Maria Yrsa Rönneus
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Artist, graphic designer, and author of five historical fiction novels and one contemporary romance. I also write poetry and short stories inspired by Scandinavian folklore.
Historical accuracy is critical to me — the plot must work inside the facts. Being a romantic and terminal optimist with a ardent passion for science and satire, I have an irreverent urge to see the funny in most things. Perhaps then, it is no great surprise that Austen, Wilde, and Wodehouse are favourite authors. Ars Rönnei Media is the label under which I gather words, paint, and pixels. My studio is located in Vittsjö in the south of Sweden. Here, my husband and I are fortunate that the magpies let us use their garden and we grow veg, roses, and dahlias in it.
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Oaths of Affection (Regency Tales 1)
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Literary historical drama
“Your mother was a whore!” After her parents' fatal accident, spirited and principled Lady Marigold is forced to live with vindictive relatives. Her father’s fortune gone, marriage is the only way to escape a fate as her spoilt cousin's companion. Yet, inexplicably, her aunt and uncle oppose any suitable match in favour of a shady, overly familiar lawyer. Before long Lady Marigold is persuaded that the gallant Major Arthur Hastings is the man of her dreams. But, as he is due to leave for India, she dares not trust that his intentions are serious. Even with the assistance of loyal friends, it will take all of Lady Marigold's courage and wit to challenge convention for the right to choose her own future before there can be a happy ever after. Set in the gloomy year of 1816, this sultry drama of challenge and change, is a Cinderella-story that blends factual history and philosophy with satire and an appreciation of the ridiculous. Oaths of Affection is the first of the epic Regency Tales by writer Maria Yrsa Rönneus. Transporting you across the centuries into a world of love and jealousy, friendship and deceit, the Tales span the years following the horrendous battle of Waterloo against a backdrop of political tensions, societal pressure, and the opulence of the British aristocracy. 
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Orient of Adoration (Regency Tales 2)
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Literary historical drama
"I have nothing, except my looks. I do not wish to be merely a man's pretty possession; but unmarried and unskilled, I am nothing. I need change." Miss Millicent Barbian has lost everything. To acheive any sliver of happiness, she must change, not only how others perceive her, but also how she sees herself. When her cousin asks her to go out to India as her companion, Millicent is happy to accept. But instead of a new beginning, she finds that the man she once jilted now despises her; and her father's ill repute soon catches up with her. "'An offering to Venus. G.' That was all the inscription said. But who was it from, Gabriel or Girish?" Torn between two handsome beaus, will the new horizons and perspectives liberate Millicent from her emotional restraints and help her choose between them? And is there really a spy at large in their midst? Orient of Adoration is the second part of Swedish author Maria Yrsa Rönneus' Regency Tales, in which we get to follow the further adventures of Lady Marigold, Major Hastings, and Miss Barbian, as they arrive in India. Through a motley array of colourful characters, and lush and vivid descriptions, she brings the early 19th century Calcutta to life in this novella. It tells of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery while addressing colonialism and cruelty; all poetically and humorously narrated with a keen eye for detail. 
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Odyssey of Attachment (Regency Tales 3)
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Literary historical drama
"Forgive me, but I cannot accept Lord Whysleigh's offer." One act of bravery leaves Lady Odyssa disowned by her father and disgraced to the London ton. Of noble birth, but without a dowry, she has little choice but to live with her aunt, destined to be the poor relation. A succession of serendipitous events lets Lady Odyssa alter her future, but leaping free from the bonds of convention requires all her trust and courage. Taking us from elegant ballrooms, through the gruesome battlefield to the fairytale-laden landscape of the Welsh marches; this epic drama weaves Greek myths and Welsh legends into an unforgettable story, including all the elements of historical feel-good spiced with contemporary eroticism and spoonsful of humour. Set in the dramatic years 1815 –16, it is an evocative story of trauma and healing; of growing from insecurity to strength, to blossoming and to forming loving attachments. Odyssey of Attachment is the long awaited third volume of Maria Yrsa Rönneus’s Regency Tales series. Transporting you across the centuries into a world of finery and steel, poetry and politics, love and deceit, the Tales has the friendship of four young ladies at its heart. 
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Orbits of Attraction (Regency Tales 4)
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Literary historical drama
"Men are universally babbling buffoons!" Rich and beautiful beyond compare, Miss Juliet Wynne is the darling of society. Little does anybody suspect that behind those turquoise eyes dwells a genial mind dedicated to astronomy. Repelled by dull suitors that line up to recite poetry to her, she is fully contented with never marrying. Until she meets the broad-shouldered war-veteran with eyes like moonbeams who defies all her prejudice. Beneath the elegant gowns, she is still a tomboy caught in society’s expectations and she prefers to immerse herself in science, observing the universe, and fencing with her beloved brother. When she dresses up as a man to be able to attend a scientific lecture, she is caught by the one man who piques her interest. Privileged and brilliant, fellow astronomer, Lord Giles Whysleigh hides his tender heart behind a facade of arrogance and propriety. Although deep down a romantic, he takes pride in his conservative self-control. The burning passion that unexpectedly flares up between them takes them both by surprise. Secure in the loving support of her boisterous, avant-garde family, Juliet dreads losing control. She must learn that change is inevitable and Lord Giles must overcome his own preconceptions to let go of his inhibitions and win her trust. Cleverly mixing science, farce, and sex, this fairytale romance connects the dots between astronomy and Shakespeare, weaving an original drama of fear, family, and a love larger than life. The fourth Regency Tale is a relatable story of vulnerability and fear of change told with warmth and humour filled with homely feel-good. Author Maria Yrsa Rönneus takes us to the year 1818, to an England still reeling in the aftermath of the many years of war. Against a backdrop of political tensions, societal pressure, and the opulence of the British aristocracy, this unusual woman and this powerful man orbit each other like twin stars. 
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Offers of Atonement (Regency Tales 5)
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Literary historical drama
"We shall need a corpse." When Captain James Hartcourt’s best friends ask him for an unusual favour, he doesn’t hesitate. Losing fortunes at cards, London’s shady underworld, his mother’s schemes – few things daunt him. Until he meets Lady May. Destitute, Lady May stakes her reputation in one great gamble to retrieve her family’s estate. Arriving alone in London with a proposition he cannot refuse, she discovers that Captain Hartcourt is a cardsharp with emerald eyes, dangerous kisses, and a shed that seems to house horrendous secrets. Soon she must wonder whether he is a murderer too. Set in 1820, just as George III has died and all of London is plunged into mourning, Offers of Atonement is the fifth stand-alone novel in the Regency Tales series. For those who loved Northanger Abbey, this romantic comedy of manners takes a grittier twist to paint a realistic portrait of the era, outside the polished salons. Regency Tales is an epic series of evocative dramas of love and jealousy, friendship and deceit, spanning the years following the horrendous battle of Waterloo against a backdrop of political tension, societal pressure, and the opulence of the British aristocracy. TW: Contains profanity, mild sex, violence, attempted rape. 
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