A New Story

Over the summer, I started toodling around with a new story. As I said previously on the blog, I was having trouble writing Prudence's story. (JUDGING PRUDENCE) I didn't like her, didn't want to tell her story, so I found someone else to care about.

The new story, new characters are not from The Reluctant Grooms, well, except for Dorcas. Lucy, my latest heroine, is friends with Dorcas Cadoret. (LADY CADORET'S LONGING). However, everyone else is new.

I wanted to write something that was a stand-alone novel. Having so much trouble with Prudence, I wanted to write about someone I liked and Lucy seemed to fit the bill. You see, with my mother's illness, I'm having trouble keeping my mind focused on the series arc of The Ladies of Dunbury. I needed to get out of my own way, yet still wanted to write something, anything, to keep me in the writing groove. And with Lucy, I could write a few thousand words and then leave it for a week or two, depending on the time I had. It was nothing to pick up the story thread and weave it however I wanted to.

It's a sweet little story, filled with some intrigue, but not overly ambitious. I haven't found pictures for the characters, nor have I found a cover (but know what I want), am actually still ambivalent about publishing it at all, but it kept me busy over the summer and for that I am grateful.

Perhaps we'll see it after The Ladies of Dunbury is finished. Perhaps before then. Still not sure. I can't seem to get out of my own way these days. But I wanted to let you know that I am still writing. Something.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2018

Series Wrapping

You may look at the title of this blog post and wonder, "what the hell is she talking about?" Pretty simple, it's just my way of saying "prequel." Look at all the series books that have been published, and then, bingo, just when you thought you were finished, the author decides to write a "prequel" just so you can fully understand what happens before we meet them. (Star Wars anyone?)

Olivia

John Quiggins

When I got the idea for LADY OLIVIA'S UNDOING, I knew she needed a lover. That it was John Quiggins was a no-brainer for me. However, what was MY undoing, was Henry Wade. He came to me from out-of-the-blue and was the perfect foil for Olivia and John's hush-hush affair.

However, once The Reluctant Grooms series ended, Henry became an integral part of my thought process and I wanted to write HIS story, the story of his and Olivia's love affair and why they could never be together. That could only mean one thing...I needed to write a prequel. But I didn't want to write it just any old way, I wanted to incorporate the people I had already written about.

Henry

So, I set the timeline at seven years before THE LADY'S MASQUERADE (where The Releuctant Grooms begins), when Henry comes home from the war. In THE DUKE'S DIVORCE we learn Robert has a tendency to drink heavily, shuns the marriage mart, and believes his father's death was his fault. Call me an armchair psychologist, but I had always wanted to tell Robert and Stephen Carlton's story. Henry's book gave me the opportunity to do just that.

Fans have been begging me for YEARS to make Davingdale and Ophelia's novella into a full-length novel. For YEARS I have been unobliging, not because I didn't have the backstory, but because I knew he would show up somewhere else. And he does throughout various books in The Ladies of Dunbury. I believe it's almost as good as writing his own novel. (Truth be told, the main reason I won't write Davingdale's pre-history is I just don't have the time.)

What my plan was, and still is for these two series, is for the reader to be satisfied that all the loose ends are tied up, there are no unanswered questions for the reader, and to show that through time, everyone does indeed have a happily ever after. As a Regency romance novelist, the timeline is crucial. I wanted to have it all wrapped up before Prince George becomes the Regent. Therefore, Henry Wade and his cast had to arrive before that happened.

(Here's a little secret--at the end of The Reluctant Grooms and The Ladies of Dunbury, everyone has had or will have children. Somewhere deep down in my writerly core, there lives another series about those children, set in the Victorian era. Maybe I'll save that for my retirement.)

Anyway, that's why I wrote the series the way I did. And because when Ladies is finished, you can read either series first. The other will follow right behind it, or in front of it, whichever you prefer. They wrap around each other.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2018

Working On The Next Book-- Judging Prudence

I recently found the impetus to begin working on the next book in the Ladies of Dunbury series-- Judging Prudence. I would love to finish it by Thanksgiving, but given the circumstances of my life these days, probably more like Christmas. We'll see. Maybe I'll catch a break.

It is more or less a comedy of manners, bad manners for a lady in Regency England. However, Prudence is not the girl we think we see. I won't tell you what her problem is now, but it eventually comes out in the book.  

