I moved from the US to England because I fell in love with the Victorians’ peculiar blend of glamour and grime. After a decade of exploring historical excesses in a prim scholarly fashion, I’ve realized that fiction is the best way to delve into that period’s great female-focused and LGBTQ+ stories. Weaned on the high-seas romances of the 1990s, nowadays I’ve lost my tolerance for boorish heroes but none of my love for cross-dressing cabin boys. I’m delighted to now have a whole raft of quirky and queer characters to cheer for on their quest for Happily Ever After. I frequently breaks off writing for an Earl Grey tea (milk, not lemon). I’ve escaped Brexit Britain—but now I miss the rain.