Dandy’s Discovery is out, and I’m doing fine, how are you?
First of all, pleased to announce that my new short story, Dandy’s Discovery, is now out, and people seem to be enjoying this little bit of fluff to lift their spirits. In addition, the manuscript of my newest Victorian San Francisco Mystery novel, Lethal Remedies, just went to my proof reader (Jessica Meigs). It has been through multiple drafts and two rounds of beta readers, so at this point it has been read by nine people and much improved by their feedback. I enjoy hearing back from this small team of readers about what they liked about the story, but I also like hearing where they had problems. In my experience, my beta readers often pinpoint exactly those sections of the book I already had some doubts about. This really helps because then I know exactly those sections that need Read more…
What am I doing in response to the Pandemic?
Dear friends and readers, I’m in that group (elderly with compromised immune system), so I’m being good and staying at home as much as I can. This meant pulling out of Left Coast Crime, a convention what was held in my home town this week, even though I was on a panel and this made me feel guilty. Of course, then when everyone else on the panel also pulled out and the actual convention was halted during the second day by an order of the county, I felt smart and responsible. I’ve two more outings I can’t cancel, but I’m cancelling everything else and using the phone or internet instead of face-to-face contact. And I am letting my much healthier husband do the limited trips outside the house. And we are not hoarding TP. (smile) But that doesn’t seem enough. Read more…
Valentine’s Day and Bloody Lessons
Every year I try to discount the third mystery in my series, Bloody Lessons, around February because of its Valentine’s Day setting. This year, the ebook is again Free on Kindle and all other major retailers until January 31. In addition, this year the audiobook edition is also discounted. You can get it on Apple Books for only $3.99 or on Chirp for $4.18 until February 14. (for those of you who prefer audible, the ebook only costs $7.49 when you have bought the Kindle Amazon edition.) To get you in the mood, here is a post I wrote some time ago about Valentine’s Day in 1880 (first published in the Historical Fiction Author’s Cooperative). I had so much fun figuring out how the Irish in San Francisco celebrated Halloween, that as I started writing Bloody Lessons, I decided I should Read more…
Beatrice Bests the Burglars and 10th Year Anniversary
Ten Years ago this month, I wrote my first blog post and published my first novel, Maids of Misfortune. I was also anticipating the birth of my first grandchild and about to turn sixty. Over all, a season of new beginnings. At the time, the self-publishing industry was in its infancy, and I had no idea whether or not anyone would ever read my blog or my book. But I had written the first draft of that book thirty years earlier, and just knowing that someone, other than my writers group and close friends, would finally get to meet Annie, the pretend clairvoyant, Nate Dawson, the handsome local lawyer, Dandy, the Boston Terrier, and all the other O’Farrell Street boardinghouse residents was enough. My plan, however, was to follow up that first book with a series of mysteries that Read more…
Experience the winter holidays, Victorian San Francisco Style
Pilfered Promises, the fifth book in my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series is set in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is fun to promote it during this time of year. This year, it is the audiobook version of the book that is being discounted, only $1.99 at AppleBooks and Chirp throughout November. In addition, here is a reprint of a post I did several years ago on the Indie Brag website. A Victorian San Francisco Christmas Because the most recent book in my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, Pilfered Promises, is set during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, 1880, I spent a good deal of time researching how residents of that city were celebrating the holidays that year, including looking for articles in the San Francisco Chronicle. What I found was that many of the traditions that we are Read more…
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