Poor Edward

On this day in history, Edward VI, after battling a mysterious illness for several months, died at Greenwich Castle at the tender age of sixteen.  He left behind a divided country and a very surprised also-sixteen-year-old girl on the throne of England. His cousin, Lady Jane Grey, became an impromptu queen almost overnight, and she'd go on to rule England . . . for approximately nine days.

A nine day reign. Yep. It's got to be some kind of record for the shortest rule EVER.

History is a huge downer in this regard, but we Lady Janies want to take this time to celebrate Jane's nine day stint on the throne. We're going to be hosting an event starting this week called JANE'S REIGN, where every day of Lady Jane Grey's reign of England, from July 9 to July 18, we'll present some exclusive Jane-related content, a contest, and a giveaway.

Here's some of the good stuff we have planned:

A liveTweet watching of THE PRINCESS BRIDE

A contest to make Edward's poisoned blackberry pie

The Janies competing to see who has the best English accent

Jane's library: Come up with more silly titles for Jane's books

A lesson in Tudor fashion

The real Guildford Dudley versus our very own G

A liveTweet of the old 80s movie with a very young and hot Cary Elwes, LADY JANE

A scavenger hunt for easter eggs from our favorite fantasies


and much more!

So check back on July 9 for Jane's Reign, and tell your friends! And come back EVERY DAY until July 18 to see what goodies we have in store for you!

On This Day: Jodi's Birthday!

All hail Queen Jodi!

It's Lady Janie Jodi's birthday today! So Brodi and I wanted to take a moment to talk about how very much we love and appreciate our bestie and fellow co-author, Jodi Meadows.

Cynthia: We have a running joke with the Janies that Jodi Meadows is the one who grates the cheese --not CUTS the cheese, just to be clear, this is not a fart joke. Ahem. Every morning when we are working at one of our little writing retreats, we make breakfast together. I scramble the eggs, Brodi cuts the tomatoes, and Jodi grates the cheese. And in our talks about who-does-what in the writing of our books, Jodi loves to say that all she really does is grate the cheese.

But she does SO MUCH MORE than that.

Brodi: Yeah! She also maintains the peace and the calm and the positivity. And she also finds the coffee.

Exhibit A of how Jodi loves coffee

Cynthia: She does! I have a growing collection of pictures that I am someday going to collect into an album called JODI-LOVES-COFFEE.

But seriously, though, Jodi is a huge part of why the Lady Janies work. Brodi and I have had so many conversations about how Jodi is actually the most essential part of our group--she wrote the point of view of JANE, after all--she's like the sparkly purple glue that holds the Lady Janies together. If it were up to just Brodi and I, we'd be a total mess. But Jodi is like the gravity that keeps us on the ground (and corrects our grammar, without being judgy about it).

Jodi's also known as "the quiet one," the one standing silently in the background while Brodi cracks jokes and I blabber on about history.

Brodi: But if you get her talking about the right subjects, such as knitting or grammar or the proper placement of a period, or world building, or unicorns, she will talk your ear off. I have always admired her for being able to fly under the radar and then bob her head up for just a second to say something absolutely brilliant, leaving me wondering why I'm talking at all in the first place.

Cynthia: I liked Jodi the minute I met her. It was clear from the very start that she was an ultra smart, super sweet, completely awesome human being. And my opinion of her has only gotten stronger every day I've been around her since we met. I feel so unbelievably blessed to have Jodi as one of my friends--she is the very best kind of friend, the kind who is always there cheering for you no matter what, the kind of friend who will tell you what she really thinks but will always be kind about it, the kind of friend who inspires you to be a better person yourself.

Jodi writing in one of her many notebooks

Brodi: Not to mention that she is just an amazing writer! The first time I met her was on my first book tour. Harper put me with Jodi and Cynthia, and it was magic. I introduced myself to Jodi, and she shoved a pair of hand-spun/hand-knitted mitts into my hands. A gift. Little did I know that four years later, we'd all be knitting together with a passion! And writing. With a passion.

Cynthia: Jodi is also one of the hardest working writers I've ever met, which has been so inspiring for me to witness. She is just a great example of a writer who does the work, day in and day out, no excuses. And that's how we get her beautiful, intricately-woven novels. Jodi is such a thoughtful person--and I think that thoughtfulness is part of why her books are so rich in wonderful, imaginative details. She's kind of my writing hero.

Brodi: She is my human hero. I want to be the kind of human she is. This past weekend, at Y'allwest, a participant who had met all the authors said Jodi was "hands down" the nicest. And she was right.

So happy birthday, dearest Jodi! We both love you so much, and we're so glad to be writing books with you!

Jane and Jodi, just hanging out

One Year Ago Today, We Were in England!

One year ago today, the LadyJanies were at Jane Grey's home of Bradgate! It's now a park. Please enjoy our video, in which Brodi has her hand down her pants twice.

On This Day. . . Edward VI Is Crowned King

Make way for THE KING!

Let's take a trip back to Tudor England, when on this day, February 20, a nine-year-old boy was crowned the king.

No pressure.

