Skip to main content

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

Regency titles in Lady Wynwood's Spies

I happened to read a review of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer, and the reader mentioned being confused because characters switched between using first names and last names. I didn’t comment on the review (it’s my policy never to do so), but I thought it might be useful for my readers for me to mention why I have some characters referring to certain others by their first names or last names or titles.

When I was researching British titles, many published historical authors recommended this article, which is one of a series of very informative articles on how the British refer to those with titles.

The article writer mentions that especially in the Georgian/Regency/Victorian time period in England, people did not refer to each other by their first names unless they were childhood friends or close family, and even close family would often refer to a peer by his title name (or a nickname of his title name) rather than his first name (i.e., “Hart” for Lord Hartley).

It struck me that this is very similar to how Japanese people refer to each other. It’s more common for Japanese to refer to classmates, colleagues, employees, and bosses by their last names rather than first names. Even in school, kids are usually taught to maintain a certain level of politeness and will refer to classmates by their last name unless they’re very young or very close to each other, such as best friends or dating relationships. Even teachers will refer to their students by their last names and not their first.

I grew up as 4th generation Japanese American, so I certainly didn’t refer to my classmates by their last names, but I’m not entirely unfamiliar with the practice since I watched a lot of Japanese-language television (with English subtitles) with my parents and read a lot of manga and light novels. Also, my grandmother’s friends would refer to each other by their last names instead of first names. I realize now that this was more of a Japanese practice than an American one, and most Americans just refer to everyone by their first names.

Some modern historical romance writers who are writing for an American audience work around this by having characters refer to other characters by their first names in their internal thoughts. The hero might refer to the heroine as “Phoebe” in his thoughts to himself when he’s thinking about her, but always call her “Miss Sauber” when addressing her. This probably makes the characters more familiar to an American audience who is more used to calling love interests, colleagues and even bosses by their first names.

However, since I write in deep third person point of view, a character would rarely refer to another by their first name in their heads if they don’t call them by their first names in person. Also, I’m used to using surnames with people, so it doesn’t seem odd to me to have a character think of another character by their last name and not their first.

So here’s a quick primer on the peerage in my series:

Viscount Wynwood, secondary title Baron Ibstone, surname Glencowe

His title is Viscount Wynwood. He is addressed in speech as Lord Wynwood. His first name is Terrence and his surname is Glencowe, but no one will refer to him by his surname, and rarely by his first name. His wife might have referred to him as “Terrence” if they were close, but Laura referred to her husband simply as “Wynwood.”

Laura’s title is Viscountess Wynwood. She is addressed in speech as Lady Wynwood. Her first name is Laura and her surname is Glencowe. Sol calls her by her first name because they have become good friends. Most other people call her Lady Wynwood or my lady.

If they had had a son, their son would be Mr. Somefirstname Glencowe while his father was alive, and when his father died, he would inherit the title Viscount Wynwood.

Since they did not have children, the title was inherited by Terrence’s second cousin (Terrence’s father’s cousin’s son), Mr. Newland Glencowe. He is now the current Viscount Wynwood and is referred to in speech as Lord Wynwood. He is not yet married.

Laura will continue to be called Lady Wynwood until the current Lord Wynwood marries, and then she’ll be the dowager Lady Wynwood, although in speech, most people will just continue to call her Lady Wynwood.

Another example:

Miss Isabella Coulton-Jones married a knight, Sir Walter Aymer, and became Lady Aymer. Her husband was referred to as Sir Walter, NOT Lord Aymer, because he was a knight.

One last example:

Viscount Ammler, secondary title Baron Revitt, surname Ackett

His title is Viscount Ammler. He is addressed in speech as Lord Ammler. His first name is Ammon and his surname is Ackett, but no one will refer to him by his surname. His wife is Lady Ammler.

(Only at this very moment did I realize that I made Sep’s father’s title too similar to Isabella’s title. Oh well.)

His eldest living son is Mr. Secundus Ackett (although his siblings and mother call him by the nickname Skand instead of Secondus, the name his father gave him). In society, he is always referred to as Mr. Ackett since he is the oldest living son. His close friends and his family call him Skand, but to everyone else he is Mr. Ackett.

The family's third living son is Mr. Septimus Ackett. Among society, he is referred to as Mr. Septimus Ackett unless his older brother(s) are not present, in which case he is referred to as Mr. Ackett. His close friends call him Septimus or Sep, but most everyone else refers to him as Mr. Septimus Ackett or Mr. Ackett.

Their youngest daughter is Miss Octavia Ackett. Since her older sisters are married (and have therefore taken their husband’s surnames), in speech she is always referred to as Miss Ackett, since she is the only unmarried daughter. Her close friends might call her Octavia, but to most everyone else she would be called Miss Ackett. (If she had an unmarried older sister, her sister would be Miss Ackett and she’d be referred to as Miss Octavia Ackett, to distinguish her from her sister.)

