In Depth with Zoe Archer

Lots of research went into the writing of Lady X's Cowboy, which is one of my favorite things about writing historical romance.  I'd love to share with you some of the things I learned about life in Victorian England and the American West.

Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls

Olivia is an inveterate reader of what were known as "dime novels" or "penny dreadfuls."  The beginnings of the dime novel in America started with James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), whose Leatherstocking tales helped popularize and romanticize the American frontier.  Cheap and popular novels about adventure were printed by Erastus and Irwin Beadle, which were widely read by Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  Erastus Beadle opened a London office in 1862, where the books became known as "shilling shockers" and "penny dreadfuls."  In addition to stories about the American West, other tales of adventure and intrigue sparked the interest of the public.

In December 1869, "Buffalo Bill, the King of the Border Men" debuted as a serial in Street and Smith's New York Weekly.  It was written by Ned Buntline, the pen name for American adventurer Edward Judson.  Numerous stories about Cody and other frontier scouts appeared during the 1860s through the 1880s.  After Judson died, Colonel Prentiss Ingraham took over the Buffalo Bill stories.  Ingraham wrote well over one hundred Buffalo Bill stories, plays and short sketches.  By the late 1880s, urbanization and industrialization made Westerns less popular than stories of city life.

For more information about dime novels and penny dreadfuls, click here.

Beer and Breweries

As someone who doesn't really drink, I had a lot of research to do about beer and breweries!  During the 19th century, brewery owners were known as being exceptionally wealthy. Beer, one of the most popular beverages when water supplies were often unsafe, was considered to be a wholesome English drink, unlike gin, or as it was also known, "Blue Ruin."

William Hogarth's engraving,  "Gin Lane," from 1751.

Brewing beer was not new to England by the latter half of the 19th century, but advancements in brewing technology were made possible through modern industrialization.  Heavy stouts and porters gave way to lighter, "brighter" ales.  Beer could also be produced on a larger scale, thanks to mechanization, as well as providing a greater consistency between batches.  By the 1870s, the profitability of brewing was widely known, and gentlemen and even some aristocrats tried their hand at the trade, people like Lord David Xavier and George Pryce.

Traditional Kentish oast house

A cross section of J.W. Astley's brewery (1900).  From the invaluable resource, The British Brewing Industry: 1830-1980, by T.R. Gourvish and R.G. Wilson

Cowboy Slang

I loved writing Will's dialogue!  The colorful and inventive vocabulary of the American frontiersman, especially the men we came to know as "cowboys," is part of the legend of the Old West.  Some of Will's expressions were taken from cowboy slang dictionaries, but a goodly amount was my own invention.

A gen-u-ine cowboy.

There are many cowboy slang dictionaries available at your local library or bookstore, but for an online dictionary, check out this site here

Fashion

Although ladies' fashions of the Victorian period are lovely, I would never want to wear them, myself.   Corsets, bustles, petticoats...no, thanks.  Sometimes, their clothing weighed over 14 pounds!  No wonder that Amelia Bloomer's "rational" clothing movement began - although it never quite gained acceptability.  For many years, I studied costume history, so I turned to my own library when contemplating what elegant garments Olivia would wear as she went about her day.  Even a sensible businesswoman such as Olivia must stay au courante.

Evening and dinner gowns of 1883, from Harper's Bazaar.

Music

We are so used to having music available whenever, wherever we want, that it is difficult to imagine what a rare treat music was during this time period.  In order to satisfy their needs for music, many people learned to play instruments or sang.  Naturally, daughters of aristocratic, wealthy and middle-class homes were taught to play piano.  Out on the Range, however, there weren't many genteel women, and cowboys had to make their own music.  Even the toughest cow puncher could play the fiddle, and, yes, sometimes cowboys played saloon piano during the cold months.

To get into the spirit of my books, I listen to music while writing.  I find that it works like a "soundtrack" to the book.  For Lady X's Cowboy, I often turned to the albums of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.  (You may remember Jay Ungar performing the hauntingly beautiful "Ashokan Farewell" on the soundtrack to the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War.)

For the pivotal scene in Olivia's music room, I was particularly inspired by the piece "Bare Necessities (Lewis & Clark's Theme)" from the soundtrack to the documentary The West.  The opening piano section exactly captures the exquisite, wild sorrow of Will's unnamed composition.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the world of Lady X's Cowboy.  It was wonderful to be able to use my love of research and integrate it into the story.  See you soon!

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