Welcome to the official microsite for the Brothers Sinister, Courtney’s newest series—starting in 2012.

You may be asking yourself, “Do we really need another historical series involving rakish men who form clubs with dangerous-sounding names?” You may even be wondering what kind of sinister names the Brothers Sinister have. Never fear. The Brothers Sinister are named Robert, Oliver, Sebastian, and—if you’re counting honorary members—Violet. The people who know them best refer to them as such. They just happen to be left-handed. (Kind of. Let’s leave it there for now.)

• It takes me two to four years to get a book from idea to finished product, and only around six months of that is spent on actual writing. Most of that time is spent in the gestation period: refining the idea, and thinking about the hero and heroine, where they come from, what their family is like, what the important moments in the book are.
• I started thinking of the idea for this series in early 2010. It has morphed considerably from the original idea.
• Yes, I know that Robert and Sebastian are lords. They really had to be to make the initial premise work. Since I started thinking of this in 2010, I had assumed it would be traditionally published—and that meant I’d have a better chance if it was a series about lords.
• The full-length books are set around Leicester (book 1) and Cambridge (book 3). The second book bounces around a bit.
• This series takes place in the 1860s, which is a 20-year move from the era in which I normally write. I had to make the move for several reasons, but I’m enjoying the process of immersing myself in a completely different decade. 1836 is as much like 1866 as 1982 is like 2012.
• Each of the Brothers Sinister are, in fact, scandalous in their own right, although none of them are scandalous for the reasons you might expect in a romance novel. Robert is politically radical. (Not as in, Robert sponsors a few piddling bills that would be seen as liberal at the time. It’s more like this: Robert has given over his ducal estate to a farmer’s cooperative, and believes that the House of Lords should be abolished.) Oliver is a bastard. (In the sense of his birth. Not in the sense of his personal characteristics.) Sebastian is a famed scientist and an ardent supporter of Darwin.
• The series is named after the men, but the individual books are named after the women. The women all share one characteristic: they’ve all been ruined. Just not in the usual way…
• The 1860s are actually more hostile to women and women’s role in the wider world than the 1830s.

As the release date draws near, this site will be populated with more information about the series.

But here’s what you can expect:

the governess affair

Place in series: An introductory novella, which explains (at the very end) where the Brothers Sinister come from, and sets up their relationship. About Oliver’s parents.

Available now.

the duchess war

In which Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, meets his match in the form of a bespectacled wallflower who is not really shy.

Place in series: The first full-length book.

Available now.

a kiss for midwinter

Lydia Charingford, Minnie’s (the heroine from The Duchess War) best friend, beats up a doctor.

Place in series: Loosely-linked novella, following the first book.

Available now.

the heiress effect

In which Miss Jane Fairfield uses rudeness as a weapon, only to run afoul of Oliver Marshall, the one man who can who see through her tactics.

Place in Series: Second full-length book. The story of Oliver Marshall (Robert’s half-brother; Serena and Hugo’s son).

Available mid-2013.

the countess conspiracy

In which Sebastian, an infamous rake, is brought to his knees by an innocent… Ha ha, no. That is some other book.

Place in Series: Third full-length book. Sebastian is Robert’s cousin.

Available in late 2013.

the mistress rebellion

In which Frederica Marshall breaks new ground, much to the dismay of some people.

Place in Series: Final book. Frederica is Oliver’s youngest sister.

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