Camy Tang’s blog

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon Tea: Honest Thoughts on Adagio’s Bella Luna Blue

2026-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon Tea: Honest Thoughts on Adagio’s Bella Luna Blue

I’ve tried dozens of teas, but nothing is quite like Bella Luna Blue by Adagio.com. It’s absolutely beautiful when it brews up—stunning indigo blue—and then magically turns vibrant pink with a splash of lemon.

It’s normally only available for 24 hours on the next Blue Moon—May 31, 2026—but I received permission to share a link so you can start buying it early, on May 15!

What is Bella Luna Blue?

Limited-release herbal tea (caffeine-free).
Ingredients: Lemongrass, butterfly pea flower, natural blueberry flavor.
The interactive experience: the color changes due to the butterfly pea flowers and a pH reaction.
Flavor profile: a muted citrus flavor from the lemongrass with subtle blueberry flavor.
Steeping: 212°F for 5–10 minutes.
Why it’s special: It’s a fan favorite that sells out fast since it’s only available for 24 hours on the day of the Blue Moon. Many people set reminders on their phones to remember to buy or they join Adagio’s email list to be notified when it goes on sale.

My Experience & Tasting Notes

I’ve ordered the tea before, but this time, I was fortunate enough to get the tea early.

The dry tea itself is beautiful—pale green lemongrass and deep purple butterfly pea flowers.

While the majority of the aroma is lemongrass, there’s also a strong note of a candy-like blueberry flavor that’s very pleasant.

I brewed 2 tablespoons of tea since it’s very loose, in 2 cups of boiling water. Hot, it was a very dark blue, but after it cooled and I added ice, you can see the pretty blue color.

Then I added lemon, and the color instantly changed, even before I mixed it.

I feel like a Regency-era alchemist! 🫖✨

Even though the lemongrass is already citrusy, I prefer the tea with a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon and a bit of sweetener to give it a sort of blueberry-lemonade flavor.

This would also be neat as a base for a unique Mocktail, especially with a bit of honey.

The blueberry is subtle, though, so expect more lemongrass-forward flavor.

Perfect for:

Large gatherings, since not everyone will want caffeinated iced tea.
Kids because they’d enjoy the color change
Tea parties—hot with a little lemon and sweetener, it’s very tasty.
Food images as a pretty backdrop.

Pros & Cons

Pros: Dramatic visual spectacle, subtle flavor, caffeine-free

Cons: Very limited availability (plan ahead!), blueberry flavor is not strong.

How to Get It

My readers can get early access starting May 15th via this link. It’s only available to order until midnight May 31st, while supplies last—don’t wait!

(Using my link earns me a small commission at no extra cost to you, and helps support more tea reviews.)

If you like herbal teas, this is a great one to try. Take advantage of the early access link to get your own beautiful cup of tea.

Have you tried it before? Share in the comments.

Why a Second Season Was Every Regency Heroine’s Fear

2026-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever read a Regency romance, you’ve probably seen it—the heroine stepping into her second Season, determined this time will be different.

But beneath the glittering ballrooms and elegant dances, there was a quiet, ticking pressure most people don’t realize.

During England's Regency era (1811–1820), upper-class families descended on London each spring for “the Season,” a glittering parade of balls, concerts, dinner parties, and carefully choreographed social events.

Because the Season wasn’t just social—it was a deadline.

For a young woman making her debut, it was exciting, terrifying, and loaded with expectation. The unspoken goal was to ~~capture~~ find a husband before summer arrived and everyone retreated to the countryside.

Most girls entered society between the ages of seventeen and nineteen. They'd be formally presented at court, then escorted to event after event by a watchful mother or chaperone. A ball wasn't just an evening of dancing—it was an audition. A gentleman requesting a dance was one of the few socially acceptable ways for a young couple to actually speak to each other.

And if the Season ended without an engagement? Back home she went—and back to London the following year.

Here's where it gets interesting for those of us who love romance fiction.

The second Season carried a quiet, particular pressure that the first Season didn't. A young woman returning for another year knew that a fresh crop of bright-eyed debutantes was entering the ballrooms for the very first time. She was still young—perhaps barely twenty—yet she might feel positively ancient by comparison. Mothers fretted. Aunts offered unsolicited opinions. And the young woman herself often wondered what she had done wrong, or whether she would ever find the right match.

That tension—the fear of falling short, the pressure to perform, the longing to simply be seen and known rather than evaluated—is exactly the kind of emotional terrain that makes for a wonderful romance story.

Because society's expectations never accounted for the fact that the right love story rarely arrives on schedule.

Many real women married in their second or third Seasons, or not at all, and lived full and meaningful lives. But for our heroines, the second Season is the perfect storm—just enough disappointment to make her guard her heart, just enough hope to keep her searching, and just enough social pressure to push her into exactly the situation she’s been trying to avoid.

That's where the sparks fly.

And this is where so many Regency heroines find themselves. My own heroine, Lissa Gardinier, arrives in London for her second Season having learned her lesson—blend in, stay quiet, and don't attract the wrong kind of attention. Of course, the best-laid plans have a way of unraveling, especially when an intriguing stranger suddenly makes that very difficult.

When reading Regency romances, the second-Season dilemma is one of those timeless setups that never gets old. The stakes are real, the emotions run deep, and love, when it finally arrives, means that much more.

Because sometimes, the Season that feels like a failure is the one that changes everything.

If you enjoy Regency romance with adventure and a dash of humor, you can receive my novella Lissa and the Spy free when you join my newsletter.

Lissa and the Spy

A Regency Romantic Suspense Novella

In her quest for a marriage of convenience, plain and unpopular Lissa finds herself entangled with the enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude, who has a secret mission for the Crown. As danger stalks them, they must navigate a labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love.

Click here to get Lissa and the Spy

Reference Footer

This post relates to Camille Elliot’s Lady Wynwood’s Spies, a Christian Regency romantic suspense series set in 1811 London and featuring intrigue, espionage, botanical alchemy, slow-burn romance, and themes of faith and redemption.

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

A Past He Cannot Escape

2026-04-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Full excerpt + character images below.

Mr. Drydale studied Michael’s face. “I’ve known for months that I need more help than just the two of us, but it has been difficult finding people to trust. I was hoping you might join us in pursuing this group, but you seem reluctant.”

Michael didn’t blame his job, but when he was focused on a mission, he rearranged his priorities and discarded what should be most important to him. He knew he couldn’t regain what he had lost, but he didn’t want to go back to being an agent again. “I quit my work for the government because I wanted to find Richard’s murderer, not uncover a plot for treason. I have been working toward that goal for the past year.”

Perhaps he was so focused on Richard’s murderer because he didn’t want to face a future so completely the opposite of what he had thought his life would be. Or maybe he was so focused on the murderer because he didn’t want to face the fact that, if he had handled the situation better, his brother would not now be dead.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

When a Regency Spy Falls in Love with a Lady Archer

2026-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Michael Coulton-Jones — master of disguises and reluctant heir.

My character, Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones, is a man who laughs easily, moves confidently, and seems untouchable … until you discover what he carries alone.

Michael isn’t tormented in the obvious way. He doesn’t brood in corners or glare across rooms. He smiles. He jokes. He adapts.

But beneath every disguise is a man who believes he failed the one person who trusted him most.

This is a story about espionage, about secret societies hidden beneath Regency society.

But it’s also a story about guilt, and whether a man who cannot forgive himself can ever believe that God might.

The Spy Who Laughs

At first glance, Michael is exactly the sort of Regency gentleman who should not be trusted.

He is broad-shouldered and deceptively relaxed. His coffee-brown hair falls longer than fashion dictates, often into glass-green eyes that seem to be laughing at a joke no one else has heard. He speaks French like a commoner from the countryside and Spanish like it is a childhood lullaby.

