Susan Elia MacNeal's Blog, page 8
February 23, 2012
Another Mr. Churchill's Review—and a Thought
Unbelievable—a starred review ("Debut of the Month," no less!) of Mr. Churchill's Secretary from Library Journal!
LET'S TOAST the new authors making their debuts in 2012! The variety of venues and characters ensure dynamic new mystery reads. A shout-out to Susan Elia MacNeal's intrepid female math wiz ( Mr. Churchill's Secretary)...
The review may be read on Library Journal's site, here, but this is the best bit:
VERDICT: Watch out for the smart girl who can crack codes with her slide rule.
Let's hear it for the smart girls.
LET'S TOAST the new authors making their debuts in 2012! The variety of venues and characters ensure dynamic new mystery reads. A shout-out to Susan Elia MacNeal's intrepid female math wiz ( Mr. Churchill's Secretary)...
The review may be read on Library Journal's site, here, but this is the best bit:
VERDICT: Watch out for the smart girl who can crack codes with her slide rule.
Let's hear it for the smart girls.
January 27, 2012
Mr. Churchill's e-ad
From Random House, the gorgeous new electronic ad for Mr. Churchill's Secretary....
Click the link and watch what happens!
January 25, 2012
Mr. Churchill's Cat
Winston Churchill's cat, Jock, now has a Facebook page! (There has been various Jocks, marmalade tabbies, at Churchill's home, Chartwell, since the 1940s.) Jock says, "I will do my best to give you a real insight into what really goes on at Chartwell!" https://www.facebook.com/chartwellnt
Winston Churchill named Jock after one of his favorite private secretaries, Jock (John) Colville. I used Jock Colville as the inspiration for my character, John Sterling. I was able to use his wonderful memoir: The Fringes of Power: The Incredible Inside Story of Winston Churchill during WWII for a behind-the-scenes look into what day-to-day life was like on Churchill's staff.
January 14, 2012
Mr. Churchill's Secretary's First Review!
From Kirkus Reviews, a lovely nod! It will go live on the Kirkus site on January 18th, 2012. The review will also be published in the February 1st print edition.
The best bit is this:
Brave, clever Maggie's debut is an enjoyable mix of mystery, thriller and romance that captures the harrowing experiences of life in war-torn London.
December 29, 2011
Two More Maggie Hope Books
It's not just a book — it's a series! Huzzah!Thanks to Kate Miciak and Victoria Skurnick, Maggie Hope will live on, and have even more adventures....
From Publisher's Marketplace:
Susan Elia MacNeal's HITLER'S NIGHTINGALE and untitled book four, the next two mysteries in the Maggie Hope series, to Kate Miciak at Bantam Dell, by Victoria Skurnick at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency (World).
Mr. Churchill's Galleys
Yes, the galleys are being sent to reviewers from the Random House offices!
November 5, 2011
September 14, 2011
August 18, 2011
In the Garden of Beasts
Jana Riess is a scholar, editor, writer, and book critic.She was also (full disclosure here), my sophomore-year roommate at Wellesley. And is still a good friend!
I recently read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin for researching my third novel (yet untitled, but set in Berlin during 1941). Dodd's tome is a magnificent look at William Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Berlin, and his family, living in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich — a vivid, chilling, and gripping read.
Jana gives a wonderful review on her blog, which is also worth checking out.
August 17, 2011
Madonna and W.E.
W.E. is a new film about the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII), who abdicated the British throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American divorcée. It's directed and co-written by Madonna.
Yes, Madonna.
It's scheduled to be released in Los Angeles on December 9, 2011.
The Duke and Mrs. Simpson make an pivotal appearance in Princess Elizabeth's Spy, so I've also done my research on W.E. (short for Wallis and Edward and how they privately referred to themselves as a couple). I'm fascinated to see how the film will turn out.
The August issue of Vanity Fair features a sumptuous spread on the film, called, "Windsor Dressing." The costumes look gorgeous. Walis may have been a Nazi sympathizer, but she did have style. The photo above show James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The costumes are by the Oscar-nominated Arianne Phillips, who worked with Cartier, Dior, and and Dunhill.
(Personally, I have Wallis in Schiaparelli.)
