Kristen Elise's Blog, page 11
July 5, 2013
Inferno, by Dan Brown - A Review
SPOILER ALERT! This reaction is full of them - so if you don't like spoilers, please don't read.
I loved Angels and Demons. Immensely. The idea of a modern-day thriller incorporating credible science and history - which just happened to take place in some of the coolest spots in the world - was the inspiration for a story that would eventually turn into The Vesuvius Isotope. I think my love of Angels and Demons was intensified by the fact that I happened to read it during the real papal conclave, and just before I was heading to Italy for the first time. What a blast.
Then I read The Da Vinci Code. I thought The Da Vinci Code was also pretty cool except for the fact that the story at its core was largely a repeat of Angels and Demons.
Then I thought Dan Brown completely jumped the shark with The Lost Symbol. Yet another repeat, only without the good parts. Whaaaaa?
So I was trepidatious about Brown's latest thriller, Inferno.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/07/infe...
I loved Angels and Demons. Immensely. The idea of a modern-day thriller incorporating credible science and history - which just happened to take place in some of the coolest spots in the world - was the inspiration for a story that would eventually turn into The Vesuvius Isotope. I think my love of Angels and Demons was intensified by the fact that I happened to read it during the real papal conclave, and just before I was heading to Italy for the first time. What a blast.
Then I read The Da Vinci Code. I thought The Da Vinci Code was also pretty cool except for the fact that the story at its core was largely a repeat of Angels and Demons.
Then I thought Dan Brown completely jumped the shark with The Lost Symbol. Yet another repeat, only without the good parts. Whaaaaa?
So I was trepidatious about Brown's latest thriller, Inferno.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/07/infe...
July 4, 2013
The Buried Books part 6
Today I'm at Novel Travelist discussing the 6th installment of The Buried Books of Herculaneum Novel Travelist mystery. Only two installments left! Stop by and say hi!
http://www.noveltravelist.blogspot.co...
http://www.noveltravelist.blogspot.co...
July 3, 2013
CSI and Caducei
Today I'm over at Tim Desmond's blog conducting an interview entitled "CSI and Caducei". Stop by and say hello!
http://timdesmondblog.wordpress.com/2...
http://timdesmondblog.wordpress.com/2...
July 2, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope Travel Itinerary
What better way to kick off a tour than with an itinerary? Below is the seven-day travel itinerary of Katrina Stone, protagonist of The Vesuvius Isotope, on her quest to find her husband's killer. Yes, I said seven days! And yes, it is physically possible...
Order your copy of The Vesuvius Isotope on Amazon (print or Kindle version,) BarnesandNoble.com (Nook version) or Kobo.com (Kobo version.) Or purchase a SIGNED copy at www.kristenelisephd.com
Order your copy of The Vesuvius Isotope on Amazon (print or Kindle version,) BarnesandNoble.com (Nook version) or Kobo.com (Kobo version.) Or purchase a SIGNED copy at www.kristenelisephd.com
July 1, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope OFFICIAL LAUNCH!
The Vesuvius Isotope has arrived!The novel is now officially available via multiple channels. To learn more about it and pick up a copy, please click here. To read a sample, please click here.
In celebration of its debut, a 20-stop blog tour was planned. But once the tour began coming together, it became evident that we should just go ahead and do a whole month!
So below is the revised itinerary for the blog tour, which is now 32 stops long! As is customary, this tour will include interviews, excerpts and guest posts designed to introduce readers to the book and its author. In addition to these "traditional" stops, there will also be a few less-traditional tour stops fleshing out non-fictional aspects of the book: real-life mysteries and themes explored in the book, and introductions to some of its lesser-known settings and locales in Italy and Egypt. As part of the latter, a few "Trip-A-Day Intermissions" - virtual visits featuring one new locale per day - will take place here on my site each day between tour stops on other blogs.
