The Gramophone Society

I'm about to go and write the next chapter of my new book, The Gramophone Society. I've stepped out of my comfort zone for this one, and that has given me the opportunity to do some really fun research.


The book is set in a system of tunnels under a castle during World War II. Evacuees are kept there by the unscrupulous Lady of the castle; while she feeds them and educates them, all underground, she uses them as well.


Plus there's a whole side plot about her heir, Victor, and a really nasty doctor with disturbing saying scrawled all over the walls of his office.


Enter my modern anti-heroine, Julia, who finds that the stairs to the attic now lead down into those tunnels during 1939. She has problems of her own: bulimia, for one, as well as a broken home.


In order to write the book I set up a HUGE story map. 

It was a lot of fun to create and it keeps my concepts from running out the door as I nail them down.

I also had to create my castle:

and my system of tunnels:

I was stuck on my story for a bit until I found a great image for Victor. I wanted him to be beautiful but damaged. Here he is:

I had to add the facial tat and the shirt.

To further research, I went to the Edison Museum and looked at all the lovely gizmos there. It's pure analog heaven, and better than sex (sort of) for a steampunk / dieselpunk fiend like me.

Lovely old equipment from the Edison think tank

I also got my hands on two of my father-in-laws books. He was a engineer during WWII, and I got images from his Handbooks and his "Audell's New Automobile Guide." (This is a beautiful volume with a hand-tooled cover; I'm so lucky to have it!

I'm off to create the rest of this adventure. Time to get lost in the Tunnels again.