He grins at danger and bows over a lady’s hand as if the world were nothing more than a ballroom. He is charming. Reckless. Quick with a blade. Quicker with a smile.

And he lies for a living.

A Spy in Disguise

As a younger son, Michael joined the army at seventeen, where his gift for languages and his ease with disguises drew the attention of men who worked quietly in the shadows. Before long, he was no longer simply a soldier. He was retrieving information, slipping through borders, trading false documents for real ones. He learned to become other men as easily as changing coats.

He cultivated a persona—the fool, the adventurer, the rogue who never appears worried. It made people underestimate him. It kept him alive.

But even then, he had somewhere to return to—his family’s estate only an hour from London, a steady older brother who handled responsibility, a charming younger sister, and a mother who believed him merely restless, not dangerous.

His anchor was his brother Richard.

And then Richard was murdered.

The Brother He Could Not Save

Michael could have prevented the tragedy. That’s what haunts him the most.

Richard had written to him after a friend had been killed and he suspected a man with strange facial scars was involved. But Michael was in the middle of a mission and didn’t take it seriously enough.

By the time he returned to England, Richard was dead—officially poisoned along with other club members in what was called an unfortunate incident.

But Michael knew otherwise. Richard’s papers regarding the strange man were missing.

His own unconcern gave evil time to strike.

He hasn’t forgiven himself, and he wonders if God has not forgiven him either.

The Archer He Should Not Want

Before all of that—before grief hardened him—Michael had met a woman who unsettled him.

He was drawn to Miss Phoebe Sauber from the first moment they were introduced—she was awkwardly tall but pragmatic, not impressed by his flirtations. He was intrigued because she did not seem to need him.

But a spy’s life is not kind to attachment, and he’d already learned to keep women at arm’s length. Better to remain unattached. Better to remain free.

So he left her alone.

And then Richard died.

Michael’s focus narrowed to one thing—finding the truth behind his brother’s murder.

A Dangerous Reunion

When Michael encounters Phoebe again, it is not in a ballroom.

It’s when she nearly uses him for target practice.

She found her arrow lodged, not in a victim, but knee-height in a tree trunk at a downward angle, and it had caught a strangely shaped leaf against the bark. As she yanked it out of the tree and the leaf fluttered to the ground, a snapping twig behind her made her tense. It did not sound like anyone from her party who may have been running into the trees after her—it was an isolated sound, made from a slow-moving foot, like someone sneaking up on her.

It had not occurred to her that it might be dangerous for a young woman to be alone on the Heath, where she and her friends often had social gatherings. But these trees extended back hundreds of yards, and anyone could be sneaking around within.

Phoebe clenched the arrow tightly, regretting that she had dropped her bow. She straightened, trying to appear relaxed, listening for sounds other than the leaves dancing in the wind. Then she whirled around, her right arm pulled back and brandishing the arrow overhand like a dagger. At the very least, if there was someone behind her, she could try to stab them.

“Whoa! Whoa!” A tall man stood about ten feet—no, twenty feet distant as he backed away from her, his hands raised in front of him. “I apologize, miss, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

The man’s voice had a strong country accent, but the timbre was familiar. At first glance, he didn’t look like anyone she knew. His plain colored clothes were made of rough-woven fabric, stained with dirt in places, and his shoes were old cracked leather. His coat was shabby and poorly sewn, and much too short for him. He had a large nose and deep chin, and his eyes, shadowed by heavy brows, were glass-green.

But then she recognized something about his limbs, the way he moved his hands, the general shape of his face—and those glass-green eyes. “Mr. Coulton-Jones?” she exclaimed in surprise.

She had seen him only rarely over her past several Seasons because he had been fighting on the Peninsula up until last year, when his older brother had died. They had been introduced at a ball in her second Season, and he had danced with her only that one time. While she had a good memory for names and faces, that wasn’t the reason she remembered him clearly—it was because he had made an impact upon her that she hadn’t wanted, but couldn’t erase.

Mr. Coulton-Jones controlled his face admirably, affecting a confused look. “I’m sorry, miss, but you’re mistaken.”

She was not. Like a woman deranged and obsessed (which she very well might be), she had covertly watched him at every gathering they attended together. This was most definitely him. “Mr. Coulton-Jones, why are you dressed like that? And your face … is that stage cosmetics? It’s quite realistic.”

He hesitated for several seconds, and she could tell he was debating between continuing to deny his identity or abandoning his act. The certainty in her gaze must have decided it for him, because he relaxed and his normal saucy smile quirked up the edge of his mouth. “You have me at a disadvantage, Miss Sauber.”

From there, they discover they’re both caught in a web of secrets that stretches farther than either of them expected. Michael discovers that Phoebe’s own uncle may have had ties to the very conspiracy that killed Richard.

Now the woman who unsettles his carefully constructed detachment is suddenly entangled in the same darkness he is hunting. The two of them are drawn together by questions neither can answer alone and a growing awareness that neither truly wants to be rootless.

Guilt, Forgiveness, and a Slow-Burn Love

The story has espionage and secret societies. But it also is about Michael’s guilt over failing his brother.

Phoebe sees what he hides—the grief he buries beneath humor, the daredevil courage that masks shame. And she, too, carries wounds of her own.

Their romance does not resolve quickly.

This series is a serial novel, and their love unfolds gradually across multiple volumes. Trust is earned. Wounds are revealed slowly. Faith is wrestled with honestly. Forgiveness—of others and of oneself—is not immediate.

Michael may be fearless in battle, but learning to hope again is far more dangerous.

If you love:

A charming spy hiding a wounded heart
A courageous heroine who refuses to be dazzled
Secret societies and layered Regency intrigue
And a slow-burn Christian romance where faith and forgiveness unfold over time

Then you may enjoy stepping into Michael and Phoebe’s world.

Lady Wynwood’s Spies is a serial Regency romantic suspense, which means their story doesn’t resolve in a single book. The mystery deepens. The danger grows. And their relationship develops gradually across the series.

If you’d like to meet them from the beginning, you can read the first three chapters of Volume 1 here.

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

He Was Not Alone in the Room

2026-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

The man he was waiting for opened the door to the study with barely a click of the door latch. His silhouette was partially outlined in the dim light from the candle he held, and he was far enough away that he shouldn’t have seen the predator in the shadows, but he grew still for a moment.

Then he continued into the darkened room, although he did not head toward his desk, as might be expected. Instead, he set the candle on the mantle of the fireplace, with his back to his desk and the stranger waiting for him.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

The Dark Knew His Secrets

2026-04-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

As he waited in the darkened room for his quarry to appear, he felt like the shadows were loving arms clasped around his shoulders. He was comfortable in the dark—it blurred his many disguises, and it somehow made his emotions rest in slumber. Everything that felt messy inside of him was hidden by the dark so that he could pretend he was whole and without pain.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood's Spies, Volume 2: Berserker

2026-03-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

The Spy You Don’t See Coming

A closer look at Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 2

Some characters arrive quietly. They don’t announce themselves. They don’t command attention.

And yet, the moment they step onto the page, everything begins to shift.

That’s the role a certain prince plays in Volume 2.

⸻

When One Person Goes Missing

At the end of the first volume, everything is already unraveling.

The danger isn’t theoretical anymore. It has a name—a man willing to experiment with something no one fully understands.

But Septimus, a member of the team, is missing. Instead of an investigation, the team must urgently search for their lost, but time begins to feel like the enemy.

⸻

A Man Alone

While the others scramble to find him, Septimus is left to endure something very different.

He is injured, isolated, and moving through a world that is no longer predictable. There is no safety in skill, no careful planning to rely on. He only has his instincts and endurance. He is determined to keep going.

⸻

The One No One Fully Understands

At the same time, a new figure enters the story.

He is known only by a title—le petit prince. A master of disguises, an agent whose loyalty is trusted, but whose identity is not widely known. Even among allies, he remains a mystery.

