space for Indian authors and readers, we can weave that thread into a new narrative—where, yes, an Indian man can be a duke. Because fantasy is part of the premise for romance, but the emotions and experiences of the characters—that is rooted in reality and lends depth and richness to a story. Writing with a lens of trauma is not the only way to write stories about Indian characters, and it’s certainly not a lens I want to be using as an Indian person writing about Indian people. My characters are learning how to be themselves in their world–to be brave enough to show it to someone else, and to be brave enough to love and be loved in return.
If you’re interested in reading a book that joyfully celebrates, and centers, the existence of Indian people in Regency England, and shows both the working class experience and gives them aristocratic standing, too, then you can find The Deed with the Duke on Amazon, in paperback, and on Kindle Unlimited to read now. I hope you enjoy reading about Raaz and Camelia as much as I enjoyed writing about them. And stay tuned as I continue my series—focusing on Raaz’s siblings finding their happily-ever-afters in the warm, kind, and loving community of Robin Hood’s Bay.
What I’m writing:
Working on plotting six projects (including a new series idea, and other in-progress works). And after wrapping up a few year-end work tasks I’ll get back into drafting. My Jaipur-set novella will now have two more friends, so that’ll become a newsletter-first trilogy! More on that as I complete these drafts.
Research Rabbit Hole 🐇 🕰️
Been diving more into Rajasthan’s history as I restructure and continue writing these novellas. Jaipur was India’s first planned city, which I found incredible to read and learn about.
I watched a tour of Jaipur’s City Palace, which has always been the home of the Maharajas there, including the current one. Padmanabh Singh, also known as “Pacho,” became Maharaja at 12 years old, is currently 26 years old—and a professional polo player as well as the Indian national team captain, walked the runway for Dolce & Gabbana, and is a godson of King Charles III.
It’s the last piece of information that struck me the most, and shows how intertwined the Maharajas of India and England were, and how that connection is seen today.
The current Maharaja of Jaipur sees his role as an ambassador for India to elevate the focus on the city’s art and culture to make it more of a destination.
It’s difficult to get a clear idea of what the latter half of the 18th century was like in India at large. There was some economic decline due to failed crop harvests, but also expansion in some cities, like Jaipur. Jaipur and Rajasthan gained importance as a hub during the Victorian era for the British empire, and then had a pivotal role in the fight for Indian independence as well. I’m most interested, for the purposes of my novellas, in the foundation of Jaipur, and not a whole lot about that transition from Amer to Jaipur has been written.
The hero and heroine in my first story are both sculptors at the palace, and eventually—based on what I’ve settled on, so far, with this revised outline—become involved in some of the architectural projects for the city, including building the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur. I wanted to weave in this symbol of the historical importance of astronomy, science, and math in Jaipur.
While the hero is born and raised in Jaipur, the heroine of my story is originally from Jodhpur. After Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur, Jodhpur is the second-largest city in the state. And like Jaipur is famous for it’s pink buildings that rose in prominence during the Victorian era, Jodhpur is known for its blue ones.
ARC Opportunity!
Friends, you do not want to miss this Ancient Rome romance. The Tribune Temptation releases March 6, 2025, and here is the link to sign up. Just look at this amazing cover by Erin Dameron-Hill (who also designed the gorgeous cover for The Deed with the Duke).
I got to see this cover early as Jenna and I were chatting and it is so wonderful to have a Roman historical romance to read! Here is the blurb:
In the cutthroat world of Roman politics, family is everything. Aelius, a freed slave turned ambitious politician, knows winning his next election will require a marriage alliance with a powerful patrician family. But finding a woman who will entertain courtship from a freedman is near impossible.
Crispina is the daughter of one of Rome’s oldest families, but after failing to give her husband a child, a humiliating divorce sends her back to her parents’ restrictive house in shame. All she wants is the freedom to pursue her true passion: a secret venture to educate the children of Rome’s poorest.
When Aelius meets Crispina at a dinner party, he knows her powerful family name could secure his victory. Desperate for freedom, Crispina agrees to a marriage of convenience. Prickly one moment and icy the next, Crispina is determined to keep her charming husband at a distance. That is, until Aelius undertakes a campaign to win not just the city’s vote, but his wife’s heart.
