The Lure of the Moonflower | Tracy Grant

This week I’m raising a virtual glass of champagne to one of my best friends and a writer I hugely admire, Lauren Willig, on the publication of The Lure of the Moonflower, the last book in her Pink Carnation series. If you haven’t already discovered this series, it’s a wonderfully clever blend of intrigue, adventure, and romance set during the Napoleonic Wars. With the latest book, the Pink Carnation, a Scarlet Pimpernel-type figure who has orchestrated key events through out the series and run her own spy ring, finally gets her own book. I can’t wait to read Jane’s story.

Lauren and I have always shared a special bond writing about Napoleonic spies. We’ve discussed the finer points of early 19th century espionage over dinner and drinks in Manhattan in the days when we were both single and pre-children. On Lauren’s sofa with our babies asleep in our laps. And most recently while our toddlers cooked pretend meals and discovered a mutual love of The Pirates of Penzance. It’s been a treat watching Lauren take the journey of writing this series, which she began while she was in law school. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic that it’s done, but I can’t wait to delve into the book and to see what she writes next (I also urge readers to try her recent wonderful 1920s stand alone, The Other Daughter).

Lauren & Tracy talks Napoleonic spies