I would like to extend an enormous thank-you to each and every one of these hosts who have so graciously offered to participate in this tour, as well as a monumental thank-you to my friend Sunny Frazier, who has introduced me to many of these fabulous folks. I would like to encourage all of you to check out these blogs, bookmark them, and check back frequently to support a great group of people on the web. And also because their blogs are really entertaining!
There is also a giveaway throughout the month of July on Goodreads. And without further delay...the finalized tour stops are as follows:
Date Host Blog Topic
July 1 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Official Launch
Updated blog tour schedule
July 2 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. The Vesuvius Isotope Itinerary
The travels of protagonist Katrina Stone
July 3 Tim Desmond Tim Desmond's Blog CSI and Caducei
An author interview
July 4 Sara McBride Novel Travelist The Buried Books of Herculaneum
A Novel Travelist Mystery, Installment 6
July 5 James Callan The Author's Blog A Very, Very Bad Week
Guest post by protagonist Katrina Stone
July 6 Stephen Brayton Brayton's Briefs Riding Camels in the Desert
An "Around the Globe" interview
July 7 Lesley Diehl Another Draught An Accident, a Dare,
and a Massive Lay-off
My "Why I Became a Writer" Story
July 8 John Brantingham John Brantingham's Blog Art Imitating Life
An author interview
July 9 William Doonan Novel Spaces Writing Like a Man
A guest post on gender in mystery writing
July 10 Cory Cuthbertson Coryographies The Crocodile Library of Tebtunis
Musings of a Paleolinguist True story of a 2000-year-old database
July 11 Theresa Valera Latina Libations Transitions
An author interview
July 12 Chris Swinney Chris Swinney's Blog The Sacrificial Lamb
Excerpt from The Vesuvius Isotope
July 13 Maria Ruiz Maria Ruiz' Blog All Things Books and Writing
An author interview
July 14 Joyce Brown Our Retirement Journeys The Facts Behind the Fiction
Read Like Cozy Mystery An author interview
July 15 Maggie Bishop Dames of Dialogue An American Imposter in Egypt
My solo novel-research tour of Egypt
July 16 Velda Brotherton Gutsy Women Who The Gutsy Woman Who Won the East
Won The West Mysteries in the life of Cleopatra VII
July 17 Denise Weeks Denise Weeks' Blog Kill Google First
Keeping the Internet out of your mystery
July 18 E.A. Aymar E.A. Aymar's Blog Best Moments and Worst Jokes
An author interview
July 19 Ilene Schneider rabbi.author See Naples and Die
Excerpt from The Vesuvius Isotope
July 20 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Who Owned the House of the Faun?
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 21 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Black Death From Above
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 22 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. The Roots of Rome
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 23 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Italy's Best Kept Secret:
Cappella Sansevero
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 24 Gray Cargill Solo Friendly The Protagonist's Trip: Solo Travel
For the Author
How travels become stories and vice versa
July 25 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Billete! How to Go to Jail in Naples
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 26 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Naples Versus Cairo:
Cairo Wins on the Chaos Scale
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 27 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. How to Do Naples
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 28 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. How to Do Cairo
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 29 Maggie Bishop Dames of Dialogue A Dive to the Museum
Baiae Underwater Archeological Park
July 30 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. How to Do Luxor
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 31 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. How to Do a Temple Tour
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
August 1 Sara McBride Novel Travelist The Buried Books of Herculaneum
A Novel Travelist Mystery, Installment 7
Order your copy of The Vesuvius Isotope on Amazon (print or Kindle version,) BarnesandNoble.com (Nook version) or Kobo.com (Kobo version.) Or purchase a SIGNED copy at www.kristenelisephd.com
June 28, 2013
You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up
I'm sitting at my husband's restaurant. I'm sitting at the counter, having a glass of wine. One of my husband's customers is sitting alone at a table behind me. He is reading a book. He is a new customer who hasn't been to the restaurant before. He looks like this:
My husband goes to the table and says, "You like to read? Here, one of my customers left this book on accident. Check it out if you're interested." He leaves his own proof copy of The Vesuvius Isotope on the table and goes back to his work.
