Barron wryly notes that the research for historical novels can be "quite consuming. You end up living in the period for a while, at least during the time you're working on the novel, and generally for several months prior to embarking on the writing." She notes in particular a fascination with the transitions in British society that occurred from the time of her Jane Austen novels-around the period of Waterloo in 1815-to the Victorian era, which was about 1860. "There was a technological revolution in Europe and it became a world Jane wouldn't have recognized. So from my sort of 'historical headspace' that I brought to the Jane Austen series, I really had to reach to start absorbing the social and economic changes that came as a result of that technological shift; things like sewer systems, railroads and gas lighting."

History comes naturally to Barron, who earned a degree in European History, but her research-tendencies may have been reinforced with something a bit more esoteric-her years working for the CIA as an analyst. This background is utilized more strongly in the espionage novels she writes under the name Francine Mathews. "We've kept the distinction," Barron says, "because I've found that I often have two different groups of readers. Tastes in espionage, especially contemporary-focused or World War II espionage, are quite different from historical suspense."

In her research for A Flaw In The Blood, Barron leaned heavily on the Library of Congress, utilizing databases of the London Times for the period of 1861, as well as about fifteen biographies of Queen Victoria. "She's one of those iconic figures that a generation will immortalize in their own way. She was a voluminous writer herself, so I have her journals and letters and that was a touchstone for me."

A Flaw In The Blood was inspired by an interesting bit of speculation about Queen Victoria. It is a relatively well-known fact that hemophilia is common in the royal family. Barron says, "Victoria bequeathed hemophilia throughout the houses of Europe. It's a genetic flaw that begins with her in the British royal line. It cannot be traced through either her parents' bloodlines, and this has puzzled many people through the years. But in recent years it has become the focus of genetic research, which posits the theory that Victoria was fathered by someone besides her father, which makes for an interesting story-that became the crux of my approach to the book."

A former journalist and intelligence analyst for the CIA, Stephanie Barron also writes as Francine Mathews. She is the author of nineteen novels of mystery, espionage, and suspense. She is working on another standalone historical suspense novel, this one featuring Virginia Wolfe. "I'm always far more interested, frankly, in people who have interesting lives than I am in making those lives up entirely. I love working with actual figures in history." A graduate of Princeton and Stanford, she lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

Contributing editor Mark Terry is the author of the Derek Stillwater thriller series. His newest thriller, THE SERPENT'S KISS, is available in stores and online.