Lee Strauss's Blog, page 7
May 20, 2021
1920s British Weddings + Contest + Murder in Belgravia preorder
In Murder in Belgravia, Ginger attends the wedding of Felicia Gold and Lord Davenport-Witt.
One thing is for sure, though – this wedding isn't taking place in the evening or night. She isn't partaking in a wedding dinner or evening feast, either!
As a matter of fact, since the Marriage Act of 1836, people weren't allowed to marry between six in the evening and eight in the morning … a law that wasn't officially repealed in Britain until 2012!
Do you want to see what a big wedding event in the 1920s was like?
Amazingly, real footage exists of a 1920s wedding between Lord Inverclyde and Miss Olive Sainsbury… an event that was a big deal since it involved an earl marrying the daughter of a baron.
Don't see a video? Click here to view.
Things that stood out to me: The policemen on horseback managing the crowd… who apparently needed to be kept under control for an event with as much hype as this.
Also, take a look at the uniquely 1920s head coverings of the bridesmaids!
And, what do you think of those old cars (or ‘automobiles' as they would've strictly been called then) passing through the crowd?
At 1:45 there are glimpses of old-fashioned busses and trucks passing through as well…
What do you think? What stood out for you?
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Contest Alert – a fresh bouquet of flowers sent directly to your home!
To celebrate the upcoming release of Murder in Belgravia ~ and Felicia Gold's wedding! ~ I'm sending a fresh BOUQUET of flowers directly to your home. I'm also giving away a free paperback copy of the new release!
*bouquet may or may not look as appears in photo
***
Murder in Belgravia – Available for Pre-Order!
Murder's a piece of cake!
Wedding bells are ringing in Belgravia, and Ginger couldn’t be happier to attend the nuptials of Felicia Gold and Lord Davenport-Witt. If only she could put her mind at ease about the things she knew about the groom’s past.
When a death occurs at the wedding party, Ginger is placed in a frightfully difficult position. Betray her vow of secrecy to the crown, or let a killer go free.
Click here to Pre-Order Murder in Belgravia
The post 1920s British Weddings + Contest + Murder in Belgravia preorder appeared first on Lee Strauss.
May 6, 2021
Two great Mother’s Day book sales and Remembering my Friend
Today (May 6) is my dear friend's birthday. This is the first one in over thirty years where I won't be able to celebrate it with her in person, or give her a call and hear her lovely, joyful voice. But before I tear up (and I'll come back to her), let me tell you about two fantastic book sales you just don't want to miss!
The authors at History Mystery Chicks (of which I'm one) have a great Free and .99 sale going on from May 7 - 12.
Click Here to access SALE Don't see a button: https://www.leestraussbooks.com/mothers-day-sale/
Join us to celebrate all the special women in your life for the Mother’s Day Friends in Bloom joint reader group giveaway on May 7-14.
Join My Book Friends Don't see a button: https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourbookfriends
Can't wait until tomorrow? Good news! You can grab the first book in the Higgins & Hawke series, Death at the Tavern for .99 today!
Death by Rum Running. . .
When a man is found dead at the Bell in Hand Tavern on Union Street, pathologist Dr. Haley Higgins and investigative reporter Samantha Hawke are both working the case. They want the same thing ~ to catch a killer. Though they don't exactly trust each other, they'll have to work together if they want to solve this case before becoming the next victims.
Get it todayDon't see a button? https://smarturl.it/DeathTavern
Back to my friend: I met Donna Petch shortly before I was married in 1987. Her soon-to-be-husband Malcolm and my soon-to-be-husband Norm were college pals. You know how, when you meet some people, that you just click, and you know you're going to be great friends for a long time? That was how I felt when I first met Donna. Over the years we supported each other in our marriages, raising our children and following our career paths. It's fitting to honor her on Mother's Day, because she was a spectacular mother to her three children, and devoted much of her time teaching young mothers of today how to best navigate the rewarding and often challenging journey of motherhood.
Donna was the best party planner, and so generous in sharing her gifts of organization, beautification, and hospitality ~ her strengths to my weaknesses. She planned a surprise party for me on my 30th and my 40th, and helped me many, many times when it was my turn to host an event, including the recent wedding of our son Joel and his wife Shadi, that took place in our yard.
I like to think that she was my own special friend, but her heart was so loving, her capacity for compassion so great, and the strength of her faith so real and unfailing, that many people who encountered her in this life felt the same way. Just knowing her was an enormous gift.
She left us all far too soon in November of 2020. Though it was the other big C that took her, my personal pain and grief over her loss makes me empathic to all the many people who lost loved ones over the last year. I hope you are not included in this group, but if you are, my heart and prayers go out to you, that you will (eventually) find peace and be comforted with your memories.