I sit at the counter and watch over the guy's shoulder. I'm thinking, cool! This is the first time I have ever gotten to see a total stranger's honest reaction to my book when he doesn't know I'm looking.
The guy picks up the book. He looks at the front cover. He looks at the back cover. He reads the back cover. He opens to book to the back and starts checking out the sneak preview to my second book. Stays there for a few minutes. Then he flips to the front of the book and starts reading from the beginning for a few minutes. Then he flips to the middle and stays there for quite some time. Probably read 2-3 pages right in the middle of the book. Then he sets it back down on the table.
My husband stops back by to check on him and see if he needs anything, etc.
The guy says:
"This is really an interesting book. I am intrigued and want to know more." So my husband conveniently hands him one of my bookmarks with order info on it and says:
"The customer left this too. It has more information if you want to order the book."
The guy says:
"I definitely will. It has a really positive energy. I'd be curious to meet the author. She seems really interesting."
My husband says:
"You can meet her if you want. It's my wife. She's sitting behind you."
I crack up. The guy turns around and says:
"Oh...my...gosh! Really? This is your book?"
He leaps up and comes and sits by me at the counter. He says to my husband, "I really want to talk to your wife about her book. But I'm gay, so don't worry - you're safe."
I'm sure my husband was totally relieved. He looks like this:
The customer starts asking me questions and chatting about the book. He tells me he has never met an author before, but he did get to meet Liberace when he was younger. I'm not kidding.
The fact that this guy was about 60, and Liberace would be 94 today, has not escaped my attention.
He starts telling me about himself. What he does for a living has something to do with astrology and the direction of energy and pendulums. I didn't quite understand it. He tells me he needs to see the book's energy to see if the book is a good book for him. He isn't kidding.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little string with a crystal on the end. It looks like a necklace. He holds it over the book and lets it swing a little bit.
He says:
"Wow. This book has very positive energy for me. This is a really good book for me."
I feel a very positive energy.
My husband goes to the table and says, "You like to read? Here, one of my customers left this book on accident. Check it out if you're interested." He leaves his own proof copy of The Vesuvius Isotope on the table and goes back to his work.
I sit at the counter and watch over the guy's shoulder. I'm thinking, cool! This is the first time I have ever gotten to see a total stranger's honest reaction to my book when he doesn't know I'm looking.
The guy picks up the book. He looks at the front cover. He looks at the back cover. He reads the back cover. He opens to book to the back and starts checking out the sneak preview to my second book. Stays there for a few minutes. Then he flips to the front of the book and starts reading from the beginning for a few minutes. Then he flips to the middle and stays there for quite some time. Probably read 2-3 pages right in the middle of the book. Then he sets it back down on the table.
My husband stops back by to check on him and see if he needs anything, etc.
The guy says:
"This is really an interesting book. I am intrigued and want to know more." So my husband conveniently hands him one of my bookmarks with order info on it and says:
"The customer left this too. It has more information if you want to order the book."
The guy says:
"I definitely will. It has a really positive energy. I'd be curious to meet the author. She seems really interesting."
My husband says:
"You can meet her if you want. It's my wife. She's sitting behind you."
I crack up. The guy turns around and says:
"Oh...my...gosh! Really? This is your book?"
He leaps up and comes and sits by me at the counter. He says to my husband, "I really want to talk to your wife about her book. But I'm gay, so don't worry - you're safe."
I'm sure my husband was totally relieved. He looks like this:
The customer starts asking me questions and chatting about the book. He tells me he has never met an author before, but he did get to meet Liberace when he was younger. I'm not kidding.
The fact that this guy was about 60, and Liberace would be 94 today, has not escaped my attention.