And now, finding Septimus may depend upon the abilities of le petit prince.

⸻

A Book That Carries the Story Into Its Design

For the hardcover Special Edition of this volume, the dust jacket itself offers more than one way to view the story.

On one side, there is a silhouette rather than a full portrait so that Septimus is present but not fully revealed.

Behind him, shadowed figures suggest something else at work, someone concealed—the mysterious prince.

Reverse the dust jacket, and you’ll find an alternate version of the Special Edition paperback cover, along with an additional image of Septimus on the back. It allows the mood to shift depending on what you choose to display.

Beneath the dust jacket, the book is bound in cloth, with the title stamped in gold. It has a weight to it.

The sprayed edges carry a scroll and floral motif that ties this volume to the others in the series. Even when closed, it points to the story world.

⸻

Details That Echo the Conflict

The endpapers are full color and feature the image from the chapter headers of the Special Edition paperback version of volume 2.

Also, the margins are not identical throughout the book. In the opening and closing pages, a more delicate scrollwork appears alongside a small illustration of a vial—the Root potion at the center of the story’s danger.

In the main chapters, that design shifts. The scrollwork becomes bolder, and the vial appears again in a different form, reinforcing how deeply it affects the events unfolding on the page.

⸻

Moments Marked as the Story Moves Forward

Each chapter opens with a two-page color spread.

The floral elements are inspired by a Regency-era design, but each chapter also includes a different image, something that reflects a moment, a tension, or a turning point ahead.

These pages create a pause—or maybe a warning—before each new development.

⸻

A Small Detail That Matters

Even the scene dividers carry meaning.

A simple throwing knife appears between sections—a quiet reference to a moment that becomes important as the story builds toward its climax.

⸻

If You Enjoy Stories Like This…

You might enjoy this volume if you like:

Quiet, resilient characters
Mysteries that deepen rather than resolve
A sense of urgency beneath a calm surface
Relationships that develop under pressure
Stories where not everything is immediately explained

⸻

Where This Story Fits

This is the second volume in a continuing series.

Each part carries its own arc—but the larger story continues to unfold across multiple books.

If you’re drawn to stories where tension builds and the stakes grow more personal, this is where that shift begins.

⸻

A Note for Curious Readers

From time to time, I create special edition hardcovers of these volumes in small batches only during Kickstarter campaigns.

These editions are designed to reflect different aspects of the story—not just through the cover, but through the details inside.

If you enjoy stories that carry a sense of atmosphere both in the writing and in the object itself, this is one way to experience it.

If you’d like to see previews and hear when the next campaign launches, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for updates.

And if you’d prefer to start with the story itself:

📖 Read a free excerpt

🏹 Or begin the series with Volume 1

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

She wasn’t meant to find it …

2026-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was seeing the wardrobe and remembering those days that did it. Phoebe had a flash in her mind’s eye of a wooden floorboard, and a tiny symbol carved into the surface of the wood. The symbol had been barely visible since it hadn’t been filled with blacking to make it stand out, but with a child’s curiosity, she’d seen the strange flaw in the grain of the wood and crawled closer to investigate it.

It had been near the wall, next to the back edge of the wardrobe. Here, in her uncle’s bedchamber.

It had been the same symbol she’d seen just today, on the torn scrap of paper that had been caught by her arrow.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

A Handsome Stranger… and a Ruined Future

2026-03-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was possible Phoebe had just helped an immoral, albeit handsome, criminal. But good gracious, that man was intriguing.

On the carriage ride back to town, the Misses Layton had initially congratulated themselves in a burst of high spirits over the successful archery party. But for the latter half of the trip, they lapsed in silence and dozed with exhaustion, and Phoebe was left to her own thoughts.

Her curious interaction with Mr. Coulton-Jones was at the forefront, but the archery party had only postponed her inevitable ruminating over her new, dire situation.

Now that she had had time for the shock to fade, Phoebe felt as if she had been completely routed, like an ill-equipped army that fell helplessly before Emperor Napoleon. Only now could she think of all the things she could have said, all the arguments she could have made in her defense.

But could she have spoken with any semblance of calm in the face of Mrs. Lambert with her perfectly beautiful face and her hateful smile?

As the carriage neared her home, her heart felt quashed by a heavy stone of dread. She couldn’t return to her father’s indifference and an army of servants who knew about her banishment and likely tittered about her misfortune.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood's Spies, Volume 3: Aggressor

2026-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Volume Where the Spy Wakes Up

Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible—with a supernatural twist.

In Volume 1, Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones was knocked unconscious.

In Volume 2, readers weren’t sure whether he would ever wake.

In Volume 3, he does.

And nothing is the same.

One Man Faces Death

Michael has survived Apothecary Jack’s deadly Root elixir—a potion derived from the mysterious Goldensuit plant, capable of granting unnatural strength … at a terrible cost.

But survival is not the same as freedom.

Now that he understands what was done to him, he must face an inevitable truth—unless he risks taking more of the potion, he will eventually die.

The man who once moved through London’s shadows with calculated precision must now live in a body altered against his will.

And he must decide whether power is worth the price.

One Man Faces Theft

Meanwhile, a notorious French spy arrives on English soil, determined to steal the Goldensuit plant and secure the Citadel’s plans to sell the potion to Napoleon.

The conflict spills into London’s rookeries and into an illegal gambling hall—where antique playing cards are more than decoration.

In one pivotal scene among gamblers and spies, Michael is forced to confront something far more dangerous than enemy agents:

His growing attraction to Phoebe.

One Man Faces Rage

When a member of the team is exposed to strange pollen from Jack’s plants, a savage madness takes hold.

The threat is no longer merely foreign spies or criminal empires.

It is something darker.

Something that begins within.

Volume 3 is where the cost of the conspiracy becomes deeply personal.

⸻

Why Volume 3 Matters in the Series

If Volume 1 launches the conspiracy …

And Volume 2 deepens the mystery …

Volume 3 changes the emotional landscape.

Michael returns from the brink of death only to discover that civilians are now entangled in the team’s operations. He’s conflicted about this because he blames himself for his brother Richard’s murder.

Richard pursued a scarred man suspected of poisoning a gentleman’s club. He died for it.

Michael was away on assignment. That guilt shapes every decision he makes in Aggressor.

This is the volume where he must confront:

His altered body
His responsibility
His grief
And his heart

Without spoiling the story, this is the book where Michael stops being merely the enigmatic former spy, and becomes a man forced to choose who he will be.

⸻

A Collector Edition Designed Around the Conflict

Because Volume 3: Aggressor marks such a pivotal shift in the series, the Special Edition hardcover reflects its intensity.

The hardcover features a refined, elegant silhouette of Michael—echoing the design language of the first two collector volumes.

Behind him, subtle antique playing cards appear in the background, referencing the illegal gambling hall scene that changes everything.

And woven into the design are poppies—symbolizing the fictional Goldensuit plant at the heart of the Root potion.

⸻

A Reversible Dust Jacket

Like the previous hardcovers, this edition includes a fully reversible dust jacket.

On one side—the elegant silhouette design.

On the other:

A variation of the Special Edition paperback cover.
A different title treatment.
And instead of a back-cover blurb, a bonus portrait image of Michael.

You can choose how to display the book on your shelf.

It’s meant to feel interactive—like a hidden layer in a spy’s file.

⸻

Beneath the Jacket: Cloth and Gold

Under the dust jacket, the book itself is bound in deep red cloth.

The title is stamped in gold foil on both the front and the spine.

It feels substantial—like something that might have sat quietly in a Regency study, waiting to be opened.

⸻

Sprayed Edges: The Goldensuit Motif

When the book is closed, the outer edges display a scrollwork and poppy design sprayed directly onto the pages.

Even before the book is opened, the Goldensuit plant—the source of the potion—surrounds it.