Lady Prudence Shaffer is the most disliked of all the Dunbury Ladies. She holds no regard for the feelings of others; her caustic tongue and acerbic wit leaves her friendless save for her sister. No one understands the cause for her bad manners, least of all Uncle Henry. Prudence was raised to be a lady, after all.

Alexander Lowell, Viscount Abernathy, dares to brave her criticisms, sees through the veneer she has painted herself with, and finds her attractive enough to court. He realizes he must tame her wicked language if he wishes his mother to consent to a marriage between them.

However, one iniquitous remark at a ball about Lady Lowell has left Prudence dealing with its after effects. She is shunned within Society and her remaining unmarried cousins along with her. A simple apology will not suffice—Lady Lowell refuses to hear it, or allow her son to marry her.

Prudence must change her disapproving ways if she wants her heart’s desire.

It is not as easy as she thinks, when no one believes she can.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Dunbury Park Has Been Delayed

I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been since September when I said I would have the next book in the Ladies of Dunbury series out by Christmas...

Well, it hasn't been because I haven't tried.

Unfortunately, we finally (after four years) received the diagnosis that my mother has Alzheimer's disease (in the moderate category -- mild, moderate, severe). I am her primary caregiver and must be with her for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, take her to all her appointments, and shopping. So, my time for writing has been curtailed enormously.

My father (a proud and difficult man) will not allow for a home companion so the whole shebang falls on my shoulders. Not for my lack of trying, but he remains adamant. Needless to say, I don't have a lot of time to write. Actually, I don't have any time to write, which is also why you haven't heard from me since September. Even this blog has been curtailed.

I do want you to know that as of this date, I have 164 pages finished on the manuscript, nearly 2/3 done. However, I'm also trying to set up the next few books in the series through this one and the foreshadowing is difficult without being able to work consistently. I keep having to reread the entire thing every time I sit down at the computer. But I did want you to know that I haven't forgotten about it, nor am I giving up on it.

It just may take a little while longer than I anticipated. I don't want to tell you when because I would hate to disappoint you, but I'm shooting for Easter.

Forgive my silence, but now that the holidays are over, I thought you should be made aware of the circumstances of my absence.

Thank you for your continued support.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2017

Working on the Next Book

I've come to the conclusion that summer is way too short. Either that, or I need a permanent vacation to accomplish all the writing I need to do in a year.

Three summers ago, I was on vacation in Narragansett, Rhode Island with my daughter and mother. I completed the first draft of three novellas and started on the next to last novel of the Reluctant Grooms.

Two summers ago, I wrote and published the final book in the Reluctant Grooms series.





Last summer, I completed the first draft of four novellas and three short stories to go along with the beginning of a detective series I just couldn't get out of my head and if I didn't write it down I would regret it for the rest of my life. (I'm still working on this.)





This summer, I completed a novel I started four years ago--the first in the new Regency romance series--Ladies of Dunbury. I began on July 5th and wrote The End on August 6th. I published early because my editor didn't really have any comments about the manuscript other than my usage of the wrong apostrophe nearly drove her to madness.



I have now begun the process of writing the next book in the Ladies of Dunbury Series.

Lady Faith Curtiss, daughter of the late Duke of Trowbridge, understands the responsibility of a title. However, it doesn’t seem to matter much anymore. Impoverished since her mother’s death, she and her sisters have come to live with their other cousins, all of them orphans and dependent upon their uncle, Henry Wade, the Marquess of Dunbury whose only aim is to marry them off as quickly as possible.

When Faith meets the new curate of the parish, her heart is seized. Peter Williams is all that is good and kind in a man. He is also brilliant, handsome, and has made it known he is waiting until her eighteenth birthday to ask for her hand.

However, her uncle is looking in another direction for Faith—the Earl-next-door—who is amenable to the idea of marrying into the Marquisate. Faith rejects the idea of taking her rightful place in Society, just for propriety’s sake, but the Earl is nearly perfect.

While Faith vacillates on the Earl’s proposal, it seems the new housekeeper at the parsonage also has her eye on the new curate and with her title the only thing standing in the way of true love, Faith is torn between marrying for the money, or fighting for her heart’s desire. 

Unfortunately,  my writing schedule is in flux. Not good, but I'm working on my time management skills. I hope to have the book finished by Thanksgiving and published by Christmas.

I'll try and keep up with this blog as it warrants, but honestly, I'd rather write than blog. If you don't want to miss a post, you can always sign up to receive them in your inbox. Look on the right hand column to where it says "Subscribe to my posts via email".>>>>>>>>

I tend to post my word counts on Twitter (once I start writing) @gallagher_anne
So if you'd like to keep up with where I am on the book, you can check in there.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll see you when I do.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2016

Fudging History

Coming September 1

When I began writing the first book of the Reluctant Grooms Series over  a decade ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I only knew I loved the genre of Regency romance. It took a few years for me to become a "working author" and in doing so, I realized there was a lot more research involved than I ever could imagine.

But that's what history is for. To teach us the lessons of the past. The internet is to keep those lessons alive and I think, relevant. Not everything is true, of course, but for those history buffs who keep the old ways within our grasp, we can easily click and compare different sources for accuracy. I love the internet. It is SO MUCH better than going to the library and used book stores.

Henry Wade,
Marquess of Dunbury

I like to think of myself as a Regency era romance writer first, in the style of Jane Austen  (rather than Georgette Heyer), and secondly as a teller of historical fiction. I like to weave the major political players of the time in with the mix -- the Napoleonic Wars are absolutely rife with political intrigue and high drama. So far I believe I have done a pretty good job of it. I'm not perfect and sometimes I will "fudge" the truth about how I see history. As a writer, its' my job to discover what makes us human, what emotions drive us, and how we react in certain situations.

For example, my portrayal of the Prince Regent is of a lonely wounded man, his life a shambles because of past mistakes and present circumstances. On the outside, history portrays him as a drunken, debauched, spender of money, who built lavish architecture and surrounded himself with only the best money could buy -- the people's money. Nobody liked him. Not even his father, the King.

I chose to look deeper into what made George turn out in such a way. It seems he had to

Hugh Bonneville as
Prince George in
This Charming Man

release the love of his life, a divorced Catholic, who was fourteen years older than him. Maria Fitzherbert. The Pope refused to recognize the union, as well as the King, and Parliament, and made George give her up. Needless to say, George went absolutely nuts.

I would have too. He wasn't king then. His father still held the throne and seemed to be in very good health. Why could he not marry the woman he loved? So he did, but then things got ugly and George was forced to let her go. (Can you even imagine it?)

And so, with Maria's departure, I have given His Royal Highness a reason to be drunk and debauched. And depressed. And when he meets with Haverlane in THE LADY'S FATE, he says, "Do not let anyone let you stand in the way of love."

In REGRETS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, I tug at history a little differently. Henry Wade, Marquess of Dunbury is responsible for 6 nieces, assorted servants, and the various demands of his position in Parliament. But he's broke, and he doesn't want anyone to find out, so he mortgages the farm, (literally), to have a little bankroll before he begins his new life.

Stephen Carlton,
Duke of Cantin

His best friend, Stephen Carlton, tells him he's got a job offer for him. Parliament wants him to be the new Minister of London Security.

There was not a Minister of London Security in the Cabinet in 1808 in England. I created it. As a  Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Army, I also allowed Henry to be in several key locations during the siege of Portugal. He and Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) had been chasing the bad buys all over Denmark. Henry also saw some of the uprising in India. He had been a soldier all of his adult life.

Sir Graham Moore,
by Thomas Lawrence

So, for him to return as decorated war hero, naturally some of his friends would rally to find him a decent living. Parliament agreed, and they set Henry up in a new career. His job description, as such, was to unite the individual police forces within the city of London to coalesce into a unified police force.

Bow Street Runners
Horse Guards
Marine Patrol
Dockside Patrols

Um, this did actually happen, but not until 1839.

However, I write, Timeless Romance with Modern Day Dilemmas

I think it fitting that Henry has a somewhat unique situation on his hands. He has all these challenges coming at him from every direction -- six nieces, a very demanding job, the lure of an old lover, the prospect of a new one, and to top it all off, I gave Henry PTSD. I've called it Soldier's Nerves. In the Civil War they called it Soldier's Heart. Or Homesickness Disease. In the story, I've allowed the good Doctor Blakestock to explain it to Henry.

So, there you have it. How I've fudged history in my latest Regency romance novel.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2016

The New Book is Almost Finished

It has been almost four months since I've last posted. To make a long story short, my ex-husband fell off my roof cleaning the gutters and broke both of his feet March 9. He's been sleeping in my kitchen in a hospital bed for the last three months. ( Thankfully, my kitchen is huge.) Naturally, being the made-for-tv nurse that I am, I had to take care of him. But now, he's walking around, and I've been back to writing since July 4th weekend.

And guess what? The first book in the Ladies of Dunbury series is almost finished. 87,213 words so far. The end is almost in sight.

I know I've been talking about this for almost four years, but for those of you who are new to the blog or have simply forgotten what this is all about, here's a general recap.

Henry Wade, if you remember, made his appearance in LADY OLIVIA'S UNDOING in the Reluctant Grooms series. He and Olivia were in love when they were younger and not permitted to marry. Henry lost a duel to Reginald Leighton and his punishment was to leave the country so he joined the Army. Thirty-five years later he returns.

And that's where the story begins. The Ladies of Dunbury series starts in 1807 when Henry returns from the wars. Right from the get-go, Henry's life is not what he expects. 

The governess bears a striking resemblance to Olivia. And Olivia is not who expected her to be. His nieces are charming, impeccable creatures who only wish to buy new clothes and fall in love. But the men they love are commoners. Not acceptable for someone in Henry's position.

Henry is indefatigable and nothing gets him down. Even when suffering from bouts of Solder's Nerves and relapsing malaria. Even when he's falling in love with the governess and doesn't realize it. Even when people try to kill him. Henry Wade realizes there is nothing more important than his family and he will do anything to protect them.

So there you have it. The new book. 

In this story, (as well as the others) you'll see where I've woven in characters from the other series, most notably Robert Carlton (THE DUKE'S DIVORCE) and Richard Gaines (THE CAPTAIN'S COINCIDENCE). And as I move forward with the new series, you'll read more of the old character's backstory and what leads them into the Reluctant Grooms.

Anyway, that's where I am and what I have been doing. I'm planning to release the new book on September 1. 

Here's the cover.

After nearly forty years in the Army, Henry Wade, the Marquess of Dunbury, finally returns to London to officially claim his father’s title, hopefully to reunite with his long lost love, and to exact revenge on the man who ruined his life. Add six orphaned nieces into the mix, and suddenly, Henry’s life is upside down. Marrying them off seems like a fine plan, but finding suitable husbands for them is an impossible task.

They all wish to marry for love.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2016

In the Loop

Wondering if I could use that particular jargon in my Regency romance novel, I looked it up online. Seems there are several theories of where the phrase originated. One has to do with WWII aviators. One to 1960's computers. Along that same vein, another theory to NASA and the space flights. Another has two electromagnets buried along a line of current in 1890. The word loop is originally used in cloth making.

In the loop means to be kept abreast of the current situation.

1) I found three lines I wanted to use in my second Regency title. I know that probably doesn't mean much to you all, but I can build a whole story around those lines. Which is exactly how I began my first ever Regency romance THE LADY'S MASQUERADE.

2) I am releasing my contemporary romantic women's fiction under Anne Gallagher. They should be out to all retailers by the end of March.

I really like both of these books. I wrote A REASON TO STAY nine years ago. It was an experiment in the five-act structure. MR. CHARMING started off as magazine articles about three years ago. It took me this long to figure out a plot to go with it. There are several recurring themes in both books. I have two more planned in that series.

3) The man who lives with my daughter and me had an unfortunate accident last Wednesday. My full-time occupation is now nurse, not writer. His injuries are so grievous, I fear it will be sometime before I get back to any kind of writing.

Therefore, this blog will be on hiatus.  I do not think I will be back until autumn.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2016

A New Year -- A New Series

Well, I recently went through all my blog posts to see if I could find any mention of the new series. Here is the first post. http://annegallagherwriter.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-have-new-series.html  And the only other accounting was a small blurb on this post.
http://annegallagherwriter.blogspot.com/2015/05/im-back-writing-new-series.html

So, all I can say is WOW. I thought of this idea over two years ago. Unfortunately, other creative endeavors have gotten in my way and I haven't really been able to write more than a handful of words since last May.

I'm sure you're all wondering what it's about and who's in it. Well, it's about Henry Wade, 6th Marquess of Dunbury after thirty-odd years in the Army. He made his appearance in LADY OLIVIA'S UNDOING as Lady Olivia's lost love. We find out that Henry lost a duel to Reginald Leighton to win Olivia's hand, and instead of killing him, Reginald made him leave the country. Olivia never got over him. I'll spare you the details of what happens when Henry and Olivia meet up again.

This new series begins in 1807, three years prior to THE LADY'S MASQUERADE, the first book in The Reluctant Grooms series, where we first encounter Lady Olivia.

Henry Wade, Marquess of Dunbury

Henry Wade, a Lieutenant Colonel is His Majesty's Army, has finally come home after serving King and Country for thirty-four years. What he finds at Dunbury Manor are his six nieces all of whom have lost their parents. They are of "handsome countenance, beautiful manners, well versed in etiquette and deportment, and will make some lucky swain a wonderful wife." Henry's problem is that they're all poor as church mice. Yes, Henry does have some little money, but that was his to retire on and pen his memoirs.


 Henry's best friend is Steven Carlton, the Duke of Cantin. (Robert's deceased father in THE DUKE'S

Steven Carlton, Duke of Cantin

DIVORCE.) Steven is still very much alive in the Dunbury series (for a few years anyway), and we get a glimpse into Robert's past.

King George is still on the throne and the country is in the hands of the Duke of Portland. Lots of political intrigue and drama I have yet to research. It should be interesting. The Slave Trade Act has been successful, yet Catholic Emancipation has not.

Catherine Gantry

Henry's nieces are in the charge of Lady Catherine Gantry, a mysterious forty-something woman whose late husband left her without funds, so she became a governess to the wealthy beauties on the marriage mart. She is cousin to Steven and Olivia, a member of the Spencer-Churchill clan. Olivia was the one who placed Catherine at Dunbury Manor when it became clear the Dunbury ladies needed supervision.

Lady Gantry is a bit of an enigma to Henry. When he first encounters her, he believes she is Olivia all grown up. His attraction to her is brief when he finds she is a termagant with the temper of a virago.

The ladies, on the other hand, are quite delightful, and Henry enjoys his time getting to know each of his nieces before he marries them off.



Lady Mercy Wade -- Daughter of Harold Wade, the 5th Marquess of Dunbury. Harold's wife died in childbirth along with the heir to the Marquisate, when Mercy was a child. Mercy is the eldest of the six girls and is 20 when Henry arrives home. She is the only niece Henry has ever met.

Faith

Charity

Hope

 













Lady Faith, Lady Hope, Lady Charity -- Daughters of the late Duke and Duchess of Trowbridge. Esme, the Duchess of Trowbridge was Henry's eldest sister. Her death is the reason Henry has finally come home.

Patience

Prudence

Lady Patience, and Lady Prudence -- Daughters of the Earl and Countess of March. who are presumed drowned in an accident at sea. Elspeth was Henry's second eldest sister.

Each girl has their own distinctive personality and their own idea of what love is. They are also known for wearing certain colors (which will reflect in the covers of the books).

Penny

They are friends with Penny (THE LADY'S MASQUERADE) Arabella and Arianna (THE SEDUCTION OF MR. SUMMERVILLE) Dorcas (LADY CADORET'S LONGING), Rosamund (THE EARL'S ENGAGEMENT) and Violet (THE LADY'S FATE).

Dorcas

Rosamund

Arabella

Arianna

VIolet

These are a few of the men who fall in love with the ladies. Only three have a name, and of course I'm always on the hunt for new love interests. We'll see who I come up with.

 So, there you have it. The new series -- I'm calling it THE LADIES OF DUNBURY. I'm not sure what each of the individual novels will be called. I think I've used up all the Duke's Earl's and Lady's.
I'm opting for Shakespeare or Jane Austen depending on what I can cull from the tomes of the past. I hope you'll join me as I hope to keep up with this blog better than I have been.
Anne Gallagher (c) 2016

Historical Research -- Army and Navy England 1810

During the Reluctant Grooms Series, I had several characters in the Navy, as well as in the Army. I spent hundreds of hours doing research--most of it never used in any of my books. It's the necessary evil to writing good historical fiction. I know more about the Peninsular war fought in Spain and Portugal than I ever really intended.

I've put together a basic list of the different officers from the two branches of service in England in 1810



Navy                                                               Army

Admiral of the Fleet                                          Marshall/Field Marshall
Admiral                                                             General
   White
   Red
   Blue                                                                Brigadier General
Commodore (Ret. Capt.)                                   Brigadier
Captain /                                                             Colonel
Master and Commander                                    Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Commander                                     Major/Commandant
Lieutenant                                                         Captain
Sub-Lieutenant                                                  Lieutenant
Ensign                                                               2nd Lieutenant
Midshipman                                                      Officer Cadet
***                                                                     ***
Warrant Officer                                                 Sergeant Major
Petty Officer  
Yeoman                                                             Sergeant
Leading Seaman                                                Corporal
Seaman                                                               Private

Lieutenant in His Majesty's Royal Navy

You'll notice there are three distinct Admiral's position for the Navy:

Admiral of the Fleet is the Commander in Chief. His command ships always fly the White Flag. They are traditionally first in the line of defense with the Fleet. They are the largest and most heavily powered Ship of the Line. They are called the Admiral of the White.

The Admiral of the Red is the second line of defense on the ocean.
The Admiral of the Blue is the third line.

The Captain of a vessel is not always the Master and Commander, but he should be. A Master and Commander knows everything there is to know about the ocean they travel on. Maps and stars are their best friends. He is the Master of the ship (as it were and knows how to do every job on it) and the Commander of his men. (Very important for dealing with personality disorder. Can you imagine living on a floating city for months at a time? I think not.)

It is striking to read accounts how the Royal British Navy dominated the oceans during that time
period. They had a superior battle plan and superior ships. Ports on every continent, (barring the Poles) and trade with the East.

Foot Soldier

The Army arrived in India (as early as 1682) to protect The East India Company against the sitting Rajahs. Toward the 1750's and into the early 1800's, the Army was an integral part in the trade from the East. A lot of people made a lot of money.

Officers in both the Navy and the Army, usually bought their way into a commission. Second and third sons of noble houses made up most of the officer positions. However, if you were considered a good leader, you would be promoted within the ranks.

Both the Navy and Army had certain "other" occupations that I learned. In no particular order, function, or ranking-- a basic list of gentlemen's jobs within the service.

Navy                                                  Army

Boatswain (Bo'sun)                                Hussar
Coxswain                                            
Yeoman of
  Powder Room                                      Foot Soldier (infantry)                
 Surgeon                                                 Home Guard
Master Gunner                                            Calvary
Master of the Sheets                                     Dragoons
Master of the Sails                                            Royals (King's Own
First Mate                                                           Queen's Own,
(all of the above)                                                 Prince's Own)
Second Mate
(all of the above)


I confess, I do know more about the Navy rather than the Army. In THE CAPTAIN'S COINCIDENCE I wanted Richard Gaines to be an authentic hero. I watched Russell Crowe in Master and Commander Far Side of the Universe a lot while I wrote that book. It's mind-blowing to realize over 400 men lived on boats like that for months at a time.

I took a virtual tour of the U.S.S. Constitution, to get some ideas on how big a Ship of the Line actually was. I also spent a lot of time emailing a sailing aficionado on the other side of the world. I researched gun powder, how to load a canon, different types of canon shot, how to sail. I do know the basics of sailing, however, these are huge vessels sailing in huge waters. It really is a whole other world entirely. I think the research was well worth it.

Doing research should never be boring. I love watching period films and are always eager to see new adaptations of old classics. I get a feel for the clothing, accents, and affectations of the characters especially if the film is a true historical drama. I've been known to take notes.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Peninsular_War_Map_
"Peninsular War Map 1808–14" 
by Derivative work: Marcus British Relief Map of Spain.

I think it's important for a writer to understand as much as they can about the period they're writing in, otherwise they look foolish. I like to be able to point at a few of my reviews that say I knew the Regency era. I'm glad they wrote that. I'm very proud of all the research that I do.

I've always loved maps and find them extremely important in every aspect of historical fiction. I don't think you can write historical without some kind of map. If only to give you a point of reference, and a working timeline. Your hero really can't come home from the Battle of Prussia unless you know it's already been fought.






Very soon, I'll begin another phase into the research I need for the Army. Henry Wade is going to be an interesting character.

For those of you who write -- Do you do a lot of research, do you wing-it, or are you somewhere in the middle?

For those of you who read -- Do you appreciate a writer who's done the research, or do you tend to skip over those parts of the book?

Anne Gallagher (c) 2015

Filling in the Backstory

Good Morning.  Backstory is the past -- who the characters were, what they did, where they came from to get them to this point in the book. Some characters have no backstory and just appear on the page. Others have too much backstory and need to have their own book just to keep up.

Henry in 1811

This is where I am with Henry Wade, Marquess of Dunbury. In the Reluctant Grooms, Henry appears as Olivia's old flame. All of sudden he's there and messes everything up between her and her new boyfriend
John. Well isn't that what old boyfriends are for?

But Henry's got his own problems and he quietly goes away in the last book. The thing is, I liked Henry and his backstory and that's what THE LADIES OF DUNBURY is going to be about. Henry, and how he arrives in London, why he's been away, and what he's going to do with 6 nieces.

 I'm a "visual" writer, meaning I can't write without a picture. In creating my backstory for Henry, first I had to come up with pictures. And because Henry's life

Henry in 1777

spans such a significant part of Olivia's, I needed an actor who was young and then old. Enter Sean Bean.

We all know Mr. Bean from Sharpe. He played a soldier. And I'm sure this is the wrong uniform and probably even the wrong time period, but this is how I "see" Henry when he was young and in love with Olivia.

And then we have Henry when he finally returns from the wars. When he begins his life again in London as the Marquess of Dunbury. When he doesn't really yet know how Olivia feels about him. When he realizes he has six nieces he has no idea what to do with except marry them off.

Henry is a complex character. He's held on to a lot of baggage over the years -- his love for Olivia, his hatred for Reginald, leaving his father for the wars. It's almost as if he's spent thirty-five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. I only want to make him happy (as an author), but it's going to be very hard. Henry doesn't know how to be happy. As a Colonel in His Majesty's Army, he's a soldier whose job is to kill people. I don't think you can find happy in that.

As I told you last week, I've written several chapters in the first book. However, this may not necessarily be the first book that gets published. I'm still working out the details with the writing. And I also realized, writing this series is going to be a LOT harder than the last one. I knew it, but as I started writing I said to myself, "What was I thinking tackling this project?" I know what I was thinking, I wanted to get to know Henry a little better. For such a secondary character in The Reluctant Grooms, he was very complex and I wanted to show the world who he was.

Henry striving to find the happy

Thanks for stopping by.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2015

I'm Back -- Writing the New Series

Well, it's certainly been awhile, a couple of months anyway. First, I had to deal with a few personal issues, then a few professional issues, and then I had to clean my house. For those of you who do not write for a living, you have no idea how hard it is to keep the dust bunnies at bay.

set for Easter dinner

Anyway, I began to map out the new series story arc about a month ago. I took a weekend and laid all my notes out on the dining room table, went through each packet, and then made up an outline. The following weekend, I made up outlines for each of the books, and corresponded them with the overall series arc. Something I hadn't done with The Reluctant Grooms series. (I wrote that by the seat of my pants.)

what it looks like today

However, with this series, as it meets up with The Reluctant Grooms in various ways, I thought it best to outline. Hopefully, I won't lose my way.

I have started writing and finished the first five chapters of Book One. There will be 6-8 books in this series, I haven't actually decided yet. I'm trying to come up with a prequel that won't confuse my readers, but it's hard. I have everything in my head -- getting it down on paper is the worst part.

I've also done a few mock-ups for cover art, but have yet to speak with my cover designer about those yet. I'm wondering if I should have the "ladies" on the covers. Yet, as I was cruising the latest Regency romances on Amazon recently, I noticed more and more cover art that looks like mine. I want something different this time.

I've also re-edited all 9 volumes of The Reluctant Grooms. For the final time. I hope. I cleaned up the inconsistencies, punctuation, and any other flaw I found. And this also gave me the cleaned files for uploading to paperback, which I am on my way to converting. So for those of you who would like paper versions, they will be out before the end of June.

So here we are. I'm going to try and maintain a regular blog schedule over the summer. I'll post on Sunday mornings to keep you updated on my progress. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, on the days that I write, I'll post my word count. gallgher_anne  (My Twitter handle)

I'm looking forward to this series. It's going to be a bear to write -- new characters, new research, new storylines -- but I think it will be fun. I get to fall in love all over again.

See you next week.

PS  And no, I did not tell you the name of the series because I don't want to jinx myself. Call me superstitious.

PPS I'm hoping to have the first book completed by the end of the summer.

Anne Gallagher (c) 2015