Odd Research

Book two has taken me down a very odd path in the way of research thanks to Philippe's character. I'll give you a slight spoiler over where I've taken him on a short trip--Antigua in the British West Indies.

As usual, if you're going to write about a subject in historical fiction, you need to research the background to make it authentic. I hate making things up, so I dive into the Internet or purchase books, as I did for my first volume. When I was in grade school, I hated history. Now that I am a writer, I enjoy taking the deep dive into period times.

Why Antigua you ask? Well, the picture to the left is that of a sugar plantation in Antigua in the West Indies in 1823 by William Clark, which he made while a resident on the island. I will confess that I had to get Philippe out of the picture for a while to move the story in the direction of Robert and Suzette. Since Philippe was in the shipping business, I've played off the fact that due to a business deal, he needed to travel to the West Indies to procure an important account that would save his sinking company.

How he gets there and who sent him, I'll leave for you to read. However, I also tied into the story the sad fact that slave trading was a practice by the British in the 1700's. Great Britain abolished the slave trade in 1808, and all existing slaves were emancipated in 1834. Prior to that time, however, the treatment of slaves on sugar plantations was appalling to say the least. There is no romance in the ill treatment of humans by fellow beings.

Also, book two has really caused me to dig into the character of Philippe and flesh out who this man truly is. Though he married Suzette and unconditionally accepted Robert's son as his own, I'm finding that he's pretty much an empty shell in my mind. I've been diligently working on his character, as well as Jacquelyn, who is Robert's wife. How they move through book two in their relationships with Suzette and Robert will be a huge focus. Remember, I have marriages to split, conflict to create, hearts to break, and hearts to weave back together. I'm finding this book to be a huge challenge and not as easy as I first thought, but I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure of writing it.

So much for my odd research as I continue to write book two. I'm 60 percent toward my goal of 80,000 words, but I have a sneaking suspicion the book may go a bit longer. That's it for now! I am off to write Chapter 17.

Marriage, Morals & Divorce in 19th Century

I've been writing with feverish intent to bring Suzette and Robert back together in The Price of Deception. It took me two chapters to set up the reunion after five years of being apart. Frankly, I was surprised at how emotional I became writing the scenes, but found myself struggling how to undo the web of deception I've created in this story.After taking two lovers and marrying each to different spouses, I did not think much about my plan originally. However, since I've been a stickler on historical accuracy, I've been actively reading up on marriage and divorce and finding myself in a pickle. It's fascinating reading, of course, taking all that romance out of the equation once again so we can check back into reality. Let's just say, marriage and divorce was nothing like it is today.

Marriages in the Victorian era were described as being three kinds: those contracted for convenience, those produced by sympathy or love, and those entered into from duty. The aristocracy put great importance on the antiquity and nobility of the families they married, as well as marrying for money. Though love in marriage might be ideal, it was not a practical reality, and people were told not to expect too much from marriage. If you found an ounce of happiness in your union, be thankful.

What about unhappy marriages? Divorce was not easily obtained. Extramarital sexual relations were a normal feature of life. After marriage, adultery was almost inevitable. Adultery, believe it or not, was preferred to divorce, mainly because it was difficult and expensive to obtain. The fact of the matter was that most men had sex with their wives for children, and bedded their mistresses for love and pleasure. A wife had the duty to obey her husband and produce heirs, and in return for her obedience, the husband owed her protection and security.

Divorce in England and France evolved over the years, coupled with Catholic and Anglican restrictions. Since Suzette is a married French woman, her cause for divorce can only be if Philippe is an adulterer and is coupled with other unpleasant circumstances such as physical cruelty, etc. Adultery alone was not grounds for divorce for a woman. However, Philippe could divorce Suzette for adultery and no other cause. To file for divorce, a petition had to be brought before the president of the chambers, and there had to be two attempts before the court to reconcile the marriage. If the marriage failed to reconcile, then court proceedings would continue. Upon the divorce, the children would go to the custody of the husband in 1884, but by 1886 it was left at the discretion of the court. The wife had to take back her maiden name and was forbidden to keep her husband's name. The husband could remarry at once, but the wife had to wait 10 months after divorce before she was allowed to marry again.