⸻

Inside the Pages: Symbolism in the Margins

The interior design of Aggressor is where the story details subtly unfold.

Two Distinct Margin Designs

There are two elegant scrollwork border styles:

One appears in the main chapters and includes small illustrations of a slice of lemon cake and a treacle bun—symbols of Lady Wynwood’s young twin servants from the rookeries, whose role expands significantly in this volume.

The other margin design appears in the front and back matter and features poppies, again echoing the Goldensuit plant.

⸻

Two-Page Full-Color Chapter Headers

Each chapter opens with a two-page full-color spread.

The floral corner illustrations draw inspiration from Regency and Victorian design aesthetics.

On the left-hand page, a unique illustration hints at a central conflict or emotional turning point within that chapter.

These spreads create a visual pause before each escalation.

⸻

Scene Dividers & Hidden Details

Even the scene dividers carry meaning. An ace of spades references the gambling hall and the calculated risks at the heart of the story.

Small scrollwork details frame the page numbers, and each hardcover in the series features slightly different designs—making each volume quietly unique.

⸻

A Note for New Readers

Aggressor is Volume 3 of a projected 12-volume Christian Regency suspense series.

Like the novels published in Jane Austen’s time, each volume completes a story arc—but the larger conspiracy continues.

If you’re new to the series, you may wish to begin with Volume 1: Archer.

But if you are drawn to:

Tormented heroes
Spy conspiracies in 1811 London
Slow-burn romance
Supernatural undertones
And stories where faith is tested under pressure

Then Volume 3 may be the turning point that pulls you fully into the world.

⸻

Limited Collector Editions

The Special Edition hardcovers are produced in small batches and are available only during Kickstarter campaigns.

This campaign features:

The Special Edition Hardcovers of Volume 3: Aggressor and Volume 4: Betrayer (but Volumes 1 and 2 are also available)
Matching Special Edition paperbacks for Volumes 1–9

If you’d like to keep informed about when the next campaign launches, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for updates.

And if you’d prefer to start with the story itself:

📖 Read a free excerpt

🏹 Or begin the series with Volume 1

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

Two Spies. One Narrow Escape.

2026-03-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Michael went to his rescuer, whose face had turned deathly white in pain. “Sep, I’m going to help you up.”

Septimus Ackett, son of Viscount Ammler, managed a weak nod and a shallow inhale of air. Michael slung his arm over his shoulder and gingerly raised him up, guiding them to a pew so they could both collapse in pain.

Every single part of his body, including his pinkie toe, throbbed with agony. “You couldn’t have arrived a few minutes sooner?”

“Ungrateful wretch,” Sep wheezed.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the first few chapters free online.

“Your Move, Mr. Coulton-Jones.”

2026-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Phoebe smiled smugly at Mr. Coulton-Jones, as if to say, I have done my part. What will you do now, I wonder?

A twinkle appeared in Mr. Coulton-Jones’s eyes as he took up her unspoken challenge.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

View the short reel on Patreon.

Read about Phoebe’s first meeting with Michael free online.

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

2026-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

She Met Him Again by Shooting Him

Worst. Meet-cute. Ever.

When Miss Phoebe Sauber misfires an arrow at an archery tournament, it pierces a sheet of paper held by a former spy—revealing a symbol tied to murder, betrayal, and a secret society plotting against England.

That moment begins Lady Wynwood’s Spies, a Christian Regency romantic suspense series set in 1811 London where aristocrats hide secrets and faith is tested against powerful adversaries.

Because this first volume launches a 12-book saga of espionage and redemption, I created a Special Edition hardcover worthy of the story’s beginning.

A Collector Edition Designed Around the Story

If you’ve seen the regular paperback of Volume 1: Archer, you’ve already met Phoebe, who is steady, unflinching, and capable of beating up two-bit thugs before breakfast.

If you’re curious about how I created Phoebe—and the inspiration behind her strength—you can read the story behind her character here.

For the Special Edition hardcover, rather than repeating the original cover exactly, we created something more timeless.

The Dust Jacket: Symbolism in Every Detail

The hardcover dust jacket features:

A refined new title treatment
A silhouette of Phoebe, based on a different stock image of the same model
Two symbolic objects behind her

The pocket watch represents the one Phoebe discovers, which connects her uncle to a treasonous secret society.

The longbow reflects her skill as an archer, which becomes pivotal throughout the series.

The design reflects the moments that change her life and set the conspiracy in motion.

A Reversible Jacket (Two Ways to Display the Book)

This Special Edition hardcover features a double-sided dust jacket.

On the inside of the jacket, you’ll find:

A variation of the Special Edition paperback artwork
A different title treatment
And instead of a traditional back-cover description, an additional portrait image of Phoebe

This allows readers to choose how they display the book: the elegant silhouette or the more detailed photo design.

It transforms the book from a static object into something interactive.

Beneath the Jacket: Cloth and Gold

Under the dust jacket, the book itself is cloth-bound with the title stamped in gold foil.

The goal was to create something that feels like it belongs among classic Regency volumes, a book that looks at home beside leather-bound favorites.

Sprayed Edges: Beauty Even When Closed

When the book is closed, you’ll see digitally sprayed edges featuring a scroll motif.

This design coordinates with the Special Edition paperback of Volume 1, visually tying the editions together.

Even before you open it, the story feels elegant and graceful.

Inside the Pages: Where Craft Meets Story

The interior of this hardcover is where the design truly reflects the narrative.

Full-Color Title Pages

The book opens with color title and half-title pages—a visual signal that this is a collector edition.

Two Distinct Margin Designs

Inside the book, you’ll notice vertical scroll designs running along the outer margins.

There are actually two versions:

One used throughout the main story
A slightly different version used for the front and back matter

The front/back matter design matches the outer-edge design of the Special Edition paperback, creating visual continuity across formats.

In the middle of the scrollwork is a bow and arrow design to represent Phoebe.

These subtle differences make the hardcover edition of each volume in the series slightly unique.

Chapter Headers: Two-Page Color Spreads

Each chapter opens with a two-page color header.

The corners feature illustrated flowers in a style that hints at Regency artwork while the left hand page has a different illustration for each chapter, signifying the progression of the danger to the characters.

These spreads create a visual pause before each new movement in the story.

Scrollwork Page Numbers & Scene Dividers

Even the page numbers feature decorative scrollwork, and these scroll details vary slightly from hardcover to hardcover in the series.

Scene dividers include the image of an antique pocket watch, echoing the object that launches Phoebe into the world of espionage.

The symbolism repeats intentionally, reinforcing the thread of the conspiracy from page to page.

Why Volume 1 Matters

If you’re new to the series, Archer is where everything begins.

Phoebe is betrayed by her father and faces an uncertain future. When she discovers the mysterious symbol connected to the pocket watch, she joins forces with Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones, a former spy investigating his brother’s murder.

Together, they uncover a secret society gathering power—one that could aid Napoleon and threaten England itself.

This volume is not a standalone romance. It’s the first arc in a larger unfolding conspiracy that spans twelve volumes.

The Special Edition hardcover was designed to reflect that scope.

For Readers Who Love:

Regency intrigue
Strong heroines
Christian suspense with a thread of faith
Slow-burn romance
Beautiful collector editions

These Special Edition hardcovers are produced in small batches and are available only during Kickstarter campaigns.

If you’d like to see previews and hear when the next campaign launches, you’re welcome to join my newsletter for updates.

And if you’d prefer to start with the story itself:

📖 Read a free extended excerpt of Volume 1: Archer

🏹 Or begin the series and meet Phoebe on the page

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

Drawn to the Flame

2026-02-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

She had always thought moths were very stupid, to be tantalized by the flames that killed them. But Mr. Coulton-Jones was a flame that burned brighter than anything in her normal, calculated, predictable life—or even in her newly upended, frustrating, pitiful life—and she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to be near him, yearning for a few words with him.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read about Phoebe’s first meeting with Michael free online.