And in case you were wondering, here’s the full list of the Ackett siblings (most of whom I haven’t even mentioned in the books yet):

(1st child, Primus, dead as a child)
2nd child, oldest living son, Secondus (nickname Skand)
3rd child, Tertia (nickname Teresia), married
4th child, 2nd living son, Quartus (nickname Curtis) Ackett
5th child, Quinta (nickname Quin), married
(6th child, Sexta, dead as a child)
7th child, 3rd oldest living son, Septimus (nickname Sep) Ackett
8th child, Octavia Ackett

Lord Ammler calls his children by their Latin names, but Lady Ammler calls them by their nicknames. Now you know the entire Ackett family even though most of them will probably never appear in the series.

I hope this helps you to enjoy my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series a bit more!

Comments

Popular Posts

Camille's Writing Progress

Join my newsletter to get regular updates in your inbox!

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

Camy’s Worsted Cotton Comfortable Skirt with Lace Edging knitting pattern

I made my original Comfortable Cotton Skirt with a simple eyelet round at the bottom, but this one has a simple antique garter stitch lace edging, “Edging to Trim the Body and Sleeves” on page 43 of the book New Guide to Knitting and Crochet , published in 1847. You can download a free ebook copy of the book here . The edging was originally to trim a Baby’s Knit Body, but I have no idea what that is. :P If you do, please do leave a comment. I also changed the hip increases to 4 distinct darts rather than 8 sections, but if you prefer the hip increases from my original Comfortable Cotton skirt, you can substitute that. Like the original Comfortable skirt, this one is cotton for summer, and loose for casual wear. It has a little positive ease and is only slightly flared. The waist is drawstring rather than elastic so that I can loosen it on my fat days or after pigging out at my favorite restaurant. This pattern/recipe is for my size, but there are instructions at the bottom for

One-Skein Pyrenees Scarf knitting pattern

I got into using antique patterns when I was making the scarf my hero wears in my Regency romance, The Spinster’s Christmas . I wanted to do another pattern which I think was in use in the Regency period, the Pyrenees Knit Scarf on pages 36-38 of The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, volume 1, by Jane Gaugain, published in 1840. She is thought to be the first person to use knitting abbreviations, at least in a published book, although they are not the same abbreviations used today (our modern abbreviations were standardized by Weldon’s Practical Needlework in 1906). Since the book is out of copyright, you can download a free PDF copy of the book at Archive.org. I found this to be a fascinating look at knitting around the time of Jane Austen’s later years. Although the book was published in 1840, many of the patterns were in use and passed down by word of mouth many years before that, so it’s possible these are

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

The Robe by Wes King

Captain’s Log, Stardate 01.07.2006 I’ve been developing the spiritual theme for this current project for a while, and I think I’ve finally nailed it down. This song has inspired me in my own walk, but then it occurred to me that it communicates the emotional theme for my WIP very well, too. The Robe by Wes King Anyone whose heart is cold and lonely Anyone who can't believe Anyone whose hands are worn and empty Come as you are Anyone whose feet are tired of walking And even lost their will to run There is a place of rest for your aching soul Come as you are For the robe is of God That will clothe your nakedness And the robe is His grace It's all you need Come as you are Anyone who feels that they're unworthy Anyone whose just afraid Come sinner, come and receive His mercy Come as you are For the robe is of God That will clothe your nakedness And the robe is His grace It's all you need Come as you are From the album: The Robe c1993 Emily Boothe, Inc. (BMI)/Careers-BMG Mus

Grace Livingston Hill romances free on Google Books

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

Cleo’s Drawstring Purse knitting pattern w/ @KnitPicks CotLin

Kari Trumbo is one of the twelve authors who participated with me in the Christian Contemporary Romance anthology, Save the Date . Kari’s novella in the anthology is titled January Hope . In celebration, I wrote a knitting pattern for the lace drawstring purse used by Kari’s heroine, Cleo. (In case you missed it, here are the links for my interview with Kari part 1 and part 2 . Tomorrow I’ll post an excerpt of one of Kari’s other books, Better Than First .) This is a pretty and practical little bag used by the heroine Cleo in Kari Trumbo’s novella, January Hope . Knit in a cotton/linen blend yarn, it’s just large enough for a cell phone and a small wallet. In the book, Cleo’s bag was a coral shade, but the bag I knit here is a chocolate brown color. The lace pattern is the Double Rose Leaf stitch pattern originally published on page 195 in The Lady's Assistant, volume 2 by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, published in 1847. ( You can download a scanned .pdf of the book from Archive.

A List of my Free Blog Reads

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Humorous Romantic Suspense: Year of the Dog (Warubozu Spa Chronicles series, Prequel novel) (Currently being posted monthly on my blog as a serial novel) Marisol Mutou, a professional dog trainer, finally has a chance to buy a facility for her business, but her world is upended when she must move in with her disapproving family, who have always made her feel inadequate. When she stumbles upon a three-year-old missing persons case, security expert Ashwin Keitou, whose car she accidentally rear-ended a few weeks earlier, is tasked with protecting her. However, danger begins to circle around them from people who want the past to remain there. Can they shed light on the secrets moving in the shadows? Christian Romantic Suspense: Necessary Proof (Sonoma series #4.1, n