Images that Inspire

One of the problems I faced when starting Book #3 in the Merry Widow series was how my hero, Chandler Rhys, evolves from a somewhat quiet, scholarly type as portrayed in the second book (he was introduced in Betrayed in Brighton as a secondary character) into a man more passionate about the heroine, Felicity Drummond.  Still keeping the light-hearted spirit of the holiday season, what could be the inciting incident that ignites that passion?

Jealousy was a good starting point, I thought.  But I needed something quick, right up front at the beginning of the story (since this is a novella, the timing is much tighter than in a full-length novel).

Felicity is assertive in her own way and quite sensuous in nature.  As a matter of fact, in the second book, her somewhat forward manner throws Rhys for a loop.  So I started looking at classic paintings from this period, but also other images that might capture the "feeling" of what could set off Rhys' jealous bones, as well as capture Felicity's teasing, sensuous nature.

I've always loved the work of Alphonse Mucha (late 19th-century) and this image of his Job cigarettes poster made me think of Felicity --

Certainly the hair was a factor, her heavy waves of deep red hair, but it was that "come hither" look that made me chuckle.  This was a bit over the edge, but it worked for me.  Then I turned to Ingres' painting of the Odalisque --

Ingres painted this in 1814, near enough to the timing of my story (1816), so I took this idea and image and ran with it.  I think you can guess where I'm going with this and soon I'll share an excerpt.

Who was Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (August 29, 1780 - January 14, 1867)?  Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter, and although he considered himself a painter of history in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David, by the end of his life it was his portraits, both painted and drawn, that were recognized as his greatest legacy.

Is it my imagination or does this woman seem to hold a secret?  Her look reminds one of the Mona Lisa -- that hint of a smile, the quiet gaze almost intimidating in its sense of assuredness.

This is what intrigues me about writing historical fiction -- the ability to use actual incidents, fashions, trends and manners of an era, to build a world for the reader and sometimes to use as trigger points in the plot or characterization.

Stay tuned for "Captive for Christmas" -- Book 3 in the Merry Widow series, -- due out in mid-November!  Why not sign up for my newsletters for further news and other fun things?