That First Dance

2026-02-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

He wanted to tell her so many things—how the touch of her hand at their first dance had caused a jolt through his arm, how her wildflower scent made him feel as though he were lying in a field with sunlight warming him down to his bones.

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

View the short video of their dance on Patreon.

Read about Phoebe’s first meeting with Michael in the series in the first three chapters of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer.

A Friendly Competition

2026-02-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

“I was hoping, Miss Sauber, that you would be willing to engage in a friendly competition today? I feel I did not shoot my best at our last tournament.”

She was exceedingly prepared to wipe that condescending smile off of his face. “I assure you, Mr. Vernon, the outcome will remain the same.”

—from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Read the full chapter of the archery tournament free online.

A Collector’s Guide to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies Special Editions

2026-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you love beautifully designed books—especially collector hardcovers with elegant artwork and a dash of Regency intrigue—welcome!

I’m Camille Elliot, and I write Christian Regency romantic suspense: think Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible, with spies, slow-burn romance, and a thread of faith.

My ongoing series, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, follows a group of aristocratic spies uncovering a dangerous conspiracy in Regency-era England.

You don’t have to know the books yet to enjoy this post—today I’m taking you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Special Edition hardcovers and paperbacks I’m creating for the series.

We’ll look at:

why these collector editions exist in the first place,
how Kickstarter makes them possible, and
what makes each Special Edition feel extra special on your shelf.

Whether you’re completely new or you’ve been reading the series for years, I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into the visual world behind the books.

Why Hardcovers? Why Kickstarter?

Readers frequently ask why the Special Editions are released through Kickstarter, and the honest answer is simple:

Hardcovers are expensive to produce—but they are absolutely worth it.

Kickstarter allows me to:

create lavish collector hardcovers
offer full-color interior designs
include unique art and symbolism for each volume
release them in small batches that won’t overwhelm readers’ budgets
offer matching sets over time

My hope is that each campaign feels like a joyful collecting experience for fans of the series—and a fun way for new readers to jump in with a beautiful edition of Book 1.

A Peek at the Collector Hardcovers (Books 1–2)

The last Kickstarter funded the creation of these hardcovers in the series:

Volume 1: Archer
Volume 2: Berserker

These hardcovers were the star of the campaign. Many readers chose just Book 1 to try the series, while others opted for a matched pair of Volumes 1 & 2.

Each hardcover features:

Gorgeous full-color reversible book jacket with new cover on one side and a version of the Special Edition paperback cover on the other side
Cloth-covered hardcover binding
Color title page and color half-title page
New interior formatting with pretty decorative interior borders and scene dividers
New 2-page color chapter header graphics
Colored endpapers
Stunning digitally-sprayed color exterior page edge design
My signature in each book
Backers’ names in the acknowledgments sections of the hardcovers

These are very much collector editions—the kind of books you want to display on a shelf or keep within arm’s reach for rereads.

Future Hardcovers (Books 3–4 Coming Soon)

The next Kickstarter will feature:

Volume 3: Aggressor
Volume 4: Betrayer

And yes—backers will also be able to add on Books 1 & 2 in hardcover if they missed them last time.

This ensures you can build a matching hardcover collection over time without having to buy everything all at once.

What About the Special Edition Paperbacks?

Not everyone wants a heavy hardcover in their hands, and I completely understand that.

Each volume also has a Special Edition paperback with:

Newly formatted title page and half-title page.
New color chapter headers
New interior formatting with pretty decorative interior borders and scene dividers
Stunning digital sprayed color exterior page edge design
My signature

These are perfect if you prefer lighter books, or if you’d like a beautiful set at a lower price point than the hardcovers.

Among collectors, the hardcovers are the most popular—but the paperbacks still get a lot of love, especially from readers who enjoy annotating or rereading.

Because of that, in the coming months, I’ll be creating:

1 blog post per hardcover (focusing deeply on design symbolism)
1 blog post per Special Edition paperback (for readers who enjoy the artwork)

This gives you the chance to explore each volume’s design in detail, whether you collect paperbacks, hardcovers, or both.

What These Blog Posts Will Explore

Each Special Edition post—both hardcover and paperback—will explain:

the symbolism of the elements on the cover
why certain flowers, objects, or motifs were chosen
how the artwork ties into the characters
small Easter eggs hinting at the larger 12-book series
the evolving design aesthetic across each campaign
how future volumes will complement the collection

I made these posts as a sort of visual companion to the world of Lady Wynwood’s Spies.

Want to Know When the Next Hardcovers Launch?

These collector editions are only available during Kickstarter campaigns.

The Kickstarter campaign is now live! Check out the Kickstarter to see the rewards.

Links to Blog Posts

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 2: Berserker

Inside the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 3: Aggressor

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

Latest from Instagram

2025-12-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

Here are the behind-the-scenes posts I’ve shared on Instagram. Click any image to read the full post.

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon Tea (coming 5/15/2026)

Regency-Inspired Special Edition With Sprayed Edges

A Dangerous Request: A Bonus Scene from Volume 9: Shelter

Why a Second Season Was Every Regency Heroine’s Fear

When a Regency Spy Falls in Love with a Lady Archer

🗝️ A Past He Cannot Escape

🗝️ He Was Not Alone in the Room

🗝️ The Dark Knew His Secrets

She Shot the Spy: A Regency Meet-Cute with a Secret

🗝️ She wasn’t meant to find it …

🗝️ A Handsome Stranger… and a Ruined Future

🗝️ Two Spies. One Narrow Escape.

My Heroine Showed Up in a Neck Brace … (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

When a Regency Spy Falls in Love with a Lady Archer

🎥 “Your Move, Mr. Coulton-Jones.”

🗝️ Drawn to the Flame

🎥 That First Dance

🗝️ A Friendly Competition

The inspiration behind a tall heroine

🎥 Regency Intrigue Over Tea ...

Contemporary Romantic Suspense - Two Characters, One Publication Crisis (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

A Collector’s Guide to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies Special Editions

Regency romance—with more daggers, disasters, and dancing (available to free followers on my Patreon)

My Character Thinks He Deserves a Fight Scene (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

Forbidden Music and Love in Regency England

An Entirely (Un)Reasonable Number of Images (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7 annotated edition

A Quiet Village, a Hidden Spy: Inside Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7

Apparently I Have Ruined My Heroine’s New Year (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

Keriah brought cookies. Phoebe brought demands. (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

My Characters Formed a K-Pop Dance Crew (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

Sol Discovers a Terrifying New “Malady” … (Available exclusively for Patreon members)

💌 Prefer to ease into the series?

You can join my newsletter and get a free ebook copy of Lissa and the Spy, a romantic Regency mystery introducing another pair of spies in my world.

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

Can a Regency Spy Fall for the Spinster Who Skewered Him?

2025-12-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Every story has a beginning.

This one did not go according to plan.

🫖 Worst. Meet-cute. Ever.

The Lady Wynwood’s Spies series starts with Volume 1: Archer, the first installment in—

“Yes, Miss Sauber?” I ask.

Miss Phoebe Sauber, a character in the series, glares at me. It wouldn’t be quite so bad if she weren’t holding a bow and a wickedly sharp arrow. “Don’t ‘Miss Sauber’ me! You made me misfire an arrow!”

“Um … well, it’s called a meet-cute …”

“I don’t care what it’s called! I have never fired an arrow at a person in my entire life! And you made me shoot an arrow at Mr. Coulton-Jones, of all people! The one man in all of London who is even remotely tolerable as a dance partner!”

“Now you’re exaggerating. Mr. Collingworth wasn’t that bad …”

“All he talked about was his hunting dogs. And he has terrible taste in names for those poor creatures!”

