It’s always fun to start a new series, and I’m excited to welcome you to my latest – The Secret Society of Spinsters. I’ve always been drawn to the spinster trope and the idea that it’s never too late to fall in love. I also love feisty, independent heroines, and while not all spinsters fit that bill, most have some level of eccentricity that lends itself well to quirkiness, and I do enjoy quirky characters.
The heart of this series are the three friends who make up the core of the spinster society. Each of these ladies is well beyond the typical marriage age for the 1890’s (late 20’s, early 30’s), however, they each have their own reason for spinsterhood. The heroine of Book 2 is a shy, wallflower who gets hives ever time she has to talk to an unattached bachelor. Jane’s the local preacher’s daughter, and while she’s quiet, she’s fiercely loyal and the glue that holds the three friends together. She’s also very bookish. She carries a book wherever she goes. I do love a bookworm heroine. Book 3 features a career-focused heroine. She is the local schoolmarm and one of the most capable, driven women in town. In this time frame, teachers who married gave up their careers in order to tend their own husband and children at home. Martha wants none of that. Her place is in the classroom.
Noreen O’Sullivan is the heroine for Book 1. She’s a feisty reformer and a passionate temperance woman who is determined to shut down the saloon. She’s bold and brassy and not afraid to speak her mind. The men in town consider her a menace and want nothing to do with her. Suits her. She wants nothing to do with them, either. Not after growing up with a drunk for a father who made free with his temper and his fists. The last thing she wants is to sacrifice her freedom by tying herself to a man. However, when she finds an unlikely ally and friend in the local deputy, she dares to reconsider her spinsterhood.
If you enjoy reading print books, I highly recommend ordering from Baker Book House. They are cheaper than Amazon and they carefully wrap their books in brown paper before shipping so the book arrives in pristine condition. Plus – They are currently running an amazing preorder deal. Taming Lady Temperance releases on February 17, but if you order now, you get 40% off the cover price with free shipping, a signed bookplate, a custom Spinster Society sticker, a recipe card, AND an exclusive bonus epilogue not included in the book. (I’m currently writing that epilogue now!)
Preorder a print copy from Baker Book House here.
Preorder the ebook from Amazon here.
What kinds of strong heroines are you drawn to in fiction?