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Cozy Con Midwest
I had such a fabulous time at my first Cozy Con, I cannot wait for the next! Here we got some highlights…
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#writerreadswriting Recommends: The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life
I loved this book. Flat out. Had me at hello. I found it when I was on vacation in Atlanta. My husband was at a conference, so The Son and I were doing a bookstore-and-ice-cream tour of the city. Atlanta, BTW, is a fabulous place to do this particular tour. I had heard about this title on the Smart Podcast Trashy Books podcast, and I opened it in the store to see if I’d like it. Now, I am very leery of the “narrated by a ghost,” trope. It’s gotten a bit old, but in this book it’s handled deftly and with humor, as is everything else. There’s a lot…
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Out of the Omnibus: The Corsican Sisters
During the Age of Empire, a particular sub-genre of thriller/horror stories emerged in English letters. It involved English travellers finding out that the natives of whatever country they were tramping through might not actually like them. This sub-genre includes “The Corsican Sisters,” by Violet Hunt. The sisters in question are two beautiful peasant girls whisked away from their humble existence by an English family determined to give the girls a glorious season in London. They are then returned to Corsica and the family moves on. The sisters, however, do not, or rather, they cannot. The story is told from the point of view of Lelis, who is the daughter of…
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Out of the Omnibus
So, I found this book in the second hand store. Fifty cents, I kid you not. The intro by the splendid Ms. Sayers alone is worth the price of admission. I love reading old books. A deep dive into the strange and the obscure is my favorite catnip. Also, as an untrained urbanite, it’s the only kind of archeology I get to do. And as I’m writing madly on my next mysteries and thrillers, I figured getting some deep background on the genre would be useful. But let’s face it, mostly, I just have an impolite passion for old, weird books. FIRST UP: THE CORSICAN SISTERS by Violet Hunt
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Raves for Rosalind!
Paved with Books loves The Useful Woman mysteries! They say: “With A Useful Woman, Rosalind Thorne became one of my favourite lady detectives in literature. So when A Purely Private Matter came out, my expectations for it were off the chart. Thankfully, it rose to the challenge. The mystery was delightful in its twists and turns, but it was the characters that, once again, won me over.” Read all the thoughts and feelings here, and order your copy!
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It’s the Holidays!
TIME TO PARTY LIKE IT’S 1899!!! And I’ll be doing my partying at the fabulous Aunt Agatha’s Mystery Bookshop on Saturday Dec. 9. Starting at 2pm I’ll be joining Con Lahene who writes the 42nd Street Library mysteries, and Patricia Abbott, author of SHOT IN DETROIT; AND legal thriller writer and attorney Mark Bello; AND Judy Lee Burke, author of BLACKROCK AND Meg Macy, author of BEARLY DEPARTED. There will be snacks. More importantly there will be books. You should be there too.
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All Rise…!
And give your full attention to this lovely sample from the Audiobook for A PURELY PRIVATE MATTER — https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5kDItR1ICZc
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Longest Title Ever
When doing historical research, you end up reading strange books with strange titles. Take, for instance, this classic that was written for young men reading law in the Inner Temple by one Mr. John Impey: The Practice of the Office of the Sheriff; Shewing The Powers and Duties of those Offices. The Manner of Appointing the High Sheriff, the Under Sheriff and their Deputies. The Elections of the Serrifs of London and Middlesex with the Bye-Laws of the City Relating Thereto. The Nature of Actions by and Against Sheriffs Including All the Modern Determinations and Necesary Precedents of Retursn to Writs &c. Also The Practice of the Office of the…
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Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Terrific news for fans of Rosalind Thorne, and audiobooks. A USEFUL WOMAN, the first Rosalind Thorne mystery will be available for your listening pleasure starting in January 2017!
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The Regency Makeover Trilogy is Complete!
They were dismissed as hopeless—girls too plain, too shy, too gauche to stand any chance in the ruthless competition of the London season. But Helene Fitzgerald, Madelene Valmeyer, and Adele Edmundson have no intention of remaining wallflowers. Aided by the notorious novelist, Deborah Sewell, they form the Wallflower Pact and set out to find true love for themselves—and maybe even their chaperone. Now you can read the whole story — the lives, loves and triumphs of: Lady Adele Endicott — The Bride Behind the Curtain Miss Madelene Valmeyer — The Stepsister’s Triumph Lady Helene Fitzgerald — An Exquisite Marriage