I can’t really argue with her. I tried to convince him that Lickspittle Furrybottom was not dignified enough of a name for his prize hound, but he was rather set on it because the names were taken from the dog’s parents. Which makes me think the real villain here is his father, who named said dog parents. So, not my fault!

(It’s totally my fault.)

“You couldn’t have had me fire an arrow at Mr. Vernon? It would take him down a peg if I happened to blast a hole through his hat at fifty paces.”

“Remember, you’re shooting arrows, not dueling pistols.” But she’s right that Mr. Vernon is a touch insufferable.

Phoebe groans and drops the bow and arrow, burying her face in her hands. “It’s so mortifying! Now Mr. Coulton-Jones thinks my aim is terrible!”

“Actually, he doesn’t …”

She’s not listening to me. Pointing a finger at me, she declares, “You have to do something about this!”

I put my hands up. “Okay, okay. How about you meet him again at a ball?”

“What’s the point of that? He never dances with anyone, much less me!”

“How about I fix that, too?”

She eyes me suspiciously. “You can do that?”

“I’m the author! Of course!”

(Now I have to figure out how to fix that …)

To find out if I succeeded, check out Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer:

A (dishy) ex-spy and a spinster botanist must find a murderer—with ties to both their families—whose uncanny alchemy could turn the tide against the war with Napoleon.

🕵️‍♀️ Christian historical suspense
❤️ Slow-burn romance
✨ A touch of the supernatural

Start reading Volume 1.

Or read the opening three chapters online.

If you’re new to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies world, you can start at the very beginning with Lissa and the Spy, a short prequel story available as a free read.

Thanks for continuing the journey with me!
Camy
(Author. Matchmaker. Accidental archery coach.)

She insulted a hat 👒 and ruined her Season

2025-11-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome! My name is Camille Elliot, and I write Christian Regency Suspense with slow-burn romance and a touch of the supernatural. Thank you for—

“Cut!” Lissa, one of my characters, shouts and stomps onto the stage.
I stare at her. “I’m not filming a commercial.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re being boring.”
I shift uncomfortably, because she’s probably right. “Well then, what should I say? I’m writing a blog post for someone who doesn’t know anything about my books.”
“If you start with pleasantries, I will hide your tea,” she threatens. “All of it.”
I gasp in horror. “You wouldn’t!”
“Try me!”
“I was just going to ask readers to subscribe to my newsletter.”
“I shall topple into the shrubbery as I fall dead asleep on my feet.”
“Rude,” I mutter.
“Maybe start with an explosion. Or at least a hideous hat that ruins my reputation forever.”
“Your reputation wasn’t ruined,” I protest. “You were simply unfortunately overheard.”
“As I insulted a hat.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t insult hats!” I tell her. (However, I admit she is likely right, because it was the same hat Lady Wynwood insulted in The Spinster’s Christmas.)
“I hope you warned them there’s kissing. And crime. And my mother.”
“That last one would scare them away.”
“Well, your books aren’t for faint-hearted misses, are they?”
She has a point.

Anyway—
Let’s try this again.

Hello! I’m Camille Elliot.

I invite you to join my reader list so that you can get things like:
✅ exclusive stories
✅ behind-the-scenes secrets
✅ and most importantly…
🎁 A free prequel novella to kick things off!
It’s called Lissa and the Spy, and it’s yours to download right now:

👉 Click here to download Lissa and the Spy
(No spy credentials required. But you might need your email address.)

What’s it about?

In her hunt for a husband of convenience, Lissa accidentally runs afoul of a secretive government agent—Lord Jeremy Stoude—who ropes her into his dangerous mission. Cue mistaken identities, societal sabotage, hidden wounds, and ahem, unfortunate bonnet abuse.

Here’s a peek inside…

⸻
Spring, 1807
London
If only she were allowed to open her mouth.
Lissa reflected that in all fairness, she was not prohibited from opening her mouth. She was allowed to drink champagne and eat the delicacies offered by the host of the ball. She was allowed to discuss the weather, she was sure. And her mother likely wouldn’t be disappointed if she discussed fashion with a young lady or gentleman. She might even be allowed to say something ignorant about Napoleon, as long as she accompanied her words with a smile and a giggle.
But she had been ordered—under threat of being sent back home even in the midst of the Season—to keep her tongue under control while in London. Lissa didn’t think her tongue was particularly out of control. She had perfect control of her words. She had completely meant what she said when she compared Lady Adderly’s hat to a molting chicken.
⸻
Jeremy’s still upset about that. But you don’t have to be.
Meet them both and start the adventure:
Download your free book and keep reading.

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

How to Start the Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series (with Free Prequels & Bonus Extras)

2025-10-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

How to Start the Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series (with Free Prequels & Bonus Extras)

New to Lady Wynwood’s Spies? Start Here

I’m a fan of both Pride and Prejudice and Mission: Impossible, and I loved the idea of noblewomen working as undercover agents, so I wrote this Christian Regency romantic suspense series for readers just like me.

Lady Wynwood’s Spies is a multi-volume adventure filled with faith, suspense, and romance. Unlike many historical romances that stand alone, each volume continues a larger story, pulling you further into the same grand conspiracy.

Along the way, the series draws you deeper into the characters’ struggles and triumphs, giving you a richer, more immersive experience.

If you love stories where you don’t have to say goodbye to the characters after just one book, this series was written for you.

Below is your complete reader guide to the books and prequels. Whether you’re just curious or ready to dive in, this roadmap will help you find the perfect place to start.

✨ Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

It occurred to me that since my series is getting so long, it might be hard to know where to start. So here’s the recommended Reader Journey for my books, and I’ll keep updating the list as I add new bonus material.

At the moment, all my books are exclusive to Amazon in Kindle Unlimited. However, you should be able to read my books through your local library (ebook and paperback)—just use my Library Tip Sheet to request my books from your librarian or your library website.

Lissa and the Spy

This prequel novella doesn’t have as much suspense and action as the regular books in the series, but the humor is indicative of what I write. In the case of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, the romance is slow-burn, so each book in the series is not a stand-alone romance, but Lissa and the Spy is a stand-alone romance. If you like this book, there’s a good chance you’ll like the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series.

You can get this ebook free when you join my newsletter, or you can buy the Annotated Edition for only 99 cents on my website.

✨ Bonus content available in the Lissa and the Spy Collection on Patreon

A NOTE FROM CAMY: The following two books are optional, but some of the events are briefly mentioned in Volume 1: Archer. However, if the storylines don’t appeal to you, you can skip them.

The Spinster’s Christmas

This is a stand-alone romantic suspense with Laura and Sol as minor characters.

✨ Bonus content available in the The Spinster’s Christmas Collection on Patreon

The Gentleman Thief

This is a prequel novella starring Sol and Laura, who are main characters in the series, and it also introduces Lena, the main heroine for Volume 7: Spinster. It isn’t a romance, just a fun adventure. The ebook is free when you subscribe to my newsletter here.

✨ Bonus content available in the The Gentleman Thief Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

As with many of the volumes in the series, this book ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger.

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 1: Archer Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 2: Berserker

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 2: Berserker Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 3: Aggressor

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 3: Aggressor Collectionon Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 4: Betrayer

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 4: Betrayer Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 5: Prisoner

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 5: Prisoner Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 6: Martyr

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 6: Martyr Collection on Patreon

“Bidding on Treason”

This is a limited-availability novelette that is occasionally available to my Patreon once or twice a year. The story is one of Lena’s missions that occurs the year before Volume 1: Archer. Even though it happens earlier, I suggest reading it right before reading Volume 7: Spinster.

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 7: Spinster Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 8: Traitor Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood and the Senhora’s Bargain

This is a bonus novella only available to the Lady Wynwood’s Spy tier of my Patreon (and occasionally in my Kickstarter campaigns). While the events occur before the start of the series, I suggest reading it right before reading Volume 9: Shelter.

Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 9: Shelter

✨ Bonus content available in the Volume 9: Shelter Collection on Patreon

Lady Wynwood’s Spies is projected to be a 12-book series (not including the prequels).

If you’ve already started reading the series and want to stay in the loop, I’d love to send you updates about the next book, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes extras just for readers.

Yes! Sign me up for Camy’s newsletter

Prelude for a Lord

Waiting for the next book to release? Try this stand-alone Regency romantic suspense novel. It’s book 1 in my Gentlemen Quartet series, which I intend to continue after I finish Lady Wynwood’s Spies. Expect to see some crossover characters!

The Gentleman’s Quest

Still can’t get enough? This is a stand-alone Regency romantic suspense novella. No relation to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies world, but it’s a short, sweetly romantic mystery.

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

If you love Historical Romance with Unexpected Twists

2025-10-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible

Lady Wynwood’s Spies is a multi-volume adventure filled with faith, suspense, and romance. Unlike many historical romances that stand alone, each volume continues the story, pulling you further into the same grand conspiracy.

Along the way, the series draws you deeper into the characters’ struggles and triumphs, giving you a richer, more immersive experience.

If you love stories where you don’t have to say goodbye to the characters after just one book, this series was written for you.

The story so far in Lady Wynwood’s Spies

Here are short blurbs about each book in Lady Wynwood’s Spies. For those of you already reading the series, this will be Bonus Content, which I hope you enjoy!

In a whirlwind of conspiracies and secrets, Lady Wynwood's spies navigate the perilous waters of espionage and betrayal, where every ally could be an enemy in disguise, and every heart hides a story untold.

Recovered from her harrowing marriage, Lady Wynwood's peace shatters as a nefarious secret society linked to her past emerges. She seeks the aid of Mr. Sol Drydale, an old friend with ties to a shadowy arm of the government.

They gather a circle of trusted individuals with unique skills:

A botanist with deadly aim with a bow and arrows
An unconventionally trained female medic and chemist in a field dominated by men
A cat burglar who also happens to be a viscount’s son
A spy searching for answers to the mysterious death of his brother
An ex-soldier haunted by regret and self-loathing
A human lie detector desperately protecting lies of her own
The most covert phantom agent working for the Crown
All led by a nobleman keeping dangerous secrets (who feels like he’s wrangling cats)

To protect their loved ones, they must race to stop a treasonous brotherhood, whose dark secrets could turn the tides of the war against Napoleon.

If you haven’t yet, read a sample of Volume 1: Archer in your browser!

Lady Wynwood’s Spies is projected to be a 12-book series (not including the prequels).

If you’ve already started reading the series and want to stay in the loop, I’d love to send you updates about the next book, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes extras just for readers.

Yes! Sign me up for Camy’s newsletter

Lena’s Diamond Shawl – A Free Knitting Pattern from a Regency Spy Novel

2025-09-11T01:10:00.000-07:00

In my book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster, my heroine Lena is recovering from sickness and uses her favorite shawl to keep warm.

🧵 Click here to download the FREE PDF of the pattern.

Here’s the short excerpt from the book that mentions the shawl:

📖 Excerpt from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster

Lena still felt a chill as she sat in the sunlight streaming through the window of the Viponds’ drawing room. She was swathed in her favorite lace shawl, a gift from Melinda, who had knit it in Lena’s favorite color, red, along with cream and pink stripes.

Tabitha finished pouring the tea and handed her a cup. Lena tried to smile as she took it, but her face felt stiff, like hardened clay.

She was an utter failure. Despite all her training as an agent, she’d been undone by a malicious woman and a locked balcony in the rain.

Had she given up too quickly? She’d been deterred by the railing, believing it would have broken under her weight. She had also been shivering too much to be certain of her physical prowess if she had tried to climb over the railing and drop to the ground, or to jump to the other balcony. But she’d chosen to wrestle with the door hinges rather than attempt the more dangerous option, and so the cold had seeped into her through the rain, weakening her muscles.

She only barely remembered Mr. Vipond leaping to her balcony in order to wrap her in his coat. She didn’t know how he had managed when the railing had been so unstable, but he had done it somehow.

It made Lena wonder if she should have tried harder to climb over and drop down. Or maybe her chilled hands would have faltered and she would have fallen and broken an ankle.

She sipped her tea. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she should have done so that she wouldn’t have needed to be rescued like the silly heroines in those Gothic novels.

Despite being years younger than Lena, Tabitha regarded her with an “exasperated mother” look. “Your frustration is seeping out of you like a strong smell from a fish.”

Lena eyed her. “Are you implying I smell rotten?”

“Why do you look so upset with yourself?”

Lena sighed and stared into her teacup. “I inconvenienced everyone and needed to be saved. I feel quite mortified.”

“I do not understand why you are blaming yourself rather than that woman.”

Lena could have sworn that sparks flew out of Tabitha’s irritated gaze.

“I confronted her in my anger, but now I feel like a bully that has been thrashed.”

Tabitha glared at Lena. “You are not the bully. If you continue to spout such nonsense, I shall send you back to your bedroom forthwith.”

🧵 Shawl Construction

I had already picked out this Knit Picks curated bundle of red colorways because they matched Lena’s bold personality, and so I only needed to pick a stitch pattern for her shawl.

I used the Open Diamond pattern #19 from The Lady’s Assistant volume 1 by Jane Gaugain. The original edition was published in 1840, but you can get a free .pdf scan of the 1847 reprint edition here: https://archive.org/details/ladysassistantfo01gaug). The pattern is the same in both the 1840 and 1847 edition, but it is written for working in the round in the 1840 edition while the later reprints have it written for working back and forth on two needles, so I charted the pattern according to the 1847 edition. I also adjusted several of the decreases to give them directionality.

The shawl starts from one corner and increases, then continues for the straight section by increasing on one side while simultaneously decreasing on the other side of every other row. The shawl ends by decreasing on both sides back to a point.

There are five charts and you can adjust the size of the shawl by changing how many times you repeat the increase section of Chart B.

I used US 5 needles with the fingering weight yarn to make a warmer shawl. However, if you wanted a lighter, lacier shawl, I would suggest either lace weight yarn or using fingering weight yarn with US 6 or US 7 needles.

Yarn: Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering Weight (80% Superwash Fine Highland Wool, 20% Polyamide, 357 yards/100 grams), 1 skein each of Jupiter Speckle (color 1), Hayden (color 2), Picnic Kettle Dye (color 3), Volcano Kettle Dye (color 4), and Hood River Tonal Hand Painted (color 5). (These were colors in the Hawthorne Value Pack - Red Gradient.) I only used a total of 975 yards of yarn (273 grams).

Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)

Dimensions: 27” x 70” after blocking

Gauge: 4 stitches per inch (18 stitches in 4.5 inches) after blocking in lace pattern

Abbreviations:

k = knit

p = purl

YO = yarn over

k2tog = knit two together

p2tog = purl two together

kfb = knit into the front and back of the same stitch

ssk = slip, slip, knit

A = slip 1, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over

🧶 Pattern Instructions

Using color 1 (Jupiter Speckle), Work Chart A, the set-up section, once.

Work Chart B, the increase section, three times. (For reference, my entire increase section using color 1 (Jupiter Speckle) was about 200 yards.) Alternately, repeat Chart B until the shawl is the width you’d like.

Switch to color 2 (Hayden) and repeat Chart C, which is for the straight section, twice.

Switch to color 3 (Picnic Kettle Dye) and repeat Chart C twice.

Switch to color 4 (Volcano Kettle Dye) and repeat Chart C twice.

Switch to color 5 (Hood River Tonal Hand Painted) and repeat Chart D three times, until there are 35 stitches on the needle.

Work Chart E once, until the shawl decreases to a point.

Tie off and weave in ends.

