"Fraulein, you are obviously many things, not the least of which is repetitious."

I do not want to let slide all the questions you asked me a couple of weeks ago, so I think I'll just go ahead  and answer them all in this post! They are not particularly philosophical questions, so a line or two in answer to each will certainly be adequate and probably less confusing for you readers than trying to devote an entire post to a single inquiry. Got it? Okay.

Bree asked: "To which character in The Baby to you feel most sympathetic? To which can you most relate?" Though there are several characters to whom I feel much sympathy, I believe The Queen would be the one who garners most from me. You want to hate her simply because she's the whole reason a child was stolen, but you just can't. She is the sort of woman who would not have been royalty if she hadn't had a brother ambitious enough for both of them, and though she rules well, she is a little bewildered and only comes out of her bewilderment when in the presence of her baby, the Prince of Crissendumm.
I can most relate, probably, to Jamsie or Smidgen; both are trying to keep the scraps of their family together, both are finding certain aspects of that responsibility a challenge, both have a lot at stake. I can relate not because my family is falling apart, but because if it ever came to that, I'd feel like the responsible party. I can also relate to Starling, though, as far as longing for certain things that seem impossible, and going about the Palace making odd observations and remarks. That is not to say that these three are my favorite, but that I can most relate to them. I think at present The Admiral is my absolute favorite, and now I've got Elisabeth on board with me in that respect which makes me happy.

Bree also asked: "What age-range are you aiming for with this book?" Technically speaking, it is for ages 12 and up. Jamsie and Richmond, the principle characters, are thirteen and twelve respectively (I think? I forget now) so it is a little young to be classified as Y/A fiction. But it's not mid-grade fiction - the themes and complexities are a little advanced for middle-schoolers, I think, though I saw recently that middle-schoolers were being required to read The Scarlet Letter. I mean, honestly? You'll soon tell me that Bleak House is required reading in kindergarten. I have always enjoyed "children's" books, so I think identifying with one age-range (while easier for marketing) lessens the value that an all-encompassing range would have. I think that many readers in many age-ranges will enjoy The Baby. The side-characters are, for the most part, out of their teens, so there are plenty of adults to interest older readers.

And: "Who is The Baby, or is that Top Secret?" The ambiguity of The Baby's identity is purposeful and inevitable. You will have to wait to read the book for a full explanation.

And: How long is the project currently? (and how long to you expect it to be?) Currently, The Baby is a sorry little 21,000 words long. I still have much of the plot to write, but it is not going to be a hefty book. I hope to reach 70-80,000 words.  Lots of work to do. *sigh*. I have been busy with plotting and detailing, but there has not been over-much writing going on. The trouble with building word-count for me seems to be all the alleys I could go down with my fascinating side-characters, and knowing me, I have to be careful not to give them too much of the stage. (good luck with that.)

Esther asked a mash of simple questions that I can answer quickly:

1. Are the Baby, Jamsie, and Richmond the only earth-folk in Crissendum at the moment? One can never be quite sure, can they? The thing is, the citizens of Crissendumm often visit this world, but this world is rather ignorant of the existence of their world, so apart from tumbling down The Puddle or another portal, people seldom go there.

2. In whose household is Starling? The Queen's household. At the start of the book, Starling is an unfortunate undermaid's undermaid.

3. How old are Jamsie, Richmond, Smidgen, and Starling? Jamsie is thirteen, almost fourteen; Richmond is twelve, almost thirteen. Smidgen never exactly tells us his age, but I'd warrant he's in line with Richmond. Starling is sixteen, but very small for her age.

4.  Falling into Crissendum is apparently simple enough, since your characters did it accidentally. Is it as easy to fall out? Does the puddle go both ways? There are several portals in and out of Crissendumm. One would be sailing off the edge of the world, because in Crissendumm, this is still possible. Another method is stepping in the arch formed by the Nodding Twins, two ancient willows. This dumps you out somewhere in a wood in America and is a mischievous way, because you're never sure which wood. There are other ways, like stepping through a certain reflection of a reflection into the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, which can be a bit awkward. The portals are all marked on the globes made in Crissendumm, and are common knowledge. It is a rule with the portals that they can only work one direction each trip, so you have to exit by a different portal; this keeps traffic to a low. Imagine banging into someone careening down one way while you were shooting up the opposite direction? Road-kill in such instances would be difficult to clean up. 

5. Who is this John character? John Brady is Leona's love interest, and Leona is Smidgen's sister. John is a teacher at Whiskin's Abbey at the beginning of his contracted term of four years, and thus tied to life as a monk for the interim. 

And for the very last question, Bree asked if I could give you a proper introduction to Crissendumm. I shall refer all of you who are curious to Crissendumm: A World Inside a World where I explain lots and lots about this strange place. I hope my answers satisfied you, and thank you so much for asking; I love to delve into the whys and wherefores thereof. :)

Crissendumm: a world inside a world

It is generally an excellent maxim to explain to your readers where a story is set, and what the place is, and if you've made it up, how it differs from any other world. For instance, there's not much sense in setting a book in a different world if it could just as easily happen on Earth. There's also not much sense in making a world that is entirely the same as Earth, just by a different name, because in that case you're simply confusing the reader with useless information, and saddling yourself with tedious, involved world-building. That being said, I suppose it is time to give you a proper introduction to Crissendumm, which is the world in which Jamsie and Richmond find themselves in The Baby. I'll categorize like Jenny did a rather long time ago for her Plenilune so I can cover more topics more effectively. So. Here we go.

