In the novel An Untimely Frost, or The Authoress, set in 1830s London, American author Jefferson Wheelwright seeks out the reclusive English novelist Margaret T. Haeley, creator of Dunkelraum`s monster and widow of the poet Stephen Haeley. The story is inspired by Washington Irving`s rumored courtship of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. The book also includes the author`s essay "Researching the Rhythms of Voice" and discussion questions.