Miss you so much, Donna. [image error][image error][image error][image error]
The post Two great Mother’s Day book sales and Remembering my Friend appeared first on Lee Strauss.
April 29, 2021
New to the Strauss family ~ Help us name our new RV.
We've made the RV plunge! I can honestly say, we never thought we'd be RVers. We decided three years ago that we wanted to escape the winters and become snowbirders, with Mexico being our destination of choice. Flying was our preferred mode of transport. We were snowbirds, after all. 
However, over time, we realized we disliked moving about from hotel to hotel, and not having our own stuff. We also met many snowbirds who drove their RVs south, and we were gradually introduced to the world of the RV subculture. We wanted our own bed, our own bathroom, and our beach things with us, so the RV lifestyle started to look more and more appealing. And now, with the health crisis, if feels safer and more secure as well.
Can you picture us writing Ginger, Rosa and Haley on the road?
Of course, being from Canada, we're making a big assumption that the border will be open by the fall! I'll post our itinerary once we set it and you can follow along. We're going document our journey on youtube, but more on that later!
Here's where we need your help. It's customary for RVers to give their rigs a name. Norm wants to call it Ginger Gold because we owe a lot to our best gal, but I'm not sure.
What do you think we should name this beauty?
Let me know in the comments
PS: It's a 2018 Winnebago Intent 26M. A class A at just 27'10" it's one of the shortest Class A's around. With two slides, it feels very spacious inside. For enthusiasts, you can check out this youtube video.
Are you an RVer? I'd love to hear more!
The post appeared first on Lee Strauss.
April 15, 2021
Designing a Book Cover
One of the great things about owning your own indie publishing company is that you get to control the cover art. I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but everyone judges a book by its cover, even me!
After choosing a title, the cover is the next important thing. It's what first grabs the reader's attention~ or not. Being my own boss means I have to own the losers along with the winners, but it also means I can change a cover if the original idea isn't working, which I've done many times. The Clockwise Collection, my middle grade books, and my sweet romances have all had more than one cover design.
I love this part of the book creation process. With my next Rosa Reed Mystery new release, Murder at the Dude Ranch, I started with a search of 1950s style cowgirls, and when I saw this photograph, I knew it was the example for this book.
Once I have my basic idea, I contact my illustrator, Amanda Sorenson, and she comes back with a sketch. We discuss needed changes if any, and when we agree, we work on choosing the right colors.
Next, I send the illustration to Steven Novak of Novak illustrations, and he puts the pieces of the cover together using photoshop. We decide on the background and font colors~in this case, choosing from a palette popular in the 1950s~ and the rest follows the three panel template with the cover and title fonts that is already part of the series.
Add the cat drawing and the stars and VOILA!
Murder at The Dude Ranch is the 7th book in the Rosa Reed Mystery series, where Rosa discovers she's a long way from London.
Releasing April 29, preorder now and don't miss a yippie-ie-yay moment!
PREORDER Murder at the Dude Ranch Don't see a button? https://smarturl.it/RRduderanch
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April 8, 2021
Books Springing up like Daffodils! (And a bit of honesty)
Get it? Books SPRINGing up. I've never longed for spring so deeply as I do this year after so much time spent at home. Norm and I were discussing how we haven't stayed in one space for this long in years. For the last three winters we've snowbirded to Mexico and before that we spent five years going back and forth to Germany twice a year for three months at a time.
This is part of the reason I've been so quiet on social media. Besides the fact that I vow to stay away from confrontational subjects, my life just isn't that interesting at the moment. We basically stay home most days working, and spend the evenings watching a little TV. To liven things up we've started taking an online Spanish course together, and now that the weather is a bit warmer, we're back to playing pickleball.
In all honesty, this lifestyle hasn't been hard for me. I'm a homebody and an introvert. 
At the same time, a life out of balance isn't healthy in the long term. So, with spring and summer in our future, we plan to spend more time outdoors being active and socializing with friends and family (safely). I'm also going to put myself out there via FB live chats and possibly youtube. That idea pushes me out of my comfort zone a little bit, but I think it's good to step outside of that zone once in a while. So, now that I've put that out there, watch for an announcement for when I plan to do my first live chat, and join me if you can.
Hey, what about the books, springing up like daffodils, you ask? The title wasn't click bait, I promise! I have a lot of books coming this year. Here are the next five, ready to preorder. CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO LEARN MORE.
Speaking of Spring
Mark your calendar for the My Book Friends SPRINGPALOOZA on Sunday, April 11. You’ll get to enter for loads of giveaways from me and my fellow founding authors. Join our friendly and inclusive group today to be in with a chance of winning some goodies that will spring you into the season with lots of good reading.
