dyslexic dukes and limping lords

I read Laura Quinn's new book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham, yesterday. Really good: excellent characterization, H&H were really good for each other, and almost enough non-evilness to the duchess like maybe she's a pain but there's a human in there, but I felt some of the plot points went unresolved. Like why Jack's cousin felt compelled to join the army - I can come up with some reasons, but I felt like I was missing something. And why his father never even mentioned who his family was and why no one wrote home to say "oh, by the way, he got married and his wife is pregnant" even though someone had written to say he died. Though on this latter point, Jack turned out to be a much nicer guy than he would have been. I am looking forward eagerly to the second Duke of Wyndham book.

Anyway, it got me thinking about the several times that dyslexia has been used in romance - and other - novels, especially in historicals, since way back then, they didn't know why Johnny couldn't read, they just figured he was dumb as a post. One of those 19th-century-romances set in Egypt has a dyslexic hero. (I've read two and they're hopelessly mixed up in my mind. Not the one by Loretta Chase, but the other one - I had read the other one and so when I saw the one by Chase, thought it was the same one and so didn't read that one until I read the BCC a little more closely and realized that I hadn't read it. Anyway.) And it seems like it has come up on other books, maybe even another Quinn?

And then it made me think of the books with wounded heroes of the Napoleonic Wars, limping around disgruntledly, having nightmares. Which led me to the modern and historical heroes with their PTSD.

Too many books in my head, it makes me wonder how I ever get to sleep at night.

If I could only get my own books out of my head and onto the page. I actually started a new book a couple of weeks ago, but got bogged down. It was historical, but I don't know enough actual history to be able to write what I wanted to say, plus it was starting to come down to the women needing to be rescued and protected and that's not my favorite plot line. I'll keep messing with it, I think.

T minus 2 hours to a birthday party. They can't waaaaiiiiit.