Let’s talk a little bit about the writing of this book.
The other two books in the Wicked Little Secrets series possess strong external plots that borrow from the mystery genre. I diligently studied in depth one technical aspect of Victorian life to write them. In Wicked My Love, I studied the Victorian banking system. Isn’t that exciting? And with Wicked Little Secrets, I spent hours pouring over Old Bailey court records so I could accurately reproduce several such records in my book.
The plot of How To Impress A Marquess is more internalized than the others in the series, and advances with the characters’ emotional progression. I needed less technical information and more sensual details. It’s the details—what my characters might have worn, what they would have looked at, what would inspired their daily conversation—that gives me greater access into their psychology.
The Victorian era spans a long period, beginning when Queen Victoria was coroneted in 1837 and ending just after the turn of the last century at her death. During that time, English culture would vastly change. My previous Wicked Little Secrets series books were set in the 1840s and carry a more Dickensian feel – by and large England was less sophisticated and poorer. By the 1870s, the British Empire was near its zenith. With a powerful middle class, society became even more stratified, and art and culture flourished.
I set the story in 1879 because the conservative prime minster Disraeli was still alive and England wasn’t engaged in too many international wars, just a handful here and there. However, that set the book at the tip of the Impressionist movement. Degas just was showing his work in Paris, but Monet wasn’t really on the scene yet. However, that period was rich in the sensual, lyrical works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Both my characters are influenced by the art of the day. George, the Marquess of Marylewick, projects a starchy, unyielding exterior that hides his repressed artistic desire. He is more influenced by the light and ephemeral nature of Impressionism. Lilith, a wild bohemian and secret author is much more attracted to the distant, unattainable beauty found in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
I had also an issue with fashion. Wicked Little Secrets and Wicked, My Love are set in the 1840s when the skirts were full but not yet reaching the epic proportions of the 1860s. By the 1870s, the skirts had slimmed again but kept an expansive bustle. I really didn’t have a mental fashion reference for the 1870s aside from the movie “The Age of Innocence”.
I turned to Pinterest for help. I’ve included some of the images collected on my boards that that helped me capture the feeling and spirit of How To Impress A Marquess.
Wicked Little Secrets Release Day! I’m late putting up this post because this morning I had to stop into the coffee shop where a substantial part of the book was written and where I would meet my critique partners. I’m feeling a little misty-eyed as I let go of my characters. They are all grown...
The Right Words at the Wrong Time Dear Gentle Reader, Please do me a great favor. When you are reading devouring my upcoming book How to Impress a Marquess, at some point in your reading, imagine that the following quotation is spoken by my heroine, Lilith Dahlgren: “No coward soul is mine.” Be sure to attribute the...
Book Art! The Cover for My Upcoming Victorian Romance Novel! I’m thrilled to share the cover of Wicked Little Secrets, my upcoming Victorian romance to be published by the fabulous Sourcebooks. I just adore the image. The colors are vivid and have so much depth. I love the light contouring his body and contrasting with the dark mysterious background. I must...
The Sharp Dressed Victorian Man – Men’s Fashion in 1844 – Part I Today I was researching fashion for my upcoming December release Wicked Little Secrets which is set in London in the 1840s. I thought that over the next two days, I would share some lovely, er… I mean, handsome fashion images from the French journal L’Élégant : Journal Des Tailleurs found in...
Wicked, My Love – Author’s Notes N THE SURFACE, Wicked, My Love is a romantic, comedic farce set in the Victorian era. But if you know me any little bit, you know my farce is laden with satire and subversive elements. Perhaps it’s a female, southern thing—the subtle art of humorously saying the opposite of...
Wicked, My Love – World Tour Dear wonderful readers, It’s that time! The Wicked, My Love book release world tour. Yay! We are playing a wicked little game for this release called Kiss, Marry or Kill. Bloggers give me the names of fictional characters or celebrities, and I decide if I will kiss, marry, or 86 them. ...
May Day at Atlanta University I loved this image from an Atlanta University May Day celebration so much that I decided to write a post around it! Atlanta University, which is now part of Clark Atlanta University, was founded shortly after the Civil War by the American Missionary Association. The institution began issuing degrees in...
A Collection of Victorian Flirtations The holiday season has arrived! We must make sure that we observe proper postage stamp flirtation when we send out our holiday greeting cards or that we know how to use our fork and knife to tell that special Victorian gentleman at our dining table that we want to meet...
Ophelia!