Join us hereDon't see a button? https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourbookfriends
Hey, what about the books, springing up like daffodils, you ask? The title wasn't click bait, I promise! I have a lot of books coming this year. Here are the next five, ready to preorder. CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO LEARN MORE.
Two new books for Rosa Reed and Ginger Gold, and, at long last, a new Higgins & Hawke!
PS: MURDER AT HIGH TIDE is FREE today (Apr 8) only. Tell your friends!
Get it FREE!don't see a button? https://smarturl.it/RRHighTide
HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you have plans to get out and about this spring? What about your comfort zone? Are you stepping out?
The post Books Springing up like Daffodils! (And a bit of honesty) appeared first on Lee Strauss.
March 25, 2021
Are you a Futurist?
Are you a futurist? If you have to ask what that is, you probably aren't one. 
A futurist is someone who spends a lot of time planning and plotting what's going to happen next. I'm a futurist. I only just recently discovered that not everyone's brain works like mine does!
There are pros and cons to being a futurist. The upside is that a person who thinks ahead often can get a lot done, and also probably does a lot of things “out of the box.” The downside is it's easy to miss what's happening in the now and enjoying the present.
Being a futurist is helpful to me as a writer and publisher as it helps me to get a lot done in a short time. I'm releasing the 15th book in the Ginger Gold Mystery series, Murder at the Royal Albert Hall, next week! I'm also working on the next Ginger Gold book, Murder in Belgravia, which will be available to you in JUNE.
My planning brain goes beyond work, and Norm and I have some fun things coming in that we're excited to share with you in the future. <>
As a lot of you might know, Norm and I work together on some projects, and the Ginger Gold's Journal is one of them. I started off writing them myself, then Norm jumped in when I hit the war years. The idea for the journal came when I found myself writing about Ginger's past in the mystery books. This week's journal entry is the memory flashback Ginger had in book 3, Murder at Bray Manor.
CAPTAIN SMITHWICK
Captain Smithwick is a determined man willing to help or use people in order to accomplish his missions during the war. Ginger's respect for him dims over time, and by the end of things she quite despises him. You'll have to read the journal to find out why!
April 28, 1916Dancing with Captain Smithwick ~I’d been invited to a private party,the birthday of Madame Cousineau the wife of the former mayor of the village I presently live in, who sadly, had been killed last year in battle. Madame. Cousineau had rented the public house, and even though things like good wine and fine pastries are hard to find in occupied France, there seemed to be enough to make the evening merry. An accordionist provided music, and together with the wine and laughter, the war almost faded away for a few hours.
I sat at a table talking with Madame Cousineau when, to my astonishment, Captain Smithwick suddenly appear as if out of thin air.
“Bonsoir mesdames,” he said in perfect French.
“Ah, Bonsoir Monsieur Favreau,” Madame Cousineau replied. “This is my friend Mademoiselle Antionette Lafleur. We met only a few days ago, but have already become fast friends. Antionette this is Monsieur Andre Favreau, he is also quite new to our little town.” >>>
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE: https://www.leestraussbooks.com/gingers-journal/april-28-1916/
Password: Goldmine
What about you? Are you a futurist? Tell me about your plans in the comments.
March 18, 2021
Fascinated with Vintage Retro? I am.
“Vintage-retro.com is specialized in collecting and providing information on the history of vintage fashion from Victoria to the 1980s, providing guidance on antiques for women and men in every era, and all Look for the best classical style clothing, accessories, and jewelry on the Internet for a modern taste. At the same time, we also have a corresponding retro clothing online sales partner, which is missfoxshop.com. You can find all the clothing and accessories mentioned in vintage-retro.com on this website.
Miss Fox includes dresses from the 1950s to 20s, plus size styles, and summer bikini series. Dresses from the 1950s to the 20s are full of retro style. And those old clothes that are at least 20 years old are antiques that have recently become obsolete but are likely to make a comeback. Time will never abandon retro. We offer the most popular women's clothing this season, including a selection of vintage dresses, oversized dresses, and sexy bikinis. Miss Fox is willing to be your exclusive wardrobe and personal butler.”
Speaking of Vintage Retro, don't miss out on this contest to win a Vintage-themed watercolor painting by artist Joel Strauss (aka my oldest son and assistant at La Plume Press) inspired by the Rosa Reed Mystery series.
CLICK this link to Enter: https://upvir.al/110146/lp110146Did you see this?>>> DIARY ENTRY from Ambrosia when she was a young lady in 1871!From the upcoming release, A Ginger Gold Mystery, Murder at the Royal Albert Hall
Murder makes a scene!