Photography by Tyler Tang

📄 Want a printable version? Click here to download the FREE PDF of Lena’s Shawl.

📚 Where Knitting Meets Regency Suspense

My stories often include little nods to my love of knitting—like this shawl from Volume 7. If you’d like to start from the beginning and meet the characters (and their cozy accessories), grab Lissa and the Spy, a free prequel novella that’s full of Regency intrigue and heartfelt moments.

About the Book

A Christian Regency Romantic Suspense novella in the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series

In the opulent ballrooms of Regency-era London, Miss Lissa Gardinier struggles through her second Season with a singular goal: marriage to escape her mother's constant criticism. So she represses her cheeky remarks behind a quiet, innocent facade, but combined with her plain face, it only serves to make her uninteresting to potential suitors.

It is her very unpopularity that enables her to notice the enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude and set in motion a chance encounter. An overheard conversation and faux dialogue later, she finds herself entangled in Jeremy’s covert undertakings. Lissa resists the temptation to pry, finding delight in their mysterious friendship.

Yet the world Jeremy inhabits is one of secrets and subterfuge, and he cannot afford to be distracted by Lissa’s charming smile and unflappable demeanor. Lissa’s family dynamics grow increasingly complicated with a sister harboring her own desires for the eligible Lord Stoude, and a formidable rival—Lady Charline Halberstam—making her intentions clear.

As danger stalks them and true feelings come to light, can Lissa and Jeremy navigate the labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love?

Lissa and the Spy offers readers an intoxicating blend of romance, suspense, and wit, set against the glittering backdrop of Regency London. Perfect for those who love their historical fiction laced with a dash of intrigue and a sprinkle of humor.

Prequel to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series

Click here to get Lissa and the Spy FREE!

My Lady Wynwood’s Spies series starts with Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer. Read a free extended excerpt here.

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap

A Wallflower’s Slip of the Tongue – Free Regency eBook

2025-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy Regency romance with wit, awkward ballroom encounters, and a heroine who can’t quite keep her thoughts to herself, you’ll love Lissa and the Spy. This free Christian Regency romantic suspense novella is the perfect entry point into my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series. Get it free when you join my newsletter (details below).

Miss Lissa Gardinier survived her last London Season by pretending to be as inoffensive as possible. But at this ball, she lets her true thoughts slip yet again. And this time, they involve an unfortunately named spaniel.

Excerpt

Last year during that first dance with Mr. Collingworth, upon seeing him excitedly discuss his dog breeding, she had been encouraged to also speak without restraint. So she had voiced her exact thoughts rather than hiding behind a vapid facade. “Why in the world would you name a dog Lickspittle Furrybottom?”

At Mr. Collingworth’s startled look, Lissa realized that she’d said that out loud now, in this dance with him.

“… Not that it’s not a lovely name,” she added lamely.

Mr. Collingworth didn’t believe her, and his conversation faltered. She regretted that, for she hadn’t intended to be rude to him.

“Er … did I speak of Lickspittle Furrybottom?” he asked.

Lissa did a mental shriek at her mistake. “We spoke briefly about her last year. You were worried about her compatibility with Snout Droolalot.”

About the Book

A Christian Regency Romantic Suspense novella in the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series

As danger stalks them and true feelings come to light, can Lissa and Jeremy navigate the labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love?

Prequel to the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series

This is a stand-alone story that occurs before The Spinster’s Christmas.

Ready to enjoy the full adventure?

Download Lissa and the Spy for free when you join my newsletter!

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

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What Is a Brutus Cut? A Regency Hair Trend Inspired by Ancient Rome

2025-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Regency Haircuts and Disguises in Lady Wynwood’s Spies

In this excerpt from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor, Phoebe prepares for a dangerous mission—one that requires her to disguise herself as a young man. The hairstyle she receives, called a Brutus cut, was actually quite fashionable during the Regency. Read on to find out more about this curious trend and why it suited her new identity so well.

Excerpt from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor:

By far, the absolute worst part of Uncle Sol’s plan was that Phoebe had to cut her hair.

Of the four agents, Phoebe and Mr. Coulton-Jones would be the least likely to be recognized when they entered the Ramparts building—Mr. Coulton-Jones, because of his skill in altering his facial features and his posture, and Phoebe, because she could play a convincing young man, which no one would expect.

A disreputable hat would hide her long hair to an extent, but it would not fool anyone who looked closely. Also, because she would look like a junior agent, she would be expected to remove her hat if addressed by a senior officer in a corridor. It would be far too easy for a wig to slip in such circumstances.

She gazed mournfully at the locks carpeting the floor underneath her chair as Aya removed them and gave her a fair approximation of a Brutus cut. Phoebe’s skin hadn’t the roughened texture of a common working man, and so it had been decided that she would pose as a young man from a more wealthy background. Aunt Laura had managed to collect several sets of male clothing for her, including an outfit appropriate for the son of a wealthy merchant.

Phoebe used cloth to pad her waist and groin areas, and she looked like a slightly portly young man with spindly arms and legs.

She pictured gentlemen of her age, especially those younger than herself, and recalled the way they stood, the way they walked and carried themselves. She made an effort to alter her gait and posture.

And suddenly, looking back at her from the full-length mirror in Aunt Laura’s bedroom stood an arrogant young stripling just down from university.

But what exactly is a Brutus cut?

The Brutus cut was all the rage in the early 1800s, especially in the years following the French Revolution and into the Regency era.

From Roman hero to fashionable haircut

The Brutus cut (sometimes called the Titus cut in French fashion plates) was inspired by ancient Roman statuary, particularly busts of figures like Lucius Junius Brutus, the legendary founder of the Roman Republic. In an era newly obsessed with classical antiquity, it was the ideal hairstyle to show off your noble ideals—short, tousled curls, brushed forward, and decidedly free of powder or wigs.

This was a radical change from earlier Georgian fashion, where men often wore powdered wigs, queues (a braid or ponytail down the back), and elaborately styled hair. The Brutus cut rejected all of that in favor of a more “natural,” even slightly rebellious look.

Think: “I’m a modern Roman senator who just rolled out of bed and crushed a Republic before breakfast.”

What did it look like?

Fashion plates from the time show men with short, curly hair that’s been cropped close around the ears and neck, often with the front brushed slightly forward or left tousled. Some plates even show sideburns or a bit of fringe over the forehead.

Here are some examples from fashion plates of the time. This first plate is of Lord Cochrane, published in Ackermann’s Repository in 1809:

Here is a fashion plate of a young man from Ackermann’s Repository published in 1810:

Here are two fashion plates published in 1804 from Journal des Dames et des Modes:

Lastly, here are three fashion plates published in 1810 from Journal des Dames et des Modes:

This haircut was practical, expressive, and—importantly for Phoebe—easy to mimic when disguising oneself as a young man. For a woman cutting off long hair, the Brutus cut offered a believable shape that didn’t require extensive barbering.

Why does my heroine wear it?

In Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor, a quick haircut helps Phoebe pass as a male junior agent in a world that doesn’t expect a woman to walk confidently into the heart of a clandestine spy operation.

Because the Brutus cut was popular with young, fashionable men—particularly university students or sons of wealthy merchants—it was the perfect choice for Phoebe’s persona. It allowed her to look like a well-bred (if slightly foppish) young man.

Want to see more Regency-era disguises and espionage?

If you enjoyed this peek into Regency fashion and covert hairstyling, you’ll love the full story in Lady Wynwood’s Spies. Start the series in Volume 1, where a misfired arrow reunites Phoebe with a young gentleman who happens to be a spy, and a memory from her past propels her into a mission that could change the fate of England.

📚 Volume 1: Archer is available now, with more volumes in the series unfolding secrets, slow-burn romance, and dangerous plots—all in Regency London.

👉 Read the first few chapters of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Reference Footer

• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page

• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap