For those of you who are collectors of the trade paperbacks (here in the USA) Manners & Mutiny is finally available today!
This is my last official release of a Finishing School book. Yes there will be other translations, but I tend not to know when those come out.
Those of you who have been waiting for this edition to read the last installment, I do hope you like the closing of The Finishing School Series.
ace-artemis-fanartist- Soap and Sophronia (from the Finishing School series) out for a nighttime stroll
Yes this is the official end of Sophronia and Soap’s story. They will not show up as main characters again. (But don’t rule them out of side-ways appearances.)
As a special treat, I thought I would give you a bit of a flashback to an original blog tour I did just prior to the release of Etiquette & Espionage.
Extra Special Stuff!
Here are samples from my original blog tour, in which I play at teaching Finishing School myself.
Deportment & Disguises with The Book Rat
The business of espionage and finishing can sometimes be rather uncouth; what tips should a lady always follow to conduct herself appropriately while on the job?
Good posture is a must, and perfume strong enough to confuse supernatural senses. Lastly, a lady should never forget her sewing scissors, handkerchief, and small vile of poison – best to be prepared.
What must a lady never do, even in the hairiest of situations?
Dance with a gentleman more than two times, show her neck to a vampire without introduction, or faint without purpose.
What rules or guidelines should a lady always follow in donning a disguise?
Consider the hair in all things – mustaches, for example, should be treated gently. No one likes to look at the underclass, the ugly, or the uncouth, so when in doubt don all three. Also consider the opposite direction, aristocratic children, for example, can be both unseen and unheard.
A lady should always be ready for anything that comes her way at the drop of a hat (god forbid one were to drop it, that is). What are the most useful items to have on-hand to design a disguise on the fly?
Hair ribbons, sap paste, and smelling salts.
Drawing & Death with Alice Marvels
When drawing a friend with an unfortunately large nose, which is more important, artistic integrity or artistic tact?
Tact. Always go with tact, it’s far more versatile. I would go so far as to say it looks good on everyone.
When drawing a still life fruit bowl, is it unladylike to snack on your subject?
Yes, but if you can get away with it and not have anyone notice, there’s always the fall back of wide eyed innocence. Besides good fruit should be eaten not sketched.
What is the best way to kill someone in a crowded theater or opera house without ruining the performance?
Poison during the break that results in a subject that seems asleep. After all, everyone falls asleep at the theater, it’s practically mandatory and could even be considered a sign of good breeding.
What do you do if you’re at a fancy ball and you need to get rid of a dead body in between dances?
If you’re strong enough, dance with the body, right out into a garden. Make use of a duck pond. Duck ponds are good.
Are there any women in history you believe could have secretly attended Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality?
A very great number I believe, of course I’m not at liberty to reveal such secrets.
Household Management & Hand-to-Hand Combat with Supernatural Snark
What’s the most important quality to look for when hiring someone for a position within the home?
Smooth running on all rails, a good set of basic protocols, well polished exterior, and gears in excellent working order. Oh, did you mean human staff?
Someone has just arrived at the front door completely unannounced and uninvited. What’s the proper response to such a situation?
Send out the butler to make it clear at you are Not At Home to callers.
When facing a larger opponent in hand to hand combat, what’s one thing a person of smaller stature should never do?
Direct attack. Diversion is always a superior approach.
Is there one part of our bodies that most people don’t know makes a great weapon?
The tongue is all too often underestimated.
If you were sent to finishing school, what’s the name of one class at which you would excel?
Tea Parties, Tarts, and Tarting It Up for all occasions.
Dress & Diversion with Forever Young Adult
Which gown styles would best benefit a young lady with an ample bosom?
Mademoiselle Geraldine would say that a lady should always dress to emphasi’ze her assets. A nice tight bodice with a scoop or square neckline, and a complimentary lace tuck never goes amiss. Besides, it never hurts to have an additional…pocket, shall we say?
The best diversionist has to think on her feet.
When in doubt: Faint backwards
In which article of a young lady’s clothing is it best to conceal a dagger?
See question number one, if possible. If not, pagoda sleeves are wide and ample, it’s best to have all ones visiting gowns designed with them for daggers or any additional necessities, like perfume.
To attract the attention of one specific individual in a crowded place from across the room, a young lady’s best weapon is:
A brightly colored fan or a very large hat.
If a lady needs to make a quick departure off of a dirigible, what is her best course of action?
Jump.
Music & Modern Weaponries with Mundie Moms
If you could make yourself a clockwork weapon, what would it look like and what would it do?
I would like a holstered version of a crank heater than could boil water in a mug so I could have tea on the go.
We hear that dancing is a required skill for all Finishing School ladies. Which is the most challenging to master?
The waltz is very challenging because of the intimacy entailed, but every young lady struggles with the quadrille, particularly if she has to pass secret notes at the same time.
What is a memorable piece of music that either makes your heart skip a beat, or makes you think of a dashing young man?
Cup of Brown Joy by Professor Elemental, it does both in the best possible way and for the most excellent reason.
In between all the lessons at school, what are the ladies’ most common leisure activity?
For these young ladies, spying on each other, the teachers, and the staff not necessarily in that order.
What’s your favorite weapon to practice with?
The pen, of course. Mightier as it may be…
CheriePie says of Manners & Mutiny: “If you love the steampunk genre, mixed in with some young adult fantasy, and appreciate good writing, then this is a series you should not miss.”
{Gail’s monthly read along for October is The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.}
NEXT UP
Romancing the Inventor: A Supernatural Society Novella
A steampunk lesbian romance featuring a maid bent on seducing a brilliant cross-dressing scientist who’s too brokenhearted to notice. Or is she?
{Gail’s monthly read along for October is The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.}
GAIL’S DAILY DOSE
Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Book News:
Praise for the Finishing School Series
Stephanie Wood Franklin of Insert Scene Here says:
“Following young women in the early 19th century as they learn how to set up a household and also spy for Queen and country (or hive, or pack, or some other service) is a joy to behold. The characters grow over the course of the books, while still behaving believably as teenagers would. The language is appropriate for the time period, but doesn’t hit you over the head with dialect.”
Cory Chambers of Lily Cahill says:
“This book is classified as YA, which makes sense given the age group of the characters, but it has a sophistication and sense of humor that is very adult. Seriously, this world is so real, so developed, and so delightfully British. It’s like Jane Austen meets James Bond by way of Fawlty Towers.”
Through the Looking Glass says of the Finishing School series:
“Cementing my love for these books is the wonderful notion that most problems can be solved by tea, and if no tea is readily available then there is always a wicker chicken. Again, don’t ask. Judicious use of my favourite beverage accompanied by the addition of a charming mechanimal named Bumbersnoot has endeared Gail Carriger’s world as close to my heart as the Discworld, and shall await every new book with eager anticipation.”
V’s Reads says (in a review of Manners & Mutiny):
“I simply adored this series. It’s witty and fun, and frisky! There are some not-so-subtle hints toward burgeoning sexuality, male nudity, interracial romance, even…well, allusions toward outre lifestyles for some of the boys. It tickled me from the first page, and wrapped up the four-book plotline beautifully.”
Quote of the Day:
“When he spoke again, it was to talk of pumpkins and cabbages, and after that, for he was a man of limited ideas, of cabbages and pumpkins.”
~ P.G. Wodehouse
Questions about Gail’s steampunk world? There’s a wiki for that!