Researching a Romance Hero

Thanks for inviting me to join you at Book-n-Kisses today!

Ok, I have a confession to make: if I knew how much research IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE would require, I might never have started writing it.

Fortunately, I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to write the story of a Regency soldier wounded near the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Who also happened to be a talented amateur artist—at least, before he lost the use of his right arm.

Once Henry had formed in my mind, though, there was no going back. First I found him a home in the army by researching which regiments took part in the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle of Waterloo has been a part of many stories—but what about the battles that came just before it? If Henry was wounded just before the victory of Waterloo, that would lend an extra layer of poignancy to his wounds. As it turned out, there was a battle called Quatre Bras (French for “Four Arms”—a crossroads) only a few days before Waterloo. Many British troops weren’t ready for the battle; the leaders had been at a ball celebrating impending victory until the wee hours, and some soldiers ran for battle still wearing their flimsy dancing shoes instead of boots. This real-life celebration and shock became part of Henry’s story.

Once he was back in London, there was more to research. Henry still thinks like a soldier, planning and strategizing, but he also starts to think like an artist again. He laid down his paintbrush to go to war, and now that war is over, he tries to recapture the artist’s way of looking at the world.  Because of his injury, he can’t paint as he used to, but he still follows the process of oil painting: a handmade, hands-on art of crushing pigments, mixing them with oil, preparing canvases, cleaning brushes.  Today we can buy oil paints in tidy tubes, but during the Regency, an artist was likely to make them himself (or have an assistant help with the process). The names and origins of those paints were fascinating and often hazardous. “Mummy brown” really did include ground mummies (ack!). “Orpiment” is a bright yellow mineral…that contains arsenic.  And “Paris Green,” a bright blue-green pigment discovered shortly before 1815 (when IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE takes place), is so poisonous that it was used to kill rats and insects. Painting came with its hazards!

Because the setting in time and place of the story is so specific, I needed to know about particular buildings in London in summer 1815. Where were the Royal Academy and the British Institution located in 1815? If a home didn’t have a ballroom, where would a ball be held? What was a fashionable but not too expensive street in London? What magazine would a fashion-conscious countess have read for pleasure?

Research never stops until I type “The End” on a story. And though it might seem overwhelming looking ahead—or in hindsight—the process is fascinating. The more I can learn about the time and place in which my story is set, the richer that story can be, and the easier it is to bring characters to life.

So here’s a question or two for all of you: have you ever learned a cool tidbit about the past from a historical romance? What’s your favorite time period to read about?

*****

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE

by THERESA ROMAIN

IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2013

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Wooing the Wrong Woman…

Henry Middlebrook is back from fighting Napoleon, ready to re-enter London society where he left it. Wounded and battle weary, he decides that the right wife is all he needs. Selecting the most desirable lady in the ton, Henry turns to her best friend and companion to help him with his suit…

Is a Terrible Mistake…

Young and beautiful, war widow Frances Whittier is no stranger to social intrigue. She finds Henry Middlebrook courageous and manly, unlike the foppish aristocrats she is used to, and is inspired to exercise her considerable wit on his behalf. But she may be too clever for her own good, and Frances discovers that she has set in motion a complicated train of events that’s only going to break her own heart…

Praise for It Takes Two to Tangle:

“A delightful romance. Its intriguing plot, replete with unforeseen twists and coupled with a set of passionate characters, quickly turns this into a page-turner.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

A little about Theresa: 

Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest and is working on more Regency romances. Please visit http://theresaromain.com/ for more information.

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