Cover Reveal for A Lady
She’s dressed and ready to go! Please feast your eyes on A Lady for All Seasons, out March 10!
From the acclaimed author of Chef's Kiss and A Gentleman's Gentleman comes a riotous Regency romp, featuring a charming and unforgettable genderfluid lead.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who has lost her fortune must be in need (not want) of a husband. Beautiful, cunning Verbena Montrose must marry to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty. Fortunately, what she lacks in a dowry, she makes up for in the currency of gossip. When she hears an alarming rumor about her very dear, very queer friend Étienne that could ruin him, she comes to his aid with a proposal—for a marriage of convenience, that is. But when Verbena discovers that a mysterious and celebrated poet by the name of Flora Witcombe has been publishing verses that hint she is onto their scheme, Verbena has no choice but to pretend to be a poet herself to confront her in a local salon. And—unexpectedly—be charmed by her.
Flora, in turn, is terrified by and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she holds a secret of her own: he is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don’t allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena, who has always had to be clever to survive in society, starts to realize she may need to think outside of society’s constraints to find true happiness.
Content warnings and notes here.
I love so many things about this cover. The exact shade of Verbena’s red hair. The elegant yet understated accessories. The way she’s looking away—perhaps forward—like she’s keeping something from the viewer. I think she’s an excellent sibling to A Gentleman. And the inside of the book is pretty great too, if I do say so myself.
Now down to brass tacks: I recently received my first royalty statement for A Gentleman’s Gentleman, which, because of the quirks of publishing timetables, only covered the first 3-ish weeks of on-sale. In that time, he sold over 6,000 copies! Which I think is pretty good! My hope is the next statement will be even healthier, obviously, but I mention this number (something that’s a bit verboten in the book world) to give you, dear readers, a clearer picture of exactly how powerful you are in this situation.
My guess is that the majority of those 6,000 sales happened within the first week. That’s because all preorders get counted as sales on day one. Last March, those sales were enough to get Book 1 on the USA Today Bestseller list. These lists weigh other things along with sales (which is a topic for another day) but a healthy number of preorders right out of the gate will usually persuade the list-makers that a title is worthy of inclusion. My point is, it actually takes very few sales in the grand scheme of things to get to that level. A Gentleman’s Gentleman only appeared on that list thanks to a few thousand readers preordering, give or take. And because it made the list, it got so much more support from inside and outside the industry. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve said it before but honestly: that book’s success is due to you.
Now to the sobering bit. It is an unfortunate reality that sequel books often don’t do as well as the first installment. Take my previous duology. Chef’s Choice, despite being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and getting great reviews, sells at a fraction of what Chef’s Kiss does. (Somewhere around 1/3 to 1/4.) There’s a lot of reasons that this might happen, but it usually comes down to the simple fact that the first book in a series, especially when it’s a debut, is going to generate more buzz than the rest of the series.
A Lady for All Seasons is the most ambitious book I’ve ever written. It is a technical marvel, and I want people to read it. I truly believe the world could use a gender-bending Regency love story about art and meaning right now. Readers who support women’s wrongs? This is a feast for you. In short: please don’t let this flop. Haha! Okay, but seriously. Don’t.
Here’s what I need you to do. It’s a long list, so if you can only do one or two, I’ll appreciate it. Money is tight all around; asking someone to make an investment of $18 for something they won’t get for another 6 months is a big ask. Still, I believe in this book. And I believe in us.
Forward this email to someone you think might like this book. I know you have some genderfucker English majors with opinions about Lord Byron in your contact list.
Add the book to your Goodreads or Storygraph.
Share the instagram cover reveal to your stories or repost. Should be near the top of my grid.
Tumblrites, you can share my pinned post.
Contact your local library and request they add A Lady to their collection when it comes out. Here’s a step-by-step guide if you’ve never done that. The IBSN-13 is 979-8217007288.
If you are a book reviewer, request an eARC on Netgalley. Physical arcs can be requested from Vintage Books via this interest form.
If you are a bookstore owner/manager or a book festival organizer, put in a visit request with my publisher. I may not be able to come due to travel expenses (it’s almost always on my dime), but letting Vintage/Random House know you’re interested helps me immensely.
If you are a podcaster or journalist, book me. Let me talk your ear off about gender nonconformity throughout history. Let me tell you all about “unlikable” women and femme characters. Let me unload every unhinged Lord Byron fact I retained since this time last year. Contact me through my website or through my publicist at Vintage, Demetris Papadimitropoulos.
If you run a book club and choose A Lady to read (perhaps as your March 2026 pick but any time is a good time), get in touch with me through my website and I’ll send your club signed bookplates and swag. Just tell me how many members you have so I can send enough.
And finally, if it is within your means, preorder! You can preorder from all sorts of shops but I would encourage you to support your local indie if possible. Those shops are usually very cool AND happen to carry a bit more weight for the USA Today list. If you don’t have a queer-friendly indie, buy from Bookshop.org to give me a tiny kickback. If you want a signed book, preorder from Word Up Books in beautiful uptown Manhattan and I will sign & personalize your copy however you want! Just say in the comments box what you’d like me to write, draw, dedicate to, etc.
Again, thank you all for whatever support you can give. I am truly lucky to be doing what I’m meant to do. Readers like you are the only reason I get to do that.
Events This Month
PopFic Collective Virtual Panel: Queer Authors Speak (free)
Sept. 18 @ 6:30 pm ESTAuthor Panel: Unconventional Historicals
Sept. 30 @ 8:00 pm
Book Club Bar, NY NY
Some links this fine September:
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month so join the Queer Liberation Library
I might have an addiction to this bookshop game
could watch 15 seasons of this
up-to-date anti trans laws by state
You can upgrade to my Super Fun & Exclusive Paid Tier Newsletter for secret book stuff I don’t share anywhere else. It helps keep me afloat and gives you an extra monthly treat in your inbox.
Thanks for reading!
Find me online at my website. You can also drop a buck or several in my tip jar.
Copyright (C) 2025 TJ Alexander. All rights reserved.