One of my favourite things about writing historical romance (as well as all the delicious research!) is choosing where my heroes and heroines will live!
Why? Well, I am a very visual writer and in order to find my inspiration, it often means trawling through the internet looking for stately homes, Georgian terraces or even Victorian slums. I use the same process when creating my main characters, too. There is something about 'seeing' them and where they live that gets my creative juices flowing.
For my latest series, the Ladies of Carson Street, I have kept with Bath as I have with most of my historicals, purely because this beautiful city is just a short distance from where I live, BUT that does not mean that I only use Bath buildings as my inspiration.
Whether my characters stay in Bath for the duration of the novel or travel elsewhere, I use houses from all over the UK.
However, the Carson Street house is most definitely in Bath, the street and what I describe in the novels are what would be seen from this house if you visited Bath today. Here is the pic that inspired Carson Street - it is actually called North Parade and if you google it, you will see what the characters see!
And what about the grander homes? Well, in book 3 (coming in the Autumn), Octavia travels to Manchester where the hero has his home and staff - for this house, I used a very famous house as inspiration - Elizabeth Gaskell's and it is perfect for what I had mind!
Writers are so often asked where they get their ideas - I guarantee the internet is a great place to start - happy writing and reading :)
The first two books in the Ladies of Carson Street series are available now:
A Widow's Vow - Book 1
Trouble For The Leading Lady - Book 2
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