But Crispina has an agenda of her own, and when a political rival leaks her unconventional activities, it sparks a scandal that could cost Aelius the election. Distancing himself from his wayward wife should be easy, but as the election looms, Aelius must decide which victory is truly worth fighting for.
What I’m reading:
Here’s a little roundup of books that are on my mind. Follow me on BookBub and Instagram so we can keep up with each other’s book recommendations there too!
The Truth About Love and Dukes by Laura Lee Guhrke, which was the last one I needed to read in this series since I read 2, 3, and 4 first. I loved this so much. Both Irene and Henry have strong, different perspectives on life and it was excellent to see them clash. It was angsty in the best way and watching Henry learn what was truly important in life, and how to support Irene was so rewarding. I loved how strong and independent Irene was. The second book in the series The Trouble with True Love is my second favorite of the series now!
I read all three in Lorraine Heath’s most recent series, The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction. Now, I’m all set for A Tempest of Desire to release tomorrow!
All these covers are gorgeous, and I loved that the heroine of the first book, The Counterfeit Scoundrel, was a private investigator, since I do love Victorian mystery novels like The Lady Sherlock Series by Sherry Thomas. The epilogue had such a lovely twist as well!
The Notorious Lord Knightly is my favorite of the series, but I also enjoyed the third novel, In Want of a Viscount.
I’m also reading Sophie Jordan’s The Scandalous Ladies of London series. So far The Duchess is my favorite of the two that are out (hoping there are more books eventually?) but I’m only 65% done. I love the set up of the romance and the characters in The Duchess. These books do have some heavier, darker themes since all the heroines start off in bad marriages, so tread carefully.
I also finished a beta read for my friend Nic Cole and it was a such a lovely, cozy, small-town, paranormal romance! You do not want to miss updates on this from her.
I plan to dedicate most of the winter holiday to catch up on reading and television/movies, but mostly, focus on writing. I’ve already caught up on some favorites, so let’s get into it.
What I’m watching:
Finally finished the BBC Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice miniseries, yay!
And blazed through Season 2 of The Law According to Lidia Poët, which I LOVE. This show is so good. The writing, the mystery, the fashion, the characters, the romance(s)!! Honestly, I will need to rewatch, and I am so excited for more episodes.
Currently, I am making my way through Season 2 of another favorite of mine, The Empress.
I’m also planning to get to Season 2 of another show I enjoyed, The Diplomat.
And I finally plan to watch North and South, which I hear is necessary historical romance/period drama viewing.
Oh, and of course, I saw Wicked too as an end of semester/birthday treat! All the music is, obviously, on loop in my head. And yes, I cried at various points. The allegories are strong in this one.
And it wouldn’t be December without some holiday romance viewing. A Biltmore Christmas was so good, I cried! The angst! And the clothes! I was so worried about how they’d pull off an HEA, but they so did, and it was cleverly written. I loved the snappy forties dialogue, and the movie within a movie premise. The casting for everyone was perfect! Incredibly well written and entertaining, a definite holiday season rewatch for me in the future.
For writing research purposes I also watched the Scotland episodes of Outside Beyond the Lens and learned a lot. Nature documentaries are just so calming and motivating for me.
’Tis the season of sweatshirts and soft pants—and to really embrace hibernation. The winter is a special, cozy time of slowing down to sip masala chai in my Johnson Brothers Blue Willow and pink Old Britain Castles tea cups, cocoa, hot chocolate, cookies, deep thinking, and planning for me. I enjoy all the quiet which brings with it more space for creative brainwork.
Last winter I finished a 103K draft of a Regency romance novel that moved me to tears in some scenes because I was better able to sink into emotion and sensory details. I took a lot of nature walks while listening to my instrumental writing playlists. So I’ll be happy to sequester deep inside the drafting and revising cave, and restore myself with the calm, until it’s time to prepare syllabi and courses for the hectic start of the spring semester in a few, always-too-short, weeks…
Hoping to have a couple of my priority projects well on their way (first Jaipur novella, and next Regency novel draft) by the time the new year rolls around. As always, everyone in the Savitastack community will be the first to know what’s in store.
I’m wishing you all a restful, restorative, and rejuvenating hibernation season. I hope you all stay warm—inside your hearts and inside your homes—with those nearest and dearest to you.
I’ll catch y’all in the new year, and until then…
Happy reading and writing,
Sri
Thanks for the little shout out! 💕