Esther's Ever After: A Spark Unseen Blog Hop, Day 6

Don't forget to stop by and visit some other stops on the blog hop!

Last year I read The Dark Unwinding and fell head over heels for it - I even listed it as one of my TOP TEN books of 2012! It was that good. So you can imagine how excited I am for A Spark Unseen! I'm thrilled to be a part of the blog hop for A Spark Unseen, and have some really exciting tidbits to show you and even a giveaway for a paperback copy of The Dark Unwinding (perfect for those of you who haven't gotten around to reading it yet)!

I get to share with you a little bit about one of the locations found in A Spark Unseen. Take a look at this quote first.

Rue Trudon

One of my biggest research projects for A Spark Unseen was determining Katharine’s street address in Paris. I needed a street of connecting townhouses, mini-mansions with shared inner walls that dated to at least the 1790s, before the Reign of Terror, when France guillotined so much of its own population (hidden rooms for fugitive aristocrats, anyone?). It also needed to be an area frequented by foreigners. The gem I came across was Rue Trudon, located in a neighborhood known as “Little England.”

Eugène-Emmanuel Amaury-Duval "Tragedy or, Portrait of Rachel," 1854

At No. 4. lived Mlle. Rachel, the “celebrated tragic actress” (thank you Galignani’s Travel Guide!), a woman of rather notorious repute. But because of her tainted reputation, I got an amazing description of her rooms at No. 4, including the crystal chandelier with bronze cherubs, cream and gilt walls, and an enormous canopied bed, which gave me the height of the ceilings. And because of journal entries describing the auction after her death, I also discovered the interior courtyard, including trees, flowers pots, fountain, and the color of the house stones. Since Katharine had no time for neighbors other than Mrs. Hardcastle, poor Mlle. Rachel didn’t make into A Spark Unseen, I’m afraid. But her floor plan, decorations, and courtyard did!

Another resident was Robert R. Livingston, one of America’s founding fathers, who lived there from 1801-1804 while he was negotiating the Louisiana Purchase. He had his home on Rue Trudon “done up” because of “decay from age.” (Then the buildings were old in 1801! Yes!) And also living on the street was Alexis de Tocqueville,author, historian, an ousted member of the Imperial government and noted Napoleon III critic who favored expanding the navy of France. Could Henri Marchand have known this man?

Alexis de Tocqueville

Aside: Is it just me, or do Mlle. Rachel and Alexis look startlingly alike? But perhaps this is another novel!

Sadly, the little triangle of buildings that was Rue Trudon was completely demolished when the Rue Auber was expanded to create a better throughway in the 1870s. If someone discovered Katharine’s hidden attic during the demolition process, they never said a word.

About A Spark Unseen:
The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron’s blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.
When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.
But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust–if anyone–to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.
Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Find Sharon Cameron:

Website - sharoncameronbooks.com

Twitter - @CameronSharonE

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/19zQcRl
Website - http://sharoncameronbooks.com/news/