As for Robert and marriages in Victorian England, the rules were similar. "The husband could obtain a divorce for adultery, the wife could obtain a divorce for adultery coupled with cruelty or desertion for two or more years, and also for incestuous or bigamous adultery, or rape, or unnatural offenses." (Encyclopedia Britannica) Divorce could be a lengthy and costly procedure that only the rich could usually afford.

So where does that leave my characters? With quite a few obstacles, frankly, that I need to ingeniously work around without killing anyone in the process by relying upon the "until death do us part" promises. If I was really brave, I could just take creative liberty with my story and do as I please; but where is the challenge in that?

Stay tuned as I unhook these four individuals from one another. It could get pretty nasty while I try, so be prepared for a lot of conflict in volume two.

Character Building for Book Two

Part of the fun of book two, The Price of Deception, is the opportunity to develop characters. As you know, Suzette was the main focus in book one, The Price of Innocence. The story focused on her struggle for survival. Book two, however, is going to be Robert's story and his search for truth and love. There will be further character development with his wife, Lady Jacquelyn Spencer, along with Philippe Moreau, Suzette's husband. I thought I'd give you a quick peek into each of their characters and my thoughts for where I will take their lives.

Robert, of course, is a man of remorse. He did at the bidding of Philippe's demands what was honorable. He gave up Suzette as his mistress, but realized upon her departure how much she meant to him. Once gone, he ached for the woman he loved, but found himself trapped in marriage.

His father has passed away, and the duties and responsibilities of Dukedom have passed onto his shoulders. The life of obligation he shunned earlier has now forced him to put away his roguish ways. In doing so, a part of him regrets having wasted his earlier years on frivolous pursuits, because he missed the opportunity to find a wife on his own terms. Instead, he accepted his parents' wishes to marry Lady Jacquelyn Spencer and is quite miserable in the match with a woman he finds cold in bed and overly emotional.

I'm looking forward to developing Robert further in book two. He will be the protagonist in the story, as I focus upon his life and the surprising outcome of his search for love and truth. Has he changed much as far as sharing the bed of prostitutes? Perhaps in London, but when he visits Paris, an old acquaintance will be the one to bring him comfort in times of need until a shocking discovery comes his way. He lives with the knowledge that he has lost everything, but when he finds out it's a web of deception that is keeping him from everything he wishes for in life, he goes through a drastic change.

Lady Jacquelyn Spencer was lightly touched upon in book one. However, her character in book two will be much more involved and a key element to moving the story ahead into the third book in the series.

Jacquelyn is a woman of deep despair. She has become a Duchess and wife to Robert, who she knows only married her for convenience. Like any woman, she hoped for love, but their personalities are far different and her moods are often unpredictable. She suffers from mental anguish over the fact that she is unloved and her womb has been barren for five years. Robert wishes for an heir, but she cannot become pregnant. She longs for a child herself and is obsessed with the desire to have children. However, each month her menses return, it drags her deeper into a pit of hopelessness.

As the story progresses, she'll play out a key role setting the stage for what is to transpire in the years ahead. The old adage, "there is no fury like a woman scorned" will take on life through Jacquelyn. It will be interesting to see how she touches readers as a character. Will she be pitied or despised? Every story needs conflict, and this woman is going to be the source of it. She is quite beautiful in appearance outwardly, but inwardly her pain has turned her into an undesirable woman in Robert's eyes.

Philippe Moreau, of course, is the man of honor who married Suzette. You'll learn more of Philippe and his five-year marriage with the woman who he believes he rescued from the hand of a despicable rouge.

Though he grants to Suzette unconditional love in spite of what occurred in the past and the child she bore Robert, Philippe nurses within him a hatred toward the Duke. He deems him his rival for her deep affections that linger. Even though Suzette never articulates them, it's obvious they are very much a part of her heart. How could they not be? The resemblance that five-year old little Robert carries of his real father is uncanny. Philippe has accepted the child as his own and is determined to keep him and Suzette hidden from Robert at all costs. He is a good father to the boy, and little Robert has bonded to Philippe as the only father he knows in life.

Unfortunately, life has a way of ruining our best intentions, and a chance meeting with his nemesis puts his plans to the test setting a course of change for all involved.

