Do You Know Where North Macedonia Is?

 

No, neither did I. But at the beginning of February, I mailed a copy of my first Georgian romance, An Unsuitable Duchess, to a new friend in North Macedonia.

I can hear you saying, “North Macedonia? Where’s that?” I had not heard of it before either (but I still tend to think of the world’s nations as they were when I was in grade school) and it’s a whole different world now. The post office clerk had to look it up.  

The Republic of North Macedonia is in the Balkans, surrounded by Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania. Its capital is Skopje.

On the right is Sirok Sokak Street in Bitola, North Macedonia.

I asked Andriana to send me a picture of the book against a picturesque background. And then, as in the introduction to that movie classic, Casablanca, we waited…and waited…and waited…

An Unsuitable Duchess finally arrived in Bitola on April 15, two and a half months after I mailed it. The pictures Andriana sent make me wish I could visit North Macedonia because it looks fascinating. Its history goes back into antiquity (it was invaded by Persians in the late 6^th century BCE).

Below is the clock tower in Bitola, the Saat Kula, which is also visible in the street scene. I love the architecture.

Then there’s a café scene, below, which I particularly like. That beverage looks coffee- and chocolate-based: two of my favorite things. Thanks, Andriana.

 

To the right, for comparison, is a picture long-time friend and fellow Sherlockian Lisa M. took in Paris of Captain Easterday’s Bargain when she was there for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (soccer, for anyone who is unfamiliar with the sport). Lisa, I can’t believe you toted a trade paperback in your luggage.  

Don’t you wish travel was more like Star Trek’s transporter beam? The places we could visit!

 

How I learned to love Google Images

I have a fairly good visual memory and I’m pretty good at describing things, I think, which is handy for a writer. But in order to visualize and describe them, I’ve got to see them first. For someone whose genre is historical fiction, this can be tricky. Thank goodness for the wonders of the Internet and a good search engine.

Much of the time, I’m researching some specific thing, like what a Charleville 1717 musket looked like. Sometimes, an article online will include an illustration which intrigues me and leads me to other resources. Paintings from the period I’m writing about (the early to mid-1700s) are rich sources of inspiration. When I was writing my first novel, An Unsuitable Duchess, I looked for portraits from that era to see what people were wearing. By the second, Most Secret, I had discovered the DVD version of John Rocque’s 1746 map of London, which led to searching for images of Somerset House, the various squares, schooners, and a suitable place for Jane Stowe’s uncle to live.  

Wych Street, London, about 1880. Demolished soon after, one of these houses dating from about 1600 was the perfect residence for Jane's rakish, intelligence-gathering uncle.

Above, Canaletto's drawing of Old Somerset House, used at the time for a variety of small government offices, storage, and even some lodgings for government employees, provided a place for the anonymous intelligence service in Most Secret. 

With my third, Captain Easterday’s Bargain, I went looking for images of the Pool of London and the Thames generally in the early 18^th century and found a treasure trove.

Pictures which inspired scenes in Captain Easterday’s Bargain:

Samuel Scott, A Thames Wharf, from the Victoria & Albert Museum collection.
This is sometimes identified as depicting Custom House Quay, but is more likely the East India Company wharf.

Samuel Scott, The Thames and the Tower of London, Supposedly on the King's Birthday

A General Prospect of Vauxhall Gardens from the west, with the proprietor's house and the Prince's Pavilion (with three shuttered windows) in the foreground.

And I needed a place for Olivia, the embattled shipping company owner, to live. I settled on Well Close Square as being slightly down-at-heels, in the right part of London, and having a magistrate's court that would be useful. The photograph below was taken in the 1960s, before the square's demolition. 

In my fourth, A Masked Earl, which I hope will be out by  early autumn of 2019, I found floor plans for both city and country houses,  as well as furniture and tea sets.

 

Taking tea. Note that these are tea bowls rather than tea cups.

And finally, a painting of tric-trac players which oozes romance…or possibly lust. I consider this virtually emblematic of the romance genre. You know they aren't talking about a dumb board game. 

Trictrac Players, attributed to Léonard DeFrance

Today my novel, An Unsuitable Duchess, was featured on POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing. This is exciting stuff, as I recall the days before the Internet, when the most thrilling thing I ever encountered was the sight of a book I'd written (pseudonymously) on the rack at the bookstore.

https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/an-unsuitable-duchess-by-kathleen-buckley-wildrosepress-historicalromance-books/

POTL (Princess of the Light), the creation of N.N. Light, a husband and wife writing team, features book reviews, writing tips, and promotional services. The latter should be of particular interest to writers who, like me, have little or no experience in promoting their own book. 

An Unsuitable Duchess

Back in 2013, when I was writing An Unsuitable Duchess—and only about 17,000 words in—I wrote a post about Time Travel to the Year 1740. An Unsuitable Duchess came out today, May 19, 2017, published by The Wild Rose Press, Inc. at thewildrosepress.com

It’s been a long, peculiar three and a half years.

Things I’ve done that I never expected to:

Received a contract offer 44 days after submitting my query letter. When I first began submitting work (back before home computers, the Internet and cell phones), getting a response from a publisher routinely took six months. Agents? They were often too busy to respond at all.

Had an “author photo” taken. Helpful hint to new authors if you find yourself in the delightful position of needing a photograph but feel you are insufficiently photogenic. Wear large or ridiculous headgear—an exuberant garden party hat, a pith helmet or an “Indiana Jones”-type hat. Holding a cat up is also a good move.

Loved the cover art! Almost exactly what I had envisioned, thanks to RJ Morris of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Bought a DVD of John Rocque’s 1746 map of London and Westminster. This is a treasure for anyone who needs to know the streets, yards and docks of mid-18^th century London. A modern map is almost useless—so many streets and landmarks have been destroyed or re-named. You will not find Wych Street or Craven Buildings Yard on a modern map.

Ordered promotional business cards and postcards.

Set up a Facebook page for my book: https://www.facebook.com/anunsuitableduchess/

And yes, in spite of a bad case of nerves, I’m thrilled.