Murder Most Ladylike
This month I’m celebrating the release of an omnibus collection of the first three Julia Grey novels in digital—THE LADY JULIA GREY MYSTERY COLLECTION VOL. 1. While I have moved on to another Victorian series (hello, Veronica Speedwell!) the Julia books will always have a special place in my heart for being my very first… Read More
Killing Time
Sometimes my attention wanders, like a puppy off a leash. Usually it’s anytime I have to sit and wait—before a doctor’s appointment, getting ready to board a plane, anticipating my order for a tall hot Earl Grey at a coffee shop. (I just realized that my usual drink order sounds like the hero of a… Read More
Crinolines and Carpetbags
by Deanna Raybourn One of the joys of writing historical fiction is the chance to read as much as you like on a pet subject—so much that you could easily bore your friends senseless on the topic. (Inviting writers to dinner parties is a risky proposition.) Over the years, I have acquired a set of… Read More
New September Titles Ideal for Labor Day Reading …
As you pack for the Labor Day holiday weekend, be sure to drop by your local bookstore for the perfect beach read: Robyn Carr’s newest Thunder Point Novel, Wildest Dreams. Professional triathlete Blake Smiley has traveled the world but now he needs a quiet place where he can focus and train without distraction—Thunder Point seems… Read More
Name Your Favorite Author Website …
Wise women know that sometimes the best thing that can happen in life is to be a little unpopular as a young girl—if only because the teasing and ostracizing that often goes with that can also give you the time to develop a thick skin, other interests, and one of the most valuable skills on… Read More
Wielding Procrastination as a Weapon
I was going to talk about procrastination as a weapon—like Thor’s Mjölnir!–but that sounds like a LOT of effort, doesn’t it? Maybe I should just call it a tool—although even that word makes me want to go take a nap. Writers, at least some of us, are fond friends with procrastination. It’s the pal that… Read More
Familiar Faces
In my May 2013 release, A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS, I introduced Delilah Drummond, a heroine who is not for the faint of heart. Her story starts off in her own words and gives you a pretty good idea of who she is: Don’t believe the stories you have heard about me. I have never… Read More
A Little Midsummer Magic
When my publisher asked me to write a series of Julia Grey novellas, I hopped on the idea. I suggested we theme them to traditional English holidays, and last year saw the debut of SILENT NIGHT—a Christmas story complete with all the trappings of a proper Victorian holiday, wassail, carols, and a Yule log so… Read More
The Name Game
Naming characters is one of the most enjoyable—and challenging—aspects of writing. In the case of the main characters in A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS, one was perfectly simple and straightforward while the other was just as much trouble as you’d expect her to be… J. Ryder White is the hero of the book, and his… Read More