In addition to Philippe's struggles to keep his marriage together, he'll be faced with difficult problems in his shipping business. At the door of bankruptcy, he fears he will lose everything, and you'll watch him struggle to keep his livelihood afloat. He despairs as the threat of loss raises old fears within Suzette of homelessness once again.

What of little Robert? Well, certain personality quirks in his tiny life will be played upon that will carry the story into the future in book three. What's in store for book three? Sorry, my lips are sealed. The pictures on the cover are a clue, but at this point I can assure you until you read book two, you'll have no clue.

Other former characters will make cameo appearances once again too, such as Nadine and Madame Laurent. Also, Robert's Dowager mother will be in the picture a bit too, as well as his sister.

The story will be filled with deception on everyone's part, which will lead to a shocking conclusion rearranging lives in the mix. I hope you'll enjoy what's ahead! Of course, whether Robert and Suzette finally get together again in the end is up to my fingertips that choose the letters on my keyboard. You'll just have to wait to find out! I suppose, however, if I know what's best for me, I better work toward that end.

Regards,

Vicki

The Legacy Series Begins

Writing The Price of Innocence has been a long journey. It was my debut fiction work, and 18 months after agonizing over its concept and writing the story, I released it to the world.

The story came slowly, and the end results upon the first release were questionable. Even with its inherent problems, it was rated by review sites as a "good read," which encouraged me the first time out in print. Since that time, it has been edited, revised, and updated to what I believe is more satisfying to my readers and to myself as its creator. As an independent author/publisher, that's one of the perks of being able to grow with your books, learn from your mistakes, and re-release a better product for future audiences.

I thoroughly enjoyed researching the setting. It took many months of digging through books, articles, and texts to come up with reality woven into fiction. My goal was to make it historically accurate in setting, customs, and manners, and hopefully, that was evident in its content. I've had questions regarding whether some of the aspects of location and practices were true, and as a result, I started a blog to write about my research. I've transferred those posts to this blog and will continue to add to them for your information.

The book is not a typical romance. It breaks the rules of early meetings and happy endings. It's more of historical fiction, with romantic elements. It also introduces a third party into the mix to bugger the entire story up toward the end, but there was a reason behind my insanity. The third character is hinted at throughout the text by the mention of a letter that Suzette carries with her until her dreams die; she destroys it by fire. His reappearance was inevitable because Robert's life was destined to be one of duty to set the stage for what comes next. Why? Because frankly, it was a way of life during the 19th century. Men of his standing and title married for reasons of convenience and property; mistresses were kept for pleasures and love. It would have been difficult, scandalous, and unheard of for Robert to take Suzette as his wife at this time in the storyline. Though some disagree with my assumption, I felt it necessary to keep to the norms of society rules in order to continue the tale.

My plan for the entire series was born from the ending of my book which elicited bemoans and comments. One reader indicated they wished to throw the book across the room after reading the last page. The latest reviewer threatened to show up at my doorstep with a mob and torches to make sure I wrote a sequel. Point taken! I knew the ending was too stark, and frankly, I had much more buried in my soul for Robert and Suzette that was yet unfulfilled. I did attempt to soften the outcome of the last two chapters in the revised version released in the Spring of 2011 under my new imprint of Holland Legacy Publishing.

I'm happy to report that the story will continue five years later in book two, entitled The Price of Deception. This volume will be written from Robert's viewpoint and the current lives of Jacquelyn, his wife, along with Philippe, Suzette, and little Robert, all cloaked in a myriad of deception. Robert will search for truth and love, and his search will bring surprising results. Read the pages above for more tidbits on what is to come in The Price of Deception and The Price of Love.

If you wish to walk the journey of books two and three with me, I encourage you to sign up for an email subscription to this new blog. I'll drag you along between the pages and give you tidbits here and there. Hopefully, it will entice you to take the journey all the way through the end of book three where I promise to leave all satisfied after I torture my characters just a tad.

My plan is to release The Price of Deception by the end of 2011, and The Price of Love by the end of 2012 in eBook and print. Hopefully, you'll enjoy each!

Fondest regards,

Vicki Hopkins