
And while I may not be quite as giddy when my first novel, A Murder at Rosamund's Gate (2013) launched two years ago--because nothing can ever compare to the release of a first novel--I'm still as loopy as I was last year, when From the Charred Remains (2014) entered the world.
Recently, in preparation for the launch, I've been answering a lot of fun and interesting questions about The Masque of a Murderer (the historical background, the story and characters, and my writing process etc). So, I thought I'd do a quick round-up here!
I welcome you to:
- Learn more about what inspired my historical mysteries in general, and The Masque of a Murderer more specifically
- Discover the difference between a 17th century Masque and a Mask (and why I titled my book as I did)
- Read an interview with Lucy Campion, printer's apprentice
- Explore the world of the penny press and murder ballads and last dying speeches
- Discover why women might wear the dreaded scold's bridle and how that device features in my book
- Learn more about 17th century Quakers--and the tensions that surrounded them
- Follow Lucy Campion through A Day in the Life (giving testimony at a trial, no less) (post coming soon!)
- Discover the most difficult scenes for me to write (hint: it has something to do with Lucy's two love interests)
- Find out if The Masque of a Murderer passed The Page 69 Test
- Learn something about my writing process
- Tell me if what I know about publishing makes any sense, and what was different this time around
- Share in my excitement over this MADE IT MOMENT!
Thanks so much for sharing this journey with me!!! And I appreciate all the bloggers and reviewers who hosted me, including those through Amy Bruno's Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours!
And I'm always so grateful to the wonderful people at Minotaur, especially Kelley Ragland and Elizabeth Lacks, and my agent David Hale Smith, and of course my wonderful alpha reader, Matt Kelley!!
(and now, I turn my attention back to A DEATH ALONG THE RIVER FLEET, due out April 2016!!!!)