AUTHOR Anne loiselle

Is Eye of Horus (Horatic) Yoga Real?

No. I wanted a way to introduce the wellness and philosophical concepts associated with the Egyptian eye of Horus into this series, and having Lily’s studio take it as its name seemed a good way to do that. Having established this special studio, I felt it needed a special, unusual foundation and was inspired by a type of yoga I wandered into nearly two decades ago called (at the time) Dahn. This was, in fact, a combination of yoga and martial arts moves that was developed in Korea in the 1980s. I liked the idea that someone in the modern world could create a whole new training method based on, but not constrained by, ancient techniques.

Is Mattaponi a real place?

No. There are neighborhoods in Maryland along the Potomac River near the canal towpath, and I took these as general inspiration, seeing various parts of them in my mind’s eye as I conjured up Lily’s living arrangement, and making up the rest. The Corbin’s house and pool are complete fabrication on my part. Similarly, the shopping center where Lily’s studio and the fictitious Iguana are located are a merging, in my imagination, of various similar shopping centers in both Maryland and Virginia, not any place in particular.

Is St. Sava a real place?

No. I needed a fictional duchy and settled on this one. The name and background were inspired by the Hilander monastery in Greece, but otherwise it’s all made up to fit the story. Incidentally, my decision to make the current estate a racehorse training center was an intentional nod to my love and admiration for all the wonderful stories by Dick Francis.