[Krista D. Ball]

First, I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support of What Kings Ate. Seriously. I have been completely and utterly humbled by the emails, tweets, shares, and comments. Even with a delayed print book (please do not blame the publisher; it really has not been their fault at all), many of you still pre-ordered a print book. Thank you so much.

With all of that said, I've now been getting a lot of, "what's next" requests. I didn't want to announce the next book, since What Kings Ate wasn't even out and I didn't have an agreement with my publisher on content, etc. However, I've begun working on the next historical guide for writers and it will be called...Harlots, Hustlers, and Heroines: A Guide to London's Nether Regions.

Once again, thank you everyone for encouraging me throughout this journey to combine the three things I love the most: history, fiction, and making people laugh. I never thought I could actually get paid doing what I love.

(This is the blog post with more detail: http://kristadball.com/2013/01/super-sekrit-book-is-officially-out-of-the-closet/ )

ETA: The book won't be out until late 2014, so this really isn't self-promo

 

[Krista D. Ball]

I hope so!

And I had some special friends who helped read through the original outline to make sure it would be interesting 

 

[PhoenixS]

Said in the whiniest voice possible: "2014? Nooooooo! You are such a tease!"

So glad it was all able to come together in a way that makes all parties involved happy -- and profitable . Congrats!

 

[Krista D. Ball]

Said in the whiniest voice possible: "2014? Nooooooo! You are such a tease!"

A lot of research goes into a book like this or What Kings Ate. I was saying on another group today that the goal is to spend the next 6-8 months researching, then write/edit for 3-4 months, then research/fact-check for another 1-2 months. I've read and written a lot on the topic already, so I think I can write it in a shorter amount of time than WKA (which took me about 16 months). But I still will need a year to write it, plus then there is the artwork, editing, the publishing schedule.

 

[Nicole Ciacchella]

With all of that said, I've now been getting a lot of, "what's next" requests. I didn't want to announce the next book, since What Kings Ate wasn't even out and I didn't have an agreement with my publisher on content, etc. However, I've begun working on the next historical guide for writers and it will be called...Harlots, Hustlers, and Heroines: A Guide to London's Nether Regions.

Best. Title. Ever.

Congrats to you! These both sound like really great books, and I wish you a lot of success with them!

 

[Zelah Meyer]

That one sounds great too!  Definitely keep us posted on that one.  Sounds like another one for the wish list once it's out. 

I don't mind waiting for the delayed paper version of What Kings Ate, because my TBR pile is huge, especially after Christmas!  I look forward to reading it once it's live though. 

 

[Krista D. Ball]

Best. Title. Ever.

Thanks

I had to top What Kings Ate & Wizards Drank, so...you know how it goes

(It was originally "London's Underbelly" but my partner was like, nah, you need something saucier. The publisher agreed )

 

[unkownwriter]

Great title!

Made a note to add both to my wish list, as they may come in handy for future novels, plus I bet they'd be a hoot to read just for fun.

 

[Krista D. Ball]

Sounds great, Krista! I can't wait!!!

And you have a dragon book coming out soon, too! We're like the non-fiction duo...or something

 

[JRTomlin]

Sounds like an interesting topic.

I don't suppose you would add a chapter that just repeats over and over, "Every nobleman in England was NOT a duke."?

 

[Krista D. Ball]

Sounds like an interesting topic.

I don't suppose you would add a chapter that just repeats over and over, "Every nobleman in England was NOT a duke."?

Or a young, unmarried duke. Most of them during the Regency were rather...old and crusty-looking!

 

[JRTomlin]

Or a young, unmarried duke. Most of them during the Regency were rather...old and crusty-looking!

And darn few of them. There are, I believe, a total of 26 dukedoms in the peerage of the entire British Isles, including all four nations. (I might be missing one or two but that's close. There have never been dukes on every street corner lol) That number has not changed drastically in the past few hundred years. Sorry, OT for your new book.

I'm definitely going to look for it even though I don't write about England or about that period. Still it looks entertaining.

 

[41413]

Chapter 5: Venereal Disease, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Addiction

SOLD.

Gimme.

 

[Krista D. Ball]

And darn few of them. There are, I believe, a total of 26 dukedoms in the peerage of the entire British Isles, including all four nations. (I might be missing one or two but that's close. There have never been dukes on every street corner lol) That number has not changed drastically in the past few hundred years.

I thought there was 28, so looks like we're both in the same ballpark. There's a few Earls and whatnot in there, but it wasn't like these guys were all on the market all at once

I plan to (generally) address the peerage situation as the reason why I wanted to address the other half...or, rather, the other 95% of society. The lady who scrubbed Mr. Darcy's chamberpot, the servants who were tossed out because they were pregnant, gay men who worked as prostitutes, etc.

 

[Zelah Meyer]

gay men who worked as prostitutes, etc.

In case it's any use to you in your research, 'Hidden From History - Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past' (Penguin) ISBN 0-14-014363-7 has a short chapter/essay on Male prostitution in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. It's a fascinating book anyway if you're looking for stuff that some of the conventional history books leave out. I came across it when researching my degree dissertation (which was on cross dressing, because they wouldn't let me write about The Chronicles of Narnia. Strange but true story that!)

 

[Krista D. Ball]

In case it's any use to you in your research, 'Hidden From History - Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past' (Penguin) ISBN 0-14-014363-7 has a short chapter/essay on Male prostitution in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. It's a fascinating book anyway if you're looking for stuff that some of the conventional history books leave out. I came across it when researching my degree dissertation (which was on cross dressing, because they wouldn't let me write about The Chronicles of Narnia. Strange but true story that!)

Thanks for the tip. There are a few books on male prostitution in Britain during that period. I'll also cover the Mother Clap trials, which will be interesting for many people to read, I'm sure.

 

[Adriana Ryan]

Congrats, Krista!

 

[David Adams]

Krista, that's on my must-by list. LET ME KNOW WHEN IT COMES OUT!

 

[JRTomlin]

I thought there was 28, so looks like we're both in the same ballpark. There's a few Earls and whatnot in there, but it wasn't like these guys were all on the market all at once

I plan to (generally) address the peerage situation as the reason why I wanted to address the other half...or, rather, the other 95% of society. The lady who scrubbed Mr. Darcy's chamberpot, the servants who were tossed out because they were pregnant, gay men who worked as prostitutes, etc.

I thought I might be leaving out 1 or 2.

True there were (and are) earls, viscounts, and gentlemen (which is what Mr. Darcy was) but of course the girl in a romance will only settle for a Duke, although you would think that the fact that he's old, fat and has the gout would be off-putting.

 

[Krista D. Ball]

Actually, JR do you think it would be helpful to include a peerage chart in the appendix? I can do a simplified one even, with a general idea of how many of those people existed at any one time.