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Author’s Note
There’s an adage about writing what you know. The seeds of this story were planted by two loves of my childhood: an American TV show featuring female investigators and a Hong Kong Cantonese martial arts epic. Both showcased clever, badass women who could fight, solve mysteries, and battle injustice. Add in my love of historical romance, and my series concept was born.
In Olivia and the Masked Duke, I used the word “Orientalism” to refer to a ballroom decorated in a style felt to be representative of the nations and peoples of “the Orient,” including Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. The use of “Orientalism” in that sense has been around since 17691. There is also a more modern meaning to the word, popularized by Edward Saïd’s seminal book, Orientalism (1978)2.
Saïd’s conceptualization of “Orientalism” as a Western (European) social construct that systematically perpetuates stereotypes and myths about the East as “the Other” for multiple reasons—including cultural, financial, and political gain—was a theme that felt timely to explore. Of note, Olivia and the Masked Duke takes place between the two Opium Wars3. The first war started when China attempted to ban Britain from illegally importing opium into China in exchange for coveted Chinese goods, a practice that resulted in widespread social and economic harm for the Chinese. The second war resulted from Britain and France’s imperialistic agendas to gain more economical, territorial, and legal control in the East.
During the Victorian era, Orientalist tropes and ideas were pervasive in literature and the arts4. Examples can be found in the works of many popular writers of the era, including Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and the Brontë sisters. In doing background research for my hero, I read Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821), an autobiographical account of the author’s addiction to laudanum. De Quincey’s portrayal of the East as dangerous and threatening to the Western way of life is especially notable in his characterization of the “ferocious looking” Malay. In part, De Quincey’s fear and fascination with his feverish imagining of “the Other” inspired my idea for the villain of this story.
Notes
Author’s Note
1 Etymology Online.
2 Saïd, E., 1978. Orientalism. 1st ed. New York City: Pantheon Books.
3 Pletcher, Kenneth. “Opium Wars.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. February 05, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars
4 Kennedy, Valerie. "Orientalism in the Victorian Era." Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. August 22, 2017. Oxford University Press. <https://oxfordre.com/literature/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.001.0001/acrefore-9780190201098-e-226>
Praise for Olivia and the Masked Duke
“An exciting rollercoaster of a love story! This book delivers on a variety of levels. A slow burn, friends to lovers story. The plot is intricate, intimate, and all consuming. The couple’s passion burns through the pages.” -Jenna’s Historical Romance Blog
“This book has pretty much reduced me to describing it in one-word sentences. RAWR. YUM. YES!! SWEET. MORE... Livy and Ben together were ***swoon***. I really couldn’t get enough of them. The writing, as always with Grace Callaway, was beautiful, heartfelt, and full of emotion. Every time I read something she writes, I can feel it completely. The storyline was fantastic, and I was captivated from beginning to end.” -Candace, BookBub
“Olivia and Ben are so wonderful together. It is rare to find a match where the H & h share such a deep bond…. This book has it all—lead characters you truly love, fabulous side characters, murder, mystery, action, and a generous helping of steam and romance!” -Nazmin, Goodreads
“Ben and Olivia’s friendship is detailed through the years, and you can’t help falling in love with them and rooting for a happy ending. There’s a mystery that finally helps bring Ben and Olivia together (I don’t want give out any spoilers). There are some hot scenes between the two and lots of ups and downs in their relationship. If you love great character development, mystery, and a hot love story then this book is for you.”-Rhonda, Goodreads
“This book was sexy, heartfelt, and exciting. Ben, the Duke of Hadleigh, may be Callaway's darkest hero yet… Livy has loved him since he saved her life when she was twelve years old. She's the one person who sees him as completely good and lovable. Grace did a great job of redeeming Ben. This book has Grace's signature sexiness and suspense that she's so great at writing.” -Nancy, Goodreads
“This was another engaging and action-packed read that delivered likeable and interesting characters, mystery and intrigue, and steamy goodness galore!”-MG, Goodreads
“The platonic friendship between the two main characters was haunting and beautiful at the same time. The friendship defined both their lives. Watching the platonic love blossom into romantic love was breathtaking. Both characters had such an emotional journey.” -Jenna, Goodreads
ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR GRACE’S BOOKS
“Readers looking for a good historical mystery/romance or a historical with a little more kink will enjoy The Duke Who Knew Too Much.” -Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
“Grace Callaway writes the way Loretta Chase would if she got kind of dark and VERY naughty.” -Nicole, Goodreads
“Fairy tale meets Eliza Doolittle. Grace Callaway saves the best Duke book for the end of the series. It was hot, steamy, and warm-hearted.” -Stacy, Goodreads
“Can a
