gronk.

Susan, that's one my already-bookmarked sites, but the specifics - the crypt itself, laid out how (shelves? coffins? shrouds? does it change from generation to generation as they learned that dead bodies rotting under shrouds might be juuuust a skosh unsanitary>) and whatnot, is what I need. Although the next bit is actually going to be in the mausoleum, Lady Susanna's monument. I have to convey the first clues to the reader as to why Andrew Leight-Arnold's ghost is so pervasive: that he's buried in the grounds of the house, unmarked grave, unconsecrated ground, and has basically leached into the place like evil incubistic toxin in the psychic groundwater.

(grinning at Plei)

Oh, I wasn't thinking about the mausoleum question so much as general research questions that might come up over the course of doing a series like yours.

I've decided I'm going to have to go through my novel, scene by scene, and make each scene that doesn't directly involve the hero and heroine interacting with each other justify its existence. I don't want to write a skimpy, bare bones story with the two of them interacting in a vacuum, but the length it's heading toward at this point is both unpublishable and kinda silly.

Susan, can you split it out and perhaps is it two books? A novel and a sequel? (enabler)

Also, remember that when you do send it off to Marlene, it may be a few days; she's back and forth to NY and she's getting one daughter to the far end of the state and off to music college. So no panicking if she's not right back to you. Sounds obnoxious, but if she says she'll put it on top the pile if she sees my name in the "re:" line, then she will. She was one of my primary beta readers for all the Child Ballad mysteries, and spent a week at my house last year, reading Still Life for me. She's also the one who shoved me to contact Ruth in the first place.

We gots history, Marlene and moi.

(Edit: why do I keep typing "me" instead of "my"? I haven't even seen the Big Gay Pirate movie yet.)

Oh, also, let me know when you're ready to send and I'll ping her first; that way, I can not only remind her it's coming and give it priority, but also ask her the preferred format (jpg, word, paper) and save you some trouble.

Susan, can you split it out and perhaps is it two books? A novel and a sequel? (enabler)

Eh, not really. It's just one fairly simple story arc. Basically, I just made a bunch of mistakes out of inexperience that made me go too long:

1. If I thought of it, I threw it in.
2. I've got cast bloat issues, and need to discipline myself to let certain peripheral characters just be spear carriers instead of fleshing them out.
3. Wacky as this sounds, I went too far in certain cases with "show, don't tell." Just because I can make several interesting little set-pieces about Lucy's interactions with the dressmaker who makes her first ballgown doesn't mean I should, for example, and the story won't suffer at all if I just have Lucy say that she likes the dressmaker, particularly because she sides with her on trimming her new dress in red rather than a pastel like her aunt/guardian wants.

Stuff like that.

I'll definitely give you a heads-up before I send it to Marlene. I think sometime early next week will be realistic. Also, I won't expect an immediate response. BTW, I know you're not supposed to simultaneously submit to editors, but it's OK with agents, right? So if I meet an agent at conference who's interested and haven't heard back from Marlene yet, I could go ahead and send it out to the second agent?

Totally, on the multiples. I'll check with her and make sure it's cool, but I'm 99.99% positive, so long as she knows.

They only handle a few historicals and romance novels, but Marlene is a big fan of what she calls PHD romance (basically, historical stuff that's true to the times and well-researched), and may want to do it. But if she doesn't, as I say, she can hook you up with a list of the best and likeliest.

Should I mention to her that I'm planning to write two sequels, both loosely connected enough to work as standalones?

Yup. I'm thinking that's definitely something to include.

I think I'll play it kinda cool then, and just say I have ideas for possible sequels involving the secondary characters Anna and Portia. Because both are going to require a certain amount of research to pull off. For Anna, I have to figure out in as much detail possible what was going on in the Peninsular Wars in the summer and fall of 1811, so I can figure out the best way to get her widowed, captured by the French, and determined to escape. And for Portia, I need to learn as much as possible about the American political climate circa 1818 or 1820, what Washington society looked like then, etc. Neither are things I know much about as yet, but I figure I'll go into research mode for Anna as soon as I've finished Lucy's story.

For Anna, I have to figure out in as much detail possible what was going on in the Peninsular Wars in the summer and fall of 1811, so I can figure out the best way to get her widowed, captured by the French, and determined to escape.

Have you read Heyer's "The Spanish Bride"? It covers that in exquisite detail (the campaign itself). Based on a true story.

"Random Shots from a Rifleman" was John Kinkaid's memoir of his years on the Peninsula, but I think it's been OOP for decades. Which sucks. Because it was a brilliant vivid memoir.

There's also Harry Smith's memoir, which I find rather dry. Heyer got all the good bits of it.