Writing THE END at the bottom of the page – the bottom of the whole great scrolling and unwieldy document, in fact – should be a cork-popping moment.
And so, in a way, it is. The Valide has made her point, Yashim has saved his little bit of a vanished world, and whatever I hoped would be true about it all has been said, one way or another. For this time, and in this story.
But An Evil Eye isn’t quite finished, yet.
There are scenes which need knitting together. There’s a whole character who needs to be veiled more thickly in suspicion. A ticking clock I still need to wind. I need, finally, to print the whole book out and sit up somewhere with tea and a pencil.
The book’s there, all the same. More from Preen, the dancer; Palewski coming up trumps, and laying his comfortable fire; some good moments between Yashim and his chopping board again. And also a story about Yashim dealing with his own past, as it comes up to bite him in the character of Fevzi Ahmed Pasha – a real-life figure I’ve snatched out of history for the purposes of the novel. Oh, and the Valide, who is getting increasingly frail…
I’m pleased about the time-scale of the book, too, which starts in the same month as The Bellini Card, but returns to Istanbul that winter, when snow lies on the ground. Different stories, but casual overlap here and there.
An Evil Eye revolves around treachery and the harem. Both of them moral dilemmas, of a sort.
So the champagne’s on ice – at least until the pencil’s done its work. And then, perhaps, it’s time to move to a new blog, too?
An Evil Eye.
Have just discovered your website and look forward to hours of enjoyment. I have just finished the Bellini Card and am thrilled another is on the way! What a wonderful and exciting world you have opened up through your historical novels – much more interesting than a history book!
Being a visual person, wonder about the possibility of putting a map of the Istanbul and Golden Horn area in the front of the book for reference; so we can ‘see’ the Galata Bridge and Pera district more vividly.
Thank you again for the wonderful adventure. Though I know ‘who did it’ I am sure I will re-read some of Yashim’s adventures in the fascinating city of Istanbul.
Keep writing! Diane
(married, newly retired, grandmother; spent 6 hours in Istanbul through cruise – only wet my appetite for more!)
Dear Diane,
Thanks so much for your lovely note – and yes, I agree we could do with a map. It’s funny, the publishers on both sides of the Atlantic aren’t very interested in the idea, but I’ll keep on suggesting it!
best
Jason
Lovely idea!
Oh publishers! troublesome, indeed.
Please insist, the map is such a wonderful idea; Istambul is one of those cities that for must of us is difficult to picture in our imaginations, even thou thanks to your descriptions I have much better idea of what is like.
I love the way you weave the historical characters in your fiction, and that you have made Yasim such a great guy; I am the kind of reader that is not willing spend any time with people I don’t like, in real life or books, …. an he is a favorite.
Do you know when will be publish in the US?