Crissendumm and Earth

Crissendumm and Earth are what you might call "parallel universes", except that in this case, Crissendum is like a smaller globe that fits inside our globe and there are portals between the two. As you've often heard, Earth-folk reference this world frequently, only they are prone to spelling it wrong. (Christendom) Crissendumm is the older of the two, or at least feels itself the hands-off observer-protector of our world. The inhabitants are more or less content to leave Earth-folk alone, except when one falls down one of the portals, and then the Earth-person will find himself rather patronized. Crissedumm is the older sibling who seldom takes risks because risks are ridiculous. It is the steady sister, the rocking, wide-bosom'd ship that our world falls back on for wisdom when they're out of their own. "In all Christendom," is a common term heard here, or "What in Christendom?" which is an equally valid term, considering that Crissendumm does things a bit differently than we do here. Accents, language, literature--all are very similar to our England's, with a few additions.

Technology

At the time of the events of The Baby, Crissendumm is not far behind in things than Victorian England. At least in the knowledge of things. But in typical older-siblings-who-does-things-better fashion, Crissendumm has kept to many of the "old ways" that have become medieval elsewhere. They absolutely refuse to build railways or use automobiles, for instance, but have clocks and pocket-watches and other paraphernalia. The Castle is rather ancient in design, but the manor-houses in the valley, such as Darrow-Dwelling are quite what you'd find in Derbyshire or any other prosperous county in England. So you see, anything they do not have at the time of the story that England does have is simply a matter of taste, not of lack of invention.

Clothing

Clothing is, of course, essential. And the inhabitants of Crissendumm move more slowly in their fashion than Earth-folk. The Queen Veronique, for example, wears a little something like this:

//the baby pinterest board//

The gowns are beautiful, elaborate, and made of classically royal materials such as silk, lace, brocade, velvet, etc. At least for the palace women. Women elsewhere are clothed in more or less classic "women's clothing" which ends up looking rather more Victorian than the royal people. Dresses like this are popular among the younger women, as well as skirts and blouses, shawls, and aprons:

 They are not much given to wearing hats unless they are caps, and those only among the middle-aged, married women. The men almost never wear hats, unless they are porters, post-men, etc. In general, the men go for strong looks of leather and metal and other things like that. Knee-boots, gloves, belts, and daggers are all common wear. They like facial hair well enough, especially in the case of Lord Darron Ap-Brainard who is characterized by his wealth of dark, unruly hair on his head and face. We don't particularly think that attractive, but he will wear it that way.

                                       

Religion

The prime religion of Crissendumm is Christianity, though whether Protestant or Catholic never quite has been stated. The monks at Whiskin's Abbey are involved closely enough with the government of Crissendumm, Brother Aristophenes in particular serving as Lord High Chancellor to the queen, but otherwise there is very little religious tension between denominations.

The monks are considered to be among the most well-educated in Crissendumm, and to be a teacher at an Abbey school is a coveted position with strict life-choices. The teachers must live at the Abbey by the same rules and regulations the monks do for a contracted period of four years during which they will not make a salary at all--such a position is honor enough for any young man, and whoever holds this position is required to live literally like a monk. This causes trouble for some vibrant young men who don't relish the thought of living four years doing nothing but teaching.

History & Mythology

Crissendumm's history is still being revealed--I am not certain of all the parts and pieces of it, only that the royal family has always been peaceful and little-given to fighting expensive wars. There are plenty of conflicts within the place itself, that the main events in recent history have been passages between Earth and Crissendumm now and then, and of course the events of The Baby, which haven't yet transpired. Crissendumm breeds stronger men, perhaps of a less-diluted variety than the Earth-folk do, so there is a rich history of heroes of the Crissendumm race. In Starling's view:

Lord Ap-Brainard stood larger n’ life inside her head: tall, good-looking, brawny. Someone who might go well alongside the people in Crissendumm’s stories: Verog with his pair of bulls and tattooed arms, or Salisbard the Mighty--so large a man, they said, that the birds built nests in his beard, thinking his legs were tree-trunks. And Lord Darron Ap-Brainard was just as alive in her mind. Some folk thought the legends were made up by silly old men long ago, but Starling wasn’t so sure.

Miscellaneous

The people of Crissendumm are clannish and a bit quarrelsome at times with each other, though they present an united front in the face of any 'foreigners'. There are common social classes, but each citizen is generally a bit wealthier than the average citizen in London. There are very few slums, for Crissendumm is still very much tied to the agricultural system and there is always work to be done for those who have the will.

The mail is carried by "fleets" of birds, usually crows, who work in the same fashion as passenger-pigeons, and are overseen by an "admiral" who is responsible for their care and well-being.

When it comes to food, Crissendumm is a rich world with a good appetite. Any of the plummiest dishes are made, and made frequently with a very high and British fondness when it comes to tea and toast. Banquets are not unusual affairs, especially in September and October as the harvest comes in.

So. I hope you've enjoyed this bit of a world-building study, and that you will feel free to point out any categories I've missed! I also hope that by now you've got a better grasp of Crissendumm, and will be able to follow the story even better now that I've set forth a few things in a bit of a clearer light!