Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer, is the first volume in a Christian Regency romantic suspense series filled with espionage, intrigue, and a subtle supernatural threat, set against the backdrop of Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars.
While each volume has its own story arc, the overarching plot continues in each book until the conclusion in volume 12 (planned for 2026).
Meet Phoebe Sauber: The Heroine Behind the Cover of Volume 1: Archer
When I write, I like to have a visual idea of what my characters looks like. I like to extrapolate the personality of the character from the photos I use, so I'm very careful about the model and their pose or the expression on their face. Other times, I’ll take a character from a movie or TV show and use that as the basis for my character’s personality.
When I first started writing about my main heroine, Phoebe, the photos I used for reference for her personality was this character, Ryu, who is from one of my favorite light novel series, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?. (I promise the story is better than the title suggests—it becomes one of those unexpectedly excellent series once it hits its stride.)
I changed Phoebe's hair to dark brown and she obviously doesn't have elf ears, but her looks and personality were a bit like this character in the light novel series.
Ryu was betrayed and vowed vengeance, and she gave in to her rage and desire to extract punishment from the people who killed her familia.
In a similar way, Phoebe was badly betrayed by her father, who treated her like a slave he owned. In Volume 1: Archer, she's struggling with what she wants to do with her life now that her family has abandoned her.
I kind of see Phoebe as who Ryu might have been if Ryu had tried to not go on a killing spree.
When I was looking for photos for the cover for this book, I saw this model on a cover photo website and immediately knew this was Phoebe. I absolutely love this model (her name is Chelsea) and the strength she portrays. It perfectly matches the way I view Phoebe—steady, unflinching, and capable. She is confident and can face anything life throws at her, no matter how terrible.
I felt this was the perfect cover model for book 1, which kicks off the series. It shows it’s Regency romance, but it also signals it’s a slightly different type of Regency romance—my heroines are genteel and elegant, and they can also take out a street thug with a teaspoon.
Readers who enjoy strong, independent heroines who don’t quite fit society’s expectations will like Phoebe and how she fits into this team of spies as they race to save England.
This original cover design later became the foundation for the Special Edition versions of Volume 1: Archer. The Special Edition hardcover features a dual-sided dust jacket, along with interior artwork showing Phoebe in different poses, while the Special Edition paperback keeps the same cover model but adds design elements like sprayed edges, color chapter headers, and decorative page details.
Those Special Editions are currently only available through my Kickstarter campaigns. Join my newsletter to hear when the next one launches.
Back cover description:
Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible
Part one in a Christian Regency suspense series with slow-burn romance and a supernatural twist
She met him again by shooting him.
Unmarried after four Seasons of towering over her dance partners, Miss Phoebe Sauber learns she will be cast out of her home when her father remarries. Feeling betrayed by her father and God, she misfires an arrow at an archery tournament.
But the arrow pierces a paper held by Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones. And strangely, the symbol drawn on the page is eerily familiar to her.
He met her again while searching for a killer.
Michael had quit his work as a spy for the Foreign Office when his brother was murdered. His investigation leads to Apothecary Jack, a criminal underworld lord gathering a powerful army through an alchemical potion that gives men supernatural strength.
Michael joins forces with Phoebe and her Aunt Laura, Lady Wynwood, who have found a vital connection between Apothecary Jack and a mysterious group plotting against England.
Now, only this team of misfit aristocratic spies stands against a treasonous organization that could enable Napoleon to conquer the world.
Lady Wynwood’s Spies is a multi-volume adventure filled with faith, suspense, and romance. Unlike many historical romances that stand alone, each volume continues the story, pulling you further into the same grand conspiracy.
Along the way, the series draws you deeper into the characters’ struggles and triumphs, giving you a richer, more immersive experience.
If you love stories where you don’t have to say goodbye to the characters after just one book, this series was written for you.
Like the novels published in Jane Austen’s time, this is a novel in multiple parts, projected to be 12 volumes. Each volume has a completed story arc, but volume 1 is not a stand-alone novel and ends on a cliffhanger.
Reference Footer
This post relates to Camille Elliot’s Lady Wynwood’s Spies, a Christian Regency romantic suspense series set in 1811 London and featuring intrigue, espionage, botanical alchemy, slow-burn romance, and themes of faith and redemption.
• Lady Wynwood’s Spies Series Reference Page
• Reading Order: Lady Wynwood’s Spies Reader Journey Roadmap
Comments