Yep, let's talk about Edward VI (also known in MY LADY JANE as "Poor Dear Edward," "Eddie," "Eddikins," "Sire," "Your Majesty," "Dennis" (read it--you'll see) "boy" and "Hey, you." In our book, Edward is quite the character--he's snarky and filled with teenage ennui and wants more than anything to kiss a girl (possibly with tongue) and have a real adventure before he dies.

We love Edward. We also did a ton of research to make sure that the details of Edward's life lined up pretty well with that of the real-life Edward.

So here's how our book-Edward and the real-life Edward ended up being alike:

They're the only legitimate sons of King Henry VIII, and they both became king on this fine day in 1547. They both knew Lady Jane Grey (obviously) and named her the heir to the throne. They were both once briefly betrothed to Mary Queen of Scots (shudder). They both got sick in the year 1552.

And . . that's about where the similarities end.

In real life, historians think it was most likely tuberculosis or a secondary infection from pneumonia that eventually killed Edward VI at the tender age of fifteen. Which was a total bummer.

In our book, he just may have been poisoned by a nefarious villain.

Also, in our version (spoiler alert!) Edward doesn't actually die. We've changed history (because that's what we, like, do, isn't it?) so that it's not only Jane who gets a less tragic ending. Edward deserved a better ending, too, in our opinion.

But the biggest difference between the Edward of real-life and the Edward of MY LADY JANE mostly has to do with their personalities. Because the real-Edward was brought up, from infancy, to be the greatest king who ever lived.

No, seriously. He was. From the moment he was born, the entire country knew that Edward would be king after Henry VIII died. Henry, for his part was overjoyed that he'd FINALLY had a son (sorry Mary and Elizabeth--too bad for you) and heir to the throne.

That's Henry VIII on the left, pointing to say, "Make this dude the king."

The people in power in England were overjoyed too, but for a different reason--if they played their cards right, they could shape this new boy-who-would-be-king into the best kind of ruler. Whereas Henry was a little, er, bad-tempered at times and did crazy things like creating his own church and chopping his wives' heads off, now they could have a king who was temperate, studious, pious, and wise. So they set about bringing Edward up to be just that. He had all the best tutors in the land, who worked relentlessly to make sure that Edward was well educated in history and politics and philosophy and pretty much anything else you can think of. He was required to pray for hours every day, so he would be religiously sound. He learned to fence and dance and hold his pinky finger just so when he drank tea. They wanted him to be the BEST at everything.

Like we said before, no pressure. But mostly Edward was just brought up to be . . . good.

And, by all accounts, Edward VI was good. He was kind. Smart. Even-tempered. And he took the job of being king very seriously.

This is not the face of a person who cracked a lot of jokes.

Our Edward, because we were writing a comedy, arrived on the page as a bit of jokester. His smirk, we claim, is one of his most finely-honed royal skills. Our Edward isn't sure he even wants to be king. He yearns for a life outside of the confines of the palace. He wants to be free. He just wants to have some FUN, for crying out loud.

Our Edward is funny. (At least we hope you'll think so.)

So today we want to lift our glasses to toast both versions of Edward VI--the real and the fictional, because we love and admire them both so very much.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again:

Long Live the King!

On This Day . . . Jane's execution

462 years ago today, Lady Jane Grey was taken from her prison in the Queen's House in the Tower of London and executed on Tower Green.

Well, that's a sad way to start this post, isn't it?

Usually we aim for funny around here, but we do have our serious moments. One of those was when the three of us went to the Tower of London and actually saw Jane’s execution site, and then the place where she was buried.

For months, we'd been writing about Edward, Jane, and Gifford (Guildford). Of course, we'd researched our socks off, learning as much about them, their time period, and their circumstances as was humanly possible, but after spending so much time with their fictionalized versions, they were our characters. Funny, adorable, and ours. Going to the Tower of London (and other Jane-related places!) was a real push back to reality -- a reminder that they aren't just characters in a story, but real people, too.

When our tour guide pointed to the memorial built where the scaffold had once been, we all looked over and . . . I think we all felt a chill. (In part because it was cold outside.) That was where Jane stood. That was where Jane died. We definitely made pained, sad-kitten noises that drew curious looks from our tour guide. And the other tourists. And the Tower ravens.

Later, we went into the chapel and where the guide told us about the bodies under the altar, and that Jane was one of them. Cue more sad-kitten noises, because Jane hadn’t even been given a proper grave. When the tour was over, we three gathered as close as possible and just looked at the stones -- at least until the guide asked us to please leave because another tour would be coming through.

So we went over to the memorial and looked at her name thereinstead.

Jane Grey was such a fantastic person. Smart, passionate, devoted to her country -- what's not to love about her?

Now, 462 years later, we want to save her from her fate. Even if it’s just in fiction.

Memorial for Lady Jane Grey, on the place where she died

On This Day . . . Happy Birthday, Brodi!

Cynthia:

On this day in history, September 18 (and no, we’re not going to tell you the year, pbbt), our lovely co-writer BRODI ASHTON was born. And the world was suddenly a better place. So today we remaining Lady Janies would like to take this opportunity to talk about our friend Brodi.

(turns to Jodi) So, Jodi, what do you remember about when you first met Brodi?

Brodi and Jodi at Greenwich, England

Jodi:

As we’ve said many times before, we all met on the Dark Days tour in 2012. I was really, really nervous to meet everyone because I loved all the books so much, but I had Brodi’s phone number and thought I’d see if she wanted to do anything before our event that night. I texted. We met up. She was lovely. I was intimidated. Then we went to find a flat-iron since she’d forgotten hers. (This would become a trend. There was a hairdryer purchase while we were in England.) By the time we got the flat-iron situation worked out and had been talking non-stop for an hour, I felt like I’d met a writer soul mate. Plus, we were the two debuts of the group and, I think, both totally freaked out.

(passes the mic back to Cynthia) How about you?

Brodi and Cynthia in Times Square, NYC

Cynthia:

I just remember immediately liking her; she was just so smart and funny and, like you, I liked her book so much, too. I had a brain-crush on both of you on account of your amazing books. Then there was a moment on the trip where we were all hanging out, talking about our lives, and we discovered a crazy coincidence between Brodi and me (which I won’t talk about here, because it’s pretty personal, cough), and it was the kind of thing that could have made things awkward, but later Brodi came up to me and said, “This is only going to make us closer friends, right?” And I was like, “YES.” And it did. That’s one of the things I love most about Brodi--her kindness and sheer open-heartedness. And I came away from that whole experience feeling like we were destined to be friends.

So, next question: Any favorite moments with Brodi that spring to mind?

Brodi and Cynthia facing their demons. . .

Jodi:

At least fifty or a hundred favorite moments. This one is hard! 

Cynthia:

Yeah, I know. I’m having a hard time picking, too. (flashes back to the time that Brodi burned her bangs off with her flat-iron, or the time Brodi and I went to Disneyland together and faced our worst fears--namely enclosed-spaces and Winnie the Pooh--or the time Brodi and I went dress-shopping at the Trashy Diva in New Orleans, which means that I may be one of the only people ever to see Brodi Ashton in a DRESS, or the time. . . Gah, we’ve just had so many great times together!)

Brodi cracks Jodi up.

Jodi:
If I have to pick just one, I think I’d have to go with one of the quiet moments of the three of us just hanging out in our secret mountain hideaway, or the flat in London. Not doing anything special but having fun and being together.

Cynthia:

I completely agree--I love those moments when we’re just laughing and talking and doing what we do. I also really enjoy that first few seconds when we finally see one another again after we’ve been apart awhile. We’re always so joyful and bouncy and thrilled to be together.

Jodi:

Gosh, yes, those are great. 

Okay, I have a question! What is one (and only one!) of your very favorite things about Brodi?

Sometimes she even cracks herself up. . .

Cynthia:

So people are always quick to say how funny Brodi is, but I think what makes Brodi so funny is that she never takes herself too seriously--her humor comes from a very humble place, where she’s willing to be the punchline for her own joke. It’s a kind of witty vulnerability that I wish I could pull off--it’s completely charming.

How about you?

Jodi:

Wow, yeah, that witty vulnerability. Yes. I love it. Additionally, I love Brodi’s heart. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for a friend. Even though we live on almost opposite sides of the country, I know that Brodi would be at my door in an instant if I needed her to be.

She's always there to cheer you on.

Okay, last question now--because we could go on and on about Brodi, but we do have to wrap up this post. What are some things about Brodi that other people might not know?

Cynthia:

Brodi is really at the heart of the humor in MY LADY JANE. All three Janies have a bracelet that reads WWBS, which stands for WHAT WOULD BRODI SAY? Brodi is the Janie with the keenest comedic instincts, so after we’d each finish our chapters, Brodi would go back over and “Brodify” them--as in, she’d make them funnier.

Also, Brodi has celiac disease, so she can’t eat gluten. Please stop bringing her cupcakes. It’s just mean. (You should probably go ahead and give all the cupcakes to Jodi, but that's a different post.) But Brodi does LOVE tomatoes. She's our tomato connoisseur.

Jodi:

Brodi is an amazing navigator. For our England trip, Cynthia planned where we’d go -- and Brodi’s the one who got us there. She studied the Tube maps, train schedules, and (except for any time she said “I’ve never been more certain in my life!” about a direction we were walking in a strange country) she never got us lost.

Cynthia's son loves Brodi, too!

Cynthia:

Brodi is a great mom--she has two little boys, and I’m always impressed by how awesome she is as a parent. My kids love her so much, too. One time I was on a roadtrip tour with Brodi and we brought my daughter, who was about eighteen months old at the time, and every time we went anywhere, people assumed my daughter belonged to Brodi. They both had the same hair color, and my daughter was just enraptured with Brodi and hung on her every word. Then later in the airport as we were going home, my daughter realized that Brodi wasn’t with us anymore and threw a huge fit because she wanted to stay with Brodi. It was all, “where’s Bro-ee?” and “I want Bro-ee!”

Jodi:

So happy birthday, dear Brodi! You are a hilarious, talented, spectacular writer and a wonderful, thoughtful, amazing friend. We love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRODI!!!!