Comments on: Guest Author: Jana Oliver

by: Jana Oliver

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:43:07 +0000

Kate
Food is always a great place to start researching (grin!) I’ve also worn Victorian dresses, corsets, etc. to get a sense of what it was like to move around. It is impossible for someone of our era to fully immerse themselves into the Victorian mindset, but we can come close. It just requires a LOT of research. If you want an idea of which books I’ve used for resources I have a biblio on my website that lists them all according to topic. I think there are 70+ of them out there.

I still make boo-boos, though, no matter how hard I try. Ultimately, if the story is entertaining and you don’t do a really big blunder, readers are forgiving.

If your earlier question was about where to buy Virtual Evil — the book is available on Amazon and can be ordered through any bookstore including your local indy. Amazon is currently showing a lengthy delivery time. The books should land on their dock any day now and that issue will be resolved. If you haven’t read the first book in the series (SOJOURN) you can download a free e-book at my website. Or buy a dead tree copy at Amazon who has the best prices out there.

by: kate r

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:37:56 +0000

and I love your descriptions of the places you’ve visited.

by: kate r

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:33:23 +0000

I was trying to think of something witty to say but the only thing I can think of is, here I am– I want is the book. Is this enough? is it too late?

I’m writing a book set in Victorian GB too. (I bought some bird’s custard the other day but that’s about as much non-internet research as I’ve done and come to think of it, I doubt Birds was around then.)

by: Jana Oliver

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:26:32 +0000

You are so right, Kimberly. I have an overactive imagination as it is, but sitting in such a setting lets the little grey cells go crazy. Did the captain of the Mayflower pop in for a pint before setting off for the New World? Was he nervous about the voyage, unsure of his passengers? Somehow I doubt any of the Puritans would have dropped in unless they were sneaking one in under the others’ noses.

I also visited The Salisbury, an old Victorian pub on St. Martin’s Lane near Covent Garden, with its intricate cut glass panels, mahogany accents and antique ambiance. I closed my eyes and try to imagine what it was like in 1892 just after the pub opened. Sometimes I do wish I had a time machine.

by: Teresa W.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:22:22 +0000

This must have been a thrill to stand where your characters actually stood. Sounds like a great pub to visit.

by: Kimberly

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:00:09 +0000

That sounds like a fascinating pub! I love places that are full of history like that. It must be great to sit there, nursing a drink, and imagining all of the patrons who have stopped by over the years. . . I’m sure that all your research really brings such settings to life!

by: bam

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:56:50 +0000

Curls of deep fried pig skin. Sometimes if you’re (un)lucky you get a hair.

Oh, please. We Pinoys have been eating that for years. It’s called Chicharon. You dip in vinegar filled with crushed garlic and salt and pepper.

by: Jana Oliver

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:54:27 +0000

There is nothing quite like standing where one’s characters “actually” stood. Or will stand in future books. I found myself explaining to the hubby that Jacynda walked down those steps to the Thames and that Keats met so-and-so at that corner. In the back of my mind a little voice was reminding me that those folks ARE NOT REAL. But standing on those cobblestones make it very hard to believe.

Nope, didn’t try the pork scratchin’s. I did try real ale, which is different than the other ales one might have encountered. I can see it’s an acquired taste, much like Guinness.

by: Tumperkin

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:25:32 +0000

Curls of deep fried pig skin. Sometimes if you’re (un)lucky you get a hair.

by: BevL(QB)

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:04:02 +0000

I can’t even imagine how thrilling it must be to stand where your characters “actually” stood. That must make them so unbelievably REAL to you, as if they were, in fact, part of the history of the places.

That’s how I felt (as a reader, of course) when, shortly after I read Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander, we visited Wilmington, NC and took a scenic tour via river boat. I found myself thinking “Wow, there’s where Jamie stood, and Claire walked there and…”