One of the biggest challenges of writing a book set in 1814, even an alternate one, was to avoid anachronisms. There are a few that I introduced deliberately -- the FitzCamerons names for instance -- while others are entirely accidental -- the use of "check" in Chapter One. While most authors don't like to hear about mistakes after a book has been published, I'd like to avoid making the same ones in the sequel.
So here are the ones I know about. If you spotted a different one, let me know. There will occasionally be times when I did something on purpose but language, in particular, is tricky.
*Lady FitzCameron and Miss FitzCameron should not have the same surname. As a viscountess, Lady FitzCameron would use the name of the seat not the family name. I decided that it would be too confusing for the vast majority of my readers and used the same name for both.
*"Hello" is not a word. This one drives me crazy because I knew that before we went to press and just missed that I use it in the first chapter. It's first appearance isn't until 1833.
*"I shall check on the strawberries..." In 1814, "check" only meant "stop" so Mr. Ellsworth is off to stop the strawberries.
So here are the ones I know about. If you spotted a different one, let me know. There will occasionally be times when I did something on purpose but language, in particular, is tricky.
*Lady FitzCameron and Miss FitzCameron should not have the same surname. As a viscountess, Lady FitzCameron would use the name of the seat not the family name. I decided that it would be too confusing for the vast majority of my readers and used the same name for both.
*"Hello" is not a word. This one drives me crazy because I knew that before we went to press and just missed that I use it in the first chapter. It's first appearance isn't until 1833.
*"I shall check on the strawberries..." In 1814, "check" only meant "stop" so Mr. Ellsworth is off to stop the strawberries.