I’ve always loved Jane Austen’s world. The civility and properness of it. There were clear expectations about how a lady should behave. There were, of course, downsides, as the freedom of women was limited. About ten years ago, the premise behind Favored by the Footman floated into my head. It got lodged under the cerebral basement stairs, firmly anchored in place by life, school, and then life again.

Then “Bridgerton” pranced into my Netflix queue. I loved the entire series and am eagerly looking forward to the next season. The books are on my list to read too. I felt liberated enough to unearth that erotic dinner party concept and let it breathe fresh air. From that sprung an entire world of short stories featuring female leads who aren’t afraid to take their pleasure into their own or a forbidden pair of hands.

And so began this passion project encompassing at least 15 bite-size regency erotica stories spread among three different series: Lady Barringer’s Inner Circle, Lady Barringer’s Rivals, and Lady Barringer’s Vault. As I work towards my MFA, I’m thrilled to be integrating some techniques I’m learning into a genre that isn’t mainstream. It’s my dirty little secret that allows me to smile even when my (non-erotic) workshop pieces are being shredded to bits.