The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

You’d think, given all the research I did for Mr. Impossible—not to mention my lifelong fascination with Egyptology—that I would have known all about the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaelogy. But I wrote that book quite a few years ago, when most of my research happened with books, and what was available online, while immensely helpful, wasn’t a fraction of what we find today.

That has to explain why it was such a surprise to discover it—by accident, no less—while looking for another museum around the corner, also part of University College London. The collection includes more than 80,000 objects. We did as much as we could in two phases, before and after lunch, and the boatload of photos below, will, I hope, give you an idea of what’s there.

Amelia Edwards, whose bust and book appear in the photo gallery, was an important source for me. The museum notes, as I realized while writing my book, that her attitude and prejudices reflect her time. This is bound to happen with research. So the trick is to aim for authenticity with hints here and there of the attitudes—because they offer important insights into the times—but to keep the not-so-pleasant stuff subdued. At the same time, I do try not to sound too 21st century, because I don’t want to jar readers out of the world I’ve created. Still, all writers reflect their times. That’s as true of me as it is of Amelia Edwards or any of the numerous other authors whose work I consulted.

As to the artifacts: The museum doesn’t have an elaborate guidebook, so the information is limited to what we (meaning my husband, under my command) could photograph, and I am not an Egyptologist, so I can’t offer further enlightenment. I can tell you one thing: Generally speaking, it’s believed that the shabtis—those little figurines—were meant to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

Again, you will find very brief videos on my Facebook and Instagram Author pages.

Not Quite a Lady $1.99 deal

As I’ve mentioned in various interviews, though I’ve always loved English literature, I had some issues with it. Why did strong-willed women so seldom triumph in those 19th century novels I loved so much? Why were smart, strong women objects of derision in books and plays? Why were they always punished for, say, having sex or having brains? Even women writers couldn’t seem to help punishing the most interesting women characters for being… interesting.

A few of my books have been reactions to this. Well, maybe all of my books, but some had specific inspiration in Great Literature. Daphne in Mr. Impossible. Cassandra in Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. And then there’s Lady Charlotte in Not Quite a Lady.

Lady Charlotte was my reaction to Lady Dedlock in Bleak House—which by the way happens to be one of my favorite Dickens novels. Favorite or not, it seemed to me that Dickens did not do right by her. Even before I began to write my own novels, I saw how easily her story could have come out differently, and still remained true to elements of the book. But maybe that wouldn’t have gone down well with Victorian audiences, or maybe the author had his own issues. (Oh, he certainly did.) Lots of reasons. In any case, Lady Dedlock was the starting point for Lady Charlotte.

While these two women characters do have one thing in common, their stories are not the same. Not Quite a Lady, the fourth book of the Carsington brothers trilogy (I know), is on sale for $1.99 for a limited time. I don’t know how limited, but if you’d like a copy, for yourself or as a gift, I pray you make haste, as my characters would say.

Mr. Impossible eBook now $1.99

I just found out about this deal, so I can’t say how long it will last. I hate when you click on a deal and find out it’s already over, but that’s the chance we take. In any case, it’s Mr. Impossible, a book that readers often cite as second favorite after Lord of Scoundrels. With some readers, Mr. Impossible is #1. But if you haven’t met Rupert and Daphne yet, now’s the time to do so, and to travel through early 19th century Egypt—all for a couple of bucks—and make your own decision. Or you can pass the word to a friend.