He starts telling me about himself. What he does for a living has something to do with astrology and the direction of energy and pendulums. I didn't quite understand it. He tells me he needs to see the book's energy to see if the book is a good book for him. He isn't kidding.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little string with a crystal on the end. It looks like a necklace. He holds it over the book and lets it swing a little bit.
He says:
"Wow. This book has very positive energy for me. This is a really good book for me."
I feel a very positive energy.
June 27, 2013
The DON'Ts of Self-Publishing
As my self-publishing journey comes to an end, I would like to share a few lessons I have learned.
I have already published several blog posts on the DOs of self-publishing, a few of which can be found here, here, and here.
Here, I offer the DON'Ts of self-publishing according to my recent experience. I do not claim that this list is exhaustive, only that it's what I learned the hard way so you don't have to.
DON'T wait to set up your business
Long before you ever plan to get your novel out there, decide on your business structure. Many self-publishers (myself included) set up an author/publisher business as a sole proprietorship. If you don't use your own name for this (and even if you do,) there are steps to take. To get your book out as quickly as possible once it's finished, you should have your business up and running well in advance so you can spend those last weeks focused elsewhere. Here are some step-by-step instructions for starting your author/publisher business.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/06/the-...
I have already published several blog posts on the DOs of self-publishing, a few of which can be found here, here, and here.
Here, I offer the DON'Ts of self-publishing according to my recent experience. I do not claim that this list is exhaustive, only that it's what I learned the hard way so you don't have to.
DON'T wait to set up your business
Long before you ever plan to get your novel out there, decide on your business structure. Many self-publishers (myself included) set up an author/publisher business as a sole proprietorship. If you don't use your own name for this (and even if you do,) there are steps to take. To get your book out as quickly as possible once it's finished, you should have your business up and running well in advance so you can spend those last weeks focused elsewhere. Here are some step-by-step instructions for starting your author/publisher business.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/06/the-...
June 20, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope is Here!
I like to squeak things in just under the wire, and the book is available NOW! Print books are available here using the icon to the right as well as via Amazon.com. The Kindle version is also available now at Amazon.com.
Stay tuned for Nook, Kobo, and Barnes&Noble.com print book distribution, which should be available shortly.
Stay tuned for Nook, Kobo, and Barnes&Noble.com print book distribution, which should be available shortly.
June 19, 2013
An Interview with Mark Pryor
I just read "The Crypt Thief" by Mark Pryor and thought readers would be interested in this fascinating series, a crime series starring a gentlemanly protagonist and set in Paris. Below is an interview with district attorney, Texas Brit and author Mark Pryor.
Hi Mark, Welcome to Murder Lab! Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Hi, and thanks so much for having me. Let's see. The first thing people usually notice about me is that I'm a foreigner. English, to be precise, which sometimes catches people off-guard if they're not expecting it, and I'm wearing my cowboy boots. I moved to the States about twenty years ago, living in North Carolina (where my mum was born and raised) for ten years, and now I've been in Texas about ten years.
I used to be a newspaper reporter, in England, covering the crime beat for a local paper. Not as exciting a beat as it would be over here - in my last year there, not a single murder! I did some freelance writing when I got to the US, and then went back to school to get my law degree.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/06/an-i...
Mark Pryor
Hi Mark, Welcome to Murder Lab! Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Hi, and thanks so much for having me. Let's see. The first thing people usually notice about me is that I'm a foreigner. English, to be precise, which sometimes catches people off-guard if they're not expecting it, and I'm wearing my cowboy boots. I moved to the States about twenty years ago, living in North Carolina (where my mum was born and raised) for ten years, and now I've been in Texas about ten years.
I used to be a newspaper reporter, in England, covering the crime beat for a local paper. Not as exciting a beat as it would be over here - in my last year there, not a single murder! I did some freelance writing when I got to the US, and then went back to school to get my law degree.
More at http://www.murderlab.com/2013/06/an-i...
Mark Pryor
June 13, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope Blog Tour
JULY 1, 2013! A mere 18 days from today is the OFFICIAL launch date for The Vesuvius Isotope!