Nothing ruins a night of Shakespeare faster than a duchess falling to her death. Mrs. Ginger Reed, also known by some as Lady Gold, is at the Royal Albert Hall with her husband, Basil Reed, a chief inspector at Scotland Yard, and the two of them are immediately at the scene. Was the duchess of Worthington’s fall accidental? Where was the duke?
And what does Ginger’s grandmother, Ambrosia, the dowager Lady Gold have to do with the sordid affair?
Something went terribly wrong with the dowager’s “sisterhood” of friends back in the 1860s, and it's all coming home to roost.
COMING MARCH 30!March 4, 2021
Journal news, the birthday boy, and plans for this blog.
I fully intend to write more on this blog as time goes on, but I confess that I don't feel like I have a lot to talk about besides work. Canada is lagging in vaccination rollout and so we're still social distancing and spending a lot of time at home. Norm and I play pickleball twice a week, but with covid, we're only allow to play with each other. Good thing we get along so well! We work, play and live together 24/7.
I'm thankful that we got our little (not so little) Diego last year. He's brought us a lot of amusement and much needed diversion. He turned one this week, so not a kitten anymore. Quite oblivious to the momentous occasion.
We promised him that he'd be an adventure cat, which, again due to you know what, we haven't come through with our end of the bargain. However, this is changing. We've started taking him for walks to the park, and we've ordered e-bikes! Stay tuned for more on that in the future.
In book news, Murder at the Races, A Rosa Reed Mystery #6, released this week, and the birthday boy, once again makes a fictional appearance.
Next up is Murder at the Royal Albert Hall, A Ginger Gold Mystery #5 coming the end of March. I'm excited to release this one, as we get a good inside look at what made bristly Ambrosia, bristly Ambrosia. I'll be posting an excerpt soon. In the meantime, you can PREORDER HERE.
Normally, this time of year, Norm and I would be snowbirding somewhere in Mexico. We don't like cold, but got off pretty easy this year with a mild winter. And Kelowna is lovely anytime of year with many spectacular hiking areas. I'll post more about our hiking/biking/travel adventures in the future as well.
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With another Ginger Gold Mystery on the way, I'll be posting more Journal Entries. Originally, this was a perk just for my newsletter, but since I've reduced the number of emails going out per month, I'll be posting some journal entries here as well. Here's the latest!
February 27, 1916
Bombs!
The bombardment started on the morning of the 21st at precisely 7:12 am with a shell landing on the cathedral in Verdun.
The whole hotel building where I stayed in a room on the second floor shook mightily, causing my window to shatter inwardly, spraying glass all over.
I shrieked loudly as I dove under my bed covers. The next salvo came only moments later, landing on the main train station. Since then it has been an almost constant bombardment of the city with fire crews hopelessly overwhelmed and the town’s inhabitants scrambling for any form of protection from the massive German guns, which I’m told are about twenty miles away.
It’s very hard to describe the awful, teeth rattling sound of those guns. It’s as if gigantic marching drums were being played by some ancient, angry war god gleefully pounding out his hellish cadence.
If you have trouble getting in, the password is GOLDMINE.
What about you? What are you looking forward to doing this year?
February 25, 2021
New Release + Audiobook Sale
Rosa Reed attends a charity stock car race in Santa Bonita and expects to have an exhilarating time shared with family and friends. That ends when a driver inexplicably crashes into a guard rail and dies. When local assistant medical examiner, Dr. Larry Rayburn determines the death is suspicious, Rosa once again finds herself working with the handsome Detective Miguel Belmonte in an awkward and uncomfortable alliance to solve the murder.
Click here to the get the Print Book
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Ginger Gold Audio Sale
SALE on Ginger Gold Audiobooks for as low as $1.99!
– Sale ends on March 18th –
Get Ginger Gold Audiobook Sales
February 11, 2021
Winter fun and a Rosa Reed contest!
I don't know about where you live, but since we couldn't go to Mexico this year, Norm and I are walking on the lake in front of our condo! Beautiful but cold. We actually ventured out to make a fun, locked-down-in-covid music video, where you'll find me bee-bopping on the ice! Check it out here: https://youtu.be/eRZtaXPUtOM
<Murder at the Races. It takes place in a much warmer climate
>>Diego is a possessive roadie!
Getting excited for the next new Rosa Reed book? Check out this new contest ~ Paperback of Murder at the Races, a pair of cute Bobby socks, and $50 cash prize!
Click here to Enter the Contest
Click here to Enter the Contest
What about you? What are you doing to pass the days of covid?
