A reader who’s met Ruso via audio books got in touch the other day with a good point – if you don’t have a printed copy, you can’t see the map. This is no problem with the first book since it doesn’t have a map anyway – find Chester in north-west England and that’s Deva. In fact if you zoom in on the street plan of the modern city centre, you can still see the layout of the main streets in the Roman fort (they cross where Watergate Street now meets the top of Bridge Street).
Ruso and the Demented Doctor/Terra Incognita DOES have a map. I don’t have a final version to post on the site and don’t know whether I’d be able to anyway (copyright, etc). However…for anyone who’s wondering where the locations are, the Book II page now has a picture of what the longsuffering publishers received and had to untangle in order to produce the proper map. I hope it makes some sort of sense, and thanks to Laurie for pointing this out.
Ruth Downie 
Hi Ruth
Greetings from Down Under! (Sydney)
Ah the wonders of this new-fangled technology.
There I was looking on eBay and abbeys.com.au to see if I could buy your new book (I can) and then I googled you and here is your blog!
Now I am less confused, as I was wondering why you planned to simultaneously release two novels. Perhaps you have been thinking, for years, of the success of Back To The Future 2 and 3?
But no, it’s the usual US/UK thing…
Congratulations on Medicus; I thoroughly enjoyed it and warmed to Ruso. Can’t wait to read his and Tilla’s next adventure (and development of relationship). That cad Valens is entertaining and I hope to see more of him.
Best wishes for your next adventure!
Oh Ray, if only I could write fast enough to release two novels simultaneously! (in fact if only I could write fast enough to get the next one done on schedule…) Glad you’ve been demystified, anyway. That’s partly why the blog is here.
Great to hear you enjoyed the first book and yes, Valens will be putting in an appearance in whichever version of Book 2 is the easiest to track down in Sydney.
My goodness, a strange smiley face has appeared in the middle of the text above. It seems this is what happens when you follow 3 full stops with a closing bracket. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this technology stuff…
Dear Ms. Downie,
I live on a small island in Washington State USA. I took “Medicus” out of our local library and was so enchanted that I am now reading “Terra Incognita”.
I have enjoyed both your books and look forward to more of them.
We visited London in 2005 on a tour and our mouths are still wide open. You have a marvelous country. One of these days we hope to return and do Chester and the north.
Sincerely,
Georgia Lyster
Hi Georgia,
Great to hear you’re a supporter of the local library! I work part-time in a public library and they’re an excellent thing (deserving vastly more funding than they get, but that’s another story).
Hope you make it to the north before long: there’s stacks to see and do, especially if you’re planning a trip round the Roman remains. Chester’s an excellent place to visit. I’m going back in October for their literary festival and am really looking forward to it.
Best wishes,
Ruth