In celebration of its debut, a truly epic 20-stop blog tour has been planned. As is customary, this tour will include interviews, excerpts and guest posts designed to introduce readers to the book and its author. In addition to these "traditional" stops, there will also be a few less-traditional tour stops fleshing out non-fictional aspects of the book: real-life mysteries and themes explored in the book, and introductions to some of its lesser-known settings and locales in Italy and Egypt. As part of the latter, a few "Trip-A-Day Intermissions" - virtual visits featuring one new locale per day - will take place here on my site each day between tour stops.
I would like to extend an enormous thank-you to each and every one of these hosts who have so graciously offered to participate in this tour, as well as a monumental thank-you to my friend Sunny Frazier, who has introduced me to many of these fabulous folks. I would like to encourage all of you to check out these blogs, bookmark them, and check back frequently to support a great group of people on the web. And also because their blogs are really entertaining!
Please check back frequently as this list is updated with additional titles and details. And without further delay...the tour stops are as follows:
Date Host Blog Topic
July 3 Tim Desmond Tim Desmond's Blog CSI and Caducei
An author interview
July 4 Sara McBride Novel Travelist The Buried Books of Herculaneum
A Novel Travelist Mystery, Installment 6
July 5 James Callan The Author's Blog A Very, Very Bad Week
Guest post by protagonist Katrina Stone
July 6 Stephen Brayton Brayton's Briefs Riding Camels in the Desert
An "Around the Globe" interview
July 7 Lesley Diehl Another Draught An Accident, a Dare,
and a Massive Lay-off
My "Why I Became a Writer" Story
July 8 John Brantingham John Brantingham's Blog Title TBA
An author interview
July 9 William Doonan Novel Spaces Writing Like a Man
A guest post on gender in mystery writing
July 10 Cory Cuthbertson Coryographies The Crocodile Library of Tebtunis
Musings of a Paleolinguist True story of a 2000-year-old database
July 11 Theresa Valera Latina Libations Transitions
An author interview
July 12 Chris Swinney Chris Swinney's Blog The Sacrificial Lamb
Excerpt from The Vesuvius Isotope
July 13 Maria Ruiz Maria Ruiz' Blog All Things Books and Writing
An author interview
July 14 Joyce Brown Our Retirement Journeys The Facts Behind the Fiction
Read Like Cozy Mystery An author interview
July 15 Maggie Bishop Dames of Dialogue An American Imposter in Egypt
My solo novel-research tour of Egypt
July 16 Velda Brotherton Gutsy Women Who The Gutsy Woman Who Won the East
Won The West Mysteries in the life of Cleopatra VII
July 17 Denise Weeks Denise Weeks' Blog Kill Google First
Keeping the Internet out of your mystery
July 18 E.A. Aymar E.A. Aymar's Blog Title TBA
An author interview
July 19 Ilene Schneider rabbi.author See Naples and Die
Excerpt from The Vesuvius Isotope
July 20 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Who Owned the House of the Faun?
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 21 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Black Death From Above
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 22 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. The Roots of Rome
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 23 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Italy's Best Kept Secret:
Cappella Sansevero
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 24 Gray Cargill Solo Friendly The Worse the Vacation, the
Better the Story
How travels become stories and vice versa
July 25 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Billete! How to Go to Jail in Naples
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 26 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. Naples Versus Cairo:
Cairo Wins on the Chaos Scale
A Trip-A-Day Intermission
July 27-28 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. TBA Trip A Day Intermissions
A visit per day to Vesuvius locales
July 29 Maggie Bishop Dames of Dialogue A Dive to the Museum
Baiae Underwater Archeological Park
July 30-31 Kristen Elise, Ph.D. TBA Trip A Day Intermissions
A visit per day to Vesuvius locales
August 1 Sara McBride Novel Travelist The Buried Books of Herculaneum
A Novel Travelist Mystery, Installment 7
