I hope you enjoyed Hugo and Martha’s adventure and had a fun time in northern Scotland and London.
As I write this, it is 2021 and the entire globe has gone through a year that will likely get its own chapter in future history books. I must admit that it was a relief to escape modern troubles and live in the early nineteenth century this past year.
I had a lot of fun researching this book and became especially fascinated with the island of Stroma.
The island maintained a tiny population for centuries—there are stone structures in evidence that are thousands of years old—but the last residents finally abandoned Stroma in 1997. (see Wikipedia’s article on Stroma for lots of interesting tidbits) The island’s only inhabitants now are sheep, puffins, and other birds (and probably a few otters!).
Through the miracle of Google Maps you can look at the satellite view of the island and see that Stroma’s lighthouse, church, and houses—many still filled with possessions—are all that remain of the tiny, once-vibrant community. It is a ghost town floating in the North Sea.
As writers often do, I went down a research rabbit hole (several, actually) and had some interesting correspondence with a hard rock miner about the geology of Stroma. I learned a lot about cutting flagstone in the early nineteenth century and had a large section in the book about Hugo’s life as a flagstone cutter. Alas, it hit the cutting room floor.
I also had fun researching otters, which can indeed be very vicious, albeit cute, little animals. Otters have made their way onto lists of animals (including humans) which can behave violently for no apparent reason.
The Gloup (taken from the Old Norse word ‘gluppa’ meaning chasm) is an actual geological feature on Stroma. Although I’ve altered the caves to fit my purpose they really were used for distilling and storage of contraband and nicknamed “the malt barn”.
I like to keep my books steamy and sexy and a character like Hugo would have made free use of the sexual slang at the time. Phrases like “getting your corn ground,” and “horny,” “dick,” and “pussy” were all in use in the nineteenth century, although they have a contemporary flavor. One of my most precious research sources on the internet is Jonathan Green’s Oxford Dictionary of Slang. Not only can you find the earliest use of slang words, complete with timelines, but there are also links to sources.
Although I have a royal duke in the story, I deliberately left the character unnamed because he is a product of my imagination. Bevan Davies’s blackmail scheme would have been a serious threat at the time since homosexual behavior was still punishable by death under the Buggery Act of 1533. The last execution for sodomy wasn’t until 1835.
If you’ve read other books by me, you might have noticed that I like to write stories about commoners. While dukes (and their modern equivalent, billionaires) are exciting and exotic, I believe love flourishes in all social strata and the “little people”—even sex workers like Hugo—deserve their place in romance, too.
Estimates for the number of prostitutes in nineteenth century London vary greatly, but even if you believe the conservate numbers, there were still a shocking number of people, men and women, who earned their money as sex workers.
While I strive for historical accuracy, this is first and foremost a romance novel. If you are interested in any of the places, people, or events mentioned in my books I always recommend you consult a primary or reliable secondary source if you wish to learn more.
What am I working on next? Well, I have a full schedule ahead for the next year. In addition to writing another ACADEMY OF LOVE novel, the last book in THE MASQUERADERS, a third book in my LIGHTNER AND LAW series, I am also starting a new series for Kensington Publishing. It is called THE WILD WOMEN OF WHITECHAPEL and will feature three Regency ladies who work at Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre, an all-female circus.
The first book in the series is THE BOXING BARONESS, a book with—you guessed it—a heroine who is a professional boxer. You can look out for that in 2022.
I love hearing from readers. Is there a character you’d like to know more about? Questions about this story? Upcoming stories? Stories you think need to be written? If so, you can drop me an email or leave a comment on my website. Or just pop in to say ‘hello’.
As always, I ask that you take a moment to write a quick review—even just a few words—if you liked my work. I don’t pay for reviews, so I rely on my lovely readers to share their genuine opinions and help browsing readers decide to give my books a try.
Until my next book, I wish you all the best and lots of great reading!
S.M. LaViolette
Keep reading for a sneak peek at THE FOOTMAN …