Thanks to the Akhal-Teke

The declaration of frustration in my last post worked. Eventually, in the one-step-forward-and-two-back method, that last confrontation between hero and heroine took form and evolved into reconciliation. It took a few unusual props to get them there.

                                   The first was this magnificent Akhal-Teke horse.

The coat on this breed of horse has a bloom. As on this fine fellow, it shines so much it looks like metal. These horses originate from the deserts of Turkmenistan. Their coats act as camouflage in the shimmering desert heat. Prized for their beauty as well as their strength and skill, they are known as the Heavenly Horses.

                  The second prop was a ruby pendant, made in the Ottoman style.

And the final detail, to please other senses, was the song of the nightingales.

http://youtu.be/EPQz1IShfxQ

                  

Slow progress

I've reached the last section of my WIP. The villains have been disposed of, the secondary plots have been wound up but the major issue remains unsolved. The hero and heroine come from vastly different cultures. Is it possible to resolve all the problems involved if they agree to marry; and do it with a light touch? Perhaps this is what is cramping my style.

Or perhaps it's because the heroine is refusing all contact with the hero at this point. This is to do with her character as much as the difference in culture. She wants total commitment but thinks he has a very lax attitude to women and to fidelity. I must have sunk myself totally into Olivia's personality, because, for the moment, I cannot work things out either.

But I will.

And that declaration of intent has got the problem down on [virtual] paper, which relieves the pressure in my mind.
Back to that last chapter. They are going to sort out their differences and find a way to live their lives together. I'm not wasting that chateau,

                                or the Pavilion on the Golden Horn.

Enjoyable research in Ariège

After months of working on my WIP, the people in it are as real for me as anyone I come across in my daily life. And my French friend, who follows the story chapter by chapter, is also as familiar with my characters as with her own family. Therefore she was delighted to assist by finding a suitable chateau to serve as the hero's family home. It needed to be in a remote region and so we agreed on the Ariège, where the people are still fiercely independent, and tolerant of religious heresy - it is the region of the Cathars.

      

It is also a region of caverns, stretching many miles underground to vast depths. Wall paintings from 20,000 years ago, sited well over half a mile inside, prove that these underground sites have been in use almost as long as the region has had a human population.

Grottes de Niaux

   

This is the region where my hero and his younger brothers and sisters grew up, with the mountain peaks all around, rushing rivers, mysterious caverns, the fiercely hot, sulphurous waters of the spa at Ax-les-Thermes, the feudal lords of Foix and Aragon dividing or uniting loyalties and politics, and the smugglers' routes criss-crossing the whole area. Plenty of scope for adventures.

Plateau de Beille

Add to this that they live in the opulent chateau visited by all the notable thinkers and artists of the 18th Century. Material here for a second story....

Small wonder that we enjoyed our research. We plan a second visit to investigate the 'Route des Contrebandiers'.

An Eighteenth Century chateau in a romantic setting

The hero of my WIP needs a home. He is half French and half Turkish and a diplomat - he needs to be, n'est-ce pas? So, after the groundwork was done by my French friend, she and I visited the region around Mirepoix to inspect various castles. This one at Aston, is ideal for my story - my hero can have roots here and in this region he is independent of Paris, of the French kings and of Napoleon. Perfect!

And when we saw the castle, we both agreed it is perfect  as well - both for the story and as a place to visit.

This is what you see as you get close to the castle gates, climbing up from the river through the wood.

From the other side of the entrance, you see the chateau with its massive stables and what was once a paddock.

This is the view from the main gates. Currently the roof is being restored, so the grounds are overgrown.

There are mountains all around, providing a marvellous setting. The back of the chateau rises on a rocky peak, above the river. The original defensive castle was remodelled in the 18th Century into a gracious dwelling that indicated the wealth and status of its owner.

A Regency Celebration

The RNA will be holding

a Regency Celebration

on Saturday 8 October 2011 between 9.00am-6.00pm

at the Royal Overseas League, Park Place, off St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR (near Green Park tube station).

This event will be a celebration of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and the books they have influenced. It coincides with the launch of a new biography of Georgette Heyer, written by Dr Jennifer Kloester, and 2011 also happens to be the bi-centenary of the publication of Jane Austen’s “Sense & Sensibility” – both perfect excuses for a Regency themed day!
The day will be a mixture of serious talks and more frivolous activities, and will include the following:-
• Georgette Heyer, Her Life and Writing – Talk by Dr Jennifer Kloester

• Sense & Sensibility: The Things You Didn’t Know – Talk by Amanda Grange

• Austen & Heyer – Were they better than they thought they were? Panel discussion

• The Celestial Bed: Sex and the Georgians – Talk and panel discussion

• Regency Scents: Odours and Malodours – Louise Allen and Christina Courtenay “sniff-and-tell”

• Regency Clothing - Jane Walton demonstrates the fashions of the day

• Regency Dancing – Mr and Mrs Ellis Rogers take us through the steps

• Parlour Games – Learn how to play Whist, Piquet, Vingt et Un or Loo

• Regency Walk – Guided tour of St James’s

• Afternoon Tea **



(** Please note, on a first come first served basis, fifty delegates will be able to attend a special afternoon tea at the East India Club in the room where the Prince Regent was given the news of the battle of Waterloo. For everyone else, there will be afternoon tea at the Royal Overseas League.)
Throughout the day, there will be a book stall and author signings, as well as a chance to chat to authors of historical romance. There will also be a competition and a quiz, with prizes donated by the authors.
The price for the day, including a sandwich lunch, tea and coffee, is only £55 (although for those of you wanting to attend the Waterloo Tea there is an extra charge of £18). At lunchtime, there will also be a cash bar available for extra drinks.
It all promises to be a wonderful day, so please spread the word.
If you’d like to join us, please fill out the booking form below. If you have any queries, please e-mail Pia Fenton at pia.fenton@googlemail.com and you can join us on Facebook on the events page “A Regency Celebration” for regular updates.

                     Regency Celebration Booking Form 

                                                       

Accessories for the plot: Jewellery

My heroine is in Constantinople in the year 1811. Jewellery was an age old art in the Ottoman Empire. Between her own selection and the traditional pieces the hero gives her, Olivia has many fine jewels by the end of the book.

A silver filigree and carnelian pendant

a pair of gold and diamond earrings [Top Kapi Museum ]

a gold and diamond bracelet with an emerald [Topkapi Museum]

A hand mirror

Güherse jewellery

The term güherse refers to decoration consisting of tiny metal beads welded onto articles made of silver and gold. Güherse is a very ancient ornamental technique for metalwork, probably discovered because of the natural tendency for the noble metals to form drops when cooling from the fluid state. Mesopotamia, a region which was cradle to civilisation in many different respects, is also where güherse work was first discovered. It was in the hands of Turkish jewellers, however, that it was taken to its final stage of refinement. During the Ottoman period jewellers became so expert that today it is virtually impossible to replicate their work.

Güherse involves overcoming two major problems; the first to produce equal sized drops, and the second to weld these to the metal surface of the object. The Ottomans mastered this technique to perfection, producing beautiful works of art. [From M Zeki Kusoglu ]

                                    

This is fun! A Regency dress up doll

Regency Hero Dress Up Doll by ~savivi on deviantART


http://www.savivi.deviantart.com/
 
Go on, click the link and enjoy a few minutes of fun.
 
http://fav.me/d1oj4iz